Pakistan MP warns country could lose Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, slams govt
New Age Islam News Bureau
25 February 2025
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the National Assembly | Photo: X@NAofPakistan
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· Pakistan MP warns country could lose Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, slams govt
· Pakistan University issues notice to Hindu students for Holi festivities
· Gujarat: Three Muslim men assaulted and forced to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ by cow vigilantes
· Trump’s New Muslim Ban Is Worse Than His First
· Southwest governors can’t stop Shariah panels – Kwara judge declares
· Anwar urges Muslims to embrace AI, digital economy while upholding moral values
· Red Cross stresses Humanitarian Aid for Afghanistan
· Gaza ceasefire faces hurdle but not collapsing yet, say analysts
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Pakistan
· SC to hear Imran's pleas against 'election rigging', May 9 mayhem on Feb 28
· Police recover body from PTI MPA Mian Aslam's outhouse
· Army Act applies strictly to armed forces as per Constitution: Justice Mandokhail
· Six security men among eight injured in Kalat attack
· Riyadh reaffirms $500m pledge to polio eradication initiative
· Actions of SC regular bench in contempt case challenged
· Lawyers, journalists call on govt to repeal Peca tweaks
· Mohmand hydel project to start generation in two years
· PBC rep in JCP resigns over judicial appointment controversy
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India
· Maulana Azad University Jodhpur chairperson, registrar and three others arrested
· Those who got Muslim votes could not stop riots: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar
· Muslim-Sikh unity essential for India’s unity and integrity, say community leaders
· ‘Halal certification is consumer right, not just for exports’: Trust tells Supreme Court in UP ban fight
· Muslims want Waqf reforms too. It’s not an issue for political acrimony
· Disputed well near Sambhal’s mosque a public property: UP
· Sambhal: As Inzamiya panel wants to whitewash mosque, DM says ASI to take call
· This company owned by India's richest Muslim buys shares of Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani's firms for Rs...
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North America
· CAIR Asks U.S. Senate to Oppose Anti-Muslim Ambassador Nominees Huckabee, Hoekstra
· CAIR Community Advisory: Registration Opens for Maryland ‘Muslim Youth Day’ at the Capital #MYDAC2025
· Trump dominates Liberal leadership debate in Canada
· Jury chosen for Plainfield Township hate crime murder trial
· Macron walks tightrope with Trump as he makes Europe's case on Ukraine
· Secret Service agent who leapt onto JFK's car during assassination dies at 93
· Judge declines to immediately restore AP access to White House
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Africa
· Why Nigeria joined Organisation of Islamic Countries during my regime – Babangida
· Embrace Devotion, Reflection During Ramadan, Hamzat Urges Muslims
· TAJBank wins Islamic bank award
· Sokoto gov unveils N285m Ramadan package for religious leaders
· Obaseki Consoles Okpekpe Community Over Herdsmen Attack, Calls For Justice
· Egypt dismisses rival authority in Sudan, supports military rule
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Southeast Asia
· Integrating Fiqh and Tasawuf Important To Produce Well-balanced Islamic Scholars - Sultan Nazrin
· Foreigners allegedly proselytising to Muslims: Interfaith group calls for stern action
· Free Meal Program: Muslim Kids to Take Home Their Food in Ramadan
· Sarawak prohibits restaurants without halal cert from using Ramadan-linked terms
· PM Anwar: Urban renewal law will empower Malays, not strip reserve land
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South Asia
· 10 militants killed near Afghanistan border, says Pakistan Army
· Prime Minister of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Addresses World Water Conference
· Torkham Border Crossing Remains Closed as Negotiations Fail
· Afghanistan Must Act on Water Shortages, Says Deputy PM Mullah Baradar
· Govt. sets new office timings for Ramadan
· SC starts hearing on Azharul’s review petition challenging death penalty
· Police bar March of interns, medical students at High Court gate
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Mideast
· Seminar season discusses moral, social values in Islam
· Islamic Jihad says Israeli tanks part of ‘plans to annex West Bank by force’
· 365 Palestinians arrested by Israeli forces in West Bank refugee camps since mid-January
· Secretariat Awqaf distributes hygiene kits to over 1500 mosques
· Qatar Sports for All Federation announces Ramadan activities, tournaments with 66 events
· Iraqi population has reached 46.1 million, census shows
· Lebanese government expected to win vote of confidence
· Ayatollah Khamenei Hails Tasnim Tafsir as Source of Pride for Shiite Muslims
· President Al-Mashat: Martyred of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah represented highest embodiment of Islamic unity
· Israel refuses entry to 2 EU lawmakers and accuses 1 of promoting boycotts of it
· West Bank Palestinians fear Gaza-style clearance as Israel squeezes Jenin camp
· Members of leading Syrian Kurdish authorities not asked to national dialogue
· Syria economy minister discusses resuming cooperation with World Bank
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Arab World
· Saudi Arabia pivotal in achieving peace, New Zealand deputy PM says as new Russia tariffs announced
· Defence chiefs discuss strategic Saudi-US partnership
· Saudi health ministry urges meningitis vaccine for Umrah
· KSrelief marks a decade of defining humanitarian aid diplomacy
· University graduates present AI-powered health systems at hackathon
· Saudi, Hong Kong anti-corruption chiefs hold talks in Riyadh
· New book provides deep dive into Saudi-Japanese business relations
· Manga Productions wins Saudi Media Forum Award for ‘Future’s Folktales 2’ anime
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Europe
· US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine
· West knew NATO push for Ukraine was risky – WikiLeaks
· Russia prepared to cooperate with the US – Moscow’s economic envoy
· Meeting with Chairman of the Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia Talgat Tadzhuddin
· Exhibition of rare Islamic artefacts at Bradford City Hall
· Germany's conservatives celebrate, but far right enjoy record result
· Pope critical but 'in good humour' in hospital
· Countries compete to keep skilled young workers
· Inadequate information released after Southport attack by authorities, says terror law reviewer
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pakistan-country-balochistan-pakhtunkhwa-slams/d/134723
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Pakistan MP warns country could lose Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, slams govt
DEBDUTTA CHAKRABORTY
23 February, 2025
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the National Assembly | Photo: X@NAofPakistan
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New Delhi: Pakistani politician and cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman recently claimed that the Pakistan government had lost control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. His speech, delivered in the National Assembly on 18 February, left the Baloch amused, who responded by saying that the “people of the region do not care for his views”.
Fazlur Rehman, leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), expressed grave concerns over the state of affairs in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He claimed that in Balochistan, certain districts were already functioning without the presence of police or military forces, and cautioned that if 5 to 7 districts in the region declared independence, Pakistan would be powerless to intervene.
The situation in KPK is equally dire, according to Fazlur Rehman, who described the province as having “no government at all.” He noted that police stations were closed, and the region was under the control of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“There are areas where the state’s control has vanished,” he stated.
Rehman, who has long been a supporter of the Pakistani military, said that a moment similar to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War was upon Pakistan. He warned that if Balochistan districts declared independence, the United Nations could recognise their sovereignty, leading to Pakistan’s fragmentation.
He criticised the government in Islamabad for failing to address the growing instability and accused the Army and the ISI of taking “brutal decisions” resulting in the deaths of countless people in Balochistan and KPK.
“The entire government of Pakistan has failed, and the country is on the verge of losing two states,” he warned in his speech in the National Assembly.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chairman of Balochistan National Party, told ThePrint that the state’s treatment of the Baloch people aligns with Rehman’s statement. He said that the enforced disappearances across Balochistan have created an environment of deep resentment and alienation.
“While there may not be an official referendum on independence, one can assert with confidence that, given the opportunity, the majority would not choose to remain within Pakistan. The responsibility for this growing discontent rests solely with the establishment, whose actions have fuelled a sense of political and social estrangement among the Baloch population,” Mengal said.
Rehman’s speech comes amid violence in KPK’s Kurram region, where ongoing Sunni-Shiite conflicts have killed over 150 people since November. The region, which borders Afghanistan, has been isolated by the fighting, further complicating efforts to restore order.
The Balochistan question
Taj Baloch, founder of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan, refuted Rehman’s claims, noting that mineral extraction and other activities continue undisturbed in the province.
“Pakistan has never cared for the people of Balochistan, and neither does Fazlur Rehman,” Baloch told ThePrint.
However, political analyst and economist Javed Hassan disagreed.
“Few people have a better appreciation of the sentiments among the people of KPK and Balochistan than Maulana Fazlur Rehman. His views should be heard carefully,” he told ThePrint.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least-populated province, has been in turbulence for the past few years. Since 2005, the Pakistani military has been engaged in a brutal crackdown on Baloch nationalist movements, stoking ethnic and sectarian violence.
The lack of effective governance and security forces’ repression of the Baloch nationalist movement has weakened any social structures that might have contained the rise of extremism. This power vacuum is exacerbated by the province’s proximity to Afghanistan, making it a highly volatile area, a 2013 research paper published in Carnegie noted.
Meanwhile, the grand vision for Gwadar as a hub of economic growth through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been met with significant resistance from the local community in Balochistan. Despite being hailed as a development project that would bring prosperity to one of Pakistan’s poorest provinces, CPEC has instead fueled growing resentment among the people of Gwadar and the wider region.
When CPEC was launched in 2015, it was promised that the project would bring rapid economic growth and job creation to Balochistan, with projections of two million jobs. However, fewer than 2,50,000 jobs have materialised, and many of these opportunities have been lost due to delays and stagnation in the development of key infrastructure. For the local population, the benefits have remained elusive, while Gwadar’s abundant natural resources—such as oil, coal, and gold—are yet to translate into tangible improvements in living conditions.
The residents of Gwadar have been displaced to make room for mega projects like the Gwadar Port, but basic services like clean water, electricity, and healthcare remain severely lacking. This disparity has led to regular protests, with Baloch citizens accusing both the Pakistani government and Chinese investors of neglecting their most fundamental needs.
“When it comes to law and order, Pakistan has never come together to consider the people of Balochistan. Like others, Fazlur Rahman has always supported the Pakistan military. All the leaders talk about the military and the police, but they never care about what the people think,” Taj Baloch said.
Source:theprint.in
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https://theprint.in/go-to-pakistan/pakistan-mp-warns-country-could-lose-balochistan-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-slams-govt/2507749/
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Pakistan university issues notice to Hindu students for Holi festivities
Feb 23, 2025
Representational image: A university in Karachi, Pakistan, has taken action against its Hindu students for celebrating Holi(PTI)
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Dawood University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi has come under scrutiny after issuing a show-cause notice to students who celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi on campus. The incident has sparked widespread controversy, with reports stating that FIRs have been registered against several Hindu students, accusing them of chanting anti-state slogans in the University premises.
The issue gained national attention when Lal Malhi, a former member of Pakistan's National Assembly, raised a question on social media, expressing concern over the growing criminalization of minority religious practices in Pakistan. Malhi questioned, "Has the celebration of Holi now become a crime? Is celebrating Holi at a university considered an act against the state?" His statement resonated with many, highlighting the broader issue of intolerance and discrimination faced by religious minorities, especially Hindus, in Pakistan.
A viral video of the Holi celebration on the university campus, along with the show-cause notice issued by the administration, has fuelled public debate. The notice accuses the students of engaging in activities deemed offensive to the state, a charge that many critics view as a reflection of the growing marginalisation of religious minorities in Pakistan. The Hindu community, despite constituting a small percentage of Pakistan's population, has long faced systemic neglect, violence, and social exclusion.
Hindus in Pakistan, particularly those residing in rural areas, are disproportionately affected by poverty, illiteracy, and lack of access to basic healthcare. In urban settings, they encounter limited job opportunities and social discrimination. Religious intolerance is also prevalent, with frequent reports of forced conversions, abductions, and violence, particularly against Hindu women and children. The country's legal framework offers minimal protection for minorities, and Hindus often find it difficult to seek justice due to biases within the legal system. Misuse of blasphemy laws has further compounded the challenges, as some Hindus are accused without evidence or due process.
The incident at Dawood University underscores the larger issue of religious intolerance and the struggles faced by Pakistan's Hindu community, shining a spotlight on the urgent need for greater tolerance, equality, and protection for minorities in the country.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pakistan-university-issues-notice-to-hindu-students-for-holi-festivities-101740287317280.html
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Gujarat: Three Muslim men assaulted and forced to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ by cow vigilantes
February 24, 2025
Representational image
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Three Muslim men were brutally assaulted by a mob of cow vigilantes when they were transporting buffaloes in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on February 19.
A mob of 20-25 people assaulted three Muslim men identified as Ishaq Mohammed Farooq and Musharraf Ahmed The men were mercilessly beaten with sticks and were forced to chant Jai Shree Ram slogans. Of the three, Ishaq is said to be in a serious condition as the assault left his jaw fractured.
The mob reportedly tried to extort money worth ₹1.50 lakh.
While speaking to a local media channel, one of the victims, Musharraf alleged, “They brought sticks in vehicles and started hitting us. I was hit but Ishaq, my brother, was severely beaten up.”
Despite pleading to the mob that they have a legal permit to transport the buffaloes, their requests fell on deaf ears. They were repeatedly beaten and were demanded to give 1.50 lakh ransom.
To their surprise, when Musharraf and others reached the police station to file an FIR, police refused and registered a complaint against them filed by the vigilantes. Police even asked to let go of the case.
Speaking to Desh Live, a YouTube channel, Musharraf described how they were forced to wait for hours in a local police station before the police denied filing any complaint.
Following a wide outrage on social media, the police finally registered an FIR. Advocate Nauman is representing the case of the victims. He said that he was told by one of the police officers that no action is action in cases like these.
Source:muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/gujarat-three-muslim-men-assaulted-and-forced-to-chant-jai-shree-ram-by-cow-vigilantes/
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Trump’s New Muslim Ban Is Worse Than His First
FEBRUARY 24, 2025
Donald Trump arrives at the Republican Governors Association meeting at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, on Thursday, February 20, 2025. (Shawn Thew / EPA / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The spontaneous mass resistance to Donald Trump’s first Muslim ban was perhaps the defining image of the uprising that greeted Trump when he came to power in 2017.
Huge crowds swarmed airports across the country. Activists, lawyers, and desperate families confronted CBP officers until their loved ones were allowed into the United States. The revolt was capped by a stern legal rebuke of Trump’s racist overreach by the Hawaii circuit court.
What’s often left out of that story, though, is what happened next. A modified version of the ban slunk back into effect a few months later; this time, the Supreme Court signed off on the policy. Unless you were one of the people torn away from your family or who saw your green-card lottery dream of a new life in America canceled, it was easy to forget that it was even there. By the time Joe Biden repealed the ban in 2021, it was stripped down, efficient, and running on autopilot.
It’s that form of the ban—quieter, sneakier—that is making a comeback in Trump’s second term. In fact, it’s not strictly accurate to call the ban a “Muslim” ban at all. A bland executive order buried in the January 20 flurry of White House proclamations doesn’t name any country or even dictate specific policy. There is no lurid prose. Instead, it directs four cabinet secretaries to begin a rolling 60-day collaborative multi-agency review process. The process is intended to end on March 21 with the publication of a list of countries that are supposedly not in compliance with information-sharing standards about immigrants and will thus be subject to restrictions on the ability of their citizens to enter the United States.
If this all sounds bewildering, that’s because it’s meant to be. The obtuse bureaucratic structures that were only created to legally justify the first ban now form the core structure of a new one that promises to be amorphous and adaptable to shifting policy needs. The intent, however, remains the same as it’s always been: to deeply extend the power of the executive branch over the immigration system and to fulfill the wildest dreams of Trump’s white-nationalist lackeys, particularly Stephen Miller, whose power has only grown in the seven years since Trump first took office.
Biden’s repeal of the ban was retroactive. He un-banned everyone who had been denied under Trump and gave them opportunities to re-interview for their unjustly denied visas. Trump’s reinstatement is similarly retroactive. Once the list of banned countries is determined, everyone from those countries who had been admitted to the US since the last ban was repealed will need to undergo an undefined form of “reassessment” with an eye toward finding possible reasons for deportation. (This provision includes people with green cards.) Checking over criminal records for an already-admitted person is already done in some limited cases, but taken in context the retroactive review of people who got cleared last time is a chilling new policy.
There are two additional provisions contained within the executive order (which does not explicitly define which agency will be enforcing what provisions) that are jarring in the sweeping and transformative power they lay out.
The United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security.
The legalese should be dispensed with at this point: This is a policy to deport or bar forever from the United States anyone who has publicly spoken in support of Palestine. Every group that participated in armed resistance against the Israeli genocide in Gaza was a US-designated terrorist organization. But even if your personal statements don’t touch on the subject of armed resistance, US policy is to treat the Gaza municipality and local government as extensions of Hamas. Even a statement of praise for, say, firefighters or rescue workers from Gaza could, in theory, be a deportable offense for a foreigner legally in the US. A green card holder, married to an American citizen, could be deported and permanently banned from reuniting with their spouse for posting “from the river to the sea” on Instagram.
Less personally terrifying but structurally troubling are provisions for review of “visa programs” that allow the executive branch to, through the revived Muslim ban, bar applicants from visa programs they dislike, but cannot at this point legally erase:
The review of “visa programs” will explicitly involve screening for adherence to American “culture” and “values.”
It should be considered that the State Department is involved in accrediting a huge number of academic exchange visitors and postdoctoral study programs that fall under the J1 category. What will become of the Fulbright program if subjects of study by foreign students are ruled in contravention of MAGA values? What about a postdoctoral program in women’s studies? Or Black history? The new ban could also de facto close certain topics of academic research to foreign students. Foreign employees might find themselves banned as national security threats even if the conditions of their employment are completely legal and above board.
When the last Muslim ban hit, there was deep institutional pushback. From the highest ranks in DC all the way down to visa officers conducting interviews at the window, there was a quiet internal consensus that the ban should be slow-rolled and internally opposed as much as possible and that every bureaucratic trick with visa processing that existed should be used to minimize the harm of the policy. (I was one of these internal opponents.) That is much less likely to happen this time. America’s foreign policy agencies are afraid for their jobs. Internal purges over support for institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are already happening. Mass layoffs or worse are in the cards. Immigration officials are not going to be as concerned with fighting back as they will be trying to keep their heads down. Or they’ll try to resist and get fired anyway.
More bleakly, the ban doesn’t seem that scary anymore. Recent internal dissent within the State Department has been laser-focused (to little effect) on pushing back against America’s complicity in the Gaza genocide. The Muslim ban doesn’t look that bad by comparison and it has little shock value. Every junior visa officer making decisions about ban cases will have joined the State Department in the last few years, in a world where the ban had already happened. They will have made their own internal bargain about how they felt about that part of the job. Nobody implementing this policy will be able to say that they didn’t sign up for this. They knowingly did.
The Muslim ban’s normalization will also fuel its expansion. It can be applied to any geopolitical entity or group that finds itself in the crosshairs of an increasingly erratic security state. This is a ban whose provisions, as written, could just as easily be deployed against Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans who hold nuanced opinions about their country of origin or to facilitate Sinophobia generally. Watch which countries wind up on the initial ban list; South and Central American countries that are actively complying with Trump deportation policies will have a much better chance of avoiding having their nationals banned. First they came for Muslims, but now every diaspora is a potential bargaining chip in geopolitical rivalry. They want everybody to be a little bit scared—and to be able to bring maximum surveillance against any foreigner at any time. The domestic review provisions of this order mean immigrant life in America can be treated as one never-ending visa interview.
The situation is bleaker than last time but building tougher, more enduring, and more ambitious civil resistance to this Muslim ban is both possible and necessary. We have a heads-up and time to get ready. We have broader coalitions. The ban is morphing from something that happens at isolated diplomatic posts to something that reaches deep into America’s campuses, workplaces, and homes. This is a legal terrain where broader challenges can be mounted, and if the Muslim ban becomes the Everyone ban, then everyone has an even greater stake in fighting it.
We know what this was like before and we know it can be subverted and, at worst, outlasted. The executive overreach of Trump’s second term is also so multifaceted and egregious that an anti-Muslim ban campaign can be linked with a broader push to curb executive authority itself when it comes to immigration.
A small cadre of activist administrators have made their goals clear. What they want now isn’t a gimmick or a one-off or a campaign slogan; they want this to be normalized. They want the Muslim ban to be forever. We have to give them our answer to that in an organized, determined, enduring way.
Source:thenation.com
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https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-muslim-ban-new-version/
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Southwest governors can’t stop Shariah panels – Kwara judge declares
February 24, 2025
The Qadi of the Shari’ah Court of Appeal, Kwara State, Justice Abdurraheem Sayi, has stated that Southwest governors lack the authority to prevent the establishment and operation of Shari’ah arbitration panels in the region.
Speaking at the 30th Pre-Ramadan Lecture of the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, themed “The Transformative Power of Ramadan,” Justice Sayi asserted that the objections to Shari’ah arbitration panels in the Southwest are legally baseless and stem from Islamophobia.
He npted that arbitration is a contractual matter that does not require approval from any government authority or traditional ruler.
“Nobody needs the approval of the Federal Government or any state authority to operate an arbitration panel. Even the President has no power to approve or disapprove of arbitration panels,” he said.
Justice Sayi also criticized opposition from traditional rulers, stating, “Muslim arbitration panels always hold their sittings inside mosques. What business do pastors or monarchs have in this matter? Somebody should tell the monarchs to know their boundaries.”
The event, held at the J.F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium in UNILAG, was attended by Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Ogun Deputy Governor Noimot Salako, and other dignitaries.
Source:politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/southwest-governors-cant-stop-shariah-panels-kwara-judge-declares/
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Anwar urges Muslims to embrace AI, digital economy while upholding moral values
25 Feb 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — In a competitive and challenging world, Muslims should embrace efforts to build economic strength, master artificial intelligence (AI) and digital, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
The Prime Minister said at the same time, Muslims need to balance technological advancement with human, moral and compassionate values, as emphasised in the idea of MADANI.
“The Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Dr Ekrima Sa’id Sabri, when delivering a tausiah entitled ‘The Position of Al-Quds and al-Aqsa on the side of Islam’, explored the great history of the city of Al-Quds which witnessed the greatness of Allah SWT through the events of Israk and Mikraj.
“The character of Umar Al-Khattab as a just caliph and given the honor of opening the city of Jerusalem, was also touched and shared with the audience
“At that time, the city of Al-Quds became a witness when Bilal ibn Rabah returned to recite the call to prayer after five years of the death of the Prophet PBUH, which led the souls of the companions who missed him,” he said in a Facebook post last night.
Earlier, the Prime Minister delivered a speech at the MADANI Knowledge Council with the Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Putrajaya.
Anwar said he also expressed his appreciation to Syeikh Dr Ekrima as one of the figures who became the bulwark of the ummah in fighting for the position of the al-Aqsa Mosque at the end of the ceremony.
“I also repeated the rebuke conveyed when I spoke in front of Islamic scholars and scholars during the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference (IIDC) in Bahrain recently, regarding the problem of Muslims who are still divided due to disputes over trivial issues, so that we neglect efforts to develop and strengthen the unity of the ummah,” he said. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/02/25/anwar-urges-muslims-to-embrace-ai-digital-economy-while-upholding-moral-values/167856
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Red Cross stresses Humanitarian Aid for Afghanistan
ByFidel Rahmati
February 25, 2025
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed commitment to addressing the challenges in Afghanistan. Peter Maurer, the ICRC president, called for sustained international support to Afghanistan.
On Monday, February 24, Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has called for sustained international support for Afghanistan.
In a statement, the organization mentioned that Maurer, during his seven-day visit to Afghanistan, reviewed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country.
The statement emphasized that Maurer highlighted the importance of neutral and independent humanitarian efforts to address the crisis in Afghanistan. He also pointed out that the human rights situation in Afghanistan is “very severe.”
Maurer further noted that nearly four decades of conflict in Afghanistan have affected almost every family in the country. He reiterated the ICRC’s commitment to addressing the challenges facing Afghanistan.
This comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump, upon entering the White House, suspended humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
The situation in Afghanistan continues to demand international attention and support, with the ICRC playing a crucial role in providing humanitarian aid. However, political dynamics, such as the suspension of aid by the United States, further complicate the efforts to alleviate the crisis in the country.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/red-cross-stresses-humanitarian-aid-for-afghanistan/
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Gaza ceasefire faces hurdle but not collapsing yet, say analysts
February 25, 2025
JERUSALEM: Gaza’s fragile five-week truce faces a major hurdle with Israel’s refusal to release Palestinian prisoners, but analysts say the ceasefire is likely to hold as Washington pushes for its extension.
“It’s actually the most complicated crisis since the beginning of the ceasefire,” Palestinian affairs expert Michael Milshtein of Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center told AFP.
While previous obstacles have tested the truce — including Hamas’s threat to stop releasing hostages over alleged violations of the ceasefire including insufficient aid entering Gaza — Milshtein emphasized that “this time, it is even more complicated.”
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, after militants freed six hostages.
He condemned what he described as “humiliating ceremonies” by Hamas to free hostages in Gaza.
Palestinian militants had in the weeks prior paraded Israeli captives and later displayed black coffins containing deceased hostages on stage, sparking outrage across Israel.
Netanyahu went further on Sunday, warning that Israel was ready to “resume intense fighting at any moment” in the Palestinian territory.
Hamas, in turn, warned that Israel’s decision jeopardizes the “entire agreement,” stopping short of promising a return to fighting.
Yet, despite the escalating rhetoric, both sides appear intent on maintaining the ceasefire, according to Milshtein.
“Hamas really wants to implement phase one of the deal because on Saturday, the IDF (military) is meant to start leaving the Philadelphi Corridor,” he noted, referring to a strategic strip that runs along Gaza’s border with Egypt.
For Israel, Mairav Zonszein, an analyst from the International Crisis Group, said that Netanyahu was also stuck “in the same quagmire of trying to get hostages out while trying to get rid of the people holding those hostages.”
“I think Netanyahu is kind of doing what he does best, which is dragging things out, buying time, trying to see if he can leverage withholding these prisoners,” she said.
Zonszein noted that Israeli public opinion is putting pressure on Netanyahu to uphold the ceasefire, particularly as more hostages are seen “coming out alive.”
Some analysts suggest that Israel’s tougher stance is a calculated negotiating tactic ahead of upcoming talks for the second phase of truce.
“I don’t think the ceasefire will collapse, it’s not in Netanyahu’s interest to have it collapse particularly as hostages are still being held in Gaza,” said Sanam Vakil, director of UK-based think tank Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa program.
“What we are witnessing now is political hardball, with them (Israel) trying to up the ante, or increase pressure on Hamas” ahead of the next phase, she said.
Phase two was “always going to be the hardest phase of the negotiations, made worse by the US position and posturing and by the fact there is no coherent Arab plan,” she said.
Trump has stirred controversy by openly suggesting that the United States should take control of Gaza and expel its 2.4 million inhabitants to Egypt and Jordan.
But in recent days he has toned down his view and on Wednesday his special envoy Steve Witkoff is due to arrive in Israel to push forward the phase two talks.
“I think the key to this is the Americans, they will determine what takes place next,” said Alan Mendoza, executive director of the UK-based Henry Jackson Society.
“Trump was the main factor in getting Netanyahu to agree to ceasefire,” he said, noting that the deal was on the table previously but “Trump pushed it and both the Israelis and Hamas have agreed to its terms.”
Despite Israel demanding Gaza be completely demilitarised and Hamas removed, while the militant group insisting on remaining in the territory after the war, Mendoza said that if Trump throws his weight behind phase two “then it will happen.”
“It’s a tough negotiation round and the odds are we will not be able to agree on a stage two plan but if the Arab states buck up... and take more of an interest given Trump’s Gaza Riveria plans — there’s a possibility we could do it.”
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2591499/middle-east
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Pakistan
SC to hear Imran's pleas against 'election rigging', May 9 mayhem on Feb 28
By Web Desk
February 24, 2025
ISLAMABAD: ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court's constitutional bench has scheduled a hearing on petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, seeking an investigation into alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the May 9 incidents.
A five-member bench, headed by Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan, will hear Imran's pleas on February 28.
Earlier in Dec 2024, the constitutional bench admitted for regular hearing the former prime minister's petition seeking a judicial inquiry into the May 9 incidents. The bench directed its office to fix the case after assigning a number to the instant petitions.
During the preliminary hearing, senior counsel Hamid Khan remarked that the country was witnessing an "undeclared martial law".
Justice Jamal Mandokhail intervened to remind the counsel that he was making a sweeping statement though the civil government can seek the assistance of the army under Article 245.
Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar observed the petitioner had to challenge the vires of the constitutional authority under Article 245, adding how the petitioner could call it an undeclared martial law.
The incarcerated PTI founder had moved the Supreme Court in March 2024, requesting the formation of a judicial commission to "inquire, audit and examine" the manner and process of the February 8 general elections held in the country.
The petition, filed by senior lawyer Hamid Khan on behalf of the PTI founder, urged that the apex court form of a judicial commission — consisting of serving SC judges holding no bias towards anyone — to "inquire, audit and examine the manner and process of general elections of 8 February 2024 and the developments that took place thereafter of compiling false and fraudulent results rendering winners into losers and losers into winners".
The PTI-backed independent candidates won the most National Assembly seats in the February 8 elections followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
However, the PML-N with the support of the other parties including the PPP formed a coalition government in the Centre and later became the single largest party in the lower house of the parliament following the allocation of the reserved seats.
Meanwhile, the former prime minister — in another petition — prayed the apex court to appoint a judicial commission to probe into the "horrendous and terrible incidents of May 9-10 and actions leading to those unfortunate incidents, which caused loss of precious human lives of dozens of persons and damage to the state and private property."
In the petition, he also submitted that the arrests, investigation and trial of civilians in peacetime under the Army Act 1952, read with the Official Secret Act 1923, is unconstitutional and void and of no legal effect and amounts to negation of the Constitution, rule of law and independence of the judiciary.
Source:thenews.com.
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1286106-sc-to-hear-imrans-pleas-against-election-rigging-may-9-mayhem-on-feb-28
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Police recover body from PTI MPA Mian Aslam's outhouse
By Ahmed Faraz
February 24, 2025
LAHORE: A body was found from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal's outhouse (dera) in Lahore, the police said on Monday.
The law enforcers registered a case under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and gathered forensic evidence from the spot.
According to a first information report (FIR), the body — found in the advanced stages of decomposition — was of a man aged nearly 40 years.
The deceased, who died from gunshot wounds, could not be identified yet, said police, adding that the body has been sent for autopsy.
Police, however, stated that Aslam's outhouse was rented by Arshad, a constable working with the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) police.
They claimed that Arshad had set up a torture cell in the quarter and he has been missing since the incident while a search is underway.
Aslam, a PTI-backed Member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA), previously served as provincial minister of Punjab for industries, commerce, and investment from 2018 to 2022 under the PTI government.
He also took the additional portfolio of information and culture in 2019 after being nominated by the PTI government. He has been a member of the Punjab Assembly consecutively since 2002.
The PTI leader also served as the senior minister for Punjab in Parvez Elahi's PTI-backed government from late 2022 to early 2023.
Source:thenews.com.
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1286057-police-recover-body-from-pti-mpa-mian-aslams-outhouse
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Army Act applies strictly to armed forces as per Constitution: Justice Mandokhail
By Arfa Feroz Zake & Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui
February 24, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail has said that the Constitution clearly states that the Army Act is related to the armed forces and understanding the purpose of the legislation would solve half the case of military trials.
The remarks came as a seven-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, including Justice Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Musarrat Hilali heard intra-court appeals regarding the trial of civilians in military courts.
Last year, the apex court's constitutional bench granted conditional permission to military courts to announce verdicts in cases involving 85 suspects — allegedly involved in the May 9, 2023, riots.
In its order on the hearing of the appeals against civilians' military trial, the constitutional bench had said judgments of military courts would be conditional to the top court verdict on the cases pending before it.
Subsequently, the military courts sentenced 85 PTI activists for two to 10 years of “rigorous imprisonment” for their involvement in the May 9 protests, marking the conclusion of trials for those held in military custody over the attacks on army installations and monuments.
Later in January, the military accepted mercy pleas of 19 out of the 67 convicts sentenced in the May 9 riots case on "humanitarian grounds", the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
The top court, in its unanimous verdict by a five-member bench, on October 23 2023 declared civilians' trials in military courts null and void after it admitted the petitions challenging the trial of civilians involved in the May 9 riots.
During today's hearing, Uzair Bhandari, the lawyer representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, presented his arguments.
He argued that stated that even if the Army Act is annulled, the anti-terrorism law remains in place. He added that when multiple legal forums existed, it must be determined where the fundamental rights of the accused could be best ensured. He further argued that Article 245 of the Constitution did not grant judicial powers to the military.
At this, Justice Mandokhail questioned: “Is court martial not a judicial proceeding?” In response, Bhandari said that the court martial is indeed a judicial authority but only for military personnel, not for civilians.
Meanwhile, Justice Amin-ud-Din marked that a category of civilians also fell under the Army Act and questioned how it would be determined which civilians came under its jurisdiction and which did not.
Justice Mandokhail here noted that the Constitution granted the military two types of powers — one for defence and the other for assisting the civil government.
Justice Amin-ud-Din further stated that if the argument based on Article 245 is accepted, then how would the military defend its own institutions? He questioned whether, in the event of an attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ), authorities would have to wait for an Article 245 notification.
At this, Imran’s lawyer responded that if someone is firing bullets, no permission is needed for defence. In case of an attack, all institutions, including the police and military, take action, he added.
“The Supreme Court has already settled this point in the Liaquat Hussain case, ruling that if the military arrests an attacker, they must hand them over to civil authorities. However, the military can assist civil authorities regarding the detainee,” he contended.
Justice Afghan questioned: “If a military officer and a civilian together violate the Official Secrets Act, where will the trial take place?”
Lawyer Bhandari replied that the trial would be conducted in an anti-terrorism court in such a case.
This was the point when Justice Mandokhail remarked: “If we understand the purpose of the making the Army Act, half the issue will be resolved.”
He added that the Constitution clearly stated that it was a law related to the armed forces. He noted that in disciplinary action against a civilian officer, the power to impose punishment had not been granted, whereas military courts had been given this authority.
He further questioned: “If an army officer commits a crime while on leave, where will the trial be held? Is the jurisdiction of military courts very broad or limited?”
He pointed out that in Karachi, the trial of Rangers personnel was conducted in a civil court.
Justice Mandokhail remarked that the Constitution is made by Parliament, and legislation could only be done in accordance with the Constitution. "No law can be made that contradicts the Constitution. Our dilemma is that laws are sacrificed for politics,” he added
The justice noted that lawyer Salman Akram Raja, who was representing a convict, had mentioned a separate forum for court-martial in India.
In response, Justice Mazhar said that in his view, Raja’s stance was different.
Justice Mandokhail, at this, added that the court was not bound by arguments and could make decisions independently based on the Constitution.
He questioned: “If Parliament is attacked, will it establish a separate court for trial?” He said that the executive and judiciary are kept separate under the Constitution, whereas in military trials, the complainant itself is the executive. “Can a complainant be the judge of their own case?” he asked.
Bhandari argued that if the Army Act permits the military trial of civilians, more offences could eventually be added under it.
In response, Justice Amin-ud-Din said: “You are citing Article 245, but that is a completely separate matter.” Meanwhile, Justice Mazhar remarked: “Calling in the military under Article 245 does not mean granting it the authority to run courts.”
Justice Mandokhail asked: “Can we declare the prime minister’s order null and void?” At this, lawyer Bhandari said that the court could do so.
Justice Amin-ud-Din then remarked that no prime minister had never completed five years in office. Justice Hilali rephrased the remark as “there has never been a brave premier who has completed five years.”
Justice Mandokhail, meanwhile, commented that “we have even legitimised military dictators”.
Later, the constitutional bench adjourned the hearing on the case related to the trial of civilians in military courts until tomorrow.
Source:thenews.com.
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1286030-army-act-applies-strictly-to-armed-forces-as-per-constitution-justice-mandokhail
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Six security men among eight injured in Kalat attack
Saleem Shahid
February 25, 2025
QUETTA: Eight people, including six security personnel, were injured in a bomb attack on a truck convoy guarding the copper project in the Mangochar area of Kalat district on Monday.
According to officials, a convoy of 29 trucks, transporting blaster copper from the Saindak project to Karachi, was targeted on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway in Mangochar.
Unknown armed men planted an improvised explosive device in front of the Nadra office on the main highway, and when the convoy, guarded by personnel from the FC, reached the site, a powerful explosion occurred, hitting a security vehicle.
A heavy exchange of gunfire ensued and continued for some time. As a result of the blast, eight security personnel and a truck driver were injured.
“A total of six security personnel and a civilian driver have been injured in the blast,” a senior official of the Kalat administration told Dawn, adding that security personnel transferred the injured to the district hospital in Kalat.
The officials said no Chinese nationals were traveling in the convoy. Following the blast, traffic between Quetta and Kalat on the highway was suspended; however, it was later restored after security clearance.
A senior official of MRDL, the company running the Saindak copper-cum-gold project for over 20 years, confirmed the attack on the project’s convoy, saying two people were injured in the gunfire, including a truck driver who was shifted to Civil Hospital in Quetta.
Quetta-Sibi Highway attack
Another victim of overnight’s exchange of fire between security forces and armed militants, who had blocked the Quetta-Sibi Highway, died on Monday, taking the death toll from the incident to two. Three others were injured.
Farooq Kurd, a resident of Quetta, was among those injured and succumbed to his injuries
on Monday. SSP Kachhi, Muhammad Dilawar Rana, said security has been tightened and traffic, which was restored last night, is continuing as usual.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1894182/six-security-men-among-eight-injured-in-kalat-attack
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Riyadh reaffirms $500m pledge to polio eradication initiative
Amin Ahmed | Ikram Junaidi
February 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia reaffirmed on Monday its $500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) by signing an agreement during the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum.
These funds were initially pledged in April last at the first-ever World Economic Forum Special meeting held in Riyadh. The signing of the agreement will help the GPEI and its partners to reach 370 million children with polio vaccines each year and stop transmission of the virus for good, a press release of GPEI said.
Dr Abdullah al Rabeeah, Supervisor-General of King Salman Relief and Humanitarian Centre, attended the signing ceremony which was joined by Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; Unicef Executive Director, Catherine Russell; Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Dr Sania Nishtar; President of Global Development at the Gates Foundation and Chair of the Polio Oversight Board, Dr Chris Elias; and Pakistan Polio Plus Chair, Rotary International, Aziz Memon.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abdullah al Rabeeah said that the world is on the path to eradicating polio once and for all, and Saudi Arabia is proud to be part of this global initiative. The Saudi contribution will go towards protecting the most vulnerable children of today so that the generations of tomorrow can live free from this preventable disease, he said.
Poliovirus detected in environmental samples taken from Islamabad
As a result of decades of leadership from GPEI partners, generous support from donors and the commitment of affected countries, polio cases have fallen by over 99 per cent since the GPEI was founded in 1988. More than 20 million people are walking today who would otherwise have been paralysed by the virus.
But humanitarian crises from parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan to Somalia and Yemen have allowed the virus to continue paralysing the world’s most vulnerable children. In 2024, the virus returned to Gaza in the occupied Palestinian territory after 25 years to paralyse a child, a cruel reminder that as long as polio exists anywhere, children everywhere will remain at risk.
“We have come so far in our shared mission to consign polio to history, but the last mile is the hardest,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Finishing the job requires unwavering determination, and this generous contribution from Saudi Arabia will help us reach children in conflict-affected and other difficult-to-reach areas as we work together to realise the vision of a polio-free world,” he said.
Poliovirus found in Islamabad
In a related development, samples collected from only four, out of 15 districts, were found negative for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). Federal capital’s one, out of five sites, was found positive.
The districts found negative include Shaheed Benazirabad, Khyber, Peshawar and Multan.
The districts found positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) include Pishin, Chaman, Quetta, Islamabad, Ghotki, Hyderabad, Kambar, Karachi, Larkana, and Sukkur.
According to an official of the lab, environmental (sewage) samples were collected from 15 districts and these were tested at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Islamabad has five environmental sample collection sites of which one (Jhangi Sayedan) tested positive in January while other four (Kirpa, NIH Colony, Sabzi Mandi and Sewerage Plant I-9) were found negative. However, for February one site (Sabzi Mandi) has been tested positive, he said.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1894191/riyadh-reaffirms-500m-pledge-to-polio-eradication-initiative
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Actions of SC regular bench in contempt case challenged
Malik Asad
February 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Monday alleged that an SC bench, headed by senior puisne judge Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, ‘overreached the jurisdiction’ in contempt matter, undermining the Supreme Court’s (Practice and Procedure Act) committee and thus disrupting the handling of constitutional cases.
In an intra-court appeal filed under Section 19 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003, the federal government challenged the jurisdiction and actions of the bench, headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, in a case involving constitutional interpretation and contempt proceedings.
The appeal arises from an SC order in the contempt proceedings where the court discharged a show-cause notice issued against Additional Registrar (Judicial) Nazar Abbas.
The law secretary, representing the federation, expressed dissatisfaction over the court decision, arguing that the order overreached the court’s contempt jurisdiction under Article 204.
The federation raised several critical legal questions in its appeal. It questioned “whether the court exceeded its jurisdiction by addressing issues beyond the scope of the contempt proceedings, particularly in relation to the powers of committees constituted under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, and Article 191A(4) of the Constitution?
“Whether a regular bench of the Supreme Court can assume the jurisdiction of a constitutional bench, especially in light of the Constitution (26th Amendment) Act, 2024, which limits the regular bench’s authority to examine constitutional amendments?
“Whether the court indirectly reviewed the constitutionality of the 26th Amendment while determining its jurisdiction to hear the case, a move the federation argues is impermissible under Article 175 of the Constitution.”
On Jan 13, the case was initially heard by a three-member bench, where objections were raised regarding the bench’s jurisdiction to hear constitutional challenges.
The matter was first adjourned to Jan 27. However, one of the judges recused himself from hearing the matter after which the case was rescheduled to Jan 20. The bench declared the matter “part heard” and specified the composition of the bench for the next hearing.
Meanwhile, a committee meeting held under the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, decided that the case should be referred to a constitutional bench as per Article 191A (4).
However, the bench, headed by Justice Shah, questioned the additional registrar (judicial) about the fixing of the case, leading to contempt proceedings against him.
On Jan 27, the court discharged the show-cause notice in the contempt proceedings, prompting the federation to file the current appeal.
The federation in its appeal argued that the court’s order undermined the authority of the committees established under the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, and Article 191A (4). It contended that the court actions not only rendered these committees redundant but also disrupted the mechanism for handling constitutional cases. The federation requested the Supreme Court to set aside the impugned order of Jan 27.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1894183/actions-of-sc-regular-bench-in-contempt-case-challenged
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Lawyers, journalists call on govt to repeal Peca tweaks
Nasir Iqbal | Ishaq Tanoli
February 25, 2025
• Say amendments violate Article 19, demand end to censorship in digital spaces
• SHC wants challenges to cybercrime law changes heard by Constitutional Bench
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: As the Sindh High Court observed that petitions challenging recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) should be heard and decided by the court’s Constitutional Bench, a consultative meeting of lawyers and journalists called on the federal government to immediately repeal the recent changes to cybercrime laws.
Convened by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Monday, the consultative gathering also demanded an immediate end to restrictions on independent journalism.
After detailed discussions, a unanimous resolution adopted by the journalists and lawyers present emphasised that freedom of expression was the cornerstone of democracy and it must be safeguarded against all forms of coercion.
The consultative meeting also condemned and disapproved Peca (Amendment) Act, 2025, being defective legislation, considering it a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression.
The consultation noted that Peca (Amendment) Act, 2025, infringed upon the rights of media personnel as protected under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) adopted by the United Nations, to which Pakistan is a signatory.
It was also seen as being in contravention of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution and violate the principles of natural justice, including due process and the right to a fair trial under Articles 4, 9, and 10-A of the Constitution.
The meeting found the definition of certain clauses ambiguous and not expressly defined by the legislature. Words and phrases such as ‘false’ and ‘fake’, the meeting noted, lack clear definitions. Similarly, the term ‘any person/individual’ has a broad interpretation and it should be limited to the aggrieved person or victim.
Additionally, the definition of the place of occurrence is unclear which could lead to registration of numerous FIRs on different places against single occurrence. Furthermore, tribunals should be entirely free from executive influence.
The meeting also acknowledged the media as the fourth pillar of the state and reaffirmed its strong support for independent journalism and the protection of media personnel. It stressed that any attempt to curtail media freedom threatened democratic values and transparency.
The consultative meeting noted that laws governing cybercrime and media regulation must be in line with constitutional protections and democratic norms and international covenants to which Pakistan is a signatory.
The meeting expressed its concern over increasing censorship in digital spaces, including social media crackdowns and content regulation policies that limit free speech, deformation laws and civil rights.
From SCBA, the meeting was attended by its President Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta, Senior Vice President, Muhammad Ishaq Notezai, Vice President of Balochistan, Muhammad Aurangzeb Khan, Acting Secretary, Chaudhry Tanveer Akhtar, Finance Secretary, Mr Muneer Ahmed Malik, Ms Ayesha Malik, Mr. Hamood Ur Rehman Awan, Mr Khalil Panezai Member of Balochistan Bar Council and Mr Hafiz Ahsan Khokhar.
From the media side, the meeting was attended by Munizae Jehangir, Arshad Ansari, Afzal Butt, Zahid Hassan, Hamid Mir, Mazhar Abbas, Arifa Noor and others.
SHC observation
Meanwhile, when a two-judge bench of SHC headed by acting Chief Justice Mohammad Junaid Ghaffar took up petitions challenging recent amendments to Peca on Monday, the bench observed that the petitions came under the domain of the constitutional benches of SHC.
The respondents have now sought more time to file comments on two identical petitions filed by various journalists and vloggers, asking the court set aside the impugned amendment for being ultra vires of the Constitution.
The petitioners asserted that the impugned amendments were an attack on freedom of speech and expression as well as freedom of press and the same was enacted in violation Article 19 of the Constitution.
The counsel for petitioners asserted that a regular bench of SHC can hear such matters as in December, the court had passed an order ruling that its constitutional benches did not have the same powers and jurisdictions as enjoyed by its parent constitutional high court or regular benches.
However, the bench noted that the order in question was not applicable in these matters and the same were to be heard and decided by a constitutional bench.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1894193/lawyers-journalists-call-on-govt-to-repeal-peca-tweaks
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Mohmand hydel project to start generation in two years
February 25, 2025
LAHORE: The 800MW Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project will start cheap and green/clean power generation by 2027, as the project, following diversion of River Swat in August last year, is progressing ahead at a good pace with the construction work on all key sites.
The government had launched construction work on the project in 2019. The project is being completed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to provide flood mitigation, irrigation water for thousands of acres of land and hydropower generation. The concrete-faced rockfill dam will have a height of 700 feet. It will impound water for a powerhouse with a capacity of 800MW.
Wapda Chairman retired Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani also visited the project on Monday and reviewed in detail the construction activities on spillway, upstream and downstream coffer dams, diversion tunnels, power house and power intake.
The project director along with consultants and the contractors briefed the chairman about the targets and the achievements on different work fronts. It was briefed that concreting on the spillway is progressing ahead of schedule. Downstream cofferdam has reached the design height, while upstream cofferdam will attain its maximum elevation of 414 meter above sea level in April this year. Excavation for construction of the main dam pit and side slopes stripping is also in progress. Excavation works for construction of the power tunnel, penstocks and manifold/shaft access tunnels are also underway. Likewise, excavation for the irrigation tunnels and rock support works are also going on; while construction work on the left side main canal is also continuing.
Later, the chairman also presided over a progress review meeting at the project office. Detailed deliberations were made during the meeting on various issues including quarry development, large-scale triaxial machine testing, electrical and mechanical design and manufacturing etc.
Addressing the meeting, the chairman underlined the significance of quarry development for construction of the main dam. He urged the contractors to review the plan and deploy additional resources for much-needed quarry development. He also directed the project management, the consultants and the contractors to adhere to the timelines for completion without compromising on the quality.
According to a spokesman, Wapda is constructing Mohmand Dam Project across River Swat in Mohmand district. It is the fifth highest concrete-face-rock-fill dam in the world.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1894173/mohmand-hydel-project-to-start-generation-in-two-years
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PBC rep in JCP resigns over judicial appointment controversy
Nasir Iqbal
February 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Senior representative of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Akhtar Hussain on Monday became the first casualty in the wake of controversies related to the judicial appointments when he resigned from the prestigious slot of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).
“I am unable to continue and hereby resign as being member of JCP,” says a one-page resignation letter addressed to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, who is also JCP chairman.
The resignation has come against the backdrop of recent Lahore High Court and Islamabad High Court bar association elections, which certain factions of the legal fraternity construe as an unequivocal message to the powers that be, the executive, and the judiciary that the impugned 26th Amendment undermines the judiciary’s independence and the rule of law.
In his resignation letter, Akhtar Hussain recalled that the PBC had nominated him as JCP member thrice. He added that he continued to discharge his responsibilities to the best of his abilities, but “on present controversies with regard to judicial appointments, I am unable to continue and, hereby, resign as being member of JCP.”
A copy of the resignation was dispatched to the PBC chairman, who happens to be the Attorney General for Pakistan, so that the PBC makes new nomination as provided under the Constitution.
“Sir I pay regards to all the members of JCP and assure you and all the members that I will continue to make all efforts for development and independence of judicial and democratic institutions,” the letter stated.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the JCP has been summoned for Feb 26 to choose a new member. It is expected that former vice chairman of the PBC and ex-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Mohammad Ahsan Bhoon would replace Mr Hussain.
Mr Hussain had attended a number of JCP meetings to elevate 36 judges to different high courts and seven judges to the Supreme Court under the 26th Amendment.
He told Dawn that he believed the appointments of judges in the superior judiciary should not be based on a majority vote, rather a procedure for such appointments should be developed.
He was of the opinion that the transfer of Justice Sarfraz Dogar from LHC to the IHC under Article 200 could be digested, but his subsequent appointment as acting chief justice of the IHC by ignoring other senior judges was unacceptable.
Mr Hussain had given a dissenting opinion on the issue of judge’s seniority in IHC in addition to the dissension on the issue of appointing Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi from the LHC to the SC. In the previous JCP meeting, no judge could be brought to the SC from the LHC due to lack of a majority vote on the issue of appointing Justice Khan and Justice Najafi.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1894198
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India
Maulana Azad University Jodhpur chairperson, registrar and three others arrested
February 25, 2025
Boranada police station arrested Maulana Azad University chairperson Mohammad Atiq Gauri, retired RAS officer and university registrar Anwar Ali and Nisar Ahmed Khilji on Saturday in connection with alleged 140 bigha land scam in Bujhawad village.
They are accused of transferring 140 bigha land allotted free of cost to Marwar Muslim Education and Welfare Society by the state government to Maulana Azad University through fraudulent means and forged documents.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Nishant Bhardwaj said that on April 9, Kamala Nehru Nagar resident, Abdul Nazim Belim had lodged a case in Boranada police station. Following this,Merti Gate resident Mohammad Atiq Gauri, retired RAS Anwar Ali and Nisar Ahmed Khilji, residents of Nandanvan Scheme in Chauhabo were arrested.
Atiq is the former vice president of Muslim Education Society and currently the chairperson of Maulana Abul Kalam University. Retired RAS officer Anwar Ali is the registrar of the society and Nisar Ahmed Khilji is the former general secretary of the society. The police station officer had filed an FR in this case. When the investigation was handed over to ACP Boranada again, the allegations were found to be true according to his investigation.
Source:muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/maulana-azad-university-jodhpur-chairperson-registrar-and-three-others-arrested/
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Those who got Muslim votes could not stop riots: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar
Feb 24, 2025
BHAGALPUR: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday slammed the opposition RJD-Congress combine, alleging that those in power before him "sought votes of Muslims" but failed to check communal clashes. The JD(U) president made the remark at a function which was attended, among others, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
The function was held in Bhagalpur, which, incidentally, is remembered for the worst-ever communal riots in Bihar that took place in 1989 when close to 1,000 people lost their lives.
"What was the condition when we took over in 2005? Because of bad law and order, people felt scared of stepping out late in the day," Kumar alleged, adding, without naming any party, "even Hindu-Muslim clashes were the order of the day. Those getting Muslim votes did nothing to stop these. Things changed only after we formed a government here."
Incidentally, Kumar has been counting among his key achievements the trial and punishment of those involved in the Bhagalpur riots that took place under Congress rule. It has been a contention of Kumar that the guilty went unpunished during the 15-year-long rule of RJD, which came to power in 1990, as the accused were supporters of the party.
The JD(U) supremo, whose party is a key BJP ally at the Centre, thanked the PM for the assistance received by the state from Union government and praised the latest budget which came up with many announcements for Bihar.
"We have come a long way. The state's budget has increased manifold. I thank the PM for his help and hope his generosity would continue in future. Bihar looks forward to marching ahead under his leadership," Kumar added.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/those-who-got-muslim-votes-could-not-stop-riots-bihar-cm-nitish-kumar/articleshow/118535694.cms
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Muslim-Sikh unity essential for India’s unity and integrity, say community leaders
February 24, 2025
The call for Muslim-Sikh unity resonated at the Combined Movement for Constitutional Rights of the Minorities (CMCRM) Conference 2025, held at the IICC auditorium in Delhi to celebrate the ‘Malerkotla Legacy’ of fraternity. Prominent leaders from both communities voiced their concerns over growing marginalization and emphasized the need for solidarity to uphold constitutional rights.
Addressing the gathering, Giani Kewal Singh, former Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, expressed his disillusionment with the state of equality in India. “The Constitution declares all Indians as equals, but in reality, this principle is absent. Even after 75 years of independence, we feel cheated,” he said. Recalling the sacrifices made by Sikhs and Muslims for India’s freedom, he added, “We were martyred during the independence struggle, and today, we continue to fight on the streets for the rights of farmers.”
The need for unity between Sikhs and Muslims was echoed by Sardar Paramjit Singh Sarna, former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
“If we do not come together, both communities will be in danger. The government will attempt to hinder our unity, but for the sake of national integrity, we must join hands,” he asserted.
Renowned former hockey player Aslam Sher Khan emphasized the historical strength of Muslim-Sikh collaboration. “If there is any true power in India, it lies within the Sikh and Muslim communities. History is proof of our contributions. Whenever we stood together, we defeated even the strongest adversaries. In sports, too, our unity shone—when we joined hands, we defeated all teams including Pakistan and won the 1975 Hockey World Cup,” he said.
He further pointed out that history took a decisive turn after the demolition of Babri Masjid, leading to difficult times for both communities. “If we can successfully revive the ‘Malerkotla Spirit,’ we will find a way forward. No force can stand against us if we unite,” he added.
Paramjeet Singh Gazi, chief editor Sikh Siyasat, highlighted the shift in India’s political scenario post-2014. “A new form of statecraft has emerged that does not seek our consent; it simply imposes decisions like the CAA and Farmers’ Bills. We must recognize the current political reality and identify our true allies among the oppressed, linguistic and religious minorities, and marginalized castes,” he said.
Recalling the trauma of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Bibi Ranjeet Kaur, a member of the Delhi Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, shared her personal experience. “I was a college student when the violence erupted. Soon after, when a particular party won a landslide victory, I realized how isolated we were as a community,” she said. Expressing her commitment to the cause of Sikh-Muslim unity, she added, “We will always stand for this cause.”
The historical Malerkotla incident was recounted by Maulana Parry Hassan Afzal Firdosi, Mirwaiz of North Kashmir. He recalled how the Nawab of Malerkotla, Sher Mohammad Khan, put his life at risk to protest the execution of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons. “Though the boys could not be saved, Guru Gobind Singh was so moved that he gifted a Kirpan to Nawab Sher Mohammad as a sign of gratitude. This act ensured that, even during the Partition violence of 1947, Malerkotla remained peaceful,” he explained.
Maulana Firdosi stressed the necessity of reviving this legacy and expanding it nationwide. “Unity is not a choice but a necessity,” he said.
Prampal Singh Sabra, Convener of the Alliance of Sikh Organizations, emphasized the deep-rooted ideological bond between the two communities. He spoke about the relationship between Bhai Mardana and Guru Nanak.
“Bhai Mardana was not only Guru Nanak’s disciple but like his brother, having spent 15 years together. At the time of his death, Guru Nanak cut half of his Dastar and presented it to Bhai Mardana.. This is the bond between us,” he said. Urging for unity, he added, “I beg you with folded hands to come together. Our unity will turn the tide in our favor.”
Advocating for a renewed commitment to Sikh-Muslim solidarity, Sardar Gurjit Singh Ghuman pointed out that even Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan alone made a historic impact. “Today, we are 224 million strong. We must unite—not just for ourselves, but for the country. We sacrificed our lives for this land, yet conspirators brand us as traitors,” he said.
M.W. Ansari, former Director General of Chhattisgarh Police, urged for deeper cooperation beyond political unity. “We must work on cultural, intellectual, and academic integration. We should focus on areas of cooperation and ignore discord,” he advised.
In his presidential address, Maulana Obaidullah Khan Azmi, Vice President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, reminded the audience of their shared history. “We were one nation before the white invaders divided us. They ruled us by divide-and-rule, and today, their ‘black successors’ have continued this policy. But we must fight with greater strength than we did against their white masters,” he declared.
The conference also saw addresses from Dr. Naseer Akhtar of Sikh Muslim Sanjan, Dr. Bhupender Kaur of United Sikh (Hyderabad), Ajaypal Singh Brar, President of Satluj Misl, Chandigarh, and Adv. Manoj Singh Duhan, among others.
The event concluded with a strong reaffirmation of the commitment to Sikh-Muslim unity, a revival of the Malerkotla Legacy, and a call for collective action against divisive forces threatening India’s secular fabric.
Source:muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://muslimmirror.com/muslim-sikh-unity-essential-for-indias-unity-and-integrity-say-community-leaders/
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‘Halal certification is consumer right, not just for exports’: Trust tells Supreme Court in UP ban fight
by Ananthakrishnan G
New Delhi | Updated: February 25, 2025 The halal certification process “is part of every Indian consumer’s right to be informed in relation to edible products or the other products which he or she is using in his or her day-to-day life” and “cannot be confined to merely non-veg food items and only for export purposes”, the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Halal Trust told the Supreme Court.
The Trust, which filed a rejoinder affidavit in response to the counter affidavit by the Centre in the matter related to the ban on halal-certified products in Uttar Pradesh, termed the submissions made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta “completely incorrect and scandalous”.
During the last hearing on January 20, 2025, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the court, “So far as Halal meat etc. is concerned, nobody can have any objection. But your Lordships would be shocked, as I was shocked yesterday, even cement used is to be halal-certified. Sariyas (iron bars) have to be halal-certified… Water bottles which we get are required to be halal-certified…” “Even atta (wheat flour), besan (chickpea flour) have to be halal-certified… How can besan be halal or non-halal?” the senior law officer said, adding that halal certification agencies have made “few lakh crores” through such certification.
Mehta also submitted that halal certification is driving up prices and said the court may have to consider the question why those who do not subscribe to halal should be forced to consume the higher-priced items only because some want it.
Referring to this, the Trust in its affidavit dated February 22, 2025, said that the SG’s submissions were “widely reported… to malign and target the petitioners to allege that the process of halal certification is being misused. Many media organisations set up debates on this issue to vilify and denigrate the entire process. The… submissions became fodder for creating a narrative against the very concept of halal and its certification process.”
Terming the submissions “completely incorrect, vexatious and scandalous”, the Trust contended that they “are without any basis, inconsistent with the record and the pleadings sworn on oath by public officials” submitted before the court.
It urged the court to direct the Central government for disclosure of the fact as to “which officer instructed the SG to make such statement before the court as these statements have caused serious prejudice to the concept of halal, which is considered to be one of the basic requirements of behaviour and lifestyle of a very large community of our country”.
The Trust said “it is a serious issue of religious belief and practice of a large section (of) Indian citizenry and the same is protected under Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India”. “The state, whether it is Central government or State government, cannot take away this liberty of an individual as to what material somebody is eating…,” the affidavit said.
The affidavit said the “respondents, including the Central government, has sought to selectively target only the halal certifications” while “certifications like kosher are still prevalent and are being sold in different parts of the country, including in UP, even on products like apple cider (vinegar) etc”.
The affidavit said halal certification is also related to international trade and commerce. “A large number of manufacturing companies need this certification to be able to export their goods as per the requirements of the importing countries.”
The Trust said “halal certification, mostly, if not all, is consumer driven”. “It is a business decision of manufacturing companies to opt for such certifications because the consumers… want such certifications. Those products could be like besan, atta etc where, considering the market forces, the manufacturing companies… require such certifications, and accordingly, the agencies, at their request, issue such certificates. The petitioner neither suggests nor compels any manufacturing companies… to have halal certifications”.
The Trust said it “has not issued any halal certification to iron bars or cement”, but added that “there are few, predominantly, steel and cement manufacturing companies, which produce certain materials to be used in preserving edible materials like tin plates/food cans (for packaging food products), and are interested in doing their export for their material benefit… The importing establishments from outside India place conditions on exporting companies that the said materials… be halal-certified… At the request of exporting companies… the petitioners would check the manufacturing process and components used in manufacturing.”
Source:indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/incorrect-scandalous-trust-tell-sc-objects-to-sg-submission-on-halal-certification-9854581/
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Muslims want waqf reforms too. It’s not an issue for political acrimony
TARIQ MANSOOR
25 February, 2025
When the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 was first tabled in the Lok Sabha on 8 August last year, it triggered fears within the Muslim community, as it was perceived to have been introduced without adequate consultation with stakeholders. After all, the issue of waqfs— Muslim institutions through which property is bequeathed for religious or charitable purposes—is sensitive because it involves socio-religious spaces such as qabristans, masjids, idgahs, and madrasas.
As such, the government and Parliament were exhorted to adopt procedures that allayed rather than stoked the fears of Muslims. In this backdrop, the decision to refer the bill to a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament was welcome. The 31-member committee, drawn from across party lines, received 97,27,772 memoranda overall. There were representations from various ministries and departments—including Minority Affairs, Law and Justice, Railways, Housing and Urban Affairs, Road Transport, and Culture (Archaeological Survey of India)—as well as state waqf boards and experts, ensuring a diversity of opinions.
However, the acrimonious divisions between government and Opposition benches during the 13 February tabling of the parliamentary committee report are disconcerting. They imperil the opportunity for an objective and informed debate on a national issue, the significance of which transcends any single community.
Broadly speaking, there are two divergent viewpoints on waqf reforms. On one hand, the government views the reforms as essential for improving the administration and management of waqf properties in India. Its proposed measures include updating the definition of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. On the other hand, the Opposition alleges that these proposed changes could undermine the cultural and religious rights of the Muslim minority.
As we expect Parliament to take up the report in the near future, I analyse some of the contentious issues surrounding the waqf reforms.
Calls from within the community
It is not entirely correct to state that waqf reforms are being externally foisted. Rather, to a large extent, the demand for waqf reforms has emerged from within the Muslim community also.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs received numerous complaints from Muslims on the maladministration of waqf properties, which manifested in voluminous litigations. The ministry’s analysis of grievances received from April 2023 found that 148 complaints pertained mostly to encroachments, illegal sales of waqf land, delays in surveys and registration, and complaints against waqf boards and mutawallis (property caretakers). Data from the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) from April 2022 to March 2023 further reveals that out of 566 complaints received, 194 related to illegal encroachment and transfer of waqf land, while 93 were against waqf officials and mutawallis.
Moreover, an appraisal of the functioning of waqf tribunals reveals that 40,951 cases are currently pending, of which 9,942 have been filed by Muslims themselves against institutions managing waqfs. In addition, there are inordinate delays in the disposal of cases, and there’s no provision for judicial oversight of tribunal decisions.
Over the years, a number of issues pertaining to mismanagement have come to the fore—delays in registration of waqf properties, waqf boards fetching rents below market value, rampant encroachments on waqf land, denial of inheritance rights of widows, non-completion of surveys by survey commissioners, and slow progress in digitisation of waqf property records. Many such issues have been extensively reported in the media from time to time.
Inclusion, diversity, and community character
The proposed reforms also contemplate representation for underrepresented and deprived Muslim groups, including women and Pasmandas. The idea is to make state waqf boards and the Central Waqf Council more diverse and inclusive. Not only will such a measure lead to sociological diversity and gender balance within these institutions, it could also reshape the political interaction of the Muslims with the BJP.
Further, the proposal to include non-Muslim members who bring technical expertise in waqf administration should not trigger anxiety within the community, provided such representation does not erode the community’s primacy in administration.
Rather, leveraging cross-community expertise and efficient technology in effecting a scientific process to manage waqf properties has the potential to transform waqf institutions into inclusively governed national resources. After all, waqf boards are India’s largest landowners after Defence and Railways, holding approximately 8 lakh acres of land with an estimated value of about Rs 1.2 lakh crore.
The view that waqfs have a ‘public’ character is evidenced by the fact that many Islamic nations—including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Bangladesh, and Turkey—have state-regulated legal frameworks for waqf administration. In fact, some Islamic nations do not have waqf institutions at all.
It is rather unfortunate that acrimonious divisions within the parliamentary committee marred the tabling of the report in Parliament. While a certain degree of politicisation is natural in a parliamentary democracy during any law-making exercise, the underlying values of non-partisan deliberation, consensus-building, and effective communication between ruling and Opposition parties are essential for advancing the national interest. As such, these values must inform the future parliamentary course of action on the waqf reforms.
Source:theprint.in
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://theprint.in/opinion/muslims-want-waqf-reforms-too-its-not-an-issue-for-political-acrimony/2510012/
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Disputed well near Sambhal’s mosque a public property: UP
By Utkarsh Anand
Feb 25, 2025
The Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Supreme Court that the well near the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal is situated on public land and has no connection with the mosque, countering claims made by the mosque management committee.
In a status report submitted before the apex court, the state government stated that the well, locally known as ‘Dharani Varah Koop,’ is outside the mosque boundary and has historically been accessible to all communities. It added that even the mosque is erected on public land.
“Even the disputed religious site is itself situated on public land. The well is a public well and is not situated anywhere inside the mosque/disputed religious site. In fact, there is no access to the subject well from inside the mosque,” the report asserted.
The dispute stems from a claim that the Mughal-era mosque was built after demolishing a historic temple, Harihar Temple.
The dispute had gained momentum after violence erupted during the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24, 2024. Four people lost their lives in clashes that broke out over claims that the mosque was built on the site of a Hindu temple.
On November 29, the Supreme Court restrained the trial court from proceeding with the suit and advised the mosque committee to approach the Allahabad high court. It directed the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure peace and consider resolving the dispute through community mediation under Section 43 of the Mediation Act. The November 29 order also put the survey report under wraps, instructing authorities not to act upon or publicise it until the high court hears the case
The mosque committee later filed an application alleging that local authorities had issued notices describing the well as a temple and allowing Hindu prayers at the site. It contended that the well, situated at the mosque entrance, was used for mosque-related purposes and that opening it for worship could disrupt communal harmony. On January 10, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna restrained the state authorities from acting on the impugned municipal notice, demanding a status report from the administration
In response, the state government formed a three-member committee comprising the SDM Sambhal, Area Officer, Sambhal, and the Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Sambhal, to assess the well’s status.
According to the status report, the committee’s inspection confirmed that the well is outside the mosque’s boundary wall and has been dry since at least 2012. It also noted that, following communal riots in 1978, a police post was built on part of the well, while the remaining portion continued to be used until it was eventually covered.
The government dismissed the mosque panel’s claims, stating that misleading photographs had been annexed to suggest that the well was inside the mosque premises. It also pointed out that there exists another well within the mosque boundary, known as ‘Yagna Koop,’ which remains untouched and is separate from the disputed well.
Additionally, the status report highlighted the state’s broader efforts to conserve and restore historically significant wells in Sambhal district. Of the 19 identified wells, proposals have been submitted to restore 14, with an estimated budget of ₹123.65 lakh. Restoration work on ‘Chaturmukh Koop’ is reportedly in its final stages.
The Uttar Pradesh government has argued that the mosque committee’s plea in the Supreme Court is now infructuous since the Allahabad high court has already stayed the trial court proceedings. The state also reiterated its commitment to maintaining communal harmony in the region.
The Shahi Jama Masjid, located in Sambhal, has been at the centre of communal tensions since a suit filed on November 19, 2024, alleged that it was built over a Hindu temple site. The plaintiffs sought access to the site for worship, prompting the local trial court to order a survey, which was carried out with photography and videography.
The mosque management committee claimed that the survey was conducted ex parte, without prior notice, and alleged undue haste in the proceedings. The Uttar Pradesh government later constituted a three-member committee, led by former Allahabad high court judge Devendra Kumar Arora, to investigate the violence.
The dispute over the Shahi Jama Masjid is part of a growing list of similar litigations across India, where claims over religious sites have been made by Hindu plaintiffs. On December 12, 2024, the top court issued a directive restraining courts across India from entertaining fresh suits or ordering surveys of mosques to determine whether temple structures lie beneath them. These issues are being examined in the context of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which freezes the religious character of places of worship as it stood on August 15, 1947, barring the Ayodhya-Babri dispute which was ongoing at the time.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/disputed-well-near-sambhal-s-mosque-a-public-property-up-101740423313342.html
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Sambhal: As Inzamiya panel wants to whitewash mosque, DM says ASI to take call
February 25, 2025
THE SAMBHAL district administration and the Inzamiya (managing) committee of the Shahi Jama Masjid there are locked in a tussle over the issue of whitewashing and decoration of the mosque before the start of Ramzan month from February 28.
“The issue (temple or mosque) is pending in the Supreme Court and the structure is property protected by the Archaeological Society of India (ASI), which is the only authorised body to give permission or disallow the same. Although I have forwarded the letter given by the committee in this regard to the ASI unit (in Meerut) but in my opinion there is no need of whitewashing and also for the decoration of the structure before the coming festival,” Dr Rajendra Pensiya, District Magistrate, Sambhal, told media persons on Monday.
The DM has made it clear to the committee members that the administration would not allow any activity on the mosque structure until or unless the ASI unit gives the permission in writing.
The committee members have expressed their wish in this regard [to carry out whitewashing work], and we have forwarded the letter to the ASI. The decision will be taken by the ASI and not us,” said the DM.
V S Rawat, Superintending Archaeologist, Meerut, did not respond to phone calls.
However, sources at the Shastri Nagar office of the body in Meerut confirmed that no such letter has been received till Monday evening.
Jafar Ali, chairperson of the Shahi Jama Masjid managing committee, said that whitewashing and decoration was a routine annual exercise before the beginning of the Ramzan month but the “scenario has changed” after the violence that broke out during a court-ordered second survey of the mosque on November 24 last year.
“We have decided to seek prior permission from the local administration before undertaking any such activity there. The whitewashing and decoration of the structure was being done over the past several years and for that we had never sought permission from the authorities concerned. We have informed the local administration about our wish to ensure peace and safety. We are hopeful of getting the permission for it from the Meerut-based ASI unit,” said Ali.
Four people were killed and at least 30, were injured in the violence when the second survey was undertaken here on November 24 last year.
The police have registered a total of 12 FIRs against 150 suspects in connection with the Sambhal violence who were identified through various means and against nearly 2,500 unidentified people after the violence. As many as 80 accused, including four women, were arrested so far for allegedly pelting stones at the police from the rooftops of their houses.
Source:indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/sambhal-as-inzamiya-panel-wants-to-whitewash-mosque-dm-says-asi-to-take-call-9854648/
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This company owned by India's richest Muslim buys shares of Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani's firms for Rs...
Sonali Sharma
Feb 24, 2025
One of India’s wealthiest Muslim families, the Premji family, has made strategic investments in companies linked to two of the country’s most prominent business magnates, Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.
The Premji family, led by Azim Premji—the founder of IT giant Wipro and one of the richest individuals in India—commands an impressive net worth of $12.2 billion, according to Forbes. Through Premji Invest, an internationally renowned investment firm associated with Wipro, the family has acquired stakes in nine different companies, including those operated by the Adani and Ambani groups. This move, finalized last week, underscores Premji Invest’s sharp focus on tapping into India’s dynamic corporate ecosystem and collaborating with the country’s leading billionaires.
Premji Invest has acquired shares in nine different firms, totalling a total value of Rs 446 crore. Open market transactions were used to purchase the shares.
Reliance Industries (under Mukesh Ambani's leadership), Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), and Ambuja Cements (under Gautam Adani's leadership) are the three businesses in which Premji Invest has bought a stake. Shares were acquired by Premji Invest via PI Opportunities AIF V LLP, a subsidiary.
Block trade data indicates that Premji Invest has acquired 5.70 lakh Reliance Industries shares. The investment firm has acquired 5.14 lakh shares of Ambuja Cements and 1.09 lakh shares of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ). Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Infosys, and SBI Life Insurance are few of the six remaining businesses. 5.44 lakh Bharti Airtel shares, 3.28 lakh Infosys shares, 3.33 lakh ICICI Bank shares, 8.13 lakh Hindalco Industries shares, and 84,375 SBI Life Insurance shares were acquired by Premji Invest. Each of the nine companies' shares was purchased for between Rs 477.2 and Rs 1,807.15. All of the trades totalled Rs 446.38 crore in value. Shares of Adani Ports down 2.57% to close at Rs 1,082.95 each on Friday, February 21. Reliance Industries fell 0.43% to close at Rs 1,227.70, Bharti Airtel fell 0.41% to close at Rs 1,638.40, and Infosys sank 0.46% to close at Rs 1,815.15 on the BSE. However, Jindal Steel & Power's shares increased 0.11 percent to close at Rs 879.90 on the exchange, and SBI Life Insurance's shares increased 1.71% to conclude at Rs 1,494.95 each.
Source:dnaindia.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-this-company-owned-by-india-s-richest-muslim-buys-shares-of-mukesh-ambani-gautam-adani-s-firms-for-rs-3135027
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North America
CAIR Asks U.S. Senate to Oppose Anti-Muslim Ambassador Nominees Huckabee, Hoekstra
February 24, 2025
The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations—copied to all Senate offices—urging strong opposition to the nominations of Mike Huckabee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Pete Hoekstra for U.S. Ambassador to Canada.
CAIR’s letter states in part:
“Both Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Hoekstra have well-documented histories of promoting anti-Muslim conspiratorial views, aligning with hate groups, and using inflammatory rhetoric. The disastrous implications of their statements make them unsuitable for these critical diplomatic positions.”
In its letter to Committee Chair Jim Risch (R-ID) and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), CAIR cites both nominees’ records of promoting anti-Muslim conspiracies, aligning with hate groups, and using inflammatory language against Muslim—and, in Huckabee’s case, Palestinian—communities.
The letter highlights Huckabee’s history of anti-Muslim statements and inflammatory rhetoric is deeply troubling:
Anti-Muslim Claims: As governor of Arkansas and later as a Fox News host, Huckabee falsely claimed that Muslims believe “Jesus Christ and all the people who follow him are a bunch of infidels who should be essentially obliterated.” He further referred to Islam as the “antithesis of the gospel of Christ,” even comparing Muslim prayer in churches to showing pornographic films—statements that incite hatred and could justify extreme measures against Muslim communities.
Denial of Palestinian Identity: Huckabee repeatedly denied the existence of Palestinians, stating “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian,” and suggested that any solution for Palestinians lies outside of Israel, such as in Egypt, Syria, or Jordan. These remarks dismiss the legitimate identity and rights of Palestinians and lay the groundwork for policies that could lead to erasure and displacement—echoing genocidal rhetoric.
Refusal to Acknowledge Occupation: Huckabee’s refusal to acknowledge the term “West Bank” and his insistence on using “Judea and Samaria” while denying the occupied status of the territory is not merely semantic. It reflects a deliberate effort to rewrite history and justify Israeli expansionist policies. Huckabee has stated, “There is no ‘occupation.’ It is a land that is ‘occupied’ by the people who have had a rightful deed to the place for 3,500 years,” implying support for Israeli policies that may facilitate the genocidal removal or marginalization of Palestinians.
CAIR’s letter also documents Hoekstra’s affiliations with anti-Muslim groups and history of inflammatory rhetoric:
Ties to Anti-Muslim Organizations: Hoekstra has been closely tied to the Gatestone Institute and the David Horowitz Freedom Center—organizations well known for their promotion of Islamophobic and xenophobic views. His association with these groups undermines his ability to serve impartially and raises concerns about his judgment and suitability for representing the United States.
Inflammatory Statements About Refugees: In various public statements, Hoekstra referred to Muslim refugees as “invaders” and warned that Syrian Muslim migrants could be “the next wave of jihadists in Europe.” This language stokes fear and prejudice, demonizing entire communities and endorsing policies that could lead to their marginalization.
Promotion of Disproven Conspiracy Theories: As U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, Hoekstra infamously claimed there were “Muslim no-go zones” in Europe—an assertion he later retracted under public scrutiny but which demonstrates his willingness to spread unfounded conspiracy theories. He also participated in the 2015 Restoration Weekend organized by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, where sessions featured themes like “Muslim Migration into Europe: Eurabia Come True?”
CAIR argues that these troubling histories disqualify Huckabee and Hoekstra from representing U.S. interests abroad, particularly where building trust and mutual respect is vital for diplomatic success.
In the coming weeks, CAIR will continue to oppose the nominations.
Source:cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-asks-u-s-senate-to-oppose-anti-muslim-ambassador-nominees-huckabee-hoekstra/
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CAIR Community Advisory: Registration Opens for Maryland ‘Muslim Youth Day’ at the Capital #MYDAC2025
February 24, 2025
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that registration is now open for “Muslim Youth Day” March 20 in Annapolis.
CAIR Maryland says the event is designed for Muslim students ages 11-17 and includes a tour of the Maryland State House and legislative buildings, educational activities for students about state government and the political process in Annapolis, and meetings with legislators.
Only a few seats remain! Register soon to reserve your spot. A limited number of parents are welcome to accompany their child as chaperones.
WHAT: 2025 Muslim Youth Day at the Capital (MYDAC)
WHEN: Thursday, March 20, 2025, 12:30 – 2:30 pm
WHERE: Maryland State House, 100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD
COST: Free! (Students must arrange their own transportation)
CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Outreach Coordinator Kimberly Syuardi, ksyuardi@cair.com, 202-850-9293
Maryland Youth Day at the Capitol (MYDAC) aims to:
Introduce Civic Engagement: Educate young American Muslims about the state government and legislative process.
Foster Leadership Skills: Inspire students to become active participants in their communities and future leaders.
Encourage Political Awareness: Provide firsthand experience in advocacy and policymaking.
Connect with Legislators: Offer opportunities to meet and engage with elected officials.
Empower Identity & Representation: Strengthen confidence in participating in civic life as young American Muslims.
“MYDAC empowers young Muslims to see themselves as future leaders by giving them direct access to the political process and the lawmakers who shape their communities” said CAIR Maryland’s Outreach Coordinator, Kimberly Syuardi.
CAIR has been organizing youth leadership programs in states across the country for more than a decade. Participants in these programs have gone on to become respected community leaders, activists, community organizers, and youth leaders.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Source:cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-community-advisory-registration-opens-for-maryland-muslim-youth-day-at-the-capital-mydac2025/
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Trump dominates Liberal leadership debate in Canada
February 25, 2025
Candidates vying to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada faced each other for the first time on Monday in a French-language debate.
The stage was shared by four hopefuls: former governor of the banks of Canada and England Mark Carney, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Liberal government House leader Karina Gould, and businessman and former MP Frank Baylis.
The question of how to deal with Donald Trump dominated the first half, as the US president has repeatedly threatened to tariff Canada and make it the "51st state."
Candidates also answered questions about domestic matters like immigration, healthcare and the high cost of living.
Early in the debate, Freeland - whose resignation as finance minister in December triggered the collapse of Trudeau's leadership - stated that Trump represented "the greatest threat to Canada since World War Two".
She frequently drew on her experience in government, saying that she had successfully faced Trump during his first term when she helped renegotiate North America's longstanding free-trade agreement.
But Freeland warned that Trump's second term might be worse for Canada.
"He wants to turn Canada into the 51st state, and it's no joke," she said. "That is why he is supporting [Russian President] Vladimir Putin's criminal attempt to redraw Ukraine's borders."
"Trump wants to redraw our borders too," Freeland said.
To counter these threats, Freeland and the other candidates suggested strengthening trade ties with the EU and the UK.
Baylis proposed a "new economic bloc" consisting of Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia, noting that all four countries shared the same values, cultures and governing systems.
Carney, who is frontrunner in the polls, focused his message on helping Canada achieve economic prosperity. He proposed doing so by leveraging its resources, including critical minerals and metals, as well as making Canada a "superpower of clean energy" and removing trade barriers between provinces.
He, too, agreed with Freeland that Trump's second term was different from the first.
"He is more isolationist. He is more aggressive," Carney said. "In the past he wanted our markets. Now he wants our country."
He added that he would be in favour of imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs on the US should Trump move ahead with his threat to levy a 25% tax on all Canadian goods starting on 4 March.
Gould, the youngest candidate on the stage, positioned herself as the candidate "for today and the future", with a message that homed in on how a Liberal Party under her leadership would work to make life more affordable for Canadians.
The candidates also addressed shifting US policy on Ukraine. As the four debated, Trudeau was in Kyiv marking three years since the Russia-Ukraine war began.
All four candidates agreed that Canada should continue supporting Ukraine. Freeland suggested that money seized from Russia through sanctions be redistributed to help Ukraine's war effort, while Carney stated that any discussion on Ukraine's future could not happen without the Ukrainians at the table.
Freeland also suggested that Canada should foster closer ties with Denmark which, she noted. was also facing threats from Trump who has signalled his desire to take over Greenland - a Danish territory.
For the second half of the debate, candidates offered up their ideas for how to help Canada reduce its federal budget deficit, tackle crime and increase its military spending.
They were also asked about climate change, with both Freeland and Carney saying they no longer supported a carbon tax on consumers - a key climate policy of the Trudeau government that has become unpopular with Canadians.
At certain points, candidates also took aim at Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, saying he would be unfit to defend Canada against Trump.
Poilievre is currently leading in the national polls, though the gap between him and the Liberal Party has narrowed since Trudeau's resignation. The Conservative leader has since focused his attacks on Carney, arguing that a Liberal Party under his leadership would not be different from that under Trudeau.
Monday's debate is the first of two, with a second, English-language debate slated for Tuesday. Liberal Party members will vote for their next leader on 9 March, after which Trudeau is expected to step down.
The French-language debate is especially important for Francophone Canadians in Quebec, whose votes are influential in helping decide which party will form Canada's next government.
Whoever is elected as leader would become Canada's next prime minister until the next general election, which must be held on or before 20 October.
Source:bbc.com
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Jury chosen for Plainfield Township hate crime murder trial
February 24, 2025
By Felix Sarver
Opening statements are expected to begin Tuesday for the trial of a former Plainfield Township landlord who was charged with the 2023 killing of a 6-year-old boy based on his Islamic beliefs.
A panel of 12 jurors and three alternate jurors were chosen on Monday to decide the fate of Joseph Czuba, 73, who is charged with attempting to kill his tenant, Hanan Shaheen, and killing her child, Wadee Alfayoumi, by stabbing him to death 26 times.
The jurors were picked from a pool of more than 50 candidates. During jury selection, prospective jurors were taken to another room outside public view for a private meeting with attorneys and Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak.
All 12 jurors and two of the three alternate jurors said they had heard of the case, but they did not publicly explain their level of familiarity.
One of the jurors who was chosen told Bertani-Tomczak, “I only read the headline.”
Czuba’s case has attracted international attention after it became known that his alleged motive behind the attack on Wadee and his mother was based on his hatred of Muslims and his anger over the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden had condemned the killing of Wadee and a federal hate crime investigation was launched. As of Monday, there’s been no word from the FBI or U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago on the status of that investigation.
Joseph Milburn, staff attorney for the Chicago branch of the Council on American Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights group in the U.S., spoke to the media outside the courthouse on Monday on behalf of the victims' family.
The trial against Czuba may finish witness testimony by Friday or next Tuesday at the latest.
Czuba was in court wearing a blue tie and a tan-colored suit. His hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he had a slight goatee. He told the prospective jurors, “Good morning,” when asked to do so by his attorney George Lenard.
Bertani-Tomczak ordered the media not to take any photos or videos during the trial.
Lenard raised concerns about prosecutors playing body camera video footage to the jury that shows Wadee’s body. He said showing the video with the child’s body would be disrespectful to his family and anyone in the courtroom could take photos to distribute them worldwide.
Both parties agreed on playing the video on a portable TV that could only be viewed by the jury.
Czuba is facing three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime, two counts of aggravated battery, and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
The murder of Wadee was “accompanied by exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty,” according to the indictment.
The charges were the result of a Will County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the incident that was reported at 11:38 a.m. Oct. 14, 2023, in the 16000 block of South Lincoln Highway in Plainfield Township.
Hanan and Wadee had been living as tenants in Czuba’s house since 2021, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed over the case.
Attorneys for Hanan alleged in the lawsuit she was giving her son a bath when Czuba knocked on the door.
When Hanan opened the door, Czuba “attacked Hanan and a struggle ensued,” and Czuba then stabbed Hanan, the lawsuit alleged.
Czuba then “left the rental space” and Hanan “shut the door” and called 911 but Czuba returned before police could arrive, the lawsuit alleged.
Czuba “broke and/or barged through the door,” and attacked Wadee by stabbing him, the lawsuit alleged.
“Hanan was never able to check on, or see, Wadee because of her critical medical condition and injuries,” the lawsuit alleged.
Czuba’s wife, Mary Czuba, who filed for divorce after the incident, told police her husband listened to conservative talk radio regularly, according to prosecutors.
His ex-wife said Czuba was fearful that Hanan was going to call over her Palestinian friends and family to harm them, prosecutors said. Czuba was concerned about a “National Day of Jihad” occurring the day before the killing of Wadee, prosecutors said.
Source:dailyherald.com
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https://www.dailyherald.com/20250224/crime/chicago-islamic-group-hopes-court-will-make-an-example-of-joseph-czuba-as-murder-trial-gets-underw/
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Macron walks tightrope with Trump as he makes Europe's case on Ukraine
February 25, 2025
Gary O'Donoghue
Relations between Europe and the US are unquestionably in crisis, so merely keeping things together as French President Emmanuel Macron did at the White House on Monday stands as an achievement.
He did that by praising, flattering and gently cajoling the US president as they took questions in the Oval Office and held a joint news conference. This is a playbook that many leaders around the world now see as more productive than outright plain speaking or criticism of Trump.
Macron managed to navigate what could have been a tricky day in Washington without conceding or revealing too much.
He spoke of both countries wanting peace, and while he gently corrected one of Trump's claims on Europe's support for Ukraine, he also agreed that Europe needed to take more responsibility for its own security.
But Macron did make one important concession – that Trump was right to re-establish some kind of relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
That is in sharp contrast to the view up until now in London, Paris and Berlin, which have all pursued a policy of isolating Putin and slapping sanctions on Russian industries and individuals.
"There is good reason for President Trump to re-engage with President Putin," Macron said, adding that the new administration represented "a big change".
Macron held out the prospect of European countries such as France and the UK being willing to play a leading role in ensuring the security of a post-truce Ukraine, possibly in the form of air power and troops stationed away from the frontline.
But at the same time, he stressed the importance of having an American backstop.
Macron, however, did not get a commitment of US back-up from his meeting in the Oval Office. And if he was looking for a scintilla of criticism of the Russian president from Trump, then he did not get that either.
What he did get was, at least to some extent, Europe's voice back at the table and he, along with other European leaders, will take some heart from that.
It is clear however, that the ambitions for re-establishing the kind of close relationship that Europe and the US have had since the end of World War Two are not on anyone's roadmap.
That is why Macron himself has been working on the idea of a more strategically autonomous Europe for some time, toying with ideas of combined European defence forces.
His sense that Europe needs to adapt given the dramatic shift in the US position is shared by Friedrich Merz, who will be Germany's next chancellor.
Merz has already said that he believes the US under Donald Trump is indifferent to Europe's fate, and that the continent needs to be independent of the US in terms of security.
"My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA," Merz said.
But France, the UK and Germany have also got to be cognisant of the fact that not all European powers are so hostile to the US view on Ukraine.
The rise of far-right nationalist parties in Europe, most notably in places like Germany where the AfD came second in Sunday's elections, suggests some European citizens are also sceptical about the continent's continued support for Kyiv.
Later this week, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has been closely co-ordinating with his French counterpart, will come to Washington to reinforce their case on Ukraine.
He, like Macron, believes his country has a special relationship with the US which can open doors and get a fair hearing.
The problem is that Washington in the shape of Donald Trump is on transmit mode at the moment – pushing an agenda that leaves little room for the opinion of others.
And while America has always had the ability to flex its muscles and get its way, Europe for the most part has not been on the receiving end. The fact that has changed is a sign of just how serious this rupture in established alliances has become.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg592557vgo
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Secret Service agent who leapt onto JFK's car during assassination dies at 93
February 25, 2025
A US Secret Service agent who leapt on to John F Kennedy's limousine as it came under fire in Dallas, and was pictured in famous photos of one of the most dramatic events in US history, has died at the age of 93.
Clint Hill later became a bestselling author, but was haunted for decades by guilt over Kennedy's assassination.
Hill died at his home on California on Friday, according to a statement from his publicist.
On 22 November 1963, he was assigned to protect the president's wife, Jacqueline Kennedy.
Hill was riding on a car behind the Kennedy limousine when the first shot rang out.
He immediately rushed towards the couple and started to climb on to the back of the limousine as the shooting continued.
Hill's actions during the assassination were captured on the Zapruder film – an amateur home video that provided one of the best recordings of the shooting.
Hill, originally from North Dakota, served in the Army prior to joining the Secret Service in 1958.
He was given an award for his actions in Dallas and eventually rose to become assistant director of the Secret Service.
However the trauma he experienced during the assassination led him to retire early from the agency in 1975, at the age of 43.
He had become convinced that he could have saved Kennedy's life and shortly after his retirement told CBS 60 Minutes that he felt responsible.
"If I had reacted about five-tenths of a second faster, maybe a second faster, I wouldn't be here today," Hill said.
"You mean you would have gotten there and you would have taken the shot?" asked interviewer Mike Wallace.
"Yes, sir... That would have been fine with me," Hill responded.
"I have a great deal of guilt about that," he said. "Had I turned in a different direction, I'd have made it. It's my fault."
As the years went by, the former Secret Service agent later told a documentary, he returned to Dallas, eventually coming to the conclusion he could not have saved Kennedy's life.
Hill met journalist Lisa McCubbin in 2009 and collaborated on a bestselling memoir, Mrs Kennedy and Me.
It was the first of a series of books and Hill and McCubbin fell in love. The couple married in 2021.
A statement from his publisher said that Hill had died at home with his wife at his side. A cause of death was not given.
Source:bbc.com
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Judge declines to immediately restore AP access to White House
February 25, 2025
A US judge has declined a request by the Associated Press to immediately restore its access to presidential events after the Trump administration blocked the agency in a dispute over the term "Gulf of America".
US District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, declined to grant the news outlet's emergency motion, but set another hearing for the case for 20 March.
The news agency has refused to change its style from the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America", after President Donald Trump renamed it with an executive order.
The AP argues the ban is retaliatory and infringes on First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and the press.
The ban has meant that the AP - which hundreds of news outlets rely on - has been unable to access press events at the White House as well as Air Force One.
Last week, the US President said that he planned to "keep them out" until they begin using the term "Gulf of America".
After the ruling on Monday, the White House said it stood by its decision to block access to the news agency.
"As we have said from the beginning, asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right," the Trump administration said in a statement.
"We stand by our decision to hold the Fake News accountable for their lies, and President Trump will continue to grant an unprecedented level of access to the press."
Shortly after the judge's decision became public, the White House put up two large electric signs in the briefing room which say "Victory" and "Gulf of America".
The AP, meanwhile, said in a statement that it was looking forward to the next hearing where "we will continue to stand for the right of the press and the public to speak freely without government retaliation. This is a fundamental American freedom".
Soon after taking office in January, the Trump administration signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America", a move the White House said reflects the gulf's status as "an indelible part of America".
The AP said it would continue to use the term Gulf of Mexico, while acknowledging the Trump administration's efforts to rename it.
In response, the administration began clamping down on the AP's access to White House events covered by the "pool" of journalists that cover smaller events and report back to other media outlets.
On Monday, Judge McFadden said he declined to deny the request from the AP for emergency relief because he did not believe the publication was suffering "irreparable harm" from the ban, according to CNN. The judge said the AP could access the same information from notes that other White House pool members had gathered.
Still, during several points in the hearing, he called the ban "discriminatory" and problematic", CNN reported.
AP reporters still have access to the White House grounds.
The AP lawsuit specifically names three administration figures - Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich -as it seeks to regain access.
"The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government," the AP said in the lawsuit.
On a trip with the White House pool to Florida last week, the BBC witnessed an AP reporter and one of its photographers be told by an official that they were a "no go" for the trip after clearing security at Joint Base Andrews a short while before Air Force One was due to depart.
Over the course of the next several days, the AP team - which had travelled to Florida unilaterally - was repeatedly prevented from joining the pool of reporters covering Trump at his estate in Mar-a-Lago, as well as a trip to the Daytona 500 Nascar race.
Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago on 18 February, Trump said that "we're going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it's the Gulf of America".
"We're very proud of this country," he said. "We want it to be the Gulf of America".
Last week, dozens of news organisations - including conservative outlets such as Fox and NewsMax - signed a letter organised by the White House Correspondents' Association in which they urged the White House to reconsider its stance on the AP.
Source:bbc.com
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Africa
Why Nigeria joined Organisation of Islamic Countries during my regime – Babangida
Godsgift Onyedinefu
February 24, 2025
Ibrahim Babangida, former military president has revealed that Nigeria’s involvement with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) during his administration was a strategic move to enhance the country’s international influence.
This disclosure was made in his newly launched autobiography, A Journey in Service, which was unveiled in Abuja Thursday. Babangida clarified that it was never his intention for Nigeria to become a full member of the OIC.
Babangida explained that this decision which was highly controversial and sparked significant public outrage in 1986 came at a time when his government was trying to restore ties with Isreal after the OAU unanimously decided to break diplomatic relations with Israel. He said
there remained substantial Israeli business interests in Nigeria.
“As part of our strategy of being present at every forum that would enhance our international leverage, we sent an observer delegation to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). This was miscommunicated to the public as an indication that Nigeria, under my watch, had become a full member of the OIC. As it were, I had unilaterally and clandestinely smuggled Nigeria into full membership of the OIC, thus confirming the speculation that I probably had a northern Islamic agenda”, he said.
He further explained that the observer delegation was also intended to consolidate the pioneering role of some of Nigeria’s founding fathers, like Sir Ahmadu Bello, in founding the body.
Babangida admitted that the controversy surrounding Nigeria’s OIC affiliation was one of the most challenging crises his administration faced, nearly setting the nation ablaze.
To navigate the controversy, he said his administration opted to carefully side-step it and allowed it to die a natural death.
Babangida further disclosed that the “lethal rumour traffic” unfotunately cost some very senior administration officials their high positions.
“The government could not sit idly by as mischief makers eroded national unity and interfaith understanding”, he said.
He further said it taught him a lesson about the sensitivity of religion in the nation’s polity, and subsequently, guided the government in balancing participation in government affairs between the two dominant faiths.
The former military president added that it even led to establishing an interfaith agency of representatives of both religions to enhance mutual trust and understanding.
“That ensured we never again witnessed any other major national misunderstanding
based on faith”, he added.
Source:businessday.ng
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Embrace Devotion, Reflection During Ramadan, Hamzat Urges Muslims
By Oluseyi Taiwo-Oguntuase
Feb 24, 2025
Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State Deputy Governor has advised Muslim faithfuls in the country to use Ramadan as a period of devotion and contemplation, to rededicate themselves to the doing and promotion of the will of Allah.
He gave the advice while speaking as a keynote speaker at the 30th University of Lagos Muslim Alumni Pre-Ramadan Lecture, with the theme; ‘Transformative Power of Ramadan’ held at the J. F Ade Ajayi Auditorium, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba.
According to him, “Wherever we are, whatever our status is, we must promote the will of Allah. Our personal resolve to create impact individually will create such outstanding changes that will enable humanity to prosper.
He said that Muslims must promote the will of Allah and must be able to replicate the heaven Allah envisions for them, describing the month of Ramadan as sacred for Muslims, stressing that Muslims should extend the impact of Ramadan beyond the one-month fasting period.
Speaking further, he charged Muslim Clerics to domesticate their preaching in line with our societal values, norms, and morals to build a better nation, stressing that Allah’s intention for creating mankind is for man to worship and serve Him alone.
While highlighting some challenges facing humanity in the present day with the invention of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Hamzat noted that the world has arrived at the most challenging part of human existence, as some of the issues are of social and economic significance as well as orientations and perceptions that impinge on humanity.
“We clearly must address them quickly too. The tide of individualism, as a way of life, must be confronted and fast. The ebbing of the societal moral compass needs to be arrested. If we fail the consequences are just too high to contemplate,” he said.
Professor Moshood Baderin, in his lecture, with the theme ‘Islam and the Interception of Humanity and Religion,’ noted that Islam advocates for a well-structured and just society where citizens have access to the fundamental necessities of life.
He emphasized that Islam harmonizes humanity and faith, encouraging good deeds, support for the less privileged, and positively impacting people’s lives, stressing that combining faith with service to humanity is crucial, not only during Ramadan but also beyond.
He further noted that Ramadan possesses transformative powers that strike a balance between one’s faith and service to humanity, fostering personal growth and positive change. “Ramadan serves as a transformative power which reflects on our faith and our service to humanity Ramadan pushes us to do the goodness in us,” the lecturer said.
Dr. Abdulmumin Alao, President, University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) earlier in his welcome address, said that the 30th Pre-Ramadan Lecture highlighted the immense benefits embedded in the holy month of Ramadan and how Muslims can find the right balance between the demands of their faith, and the rights of their neighbors which sometimes might be in conflict.
The President stated that the annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture is an avenue to enlighten Islamic Faithfuls more on their roles and responsibilities during the month of Ramadan and beyond.
“As an association of intellectuals, UMA decided to focus on this specific area of need when we noticed the huge shortage of Muslim manpower in the sector,” he said.
Professor Folashade Ogunmola, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos, who was represented by Professor Bola Oboh, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics and Research, University of Lagos, said that the purpose of fasting during Ramadan is not only to be able to reflect and have a closer working relationship with God, but also to be able to bring the Muslim faithful to the spiritual level that will impact even on people’s daily assignments and on the nation as a whole.
“This is the 30th lecture and we are talking of transformative power. We are hoping that these transformative powers will really reflect in our nation as a whole. Nigeria is at a critical point, whether we like it or not, and I hope we will be able to reflect it in building this nation, Nigeria, into a prosperous nation for everyone, young and old, rich and poor.”
Source:independent.ng
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https://independent.ng/embrace-devotion-reflection-during-ramadan-hamzat-urges-muslims/
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TAJBank wins Islamic bank award
25th February 2025
By Oluwakemi Abimbola
Nigeria’s non-interest banking services provider, TAJBank Limited, has won an award at the just-concluded IFN Awards in Dubai, a recognition as the country’s most innovative and value-driven non-interest lender.
According to a statement on Monday, the ‘Best Islamic Bank in Nigeria’ award was won by TAJBank through a global survey/poll conducted by the Islamic Finance News Awards.
The IFN Award honours the best in the Islamic financial industry and is one of the most prestigious awards highly recognised by the global Islamic capital markets.
Speaking at the conferment of the Best Islamic Bank Award on TAJBank in Dubai, the bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Hamid Joda, attributed the global recognition to “our board, management, and staff’s commitment to best industry standards in products and services packaging and delivery to our highly cherished and growing customers.”
“We want to thank IFN for the very credible poll that indicated that TAJBank is leading the non-interest banking segment of Nigeria and also assure our growing customers that, as our mantra says, TAJBank’s only interest is the customers,” Joda added.
In his comments, the bank’s co-founder/executive director, Sherif Idi, described the award “as a testament to our relentless efforts to ensure that TAJBank is the preferred choice for customers that are looking for the best in service standards powered by well-groomed professionals and world-class technological assets.”
TAJBank has received several international recognitions in recent years, including Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard certification in 2022 and three International Standards Organisation (ISO) certifications by the Certification Partner Global, namely ISO 27001, ISO 22301, and ISO 20000 on Information Security, Business Continuity, and IT Service Management Systems.
At the domestic level, the bank has also won several awards, including the Leadership newspaper’s ‘Banker of The Year Award 2020,’ BusinessDay newspaper’s ‘Islamic Bank of the Year Award’ for three consecutive years, and several others in recognition of its world-class innovative products and services delivery.
Source:punchng.com
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Sokoto gov unveils N285m Ramadan package for religious leaders
24th February 2025
By Animashaun Salman
The Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, has unveiled a total financial package of N285 million, including the distribution of maize and financial assistance to Jum’at Imams, their Na’ibs, Mu’adhins, Islamic scholars, and various religious organizations across the state.
Aliyu unveiled the Ramadan package at the Government House on Monday.
According to the governor, this initiative aims to ease the challenges faced by religious leaders during the sacred period and demonstrate the government’s unwavering support for the Ulamas, who play a crucial role in guiding the community according to Islamic teachings.
He said, “Each Jum’at Imam will receive five bags of maize and financial assistance of N100,000. Na’ibs will be allocated three bags of maize and N50,000, while Mu’adhins will receive two bags of maize and N50,000.
“This support is intended to help them and their families focus on their religious responsibilities during Ramadan.
“Additionally, the government has extended financial assistance to 300 senior Islamic scholars, each receiving N200,000, while another 100 scholars will be given N100,000 each.”
The governor emphasised that this gesture is a token of appreciation for their invaluable spiritual contributions to the people of Sokoto state.
“To further strengthen grassroots Islamic activities, 10 Malaman Zaure from each ward of the 23 local government areas have been selected to receive N50,000 each. This support is designed to empower them in fulfilling their religious obligations,” he added.
Aliyu also announced that 150 Islamic organizations will receive cash assistance of N300,000 each.
In a further effort to improve worship conditions, the state government has commissioned three remodelled and reconstructed Jumu’at Mosques, with ongoing work on over 30 others.
The governor reiterated that these initiatives align with his administration’s 9-point smart innovative agenda, which prioritises the welfare of the people, the development of religious institutions, and the promotion of peace and prosperity in the state. He assured residents of his commitment to the growth of Islam in Sokoto State and called for continuous support and prayers from religious leaders and the community to overcome security challenges in the state and the nation at large.
The governor, however, prays for a peaceful and blessed Ramadan, urging the people of Sokoto to uphold unity, righteousness, and justice in all their endeavours.
Source:punchng.com
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https://punchng.com/sokoto-gov-unveils-n285m-ramadan-package-for-religious-leaders/
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Obaseki Consoles Okpekpe Community Over Herdsmen Attack, Calls For Justice
24 February 2025
By Justina Otio
Former Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has commiserated with the people of Okpekpe, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, over the mindless attack on their community by suspected herdsmen.
Naija News understands that the dire incident led to the gruesome murder of Batemue Philip Ebo and Christopher Bello.
Speaking via a statement by his Media Adviser, Crusoe Osagie, the erstwhile governor prayed for divine comfort for the deceased families and communities.
Obaseki described the incident as heartbreaking and unfortunate, urging relevant authorities to intensify efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice and guarantee peace and security in the State.
The statement reads, “His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the former governor of Edo State, has commiserated with the people of Okpekpe, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, over the mindless attack on their community by suspected herdsmen, leading to the gruesome murder of Batemue Philip Ebo and Christopher Bello.
“Obaseki said, I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate and mindless attack on Okpekpe Community, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State by suspected herdsmen, leading to the gruesome killing of two innocent citizens, Batemue Philip Ebo and Christopher Bello.
“My hearts and prayers are with the people of Okpekpe Community and families of the deceased at this very difficult time.
“Such mindless attacks are tragedies we pray never to witness in our communities. We urge all state actors responsible for security in the State to respond swiftly to put an end to this mayhem, and ensure that those responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/02/24/obaseki-consoles-okpekpe-community-over-herdsmen-attack-calls-for-justice/
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Egypt dismisses rival authority in Sudan, supports military rule
24 February 2025
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held discussions with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef El-Sherif in Cairo on Sunday.
Following their meeting, they addressed the recent developments involving Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies, who signed a charter on Sunday to form a parallel government.
This comes as Sudan's army has made significant progress against rival factions. Ali Youssef El-Sherif emphasized, "No one will recognize the so-called parallel government to the Sudanese government."
He further stated that Sudan does not accept any foreign recognition of this parallel government.
The RSF's signing ceremony took place in Nairobi, Kenya, behind closed doors, following a controversial meeting last week that drew criticism from Khartoum's Foreign Ministry.
The signatories claimed they aim to create a government focused on “peace and unity,” despite widespread concerns from human rights organizations and the international community regarding the RSF's alleged atrocities since the conflict began in April 2023.
The ongoing war in Sudan has resulted in over 24,000 deaths and displaced more than 14 million people, which is roughly 30% of the population, according to the United Nations.
Approximately 3.2 million Sudanese have fled to neighboring countries.
Last week, the U.N. reported that its human rights office recorded over 4,200 civilian deaths in 2024, with the actual number likely being much higher.
The Sudanese military has gained the upper hand in the conflict, having regained control of key areas, including the capital of Gezira province, Wad Medani, and the largest oil refinery in the country.
Abdelatty informed reporters that the ministers had talked about Gaza's future and the potential results of the upcoming Arab summit scheduled to take place in Cairo.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2025/02/24/egypt-dismisses-rival-authority-in-sudan-supports-military-rule/
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Southeast Asia
Integrating Fiqh and Tasawuf Important To Produce Well-balanced Islamic Scholars - Sultan Nazrin
25/02/2025
IPOH, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, today emphasised the importance of integrating Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and “tasawuf” (Sufism) to produce scholars who are well-balanced in religious knowledge and moral conduct. His Royal Highness said both branches of knowledge must complement each other to produce scholars who are not only well-versed in religious teachings but also uphold strong ethical values. He cited the words of Imam Malik bin Anas. “If anyone learns fiqh without tasawuf, they risk falling into sin. If anyone studies tasawuf without fiqh, they become heretical. But if anyone combines both sciences, they attain the best and holistic understanding," said the Sultan when opening the “Muzakarah Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah”, themed ‘Empowering the Integration Between Fiqh and Sufism’, here today. The event was also attended by the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and Raja DiHilir Perak Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain Idris Shah. Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Perak Mufti Datuk Seri Wan Zahidi Wan Teh. Sultan Nazrin said the words of Imam Malik bin Anas aptly emphasise the necessity of integrating the two branches of knowledge—fiqh and tasawuf. He said fiqh provides a comprehensive legal framework encompassing acts of worship, transactions, family matters, criminal law, and various other aspects of life. It also extends to the preservation of worship, morality, as well as social and political order. “The various societal fractures and social ailments afflicting the world today should be seen as undeniable evidence that merely having laws and regulations is meaningless on its own. Observe what is happening around us. “The moral decay and social turmoil—fraud, corruption, breach of trust, abuse of power, oppression, torture, conflicts, disputes, power struggles, wars, and killings—continue to escalate, not because we lack laws, but because humanity has lost its sense of decorum and ethical conduct. “When individuals deem their intellect superior and become intoxicated by the waves of power, they begin to believe that they can manipulate circumstances to dominate the world and subjugate others. They assume themselves to be immune, untouchable, and beyond worldly law. “Consequently, laws are mocked, manipulated, and ultimately disregarded—without the slightest fear of the afterlife, the Divine Court on the Day of Resurrection, or the certainty of divine retribution in the Hereafter,” said His Royal Highness. The Sultan said since the tasawuf education was marginalised in school curricula, humanity has become like soulless bodies akin to trees deprived of water. “The ummah has forsaken spirituality, becoming shackled by materialism and worldly pursuits. At the same time, movements opposing tasawuf have emerged, giving rise to a generation lacking etiquette, even to the extent of displaying blatant disrespect—defying parents and teachers, openly insulting leaders and scholars, and challenging authorities with words unbefitting a true believer,” he said. -- BERNAMA Source:bernama.com
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https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2396140
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Foreigners allegedly proselytising to Muslims: Interfaith group calls for stern action
24-02- 2025
PETALING JAYA: An interfaith group has recently called out two foreigners for allegedly proselytising to Muslims at a block of the People’s Housing Program (PPR) flats.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has called for the authorities to take firm action against the pair if the allegations are true, by deporting them and barring their re-entry into Malaysia.
MCCBCHST president Tan Hoe Chieow stated that this is the second case of foreigners publicly propagating their faith in the past two months, according to Free Malaysia Today.
“We are always against people going house to house to propagate their religion. This certainly should not happen in Malaysia.
“As foreigners, they could have entered the country on tourist, education, or work passes. In any case, they have violated the terms of their visit passes, so the Home Ministry should take stern action.
“Detain them for questioning and, if necessary, I think they should be deported and banned from returning to Malaysia,” Tan was quoted as saying.
Earlier, a viral video showed the foreigners at the PPR flats in Wangsa Maju being asked by a resident to leave the premises after the alleged proselytisation.
Meanwhile, Wangsa Maju district police chief ACP Mohamad Lazim Ismail said no police report had been lodged regarding the issue.
In a separate incident from January, it was reported that members of the public confronted two foreigners who were allegedly distributing leaflets on Christianity at Desa Setapak in Kuala Lumpur.
A police investigation was launched, and the duo is being tracked down.
Furthermore, MCCBCHST criticized the actions of the first pair, stating that the propagation of faith is allowed only within designated places of worship, and cautioned against such activities in public to ensure “religious harmony,” as quoted.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/foreigners-allegedly-proselytising-to-muslims-interfaith-group-calls-for-stern-action-DH13727224
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Free Meal Program: Muslim Kids to Take Home Their Food in Ramadan
Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar
February 25, 2025
Jakarta. Muslim children will still get their share of the government-aided school meals during Ramadan and they can bring the food home for the evening, according to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN).
Indonesia -- the world's largest Muslim-majority country -- is inching closer to the fasting month of Ramadan. Muslims have to abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset. Ramadan is set to start later this week, although the starting dates may vary. BGN's head Dadan Hindayana said that the government would still roll out free nutritious meals for schoolchildren during Ramadan. Muslim kids, too, will still be included in the rollout.
"If it is a school day, we will continue to distribute the nutritious meals, but we will use a different mechanism. Children can take the food home," Dadan told reporters in Jakarta on Monday.
"For those who are not fasting, they can consume the meals privately [away from the fasting children] at school. They can also take the meals home," Dadan said.
According to Dadan, the public kitchens will prepare meals that can last longer, including boiled eggs, dates, dry cakes, fruits, and milk. Students will also get snacks commonly served for iftar or the fast-breaking evening meal. This includes mung bean soup or the palm sugar-based dessert kolak. The government will also use paper bags instead of the usual stainless steel tray.
"We will make sure that each meal has a balanced nutrition including protein, carbohydrates, and fiber," Dadan said.
"We have had trial runs in Sukabumi last year where students brought home the meals on a bag. They would bring the bag the next day to be replaced with a new one. This will not only reduce waste but will also teach them to be more disciplined," Dadan said.
The government will keep the current scheme in regions with a large non-Muslim population but will make evaluations after a week.
"If necessary, we will adjust the food distribution scheme in areas that have a large non-Muslim population," Dadan said.
The free meal program is part of President Prabowo Subianto's campaign promise. The program aims to feed nearly 83 million people, including schoolchildren and expectant mothers, by 2029. Indonesia officially launched the meal rollout early this year.
Source:jakartaglobe.id
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https://jakartaglobe.id/news/free-meal-program-muslim-kids-to-take-home-their-food-in-ramadan
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Sarawak prohibits restaurants without halal cert from using Ramadan-linked terms
By Malay Mail
25 Feb 2025
KUCHING, Feb 25 — The Sarawak Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) has issued a directive prohibiting hotels and food establishments without halal certification from using Ramadan-related terms in advertisements.
In a statement released on social media, JAIS specified that phrases such as Buffet Ramadan, Iftar Ramadan, Jom Iftar, and Selera Ramadan may not be used in any promotional materials by outlets that have not obtained official halal certification.
The restriction applies to all forms of advertising, including printed brochures, posters, banners, and digital advertisements on social media.
“This measure ensures that consumers, particularly Muslims, are not misled into believing that food offerings from uncertified establishments comply with halal standards,” the statement read.
JAIS warned that offenders may be fined up to RM500,000, with additional penalties reaching as high as RM10 million in severe cases. The department has urged all food and hospitality operators to obtain proper halal certification before advertising Ramadan-related promotions.
JAIS further advised business owners to reach out to the department’s Halal Management Division for certification inquiries or clarification on the new policy.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/02/25/sarawak-prohibits-restaurants-without-halal-cert-from-using-ramadan-linked-terms/167876
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PM Anwar: Urban renewal law will empower Malays, not strip reserve land
By Yiswaree Palansamy
25 Feb 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said the Urban Renewal Bill will be a strategic approach to assist economically disadvantaged Malays.
Explaining the Bill in the Dewan Rakyat today, Anwar said the proposed law would preserve the original status of redeveloped land, which eliminated allegations that it would be used to deprive the community of their reserve land.
“There is no issue about Malay reserve land. These criticisms miss the point. If we truly want to help the Malays, this is how to do it. We are using all our capacity to develop them,” he said during Question Time.
Malay reserve land is land designated under the Malay Reservation Enactment, and may only be owned or transferred among Malays or other indigenous communities, ensuring their long-term land rights and economic stability.
Today, Anwar cited Razak Mansion as one example of this approach being successfully implemented despite allegations and concerns over Malay reserve land, and highlighted his administration's commitment to Malay reserve land.
“I want to emphasise that this is the first government — since independence in 1957 — to designate 50 acres of Bandar Seri Malaysia as Malay reserve land.
“No one before that did it. So, for me, let us not bring that (Malay reserve land) issue," Anwar said.
He was responding to supplementary questions from Gopeng MP Tan Kar Hing, who asked if the Urban Renewal Bill was necessary, noting that several successful development projects — including Kerinchi Residency, Razak Mansion, and Seri Pahang Condominium — were completed without it.
Tan also inquired about the state government's role in implementing the proposed legislation.
Anwar explained that while development could proceed without the law, the process is extremely time-consuming — potentially taking up to a decade — or requiring use of land reclamation laws or lengthy court battles.
He added that when cases go to court, compensation follows the property's value at that time, noting that in all court disputes, the compensation amounts awarded tend to be significantly lower.
The proposed Bill that is expected to be tabled later this year, could allow the “en bloc” sale of entire strata developments, even if not all owners agree.
An en bloc sale occurs when all owners of a building agree to sell their units to a single buyer, often for redevelopment purposes.
Currently, under Section 57 of the Strata Titles Act 1985, a strata development can only be sold if there is 100 per cent agreement from the owners.
The proposed Bill seeks to lower this threshold, depending on the age and condition of the building. The new law would lower the consent threshold required for an en bloc sale, depending on the age of the building.
Buildings under 30 years old could be sold with 80 per cent consent from the owners, while those older than 30 years would require only two-thirds consent. For buildings that are deemed unsafe or abandoned, just half of the owners would need to approve the sale.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/02/25/pm-anwar-urban-renewal-law-will-empower-malays-not-strip-reserve-land/167887
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South Asia
10 militants killed near Afghanistan border, says Pakistan Army
By Fidel Rahmati
February 25, 2025
Pakistani security forces have announced that 10 militants were killed in an operation targeting a hideout of insurgents. The operation took place in the Bagh area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According to the Associated Press, the operation occurred on Monday, February 24, but the military has not provided details on the identities of those killed. Operations against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are carried out sporadically in the region.
The presence and activities of TTP in the province have increased in recent months. Islamabad accuses the Taliban administration of supporting this group, though the Taliban has denied any cooperation with TTP.
Meanwhile, due to the establishment of a Taliban security post on the border with Pakistan, Islamabad has closed the Torkham border crossing for the past three days. This has led to disruptions in cross-border movement between the two countries.
The closure of Torkham, resulting from Taliban construction near the Durand Line, has disrupted travel and trade, escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan over border management.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/10-militants-killed-near-afghanistan-border-says-pakistan-army/
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Prime Minister of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Addresses World Water Conference
2025-02-24
KABUL(BNA): On the occasion of the World Water Conference, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan delivered a significant message emphasizing the critical importance of water as a fundamental resource for life and societal progress.
In his address, the Prime Minister highlighted the intricate connections between water, food security, public health, and economic growth, underscoring how these aspects are increasingly threatened by global climate change, inadequate rainfall, and frequent weather extremes such as floods and droughts.
He noted that improper groundwater extraction poses severe risks not only to water resources but also to the environment and social stability, jeopardizing the needs of future generations. To address these challenges, the Islamic Emirate is committed to effective water resource management, particularly focusing on sustainable groundwater use and climate change mitigation strategies.
The Prime Minister called upon researchers and experts to engage actively in developing innovative solutions for water management and climate challenges, leveraging their expertise to foster comprehensive approaches. He emphasized the necessity of collaboration among various sectors, including government departments, universities, specialized centers, and the private sector, to tackle these pressing issues.
In closing, his Excellency reassured conference participants of the Islamic Emirate’s unwavering support for initiatives that advance the welfare of the Afghan people and expressed gratitude to all those involved in organizing the conference. He concluded with a prayer for the success of their collective efforts in safeguarding water resources for future generations.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/prime-minister-of-islamic-emirate-of-afghanistan-addresses-world-water-conference/
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Torkham Border Crossing Remains Closed as Negotiations Fail
2025-02-25
NANGARHAR(BNA): The Torkham border crossing continues to be closed after four days of negotiations between Afghan and Pakistani officials have failed to yield any results.
Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the Torkham commissioner, reported that discussions held yesterday, chaired by the deputy governor of Nangarhar, ended without any agreement.
The Pakistani authorities have requested that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan refrain from constructing new facilities near the Durand Line. In exchange, they proposed that Afghanistan should not obstruct Pakistan’s own development projects in the area. However, Hikmat confirmed that this request was categorically rejected by the Afghan side, leading Pakistan to maintain its closure of the Torkham gate.
The ongoing closure has left thousands of travelers, including patients and commercial convoys, stranded on both sides of the border. Many are anxiously awaiting the reopening of the crossing, which is vital for trade and medical emergencies.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/torkham-border-crossing-remains-closed-as-negotiations-fail/
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Afghanistan Must Act on Water Shortages, Says Deputy PM Mullah Baradar
2025-02-24
KABUL(BNA): Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, addressed the International Water Research Conference at the Loya Jirga Hall ( Grand Assembly Hall )in Kabul today, emphasizing the urgent need for effective water management.
In his speech, Baradar underscored the significance of water, describing it as an irreplaceable blessing essential for human, animal, and plant life, as well as economic and national development. He stated:
“Islam teaches us the responsible use of water, and as an Islamic society, we have a duty to manage this resource wisely. Sustainable and professional water management is a national responsibility to ensure economic competitiveness and safeguard the rights of future generations.”
He highlighted the worsening global water crisis, citing climate change, pollution, rising demand, and mismanagement as key factors impacting international political and economic relations.
“Afghanistan is blessed with natural water resources, but due to various challenges throughout our modern history, these resources have not been managed efficiently. It is now our shared responsibility to take decisive steps toward better water management by utilizing all available opportunities,” Baradar added.
He pointed to the construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal and the rehabilitation of multiple dams as part of the government’s efforts to improve water utilization.
Baradar praised the conference as a vital initiative and urged researchers and experts to conduct in-depth studies. The three-day event, organized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Kabul Polytechnic University, focuses on sustainable water management, groundwater recharge, efficient water use, and pollution prevention.
The conference has drawn participants from government agencies, international universities, and global organizations, with 135 research papers being presented.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/afghanistan-must-act-on-water-shortages-says-deputy-pm-mullah-baradar/
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Govt. sets new office timings for Ramadan
24 Feb 2025
DHAKA, Feb 24, 2025 (BSS) - The government has set new office timings for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan for the government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous organizations.
The Ministry of Public Administration today issued a gazette notification in this regard.
According to the notification, the office timing for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan will commence from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.
There will be a 15-minute break from 1:15 pm to 1:30 pm for Zohr prayers while weekly holidays will be on Friday and Saturday.
Currently, the regular office timing for government employees is from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Besides, banks, insurance, other financial institutions, postal services, railways, hospitals, state-owned industrial institutions, factories and other emergency service-providers will fix their respective office hours as per their own laws or rules, considering public interest, it mentioned.
However, the Bangladesh Supreme Court (SC) will fix the office timing for all courts across the country, the notification added.
The holy month of Ramadan of Hizri 1446 (2025 year) of the Arabic Calendar is expected to begin on March 01, subject to sighting of the moon.
Source:bssnews.net
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https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/249209
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SC starts hearing on Azharul’s review petition challenging death penalty
Feb 25, 2025
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today started hearing on the review petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam challenging his death penalty for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
A five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed began the hearing with defence lawyer Barrister Ehsan A Siddiq placing arguments on behalf of Azharul.
After concluding today's proceedings, the apex court fixed tomorrow for resuming the hearing on the matter.
Several Jamaat leaders and activists, including its Secretary General Professor Miah Golam Parwar, were present at the courtroom during the hearing.
On July 19, 2020, Azharul through his lawyers Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain (now dead) and Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir submitted a 23-page review petition containing 14 grounds seeking reconsideration of the apex court's judgement.
Lawyer Shishir Manir has earlier told The Daily Star that the statements of the witnesses do not fully support the charges brought against Azharul.
The Appellate Division on October 31, 2019 upheld his death sentence. On that day, a four-member bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, by a majority view delivered the verdict around five years after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 handed down capital punishment to Azharul for the crimes committed in Rangpur in 1971 war.
It upheld four charges against Azharul but acquitted him of another. The SC released the full text of the verdict on March 15, 2020, clearing the way for him to move a petition seeking review of the judgement.
Azharul was allegedly the commander of notorious Al-Badr force and president of Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat -- a party which opposed the country's liberation -- in Rangpur during the 1971 war.
Jamaat leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami, Abdul Quader Mollah, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Mir Quasem Ali and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury were executed following the apex court verdicts for their crimes against humanity and other war crimes in 1971.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/sc-starts-hearing-azharuls-review-petition-challenging-death-penalty-3833301
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Police bar march of interns, medical students at High Court gate
Feb 25, 2025
Police blocked the march of intern doctors and medical students at the High Court gate around 12:30pm today.
Around 1:30pm, a team of 30 interns and medical students have been allowed to meet the attorney general at his office while the others were seen waiting outside the High Court.
Earlier, several hundreds of interns and students from various government and private medical colleges started "March for Justice" programme around 12:15pm, demanding five key reforms, including restricting the title "doctor" exclusively to MBBS and BDS degree holders.
Earlier, they gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar, protesting against what they claim is an attempt by medical assistants to use the "doctor" title through legal means. Some doctors also took part in the march.
Speakers at the event highlighted that a writ petition was filed by medical assistants in 2013 seeking the right to use the title "doctor". With the case pending for 11 years, they alleged that medical assistants have been unlawfully using the title despite legal restrictions.
The High Court is set to pass an order on the writ today, and protesters urged for its swift resolution to prevent further misuse of the title.
Their additional demands include the recruitment of 10,000 doctors as quickly as possible and raising the BCS job entry age limit to 34 years.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/police-bar-march-interns-medical-students-hc-gate-3833281
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Mideast
Seminar season discusses moral, social values in Islam
FEBRUARY 24, 2025
The Ministry of Culture organised a seminar titled "Islam: A Way of Life and an Integrated Culture" Sunday evening, as part of the fourth edition of the seminar season. The seminar was held in the presence of HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani, Minister of Culture, and a large gathering of intellectuals and the public. The Kuwaiti preacher Dr Othman al Khamis spoke during the seminar, which was moderated by preacher Dr Youssef Asheer.
The seminar shed light on the foundations and rules for building our lives according to an integrated approach and culture that affects various aspects of human life. It also addressed moral and social values in Islam. Islam and science and the encouragement of civilizational contribution, the role of Islam in shaping cultural identity, the impact of Islamic teachings in building societies.
The preacher, Dr Othman al-Khamis, stressed that the true renaissance of the Muslim nation will only be achieved through adherence to Islamic knowledge. Emphasising that Islam has given great attention to education since its inception, as the mosque was the first school from which the Companions acquired religious and worldly knowledge. He explained that the crisis that the nation is experiencing today is due to the decline in the status of knowledge and scholars, and the spread of intellectual chaos as a result of moving away from the correct understanding of Islamic texts.
Dr Al-Khamis focused on the importance of Islamic knowledge in the renaissance of nations. Indicating that the Muslim nation was not in the forefront except when scholars dominated the scene and knowledge became a basic driver of life. He quoted the eras of Islamic prosperity that were full of scholars in various fields, from jurisprudence and interpretation to medicine, astronomy and engineering. In response to some voices accusing scholars of living in isolation from reality, Dr Othman al-Khamis stressed that this view is unrealistic and incorrect, and that true scholars understand reality more than is thought, and are able to provide solutions based on solid Islamic foundations.
He explained that a deep understanding of reality is an integral part of Islamic knowledge. He added: Scholars throughout history were not just transmitters of texts, but rather they were people of ijtihad and jurisprudence. They were teaching people and interpreting the rulings of Sharia to them in a manner consistent with the developments in their lives. He quoted the biography of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who faced the temptation of the creation of the Qur’an with a deep understanding of the political and social context of his time, as well as Ibn Taymiyyah, who was alert in confronting the issues of his time. Contrary to what some promote that religion was a stumbling block to scientific progress, Dr Al-Khamis stressed that Islamic civilization at the height of its prosperity was based on science and knowledge.
As the great schools were established in Baghdad, Cordoba, Damascus and Cairo, and scholars such as Ibn Sina, Al-Razi and Ibn Al-Haytham emerged, and contributed to various sciences from medicine to astronomy and mathematics. There was no conflict between religion and science, as happened in Europe during the Middle Ages, but rather science was an extension of the correct understanding of religion, as the revelation began with the word “read”. This confirms that any accusation that Islam is hostile to knowledge is a misreading of history and civilization.
At the end of his lecture, Dr Othman al-Khamis addressed a message to students of knowledge, calling on them to bear the responsibility of spreading correct knowledge and correcting the misconceptions that are prevalent in society. Stressing that knowledge is the most powerful weapon in confronting the intellectual and cultural challenges facing the Muslim nation today.
Source:gulf-times.com
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https://www.gulf-times.com/article/700918/qatar/seminar-season-discusses-moral-social-values-in-islam
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Islamic Jihad says Israeli tanks part of ‘plans to annex West Bank by force’
February 24, 2025
JENIN: Palestinian militants said on Monday that an unusual deployment of Israeli tanks in the occupied West Bank, part of a major offensive that has displaced tens of thousands, may be a step toward annexation.
The torn-up streets surrounding the Jenin refugee camp in the territory’s north were empty on Monday, an AFP journalist reported, as three Israeli Merkava tanks stationed at higher vantage points overlooked the area.
Displaced camp residents occasionally entered through a back alley to retrieve belongings from their homes.
“We go back in to get things, whatever we can. We take the risk because we have to,” said 52-year-old Ahmad Al-Qahrawi.
“We had nothing when we left, no clothes, nothing. We go back to get clothes because it’s cold.”
Israeli leaders have repeatedly pledged to annex at least parts of the West Bank, which has been occupied since 1967, but any such proposal has been met with strong opposition from Palestinians and much of the international community.
In a weeks-long military operation in the north of the territory, launched around the time a truce took hold in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces looking for militants have cleared three refugee camps and deployed tanks in Jenin.
Militant group Islamic Jihad said that the mass evacuations and first deployment of Israeli tanks in the territory since the early 2000s “confirms the occupation’s plans to annex the West Bank by force.”
The group, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza and has a strong presence in the northern West Bank, denounced “a new act of aggression” which it said was “aimed at uprooting our people from their land.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross said many residents who fled have taken shelter in “crowded mosques and schools.”
The damage has hampered displaced residents’ “access to basic needs such as clean water, food, medical care and shelter,” and the winter cold “has made it more difficult to survive,” it added in a statement.
"Lethal war-like tactics"
The United Nations’ humanitarian agency OCHA said the military offensive “appears to exceed law enforcement standards” and has had severe consequences.
“The continued use of lethal war-like tactics in residential areas is extremely concerning,” OCHA said.
Throughout the Gaza war, violence in the West Bank — a separate Palestinian territory — has soared, as have calls to annex it, most notably by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Since the start of the war in October 2023, Israeli troops or settler attacks have killed at least 900 Palestinians, including many militants, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Palestinian attacks and clashes during military raids have killed at least 32 Israelis over the same period, according to official figures.
UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday rejected “calls for annexation” and said he was “gravely concerned by the rising violence.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that “we are closely watching developments, and cannot hide our concern when it comes to the West Bank.”
Israel said on Sunday that its troops would remain for many months in the evacuated refugee camps in the northern West Bank — Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams — aiming to “prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism,” according to Defense Minister Israel Katz.
He put the number of displaced Palestinians at 40,000, the same figure provided by the United Nations which said the offensive has killed at least 51 Palestinians including seven children, and three Israeli soldiers.
Islamic Jihad accused Israel of attempting to consolidate “military domination by creating settler corridors that reinforce the separation of West Bank cities and their camps.”
The West Bank, excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, is home to around three million Palestinian as well as nearly half a million Israelis who live in settlements that are illegal under international law.
Israeli tanks have not operated there since the end of the second Palestinian intifada, or “uprising,” in 2005.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2591493/middle-east
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365 Palestinians arrested by Israeli forces in West Bank refugee camps since mid-January
February 24, 2025
LONDON: Israeli forces have detained 365 Palestinians in the occupied northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarem since mid-January, according to a rights group affiliated with the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society documented the arrest of 365 people following the Israeli launch of a military campaign in Jenin on Jan. 21, just days after a ceasefire and captives-exchange deal was reached with Hamas in Gaza.
The group said that during 35 days of Israeli operations in the Jenin refugee camp, at least 200 individuals were detained, while in Tulkarem, 165 people were arrested, including children, women and the elderly.
Israeli forces deployed tanks this week to the Jenin refugee camp after displacing nearly 20,000 people, along with another 20,000 Palestinians from Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, and said it planned to keep forces in these areas “for many months.”
The PPS said Israeli forces had turned Palestinian homes in Jenin and Tulkarem into military positions, deployed snipers on the rooftops of buildings and used bulldozers to destroy roads and infrastructure.
Some of those detained were subject to threats, beatings and field investigations, it said.
Since late 2023, nearly 900 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. At least 32 Israelis have died from Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations during the same period, according to official figures.
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Secretariat Awqaf distributes hygiene kits to over 1500 mosques
24 Feb 2025
The office of the General Authority for Endowments in Capital Secretariat carried out a campaign to distribute cleaning tools and supplies to all mosques in the districts of Capital Secretariat.
During the campaign, Khalid Al-Madani, First Undersecretary of the Capital Secretariat, and Walid Al-Alawi, Director of the Office of the General Authority for Endowments, urged everyone to contribute to the preparation and cleaning of mosques and their courtyards, especially during the month of Ramadan.
They explained that the campaign targets more than 1,500 mosques in the Capital Secretariat, and emphasized the importance of concerted efforts in caring for, maintaining and serving the houses of God, and preparing and preparing for the holy month of Ramadan.
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Qatar Sports for All Federation announces Ramadan activities, tournaments with 66 events
24 Feb 2025
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Sports for All Federation announced the calendar of tournaments and special events that it organizes during the holy month of Ramadan, which includes 66 events that include all segments of society, which enhances the value and importance of community sports and the necessity of continuing sports activities.
This came during a press conference held today at Lusail Sports Hall, as the Ramadan events map witnesses an increase in the number of activities that are concerned with women's sports in particular, as well as for all segments of society.
Ramadan activities include the North Challenge Race, held at Heenat Salma Farm, the Muay Thai training program at Lusail Multipurpose Hall and Aspire and Al Luqta Parks, cycling, fitness, table tennis, billiards, paddle ball, and badminton. football, volleyball, basketball, and karate, in addition to the Ayal AlFareej Championship and a championship for the elderly in cooperation with the Ehsan Center.
Executive Director of Qatar Sports for All Federation, Abdullah Al Dosari confirmed that the calendar includes a greater number of events, stressing the importance of the sports activities organized by the Federation during the holy month of Ramadan, and the necessity of making participation in the events and championships available to all members of society.
Al Dosari emphasized the federation's commitment to increasing womens sports activities, as they are a top priority. This includes the launch of unique womens tournaments and competitions in football, volleyball, and badminton at the Education City Stadium, held every Tuesday evening.
Additionally, there will be four desert running races on the mountain bike trail in Education City. The federation is also organizing the Al Thumama Ramadan Football Championship at the Al Furjan Stadiums in the Thumama area, the Community Football Championship, and the Third Ekbes Beach Volleyball Championship at the Old Doha Port.
Moreover, sports events will be organized to coincide with global awareness days for disabilities, autism, obesity, and Down syndrome, alongside a walking program.
Al Dosari highlighted that all these tournaments are held in cooperation with the Table Tennis, Billiards and Volleyball Federations, Qatar Foundation, Aspire, Al Furjan fields, Old Doha Port, the Ministry of Labor, and Ehsan Center, which contribute to the development of community sports.
He confirmed that most of the tournaments revealed by the Sports for All Federation will be held during the first half of the holy month, while other regular events will continue throughout the month, such as the 365 Days of Activity program, which continues in its usual form in public parks designated for men, as well as those designated for women.
Al Furjan fields also welcome all those wishing to practice walking, an hour before Iftar, in addition to their comprehensive fields in Al Khor and Al Wukair, which provide the opportunity to practice various sports, such as basketball, handball and walking.
Source:thepeninsulaqatar.com
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Iraqi population has reached 46.1 million, census shows
February 24, 2025
BAGHDAD: The final results of Iraq’s first census in nearly 40 years released on Monday show the population has reached 46.1 million.
In 2009, an unofficial count estimated the population at 31.6 million.
Iraqi officials have called the population count a milestone and said it will provide essential data for future planning and resource distribution.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the results, Iraqi Planning Minister Mohammed Tamim said the census “demonstrates the government’s determination” to improve conditions in the country.
The Iraqi government is trying to consolidate security improvements after decades of war and instability and to develop the economy during regional upheaval.
The census provides detailed insights into economic, educational, and housing conditions, with separate breakdowns for Iraq and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north.
In federal Iraq, some 70.2 percent of the population lives in urban areas, while the urban Kurdish regions comprise 84.6 percent of the Kurdish population.
The Kurdish region also saw higher employment rates, with 46 percent of the population being economically active, compared to 41.6 percent in federal areas.
Children’s enrollment in primary school was 93 percent in the Kurdish regions versus 88 percent in Iraq.
However, federal Iraq saw higher home ownership rates and access to potable water and state electricity.
Tamim said the data will support a fairer distribution of resources across provinces.
“For the first time in four decades, Iraq has successfully conducted a full census, helping ensure more equitable resource allocation,” he said.
The final count from the 2024 census is an increase of more than 1 million over the preliminary estimate of 45.407 million released in November.
Source:arabnews.com
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Lebanese government expected to win vote of confidence
NAJIA HOUSSARI
February 24, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will seek parliamentary approval for his government during sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
A political observer predicted that Salam’s government — operating under the slogan “Government of Rescue and Reform,” could secure up to 100 votes out of the 128-member parliament.
Winning the vote of confidence will allow Salam’s Cabinet to commence its sessions to make major decisions, including on appointments to the Lebanese Central Bank, the security forces, the judiciary and the general directorates within various government ministries.
Currently, 63 MPs have requested to speak during the parliamentary debates.
Opposing votes will likely be limited to MPs from the Free Patriotic Movement bloc, which is not represented in the government and has positioned itself in opposition, along with a few reformist MPs.
A source from the presidential palace told Arab News on Monday that President Joseph Aoun would schedule foreign visits once Salam’s government wins the confidence vote.
One of the most significant foreign trips is a visit to Saudi Arabia next week, following an official invitation.
A ministerial delegation will accompany the president to discuss bilateral relations and avenues for cooperation in Saudi Arabia.
The source indicated that the visit will be confirmed on Thursday after the confidence vote.
On Monday, Aoun addressed a delegation of ambassadors from Francophone countries, saying that Lebanon will remain a bridge between East and West.
“French, the second language after Arabic in Lebanon, represents culture, dialogue, modernity, and values,” he told the ambassadors.
Salam, meanwhile, told a delegation from the diplomatic corps that his government “commits to restoring Lebanon’s standing among its Arab brethren and ensuring that it does not serve as a platform for attacks on Arab and friendly nations.”
Elsewhere, the speech delivered by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem on Sunday at the funeral ceremonies for former leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine elicited mixed political reactions.
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert emphasized the necessity of commencing the “actual implementation of UN Resolution 1701 now on both sides of the Blue Line, as well as beyond the banks of the Litani River.”
The UN official added that “in Lebanon specifically, all necessary elements are present to achieve this, including a commitment to ensure that conflict does not return. However, the success of this process relies on its inclusivity, as each party has a fundamental role to play.”
Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Karam, meanwhile, warned that Hezbollah “is not yet prepared to relinquish control to the Lebanese state.”
He said the group was “attempting to navigate this challenging phase with minimal damage and losses while waiting for an unlikely breakthrough.
“The state must be solely responsible for establishing full national sovereignty over Lebanese territory,” he said.
“It must be the only authority to engage in negotiations, monopolize the use of weapons, liberate its land, and safeguard all of its borders.
“However, if Sheikh Qassim remains hard-headed and refuses to surrender the party’s weapons south and north of the Litani River, then any reconstruction plan will fail,” he added.
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Ayatollah Khamenei Hails Tasnim Tafsir as Source of Pride for Shiite Muslims
February, 24, 2025
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei praised the Tasnim Tafsir (exegesis) as a source of pride for Shiite Muslims and seminaries.
The Leader delivered a speech at a meeting with the organizers of the International Conference on the Tasnim Tafsir, held on February 22.
During the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei commended the distinguished figure of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, the renowned exegete of the Holy Quran and author of the Tasnim Tafsir.
The Leader acknowledged that the seminary owes a debt of gratitude to this wise scholar for his over 40 years of dedication to research, teaching, and authoring of the Tasnim Tafsir, Khamenei.ir reported.
"Of course, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s endeavors in the fields of rational and transmitted sciences, as well as his jurisprudential, philosophical, and mystical works, are all significant and deserving of appreciation. However, none of them can match his work in the tafsir of the Quran," he stated.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the Tasnim Tafsir as a source of pride for both Shiite Muslims and the Hawza Elmiyeh (seminary). While discussing certain characteristics of this tafsir, the Leader remarked, "The strength of the respected exegete’s rational thinking has significantly contributed to understanding the nuances and delicate points concealed within the verses of the Quran."
The Leader underscored the importance of finalizing the Arabic translation of the Tasnim Tafsir for use in the Islamic world and expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Ayatollah Javadi Amoli and the research team involved in this Tafsir.
Tasnim Tafsir, authored by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, is a comprehensive work compiled and written in 80 volumes. The composition of this exegesis is the result of 40 years of teaching and research by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, in collaboration with dozens of researchers and scholars organized into research groups. It is classified among the "Quran-to-Quran tafsirs."
The author's methodology involves citing the verse or verses under consideration and examining them across four stages: "Summary of the Tafsir", "Interpretation of the Verse", "Nuances and Allusions", and "Discussion of Narrations".
Source:tasnimnews.com
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President Al-Mashat: Martyred of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah represented highest embodiment of Islamic unity
24 Feb 2025
His Excellency Field Marshal Mahdi Al-Mashat, President of the Supreme Political Council, stressed that the martyr of Islam, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, was, from his early beginnings until the end of his era, a unique fabric in his era, and a real proof of the correctness of the Husseini approach in life dear to the truth, and in martyrdom the seal of the end, and the pinnacle of honor.
President Al-Mashat said in an article entitled "In the position of the Master of Resistance and the Martyr of Islam": "He was at all times a father to all free people, and a leader and brother to all the good people of our time, and a loving, compassionate, generous and humble person to all people, and for the sake of God he lived, and set out struggling until he attained martyrdom in the manner of his grandfather Hussein, peace be upon him, and on the path of Jerusalem, and what a journey it was."
He pointed out that the life of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah embodied the paths of righteousness, jihad, irritating the infidels, victory, pride, serving Islam, and the values of pride, dignity, and sacrifice, noting that he achieved in his eventful life and in record time accomplishments that no one else has achieved in this era in which falsehood has prevailed, truth has been denied, calamity has intensified, and targeting has been great.
His Excellency the President added: "The martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah achieved everything he wanted in his life. He liberated his country, defeated the Israeli enemy entity, destroyed the myth of the invincible army, supported the oppressed, established justice, and instilled hope. He is the ideal embodiment of what the life of a Muslim should be like. Then he concluded his life with martyrdom in the face of the enemy of the nation, and in support of the most honorable cause."
He added, "The martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah represented the highest embodiment of Islamic unity. He triumphed, even with his blood, over the Zionist and American project of division between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.
He participated in the battle to support Palestine and the people of Gaza since the first day, and presented hundreds of martyrs. He did not skimp on the leaders of Hezbollah from the first rank, and sealed it with his soul and blood, to prove in the souls of Muslims, with his blood, the clearest meanings of Islamic unity, and the most eloquent proof that the enemy of this nation - despite its different sects, denominations and countries - is one.
" His Excellency the President continued: "Despite the great pain and great loss, as we are on the occasion of the funeral of one of the most honorable people in this era, we are filled with contentment, certainty, hope and optimism that we learned from the Book of God and the biography of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, and which was consecrated in our era by the martyr His Eminence Sayyed, as his words of consolation and his principles were the lamp and light that every mujahid follows on his path, how could they not be, as he continued to wish for martyrdom and seek it and storm all the dangers and difficulties, and did not fear the blame of anyone in God."
He added: "He is truly a martyr of the nation, humanity, a martyr of Jerusalem and Palestine, a martyr of Lebanon and Yemen, a martyr of truth and justice, and all the noble values in the world. He lived defending the values and principles of Islam in the East and West of the earth, and the oppressed did not find a supporter like him throughout the decades from Lebanon to Palestine, from Bosnia to Afghanistan, from Syria to Iraq to all parts of the world."
President Al-Mashat explained that "while he went beyond supporting Muslims in particular, to supporting every oppressed person on earth, he was a martyr of humanity, embodying the spirit of the teachings of the true religion, from the good beginning until the end, the pinnacle of glory."
He said, "Who is like him as a martyr on the path to Jerusalem and Palestine, who did not offer as much as anyone did, and did not give as much as anyone did, and no one believed in Palestine with his heart before his tongue, and with his blood before his statement, so that his martyrdom in support of Gaza would be the most eloquent statement of how a person supports his people."
The head of the Supreme Political Council pointed out that "the martyr of Lebanon spent his life defending Lebanon and seeking its independence, freedom, strength and power, and the martyr of Yemen, at a time when those closest and farthest away had let him down, was the one who stood, showed solidarity and supported Yemen the most."
He considered the martyrdom of the great mujahid Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah a calamity for the entire nation due to his great role, Islamic symbolism and global and regional influence.
He added: "Our only consolation is that God chose him at the end of his life as a martyr alongside the prophets, the righteous, and his companions who preceded him on this path, and that hundreds and thousands of mujahideen, heroes, and leaders who will complete his path and journey in the best possible way were taught by him and in his school until, at their hands and with them and all the mujahideen of the world, the divine promise that His Eminence, may God be pleased with him, has always promised and given us good news of, in expelling the temporary entity and praying in Al-Aqsa Mosque, is fulfilled."
His Excellency the President expressed his deep condolences to the family, lovers, and followers of His Eminence, the martyr of Islam, in Lebanon, the Arab world, and the world, renewing the pledge to continue on his path and remain faithful to his pledge until God unites us with him in a seat of truth with the Almighty King.
Source:saba.ye
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Israel refuses entry to 2 EU lawmakers and accuses 1 of promoting boycotts of it
February 25, 2025
TEL AVIV, Israel: Israel on Monday denied entry to two European Union lawmakers, accusing one of promoting boycotts of the country.
Lynn Boylan, who chairs the European Parliament EU-Palestine delegation, and Rima Hassan were refused entry at Ben-Gurion airport and ordered to return to Europe.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said French politician Hassan has “consistently worked to promote boycotts against Israel in addition to numerous public statements both on social media and in media interviews.”
No reasons were immediately given for Boylan being denied entry.
Hassan was born in Aleppo, Syria, and, like Boylan, is a member of The Left group in the EU parliament. On Friday, The Left group called for the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement – a pact that underpins their relations – given the International Court of Justice investigation into crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza.
Boylan said she had planned to meet with Palestinian Authority officials, representatives of civil society organizations and people living under Israeli occupation. Boylan is a member of the Sinn Fein party in Ireland, which has been among the most vocal countries in criticizing the Israeli government over its treatment of Palestinians.
“This utter contempt from Israel is the result of the international community failing to hold them to account,” Boylan said in a statement. “Israel is a rogue state, and this disgraceful move shows the level of utter disregard that they have for international law. Europe must now hold Israel to account.”
Israeli legislators passed a law this month that prohibits entry to people who have denied Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack or expressed support for the international prosecution of Israeli soldiers.
The law, which applies to non-citizens and non-residents of Israel, builds on previous legislation that denied entry to anyone calling for a boycott of Israel. The law also bans the entry of Holocaust deniers.
The original law was seen by opponents as an attempt by Israel to silence critics. It was used on multiple occasions to bar entry to activists who support the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, known as BDS.
Supporters portray BDS as nonviolent activism based on a similar campaign against apartheid South Africa. Israel views the movement as an attack on its very legitimacy and accuses some organizers of antisemitism, allegations they deny.
Hassan, who hails from the French hard-left France Unbowed, called for a rally outside EU headquarters where the meeting took place on Monday, and where some protesters had gathered.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was on a diplomatic visit to Brussels for the EU-Israel Association Council. The council does not meet frequently, and Monday’s meeting was called amid pressure from Spain and Ireland to suspend the forum over Israel’s actions in Gaza. Saar met with several European leaders in Brussels.
Earlier on Monday, Saar told reporters Israel was used to facing criticism and ready to approach all discussions with an open mind.
“It’s OK as long as the criticism is not connected to the delegitimization, demonization or double standards, which from time to time are things we see in the attacks against Israel,” he said.
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West Bank Palestinians fear Gaza-style clearance as Israel squeezes Jenin camp
February 25, 2025
JENIN, West Bank: Israeli bulldozers have demolished large areas of the now virtually empty Jenin refugee camp and appear to be carving wide roadways through its once-crowded warren of alleyways, echoing tactics already employed in Gaza as troops prepare for a long-term stay.
At least 40,000 Palestinians have left their homes in Jenin and the nearby city of Tulkarm in the northern West Bank since Israel began its operation just a day after reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza after 15 months of war.
“Jenin is a repeat of what happened in Jabalia,” said Basheer Matahen, spokesperson for the Jenin municipality, referring to the refugee camp in northern Gaza that was cleared out by the Israeli army after weeks of bitter fighting. “The camp has become uninhabitable.”
He said at least 12 bulldozers were at work demolishing houses and infrastructure in the camp, once a crowded township that housed descendants of Palestinians who fled their homes or were driven out in the 1948 war in what Palestinians call the ‘Nakba’ or catastrophe at the start of the state of Israel.
He said army engineering teams could be seen making preparations for a long-term stay, bringing water tanks and generators to a special area of almost one acre in size.
No comment was immediately available from the Israeli military but on Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to prepare for “a prolonged stay,” saying the camps had been cleared “for the coming year” and residents would not be allowed to return.
The month-long operation in the northern West Bank has been one of the biggest seen since the Second Intifada uprising by Palestinians more than 20 years ago, involving several brigades of Israeli troops backed by drones, helicopters, and, for the first time in decades, heavy battle tanks.
“There is a broad and ongoing evacuation of population, mainly in the two refugee camps, Nur Shams, near to Tulkarm and Jenin,” said Michael Milshtein, a former military intelligence official who heads the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.
“I don’t know what the broad strategy is but there’s no doubt at all that we didn’t see such a step in the past.”
Israel launched the operation, saying it intended to take on Iranian-backed militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad that have been firmly implanted in the refugee camps for decades, despite repeated Israeli attempts to root them out.
But as the weeks have gone on, Palestinians have said the real intention appears to be a large scale, permanent displacement of the population by destroying homes and making it impossible for them to stay.
“Israel wants to erase the camps and the memory of the camps, morally and financially, they want to erase the name of refugees from the memory of the people,” said 85-year-old Hassan Al-Katib, who lived in the Jenin camp with 20 children and grandchildren before abandoning his house and all his possessions during the Israeli operation.
Already, Israel has campaigned to undermine UNWRA, the main Palestinian relief agency, banning it from its former headquarters in East Jerusalem and ordering it to stop operations in Jenin.
“We don’t know what is the intention of the state of Israel. We know there’s a lot of displacement out of the camps,” said UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma, adding that refugees enjoyed protected status regardless of their physical location.
’MILITARY OPERATION’
The camps, permanent symbols of the unresolved status of 5.9 Palestinian refugees, have been a constant target for Israel which says the refugee issue has hindered any resolution of the decades-long conflict.
But it has always held back from clearing them permanently. On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denied that the operation in the West Bank had any wider purpose than combating militant groups.
“It’s military operations taking place there against terrorists, and no other objectives but that,” he told reporters in Brussels where he met European Union officials in the EU-Israel Association Council.
But many Palestinians see an echo of US President Donald Trump’s call for Palestinians to be moved out of Gaza to make way for a US property development project, a call that was endorsed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the operation in the northern West Bank appeared to be repeating tactics used in the Gaza, where Israeli troops systematically displaced thousands of Palestinians as they moved through the enclave.
“We demand that the US administration force the occupation state to immediately stop the aggression it is waging on the cities of the West Bank,” he said.
Israeli hard-liners inside and outside the government have called repeatedly for Israel to annex the West Bank, a kidney-shaped area around 100 kilometers long that Palestinians see as the core of a future independent state, along with Gaza.
But pressure has been tempered by fears that outright annexation could sink prospects of building economic and security ties with Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, and face a veto by Israel’s main ally, the United States.
However, hard-liners have been heartened by the large number of strongly pro-Israel figures in the new US administration and by Trump himself, who said earlier this month that he would announce his position on the West Bank within weeks.
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Members of leading Syrian Kurdish authorities not asked to national dialogue
February 25, 2025
QAMISHLI: Members of the Kurdish-run autonomous administration in northeast Syria and of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces did not receive invitations to a national dialogue set to take place in Damascus on Tuesday, officials said.
Farhad Shami, a spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces, and Ilham Ahmad, a senior official from the autonomous administration, told Reuters on Monday that no members of their respective organizations had been invited to the conference.
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Syria economy minister discusses resuming cooperation with World Bank
February 24, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syria’s economy minister sat down with the Middle East director of the World Bank on Monday to discuss resuming cooperation with the lender, which was suspended under the toppled government of Bashar Assad, state media reported.
Since ousting Assad in December, Syria’s new rulers have been trying to restore ties to international institutions to support the country’s reconstruction and revive its sanctions-hit economy.
“The minister of economy, Mr. Bassel Abdel Hanan, discussed with World Bank’s director for the Middle East, Jean-Christophe Carret, the resumption of relations between the bank and Syria as well as the prospects for their development,” the official SANA news agency said.
Abdel Hanan proposed the establishment of a “joint committee between the ministry and the bank to evaluate a new start.”
He added that “the nature of the financing granted by the bank will determine the type of projects that will be financed,” pointing to the energy, agriculture, industry and infrastructure sectors in particular, SANA said.
Abdel Hanan also said there was a need for “loans to manufacturers whose facilities have been destroyed so they can resume their activities, and raised the possibility of creating an investment fund to support industry, provided the (bank) offers sanctions in this area.”
The World Bank had previously supported Syria with technical assistance and development advice, but suspended all of its operations after the civil war broke out in 2011.
Since the fall of Assad, Syria has been urging the international community to drop sanctions imposed on the former government.
The European Union on Monday eased sanctions on the energy, transport and banking sectors in a bid to help the country’s reconstruction.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani called the move “a step toward alleviating the suffering of our people.”
A UN report published last week found that 90 percent of Syrians live in poverty — three times as many as before the war — while 75 percent rely on humanitarian aid.
The country is expected to form a transitional cabinet on March 1.
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia pivotal in achieving peace, New Zealand deputy PM says as new Russia tariffs announced
TAMARA ABOALSAUD
February 24, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is playing a pivotal role in achieving peace in an increasingly insecure world, New Zealand’s deputy prime minister told Arab News the same day his country announced new tariffs on Russia.
“This is a very dramatically changing world with greater insecurity than ever for a long, long time. And so, we’re looking at countries that are playing a pivotal role as Saudi Arabia is, and the Gulf states, in terms of peace here and world peace itself,” Winston Peters told Arab News during a state visit on Monday.
“I know these aspirations sound to be big and large objectives, but we have got to keep on trying to improve the world we’re in, and we’re looking and observing with a great deal of admiration of the new role in terms of stability that Saudi Arabia appears to be playing.”
The new sanctions announced by New Zealand target 52 individuals and entities involved in Russia’s military and energy industries, as well as North Korean support.
The minister firmly stated: “You will hear all manner of propaganda about Ukraine, but there was an invasion of Crimea in 2014, no one reacted.
“And then we had, just over three years ago ... the beginning of a war.
“Now we’re hearing that the so-called guilty party is utterly innocent, that somehow their soldiers coming over the border into Ukraine is an act of innocence.”
As an active member of the UN, New Zealand is looking for what Peters called “an illegal war” to end immediately.
Certain “uncertainties” from Russia’s point of view about where they fit in the NATO-sphere of nations and Ukraine’s position relevant to the alliance are, according to the Peters, irrelevant at this point in time.
The minister also touched on New Zealand’s stance on the war in Gaza, reaffirming his country’s support of a two-state solution.
“Observing this constant strife, decade after decade after decade, we all want a solution that is in the best interests of the people involved … No matter the government back in New Zealand, we have always been for a two-state solution,” he said.
But the minister said that the purpose of his visit was to take part in Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day weekend celebrations.
“It is a very important celebration … and also to see progress on Vision 2030, which we, even in a brief amount of time, can see so much has advanced from the point of view of economic and social progress,” he said.
He also discussed a recent free trade agreement between New Zealand and the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
New Zealand and the GCC concluded negotiations on an FTA on Oct. 31 of last year, and trade ministers on both sides are expected to sign the agreement in the coming months.
On strengthening cultural ties in the education sector, the minister spoke dimly of the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diminishing numbers of Saudi students attending New Zealand universities.
“As a consequence, what used to be 6,000 students a year has dwindled away to a much lesser number, less than a thousand.
“So, we are going to have those talks going forward.”
Peters also touched on Saudi Arabia’s equestrian heritage, after watching New Zealand’s James McDonald perform in the Saudi Cup over the weekend.
“The Arabian horse is unique; it’s got stamina and can run enormous distances … From that, we’ve bred the best in the world.”
He also highlighted Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker’s two-round win over Martin Bakole in Riyadh on Saturday.
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Defence chiefs discuss strategic Saudi-US partnership
February 24, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Monday.
The pair discussed the strategic relationship between the Kingdom and the US, and “explored ways to bolster our defense cooperation,” Prince Khalid wrote in a post on social media platform X early Tuesday.
“We also discussed regional and international developments and efforts to promote security and stability,” wrote the Saudi minister, who is on an official visit to the country.
The visit aims to strengthen US-Saudi relations, and Prince Khalid will discuss issues of
common interest during it.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi health ministry urges meningitis vaccine for Umrah
February 24, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has highlighted the necessity of receiving the meningitis vaccine for those intending to perform Umrah during Ramadan.
It is part of efforts to enhance preventive health measures and limit the spread of infectious diseases, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency on Monday.
The ministry urged the importance of getting vaccinated at least 10 days before traveling for Umrah to ensure the required immunity is achieved.
It said that people vaccinated within the past five years do not need a booster dose, as the vaccine remains effective throughout this period.
The ministry also urged people to book an appointment via the Sehhaty app to receive the vaccine at adult vaccination clinics, highlighting the importance of adhering to preventive measures to ensure a safe and healthy Umrah experience.
The directive aligns with the ministry’s efforts to protect the health of Umrah performers, raise health awareness, and develop an integrated healthcare system that enhances quality of life and healthcare services.
Source:arabnews.com
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KSrelief marks a decade of defining humanitarian aid diplomacy
RASHID HASSAN
February 24, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief’s humanitarian efforts have reached 106 countries with an amount exceeding $7.3 billion, its Supervisor-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah noted at the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum on Monday.
The agency has implemented 3,355 relief projects either directly or through its 211 international, national, and local partners.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the forum which is being held in partnership with the UN, Al-Rabeeah said: “This is a moment worthy of reflection, to draw lessons from the past that will help us to direct our actions towards the future.”
He noted that the forum, which is being attended by experts, officials from the UN and various international organization, is held under the theme “Navigating the Future of Humanitarian Response,” and coincides with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of KSrelief.
“King Salman has always been vitally concerned with humanitarian work, which he underscored 10 years ago with his establishment of the KSrelief to be a leading center in delivering Saudi humanitarian aid to those most in need around the world,” Al-Rabeeah said. “(It is) an approach that combines humanitarian giving, strategic planning, effective and rapid emergency interventions during crises of all kinds.”
He added that as a result of these efforts, the Kingdom’s total charitable contributions over the past five decades have surpassed $133.8 billion. “Additionally, KSrelief is one of the leading international organizations that implement extensive networks of global volunteer missions — 876 thus far across 52 countries,” he said.
KSrelief also actively participates with the UN in supporting a wide range of global humanitarian initiatives, including the Sustainable Development Goals, and contributes to the creation of innovative access mechanisms that achieve significant and comprehensive results.
He explained that the forum is being held within the context of collaborative efforts with the international community “as we share experience and knowledge to improve humanitarian crisis response.”
The event features 21 sessions and 132 speakers and will serve as a starting point for developing innovative initiatives that open new opportunities for humanitarian work.
These initiatives will incorporate creative models inspired by the most up-to-date technologies to improve the operational efficiency of humanitarian responses, ensure the optimal use of resources, and minimize duplication of efforts to better meet the lives of vulnerable groups worldwide.
The forum also provides an opportunity to call on the global donor community and partners from both the public and private sectors to provide the necessary financial support for humanitarian programs, to improve the speed and efficiency of crisis response, and to address urgent humanitarian appeals.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan thanked the diverse participation, saying: “We value the efforts and participation.”
He added: “This is a sign of standing firm and united in commitment to addressing the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges.”
Prince Faisal praised KSrelief for being at the forefront of humanitarian efforts for people in need everywhere including Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and all over the world.
He commended KSrelief’s extraordinary efforts with the Masam project removing landmines in war hit Yemen, as well as its efforts to champion humanitarian diplomacy in conflict areas.
Saudi moves to enhance dialogue and resolve conflicts have been acknowledged by the world, he said, noting that humanitarian diplomacy is very important in conflict areas, and that KSrelief has been playing a crucial role in preserving values.
Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar read a message on behalf of King Salman that highlighted the commendable role the KSrelief played over the first decade of its run.
The opening ceremony saw the signing of four agreements: the first memorandum of financial contribution was signed between KSrelief and the World Health Organization with the amount of $300 million for the global polio eradication initiative; the second memorandum was signed between KSrelief and UNICEF with $200 million allocated for the initiative; the third between KSrelief and the Islamic Development Bank with a $100 million contribution to the lives and livelihood fund; and the fourth, a renewal of a joint cooperation program between KSrelief and the World Food Programme which has spanned several decades, during which the Kingdom has supported the dates program with more than 100,000 tonnes donated.
Speaking at the session on “Humanitarian diplomacy in conflicts,” Al-Rabeeah said humanitarian diplomacy is key in paving the way to resolve humanitarian catastrophe in conflict areas.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian diplomacy in conflict areas such as Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, and Syria.
He underlined that impartiality and neutrality is important for humanitarian diplomacy in conflicts.
International Organization for Migration Director General Amy Pope stressed the importance of access to basic services such as healthcare, water, food and shelter in conflict areas.
She thanked KSrelief for bringing the organization into this key discussion, saying ensuring the needs of the people on the move remain central to the humanitarian agenda.
Maciej Popowski, director general of the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, stressed the importance of the legal aspect of humanitarian diplomacy and called for humanitarian diplomacy according to international humanitarian law, without indulging in politics.
He also mentioned EU sanctions on Syria during the previous regime.
The EU Council, meanwhile, decided on Monday to suspend a number of restrictive measures in view of the improved situation in Syria Arab Republic. This decision is part of the EU’s efforts to support an inclusive political transition in Syria, and its swift economic recovery, reconstruction, and stabilization.
Pierre Krahenbuhl, director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, praised Saudi Arabia for its important role in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine for humanitarian diplomacy in these armed conflicts.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, in a video message, praised KSrelief’s key role in humanitarian diplomacy in conflict areas.
Source:arabnews.com
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University graduates present AI-powered health systems at hackathon
SULAFA ALKHUNAIZI
February 24, 2025
RIYADH: A team of university graduates presented a mock-up of an AI-powered education and healthcare system at the 4th Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum on Monday.
The project, named BenevolCare, was presented at a hackathon titled “Artificial Intelligence in Humanitarian Relief,” organized by Saudi aid agency KSrelief and Alfaisal University.
BenevolCare is designed to provide automated health assessments and mental health support for children affected by war in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Sham Osama, an engineering graduate of Prince Muqren University and one of the project’s designers, told Arab News that the inspiration for BenvolCare came after she witnessed the lack of healthcare and education services for Syrian children after years of fighting.
“Artificial intelligence will allow us to fill the gap in the healthcare and education system in Syria,” she said. “We wanted to create a device that uses AI that can be used in any school … (and help students) complete their learning experience in a healthy environment.”
Mayas Alnan, a pharmacy graduate of Alfaisal University who worked on the medical elements of the project, said the model would integrate Al-driven healthcare tools into daily school activities, ensuring continuous monitoring of students’ well-being.
“Data-driven insights allow for early intervention, personalized support and better long-term health outcomes,” she said.
“The schools also provide Al-enhanced vocational training, preparing students for sustainable careers.”
Also during the two-day event, KSrelief is expected to sign several agreements with UN and international organizations as part of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian efforts, according to Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, its supervisor-general and adviser to the Royal Court.
Since 2015, the aid agency has implemented 2,670 projects worth more than $6.5 billion in 95 countries, in cooperation with 175 local, regional and international partners.
The bulk of the support has gone to Yemen ($4.3 billion), Syria ($391 million), Palestine ($370 million) and Somalia ($227 million).
KSrelief’s programs cover food security, health, sanitation, shelter, nutrition, education, telecommunications and logistics.a
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi, Hong Kong anti-corruption chiefs hold talks in Riyadh
February 24, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority President Mazin Al-Kahmous received Danny Woo, commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in Hong Kong, and his delegation at the authority’s headquarters in Riyadh on Monday.
The visit aims to activate the memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong in promoting integrity as well as combating transnational corruption.
Woo was briefed on the key measures taken by the Saudi authority to promote integrity, reinforce transparency and combat corruption, while Al-Kahmous was introduced to Hong Kong’s experience in these areas.
On the sidelines of the visit, Al-Kahmous and Woo inaugurated a four-day workshop with experts from both sides.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2591458/saudi-arabia
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New book provides deep dive into Saudi-Japanese business relations
RASHID HASSAN
February 24, 2025
RIYADH: As the Kingdom celebrates 70 years of diplomatic relations with Japan, dignitaries from the two nations came together in Riyadh recently for the launch of a new book that provides a deep insight into the world of Japanese commerce.
Titled “Descendants of the Samurai,” author Dr. Khalid Al-Rashoud told Arab News his work “provides insights into cultural differences, communication and negotiation styles, and building effective strategies for achieving professional success.”
The book, he said, “navigates business relations with the Japanese counterparts and provides fresh insights into the cultural norms, the stars of communications and successful strategic techniques for negotiations, holding meetings, resolving conflicts.”
Al-Rashoud, who has a doctorate in transformation management and development engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and once worked as an adviser at the Saudi Embassy in Japan, said the book would help people to “understand the unique character of Japanese people and Japanese culture, which is tremendously rich.”
“(Japan) has a long-standing history that is full of knowledge, full of philosophy, full of science that we need to utilize … (but) often the language barriers and also the geographic variety, hinder its reach.”
Al-Rashoud, who is also the author of “Saudi-Japanese Relations,” said his latest work was mostly aimed at business people, but would also benefit government officials and those working at nongovernmental organizations or as researchers or students.
He said he believed it could help bring Japan closer to the Kingdom and the Arab world in general.
Among the guests at the launch was Japan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Yasunari Morino.
He told Arab News: “Japan and Saudi Arabia enjoy long-standing friendship and great relations in all areas including the economic and cultural. To further deepen the relationship, mutual understanding between the people is extremely important.
“So this work … is a great contribution to further deepening mutual understanding between the two people and deepening friendship between the two countries.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Manga Productions wins Saudi Media Forum Award for ‘Future’s Folktales 2’ anime
February 24, 2025
RIYADH: Manga Productions, a subsidiary of the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, or Misk, has won the Saudi Media Forum Award for the second season of its anime series “Future’s Folktales.”
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the award, in the media communication activities category, recognizes the company’s dedication to creating Saudi content that strengthens national identity and reaches audiences worldwide.
The recognition follows a large-scale communication and media campaign accompanying the series’ launch, which featured three global premiere screenings — two in Riyadh and one in Tokyo.
The campaign also included a global public relations initiative that generated 477 news articles across the Arab world and Japan, SPA reported.
On social media, a comprehensive digital campaign garnered more than 151 million views, complemented by prominent advertisements in major streets throughout Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province.
Source:arabnews.com
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Europe
US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine
February 25, 2025
The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the UN to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration's change of stance on the war.
First the two countries opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, which was passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Then they backed a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Russia.
The Security Council resolution was passed but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained in the vote after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.
The competing resolutions were tabled as French President Emmanuel Macron visited President Donald Trump at the White House in an attempt to address their sharp differences over the war.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will likewise visit the new American leader.
Trump's White House has upended the transatlantic alliance, currying favour with Moscow and casting doubt on America's long-term commitment to European security.
That rift was laid bare on the floor of the 193-member UNGA on Monday as US diplomats pushed their limited resolution mourning the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and calling for a swift end to it.
European diplomats tabled a more detailed text, blaming Russia for its full-scale invasion, and supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded," said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa.
UNGA members backed the European resolution by 93 votes but, extraordinarily, the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states, with 65 abstentions.
The UNGA also passed the US resolution but only after it was amended to include language supporting Ukraine, which led to the US abstaining.
At the much more powerful 15-member UN Security Council, the unamended US resolution - which called for an end to the conflict but contained no criticism of Russia - was passed by 10 votes, with the UK, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstaining.
America's acting envoy to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, described the US resolution as a "simple historic statement... that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war".
Rarely has the US been so at odds with its supposed European allies.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the Security Council has been deadlocked by the power of Russia, one of its five permanent members, to veto any resolution there.
For this reason the UNGA has been the main forum for debating the war. But its resolutions are not legally binding for member states, unlike those of the Security Council.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7435pnle0go
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West knew NATO push for Ukraine was risky – WikiLeaks
24 Feb, 2025
US and European officials were long aware of the high risk of conflict stemming from Kiev’s NATO ambition, WikiLeaks revealed on Monday. Citing a trove of documents it obtained, the publisher detailed how Washington looked for ways to overcome some countries’ opposition to the idea despite warnings from Western envoys.
Moscow repeatedly warned the diplomats that Ukraine’s accession to the US-led bloc could trigger a civil war or destabilize the whole region, forcing Russia to make a decision it “does not want to have to face,” according to a 24-minute-long video published by WikiLeaks on X.
The organization also cited a February 2008 cable from then US ambassador to Moscow William Burns, who warned that Russia saw NATO expansion as a security threat.
“Not only does Russia perceive encirclement, and efforts to undermine Russia’s influence in the region, but it also fears unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences which would seriously affect Russian security interests,” he wrote.
That sentiment was shared by some NATO allies in Europe at the time, another document suggests. A 2005 cable documenting a meeting between the then US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, Daniel Fried, and several high-ranking French officials said that Paris was concerned about Ukraine’s NATO trajectory sparking an armed conflict on the continent.
“If there remained one potential cause for war in Europe, it was Ukraine,” the document said, citing French presidential diplomatic adviser Maurice Gourdault-Montagne. He cautioned that the US and its allies were intruding upon Russia’s “core zone of interest,” which could provoke a strong response.
Fried acknowledged at the time that Ukraine lacked a national consensus on NATO membership, but dismissed concerns over a violent internal split or Moscow’s reaction.
Despite the repeated warnings, Washington still pushed for Ukraine’s entry, and intended to “pursue western integration and NATO enlargement deliberately, but quietly,” while “firmly” disagreeing with Russia, according to a September 2009 cable by the then US ambassador to Moscow, John Beyrle.
Russia has consistently cited Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO and the prospect of the bloc’s military infrastructure appearing in the neighboring state as one of the main reasons for the conflict. Moscow has also repeatedly described it as a “proxy war” against Russia, being waged by the West via Ukraine.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/613250-nato-push-ukraine-risky-wikileaks/
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Russia prepared to cooperate with the US – Moscow’s economic envoy
24 Feb, 2025
Moscow is open to economic partnership with Washington, Russia’s newly appointed international investment and economic cooperation envoy Kirill Dmitriev announced on Monday.
Dmitriev, who is also the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), participated in the high-level Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia last week. On Sunday, the Kremlin announced that the official had been appointed Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries.
Moscow “is open for US-Russia economic cooperation and believes such cooperation is key for a more resilient global economy,” Dmitriev posted on X on Monday.
The envoy was responding to a statement US President Donald Trump made on his Truth Social platform, touting upcoming deals between Moscow and Washington, as well as peace talks in the Ukraine conflict.
”I am in serious discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia concerning the ending of the War, and also major Economic Development transactions which will take place between the United States and Russia,” Trump wrote. “Talks are proceeding very well!” he added.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who was part of Washington’s delegation during talks in Riyadh, has suggested that US companies could soon return to Russia.
In the event of a ceasefire deal, “you would be able to have American companies come back and do business there,” Witkoff said.
Many US and European businesses divested their businesses in Russia following the unprecedented sanctions imposed by the West in the aftermath of the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
A number of the market niches vacated by Western companies during the exodus have since been filled by Russian firms, Dmitriev stated in an interview with Reuters last week.
According to the RDIF, US firms lost more than $300 billion as a result of leaving the Russian market.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/613254-russia-us-economic-ties-dmitriev/
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Meeting with Chairman of the Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia Talgat Tadzhuddin
February 24, 2025
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: First of all, I am very glad to see you. Secondly, I would like to thank you personally and all Muslims – all people who profess Islam are an organic, natural part of Russia and Russian society – for the contribution that you and other spiritual leaders make to the interfaith unity and harmony among the peoples of the Russian Federation.
At first sight, we may appear to be a very complicated country, but in fact, it is our diversity that makes us stronger, especially when Russia is facing difficulties, particularly external ones. Muslims have always made a significant contribution to this cause – to our unity and common strength that effectively counteract all challenges and threats and ensure Russia’s progress. Thank you very much.
We agreed to meet and discuss all the issues that are of interest to you, the clergy, and all who profess Islam. I am at your disposal and am very glad to see you.
Chairman of the Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia and Chief Mufti of Russia Talgat Tadzhuddin: Thank you, Mr President.
We have not just agreed; we have been together from the very first day when you announced the special military operation. It is very difficult for a head of state to make such a decision. On his shoulders lies the responsibility before God, the Lord of the worlds, and before the peoples of his country, and in the eyes of all mankind. It was not easy.
We regard the special military operation as a special military operation to restore the divine and human, and in fact, spiritual and moral order in the world and in the relationships of peoples and states.
I have returned from Bahrain with some members of a delegation of the Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia. His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa sends you his best regards.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
Talgat Tadzhuddin: We were received by him; he hosted a major conference bringing together representatives of the entire Islamic world.
Previously, Bahrain hosted interfaith conferences, bringing together Jews, Christians, including from our country, and we always participated in them. Humanity consists of all these groups, along with non-believers – we all share the same Earth, like passengers on the same ship.
The Prophet Muhammad said: Every nation and state has its sacred places, but the greatest sacred place of all is humanity itself, sailing together on one ship across the sea. Those on the upper deck can easily draw water, but those in the lower deck must climb up to fetch it. Eventually, to avoid the struggle, they may decide to bore a hole in the ship’s hull – and then all will perish. The same could have happened to us – tomorrow or the day after. But we, as believers, have no fear of this. For us, this world and the next are the same – we are merely on a temporary mission here, while eternity awaits us beyond.
At this conference, the entire Islamic world was represented, including the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Muslim Elders, the Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council of Bahrain, who is also a member of the highest representative body of Muslims worldwide, the Mufti of Uzbekistan, and Sheikh ul-Islam of Azerbaijan, Allahshukur [Pashazade]. I was also nominated as a candidate.
At this high-level forum, which even included representatives of Muslim minorities, I supported the Sudanese Minister of [Religious Affairs and] Awqaf in his proposal to elevate the Council of Muslim Elders to the status of the supreme authority for issuing modern fatwas – not just for Arab Muslim countries, but for the entire global Muslim community. Furthermore, the proposal suggested that its Chairman should become the Supreme Mufti of the World. The idea received unanimous support and was included in the Manama Declaration.
It was a great joy to follow your meeting and the firm, strong terms you presented to the United States and the West at the meeting in the holy places.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
What is this? (Points at the sword and shield lying on the table.)
Talgat Tadzhuddin: On the same day that you announced the special military operation, we convened an expanded plenary meeting, which was held via videoconference. The participants gave their full support to the special operation. We appealed to all our regional spiritual boards and started assembling troops. On the same day, we placed an order for this [sword and shield], as if we had known something. In reality, however, Defender of the Fatherland Year recurs every year. In our country, not a single day can go by without us defending the Fatherland.
This shield of the Defender of the Fatherland refers to Russia’s core, the Bulgarian Empire and the Russian Empire. The Emperor of Russia is his first title, while his second title is the Prince of Bulgaria and the Prince of Kazan. This is why the Eagle is two-headed. It was Bulgaria’s coat of arms as well, when it was a vassal state of Khazaria. Here it portrays both Ilya Muromets, and our heroes, and Musa Jalil. When our army celebrated the mass, Musa Jalil ensured that Muslims did not bring shame on their country. We have things to defend.
Vladimir Putin: Today, Muslims are showing their best qualities. A couple of days ago, I talked to one of them, the deputy commander of the 810th Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet. They are fighting courageously and heroically in practically all sectors along the line of contact.
Talgat Tadzhuddin: We have an agreement with the Defence Ministry: Imams sent by the Central Spiritual Board are at the fronts of the special military operation. Our communities and voluntary associations, the servants of the Most Merciful Creator, are also involved in collecting charitable aid. We send tonnes of food and funds to Palestine. All 2,200 communities send aid to the front every month. Individual imams also visit frontline areas, but especially they come as members of delegations sent by regions. Bashkortostan, for example, sends aid every month.
Three imams died the righteous death, the death of shahids. They are true shahids, because, in defending the Fatherland, we defend our history, our spirituality, and our faith, not merely the land. Our fathers, grandfathers and ancestors have lain in this land for centuries, and they have become dissolved in the dust. We grow grain in it, eat bread and drink water, and thus we defend our ancestors and our Fatherland. This is not just land; this is material for our body and our spirit.
Source:kremlin.ru
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Exhibition of rare Islamic artefacts at Bradford City Hall
24th February
By Rowan Newman
THOUSANDS of people visited a Bradford exhibition of rare artefacts sacred to Muslims.
The event - hosted by Council for Mosques Bradford and District, in partnership with Bradford Council, and sponsored by Mr T’s - was held at City Hall on Saturday from 11am until 6pm.
More than 7,000 people attended from across the UK to see the exhibition.
The rare artefacts
The artefacts were from the two Islamic holy cities of Makkah and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
Among the private collection displayed was the Kiswa. This is a silk cloth that adorns the Kaaba - universally revered by Muslims as the first house of worship - built by the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail.
The exhibition also included Medina door covers, locks and keys of Maqam-e-Ibrahim, and Rawdah Chamber, the inner green and red Kiswa of the Kaaba, Qandeel and Samadi pieces, and many more items.
Each year, millions undertake the pilgrimage to Makkah and Medina, but for many, the journey remains an unattainable dream due to financial constraints.
For those unable to make the pilgrimage, the opportunity to see the Kiswa up close was a profound and cherished experience.
The word Kiswa originates from Arabic and holds deep cultural and historical significance.
The magnificent cloth covers the Kaaba, the sacred stone structure at the heart of the Great Mosque in Makkah, which is considered the spiritual centre of Islam and referred to as the "House of God".
Every year, on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah, the Kiswa is ceremoniously replaced with a new covering.
It was a 'joy for me to see these treasures'
Bishop Toby Howarth, who was in attendance, said: “One of the things I love about Bradford is the way that people of different faiths and no faith share with each other.
"It was a joy for me to see these treasures that are so precious to my Muslim friends and neighbours displayed here in our magnificent City Hall.”
Exhibition labelled 'remarkable'
Sarfraz Nazir, president of Council for Mosques Bradford and District, added: “We are honoured to have played a role in hosting this remarkable exhibition.
"It has been a privilege to welcome thousands of visitors from across the district, giving them the opportunity to experience sacred artefacts up close.
"We sincerely thank everyone who contributed to making this event possible and all those who attended."
Source:thetelegraphandargus.co.uk
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Germany's conservatives celebrate, but far right enjoy record result
24th February
Friedrich Merz's conservatives have won Germany's election, well ahead of rival parties but short of the 30% vote-share they had expected.
"Let's celebrate tonight and in the morning, we'll get to work," he told cheering supporters. His immediate priority is to try to form a government with the third-placed Social Democrats of Olaf Scholz.
Even before the result was clear, Merz said his top priority was unity in Europe, so that "step by step, we can really achieve independence from the US".
The other big winner in Sunday's vote was the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who are celebrating a record second-place result of 20.8%.
The AfD's candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, did a victory lap of her supporters, but even her party had hoped for a greater result and the mood at AfD HQ was subdued.
Merz, 69, has never held a ministerial job, but he has promised if he becomes the next German chancellor to show leadership in Europe and beef up support for Ukraine.
Most Germans have been shocked by President Donald Trump's conduct towards Ukraine and Europe and Friedrich Merz said the US leader had shown "the Americans are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe".
Trump has labelled Ukraine's leader a "dictator" and two of his leading figures have openly backed the AfD in the run-up to the vote. Vice-President JD Vance was accused of meddling in the vote during a visit to Munich, while billionaire Elon Musk has made repeated remarks on his X platform.
Friedrich Merz's first priority will be to try to form a coalition made up of his Christian Democrats (and their Bavarian sister party, the CSU) and Scholz's centre left, despite the Social Democrats' worst-ever showing of 16.4%.
Merz's CDU party leadership will meet on Monday and so will the Social Democrat SPD's, separately, but Scholz will not take part in the talks.
Merz is keen to form a government by Easter. It could be possible, because between the two parties, they have 328 seats, a majority of 12 in the 630-seat parliament.
But it was not until the early hours of Monday that that became clear.
After the collapse of Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition late last year, Merz had asked the electorate for a strong mandate to form a clear-cut coalition with one other party.
In the event, he secured enough seats only because two of the smaller parties failed to get into parliament.
A two-party coalition would enable him to solve as many of Germany's problems as he could in four years, he said, from a stagnant economy to closing its borders to irregular migrants.
German voters had other ideas. They came out in big numbers, with a 83% turnout not seen since before reunification in 1990.
Merz's Christian Democrats had been looking for more than the 28.6% of the vote they and their Bavarian sister party received.
His most likely partner was always going to be the Social Democrats - known in Germany as a GroKo, or grand coalition.
But Germany's electorate has fractured, and the two big beasts of its post-war politics can no longer be sure of success.
The AfD under Alice Weidel enjoyed a 10-point increase in support on four years ago, their support boosted by anger over high prices and a series of deadly attacks in German cities.
Three took place during the election campaign.
Weidel also benefited from a successful TikTok campaign that drew in big numbers of young voters.
As results came in during the early hours of Monday, it became clear the AfD was far ahead of the other parties in the east, with a projected 34%, according to a survey for public broadcaster ZDF.
"Germans have voted for change," said Weidel. She said Friedrich Merz's attempt to forge a coalition would ultimately end in failure: "We'll have fresh elections - I don't think we'll have to wait another four years."
But just as the election map turned light blue in the east, much of the rest of Germany turned black - the colour of the CDU.
And Merz dismissed the rise of the AfD out of hand. "The party only exists because there have been problems that haven't been solved. They're happy if these problems get worse and worse."
"We need to solve the problems... then that party, the AfD, will disappear."
Merz was equally withering towards the new Trump administration.
President Trump did welcome Merz's victory. He said it was proof that Germans were, like Americans, tired of "the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration".
If it was an overture, Merz did not take it as one. He told a round-table TV discussion on Sunday night that the interventions from Washington had been "no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we have seen from Moscow".
Last week, Trump appeared to accuse Kyiv of starting the war which Russia unleashed on its neighbour exactly three years ago.
Merz's victory was quickly welcomed by leaders across much of Europe. France's Emmanuel Macron spoke of uniting at a time of uncertainty to "face the major challenges of the world and our continent", while the UK's Sir Keir Starmer sought to "enhance our joint security and deliver growth for both our countries".
Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats continue to rely on older voters for their success, while voters aged 18-24 appear to be far more interested in both the AfD and another party, the Left, which surged in the polls in recent weeks.
Not long ago, the Left was heading out of the parliament, with poll numbers well below the 5% threshold.
But a series of TikTok videos showing co-leader Heidi Reichinnek giving fiery speeches in parliament went viral and they ended up close to 9%, and a quarter of the younger vote, according to an ARD survey.
Source:bbc.com
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Pope critical but 'in good humour' in hospital
25th February
Pope Francis is resting, but remains "critical" with respiratory and kidney problems, more than a week after being admitted to hospital, the Vatican has said.
"The night went well, the Pope slept and is resting," a Monday morning statement said.
Vatican sources said the Pope was in good humour and eating normally - a slightly more upbeat message than they'd been giving over the weekend, following his sudden breathing difficulties on Saturday.
The Pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on 14 February after experiencing breathing difficulties for several days, where he was first treated for bronchitis before being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.
On Sunday, the Pope's thrombocytopenia - a condition that occurs when the platelet count in the blood is too low - was stable, a statement said.
The Vatican did not offer a prognosis, given the "complexity of the clinical picture".
On Saturday, the Vatican said that the Pope had experienced a respiratory crisis and was in a "critical" condition, but later on Sunday released an update that he had "not presented any further respiratory crises".
Earlier on Sunday, the Pope issued a statement asking Catholics to pray for him after he was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second week running.
And at 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on Monday, those cardinals who are in Rome will gather outside St Peter's Basilica to lead prayers for the Pope, together with members of the Vatican curia and clergy from the Diocese of Rome.
They will continue to gather each evening, from now on, to recite the Rosary.
Monday evening's prayer will be led by Cardinal Parolin, who is Vatican's secretary of state.
The pontiff is particularly susceptible to pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, after he contracted pleurisy - an inflammation of the lungs - as a young man and underwent a partial lung removal.
The leader of the Roman Catholic church has been admitted to hospital multiple times during his 12-year tenure, including being treated for bronchitis at the same hospital in March 2023.
From Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Latin American, and first Jesuit, to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
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Countries compete to keep skilled young workers
February 25, 2025
In 2020, Duarte Dias, a Portuguese software engineer, accepted a job offer to work in Microsoft's Dublin subsidiary.
A little over a year later, he joined a team at Microsoft's headquarters in Seattle, where he still works.
Even though he misses the Portuguese laid-back approach to life, and the family-like team spirit of the work environments there, he does not regret, not for one second, his choice of pursuing an international career.
Mr Dias's decision was made easier by all the financial impact of moving.
The verdict of the spreadsheet was clear: staying in Portugal would be financially ruinous.
"I did simulations of how much money I would save a year in Portugal, and I quickly realised that I wouldn't be able to have a comfortable life financially, even if I got one of the most well-paying jobs available in engineering for my experience level," says.
A two-year job experience in Portugal while Mr Dias was concluding his masters at Lisbon's Instituto Superior Técnico cemented his conviction: his yearly income amounted to €35,000 ($36,000; £29,000).
But his take home salary was much, much less.
His income placed him in a tax bracket which meant up to 40% of this gross salary went to the state.
"Financially it was bad. It would be very hard to save money if I didn't live with my parents," he recalls.
Moving to Ireland meant an immediate hike in his salary prospects, almost doubling to €60,000.
The money is even better in the US, where he now earns upwards of $160,000 before a 20% income tax rate, much lower than at home.
Mr Dias intends to return to Lisbon in two years' time with "with many more savings".
Keeping skilled workers like Mr Dias in Portugal has been a concern for recent governments.
In 2020, the administration led by the Socialist Party's Antonio Costa launched IRS Jovem, a programme of tax reductions for workers less than 30 years old and tiered by level of education.
In 2022, 73,684 taxpayers benefitted from this incentive, according to official data.
After a snap election in March, the new centre-right Portuguese government led by Luis Montenegro doubled down on the idea and expanded it from five to 10 years, and to all workers under 35 independently of their educational levels.
The proposal, passed by the Portuguese parliament in late November, is due to benefit up to 400,000 workers, according to the Portuguese Ministry of Finance.
But specialists say it likely won't be enough to keep the young from going abroad.
"It is unlikely that, on its own, the tax regime will make young workers remain in the country, whether because professional opportunities are more abundant in foreign countries, or due to the fact this tax benefit applies only to yearly incomes under €28,000," says Sérgio Vasques, professor of tax law at the Católica Lisbon School of Law.
He points out that the Portuguese government still takes more of the average worker's salary than most richer nations.
Known as the tax wedge, the ratio between the amount of taxes paid by an average single worker without children and the corresponding total labour cost for the employer, stands at 42.3% in Portugal.
That's the 8th highest among the 38 member countries of the OECD.
"This is a tax regime that is an enemy of qualified work and professional success. This regime will not solve this problem," adds Mr Vasques.
Mr Vasques, also a former secretary of state for tax affairs in the early 2010s, adds: "I also cannot imagine a young professional deciding to move to Portugal just because of an extra couple hundred euros at the end of the year.
"Not even a low-skilled worker will make a decision based on that. Portuguese food works probably better as an incentive to move here than that tax regime".
Rita de La Feria, chair of tax law at the University of Leeds, reminds that the exodus of young people isn't just a Portuguese problem, and that Europe is grappling with the challenges of young emigration.
According to a study requested by the Portuguese Parliament, as of July, in the European Union Portugal, Poland and Croatia had special tax regimes based on the taxpayers' ages.
"The challenges are very obvious: worker mobility is higher. The problem is that the country spends very large amounts on training for them to leave for other countries as soon as they enter the workforce," she said.
Ms de La Feria, who moved to the UK at a young age, told the BBC that when she left Portugal she did not intend to "leave for good: many leave their countries of origin thinking they will come back at some point. But once they form a family, it's almost impossible to return."
Antonio Almeida, a software engineer like Mr Dias, left Portugal during the pandemic in late 2020 for a job in Berlin, right after finishing his degree. He would change the German capital for Brussels two years later. All his work experience was done abroad.
"Back in 2020, we were offered monthly salaries of €1,300, gross, in Lisbon. Berlin offered me €4,200 for a junior role."
Even with a 40% income tax rate in Germany, there was a considerable net gain. "It wasn't a difficult decision," says Mr Almeida.
Now in Belgium - where taxes are higher, he stresses - returning to his homeland isn't a priority. "I think of returning eventually, mainly for family reasons.
"But at the moment my life standards are very high and I like the way of life of central Europe. And the main problem in Portugal is low salaries, not taxes."
Mr Almeida does not consider the Portuguese tax changes as a major factor when thinking of the pros and cons of coming back home.
"Up until today I never thought about it."
Mr Dias agrees: "Salaries outside Portugal will always be higher, and all those who don't have any personal or familial connections to the country won't have any kind of financial or career incentive to stay there".
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Inadequate information released after Southport attack by authorities, says terror law reviewer
February 24, 2025
In the aftermath of the Southport knife attack there was a sense of national trauma over the killings of three girls at a summer holiday dance and yoga class. Seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King who was six, and nine-year-old Alice Aguiar were murdered. Eight other children were badly injured.
Anger and disbelief soon followed, prompting burning questions over the identity, background and possible motive of the attacker, and suspicions about why the authorities appeared to be saying a lot less than they knew.
Despite public demands for information, the police provided few details about the attacker. There was very little information in their statements about his background. He was not even named because he was 17 at the time of the attack. One thing was made public early on - it was not being treated as terror-related by the authorities.
The UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has told BBC Panorama that he believes the quality and quantity of information released by the authorities in the hours after the attack on 29 July 2024 was "inadequate".
"People got the sense that something was being withheld or fudged in some way, and that led the social media types who wanted to spread disinformation to spread disinformation," Jonathan Hall KC said.
The day after the attack, rioters targeted a mosque in Southport. The online rumour mill had identified the attacker as a Muslim asylum seeker who had been on an MI6 watch list. It was all untrue but it served as fuel for four days of rioting and violence - the worst the UK had seen in more than a decade.
There was swift and widespread condemnation, but this was not confined to the violence and disorder. The very act of questioning whether the authorities were withholding information from the public was also criticised on the grounds that it had stoked the flames of disorder.
But the questions have not gone away.
BBC Panorama has spent weeks in Southport, where everyone seems to know someone who has been affected by the attack. What also quickly became apparent is the sense among many residents that the authorities have been concealing information.
"Cover-up" is one term we heard repeatedly. So, is it justified?
What the police said, and when they said it, is important. On the evening of the attack, the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Serena Kennedy, held a press conference. She said "a 17-year-old male from Banks in Lancashire, who is originally from Cardiff" had been arrested in connection with the stabbings.
This was true - but police did not divulge family background details, including that the attacker's parents were Christians who had come to the UK from Rwanda.
The attacker was not named because he was one week shy of his 18th birthday. In that initial statement, the police said the motive was "unclear" but at that moment in time the incident was "not being treated as terror-related".
But Jonathan Hall KC told BBC Panorama that the authorities could, and should, have released more information after the attack.
"The public could have been told immediately that there had been an attack by a 17-year-old male who was black, British, born in Wales and has lived in the UK all his life," he told us.
"That he comes from a Rwandan background, and as far as the police were aware, from a Christian background. That it was not possible to say whether he had an ideology or that he was a terrorist. But the police are looking at, at pace, all the material that they found."
Ultimately, the Southport attack was never classed as terrorism by the authorities as that would have required evidence of an ideological motive, and the police have said they found no such evidence.
"We were clear that there was no evidence, information or intelligence to suggest that this was terrorist related," Chief Constable Serena Kennedy told Panorama.
"We were really clear that we would keep that under continual review, which we've done from day one. But our colleagues in counter-terrorism policing, working with ourselves, were satisfied that this was not a terrorist related incident, and that's remained the case throughout."
Jonathan Hall agrees with this assessment, but says that in the immediate aftermath of the attack, the police should have said it was not possible at that stage to say whether the attacker was a terrorist or not.
Counter-extremism expert Ian Acheson agrees. "I don't think they could conceivably have arrived at that conclusion on the basis of the evidence," he said.
"I think the comms decision was 'let's say as little as possible and let's try to dampen down community feeling by saying, 'no, there's nothing to see here',' which of course then created a narrative that was exploited by misinformation and disinformation."
The day after the attack, Merseyside Police issued a press release reiterating that the incident was "not currently being treated as terror-related". That same day, however, police halted their search of the attacker's house after finding a substance under his bed that they suspected may be poison.
The substance was sent to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down to be examined by an expert in chemical and biological warfare agents. Three days later, the lab confirmed that the suspicious substance was the poison ricin, but the public was not told. The next day, police found excerpts of an al-Qaeda training manual on one of the attacker's computers. But the public was not told about that either.
Ministers had been kept informed of these developments, but another three months would pass before the police publicly announced the discovery of the ricin and the al-Qaeda manual.
On 1 August, three days after the attack, the suspect was officially identified as Axel Rudakubana after a judge lifted restrictions on reporting his name.
But still, to some people, the withholding of other information by the authorities has led to suggestions of "cover-up". There is, however, an alternative explanation.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy told Panorama: "My priority was to make sure that we got justice for the families of the victims. And whilst I would have liked to have said more, I was not going to risk bringing Rudakubana to justice."
Legally, there are restrictions about what can be said before a trial to prevent a jury from being influenced. Saying too much or the wrong thing could potentially have allowed Rudakubana's defence to argue that a fair trial was impossible.
Speaking after Rudakubana's guilty plea, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated this reason for caution: "Yes, I knew the details as they were emerging. That is the usual practice in a case such as this. But you know and I know that it would not have been right to disclose those details.
"The only losers if the details had been disclosed would be the victims and the families because it ran the risk the trial would collapse."
But following Southport, there is now growing acknowledgement that more openness may be needed in the way the authorities communicate with the public.
"We're operating a criminal justice system which, in order to protect the courtroom, really locks down information about investigations when they're under way," Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, the UK's head of counter-terrorism policing, told Panorama.
"But I should also be clear it's a system which, in my view, was built for a different age and I'm absolutely certain that we need to find ways of saying more about those investigations."
One question that remains unanswered is how much Rudakubana's parents knew about their son. A police search of the family home revealed weapons in his bedroom and a knife in the living room, as well as materials for producing ricin. On four occasions between 2021 and 2022, Rudakubana's parents called the police following concerns about their son.
A week before the Southport attack, Rudakubana's father stopped him taking a taxi to his old school. His son was dressed in the same green hoodie he wore on the day of the Southport attack. Police now believe that Rudakubana had intended to carry out an attack, but on that occasion, his parents didn't call the police.
Merseyside Police told us they couldn't discuss questions about what Rudakubana's parents knew, citing an "ongoing live investigation". The Home Office also declined to comment on the circumstances in which his parents came to the UK.
Last month, Rudakubana pleaded guilty to three charges of murder and 10 charges of attempted murder and was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years. The judge said he would have been given a whole life term had he been an adult at the time of the attacks.
Following Rudakubana's conviction, Merseyside Police have released more footage of the moment when he was arrested.
The government has announced a public inquiry into the many missed opportunities by multiple agencies to stop Rudakubana. A significant amount of detail on these failings has already been released, raising tough questions for several agencies including Lancashire Police and the counter-extremism programme Prevent.
In March 2022, Lancashire Police found Rudakubana on a bus with a knife. It was one of several interactions the force had with the teenager, but he was not charged. He was also referred to Prevent three times but on each occasion the case was closed.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes told Panorama: "I'm responsible for the police part of the Prevent strategy. And so, the sense that there were moments when that system might have made a more decisive difference absolutely sits with me."
Lancashire Police told us that they "stand ready to engage fully" and that the public inquiry is the "right place for the interactions of the various agencies… to be scrutinised and considered". They say they are "fully committed to ensuring any learning is identified."
Source:bbc.com
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