Islamic Coin, World's First Sharia-Compliant Halal Cryptocurrency, Set To Launch in May
New
Age Islam News Bureau
13
May 2023
Image-
Supplied/ Photo: arabian Business
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Arab World
• King Salman invites President of Tunisia to Arab
League Council meeting
• Saudi Arabia’s green achievements praised at UN forum
• Saudi students head to US for international science
fair
• Golden Palm awards for victors at Saudi Film Festival
• Saudi Arabia concludes evacuation operations in Sudan
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Europe
• New UK Report Reinforces Poor Levels of Religious
Literacyin the British Government and the Public Sector
• Head of Islamic Community of Montenegro sends letter
to President Ilham Aliyev on occasion of 100th anniversary of birth of Heydar
Aliyev
• Barnstaple man admits mosque harassment
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North
America
• Video shows 'barbaric attack' on 67-year-old man
outside Scarborough mosque
• Tulsa is suddenly a music mecca for fans of Bob Dylan,
Leon Russell, Woody Guthrie and more
• Suspect vandalizes St. Paul mosque weeks after two
Minneapolis mosque fires
--------
India
• 'Love Jihad' Undeclared Agenda of Terrorism against
Humanity: Yogi
• Allahabad HC Orders Scientific Investigation of Shivling-Like
Structure in Gyanvapi Mosque
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Mideast
• Islamic Jihad: No ceasefire deal has been reached with
Israel
• Iran's Top Sunni Cleric, Molavi Abdulhamid, Calls for
"Free and Fair" Elections
• Israel kills sixth Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza as
rockets target Jerusalem
• Israel strikes rocket-launching sites operated by
Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group
• IDF assessment: Iran is pushing Palestinian Islamic
Jihad to fire rockets at Israel
• Iran Ready to Share Know-How with Muslim States
• Fifty Islamic Scholars Call For Muslims To Support
Re-Election Of President Erdogan
--------
Pakistan
• Interior Minister: No Decision Regarding Emergency
Enforcementin Pakistan
• Pakistan: Punjab Police Arrests 540 More Leaders,
Workers of Imran Khan's Party Over Violence
• Imran Khan Back atLahore Residence, Blames Army Chief
For Arrest Episode
• Imran gets bail for 2 weeks, blanket protection from
arrest till May 15
• Islamabad high court gives ex-PM Imran Khan a 2-week
reprieve from arrest in graft case
• Imran’s release may trigger violent protests, warns IB
--------
Southeast
Asia
• PM Anwar: Govt to Allocate Over RM103.86m to Imams,
Bilals, Religious Teachers in Kelantan This Year
• Unity govt has never sidelined Malay, Islamic agenda,
says Zahid
• Minister seeks Muslim countries' participation in down
streaming in RI
--------
Australia
• End-Of-Life Care on Agenda As Doctors Gather In Sydney
for Inaugural Islamic Medicine Conference
--------
South Asia
• The Taliban and the Islamic State Continue to Fight
for Afghanistan’s Future
• Qatar PM meets with Taliban officials in Afghanistan
to ‘strengthen relations, increase trust’
• Post-withdrawal, no “over-the-horizon” strikes in
Afghanistan
• Uzbekistan Opens Coordination Office For Trans-Afghan
Railway Project
• Belarus Detains Afghan National with Fake French
Passport
--------
Africa
• “Politicians Have Stopped Calling Me for Prayers”,
Islamic Cleric Laments
• A Ramadan to Remember: OctaFX Supports 1444 Muslims in
Lagos
• FRSC not seeking Sharia law to punish traffic
offenders – Official
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/halal-coin-cryptocurrency-sharia/d/129769
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Islamic Coin, World's First Sharia-Compliant Halal Cryptocurrency, Set To Launch In May
Image-
Supplied/ Photo: arabian Business
-----
Jordan
Finneseth
Friday May 12,
2023
(Kitco News) -
As Blockchain technology slowly gains adoption around the world, the global
Muslim population is set to get their first Cryptocurrency ecosystem that
abides by the principles and traditions of Islam with the launch of the Islamic
Coin ($ISLM), the native coin of the Haqq ecosystem.
According to a
report from Arabian Business, the public launch of the new token will take
place in May. $ISLM operates on the Haqq Blockchain, which is compatible with
the Ethereum network and thousands of applications worldwide.
Haqq, which
means ‘truth’ in Arabic, was designed to stringently abide by Islamic
principles and traditions on finance. Islamic Coin will be the primary token of
value within the ecosystem, providing the global Muslim population with a financial
platform that offers a 100% halal cryptocurrency.
The new token
was created to help address the reservations that observant Muslims currently
have about digital assets and how they fit in with the customs of Islam.
Islamic Coin has already received accreditation and authorization through the
Fatwa of several Muslim authorities.
Haqq’s stated
mission is to provide the global Muslim population with a financial platform
enabling real-time, transparent, and cross-border transactions while supporting
Web3 innovations and philanthropy.
To help achieve
its philanthropic goals, the network has pledged to dedicate 10% of each
Islamic Coin to Evergreen DAO – a non-profit virtual foundation focused on
long-term sustainability and community impact – to fund community projects in
the Muslim world.
To help with
adoption, the Haqq Association, the ecosystem’s non-profit arm, has partnered
with the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) to increase
blockchain and crypto awareness with a positive learning environment.
Additionally,
Haqq has formed several commercial partnerships with retail and e-commerce
platforms to introduce Sharia-compliant Web3 technologies into traditional Web2
environments. Most recently, the project partnered with Holiday Swap, the world’s
largest home exchange platform, to transition the company’s tokenized
operations to Web3.
To help decide
if a project wishing to launch on the Haqq blockchain is compliant with Islamic
principles, Islamic Coin has appointed a Sharia board that includes 40 banks,
with Standard Chartered, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank listed
among its members.
Due to the
public and open-source nature of the blockchain, projects that aren’t
Sharia-compliant will still be able to launch on the network, but they will not
receive the badge that indicates compliance and elicits a higher level of trust
within the community.
Last month, the
Haqq Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the London-based
DDCAP GroupTM to explore potential collaboration opportunities that utilize
DDCAP’s Sharia-compliant financial technology to build industry-grade systems
that can cater to the growing demand for such services. This includes the
creation of a Web3 alternative to the SWIFT payments system.
According to
Haqq co-founder Mohammed AlKaff AlHashmi, Islamic Coin has the potential to
become a tier-one asset. “If only 3-4% of the online Muslim community holds the
coin, it could become a Bitcoin-scale asset,” AlHashmi said.
The global
Islamic finance market is expected to surpass $3.69 trillion by 2024, while the
Halal products market is projected to surpass $4 trillion. “It’s not only about
food anymore, it’s also about healthcare products, cosmetics, how to make sure
that everything is really Halal and fits with community ethics and values,”
AlHashmi said.
With a global
population of more than 1.8 billion people, AlHashmi said the Muslim community
represents an “untapped and underserved” market in the crypto world. He also
noted that Islamic finance is also being embraced by non-Muslims, as at least
50 percent of Haqq’s private sales of Islamic Coin were purchased by
non-Muslims.
In 2022,
cryptocurrency transactions in the MENA region accounted for $566 billion in
value, a 48% increase from the previous year.
Source: kitco.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.kitco.com/news/2023-05-12/Islamic-Coin-the-first-Sharia-compliant-cryptocurrency-set-to-launch-in-May.html
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UK Teenage
Islamic State Convert's Terror Plot against Police and Soldiers Thwarted By
Mother
Metropolitan
Polic
----
By Daniel
Sandford & Judith Burns
BBC News Home
Affairs Team
A teenage
Islamic State convert who has admitted plotting attacks on British police and
soldiers has had his sentencing delayed after reports he has threatened to
behead a prison imam.
The judge at
the Old Bailey has adjourned the sentencing of 19-year-old Matthew King from
Wickford in Essex.
He was put
under surveillance after his mother raised concerns that videos he was watching
promoted hatred.
Judge Mark
Lucraft KC said she had "done exactly the right thing".
King pleaded
guilty in January to the preparation of terrorist attacks between 22 December
2021 and 17 May 2022.
At Friday's
sentencing hearing in London, the prosecution outlined the case and the defence
began its mitigation, however the judge adjourned the hearing for two weeks for
further inquiries to be made at the prison where King is being held.
The court heard
that intelligence reports from the jail suggested King had said he would
"behead the imam".
King's
barrister Hossein Zahir KC said this was "a throwaway remark by an angry
young man being stuck in his cell" and asked for further inquiries.
'Immodest'
Earlier, the
prosecuting barrister Paul Jarvis told the court King had dabbled in drugs
since early secondary school, was expelled and left education at 16 with no
qualifications.
He said King
converted to Islam in 2020 and, at first, his behaviour improved, but in 2021
he began criticising his sisters' clothing as immodest and attended mosques
wearing combat clothing.
He was put
under surveillance after his mother reported him to the government's
anti-extremism agency Prevent, because she feared some of the videos he was
watching promoted hatred.
Several of the
mosques he attended also warned him about his behaviour, and one decided he was
no longer welcome, Mr Jarvis told the court.
In 2022, in the
weeks before his arrest, King began carrying out reconnaissance in east London,
including on police officers patrolling outside Stratford railway station, as
well as at Stratford police station itself and the local magistrates' court.
Mr Jarvis told
the court that one of the videos found on his phone featured footage near the
police station, overlaid with a soundtrack including the words: "Coldly
kill them with hate and rage. Plan your perfect killing spree."
On 17 May 2022,
a CCTV camera captured him filming after dark outside a 7 Rifles Army barracks
in east London.
He was arrested
at his home the following day and his phone examined.
Officers found
Snapchat messages King sent to a girl who was still in the sixth form, known in
court as Miss A, in which he said he wanted to travel to Syria to become a
martyr.
They exchanged
messages about how they would like to mutilate members of the British and
American armed forces.
Miss A wrote to
him: "We can't let them die quick tho. Slow painful death akhi... I'll
guide you through it. Or bring him or her home."
The prosecution
said King had said he was "training for Jihad" and just wanted
"to kill people".
Mr Jarvis told
the court that on 17 May 2022, the day before King's arrest, the girl messaged
him to say she wanted to concentrate on her exams.
King replied to
say he would "be worshipping Allah" and he might soon be "on the
news".
The sentencing
has been adjourned until 26 May.
Source: bbc.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-65576185
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Muslim, Jewish
Worshippers Demand Free Parking At Aberdeen, Scotland, A Privilege Enjoyed By
Christians On Sundays
Christians in
Aberdeen already have parking charges waived on Sunday mornings - now minority
faith groups argue that they should get a similar dispensation
GETTY IMAGES
-----
12 May, 2023
Muslim and
Jewish worshippers at Aberdeen, Scotland, have demanded free parking on
holidays, a privilege now enjoyed by Christians on Sundays.
The port city
has waived charges for parking on Sundays until after 1pm which allows
Christians to travel to church without a financial barrier or fear of having a
fixed-penalty notice placed on their windscreens.
Now, minority
faith groups in the city argue that they are not being treated equally,
reported The Times.
“It’s all about
equality. It would just be once a week, for two hours for the most important
sermon and prayer of the week. This is a consideration of the religious need to
encourage those who want to practise their faith. We are calling for this to
cover all houses of worship,” Dr Ibrahim Alwawi, the Imam of Aberdeen Mosque
and Islamic Centre, was quoted as saying by The Times.
There are about
10,000 Muslims in the city and the Jewish community is much smaller.
In 2021,
Aberdeen’s new central mosque was inaugurated within the premises of the former
Frederick Street Primary School. It is near to a multistorey car park owned by
the council.
According to
Alwawi, providing free parking on Friday mornings would contribute to reducing
traffic issues in the area.
“Lunchtime is
very tight. It’s very, very busy. People want to pray and eat and when you
consider finding parking and paying it becomes stressful,” he is reported to
have said.
Labour
councillor Mohammad Tauqeer Malik has urged the city’s SNP and Liberal Democrat
administration to act accordingly.
“Aberdeen is a
city that is multicultural in its outlook and a place where its citizens
appreciate the importance of many faiths and do so in harmony and with
respect,” Malik told The Times.
“Not all
religious days are on a Sunday, with the Qur’an invoking the importance of
Friday as its day of worship. I was asked by the Muslim community to bring
forward a motion because of parking issues around the new mosque.”
Malik added
that the facility had become a victim of its own success as sometimes ‘people
are breaking the law’.
The Aberdeen
Synagogue and Jewish Community Centre has made private representations to the
council over the issue. The Jewish Sabbath is observed every Saturday.
Aberdeen holds
the distinction of being the least religious, as per the 2011 census. Nearly
half of its 230,000 residents identified as having no religious affiliation.
Among the
respondents, slightly over a quarter identified themselves as belonging to the
Church of Scotland, 9 per cent as Catholic, 7 per cent as followers of other
Christian denominations, and 2 per cent as Muslims.
Many former
landmark churches in the city centre have already been converted into
nightclubs, bars and casinos.
The local
authority’s net-zero committee would soon discuss a report on the parking
issues, the report added.
Source: easterneye.biz
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.easterneye.biz/muslim-jewish-worshippers-demand-free-parking-in-aberdeen/
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Delhi HC
Directs Google, Twitter, Media Houses to Block Links to Videos, Alleging Muslim
Man Forced
Woman to
Convert
Representational
image
File image
----
Written by
Malavika Prasad
May 12, 2023
The Delhi High
Court Friday directed certain media houses as well as social media platforms to
block links to news reports and videos accusing a Muslim man of “forcing” a
woman to convert to Islam.
The
single-judge bench of Justice Prathiba Singh directed, “Considering that there
is a severe threat to independent investigation in the FIR and to the safety
and security of the Petitioner, as is evident from the comments and videos
which have been placed before this Court, it is directed that the links which
have been set out in paragraph 11 (of the petition) shall be immediately
blocked for public viewing till the next date of hearing”.
The court also
issued a notice to the respondents, including the Ministry of Electronics and
Information and Technology (MEITY), Press Council of India (PCI), News
Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA), and Google LLC, Twitter,
as well as media houses like Odisha Television Limited, Chairman of Sudarshan
News Suresh Chavhanke, Pittie Media LLP, Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
The high court
was hearing the plea of a man, a classical singer who had moved the court
seeking the removal of videos, tweets and various news items appearing on
online platforms and news channels with respect to an FIR registered against
him on April 19 at Dabri Dwarka police station. It was the petitioner’s case
that the news items are in the “form of fake news, threats and are severely
jeopardising his life, reputation and safety”.
The court noted
that the FIR was lodged by a woman with whom “he was in a relationship for the
last eight years” and the allegations in it are currently under investigation
by the police. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Rajiv Bajaj argued that
the circulation of the videos was posing a great threat to an independent
investigation into the FIR, and to his client’s personal safety and security.
He said that the videos released by “Sudarshan News and other platforms are
extremely derogatory and the comments on the YouTube platform show that there
is a threat to his life as well”.
The high court
noted that the man had written an email on May 9 to the respondents regarding
his grievances. Google’s counsel Mamta Jha said that since the FIR was already
registered in the matter, therefore the originators of the videos should be
heard.
Appearing for
the NBDSA, advocate Nisha Bhambhani said that none of the respondent news
channels are its members and, therefore, the body has no jurisdiction over
them. PCI’s counsel T Singh Dev said that the email is being looked into. He
added that the PCI has jurisdiction over print media only.
The court also
issued a notice to the Delhi Police asking them to file a status report on the
investigation and further asked them to contact the woman and intimate her
about this case. The court asked Sandeep Mohapatra, counsel for the Centre, to
seek instructions from MEITY as well as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
on the issue. The matter is listed on May 24.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-hc-google-twitter-media-houses-block-links-videos-reports-muslim-man-forced-woman-convert-8605882/
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Human Shields
Allegedly Used by Iran-Backed Islamic Jihad: Israel Defence Forces
Representative
image/ Photo: FDD
-----
May 12, 2023
Latest
Developments
The Israel
Defence Forces (IDF) said on May 11 that Israel waited two days to strike an
Islamic Jihad commander because he was using his family as human shields. The
commander, Ahmad Abu Daqqa, “took a significant part in commanding and carrying
out the rocket barrages towards Israel,” the IDF reported, and assumed Israeli
forces would not knowingly target civilians. This is a serious accusation
leveled by the IDF, as using human shields is a violation of international law
and is subject to U.S. sanctions pursuant to the Sanctioning the Use of
Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act. Independent verification remains
necessary to confirm the IDF’s allegation.
Expert Analysis
“Islamic Jihad
is allegedly engaging in the actual war crime of using human shields so that
Israel can more easily be falsely accused of committing war crimes such as
willfully killing civilians. The United States can — and should — help set the
record straight. U.S. law provides for the executive branch to impose sanctions
in response to the use of human shields. President Biden should seize the
opportunity to do so here, both to support America’s Israeli allies and to
bolster U.S. and other NATO troops, who similarly face rampant terrorist use of
civilians as human shields.” — Orde Kittrie, FDD Senior Fellow
“The complete
disregard for human life and the illegitimate use of human shields are both
trademarks of the regime in Tehran and its terror proxies throughout the Middle
East. Using women and children to shield a mobile terrorist command post
demands condemnation from every responsible nation on earth.” — Richard Goldberg,
FDD Senior Advisor
Violations of
International Law
Whenever Hamas,
Islamic Jihad, or Hezbollah uses civilians to shield its weapons or fighters
from lawful attack, the terror group commits a war crime violating the Fourth
Geneva Convention and customary international law. During the May 2021 Gaza
conflict, several outside observers publicly reported Hamas’ use of civilians
as human shields for its weapons and fighters. The Associated Press found that
“Palestinian fighters are clearly operating in built-up residential areas and
have positioned tunnels, rocket launchers, and command and control
infrastructure near schools, mosques, and homes.”
NATO Concerns
on Human Shields
In 2019,
then-NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Curtis Scaparrotti, said,
“[I]t is essential that further measures be taken at the national level to
maximize enforcement of the international legal prohibition of the use of human
shields.” Scaparrotti specifically urged “imposition of sanctions” and
“spotlighting of violations.” Such national measures “would decidedly become a
major and substantial contribution” to NATO operations.
Demanding
Accountability
In addition to
using U.S. sanctions to hold people and groups accountable for using human
shields, the Biden administration could raise concerns at the United Nations
(UN) Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the upcoming World Health
Assembly, and other appropriate international fora.
Source: fdd.org
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/05/12/human-shields-allegedly-used-by-iran-backed-islamic-jihad/
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Arab World
King Salman
invites President of Tunisia to Arab League Council meeting
May 12, 2023
RIYADH: King
Salman sent an invitation on Friday to the President of Tunisia to participate
in the Arab League Council meeting, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
The meeting is
taking place in Saudi Arabia on May 19.
The Saudi
ambassador to Tunisia, Abdulaziz bin Ali Al-Saqr, delivered the message during
his meeting with President Kais Saied at Carthage Palace in Tunis.
Al-Saqr
conveyed to Saied the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, while the president did the same to the Saudi leadership.
King Salman
earlier this week sent invitations to the emir of Qatar and the sultan of Oman
to attend the 32nd regular session.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2302421/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia’s
green achievements praised at UN forum
May 13, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, represented by the
National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification,
attended the 18th session of the UN Forum on Forests in New York City from May
8-12.
During the
event, the center shed light on the various initiatives, ambitious plans and
achievements related to forest development, protection and sustainability
within the framework of the Saudi Green Initiative.
The
International Union for Conservation of Nature highlighted opportunities for
forest ecosystem restoration, in addition to the G20 Global Land Initiative.
The forum
praised the initiative adopted by the center to plant 60 million trees and
rehabilitate 300,000 hectares of forest lands and valleys, in addition to the
implementation of the national forest strategy’s programs and projects.
It also
announced that the Kingdom will host the 16th session of the Conference of the
Parties (COP 16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
The forum
welcomed the participation of a large number of delegations of UN member
states, including ambassadors and representatives of countries and
organizations.
The attendees
expressed their admiration for the ambitious work and environmental
achievements of the Kingdom.
The UNFF meets
annually at UN headquarters in New York City with the aim of protecting,
developing and sustaining forests around the world to help promote social
development, improve livelihoods and contribute to poverty eradication, at a
time when forests are threatened by unsustainable practices and economic
crises.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2302451/saudi-arabia
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Saudi students
head to US for international science fair
May 12, 2023
RIYADH: A Saudi
science and engineering team of 35 students are taking part in the Regeneron
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF 2023) in Dallas, US, from May
12-19.
The team are
taking part through the support of the King Abdullah and His Companions
Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Saudi Ministry of
Education.
The science and
engineering team will compete with 1,800 students from about 70 countries.
It is the
Kingdom’s 17th consecutive participation in the ISEF exhibition since 2007, as
part of an annual program organized by Mawhiba in partnership with the Ministry
of Education.
Team members
were chosen from winners of the grand prizes at the National Olympiad for
Scientific Creativity “Ibdaa 2023,” one of the various programs that Mawhiba
offers annually for talented students. The 35-student team was selected from
among 146,000 boys and girls who had registered for the Ibdaa.
The Regeneron
ISEF 2023 finalists will compete for almost $9 million in awards, prizes and
scholarships throughout the course of the event.
Dr. Amal bint
Abdullah Al-Hazaa, secretary general of Mawhiba, said that the “Saudi team for
science and engineering represents the elite students of the Kingdom who have
reached this stage after a long journey of training, qualification and
participation in Mawhiba programs.”
She added that
Saudi student programs had qualified them for ISEF 2023, enabling them to reach
a higher scientific and research level.
Saudi students
bagged 106 prizes at ISEF last year, including 69 grand awards and 37 special
awards.
This year’s
Saudi team members took part in an intensive series of training with the help
of Saudi and foreign trainers, including academics, experts and arbitrators in
various disciplines.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2302426/saudi-arabia
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Golden Palm
awards for victors at Saudi Film Festival
May 12, 2023
DHAHRAN: Winners celebrated their Golden Palm
awards at the conclusion of the ninth Saudi Film Festival, the event toasting a
bright future for the country’s cinema industry.
Mansour Assad,
who directed the film “Slave” which was nominated for several awards, was
delighted to be clutching three Golden Palms at the end of the proceedings.
He said: “I am
so happy. Thank you so much to the Saudi Film Festival. I actually won three
awards and I could not have imagined winning more than one.”
Hakim Juma won
a best actor award for his performance in “Don’t Go Too Far,” a short film
about a man suffering from mental illness who gets lost in a busy subway in New
York.
He told Arab
News: “Everyone here is a peer and a colleague and a mentor. The fact that I
got nominated alone, that for me was enough, but to win as well, it just went
the extra mile for me. I am elated but it’s still pretty surreal for me.”
Maram Taibah,
the director of the short film which was released in 2018, said that the story
was based on her fear of losing her older brother.
She said: “To
face that fear, I decided to make a film about it and kind of explore what this
character’s journey would be like.
“What I love
about it is that there are devastating moments, there are innocent moments,
there are playful moments. And it was such a joy writing it and making it.”
Taibah added
that she loved being a part of the festival and hopes to direct another film
for next year’s event.
She said: “I
really hope to share more work because this place is a meeting point where all
of us creatives get together and it’s where we come to celebrate what we make
and what we create.”
Salma Murad,
director of the film “Kabreet,” picked up another award.
She said: “The
journey was so long that right now getting this award feels like the most
surreal and overwhelming feeling I have ever experienced.
“I don’t even
have words. I need a few days to process what just happened.”
Film festival
director Ahmed Almullah said that preparations for next year’s event were
already underway.
He added: “At
the finale, the closing night of the festival, it is natural to have mixed
feelings of joy and sadness.
“(We are) happy
to see our hopes, programs and planning throughout the year be fulfilled, but
also sad because tomorrow everyone will part ways. However, the beautiful
memories will remain.
“A great sense
of love prevailed during these eight days and nights, during which not only new
relationships have been forged, but future projects saw the light.
“We promise
that the 10th session will be special and we have already started planning for
it. We are working on an eye-catching program.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2302301/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia
concludes evacuation operations in Sudan
May 12, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has concluded all
humanitarian evacuations of its citizens and nationals of other countries from
Sudan, the Saudi Press Agency said early Friday.
The evacuations,
implemented by the Royal Saudi Navy and Air Force, included 8,455 people, 404
of whom are Saudi citizens, and 8,051 people from 110 nationalities.
The Kingdom
also assisted other countries in evacuating 11,184 of their citizens to the
Kingdom and then to their countries. It provided them with full care and
follow-up throughout the stages of the operation.
The Saudi
foreign ministry thanked Sudan for their cooperation in facilitating the
evacuations.
It also thanked
all countries that followed up on the affairs of their nationals who were
evacuated from Sudan, and cooperated in completing the procedures regarding
their return to their countries.
The evacuations
came under the directives and follow-up of King Salman and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman and in response to requests the Kingdom received from many
countries.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2301891/saudi-arabia
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Europe
New UK Report
Reinforces Poor Levels of Religious Literacyin the British Government and the
Public Sector
Khadijah
Elshayyal
12 May 2023
In emphasising
the dearth of religious literacy in the British government and the public
sector, the recently released Bloom review seeks to raise the game when it
comes to the state’s engagement with faith.
The independent
review, published last month, challenges the government to take religion
seriously by recommending the institution of an Independent Faith Champion to
take the lead on consulting fairly with faith groups and establishing
oversight.
The report by
faith engagement adviser Colin Bloom expresses concern about poor levels of
religious literacy, and this is not misplaced. But his recommendations fall
short of scrutinising the government’s longstanding prejudices against Muslim
civic activism, and as such, it could serve to entrench the draconian reach of
the state in regulating minority faiths and containing dissenting perspectives.
Setting the
tone for the rest of the document, the review’s foreword presents a curiously
simplistic typology of three different categories when it comes to faith or
belief. Bloom’s “true believers” and “non-believers” are the good guys -
“sincere, peaceful and decent”, and thus deserving to be taken seriously by
government.
In contrast,
“make-believers” are portrayed as insincere trouble-makers, guided by some form
of self-interest and employing subterfuge to unfairly exert their influence - a
problem and a threat for government and communities alike.
This is a
judgment on which voices can be regarded as legitimate or representative. The
problem with this framing is that it relies on subjective descriptors, which
when handed over to government leave their interpretations reliant on specific
implied notions of peacefulness, decency and sincerity - namely, ones that
comply with the politically charged parameters laid down by the state.
For a
government whose ministers have long been proponents of a hawkish nativism, and
indeed continue to champion such agendas, there is little doubt that in today’s
highly securitised and xenophobic political climate, critical and dissenting
Muslim civic voices will be classified as a threat to peace - as subversive and
illegitimate disruptors.
The language of
'peace'
The repeated
calls in the review for government to reinforce a distinction between Islam (or
“peace-loving Muslims”) and Islamism only underline this reality. It has long
been a feature of post-9/11 political discourse that a conditional acceptance
of Muslim civic actors is predicated on their being “peaceful”, or
unproblematic to the prevailing direction of political travel.
Thus, the
“true” Islam of the majority is peaceful and docile, whereas “activist” Muslims
who seek to question political arrangements or to effect change are disruptive,
even extremist, Islamists.
And so, in a
by-now-familiar fashion, the language of “peace” is used as a foil for the
promotion of quietism towards an aggressive state agenda, where handpicked
peaceful (read: compliant) voices are held up as agreeable interlocutors and
exemplars, and critical or dissenting ones are excluded and demonised.
Recommendations to extend the reach of the
state in a range of civic domains should be considered within this context.
Heavier regulation in the name of “safeguarding” by a state that has a track
record of suspicion towards Muslims raises concerns. That the focus on
safeguarding and greater state regulation appears largely focused on minority
faiths only underscores this issue.
Although there
is much talk in the Bloom review of fair engagement with faith groups, it
offers little by way of directly assessing who should be included and how this
would be decided.
On the question
of state engagement with Muslims, the huge and persistent elephant in the room
remains how and why successive Conservative administrations have continued to
shut out and actively demonise the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
A tired and
lazy justification that has long been recycled relates to the council’s
allegedly inadequate condemnation of extremism - a double standard to which
other religions are not held. It is laughable to think that such charges
continue to be levelled without scrutiny, against a group that has gone to
great lengths to chronicle its efforts to condemn terrorism.
Convenient
platitudes
In Britain,
there is a longstanding, implicit policy of variable engagement between the
government and minority faith communal and representative bodies. For years,
the annual dinner of the Jewish Community Security Trust has been a regular
fixture in the home secretary’s diary; meanwhile, public figures are rebuked
for dealing with the MCB.
While some
commentary has hailed aspects of the Bloom review as a critical call for action
from the government in everyday areas where Muslims experience exclusion and
discrimination - for example, on allowing sharia-compliant student loans -
these are long-overdue measures that have been repeatedly ignored or shelved.
And, although
necessary, their inclusion could be read by some as barely consolatory, in view
of how Muslim public life now stands to be increasingly regulated and
restricted by the expanding reach of the state.
In a similar
vein, while anyone familiar with community life in contemporary Britain knows
the indispensable roles played by so many people of faith in serving and
helping others, minority faith communities do not need to be told (again) that
their contribution to the country is vital and appreciated, and that it thus
makes them worthy of recognition.
There is ample
appreciation of these facts among Muslim organisations who are rather crying
out for better resources, capacity building, and genuinely equitable
engagement.
Reassurances
that a “vast majority” of British Muslims are viewed as loyal, law-abiding and
integral to the nation offer very little, if such reassurances are laced with
the conditionality that their politics are unproblematic to the state’s
political agenda.
While these
platitudes might have for decades provided convenient and reliable content for
official messages put out by politicians on Eid and other formal occasions,
British Muslims today are more alert than ever to the hostile civic environment
within which they operate - and if the Bloom review is anything to go by,
things are only going to get worse.
The views
expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect
the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Source: middleeasteye.net
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-islam-bloom-review-false-narrative-good-bad-muslims
--------
Head of Islamic
Community of Montenegro sends letter to President Ilham Aliyev on occasion of
100th anniversary of birth of Heydar Aliyev
12 May 2023
BAKU,
Azerbaijan, May 12. Head of the Islamic Community of Montenegro Rifat Fejzic
has sent a letter to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Heydar Aliyev, Trend
reports.
Will be updated
Source: en.trend.az
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/3747555.html
--------
Barnstaple man
admits mosque harassment
12 MAY 2023
ByPaul Greaves
A Barnstaple
man has admitted religiously aggravated harassment of an Islamic centre in
Barnstaple. Marcus Offield, aged 59, of Princess Street, pleaded guilty to the
single offence when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Friday (May 12).
It is in
connection to his behaviour between October 17 and October 29 last year. The
charge says he pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of
the Islamic community based at the mosque at in Vicarage Street.
Offield was
represented in court by Mr Herc Ashworth. Judge David Evans said the defendant
would most likely receive a community order with unpaid work when he returns to
court to be sentenced.
He will be
sentenced on July 26.
Source: devonlive.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/barnstaple-man-admits-mosque-harassment-8436219
--------
North America
Video shows
'barbaric attack' on 67-year-old man outside Scarborough mosque
By Michael
Ranger
May 12, 2023
Toronto police
are investigating after a man was violently attacked outside a mosque in the
city’s east end.
Investigators
say the assault occurred around 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday at Baitul Aman Masjid
near Victoria Park and Danforth avenues. Video surveillance shows a man walking
in the parking lot when two suspects approach and start attacking him.
“This is a
barbaric attack,” says Imam Muhammad Kamruzzaman. “We strongly condemn this
heinous attack on an innocent man.”
The
surveillance footage from the mosque’s security camera shows the victim walk
into the parking lot carrying bags. He is quickly approached by two suspects,
one of whom is holding what appeared to be a baseball bat.
The suspects
start to to attack the victim, swinging the bat at him and then stomping him
repeatedly once he falls to the ground. A grey sedan pulls up during the
ongoing attack and the two suspects get inside the vehicle as it drives off.
Kamruzzaman
identified the victim as 67-year-old Mahbubul Alam Chowdhury, adding he is a
member of the mosque and a well-known person in the community.
He says
Chowdhury was unable to walk on his own after the attack and went to hospital
on Wednesday night. He was released and returned home on Thursday.
“I demand
proper investigation into this incident and these cowards must face the weight
of justice,” Kamruzzaman says.
Police say the
attack does not appear to be hate-motivated.
Premier Doug
Ford condemned the attack, saying his recommendation for people who want to
discriminate is to “get the heck out of the province – I don’t want you here.”
“We have zero
tolerance for any discrimination, it just has no place here in Ontario,” said
Ford during an unrelated news conference in Oshawa. “We live in such an
inclusive province and that’s what attracts people from around the world that
they know they’re going to come here, they’re not going to be discriminated
against. We work and live side-by-side and it will not be tolerated here.”
Kamruzzaman
tells CityNews the suspects are not known to the mosque and they don’t know
what motivated the attack. He says additional surveillance footage suggests the
suspects were sitting in the parking lot for almost an hour prior to the
incident.
He says it is
the first physically violent attack on the mosque’s property that he is aware
of.
A demonstration
to call for justice is being held outside the mosque at 2:15 p.m. on Friday.
The
investigation is ongoing.
Source: toronto.citynews.ca
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/05/12/scarborough-mosque-attack-toronto-police/
--------
Tulsa is
suddenly a music mecca for fans of Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Woody Guthrie and
more
MAY 12, 2023
Oversized
photos of old-timers like Ernest Tubb and Kay Starr ring the dance floor.
That's not surprising, since Cain's Ballroom has been around for 99 years.
Nowadays, newer
names like Big Thief and Lainey Wilson take to the bandstand. But the landmark
music hall still proudly boasts that it's "the home of Bob Wills."
"Take me
back to Tulsa," Wills implored in a song of that name, in which the King
of Western Swing was getting cold feet about marrying a Louisiana woman. Take a
tip from Wills and beat a hot trail to Tulsa, regardless of your romantic
situation.
The Oklahoma
oil town in the middle of America has suddenly achieved a critical mass for
music lovers. With the opening last year of the must-see Bob Dylan Center, and
the remarkably eccentric Church Studio, Leon Russell's renovated recording
complex, Tulsa has "y'all come" writ large. A night of live music at
Cain's shouldn't be missed, as well as a visit to the Woody Guthrie Center.
Bob Dylan and
Woody Guthrie
The Guthrie
Center is the reason the Dylan museum is in Tulsa. The Minnesota icon was
impressed by what the George Kaiser Family Foundation did for folk-music giant
Guthrie, one of Dylan's heroes, so he sold his lifetime of keepsakes to the
foundation, which then created the Bob Dylan Center.
Located in an
old warehouse two doors down from the Dylan depository, the Guthrie Center
transports you back to the Oklahoma Dust Bowl (be sure to don the
virtual-reality goggles). Recordings and handwritten lyrics showcase the
diversity of songs (kids' tunes, commentaries about poverty and labor, etc.) by
the Oklahoma-born writer of "This Land Is Your Land."
When our tour
guide pointed out Guthrie's damning lyrics about notorious New York landlord
Fred Trump, father of you-know-who, one visitor loudly proclaimed her objection
and stormed out of the museum.
There are likely to be no such controversies
at the $10 million Bob Dylan Center. Its 29,000 square feet are packed with
Bobabilia: performance footage and interviews, posters and paintings, articles
and essays, bootleg LPs and outtakes. There's even an iron gate sculpture by
the bard — just no Grammys or trophies of any kind.
What a saver
Bob has been: artifacts like the leather jacket he wore when he went electric
at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Priceless ephemera like a 1964 letter of
admiration from Johnny Cash and a postcard of apology from Pete Seeger. Not
displayed during the self-guided tours are the extensive archives of
manuscripts and papers, available by appointment for historians, scholars and
journalists.
The Church and
Cain's
The Church
Studio received a multimillion-dollar makeover and reopened in early 2022,
thanks to educator-turned-preservationist Teresa Knox. She kept many of the
late musician Russell's idiosyncratic things (his private olive-green bidet in
the belfry, a hand-carved chair with ivory filigree, etc.) in a 1915 Methodist
Episcopal church he converted into a studio in 1972. The Church Studio was the
home of the Tulsa Sound, where Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale, Bonnie Raitt, Tom
Petty, Phoebe Snow, Russell and others recorded.
During the
renovation, Knox collected choice equipment such as a Neve recording console
from New Orleans producer Daniel Lanois and microphones David Bowie used to
record in Berlin in the late '70s.
The Church is
available for recording sessions — and tours, where you can see Russell's
trademark top hat, childhood art and other memorabilia. Knox also books special
solo concerts in the large studio by the likes of Kenny Loggins and Taj Mahal.
Cain's, built
in 1924 as a garage for the wealthy founder of Tulsa, is a classic dancehall.
Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys broadcast their radio show from the ballroom
in the 1930s.
Cain's was one
of only seven venues where the Sex Pistols, the notorious British punk band,
performed on their 1978 U.S. tour. Volatile bassist Sid Vicious famously
punched a hole in the wall of the Green Room. The hole-in-the-wall section has
been preserved and is on display at Cain's along with enlarged photos of other
headliners including Hank Thompson and Kitty Wells.
With a capacity
of 1,800 (there are seats in the mezzanine), Cain's is still the must-play
music room in Tulsa.
Beside Wills,
Russell and Cale, Oklahoma's second largest city has been home to such music
stars as Roy Clark, drummer Jim Keltner, David Gates of Bread, the Gap Band,
guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, Dwight Twilley, JD McPherson and Wayman Tisdale, the
basketball hero-cum-jazz-bassist.
Other
attractions
The
historically essential Black Wall Street tells the story of the 1921 race
massacre. Murals, a museum and a culture center commemorate this tragic event
in the Greenwood district.
The unusual
architecture of Oral Roberts University has curious appeal, along with the
campus' gigantic sculpture of Praying Hands (an Instagram spot, for sure).
The Golden
Driller, another Insta site, is the third-tallest statue of a single person in
North America. The 75-foot-tall, 22-ton oil worker was erected in 1966 for the
International Petroleum Exposition. The oil man has a shoe size of 393DDD. No
wonder the Golden Driller was named one of the 10 quirkiest destinations in the
nation in 2006.
The Center of
the Universe is an acoustic curiosity. Located in the heart of downtown Tulsa,
it's a vehicle-free space where sound resonates in a mysterious way.
Housed in the
former estate of an oil pioneer, the Philbrook Museum of Art features a
striking collection of Native American art as well as massive formal gardens, a
perfect place for solitude or a wedding. The Gilcrease Museum, established by
an Indigenous oil magnate, boasts the world's largest collection of art of the
American West.
Memorial Park
Cemetery has the conspicuous headstones of music heroes Clark and Russell as
well as the plain graves of Wills and comic Sam Kinison, for which you might
need directions from a cemetery worker.
Source: startribune.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.startribune.com/tulsa-bob-dylan-leon-russell-woody-guthrie-black-wall-street-cains-ballroom-jj-cale-bob-wills/600274390/
--------
Suspect
vandalizes St. Paul mosque weeks after two Minneapolis mosque fires
May 12, 2023
A masked
suspect threw a chunk of concrete at Masjid As Sunnah in St. Paul Friday
morning several minutes after the last congregant left morning prayers, causing
an estimated $10,000 in damages.
The vandalism
comes about three weeks after fires were started inside two south Minneapolis
mosques in April. St. Paul police said the suspect in the Masjid As Sunnah case
had not been arrested as of Friday afternoon, and that the incident is being
investigated as a potential hate crime.
The Minnesota
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations posted a YouTube video
Friday showing a person walking through the mosque’s parking lot carrying an
open umbrella that obscures their hands. The person drops the umbrella once
they are close to the main entrance, revealing a large gray-colored object in
their hands, and then throws the object at the glass door multiple times.
A chunk of
concrete was later found at the scene. Masjid As-Sunnah is located in a strip
mall in the Sun Ray neighborhood of St. Paul.
Masjid
As-Sunnah’s imam, Abdullahi Nur, who is known in his congregation as Sheikh
Abdulfadli, said he has provided information about the incident to the
Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office. The office declined to comment when reached
by phone Friday.
Abdullahi told
Sahan Journal that the suspect threw the object at the mosque’s door four
times. The YouTube video of the incident shows three throws before the video
abruptly ends; the mosque shared another surveillance video with Sahan Journal
that shows the suspect throwing the object four times before leaving with the
umbrella obscuring their face.
According to
the imam, the last individual in the mosque left about 15 minutes before the
suspect approached the door. The suspect left after breaking the door and did not
enter the mosque. He said the suspect probably left when the mosque’s security
alarm went off.
“It looked like
someone prepared to focus on the masjid (mosque),” the imam said, calling the
incident an example of hate against Muslims.
He estimates
the cost of damages at around $10,000. The door is not operable, and
congregants coming to Masjid As-Sunnah for Friday prayers will have to use the
women’s entrance.
The vandalism
did not stop a crowd of more than 100 congregants from attending Friday
afternoon Jummah, or Friday prayer. St. Paul Police Deputy Chief Joshua Lego
told the congregation that police are working to find and arrest the suspect.
“We are
investigating this crime, and it is more than a broken window,” Lego said. “It
is a broken window at a house of worship. The St. Paul Police Department knows
that your community is threatened by people who would take that action against
you because of your faith.”
Lego called the
vandalism a “hate crime” because “this is a faith community.” He added that police
don’t know the suspect’s identity.
Abdulmajid
Mohamed, director of Masjid As-Sunnah, said the suspect in the security camera
footage did not look familiar to regulars at the mosque.
“So far we
don’t know anything about this person,” Abdulmajid said.
“We urge law
enforcement authorities to investigate this incident as a possible hate crime,”
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR Minnesota, said in a written
statement on the organization’s website. “As worshippers gather for Friday
prayers, they will be confronted with the distressing sight of their mosque’s
front door smashed.
“This marks the
fifth attack on a Minnesota mosque in 2023, contributing to a deeply concerning
trend of rising incidents. It is important to note that last month, tragedies
were narrowly averted when an arsonist targeted two mosques within two days,
causing significant destruction and endangering the lives of over 200
individuals, including 50 children.”
The suspect in
the two Minneapolis cases, Jackie Rahm Little, 36, of Plymouth, was arrested
last month and indicted in early May with one count of arson and one count of
damage to religious property. Little remains in custody at the Sherburne County
jail.
Federal
authorities are prosecuting the Minneapolis cases as a hate crime.
The first
Minneapolis fire occurred on the evening of Sunday, April 23 in the bathroom at
Masjid Omar Islamic Center, which is located in 24 Somali Mall. Bystanders put
out the fire before it could cause serious damage and followed a man out of the
building.
The next
evening, a fire broke out in the third floor hallway of Mercy Islamic Center,
which houses Masjid Al Rahma. About 100 people were inside the building at the
time, including approximately 50 children in a daycare located in the basement.
A security guard noticed smoke in the second floor hallway and quickly
evacuated the building.
The fire at
Mercy Islamic Center caused an estimated $50,000 worth of damages.
Source: sahanjournal.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://sahanjournal.com/policing-justice/st-paul-mosque-fire-masjid-al-sunnah-vandalism-cair-mn/
--------
India
'Love jihad'
undeclared agenda of terrorism against humanity: Yogi
May 13, 2023
LUCKNOW: Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that 'love jihad' is an undeclared
agenda of terrorism against humanity and the film, 'The Kerala Story', draws
everyone's attention towards the issue.
The Chief
Minister, along with his ministerial colleagues, leaders of BJP and affiliated
organisations and schoolchildren, attended the special screening of the movie
at Lok Bhawan on Friday.
Commenting on
the issue raised by filmmaker Sudipto Sen in 'The Kerala Story', Chief Minister
Yogi said: "The film draws everyone's attention towards the problem of
'love jihad' and every citizen and society must be made aware of it. A
commendable and brave effort has been made by the film's producer, director,
and the entire team."
CM: Zero
tolerance against anything that hinders unity
The state
government is following the policy of zero tolerance against anything that
hinders social unity, challenges national unity, and poses a threat to
humanity,” the CM said.
“That is why
our government has effectively implemented the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of
Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act on November 27, 2020, by first making an
ordinance and then enacting a law against a perversion like love jihad,” he
added.
Students from
various educational institutions of Lucknow, including the Lucknow University
and Arts College, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Navyug Mahila
Mahavidyalaya, Vidyant Hindu PG College, Avadh Girls’ Degree College, Khukhun
Ji Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Babu Banarasi Das University, Goel Engineering
College, National Law University and Dr Shakuntala Misra National
Rehabilitation University attended the special screening organised at Lok
Bhawan here.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/love-jihad-undeclared-agenda-of-terrorism-against-humanity-yogi/articleshow/100196465.cms
--------
Allahabad HC
orders scientific investigation of shivling-like structure in Gyanvapi mosque
May 12, 2023
By Press Trust
on India: The Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered determination of the age
of the structure claimed to be a shivling in the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi
using modern technology.
It set aside an
October 14 order of the Varanasi District Court that rejected a plea for
scientific investigation, including carbon dating, of the structure found in
May 2022 during a court-mandated survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located next to
the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The high court
directed the Varanasi district judge to proceed, in accordance with law, on the
application by the Hindu worshippers for conducting a scientific probe of the
‘shivling’, paving the way for determining the age of the structure.
The order said
no harm should be done to the structure, which the Hindu petitioners claim is a
shivling. However, the mosque authorities say it is part of a fountain in the
'wazu khana', where ablutions are performed before namaz.
Justice Arvind
Kumar Mishra passed the order on a revision petition filed by Laxmi Devi and
three others challenging the Varanasi court order.
The high court
had obtained a report from various institutions, including the IITs in Kanpur
and Roorkee and Birbal Sahni Institute of Lucknow, before ordering for
determination of the age of the structure.
The report says direct dating of the structure
is not possible and the age can be ascertained with proxy dating of materials,
which can "correlate with the establishment of the lingam if there is
any". "This needs a thorough study of the materials surrounding the
lingam," it adds.
The report also
suggests the dating of some organic materials below the surface can ascertain
the age but it needs to be established that they are related to the structure.
The court
considered suggestions of Prof Javed N Malik of Department of Earth Sciences, IIT
Kanpur.
Prof Malik
suggested that to understand the buried material and structure it would be
essential to undertake a detailed subsurface survey through Ground Penetrating
Radar (GRP). This will be helpful towards identifying the remains of the
ancient structures buried if any at the site, he added.
The
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its 52-page report had given the
opinion that the age of the structure can be determined through scientific
method without causing any harm to the structure. Its opinion was based on
studies conducted by IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, Birbal Sahni Institute, Lucknow,
and one more educational institute.
Advocate Vishnu
Shankar Jain appearing for the revisionists argued that the district judge had
"passed the impugned order without any basis" and it should have
called for expert opinion from the ASI on whether carbon dating could be done
without causing any harm.
Additional
Advocate General MC Chaturvedi, assisted by Chief Standing Counsel Bipin Bihari
Pandey, appeared for state government. He said, "If carbon dating and nature
of the structure can be determined without causing any harm to the structure
then the state has no objection to it so that real nature of structure could be
found."
On November 4,
2022, the high court had sought the response of ASI in the matter and directed
the ASI Director General to submit his opinion whether investigation of the
said structure, if examined through carbon-dating, ground-penetrating radar
(GPR), excavation and other methods adopted to determine its age, nature and
other relevant information, is likely to damage it or a safe evaluation about
its age can be done.
A suit was
filed in the Varanasi District Court seeking the right to regular worship of Ma
Shringar Gauri and other deities whose idols the petitioners said are located
in the mosque complex.
Source: indiatoday.in
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/allahabad-hc-orders-scientific-investigation-of-shivling-like-structure-in-gyanvapi-mosque-2378474-2023-05-12
--------
Mideast
Islamic Jihad:
No ceasefire deal has been reached with Israel
MAY 13, 2023
Egypt has
reportedly offered a revised ceasefire deal to both Israel and the Palestinian
Islamic Jihad in Gaza on Friday, according to Hebrew media reports.
Israeli sources
reportedly told Walla that the Egyptian offer is more in line with Israel's
standing than previous deals and that it is being considered.
On Friday,
Qatari news channel Al-Arabi reported that Egypt's proposal referred to a
temporary and humanitarian ceasefire starting at midnight, in which the Erez
and Kerem Shalom crossings would be opened to traffic - while at the same time,
medical equipment would be brought into the Gaza Strip, Hebrew media reported.
However, an
Islamic Jihad spokesperson told Al-Arabi on Saturday morning that no ceasefire
agreement had been reached.
"We have
not reached agreements regarding a temporary ceasefire with Egypt, the talks
will continue," he said.
"Israel
wants peace in exchange for peace without ending the targeted killings,"
Ynet reported the spokesperson as saying.
Recent Egyptian
efforts to negotiate a ceasefire
Egypt had
previously sent a delegation to Israel on Thursday to continue to push for an
end to Operation Shield and Arrow.
Egyptian
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said his country's "efforts in relation to
the escalation in the Gaza Strip have not yet yielded the desired fruits and
results. His Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, had said prior that a ceasefire
proposal was sent by Egypt and was under consideration by the defense
establishment.
However,
efforts led by Egypt for a ceasefire eventually collapsed on Wednesday evening
because the Islamic Jihad demanded that Israel promise to stop targeted
assassinations of senior terrorists - to which Israel declined.
Source: jpost.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-742875
--------
Iran's Top
Sunni Cleric, Molavi Abdulhamid, Calls for "Free and Fair" Elections
MAY 12, 2023
Iran's most
prominent Sunni cleric has slammed the way elections are being conducted by the
Islamic Republic, saying they have led to the election of "weak
managers."
Molavi
Abdulhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of the south-eastern city of
Zahedan, said on May 12 that the Iranian people want "free and fair
elections, not the type that is being advertised by some government media for
[next year's] parliamentary elections."
The 76-year-old
cleric criticized the Guardian Council, an unelected body that supervises
elections, saying it prevents worthy and capable people from being elected to
the presidency, parliament or the Assembly of Experts. The council has a
history of disqualifying candidates who don’t agree with the the policies of
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
After Friday
prayers, Zahedan residents took to the streets for weekly protests and shouted
slogans against the Islamic Republic and Khamenei.
Zahedan is the
capital of Sistan and Baluchistan province, home to Iran's Sunni Baluch minority
of up to 2 million people. The city has been rocked by protest rallies every
Friday since September 30, when security forces killed nearly 100 people, in
the deadliest incident in the widespread demonstrations triggered by the
September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
The security
forces tried to quell the protest movement sparked by Amini's death with brutal
force, killing more than 520 people during demonstrations and unlawfully
detaining over 20,000 others, activists say. Following biased trials, the
judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to
protesters.
In his latest
Friday sermon, Molavi, who has been a key dissenting voice inside Iran since
the eruption of the protests, urged the authorities to listen to the people's
demands for more freedom and better governance.
He said that
officials should discuss ways to find solutions to the country's problems with
the Islamic Republic's critics, including political prisoners.
He also called
for security officers who attack civilians to be held accountable with the same
"speed and severity."
Source: iranwire.com
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https://iranwire.com/en/politics/116471-irans-top-sunni-cleric-calls-for-free-and-fair-elections/
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Israel kills
sixth Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza as rockets target Jerusalem
May 12, 2023
A sixth senior
Islamic Jihad operative who was on Israel's most-wanted list for 26 years has
been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza, as Palestinian death toll jumps over
30 and rockets target Jerusalem.
A spokesperson
for the Islamic Jihad confirmed to Agence France-Presse that senior commander
Iyad al-Hassani was killed Friday in an Israeli airstrike. Hassani was a top
official in the Islamic Jihad’s military council, and had apparently replaced
head of Islamic Jihad in northern Gaza Khalil Bahtini, who was killed in an
Israeli strike on Tuesday morning.
Violence has
resumed in the region after 13 hours of quiet Thursday night and as talks for a
cease-fire are frozen. Israel renewed its strikes on Gaza just before noon
local time on Friday, after the Islamic Jihad launched salvos of rockets toward
southern Israeli communities and the Jerusalem area.
According to
the Israeli army, as of 5 p.m. Friday, since the beginning of the fighting on
Tuesday morning, 973 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel and 761 of them
crossed the Gaza border. Israel carried out 254 airstrikes in the Gaza Strip
during that period. One Israeli has been killed and 45 have been injured since
Tuesday.
The Palestinian
Health Ministry reported on Friday that 33 people in the Gaza Strip have been
killed and another 111 injured since hostilities began on Tuesday.
At least two
rockets were fired on Friday toward Jerusalem. Islamic Jihad released a
statement saying the rocket fire on Jerusalem was meant as “an important
message" to Israel.
"What
happens in Gaza is not separate from what happens in Jerusalem," the group
said in the statement.
Hamas spokesman
Abdul Latif al-Qanoua echoed this sentiment in a statement on Friday, saying
"our strikes are firm and protracted throughout all of the entity to make
(Israel) pay for its crimes." Anti-Israel groups regularly refer to the
country as "the entity."
Meanwhile,
violence occurred in the West Bank on Friday amid the Gaza fighting. The
Palestinian Authority's WAFA news agency reported clashes between Israeli
forces and Palestinians in Beit Ummar north of Hebron and Azzun near the
Israeli border.
Since the violence
broke out, Cairo had been working to negotiate a cease-fire. Qatari and UN
representatives have also been involved. Despite reports on Thursday that a
cease-fire agreement was about to be reached, progress has halted. According to
KAN, when the Islamic Jihad resumed its rocket fire Friday morning, Israel
informed Egypt it was suspending negotiations.
Know more:
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke on the phone with Iranian Foreign
Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Friday. The Iranian diplomat praised
Gaza's "resistance" during the call, according to the
Hamas-affiliated Safa news agency.
Source: al-monitor.com
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https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/05/israel-kills-sixth-islamic-jihad-leader-gaza-rockets-target-jerusalem
--------
Israel strikes
rocket-launching sites operated by Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group
13.05.23
Israel said on
Friday that it had struck more rocket-launching sites operated by the Palestinian
Islamic Jihad militant group, in Gaza, and the group fired rockets into Israel,
reaching as far as the hills around Jerusalem, as cross-border fighting
stretched into a fourth day despite overnight mediation efforts to reach a
ceasefire.
Israel has killed
five Islamic Jihad commanders since the hostilities erupted on Tuesday, and the
militant group has responded to Israeli attacks by firing more than 850 rockets
and mortar rounds into Israel from Gaza, the Israeli military said.
At least 31
Palestinians have been killed, six of them children, the Palestinian Ministry
of Health said on Friday. It said that more than 90 Palestinians had also been
injured.
A rocket fired
from Gaza on Thursday evening struck a residential building in Rehovot, a city
in central Israel. One person was killed in that attack — the first casualty on
the Israeli side in the several days of fighting.
Five more
people were injured in that rocket attack, according to Israel’s ambulance
service.
Israel has said
that the Islamic Jihad commanders it targeted were responsible for firing
rockets into Israel, including more than 100 projectiles that the group fired
towards Israel on May 2.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/gaza-strip-israel-strikes-rocket-launching-sites-operated-by-palestinian-islamic-jihad-militant-group/cid/1936468
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IDF assessment:
Iran is pushing Palestinian Islamic Jihad to fire rockets at Israel
(May 12, 2023 /
JNS) Iran has been encouraging the senior leadership of Palestinian Islamic
Jihad (PIJ), whose members are based in Damascus and Beirut, to instruct the
terror faction’s Gazan rocket squads to keep firing at Israel, the Israel
Defense Forces stated on Thursday.
“PIJ in Gaza
does not make the agenda,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, told
journalists. Instead, its leaders are “living in Beirut and Damascus in
expensive hotels and driving Mercedes [on] the Iranian payroll,” as Tehran
calls the shots.
Ziad Nakleh,
secretary general of the PIJ, who lives in Damascus often travels to Beirut.
“Iran pushes
them to tell PIJ in Gaza to keep firing. It’s good for Iran, and in Iran’s
interest” said Hagari, to keep Gaza in conflict and to distract Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran
is hijacking oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and sending advanced weapons to
its radical proxies across the Middle East in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and
elsewhere, the spokesman stated.
Hagari said the
IDF is reviewing why the Iron Dome air-defense system failed to intercept the 6
p.m. rocket attack that struck a residential building in Rehovot on Thursday,
south of Tel Aviv, killing a civilian and injuring several others.
“The defense is
not hermetic, and we are in [a] war,” he said.
‘We have
targeted Ali Ghali’
That death
marks the conflict’s first Israeli casualty. Some 1.5 million Israelis in
southern and central Israel have been under waves of PIJ rocket attacks in
recent days after nearly 600 projectiles were fired from the Gaza Strip since
May 9.
Of those, said
Hagari, 25% fall in Gaza itself, some with deadly consequences for
Palestinians. Failed rockets killed four people, including two children.
Hagari
described the Sisyphean task of Israeli military planners monitoring PIJ rocket
commanders, who surround themselves with human shields, including their
families, while issuing instructions to squads to fire on Israel.
“We have
targeted Ali Ghali. He was killed in an apartment in Khan Younis, plus two PIJ
members. There were no noncombatants,” Hagari said of the former PIJ
rocket-launching force commander Israel killed on May 10.
“We hit squads
putting launchers in the fields. We hit rocket launchers. One of our planes
that was attacking launchers in the field stopped the attack after seeing two
children in the field,” he stated.
Of Thursday’s
IDF strike that killed Amed Abu-Deka, Hagari said the deputy commander of PIJ’s
rocket force was in an apartment with his wife and four children, dissuading
the IDF from striking at that time.
Israel held off
despite his having orchestrated the firing of some 500 rockets this week at
Israeli civilians.
Source: jns.org
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https://www.jns.org/idf-assessment-iran-is-pushing-palestinian-islamic-jihad-to-fire-rockets-at-israel/
--------
Iran Ready to
Share Know-How with Muslim States
May, 12, 2023
TEHRAN (Tasnim)
– The Iranian economy minister expressed the country’s readiness to share its
technical know-how and expertise with the Islamic countries in the fields of
bio- and nanotechnologies, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and oil industry.
Ehsan Khandouzi
has traveled to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah to take part in an annual summit of the
Islamic Development Bank.
In remarks on
the sidelines of the event, he expressed Iran’s readiness to share its salient
achievements in the fields of bio- and nanotechnologies, pharmaceuticals,
medical equipment, building power plant equipment, and manufacturing catalysts
of oil industries with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)’s member states and
the other Islamic countries.
The Iranian
minister has termed the summit as one of the best and important opportunities
created for the member states.
The summit
would provide the opportunity to establish joint cooperation and interaction
among members of the Islamic Development Bank, he emphasized.
Source: tasnimnews.com
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https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2023/05/12/2893632/iran-ready-to-share-know-how-with-muslim-states
--------
Fifty Islamic
scholars call for Muslims to support re-election of President Erdogan
12th May 2023
Fifty prominent
Islamic scholars from around the world have issued a statement instructing
Muslims in Turkey to vote for Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming presidential
elections and for those outside Turkey to support him through all legitimate
means.
The statement
comes days before presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14, with
Erdogan and his secular rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu running neck and neck.
Supporters of
Erdogan fear that his defeat will signal a return to Turkey’s strict secularist
past and will see the rolling back of Islamic reforms under Erdogan’s 20 year
tenure.
Here is the
statement in full which has been translated by Islam 21C:
The scholars of
the Ummah hereby present a statement to the people concerning the Turkish
elections, as timely guidance is essential, in accordance with the Almighty’s
words:
“And if they
had referred it back to the Messenger and to those of authority among them,
those who can draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it.” (Al Quran 4:83)
The Turkish
elections hold significant implications for Muslims, both within Turkey and
around the world. Thus, it is crucial for knowledgeable individuals to provide
guidance on this matter.
It is widely
acknowledged that under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership, Turkey has
brought substantial benefits to Muslims. Erdogan’s policies have provided
freedom and security, lifted hijab restrictions, allowed for the construction
of mosques, and fostered the memorisation of the Qur?an.
Additionally,
Turkey has experienced significant political and economic growth, becoming a
powerful player in regional and international affairs. The country has also
witnessed great advancements in military power, healthcare, and infrastructure.
All of these achievements have positively impacted Muslims in Turkey and
abroad.
Turkish voters
can clearly see the transformation their country has undergone under President
Erdogan’s leadership. A comparison of Turkey’s present state to its condition
twenty years ago reveals a striking difference, with Istanbul becoming one of
the most beautiful cities in the world.
Furthermore,
Turkey has become a safe haven for Muslims facing injustice and persecution
worldwide. Many Muslim scholars, religious figures, and skilled professionals have
found security, honour, and justice in Turkey. The country has also intervened
in numerous countries to support Muslim communities, such as in Libya, Syria,
Qatar, and Azerbaijan.
Turkey has
consistently defended the Prophet (?) against Western offences, restored the
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque to its original status, and advocated for Jerusalem
and its ongoing issues.
However, the
opposing side in these elections does not conceal its intentions to reverse
most or all of these policies. The support that this side receives from
Turkey’s adversaries and
those against
the Islamic world is evident, as demonstrated by Western media outlets.
In light of the
above reasons and others too numerous to detail, the scholars issue this
further statement to guide the nation:
Muslims with
voting rights in these elections should cast their votes in favour of President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Justice and Development Party, and their outstanding
reform project;
Muslims without
voting rights should support their brothers and sisters in Turkey through
financial, media, political, and other means, in addition to praying to Allah
the Almighty.
May Allah guide
us, and may He bless Muhammad, his family, and his companions, and grant them
peace.
Signatories
Dr. ‘Ali
al-Qaradaghi, Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars
Shaykh Sadiq
al-Gharyani, Grand Mufti of Libya
Shaykh ‘Abd
al-Majid al-Zindani, Founder of Yemen’s al-Iman University
Shaykh ‘Abd
al-Wahhab Akanji, President of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Turkey
Shaykh Muhammad
al-Hassan al-Dedew, President of the Scholars Training Center in Mauritania
Dr. Nawaf
al-Tikruri, President of the Scholars Association of Palestine
Dr. Muhammad
al-Saghir, President of the Global Authority for Supporting the Prophet of
Islam (?)
Dr. al-Hasan
ibn ‘Ali al-Kattani, President of the Association of Scholars of the Arab
Maghreb
Shaykh Sa’id
al-Lafi, President of the Association of Imams, Preachers, and Advocates of
Iraq
Shaykh ‘Abd
al-Malik, President of the Union of Scholars in Pakistan
Muhammad
al-’Abdah, President of the Association of Muslim Scholars
Dr. ‘Abd
al-Hayy Yusuf, President of the Ansar al-Nabi Academy (?)
Dr. Jamal ‘Abd
al-Sattar, Secretary-General of the Association of Sunni Scholars
Prof. Dr.
Nassim Yasin, President of the Association of Palestinian Scholars
Dr. Sa’id ibn
Nasir al-Ghamdi, Secretary-General of the Scholars Forum
Dr. ‘Abdullah
al-Sadah, Imam of the Mosque of Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, Qatar
Shaykh Wan
Subki Wan Salih, President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars branch
in Malaysia
Dr. Hamd Sayyid
al-Binju’ini, Official of the International Union of Muslim Scholars in the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Dr. Ja’far
al-Talhawi, Member of the Azhar Scholars Front
Shaykh
‘Abdullah Ahmad Amin, one of the prominent scholars of Mauritania
Shaykh Ahmad
Shaykhna Amat, one of the prominent scholars of Mauritania
Shaykh Muhammad
al-Amin al-Taleb Youssef, one of the prominent scholars of Mauritania
Shaykh Ahmed
al-Hasni al-Shanqiti, Deputy Secretary-General of the Association of Moroccan
Scholars
Mukhtar ibn
al-Arabi Mumin, Board of Trustees of the Global Authority for Supporting the
Prophet of Islam (?), Algeria
Dr. Camelia
Helmy Toulon, Chair of the Family Committee at the International Union of
Muslim Scholars
Dr. Naziha
Amarig, President of the Civilizational Dialogue and Cognitive Integration
Laboratory
Dr. Fatima
Azzam, Member of the Board of Trustees of the International Union of Muslim
Scholars
Dr. Muhammad
Husseyn Sad al-Afghani, Professor of Sharia Politics, Afghanistan
Prof. Dr. Abdul
Fattah al-Awaysi, Founder of the Global Knowledge Project for Jerusalem
Prof. Dr.
Hussein Ghazi al-Samarra’i, Member of the Iraqi Fiqh Assembly
Shaykh Muhammad
Harun Khatibi, Member of the Scientific Assembly of Afghan Scholars
Dr. Omar
al-Shibli, Professor of ?adith and Surah at Zaytouna University, Tunisia
Dr. Mohammed
Hammam Melhem, Professor of Jurisprudence and its Fundamentals, Sabah al-Din
Zaim University
Dr. Kamel Subhi
Salah, Professor of Graduate Studies, Jordan
Dr. Khaled
Abdulrahman al-Shenou, Professor at the University of Bahrain
Shaykh Ahmed
al-Amri, President of Beit al-Da’wa Waqf (Lebanon)
Dr. Mishary Sad
al-Mutrafy, Islamic Researcher and Preacher, Kuwait
Shaykh Hussein
‘Abd al-Aal, General Secretariat of the Authority for Supporting the Prophet of
Islam (?)
Dr. Muhammad
‘Abd al-Hamid al-Shaqaldi, International Union of Muslim Scholars
Dr. Sad al-Din
Hassanayn, Member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, America
Dr. Munir Jum’a
Ahmad, the World Union of Muslim Scholars
Dr. Anas
Ayrouth, College of Sharia and Law, University of Idlib
Dr. Tarek
al-Tawari, Professor of Islamic Sharia, Kuwait University
Dr. Salah
al-Muhayni, Imam and Preacher at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf
Shaykh ‘Abdullah
ibn Tahir Ba Omar, Islamic Preacher in the Sultanate of Oman
Dr. ‘Abdullah
al-Zindani, President of the Yemeni Renaissance Association
Mohammed
Elhami, General Secretariat of the Global Authority for Supporting the Prophet
of Islam (?)
Dr. Muhammad
al-Mokhtar Muhammad al-Mami
Dr. Muhammad
al-Amin ibn Mazid
Shaykh Sami
al-Sadi, Secretary of the Research Committee at the Libyan Fatwa House
Source: 5pillarsuk.com
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--------
Pakistan
Interior
Minister:No Decision Regarding Emergency Enforcementin Pakistan
May 13, 2023
Pakistan Muslim
League-N senior leader and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Friday stated
that there has been no decision made yet regarding the enforcement of the
emergency in Pakistan. He added that this suggestion was one of many received
during a cabinet meeting.
Sanaullah
informed on Friday, that the police and rangers were positioned outside the
Islamabad High Court, and the government would follow the court’s orders.
If there were a
reason to arrest Imran Khan again, he would be arrested, the senior PML-N
leader warned.
Sanaullah
accused Imran Khan of creating chaos and ordered arson and vandalism after his
arrest. He added that the court is welcoming a culprit, referring to Imran
Khan.
The federal
interior minister announced that the government would act against PTI chief as
per the law.
The PML-N
leader went on to claim that Imran Khan had caused the chaos with his “fully
focused hard work,” and his actions were now evident.
Sanaullah said
internet services would remain suspended in the country until all identified
“miscreants” were arrested adding that in this regard guidelines would be taken
from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Talking to
media persons, the interior minister said the government was aware of the
difficulty people were facing, adding that it was deliberating to resolve the
issue. “It will take some time to arrest those who burned houses and attacked
security installations,” he added.
Source: pakobserver.net
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https://pakobserver.net/no-decision-regarding-emergency-enforcement-rana/
--------
Pakistan:
Punjab police arrests 540 more leaders, workers of Imran Khan's party over
violence
May 13, 2023
LAHORE: In
cases filed against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act across the province for
carrying out attacks on the Corps Commander House in Lahore, public and private
buildings, the Punjab police arrested 540 more leaders and members of the Imran
Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Friday, Dawn reported.
Since May 9,
the Punjab police have filed 205 cases against party officials and employees
across the province.
There was a
brief altercation between police officers and PTI employees on Thursday night.
Police raided PTI's office on Jail Road to arrest party members listed as
suspects in instances reported to several police stations, Dawn reported.The
party members reportedly threw stones at the police but retreated when more
officers were requested to assist.
Following
reports that workers were congregating there in huge numbers to welcome PTI
Chairman Imran Khan after court relief, the police presence was increased
around his Zaman Park mansion on Friday evening.
Dr Usman Anwar,
the chief of Punjab police, said in a statement released here on Friday that
offenders responsible for attacks on police teams, critical infrastructure, and
both public and private property did not merit pity.
"These
miscreants are being identified and traced through CCTV footage, video
recordings and social media posts," he said, according to Dawn. After
Friday's arrests, the number of detained leaders and supporters had risen to
2,790, the Punjab police said.
Imran Khan
expressed gratitude to the court for "upholding the Constitution," as
the Islamabad High Court (IHC) prohibited authorities from detaining PTI
Chairman Imran Khan in any cases--even those that are undisclosed--registered
across the nation till Monday (May 15).
Notably, Imran
Khan returned to his residence in Lahore's Zaman Park in the wee hours on
Saturday after two days of detention, reported Geo News.
He was greeted
all the way to Lahore by PTI supporters. Imran took a road route to reach his
Lahore residence, marking his return after a tumultuous period.
The arrest of
Imran Khan at the IHC on May 9 triggered violent protests across the country.
Nevertheless, the Supreme Court intervened, nullified his arrest, and ordered
his release.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-punjab-police-arrests-540-more-leaders-workers-of-imran-khans-party-over-violence/articleshow/100204738.cms
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Imran Khan back
at Lahore residence, blames army chief for arrest episode
May 13, 2023
LAHORE: Imran
Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, finally reached his residence in
Lahore on early Saturday morning after getting bail and a prolonged standoff
with authorities in Islamabad.
After being
granted bail by the Islamabad high court, the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) chief spent hours locked in negotiations with his legal team over his
exit from the court. He claimed that the Islamabad police had tried to keep him
inside the courthouse and that he was being held against his will.
The Islamabad
high court granted him protective bail for two weeks in a corruption case, and
also barred authorities from arresting him in any case registered in the
country until Monday.
The 70-year-old
leader was escorted to court amid tight security, and it took him more than
three hours to leave the premises due to security details.
Upon reaching
his residence, he was greeted by jubilant supporters who showered rose petals
on his vehicle, danced, and conducted fireworks. Khan, who is demanding snap
general elections, is facing over 120 cases across the country.
The PTI
released a video of Khan entering the house where his sisters and other family
members welcomed him and inquired about his health. Khan, who is demanding snap
general elections, is facing over 120 cases across the country.
"Islamabad
Inspector General of Police (IG) Akbar Nasir tried his best to retain me at the
capital's high court. They did not let us leave for three hours, saying that
it's dangerous outside,” the PTI chief said in a video message from his vehicle
in which he was travelling back to Lahore.
Imran blames
army chief for arrest episode
The
cricketer-turned-politician blamed Pakistan army chief for his current
"arrest and abduction" episode. “It’s not the security agencies. It’s
one man, the army chief. There is no democracy in the army. The army is getting
maligned with what is happening,” Imran said while taking to BBC correspondent
Caroline Davies.
(With inputs
from agencies)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/imran-khan-back-at-lahore-residence-blames-army-chief-for-arrest-episode/articleshow/100201310.cms
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Imran gets bail
for 2 weeks, blanket protection from arrest till May 15
May 13, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Three days after his controversial arrest plunged Pakistan into turmoil, former
PM Imran Khan walked out on bail Friday wearing the legal armour of an
Islamabad high court order barring government agencies from taking him into
custody in any case — old or new – until May 15.
The bench that
granted the 70-year-old bail for two weeks in the Al-Qadir Trust case issued a
separate order specifying that Imran can't be arrested till May 17 in any case
registered against him in Islamabad after May 9, when paramilitary forces had
dragged him away from the high court. The court also granted the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief protective bail for 10 days in three
terrorism-related cases and another linked to murder registered in Lahore.
The blanket
relief for Imran at least till the middle of next week follows the Supreme
Court terming his arrest "invalid and unlawful", an observation that
led PM Shehbaz Sharif to allege Friday that the apex court was yet again
favouring its "ladla (blue-eyed boy)" at the cost of justice. The
Supreme Court
“When he
(Imran) was presented in court yesterday, the Chief Justice said, 'It is good
to see you'. And he said this in a case of corruption," PTI quoted Shehbaz
as saying while addressing the federal cabinet. "If you want to keep
favouring this ladla, then you should also release all the dacoits behind bars
in the country. Let this be free for all."
Imran's lawyer
Babar Awan Khan said the judicial system had righted a wrong, declaring the ex-PM
"a free man".
At the
Islamabad high court, Imran told reporters that barring one instance of being
"hit on my head" while being arrested, officials of the National
Accountability Bureau treated him "fine".
On the
government blaming him for the rioting and arson that followed his arrest and
terming it "terrorism", Imran said, "How could I have stopped
whatever happened? I had already told you that there would be a reaction to the
arrest."
In a video
circulating on social media, Imran narrates that he was "sitting in the
high court" when paramilitary troops "abducted" him. "They
showed me the warrant for the first time when they took me to jail. This
happens in the law of the jungle, where the army abducts. Where did the police
go? Where did the law go?"
Imran claimed
"40 helpless people" lost their lives in the government crackdown on
protesters this week. The official toll stands at 12.
More than
3,000, including top PTI functionaries, were arrested in the wake of mob rage
on the streets, including a breach of the army's general headquarters in
Rawalpindi. The government has since deployed the military in Islamabad along
with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, both strongholds of PTI.
Mobile internet
remains suspended and social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram have been blocked on government orders.
News agency AP
reported that following the Supreme Court's release order Thursday, wherein it
asked the high court to reconsider its initial decision to uphold Imran's arrest,
the ex-PM spent the night at a government guesthouse in Islamabad. President
Arif Alvi, who has been trying to defuse tension between Imran and the
government, was one of his visitors, it said.
Since being
ousted from office, Imran has waged a stormy campaign for snap polls in the
country. He accuses senior military and government officials of plotting the
November assassination attempt in which he took a bullet in the leg during a
rally in Punjab province's Wazirabad.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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--------
Islamabad high
court gives ex-PM Imran Khan a 2-week reprieve from arrest in graft case
May 12, 2023
ISLAMABAD: A
high court in Islamabad has granted former Prime Minister Imran Khan a two-week
reprieve from arrest in a graft case and granted him bail on the charges.
Babar Awan, the
lawyer for Khan, says the court made the decision on Friday, a day after the
country's Supreme Court asked it a ruling. He says Khan is now “a free man,”
and that the decision was just.
The ruling came
after Khan returned to court to hear whether he will be shielded from renewed
arrest or taken back into custody — a decision that put the government and
legions of Khan supporters on edge after days of violent confrontations.
Imran Khan
returned to court Friday to hear whether he will be shielded from renewed
arrest or taken back into custody — a decision that put the government and
legions of Khan supporters on edge after days of violent confrontations.
The popular
70-year-old opposition leader appeared before the same court from which he was
dragged and arrested on Tuesday. The arrest triggered nationwide protests in
which his supporters attacked military installations, burned vehicles, and
ambulances and looted general stores in various parts of the country. The
government responded with a crackdown, arresting nearly 3,000 people.
Friday’s court
session is part of a series of complex legal maneuvers.
On Thursday,
Pakistan’s Supreme Court declared that Khan’s arrest was unlawful, but then
asked the Islamabad High Court — a lower court — to reconsider its initial
decision to uphold the arrest.
The Supreme
Court said it would respect whatever the Islamabad court rules on Friday.
In an initial
brief session of the Islamabad court Friday, the judges heard a request by Khan
seeking protection from arrest on the graft charges. As Khan's supporters in
the courtroom chanted, the judge adjourned the session for two hours. Outside,
other supporters set fire to a police vehicle when security forces prevented
them from approaching the court building.
The government
has said it would quickly re-arrest Khan if the Islamabad High Court upholds
its earlier ruling that the initial arrest was legal. It could also take him
into custody on other charges if he is granted protection in the corruption
cases, the Interior Ministry said Thursday.
The government
contends that Khan's release rewards and encourages mob violence. In court
Friday, Khan's chief lawyer Babar Awan told reporters that the government
seemed to be adamant about arresting the former prime minister.
Khan's arrest
on Tuesday was a startling and controversial move — agents from the National
Accountability Bureau burst into the Islamabad High Court where Khan was
attending a session on other charges and dragged him away, putting him into an
armored vehicle. The Supreme Court ruled that the arrest was "invalid and
unlawful" because it took place from the court premises, violating Khan's
right to justice.
The violence
that ensued left at least 10 Khan supporters dead. Dozens of protesters and
more than 200 police officers were injured. Protesters torched trucks, cars and
police vehicles and blocked highways. Nearly 3,000 supporters from Khan’s
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have been arrested, including Khan’s deputies.
Khan's
supporters on Friday again resorted to violence, setting fire to a police
vehicle not far from the court where he was appearing. The police stopped them
from reaching near the court.
The controversy
surrounding Khan — a figure who inspires both vehement loyalty and furious opposition
— threatens to open a deeper vein of turmoil in a country that has seen
multiple military takeovers and bouts of violence. The unrest has echoed that
which followed the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
during an election rally. Her supporters at the time, outraged by her killing,
rampaged for days across Pakistan.
Khan, a former
cricket star turned Islamist politician, was removed as prime minister last
year by a no-confidence vote in Parliament and now leads the opposition. He
faces more than 100 legal cases, most involving allegations that he incited
violence and threatened police and government officials.
He also faces
at least three graft cases, including accusations from the National
Accountability Bureau that he accepted millions of dollars worth of property in
exchange for providing benefits to a real estate tycoon. A new terrorism charge
was filed against him on Thursday for allegedly inciting his followers to
violence after his arrest.
Following the
Supreme Court's release order Thursday, Khan spent the night at a government
guest house in Islamabad, where he met with family members and friends.
Pakistan's
president, Arif Alvi, also had a meeting with him. Alvi has been trying to
defuse tension between Khan and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's government to
avoid an escalation.
Speaking at a
special Cabinet meeting Friday to discuss the developments, Sharif criticized
the Supreme Court ruling, saying there was a “genuine corruption case” against
Khan, “but the judiciary has become a stone wall protecting him.”
As Sharif's
government contends with the political turmoil amid a worsening economic
crisis, it is also dealing with militant attacks. According to Pakistan’s
military, two soldiers were killed and three were wounded Friday when
insurgents attacked a security post in the town of Muslim Bagh in southwestern
Baluchistan province. It said two insurgents were also killed in the exchange
of fire.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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Imran’s release
may trigger violent protests, warns IB
May 13, 2023
The
Intelligence Bureau has written to the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad and the
Inspector General of Islamabad Police, urging them to take necessary measures
to secure state buildings and properties, including police lines, in the event
of the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan.
The agency has
issued two separate letters. In one letter, the agency recommended securing the
premises where Imran Khan is currently being held, as well as the adjacent
buildings, to prevent any untoward incidents due to the potential threat of
attacks by miscreants.
In the letter
addressed to Islamabad Chief Commissioner Noor-ul-Amin Mangel and IGP Islamabad
Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, the IB stated that Imran Khan has been making inflammatory
statements against institutions, which have resulted in violent incidents
across the country.
The agency’s
letter stated, “Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi has been inciting the public against
state institutions in his speeches for a considerable amount of time, leading
to riots across the country, including the federal capital.”
The letter also
pointed out that PTI protesters have damaged government and private properties.
Furthermore, the protesters blocked the road leading to Islamabad airport for
hours, and food supplies were not allowed to enter the city.
“Protesters in
the form of mobs took law into their own hands in Islamabad. Public and private
buildings were damaged and torched by the protestors,” it added.
According to
the IB letter, the release of the former premier could potentially result in a
significant reaction from the protesters against institutions, posing a threat
to the lives and property of citizens. Therefore, the security of government
buildings and properties, including police lines, must be increased to counter
the situation.
Source: pakobserver.net
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https://pakobserver.net/imrans-release-may-trigger-violent-protests-warns-ib/
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Southeast
Asia
PM Anwar: Govt
to allocate over RM103.86m to imams, bilals, religious teachers in Kelantan
this year
Friday, 12 May
2023
KOTA BARU, May
12 — The federal government is allocating over RM103.86 million to imams,
bilals, siaks, takmir and Kafa (Religious and Fardu Ain Class) teachers in
Kelantan this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today.
A total of
1,170 imams would receive a total of RM11.9 million, while 341 takmir teachers
would receive allowances totalling RM3.68 million, while allocations for 5,470
Kafa teachers’ allowances would total RM82.79 million.
“A special
one-off RM600 payment will be continued this year for imams, bilals, siaks, and
takmir teachers, with 2,605 recipients and an allocation of RM1.56 million,” he
said during his speech at the 2023 Kelantan state level Ulama and Umara Madani
programme at the Sultan Ismail Petra Silver Jubilee Islamic Complex in Panji
here today, in the presence of Minister in Prime Minister’s Department
(Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, Kelantan Islamic Religious and
Malay Customs Council (MAIK) president Tengku Tan Sri Mohamad Rizam Tengku
Abdul Aziz and Kelantan mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad.
He also said
that the government’s contributions of RM232.80 per person under the Social
Security Organisation’s (Socso) Self-Employment Injury Scheme (SPS Lindung)
would be continued for imams, bilals, siaks and takmir teachers in Kelantan,
involving 2,605 recipents with a total annual allocation of RM606,444.
“The government
also clearly wants Islamic agencies to be the best examples in management and
governance efficiency. This is the challenge we must take up together, not only
at the federal level but also at individual states.
“For instance,
we must stress on financial management and administration governance of Islamic
affairs. We don’t want to be involved in any misconduct,” he said, adding that
the government, through Yayasan Taqwa (MAIWP) has channeled aid amounting to
RM2.65 million so far to the Kelantan state disaster assistance fund.
“This includes
RM829,225 for the construction of new homes, RM1.53 million for repairs to
existing homes, RM278,700 for repairs for mosques and suraus, and RM10,000 for
repairs for educational institutions,” he added. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Unity govt has
never sidelined Malay, Islamic agenda, says Zahid
Friday, 12 May
2023
ARAU, May 12 —
The unity government supported by various political parties has never ignored
the Malay agenda and Islamic interests, said Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The deputy
prime minister said at the same time, the unity governmentled by Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim will not sideline the agenda of other religions and races in this
country.
Ahmad Zahid,
who is Umno president, said the struggles championed by the unity governmentwere
in line with the objectives of the formation and struggles of Umno, which is
for the Malay and Islamic agenda.
“This is
enshrined in the Umno constitution itself, that we make Islam the objective of
our party’s establishment and struggle without excluding other religions,” he
told reporters after attending a Hari Raya Aidilfitri event organised by Perlis
Umno here today.
He was
commenting on the statement by the Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) president
Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir who reportedly said that the party would not
cooperate with any coalition that Umno joined in facing the upcoming state
elections.
Also present
were Ahmad Zahid’s wife Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis, Umno secretary-general Datuk
Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, Perlis Umno chairman Datuk Rozabil Abd Rahman and Kedah
Umno chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
“We should also
be kind to our friends and the people from Sarawak and Sabah, and they
understand that fact,” he said.
On Umno’s
chances in Kelantan and Terengganu in the state polls, Ahmad Zahid said he was
confident that there was now a trend of the people shifting their support to
the Unity Government.
“I believe the
trend has changed direction from ‘Anti-Establishment’ to ‘Pro-Establishment’
with high confidence in the unity governmentunder the leadership of Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim,” he said. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Minister seeks
Muslim countries' participation in downstreaming in RI
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, through a statement on
Saturday, urged Muslim countries to partake in downstreaming in Indonesia in
view of its huge potential.
While serving
as key speaker during the Islamic Development Bank Group's (IsDB's) Annual
Meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, he noted that several investments had
entered Indonesia.
However, on
average, investment from Islamic countries for the last five years had only
reached 5.5 percent of the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) that entered
Indonesia.
The notion of
solidarity among Islam countries was raised, but as a country, with the biggest
Muslim population in the world, most of Indonesia's investment came from
non-Islamic countries instead, he highlighted.
According to
Lahadia, as a country with major potential, Indonesia is developing a battery
ecosystem for electric cars that will become the vehicle of the future.
Moreover,
Indonesia has 25 percent of the world's nickel reserves, which is the main raw
material for electric vehicle battery production.
Thus, he offered
Muslim countries to participate in the pursuit of realizing Golden Indonesia
2045.
The investment
management design masterplan involves downstreaming in eight primary commodity
sectors, with value reaching US$543 billion, he stated.
The direction
of Indonesia's investment policies, under the leadership of President Joko
Widodo, focuses on green energy and green industry-oriented downstreaming.
Indonesia is
currently halting exports of several raw material commodities, such as nickel. This
will also be done once again for tin and bauxite this year.
This raw
material export halt became a form of commitment of the Indonesian government
in supporting industrial downstreaming.
Before nickel
exports were halted, Indonesia's revenue had only reached US$3.3 billion.
However, once nickel exports were halted and its downstreaming was conducted,
the country's revenue from nickel reached US$30 billion.
The IsDB Group
Private Sector Forum is one of the main pillars in the IsDB Group Annual
Meeting held to provide a unique network platform for renowned partners and
stakeholders, specifically those in the private sector.
Moreover, IsDB
also became a platform to promote investment and trade opportunities offered by
its member countries.
Source: en.antaranews.com
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--------
Australia
End-of-life
care on agenda as doctors gather in Sydney for inaugural Islamic medicine
conference
Ethical issues
raised by end-of-life care and organ donation will be considered at the first
Islamic medicine conference to be held in Australia.
More than 300
Muslim healthcare professionals will gather in Bankstown in Sydney's west this
weekend to discuss key challenges in their sector, such as equitable healthcare
access, chronic disease prevention and using digital health and artificial
intelligence.
Shaykh Dr
Rafaqat Rashid, a highly-respected Shariah scholar and London-based general
practitioner, will address the conference on end-of-life care.
Co-founder of
the Al Balagh Academy in the United Kingdom, he is often consulted by fellow
doctors or families grappling with questions about when to withhold life-sustaining
treatment.
"Taking
somebody off artificial nutrition and hydration, that could be quite a
difficult decision. Taking somebody off life support, or should we even put a
patient on life support?" Dr Rashid said.
"So these
are sort of delicate questions that families sometimes do struggle with, and
they expect some kind of expertise to guide them through this."
Each case has
intricacies
While some
scholars strictly believe everything possible must be done to preserve life, Dr
Rashid takes a different view.
"I'm more
of the opinion that permanent unconsciousness is a time where ethically it
would be permissible for you to actually withhold or withdraw life-sustaining
treatment."
While leaders
have issued fatwas — official rulings on a point of Islamic law — on
contemporary medical matters, Dr Rashid said those declarations did not take
into account the intricacies of each case.
For example, a
fatwa says it is permissible to withdraw treatment when a patient is brain
dead.
"Now the
question that then arises is, which standard of brain dead do we use? Do we use
the brain stem standard or do we use the whole brain standard?" Dr Rashid
said.
He said Muslim
doctors needed access to more guidance on such delicate issues.
"I think
there's very little information out there," Dr Rashid said.
"From an
Islamic perspective, it's only been in the last, five years, 10 years maybe,
where there's been quite a bit of literature regarding this."
Organ donation
encouraged
Dr Asif Raza,
an intensive care specialist at Blacktown and Nepean hospitals, will provide an
update on organ donation processes at the conference.
While support
for organ donation has been lower among religious people in Australia, Dr Raza
says there is nothing in Islam that prohibits organ donation.
"In Islam,
it is very important to save life," Dr Raza said.
He said a key
teaching is that "whoever saves a life is like saving all of
humanity".
Regardless of
religious beliefs, he said the most important thing was for people to register
to become organ donors and discuss their intentions with the family.
He said
families of registered organ donors agreed to donate their loved one's organs
in eight out of 10 cases, compared to four out of 10 for those who had not
registered.
Exploring the
intersection with ethics
Australian
Islamic Medical Association president Dr Muhammad Afzal Kahloon said the
inaugural conference gave Muslim healthcare professionals the opportunity to
"explore the intersectionality of medicine and Islamic ethics".
Dr Kahloon, who
is a senior urologist in Canberra, said since AIMA was formed in 2018, it had
played an important role in promoting COVID-19 vaccines, providing mental
health services to vulnerable people from multicultural backgrounds, conducting
blood donation drives in mosques and Islamic centres, and delivering first aid
lessons.
"As
healthcare professionals, it is our responsibility to give back to the
community and promote the positive contributions of Australian Muslims to
society," he said.
Dr Kahloon said
his faith supported him in his medical practice, with Islam and western
medicine sharing the same ethics.
"You are
always mindful that you need to do the right thing. Somebody has put trust upon
you, and you cannot let them down," he said.
Where there are
clashes between patients or their families with western medical advice, Dr
Kahloon said it was often due to misunderstandings.
"Some
issues are more cultural than faith issues, so bringing people who are properly
qualified from the Islamic point of view and from the medical point of view …
they can provide a lot of guidance."
Source: abc.net.au
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--------
South Asia
The Taliban and
the Islamic State Continue to Fight for Afghanistan’s Future
May 13, 2023
by Yves Smith
Yves here.
Reading about the struggles to control Afghanistan among the Taliban, IS, and
Al Quaeda leads me to ask a dumb question: is Afghanistan properly a country?
Just because it is a region of the world that has evaded sustained foreign
control does not mean it has the makings of a country, as in enough
cohesiveness on key axes (social and legal practices, citizens with bureaucratic
skills, respect for law, as opposed to custom) to have a central government
able to exercise power. My understanding is that much of the Middle East
operates on a tribal/clientele-ist basis, which makes it hard for more modern
authority structures to operate. This article gives me the impression that
absent the rise of a personality or very tight group that can find a basis for
unifying (and at least cautiously) modernizing Afghanistan, it’s going to
remain a warlord-dominated hot mess.
By John P.
Ruehl, an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, D.C. He is a
contributing editor to Strategic Policy and a contributor to several other
foreign affairs publications. His book, Budget Superpower: How Russia
Challenges the West With an Economy Smaller Than Texas’, was published in
December 2022. Produced by Globetrotter
On April 25,
2023, U.S. officials confirmed that the Taliban had killed the head of the
Islamic State (IS) cell operating in Afghanistan. Though his identity has not been
revealed, the IS leader is believed to have masterminded the 2021 Kabul airport
attack that killed 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. military personnel.
His
assassination marks the latest escalation of violence between the Taliban and
IS in Afghanistan this year. Several senior Taliban officials were killed or
targeted in March 2023 by IS, while several IS leaders in Afghanistan were
killed by the Taliban in January and February.
The Taliban, a
loose Pashtun-centric political movement active across Afghanistan and
Pakistan, previously ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The U.S. withdrawal
and ensuing collapse of the Afghan government in 2021 allowed the Taliban to
re-establish their rule over the country, but they have been prevented from
gaining full control thanks to IS, which has existed in the country since 2014.
Initially, many
Taliban members were supportive of IS’s ability to seize territory and
challenge U.S. and Western forces in Syria and Iraq in 2013 and 2014. Yet
despite their common U.S. and Western enemies and shared hardline Sunni
interpretation of Islam, the Taliban’s animosity arose after IS began to
establish itself on Afghan territory and attract Afghans to its cause.
At the time,
Taliban forces had failed to make territorial gains and had recently begun
another round of negotiations with the U.S. government. The Taliban had also
traditionally suppressed the Salafist brand of Islam in eastern Afghanistan in
favor of Hanafi Islam, making IS’s Salafist leanings attractive to many Afghans
in the region. There was also significant division across the Pakistani and
Afghan Taliban leadership, further allowing IS to poach members.
Several
high-ranking members switched allegiance to IS in 2014, which also found
support from smaller regional militant groups. But of significant importance
was IS’s ability to attract disillusioned members of its rival, Al Qaeda, to
its ranks. Disagreements over policies, tactics, and leadership caused Al Qaeda
to disavow IS in 2014, and they have competed for dominance over the global
jihadist movement since. The Taliban’s close relationship with Al Qaeda only
made IS more resolute in challenging them in Afghanistan.
In January
2015, IS announced its vision to create the province of “Khorasan,” which would
include much of Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and is part of IS’s
effort to establish a global caliphate. The group began to expand more rapidly
across Afghanistan while accusing the Taliban of being “filthy nationalists”
and neglecting Islam in favor of their ethnic and national base.
As clashes
between the Taliban and Islamic State in Khorasan (IS-K) intensified in 2015,
the Taliban’s then-leader, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, wrote a letter to
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi urging him to abandon recruitment in Afghanistan and
insisting the war against the United States should be led by the Taliban. But
it failed to dissuade the IS leadership, who were also aided in part by the
Afghan Army’s initial decision to avoid fighting IS to focus on the Taliban.
As IS emerged
as a serious threat to Afghanistan’s stability, however, both Afghan and
U.S.-led international forces increasingly came to focus on the group in the
country. IS targeting of religious minorities also brought it into further
conflict with parts of the Afghan population. Despite an initial expansion, IS
lost significant territory and fighters from 2015 to 2018, while from 2019 to
2020 many of its fighters and leaders surrendered to authorities.
The Taliban, in
comparison, had steadily increased its influence in Afghanistan, convincing the
Afghan and U.S. governments to commit to talks to end the war. The Doha
Agreement in 2020 put forth a withdrawal timeline for foreign soldiers, saw
thousands of Afghan and Taliban soldiers released in a prisoner swap, and the
Taliban pledged to prevent terrorist groups from operating in Afghanistan. IS
denounced the agreement, accusing the Taliban of deviating from jihad to please
“their U.S. masters.”
But suggestions
of IS’s demise in Afghanistan by then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani proved
short-lived, particularly as Afghanistan was engulfed by the power vacuum
caused by the U.S.’s departure. IS’s numbers were also bolstered by thousands
of prisoners who escaped or were freed from Afghanistan’s prisons.
While IS’s estimated
4,000 members in Afghanistan as of 2023 pale in comparison to the Taliban’s
roughly 80,000 troops, its guerilla warfare campaign, similar to the one used
effectively by the Taliban against U.S. forces, has made it a formidable
opponent in parts of the country. By the end of 2021, the group had killed or
injured more people in Afghanistan than any other country, and clashes between
the Taliban and IS are common occurrences.
On top of
attracting more members to IS’s ranks, the Taliban fears IS will erase what
little legitimacy it has as a governing force by keeping Afghanistan unstable.
The Taliban’s leadership remains plagued by division and lacks any
international recognition. The Taliban is also now fighting IS-K largely alone
and without the high-tech weaponry and air support enjoyed by the previous
Afghan government forces. And having been beaten back in Syria and Iraq,
Afghanistan provides IS-K one of the few places where it can expand, causing
the group to double down in the country.
To shore up their
position, the Taliban leadership has sought to engage with other governments.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are cautiously cooperating with the Taliban, while
Pakistan, which has a complex history of working with the Taliban, continues to
conduct dialogue with them. The Taliban is also courting India, China, and
Russia, which seek to stabilize the country and potentially exploit
Afghanistan’s estimated $1 to $3 trillion in mineral wealth.
Pressure is on
the Taliban to get results. Chinese and Russian citizens and infrastructure in
Afghanistan have been targeted by IS, drawing criticism. And though the Taliban
has said it will not allow its territory to be used to attack its neighbors, IS
has already tested this in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
The Taliban’s
ongoing cooperation with Al Qaeda (exemplified by the assassination of Al-Qaeda
leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul in 2022) continues to
dissuade Western cooperation, coupled with the Taliban’s crackdown on women’s
freedom in Afghanistan. Reversing their more radical policies could in turn
instigate more defections to IS.
Having fought
the Taliban for two decades, a rapprochement with the Taliban would be a
difficult sell to Western audiences. But having already worked with the Taliban
to evacuate its citizens in August, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark
Milley stated the possibility of coordinating with the Taliban to defeat IS in
2021. Nick Carter, his British counterpart, expressed a similar sentiment as
well. U.S. officials have also stated that they “do not support organized
violent opposition” to the Taliban.
With the Afghan
government disbanded (many members have joined the Taliban or IS) and the
weaknesses associated with the National Resistance Front, there is little
viable opposition that Western forces can support. Yet The U.S.
“over-the-horizon” approach to ignoring the Taliban to deal with IS and Al
Qaeda in Afghanistan has its own consequences—a drone strike intended for the
mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul Airport attack instead ended up killing 10
Afghan civilians, including seven children.
Nonetheless,
the Taliban’s assassination of the individual responsible in April 2023 may
encourage soft coordination and informal diplomacy with other countries,
including the U.S. Yet because the Taliban remains dependent on cooperation
with extremist groups like Al Qaeda, its formal international isolation risks
becoming long-term.
Providing a
haven for groups like Al Qaeda and promoting a strict interpretation of Shariah
law is also a double-edged sword. These conditions helped IS establish itself
in Afghanistan, aided further by the poverty and lack of basic services in many
parts of the country. IS will continue to attempt to weaken the Taliban
militarily, exploit its divisions, and erode its claims to have restored peace
and stability to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s
instability since the 1970s remains ongoing, and the country continues to be a
hotbed of regional concern, great power rivalry, and ideological clashes. While
most foreign governments view IS as a greater threat, this may not be enough
for the Taliban to end its vulnerable isolation and help Afghanistan achieve
peace and stability.
Source: nakedcapitalism.com
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https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2023/05/the-taliban-and-the-islamic-state-continue-to-fight-for-afghanistans-future.html
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Qatar PM meets
with Taliban officials in Afghanistan to ‘strengthen relations, increase trust’
May 13, 2023
Qatar's Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani arrived
in Kandahar on Friday and met with Taliban officials, reported Tolo News.
He met with
Afghanistan's Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the spokesman of the Taliban
Zabiullah Mujahid said on Twitter.
"In this
meeting, the Prime Minister of that country emphasized on strengthening the
relations and increasing the level of trust between the two countries, as well
as practical cooperation in the educational, health and economic fields of
Afghanistan," he tweeted.
The Qatari
delegation also included the head of the Qatari State Security (Intelligence
Service) Abdullah Al-Khulaifi.
Mujahid said
they discussed cooperation in strengthening relations and trust, and working
together in the education, health and economic sectors, reported Tolo News.
"Qatar's
further cooperation with the people of Afghanistan was emphasized.
At the same
time, the heartfelt message of the Emir of Qatar was appreciated and that
country was encouraged to play a greater role in building more trust between
the countries and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," tweeted Mujahid.
Notably, Qatar
facilitated discussions between the Islamic Emirate and the US government that
resulted in a peace deal on February 29 of 2020.
Qatar has
longstanding ties with the Taliban. While this approach is criticized by some,
others benefit from the country's contacts. Qatar's main interest is to cement
its position as a regional mediator.
The
relationship between Qatar and the Taliban is anything but new. As early as
2013, Qatar allowed the Taliban to open an office in Doha, with the support of
the US administration under Barack Obama.
At the time,
Washington was looking for a neutral place to negotiate with the Islamist
militia in order to prepare for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan,
reported DW News.
Since 2018,
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is one of the founding members of the Taliban,
has led its representation in Qatar.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/qatar-pm-taliban-officials-afghanistan-to-strengthen-relations-increase-trust-101683946722733.html
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Post-withdrawal,
no “over-the-horizon” strikes in Afghanistan
By Meghann
Myers
May 13
A U.S. MQ-9
drone is on display during an air show at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan,
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018.
MQ-9 drones are
useful for collecting surveillance and striking targets, but they can spend
limited time over Afghanistan. (Massoud Hossaini/AP)
As the U.S.
scrambled to get the last of its troops out of Afghanistan in late summer 2021,
the Pentagon fielded endless questions about how it could prevent the country
from becoming the terrorist training ground it had been before 9/11.
Biden
administration officials touted robust “over-the-horizon” capabilities to both
gather intelligence and strike terrorist groups to keep them in check. But some
two years after the Biden administration announced the drawdown, the U.S.
military hasn’t struck a single target in Afghanistan, and U.S. military
leaders now concede they lack sufficient resources to do so.
In August 2021,
then Pentagon spokesman John Kirby insisted the administration would “maintain
robust over-the-horizon counter-terrorism capability, the kinds of capabilities
that you’ve seen us use in just the last 24-36 hours,” as the U.S. prepared to
evacuate the last of its troops. “We still have that capability. We will use
that capability,” an assertion Kirby repeated again this year, as Biden
National Security Council spokesman, and also repeated to Military Times by
multiple military officials.
By Meghann
Myers
But the
military commander in charge of that region didn’t sound so confident, warning
that terrorist groups inside Afghanistan may soon be ready to launch attacks
abroad.
“Specifically,
ISIS-Khorasan, Senator,” Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command,
told lawmakers during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in March. “It
is my commanders’ estimate that they can do an external operation against U.S.
or Western interests abroad in under six months with little to no warning,” he
said, with the caveat that he believes the U.S. homeland is still safe.
The CIA did
target and kill al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in July 2022. And the Taliban
killed the suspected mastermind behind the 2021 ISIS bombing of Kabul’
airport’s Abbey Gate, that left 13 U.S. troops and about 170 Afghans dead
during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal.
But neither of
those involved the U.S. military, calling into question whether that
“over-the-horizon” capability is as robust as was claimed, or simply has been
delegated to the CIA, therefore is outside the U.S. military’s purview.
Keeping tabs
Counterterrorism
experts are dubious not only that the U.S. can properly surveil terrorist
activity in Afghanistan, but that the national security apparatus is willing to
devote adequate energy to containing it.
“The U.S. is
essentially flying blind in Afghanistan, especially compared to the ability to
understand what was going on in the 2000s, the 2010s and up through the
withdrawal,” according to former Pentagon counterterrorism official Seth Jones,
now at the Center for Strategic and National Studies.
During the war
in Afghanistan, the U.S. had the benefit of not only surveillance aircraft and
other technology in-country, but military, intelligence and State Department
personnel on the ground maintaining Afghan and Pakistani human information
networks, said Jones, who once worked as an adviser and plans officer for U.S.
special operations forces in Afghanistan.
“Even then ...
there were still huge intelligence gaps when we had 100,000 forces there, plus
NATO forces, plus some cooperation with Pakistan,” Jones said in an interview.
What capability
the U.S. does have is hamstrung by the short amount of time any surveillance
equipment can spend gathering information over Afghanistan or launching a
strike, as much of that dwell time over a target is spent actually getting
there, flying roughly a thousand miles to Afghanistan from where U.S. forces
are stationed at al-Udeid Air Base.
Jones said that
means targeting a high-value asset like al-Zawahiri is possible as a one-off,
but without more resources close to the adversary, “you’re going to be very
limited in conducting any kind of sustained campaign against Islamic
State-Khorasan, al-Qaida or other groups operating from Afghan soil. That is
the reality.”
By Rachel S.
Cohen
Kurilla’s
Senate Armed Services Committee comments have been repeated at numerous other
hearings since then, including one in April with the House Homeland Security
Committee. There, a former Trump administration ambassador-at-large for
counterterrorism shared similar concerns about the viability of reining it
terrorism from afar.
“To dismantle a
terrorist group, what’s needed is a sustained campaign to eliminate its
leadership, its infrastructure, its foot soldiers and so on,” Nathan Sales, now
a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told lawmakers. “It simply isn’t
possible to defeat terrorists using an over-the-horizon strategy.”
In Somalia, for
example, the U.S. canceled a rotational deployment that had been helping local
forces beat back al-Shabaab, the largest and most well-funded wing of al-Qaida,
in late 2020 on orders from President Donald Trump.
But 18 months
later, the rotation was back on, as military leadership had complained that
“commuting to work” was ineffective in that counterterror mission.
Sales believes
that getting a handle on the Afghanistan situation will require not only more
funding for CENTCOM counterterrorism operations, but a policy shift.
“If we want to
make sure that terrorism remains relatively low on the hierarchy of threats, we
have to keep mowing the grass,” in addition to countering China, and keeping an
eye on a revanchist Russia that’s conducting a war of aggression on Ukraine, he
said. “We have to keep a lid on the pot because God forbid there should be
another catastrophic attack.”
More advanced
drones that can spend more time in the air would be a start, but he said the
U.S. should also looking into basing arrangements closer to Afghanistan, as it
once had in Pakistan and Central Asia.
Jones echoed
that sentiment, suggesting Pakistan, Central Asia or even U.S. naval ships
deployed to the Indian Ocean as a more efficient launch point.
Fulfilling
promises
Sales believes
the “robust over-the-horizon” talk during summer 2021 was essentially lip
service meant to ease the minds of the American public, as they watched 20
years of U.S. investment in Afghan security crumble on their television
screens.
“The White
House told us that ‘over-the-horizon’ would be capable of mitigating any
terrorist threats in Afghanistan after the withdrawal,” Sales said. “One strike
in 20 months is no one’s idea of threat mitigation.”
By Sarah Sicard
Relying on the
Taliban to take out U.S. adversaries like the Abbey Gate plotter is not a
reliable strategy longterm, though it was discussed during Sales’ time in
office by then-Taliban “peace” negotiator U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.
“The Taliban is
not a trustworthy or reliable or capable counterterrorism partner,” Sales said.
“We should not be outsourcing our responsibility, the government’s
responsibility to protect Americans to a group that has the blood of countless
Americans on its hands.”
Pentagon
officials have pushed back on such criticism, pointing out that the most recent
National Defense Strategy includes a counterterrorism plank, despite China
taking center stage in terms of funding and attention.
During his
March testimony, Kurilla described keeping tabs on terrorist activity within
Afghanistan as “difficult but not impossible.”
“One of the
things that we are trying to do is increase our intelligence, surveillance,
reconnaissance,” he said. “We’re putting investment into long-duration,
high-altitude, alternative airborne ISR that can go up for days and weeks.”
A Pentagon
spokesman told Military Times, the Defense Department is confident they have
what they need.
“DoD can
monitor terrorist groups in Afghanistan and maintains capabilities to monitor
potential threats and, if needed, to disrupt terrorist operations targeting the
United States and our allies and partners,” Air Force Lt. Col. Phillip Ventura
told Military Times.
That can
include strikes, he added, but there are other options, “such as the
facilitation of criminal prosecutions and the seizure or freezing of financial
assets.”
A CENTCOM
spokesman, Maj. John Moore, echoed that those two non-kinetic options, of
arresting terrorist organizers and going after their finances, has helped
disrupt their operations.
Despite that
optimism, Sales has a warning.
“It’s a cliche,
but it’s true,” Sales said. “Our enemies get a vote on whether they continue to
fight and they’re voting ‘yes.’ "
About Meghann
Myers
Meghann Myers
is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy,
personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
Source: militarytimes.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/05/12/post-withdrawal-no-over-the-horizon-strikes-in-afghanistan/
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Uzbekistan
Opens Coordination Office For Trans-Afghan Railway Project
May 13, 2023
The Trans-Afghan
Railway Coordination Office was established to facilitate project
implementation.
According to
the Afghanistan Railway Authority, the opening of the coordination office in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is dedicated to developing the Trans-Afghan Railway
project.
Meanwhile, the
coordination office will promote regional connectivity and trade and accelerate
economic development in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.
Mullah
Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat, the Afghanistan Railway Authority head and the Afghan
and Pakistani ambassadors were present for the ceremony.
The Afghanistan
Railway Authority announced in a statement that the three countries’
representatives will work together to coordinate the business of the
trans-Afghan railway project at the office.
The statement
also added that similar offices will open shortly in Kabul, Afghanistan and
Islamabad, Pakistan.
The
Trans-Afghan railway project connects Central Asian countries with South Asian
countries via Afghanistan.
Source: khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/uzbekistan-opens-coordination-office-for-trans-afghan-railway-project/
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Belarus Detains
Afghan National with Fake French Passport
May 13, 2023
The Belarussian
authorities said an Afghan national holding a fake French passport, who
intended to cross to Lithuania has been recognized and detained by the
country’s border officials.
During the
investigations, the Afghan national has said he wanted to reach Europe, according
to Belarussian media.
The Afghan
citizen will be kept in detention until his real identity is recognized, as per
the existing reports.
Belarus is the
route for many migrants from different countries, including Afghanistan, to
reach Europe.
Nearly a month
ago, the Belarussian police announced that several Afghan nationals who had
illegally entered the country were detained.
Since the
return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, millions of
Afghans have migrated to the neighboring countries of Iran, Pakistan and
elsewhere fearing persecution and death threats.
Many Afghans
have taken rather risky routes to reach Europe through land and sea. Currently,
thousands of Afghan families are stranded in Turkey and Greece hoping to reach
Western European countries.
Source: khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/belarus-detains-afghan-national-with-fake-french-passport/
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Africa
“Politicians
Have Stopped Calling Me for Prayers”, Islamic Cleric Laments
Aanu AdegunMay
12, 2023
A former
senator who represented Kaduna Central in the Eight National Assembly, Shehu
Sani, has made a new revelation.
The Kaduna born
politician revealed how his Imam lamented politicians’ attitude. According to
Sani, the unnamed Islamic cleric said politicians had stopped calling him for
prayers.
Politics
Nigeria reports that during election period, Nigerian politicians don’t joke
with both Christian and and Muslim clerics.
Sani in a tweet
wrote:
“Today our
Friday Mosque Imam complained that most of those who came to him for prayers
and won their elections have stopped picking his calls; And those who lost have
stopped sending their financial contributions.”
In another
report, Sani advised Peter Obi, the Labour Party, LP, candidate in the February
25 presidential election, to stop apologizing for the actions of his
supporters.
Sani warned
that Obi might kill what he described as the “libido of his movement”, if he
continues to denounce or apologize on their behalf.
Source: politicsnigeria.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://politicsnigeria.com/politicians-have-stopped-calling-me-for-prayers-islamic-cleric-laments/
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A Ramadan to
Remember: OctaFX Supports 1444 Muslims in Lagos
Friday, May 12,
2023
Staying true to
its long-term corporate social responsibility drive of impacting households and
communities, the broker selected ten mosques while paying attention to the
needs of communities around them. During the five-week fast, 1444 Muslims (288
per week) at these mosques enjoyed healthy meals funded by the broker. The 1444
meals is a creative recognition of the 1444th anniversary of Prophet Muhammad’s
iconic migration to Medina. OctaFX established a mutually beneficial
partnership with the leaders of selected mosques. These leaders helped draw a
list of beneficiaries for the Ramadan-themed charity project.
‘During the
1444th anniversary of Prophet Muhammad’s migration to Medina, we wanted to do
something significant while keeping the focus on people and communities. This
inspired our decision to partner with local mosques in Lagos and bring healthy
meals to the most deserving to help them observe the Ramadan fast.’ ‘We
understand that it is a special month for Muslims. Thus we agreed on providing
incentives to keep people going for the rewards and blessings from the holy
fasting. We are glad to have created happiness and impact altogether, in
partnership with the leaders at these local mosques.’
Isa Ashiru, the
Imam at Onigbongbo Community Mosque, one of the benefiting mosques, said: ‘The
holy month of Ramadan preaches love, peace and caring for others. We are happy
that OctaFX has approached the Muslim community to promote caring and sharing
by giving this form of support to Muslims at this special time.’ Every year,
OctaFX rolls out carefully thought-out charity programs to commemorate the holy
month of Ramadan, providing educational, financial, and humanitarian aid. This
year, it focused on the provision of nutritious and healthy meals. It will be
interesting to see what the socially responsible broker will put forward to
share with its communities next year.
OctaFX is a
global broker that provides online trading services worldwide since 2011. The
company is involved in a comprehensive network of charity and humanitarian
initiatives, including the improvement of educational infrastructure,
short-notice relief projects, and support for local communities and small to
medium enterprises. In Nigeria, OctaFX received the ‘Best ECN Broker 2021’
award by World Finance and the ‘Best Forex Broker Nigeria 2022’ award by Global
Banking and Finance Review.
Source: legit.ng
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.legit.ng/nigeria/1534281-a-ramadan-remember-octafx-supports-1444-muslims-lagos/
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FRSC not
seeking Sharia law to punish traffic offenders – Official
13 May 2023
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has
dissociated itself from an opinion published on different news platforms that
it is seeking the introduction of Sharia Law to punish traffic offenders.
The opinion was
credited to the FRSC Sector Commander in Bauchi State, Mr Yusuf Abdullahi.
He was quoted
as saying that the introduction of Sharia Law would curtail bad behaviour by
motorists as most crashes were due to their negative attitudes.
The Corps
Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem stated in Abuja on Saturday, however,
that the opinion was baseless, unfounded and did not reflect the position of
the FRSC.
“The public is
humbly called upon to disregard the entire content of the opinion as published.
“This is
because it is baseless, unfounded and does not apply in FRSC’s operations and
service to the Nigerian people,’’ he stated.
Kazeem added
that the Corps Marshal, Mr Dauda Biu had recalled the Bauchi State Sector
Commander to the National Headquarters, Abuja for necessary administrative
action.
He stated also
that by the statement, the sector commander had breached FRSC’s regulations and
its Standard Operating Procedures
“Without any
reservation, it is important to inform the general public that the FRSC is a
government agency with statutory responsibilities for road safety
administration.
“It is also
sensitive to the country’s multi-religious as well as heterogeneous ethnic
composition.
“It is
important to state that the Corps is neither a religious nor sectional
organisation, but a Federal Government agency established with a mandate guided
by the provisions of an establishment Act.
“The FRSC is
not guided by Sharia, Mosaic or customary law that contradicts the provisions
of its establishment Act, or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria,’’ Kazeem stressed.
Source: guardian.ng
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://guardian.ng/news/frsc-not-seeking-sharia-law-to-punish-traffic-offenders-official/
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URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/halal-coin-cryptocurrency-sharia/d/129769