Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Back, Tri-Services Operation Targets Terror Camps in Pakistan and PoK

New Age Islam News Bureau

07 May 2025

 

The building damaged by a strike carried out by India on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)

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·         Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Back, Tri-Services Operation Targets Terror Camps in Pakistan and PoK

·         Villages in Pune Restrict Outsider Muslims from Praying at Local Mosques Citing “Law and Order Concerns” After Pahalgam Attack

·         Waqf Act Threatens Existence of Muslims: Hindu Organization, Narayana Guru Trust, Moves SC Against Waqf Act

·         Century-Old Banyan Tree in Bangladesh Partially Cut Over 'Claims of Un-Islamic Rituals'

·         Three Spanish Friends Rewriting History to Perform Hajj On Horseback; Reviving A Pilgrimage Route Last Used by Andalusian Muslims More Than 500 Years Ago

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India

·         Surat Authorities Raze ‘Encroachment’; Mosque Trust Claims Ownership Of Land, Alleges Proper Measurement Not Carried Out

·         Portion of food joint of alleged love jihad mastermind demolished

·         Pahalgam terror attack investigations: Inputs confirm Pak Army’s role

·         Assam to Conduct Caste Census of Seven Native Muslim Communities

·         India rejects OIC’s statement on Pahalgam attack, slams Pakistan for manipulation

·         UP steps up hunt for illegal Rohingya, Bangladeshi immigrants; 300 flagged in Varanasi zone for verification

·         Jai Hind: Uttar Pradesh CM hails Indian Army after it strikes nine terror camps in PoJK to avenge victims of Pahalgam attack

·         UP on red alert after India’s strikes in PoK under ‘Operation Sindoor’, says DGP

·         Pakistan ready to 'wrap' tensions if India de-escalates, says Defence minister Khawaja Asif

·         India rejects OIC statement on Pahalgam attack, calls it absurd

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South Asia

·         Hefazat-e-Islam Alleged "Extremist Feminists Have Been Unleashed" In Bangladesh

·         Hefazat regrets offensive language at May 3 rally

·         Beradar discusses bilateral economic cooperation with UAE special envoy

·         Vision Is to Establish Maldives as A Key Financial Centre Focused On Islamic Finance, Driven By Digital Economic Transformation: President

·         ITAK makes comeback in North, Muslim parties in East

·         Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor Meets Chinese Ambassador to Discuss Energy Projects

·         Bangladesh Turns To China As US Funding Cuts Imperil Millions Of Lives

·         ACC summons Hasina over alleged corruption in airport development projects

·         EC registration: SC to resume hearing on Jamaat’s appeal on May 13

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Arab World

·         Bangladeshi leader sends letter to Saudi crown prince about bilateral relations

·         Saudi Arabia showcases heritage, digital innovation at Jusoor expo in Kosovo

·         What’s the matcha with everyone? The beloved green tea powder hits mainstream in Saudi Arabia

·         Riyadh hospital advances breast tumor diagnosis

·         Saudi crown prince receives phone call from Iraqi PM

·         New Saudi initiative focuses on water efficiency

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Europe

·         The Divides Behind the Scenes in The Vatican Ahead ofthe Conclave

·         Britain must act against the Muslim Brotherhood for sake of Jews and Muslims

·         Australian Muslim Voters Say Election Delivered Strong Message Despite Labor Landslide

·         Faisal Islam: Trump tariffs may have helped drive UK-India trade deal

·         Rosenberg: Russians remember WW2 with victory on their minds

·         Zelensky wants Ukraine-friendly government in Budapest – Orban

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Mideast

·         Kurdistan Leader Barzani, Muslim Scholars Discuss Mideast Tensions

·         What recent arrests and ban mean for political influence of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood

·         Pezeshkian calls for implementation of justice in society

·         Islamic Jihad Movement Condemns Zionist Aggression on Yemen

·         Egypt, Qatar mediate for Gaza Strip humanitarian relief

·         Gaza aid dries up as Israeli blockade enters a third month

·         Gaza rescuers say 31 killed in Israeli strikes on school sheltering displaced

·         Israeli strike kills one in southern Lebanon city of Sidon: state media

·         Sanaa airport suspends flights after ‘severe damage’ from Israel strikes: director

·         Oman announces US-Houthi ceasefire deal

·         Emir of Qatar discusses ties in phone call with India PM Modi

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North America

·         US Supreme Court Backs Trump’s Transgender Military Ban

·         CAIR Welcomes Dismissal of Tennessee Assistant Prosecutor Over Alleged Racist, Anti-Immigrant, Anti-Muslim Posts

·         CAIR Urges Congress to Condemn Rep. Randy Fine’s Violently Anti-Muslim, Anti-American and Anti-Palestinian Rhetoric

·         Carney tells Trump that Canada 'won't be for sale, ever'

·         US loses another jet off Yemen – media

·         Canadian province could hold secession referendum – premier

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Africa

·         Chaos in House of Rep As Lawmakers Cry Out, Share Dire Stories Of Boko Haram Attacks

·         New wave of Sudanese refugees flees into neighbouring Chad

·         Senator Tinubu, UNODC, Marwa Express Concerns On Trafficking, Drug Abuse In Nigeria

·         Nigeria Is Not Practicing Democracy – Middle Belt Forum

·         NYSC DG Urges Corps Members to Promote Cultural Integration

·         Paramilitary RSF attacks leave Port Sudan without power

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Southeast Asia

·         Fadhlina backs Nurul Izzah for PKR deputy presidency, dismisses nepotism concerns

·         Rafizi says he offered to step down from PKR and Cabinet posts to focus on GE16 preparation

·         Trader charged with dangerous driving, causing death of motorcyclist in Seremban crash

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/operation-sindoor-terror-camps-pakistan-pok/d/135458

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Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Back, Tri-Services Operation Targets Terror Camps in Pakistan and PoK

 

The building damaged by a strike carried out by India on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)

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May 7, 2025

In a historic and coordinated tri-services operation, the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force conducted precision strikes at 1:44 am last night on terror infrastructure located across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation was launched in direct response to the gruesome terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians, including women and children.

Sources confirmed to NDTV that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally monitored the high-stakes overnight operation from the war room, underscoring the strategic importance and national resolve behind the mission.

The operation, codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor’, was poignantly named in tribute to the women widowed in the Pahalgam massacre. The strikes targeted nine specific locations known to harbor terrorist training, logistical, and operational infrastructure. These locations have been previously linked to major cross-border infiltration attempts and terror plots against India.

Among the sites struck were Muridke, the nerve centre of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror network led by Hafiz Saeed, and Bahawalpur in Pakistan’s Punjab province, the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), headed by UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar. Other locations were associated with Hizbul Mujahideen and various other Pakistan-backed proxy outfits responsible for carrying out violence in Indian territory.

In its official statement, India emphasized that the strikes were “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”, clearly distinguishing between terrorist infrastructure and Pakistani military assets. “No Pakistani military facilities were targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and the method of execution,” the statement read.

The Ministry of External Affairs added, “We are living up to our commitment that those responsible for the Pahalgam attack will be held accountable.” The carefully calibrated strikes underscore India’s policy of zero tolerance for cross-border terrorism, while avoiding unnecessary escalation with the Pakistani state.

Reports indicate that this operation constitutes Phase 1 of India’s multi-pronged response strategy. Further actions will be contingent on Pakistan’s response in the days ahead.

In retaliation to the Indian operation, Pakistan launched cross-border firing and artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), targeting civilian areas. Three Indian civilians were tragically killed in the unprovoked aggression. Pakistan has also been accused of repeated ceasefire violations over the past week, intensifying tensions along the border.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posted “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” on X (formerly Twitter), and shortly after, the Indian Army’s official handle echoed the sentiment, posting: “Justice is served. Jai Hind.” The overwhelming public response online and on the ground reflects a collective sense of justice and national pride following the targeted strikes.

The timing and precision of the operation demonstrate India’s evolving counter-terrorism doctrine—marked by enhanced coordination across the tri-services, use of real-time intelligence, and political will to strike hard without triggering full-scale war.

Nearly two weeks after the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam, this decisive action signals to hostile actors that India will not hesitate to respond with force when civilian lives are targeted. As the country mourns its lost citizens, the government has sent an unequivocal message: India will act, and justice will be delivered.

Source: muslimmirror.com

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https://muslimmirror.com/operation-sindoor-india-strikes-back-tri-services-operation-targets-terror-camps-in-pakistan-and-pok/

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Villages In Pune Restrict Outsider Muslims From Praying At Local Mosques Citing “Law And Order Concerns” After Pahalgam Attack

 

Resolution to disallow non-locals in Pune district village mosques was taken to avoid communal tensions following Pahalgam attacks.

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May 7, 2025

Following the Pahalgam attack, in Mulshi tehsil of Pune district, many Gram Panchayats have passed a resolution declaring that Muslims coming from outside their villages cannot pray at local mosques, especially on Fridays. The resolution has ignited criticism online.

Villages like Ghotawade, Piranhut, Wadki and Lavale put up public notices stating that only locals are allowed to attend the mosques. The notice mentions, “law and order concerns” as the reason for the resolution.

Confirming this, a police official from Piranhut said, “Outsiders increase in numbers on Fridays and this can pose a threat to law and order. Hence, only locals are allowed to pray at mosques.

The resolution has drawn widespread criticism with netizens pointing out that this comes amidst the discrimination Muslims continue to face after the terror attack.

Members of the Muslim community expressed distress and stated that this development would damage religious life and social ties. They expressed that this would cause a lot of inconvenience to the travellers and businessmen.

Expressing anger at the development, AIMIM’s district president in Pune, Fayaz Sheikh said, “These resolutions are unconstitutional and are an attempt to alienate and provoke Muslims,” reported Maktoob.

No complaints have been filed yet. Local reports and many locals have alleged that these resolutions were passed without the consultation of the Muslims.

Source: muslimmirror.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://muslimmirror.com/villages-in-pune-restrict-outsider-muslims-from-praying-at-local-mosques-citing-law-and-order-concerns-after-pahalgam-attack/

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Waqf Act Threatens Existence of Muslims: Hindu Organization, Narayana Guru Trust, Moves SC Against Waqf Act

 

Sri Narayan Manav Dharma Trust

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May 7, 2025

A Kerala-based Hindu organisation, the Sree Narayana Manava Dharmam Trust, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The Trust, established in 2023 to promote the values and teachings of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, argued that the amended law poses a direct threat to the survival of the Muslim community in India.

According to legal news portal Bar and Bench, the Trust filed an application to intervene in an ongoing batch of petitions already challenging provisions of the Act. The Trust stated that its intervention is rooted in the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru, which emphasize the interdependence of communities and the importance of social justice. “The Trust cannot remain an idle spectator to the devastating impact of the impugned Act on the Muslim community and social harmony in the country,” it told the apex court.

In its petition, the Trust contended that the amended law wrongly treats the Waqf mechanism as a non-religious institution and has erased the Islamic legal foundation that has historically governed Waqf properties. It argued that the Act replaces centuries-old Islamic jurisprudence with a state-controlled structure that undermines the autonomy of Muslim charitable institutions.

The plea describes the amended Act as an “unconstitutional sui generis state-designed and state-imposed scheme” that imposes undue control over religious endowments, in violation of the fundamental rights of the Muslim community under Articles 21, 25, 26, and 29(1) of the Constitution. The petition asserts that the law would effectively strip the community of its economic and financial backbone, thereby impairing the practice and survival of Islam in India.

The Centre, meanwhile, has filed a 1,332-page preliminary affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking the dismissal of all petitions challenging the law. It called the concerns raised a “mischievous false narrative” and defended the amendment as legally sound and within Parliament’s authority.

On April 17, the Supreme Court granted the Centre one week to respond to the petitions and noted the government’s assurance that it would not denotify waqf properties or appoint members to the Central Waqf Council and state boards until May 5.

However, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, who was initially hearing the matter, recused himself on May 5, just four working days before his retirement on May 13. He stated that he did not wish to pass interim orders or reserve judgment at this stage. The case is now scheduled to be heard on May 15 by a bench led by Justice B.R. Gavai.

Despite the influx of petitions, the Supreme Court recently clarified that it would entertain arguments from only five selected petitioners out of over 70 who have filed cases against the law.

The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, was officially notified by the Centre following President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on April 5. — With Agencies Inputs

Source: muslimmirror.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://muslimmirror.com/hindu-organization-moves-sc-against-waqf-act-says-law-threatens-existence-of-muslims/

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Century-Old Banyan Tree in Bangladesh Partially Cut Over 'Claims of Un-Islamic Rituals'

 

Screengrabs from a viral Facebook reel shows local Islamic clerics in the Alom Mirer Kandi area of Shirkhara union, Madaripur Sadar cutting down a nearly 200-year-old banyan tree on Monday, 5 May 2025

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May 7, 2025

A century-old Banyan tree was partially cut down allegedly for links to some "un-Islamic" rituals in Alom Mirer Kandi village of Madaripur Sadar's Shirakara union on Monday.

Wadia Shabab, the upazila nirbahi officer of Madaripur Sadar yesterday, confirmed that the tree had been partially cut.

"After learning of the incident, the district forest officer, administrative officials, and I rushed to the spot and halted the tree-cutting. We found that the tree had not yet been fully cut down, and we believe it can still be saved. We will take necessary steps to preserve it," she said.

The UNO added, "I spoke with the landowner and learned he wants to build a house there. Since removing the tree would be costly, he sold it for Tk 1,500 to a local madrasa, and people from the madrasa were cutting it."

On Monday, a 14-second video of the incident went viral on social media. The Daily Star obtained the footage, which shows two men cutting the tree with a saw while some others standing by.

Azam Khan, a ward member of Shirakara union parishad, said local clerics collectively decided to cut the tree as they found the rituals surrounding the it are "un-Islamic".

"People would light candles, tie red threads and cloths to it [the tree]. These were considered un-Islamic acts. The clerics believed cutting the tree was the only way to stop such practices. I don't think there was any political motive involved," he said.

The district administration has formed a three-member committee led by District Forest Officer Jahangir Alam to investigate the matter.

"If the investigation finds that the act was deliberate and driven by ulterior motives, we will take administrative action," the UNO said.

Forest Officer Jahangir Alam yesterday said, "Banyan trees are a protected species. No one has the right to cut them at will. Many bird species depend on the fruits of banyan trees for survival. We will take necessary steps to identify and preserve such century-old trees in the region."

Kazi Faisal, an environmentalist working with Prokritir Moncho, told The Daily Star, "A century-old tree is not just a tree—it is part of an ecosystem. It provides shade, shelter for birds, and supports biodiversity. It also holds cultural and social significance. Cutting such a historic tree based on a singular religious interpretation is deeply saddening.

"At a time when global temperatures are rising and we are rallying to protect trees, such a brutal act is unjust. Even saving one tree today could be a major contribution to humanity. Trees are living beings, and we all need to embrace that concept. I strongly condemn this act and demand punishment for those responsible."

Source: thedailystar.net

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.thedailystar.net/environment/conservation/news/century-old-tree-cut-over-claims-un-islamic-rituals-3888586

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Three Spanish Friends Rewriting History to Perform Hajj On Horseback; Reviving A Pilgrimage Route Last Used by Andalusian Muslims More Than 500 Years Ago

 

Abdelkader Harkassi, Abdallah Hernandez and Tariq Rodriguez are fulfilling a long-held ambition by completing a historic Hajj pilgrimage on horseback. (Supplied)

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Saleh Fareed

May 06, 2025

Jeddah: Three friends rode on horseback from Spain to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj, reviving a pilgrimage route last used by Andalusian Muslims more than 500 years ago.

They reached Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region last week in time for Hajj after travelling through Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Turkiye, Syria and Jordan on a 8,000 km (4,970 miles) journey.

The three Spanish Muslims, Abdelkader Harkassi, Abdallah Hernandez and Tariq Rodriguez, are fulfilling a long-held ambition after embracing Islam 35 years ago.

The three riders are accompanied by Bouchaib Jadil, a construction master living in Spain, who is providing logistical support to the team by leading the way in a car.

It all started when Abdullah Hernandez reverted to Islam 35 years ago.

He told Arab News about how he felt grateful toward Allah for blessing him with guidance — Heidaya — and he promised to complete the Hajj pilgrimage the way his Andalusian ancestors did.

The team practiced for two years before setting off in October 2024 from Al-Monaster Mosque, south of Spain.

After crossing the border of Jordan on May 2, the three Spanish friends arrived in Qurayyat city in Al-Jawf Province, in northern Saudi Arabia on Friday after a remarkable seven-month horseback journey.

During their stop in Qurayyat, the pilgrims were hosted by the head of Al-Haditha Center, Mamdouh Al-Mutairi, who welcomed them to the Kingdom and wished them a pleasant stay and an acceptable and easy Hajj, meeting with students and supporters.

The pilgrims were received with a warm welcome from the residents of Qurayyat, who posed for memorable photos with them.

Hernandez told Arab News: “The team is very excited as we are getting closer to Makkah and Madinah. These holy cities are very special to us, and we have been dreaming of reaching them for a long time. Our hearts feel full of love and hope, and we are looking forward to this moment with deep respect and happiness.

“Through this journey we want to recover a historical Andalusian route from Spain to the Harram of Makkah. It is also a trip of challenges where every step is felt by us and the horses, but also is a journey for the soul,” he added.

One of the Hajj pilgrims, Harkassi, said they were happy to revive a lost tradition. He added that the team saved money and trained for several years for the journey.

He said: “We embarked on this journey with pure intentions to realize the Hajj.”

He added: “We are almost there, and hopefully, the rest of the journey will be easier.”

Their journey, spanning diverse landscapes and extreme weather conditions, is being shared with followers on social media.

“Crossing borders has been the biggest challenge. Some countries were more difficult to cross than others as horses are not considered a mode of transport anymore, but instead they need to be ‘imported’ into each country as livestock, but Alhamdulillah, we have managed to complete all the paperwork so far,” said Hernandez.

Their expedition, known as “Hajj on Horseback,” was warmly welcomed by Muslims and non-Muslims. Hernandez added: “We’ve been received with open arms everywhere we’ve gone — each country has somehow managed to be even more welcoming than the one before, MashAllah.

“Whether in Muslim or non-Muslim countries, people have shown incredible hospitality: Inviting us into their homes, sharing meals with us, listening to our stories and engaging in meaningful conversations about Islam.

“The warmth we’ve experienced in Muslim countries has been especially profound, reflecting the deep sense of unity within our Ummah. This beautiful spirit is clearly visible in our recent videos from Turkiye and Syria.”

The team set off with limited funds, but received support from local Muslims along the way to finance the costs of the unique journey.

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2599716/saudi-arabia

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India

Surat authorities raze ‘encroachment’; mosque trust claims ownership of land, alleges proper measurement not carried out

May 6, 2025

Claiming that the local Jumma Masjid trust had encroached on a piece of government land near a graveyard, the Surat district administration removed a barbed-wire fencing along with a chicken shop inside it in Sayan village on Monday.

The Jumma Masjid trust, though, claimed the land parcel was owned by it and the officials had not measured it properly before carrying out the demolition.

Sources said that acting on District Collector Dr Sourabh Pardhi’s order, DLR (district land record) officials checked the records and found the parcel to be a piece of government land.

Sources said that on Sunday, Sayan village sarpanch Shailesh Patel, Talati Bharat Chaudhary and Olpad taluka panchayat’s elected member from Sayan seat, Dipesh Patel, held a meeting with Jumma Masjid trust members and asked them to remove the encroachment. Claiming that they owned the land, the Masjid trust members refused to vacate it, the sources added.

On Monday, officials from Olpad Taluka Mamlatdar office and his team with police department staffers, incharge sarpanch and others reached the spot with a bulldozer and carried out the demolition of the compound wall as well as the chicken shop. To be sure, the trust does not own the chicken shop.

Following the demolition, Jumma Masjid trust members submitted an application against the exercise with the district collector’s office. The trust members also went to the Sayan Gram panchayat office and claimed ownership of the land. The trust members alleged that measurement of the land was not done properly by DLR officials.

Talking to The Indian Express, Olpad taluka Mamlatdar H D Chopda said, “The Masjid trust members had made an encroachment on the government land and after getting it measured by the DLR officials, we have removed the encroachment of a shop and barbed-wired compound. The land area from where encroachment has been removed is around 500 meters.”

Sayan Jumma Trust Masjid member Ebuh Manakh said, “The land has been with the trust for long and we have been paying taxes to the Gram Panchayat every year. When DLR officials turned up at the spot, the authorities should have informed us so that we could also be present there. We are not satisfied with the land measurement done by the DLR and have raised objection to it through an application made to the district collector of Surat.”

Collector Pardhi could not be contacted for comment.

Sources said the government land, bearing block no. 606, near the Muslim graveyard in the village was earlier used to store agricultural produce. After the farmers stopped using it decades ago, the Jumma Masjid trust of the village made a barbed-wired compound on it. The chicken shop had been running out of the premises for several years, they added.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/surat-encroachment-mosque-trust-land-ownership-9986567/

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Portion of food joint of alleged love jihad mastermind demolished

May 6, 2025

Teams of the Bhopal District Administration and police demolished a major portion of the ‘Club 90’s’ Restaurant allegedly built on an encroached land late Monday evening.

The restaurant is owned by Farhan Khan, the alleged mastermind of the cases of alleged rape, blackmail, and intimidation of some Hindu girls by a group of Muslim boys in Bhopal.

A three-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) carried out an inspection of the restaurant earlier on Monday as part of its ongoing inquiry into the alleged ‘love jihad’ cases.

The team also visited a private engineering college, ‘Technocrats Institute of Technology’, where most of the victims and accused once studied. The college is located near Hathai Kheda dam on the outskirts of Bhopal, and Farhan’s Club 90’s restaurant is situated very close to the college.

A team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is also set to begin its own inquiry into the alleged love jihad case soon.

According to the police, presently there are six main accused, of them, five have been arrested while one is absconding. Around seven women have lodged separate but similar FIRs against the accused.

The police have booked the accused on charges of rape, blackmail, and intimidation under the Freedom of Religion Act, the POCSO Act.

Source: thestatesman.com

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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/portion-of-food-joint-of-alleged-love-jihad-mastermind-demolished-1503429055.html

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Pahalgam terror attack investigations: Inputs confirm Pak Army’s role

May 7, 2025

While the investigations into the terrorist attack in Pahalgam are ongoing, inputs available point not only the role of the Pak Army/ISI but also to that of Gen. Asim Munir, the Pak Army Chief. The following inputs merit attention.

First, a former Pak Army officer Adil Raja claimed it was Munir who gave the order for the attack. The sequence of events also suggests this. Munir’s speech proved to be a dog-whistle and the plan was executed by his foot-soldiers. On the 18th April, LeT commander, Saifullah Musa, hosted a rally in Rawal Kot, and declared: “Jihad will continue, guns will rage, and beheadings will continue in Kashmir.” The attack took place on the 22nd April. Micheal Rubin, a former Pentagon officer stated that Munir is ‘a terrorist’ likening him to Osama bin Laden. He also urged the US to formally designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Munir’s background suggests why he justifies ‘the Two Nation’ theory and desires to annex Kashmir, which he calls Pakistan’s “jugular vein” like all radical elements in that country. Munir, the son of an Imam, went to Markazi Madrasah Dar-ul-Tajweed, an Islamic seminary in Rawalpindi for his early education and his views were shaped by its environment. His statement on the 16th April reflected a deeply ingrained, Islamist and anti-Hindu mindset. He follows the policy of his predecessors towards India: the use of terrorism as a state instrument to deal with India.

Second, at least one of the terrorists was former Pak Army personnel: Hashim Musa, the Pakistani terrorist behind the Pahalgam massacre, is a former para commando of Pakistan Army’s Special Forces. According to the NIA, eyewitnesses provided critical details, reporting more than five attackers involved in the assault.

Third, some news channels quoting sources reported that the terrorists in Pahalgam used the highly encrypted Chinese telecom equipment, which China has given to the Pak Army. This enabled them to remain in touch with their handlers in Pakistan and each other without getting detected.

Fourth, the training was imparted by the Pak Army. A geopolitical activist Mark Kinra has revealed the presence of the Kashmiri terrorist groups at the Kakul Military Academy, providing irrefutable evidence of the linkages between the Pakistani Army and the Kashmiri terrorists. Therefore, whether they served in the Pak Army or not, is immaterial. They all receive rigorous training by the specialised personnel.

Fifth, the terrorist strategy of inquiring about the names and identities of the deceased tourists was in line with Munir’s speech.

Sixth, the timing also indicates the compulsions of the Pak Army and Munir to escalate terrorism to divert the attention of the Pakistanis from their problems and of International Community. The Pak economy has been in doldrums and the Pak Army’s hold on the Pak polity is being contested increasingly by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP with the support of Afghanistan increased its attacks on the Pakistani security forces. Baluchistan and PoK were witnessing a demand for separation from Pakistan. In the US Senate, a bill was introduced in March calling for sanctions on Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir and other generals and officials for the prosecution of political opponents, including the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

For Munir, the post-2019 developments in J&K were frustrating. While the situation in J&K improved significantly, India’s rise globally continued unabated. In J&K, terrorist attacks came down significantly and local recruitment declined with economic growth touching 7.8% – a shade better than the national average. The tourism sector witnessed considerable growth that created employment opportunities for local youth. With better security measures, infiltrators were neutralised at the border. Munir could not swallow the loss of this issue, which was essential to tighten its hold on the Pak polity. Hence, the revival of terrorism was crucial for Munir/the Pak Army. Munir’s extension is due and could further push Pakistan to the abyss.

India was focussing globally on countering terrorism leading to Pakistan’s marginalisation. The Indo-US Joint Statement called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory was not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks. This was a strong message to Pakistan. Earlier, a similar mention was made of the Pak-based terrorist groups in the joint declaration with Russia. Prospects of isolation of Pakistan, when it needed funds must have worried the Pak Establishment.

Seventh, the Resistance Front (TRF) claimed the responsibility but later withdrew stating that it was a technical flaw. This group is the new name for the Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) and includes terrorists from some other outfits like Hizb-ul Mujahideen (HuM). This was done in the post-2019 period to shed the Islamist identity, give a secular nomenclature to attract the international community and evade scrutiny. Pakistan pressed that TRF was not included in the UN statement. This exposed close links between this group and the Pak Establishment.

The Pahalgam attack is seen as an attempt by Munir to create a wider endeavour aimed at dividing India’s homogeneous society. This larger dimension should be kept in our calculus.

India’s response is well calculated with PM Modi making it clear that Pakistan will not be able to use its territory for sponsoring terrorism against India in future. India is clear that terrorism can wither away only when its support systems- funding, arms, and recruitment- are dismantled and destroyed. While India has taken steps to punish Pakistan through several bold steps, Pakistan like in the past is playing the nuclear card to ensure that India gets pressurised to stop taking further action against Pakistan. While their leaders boasted their capabilities to draw the attention of the International Community, the Pak Army displayed manufactured allegations against India. India needs to continue pressuring Pakistan by all means to ensure that the pain this time is unbearable. The International Community needs to understand the situation realistically. In the words of Jaishankar, India seeks partners currently and not preachers.

Source: indiatimes.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/ChanakyaCode/pahalgam-terror-attack-investigations-inputs-confirm-pak-armys-role/

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Assam to conduct caste census of seven native Muslim communities

May 6, 2025

Guwahati: Ahead of the proposed nationwide caste census, Assam has initiated preparatory measures to conduct a comprehensive caste census of seven native Muslim communities of the state to distinguish them from Bangladesh-origin immigrant Muslim population.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took to X announcing the govt's commitment to addressing the long-standing demand of these communities.

The proposed caste enumeration aims to document and distinguish the Goria, Moria, Deshi, Syed, and Jolha (Julha) Muslims of the Brahmaputra Valley, along with the Kiren and Maimal Muslims of the Barak Valley.

He wrote that these seven communities have consistently maintained that while Islam is their religion, they also possess unique ethnic, linguistic, and cultural traits that clearly differentiate them from migrant-origin or non-indigenous Muslim populations.

He added that the indigenous Muslim communities of Assam have long advocated for a caste-based census to assert their distinct socio-cultural identities. "These communities have preserved distinct traditions, dialects, and historical narratives that are deeply rooted in Assam's civilizational heritage and cultural landscape," Sarma said.

"The caste census is expected to fulfill their decades-old aspiration for formal recognition of their independent identity—distinct from broader religious classifications and migratory groupings," Sarma added.

In a significant move last year, the state cabinet recognized the Assamese-speaking Muslims from these seven communities as "indigenous Assamese Muslims" and a sub-group of the greater Assamese community, acknowledging their lack of migration history from either erstwhile East Pakistan or present-day Bangladesh.

While the indigenous Muslims are estimated to constitute approximately 37% of the state's Islamic population, the immigrant Bengali-speaking Muslims account for the remaining 63%. This caste census initiative is a testament to the state's commitment to recognizing and preserving the rich diversity within its borders.

The proposed caste enumeration in the upcoming national census is expected to be a milestone in the journey of these indigenous Muslim communities, providing them with formal recognition and a platform to celebrate their unique identities. It is a positive step towards fostering inclusivity, promoting cultural preservation, and ensuring that the voices of these communities are heard and their contributions to Assam's vibrant tapestry are acknowledged and celebrated.

Source: indiatimes.com

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India rejects OIC’s statement on Pahalgam attack, slams Pakistan for manipulation

Anita Joshua

07.05.25

India on Tuesday rejected the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) statement from New York that blamed India’s “unfounded allegations against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan” on Pahalgam as a key factor inflaming tensions in the region.

“The OIC statement, issued at the behest of Pakistan, is absurd in refusing to recognise the facts of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and its cross-border linkages. This is yet another attempt by Pakistan, a country that has long engaged in cross-border terrorism, to manipulate and misguide the OIC group to issue a self-serving statement. We reject the OIC’s interference on matters that are internal to India,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to queries on the OIC’s second statement since the Pahalgam attack.

A copy of the OIC statement is not available on its website but was reported by the Turkish state-run news agency Andalou Agency. According to the agency report, in a joint statement, the OIC said such accusations risk exacerbating an already volatile situation and iterated its “principled position against, and condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomsoever and wherever”.

The report said that the OIC rejected “all attempts to associate any country, race, religion, culture or nationality with terrorism” and added: “The unresolved dispute remains the core issue affecting peace and security in South Asia. The people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to be denied their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

Earlier this month, the OIC general secretariat expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in the South Asian region and called for restraint and the urgent resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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UP steps up hunt for illegal Rohingya, Bangladeshi immigrants; 300 flagged in Varanasi zone for verification

Namita Bajpai

06 May 2025

LUCKNOW: In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Uttar Pradesh government has intensified a statewide crackdown to identify suspected Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators, with around 300 individuals flagged in the Varanasi zone alone and their details sent to West Bengal for parental root verification.

According to ADG Varanasi Zone Piyush Mordia, under the fresh exercise — a part of a statewide drive — all clusters where suspected infiltrators could be present are on the radar of authorities. Details of all such elements with doubtful credentials, thriving in different clusters across various districts of the Varanasi zone, are being collected for thorough verification.

Under the latest exercise in Varanasi district, only the local intelligence unit (LIU) personnel have sent the files of around 300 individuals to West Bengal officials for credential verification.

According to informed sources, combing operations have been intensified in city localities and rural areas where clusters of people with doubtful credentials have mushroomed in recent months. This action follows fresh instructions from Police Commissioner Mohit Agrawal.

On April 29, the Varanasi Police Commissioner directed authorities to increase vigilance at railway stations, bus stands, temples, ghats, and other public places due to the possible presence of Rohingyas or Bangladeshis disguised as vendors and beggars.

He urged West Bengal authorities to verify the credentials of people, as a majority had claimed origin in various districts of West Bengal. Based on verification results, action will be initiated against those found to be living illegally.

People living by roadsides, railway tracks, village outskirts, parks, and open fields should be verified, identified, and removed according to regulations. The Police Commissioner also appealed to house owners to rent out property only after proper tenant verification.

Before the current drive was intensified, the LIU had already compiled files of over 300 individuals.

This is the third major exercise to identify illegal immigrants in the past 25 years. In 2003, a large-scale drive was launched in Varanasi and surrounding districts, including Chandauli, Ghazipur, and Jaunpur, when around 16,500 persons with doubtful credentials were detected.

Most of them had ID proof issued from districts like Murshidabad and Birbhum of West Bengal. Intelligence agencies attempted to verify their parental roots, but when there was no response from counterparts in states bordering Bangladesh, the drive was eventually stalled.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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Jai Hind: Uttar Pradesh CM hails Indian Army after it strikes nine terror camps in PoJK to avenge victims of Pahalgam attack

May 7, 2025

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hailed the Indian Army after it launched 'Operation Sindoor', carrying out precision strikes on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), days after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

In a post on X, the UP CM wrote, "(Jai Hind! Jai Hind Ki Sena!)."

Meanwhile, Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement by firing artillery in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhimber Gali area, just hours after India carried out the precision strikes. The Indian Army is responding "appropriately in a calibrated manner", officials said.

In a post on X, the additional directorate general of public information (ADG PI) wrote: "Pakistan again violates the Ceasefire Agreement by firing artillery in Bhimber Gali in the Poonch-Rajouri area. Indian Army is responding appropriately in a calibrated manner."

The artillery fire came hours after India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoJK.

"A little while ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched 'Operation Sindoor', hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed," said an official statement from the ministry of defence.

Altogether, nine sites were targeted.

"Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistmilitary facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution," the statement said.

According to the ministry, these steps come in response to the "barbaric" Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed. The government reiterated its commitment to hold those responsible accountable.

A detailed briefing on 'Operation Sindoor' will be held later today, the ministry added.

Meanwhile, in a post on X, the Indian Army said: "Justice is served. Jai Hind!"

In an earlier post, the Army had written: " Ready to strike, trained to win."

Source: indiatimes.com

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UP on red alert after India’s strikes in PoK under ‘Operation Sindoor’, says DGP

07.05.25

Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday declared Red Alert in the state following 'Operation Sindoor' by the armed forces against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), UP DGP said on Wednesday.

In retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base Muridke.

"Red alert has been declared in Uttar Pradesh in view of the action taken by the Indian Army on terrorist hideouts under #OperationSindoor. All field units of @Uppolice have been instructed to coordinate with the defense forces and strengthen the security of important installations," UP DGP Prashant Kumar said from his 'X' handle.

"UP Police is alert, equipped with resources, and fully prepared to ensure the safety of every citizen of the state. Jai Hind!," he added.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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Pakistan ready to 'wrap' tensions if India de-escalates, says Defence minister Khawaja Asif

07.05.25

Pakistan is ready to "wrap up" tensions with India, if New Delhi de-escalates the situation, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday.

His remarks came hours after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Asif was reported as saying by Bloomberg Television that Pakistan will only respond if attacked.

"We have been saying all along in the last fortnight that we’ll never initiate anything hostile towards India. But if we're attacked, we'll respond. If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension," he said.

Regarding the possibility of talks, the minister said he was not aware of any such potential engagements.

Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.

Speaking at a press briefing in Islamabad, Khawaja said, "Pakistan does not seek war. Our forces are prepared, but we are equally prepared to exercise restraint — conditional on India ceasing its current military campaign. If India stops, so will we," Asif said.

“There are reports that India may strike at any point along the LoC. New Delhi will be given a befitting reply,” the minister told reporters in Islamabad, PTI reported.

Asif also said Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked for an international probe into the Pahalgam attack.

“Such a probe would expose whether India itself or any internal group was involved, and clarify the truth behind New Delhi’s baseless allegations,” Asif added.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only operational land border crossing at Attari and downgrading of diplomatic ties.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is committed to taking “firm and decisive” action against terrorists and their backers.

PM Modi has also given “complete operational freedom” to the country's top defence brass to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the attack.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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India rejects OIC statement on Pahalgam attack, calls it absurd

May 6, 2025

India on Tuesday rejected the statement from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the Pahalgam terror attack, saying the ‘absurd’ statement issued at the behest of Pakistan refuses to recognise the facts of the assault and its cross-border linkages.

‘’This is yet another attempt by Pakistan, a country that has long engaged in cross-border terrorism, to manipulate and misguide the OIC Group to issue a self-serving statement. We reject the OIC’s interference on matters that are internal to India,’’ MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Earlier, the OIC once again sought to shield Islamabad in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack while expressing deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in South Asia and calling for restraint and the urgent resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan.

In a statement, the General Secretariat of the 57-member body of Islamic nations stressed the need to resolve differences through peaceful means in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter to safeguard peace, security and stability in South Asia.

It reiterated what it called the OIC’s principled and consistent position condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

The OIC also recalled the decisions of the Islamic Summit and the resolutions adopted by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers reaffirming its unwavering support for the Jammu and Kashmir ‘question’.

The General Secretariat of the OIC urged the international community to intensify efforts to find a solution to the J&K issue in line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The OIC underscored the importance of sustained commitment to a peaceful settlement of the issue.

Source: thestatesman.com

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South Asia

 

Hefazat-e-Islam Alleged "Extremist Feminists Have Been Unleashed" In Bangladesh

 May 7, 2025

The six women, including cultural activists and NCP leaders, who on May 5 served a legal notice on Hefazat-e-Islam over derogatory remarks against women during a rally, yesterday welcomed the Islamist group's expression of regret.

They, however, voiced concerns over parts of Hefazat's press release, which included assertions saying they reject the "Western agenda of turning women into commodities" and will not tolerate any "excesses regarding religious issues".

Hefazat further alleged that "extremist feminists have been unleashed" in society.

Criticising such framing, the women, in a new statement, urged Hefazat-e-Islam to move away from such labelling.

"We respectfully urge them to engage in dialogue with women through talks or public debates. Gender equality is by no means a Western agenda.

"All must coexist in society in their own capacity; that is the norm," they said in the statement, adding that they hope Hefazat leaders will refine and sharpen their understanding.

They also said it is inappropriate to question women's roles and create undue social pressure.

"Women played a crucial role in the downfall of the authoritarian regime. That is why we believe that, even in times of disagreement, maintaining the space for dialogue is essential and such dialogue will lead us toward a future social contract based on mutual respect and inclusion," it added.

They also said the legal notice they sent would be considered withdrawn after Hefazat informs their lawyer about its statement of regret.

"We hope the new Bangladesh will belong to all its people. We appreciate and welcome this act of expressing regret as a constructive step forward," the statement concludes.

On May 5, the six women served the legal notice on Hefazat for verbally abusing women in public during a rally on May 3 in the capital's Suhrawardy Udyan.

The rally was held to to press home Hefazat's demands, which included the dissolution of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission.

Filed through Advocate Palash, the notice was signed by three cultural figures -- Umme Rayhana, Umme Farhana and Camellia Sharmin Chura -- and NCP leaders Syeda Nilima Dola, Dyuti Aranya Chowdhury and Neela Afroze.

The notice sought an explanation within seven days as to why a defamation case should not be filed against Hefazat-e-Islam.

In response to the legal notice, Hefazat-e-Islam yesterday expressed regret over the use of "unexpected and offensive" language by two speakers at the rally.

In an official statement to the media, the group's Joint Secretary General, Azizul Haque Islamabadi, clarified that Hefazat does not endorse such "undesirable" remarks.

Source: thedailystar.net

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Hefazat regrets offensive language at May 3 rally

May 7, 2025

Hefazat-e-Islam has expressed regret over the use of unexpected and offensive language by two speakers at its May 3 grand rally at Suhrawardy Udyan.

In an official statement to the media yesterday, Hefazat's Joint Secretary General, Azizul Haque Islamabadi, said the two speakers in question unexpectedly used offensive rhetoric, which Hefazat finds undesirable and does not approve of.

"We do not endorse the use of inappropriate language at the grand rally. We offer our sincere regret to those who were hurt.

"At the same time, we call upon those from the so-called 'secular-progressive camp' who constantly mock Islamic scholars and clerics with hateful labels like 'Jongi' [terrorist or militant], 'Moulobadi' [fundamentalist], 'religious exploiters', and 'communal' to refrain from such offensive terms."

Azizul said, "The very notion that we harbour hatred towards women is absurd. Portraying an ideological battle as 'hatred towards women' is sheer ignorance."

He added that Hefazat is willing to engage in reform efforts to protect women's legitimate rights in accordance with their respective religious laws.

"However, from the outset, a women's affairs reform commission was formed by sidelining Islamic clerics and other religious scholars and instead including a group of NGO-fuelled feminists."

He said that Hefazat's role in expanding female literacy through free education and accommodation at Qawmi madrasas is often overlooked.

"Our work benefits thousands of underprivileged girls every year without any government funding."

Azizul alleged that the portrayal of religious scholars as misogynists is part of a long-running political campaign.

"We believe imperialist forces are using radical feminist groups to discredit us, as our religious stance is seen as an obstacle to their agenda of commodifying women under modern systems."

He warned that Hefazat would not tolerate any excesses regarding religious issues.

Source: thedailystar.net

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Beradar discusses bilateral economic cooperation with UAE special envoy

May 7, 2025

KABUL: Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, met with Saif Mohammad Al Ketbi, the United Arab Emirates’ Special Envoy to Afghanistan, discussing the strengthening of bilateral relations, his office said in a statement Tuesday.

During the meeting, both sides also discussed the enhancement of bilateral economic relations, the statement said.

Speaking at the meeting, Mullah Beradar emphasized that Afghanistan is a country rich in natural resources, and the Islamic Emirate is actively working to attract investment in these resources to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

He further noted that UAE investors have a wide range of opportunities to invest in Afghanistan across various sectors.

Meanwhile, UAE’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan announced plans to organize a conference in Kabul for Emirati (UAE) investors and traders.

He stated: “The conference would focus on discussing investment projects aimed at driving economic development in Afghanistan.”

According to the statement, the Qatari envoy expressed his country’s interest in investing in Afghanistan’s railway and road infrastructure sectors.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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Vision is to establish Maldives as a key financial centre focused on Islamic Finance, driven by digital economic transformation: President

07 May 202

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that his Administration’s vision is to establish the Maldives as a key financial centre focused on Islamic Finance, driven by digital economic transformation.

He made these remarks while speaking at the launching ceremony of the Maldives Islamic Social Finance Initiative on Wednesday morning.

The President noted that the launch of the Maldives Islamic Social Finance Initiative is inspired by the forthcoming National Financial Inclusion Strategy and marks a strategic step forward in advancing the nation’s development agenda. He emphasised that the Maldives’ unified identity is grounded in enduring values of compassion, justice, and social equity — principles that form the essence of Islamic social finance and which this initiative seeks to uphold.

He stressed that the initiative should not be seen merely as a programme, but as a call for collective action.

President Dr Muizzu expressed optimism that this initiative would foster critical partnerships between the financial sector and civil society organisations to address the diverse needs of society.

Concluding his remarks, the President announced that the National Master Plan and Roadmap for Islamic Economics and Finance is currently underway with the assistance of the Islamic Development Bank. He stated that the Master Plan would outline a comprehensive ecosystem for Islamic Finance and digital innovation in the Maldives. To support this bold vision, the Government is committed to legal reforms to optimise the current legal framework.

During the event, the President also inaugurated the Maldives Monetary Authority’s Islamic Social Finance research report and received a ‘commitment letter’ from the Bank of Maldives and Maldives Islamic Bank.

Source: presidency.gov.mv

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https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/33670

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ITAK makes comeback in North, Muslim parties in East

7 May 2025

The National People's Power (NPP), which ate into the heartlands of the traditional Tamil and Muslim parties in the North and the East, has suffered a setback this time.

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) has outperformed the NPP in most local areas in the North. The other Tamil parties, such as the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) and tbe All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), have also made strides in the North.

Besides,  the Muslim parties - the All Ceylon Makkal Congress and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) - have secured several councils in the Eastern Province.

Source: dailymirror.lk

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https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/ITAK-makes-comeback-in-North-Muslim-parties-in-East/108-308305

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Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor Meets Chinese Ambassador to Discuss Energy Projects

2025-05-06

KABUL(BNA): Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor, Minister of Energy and Water, held a meeting with Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan, in Kabul to discuss the ongoing collaboration in water and energy initiatives.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Water and Energy, the two officials focused on the expansion and continuation of key projects, including the Baghdara Dam in Kapisa Province and a 20-megawatt solar power project in Bamyan Province. Additionally, they addressed the implementation of various solar energy projects across other provinces.

Minister Mansoor emphasized the urgency of addressing the energy needs in Uruzgan and Paktia, requesting China’s support for the establishment of 10-megawatt and 5-megawatt solar projects in these regions. In response, Ambassador Zhao assured that China would enhance its cooperation in advancing energy development initiatives in Afghanistan.

Currently, geophysical and geotechnical studies for the Baghdara Dam are being conducted by a Chinese firm, with practical work on the Bamyan solar project anticipated to commence shortly.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Bangladesh Turns ToChina As US Funding Cuts Imperil Millions Of Lives

06 May 2025

DHAKA, May 6 — Bangladesh hoped to celebrate progress towards eradicating tuberculosis this year, having already slashed the numbers dying from the preventable and curable disease by tens of thousands each year.

Instead, it is reeling from a US$48 million snap aid cut by US President Donald Trump’s government, which health workers say could rapidly unravel years of hard work and cause huge numbers of preventable deaths.

“Doctors told me I was infected with a serious kind of tuberculosis,” labourer Mohammed Parvej, 35, told AFP from his hospital bed after he received life-saving treatment from medics funded by the US aid who identified his persistent hacking cough.

But full treatment for his multidrug-resistant tuberculosis requires more than a year of hospital care and a laborious treatment protocol – and that faces a deeply uncertain future.

“Bangladesh is among the seven most TB-prevalent countries globally, and we aim to eradicate it by 2035,” said Ayesha Akhter, deputy director of the formerly US-funded specialised TB Hospital treating Parvej in the capital Dhaka.

Bangladesh had made significant progress against the infectious bacteria, spread by spitting and sneezing, leaving people exhausted and sometimes coughing blood.

TB deaths dropped from more than 81,000 a year in 2010, down to 44,000 in 2023, according to the World Health Organization, in the country of some 170 million people.

Akhter said the South Asian nation had “been implementing a robust programme”, supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Then, one fine morning, USAID pulled out their assistance,” she said.

Starving children

More than 80 per cent of humanitarian programmes funded by USAID worldwide have been scrapped.

Tariful Islam Khan said the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) had, with US funding, carried out mass screening “improving TB case detection, particularly among children” from 2020 to 2024.

“Thanks to the support of the American people... the project has screened 52 million individuals and diagnosed over 148,000 TB cases, including 18,000 children,” he said.

Funding cuts threatened to stall the work.

“This work is critical not only for the health of millions of Bangladeshis, but also for global TB control efforts,” he said.

Growing rates of infectious diseases in one nation have a knock-on impact in the region.

Cuts hit further than TB alone.

“USAID was everywhere in the health sector,” said Nurjahan Begum, health adviser to the interim government – which is facing a host of challenges after a mass uprising toppled the former regime last year.

US aid was key to funding vaccines combatting a host of other diseases, protecting 2.3 million children against diphtheria, measles, polio and tetanus.

“I am particularly worried about the immunisation programme,” Begum said.

“If there is a disruption, the success we have achieved in immunisation will be jeapordised.” Bangladeshi scientists have also developed a special feeding formula for starving children. That too has been stalled.

“We had just launched the programme,” Begum said. “Many such initiatives have now halted”.

Pivot to China

US State Department official Audrey M. Happ said that Washington was “committed” to ensuring aid was “aligned with the interests of the United States, and that resources are used as effectively and efficiently as possible”.

Bangladesh, whose economy and key garment industry are eyeing fearfully the end of the 90-day suspension of Trump’s punishing 37 per cent tariffs, is looking for other supporters.

Some Arab nations had expressed interest in helping fill the gap in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

China, as well as Turkey, may also step into Washington’s shoes, Begum said.

Jobs are gone too, with Dhaka’s Daily Star newspaper estimating that between 30,000 and 40,000 people were laid off after the United States halted funding.

Zinat Ara Afroze, fired along with 54 colleagues from Save the Children, said she worried for those she had dedicated her career to helping.

“I have seen how these projects have worked improving the life and livelihoods of underprivileged communities,” she said, citing programmes ranging from food to health, environmental protection to democracy.

“A huge number of this population will be in immediate crisis.”

Babies dying

Those with the least have been hit the hardest.

Less dollars for aid means more sick and dead among the Rohingya refugees who fled civil war in their home in neighbouring Myanmar into Bangladesh since 2017.

Much of the US aid was delivered through the UN’s WHO and UNICEF children’s agency.

WHO official Salma Sultana said aid cuts ramped up risks of “uncontrolled outbreaks” of diseases including cholera in the squalid refugee camps.

Faria Selim, from UNICEF, said reduced health services would impact the youngest Rohingya the hardest, especially some 160,000 children under five.

Hepatitis C, with a prevalence rate of nearly a fifth, “is likely to increase in 2025”, Selim said.

Masaki Watabe, who runs the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Bangladesh working to improve reproductive and maternal health, said it was “trying its best to continue”.

Closed clinics and no pay for midwives meant the risk of babies and mothers dying had shot up.

“Reduced donor funding has led to... increasing the risk of preventable maternal and newborn deaths,” he said. — AFP

Source: malaymail.com

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ACC summons Hasina over alleged corruption in airport development projects

May 7, 2025

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has summoned ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former state minister for civil aviation and tourism Md Mahbub Ali, and former secretary of the same ministry Mokammel Hossain in connection with corruption allegations.

On May 5, ACC headquarters sent separate letters, asking the three to appear before it on May 8 and submit their statements over the allegations of the embezzlement of thousands of crores of taka in the name of development work at various airports during the tenure of the Awami League government.

According to the sources at the ACC, the summon letter for Hasina was sent to both her Dhanmondi residence, Sudha Sadan, and her permanent address in Tungipara, Gopalganj.

The summon letters for the two others were also sent to the respective individuals' addresses in Dhaka and their hometowns.

Among those summoned, Mahbub Ali has already been arrested, while Hasina is currently in India and Mokammel Hossain is officially absconding, according to reports.

Source: thedailystar.net

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EC registration: SC to resume hearing on Jamaat’s appeal on May 13

May 7, 2025

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today fixed May 13 for resuming hearing on Jamaat-e-Islami's appeal against a High Court verdict that scrapped its registration with the Election Commission as a political party.

A full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed set the date following a prayer from Jamaat's lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir.

The HC on August 1, 2013 scrapped the Jamaat's registration with the EC as a political party following a writ petition. Maulana Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri, secretary general of the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, along with 24 others, filed the petition on January 25, 2009, seeking its order declaring the Jamaat's registration illegal.

The EC scrapped the Jamaat's registration in October 2018, ahead of the 11th national election.

Then Jamaat filed the appeal with the Appellate Division challenging the HC judgment.

The Appellate Division started hearing of the appeal on December 3 last year.

Source: thedailystar.net

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Arab World

 

Bangladeshi leader sends letter to Saudi crown prince about bilateral relations

ARAB NEWS

May 06, 2025

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a letter on Tuesday from the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus.

The Bangladeshi ambassador to the Kingdom, Delwar Hossain, presented the letter, which addressed relations between Riyadh and Dhaka, to Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji.

During their meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday, the envoy and the deputy minister discussed ways to strengthen ties between their countries in various sectors.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia showcases heritage, digital innovation at Jusoor expo in Kosovo

ARAB NEWS

May 06, 2025

RIYADH: The sixth Jusoor exhibition, organized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs at Skanderbeg Square in Pristina, Kosovo, is attracting a large number of visitors daily.

The exhibition’s introductory section showcases Al-Masmak Fort and Saudi coffee, highlighting authentic Saudi heritage and hospitality.

The technology pavilion at the 10-day event has attracted significant interest for its modern digital innovations highlighting the Kingdom’s technical progress, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

It includes several ministry-developed applications, notably the Correct Citation app, which features a smart keyboard that accurately integrates Qur’anic verses and Prophetic hadiths, and allows them to be shared as text or images.

The 3D Hajj and Umrah app offers a virtual experience simulating pilgrimage rituals in multiple languages, while the Rushd app provides a comprehensive digital library with books and Islamic content in 51 languages.

Attendees praised the Kingdom’s efforts in serving Islam and promoting moderation, the SPA reported.

Visitors also received detailed information about the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj and Umrah, and its role in serving pilgrims.

Additionally, VR technology allows visitors to explore rare photos of Makkah and historic mosques, offering an engaging interactive experience of the Kingdom’s history and holy sites.

The ministry recently concluded the fifth Jusoor exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia, which welcomed more than 1.25 million visitors from diverse backgrounds.

The 10-day exhibition at Istiqlal Mosque was one of the largest cultural and advocacy events organized by the ministry outside the Kingdom.

Saudi officials also distributed more than 150,000 copies of Qur’an, printed and translated into Indonesian by the King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex in Madinah.

Indonesian visitors praised the exhibition for its blend of spiritual and cultural themes, strong organization, and diverse, informative content.

Source: arabnews.com

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What’s the matcha with everyone? The beloved green tea powder hits mainstream in Saudi Arabia

WAAD HUSSAIN

May 06, 2025

RIYADH: Once a niche ceremonial tea in Japan, matcha is now gaining mainstream popularity in Saudi Arabia, thanks to a growing interest in wellness trends, evolving taste preferences, and the rise of mindful living.

The data backs the trend. According to a recent report by IMARC Group, Saudi Arabia’s green tea market, which includes matcha, was valued at $140.14 million and is projected to grow to $229.24 million by 2033.

Imports of packaged green tea nearly doubled in value between 2020 and 2023, suggesting a growing appetite for premium, health-focused drinks.

That growing demand is reflected on cafe menus and social media feeds across the Kingdom. Matcha lattes, once limited to specialty coffee shops, are now a fixture at trendy cafes and home kitchens alike.

Whether it’s served iced in sleek glass cups or whisked at home with oat milk, matcha is more than a drink. It’s a mood, a personal statement, and for many, a healthier way to start the day.

In Dammam, 19-year-old Sara Anas remembers her first taste of matcha back in 2019. “My dad likes trying new things,” she said. “It didn’t taste that great at first, but when matcha became popular in 2021, I got excited to try it again from local cafes.”

Now, she drinks it almost daily. “It might sound strange, but I don’t feel like it’s heavy on my body like coffee. It makes me feel more relaxed and gives me energy in a better way.”

Anas is part of a growing demographic. In Riyadh, 26-year-old Amal Al-Mutairi starts every morning with matcha. “I prefer it iced with vanilla milk to make the flavor smoother and lighter,” she said.

For her, the appeal began with reading about its benefits. “It gives me calm energy without the jitters or crash I usually feel after drinking coffee. It also helps me focus for longer periods.”

That calm, focused energy — often described as a “cleaner” caffeine experience — has made matcha especially popular among students and professionals.

For Anas, it’s a campus essential. “It’s a must before classes! It gives me the energy to continue my day at uni,” she said.

But matcha is more than functional. It’s become a lifestyle, embraced for both its wellness claims and its visual charm.

Globally, matcha’s rise is part of a broader wellness boom. Japan’s matcha production rose 185 percent from 2010 to 2023, and demand is now so high that suppliers are warning of shortages. Japan’s top growers have begun limiting exports to meet domestic needs.

Matcha’s health appeal is not just hype. Rich in antioxidants — especially a compound called EGCG — studies suggest it may reduce inflammation, support cardiovascular health, and aid cognitive function.

A recent Saudi study also found that over half of the participants believed matcha could help with weight management and blood sugar balance.

Still, experts note that moderation matters. Excessive matcha consumption may interfere with iron absorption and isn’t recommended for everyone.

The ritual of preparing matcha, especially for those who make it themselves, has become part of a broader shift toward slow, intentional living — something many young Saudis are leaning into.

That ritual is deeply personal for 27-year-old Leen Al-Zamil, who turned matcha from curiosity into a daily indulgence. “I was curious at first and honestly, I hated it so much, but I think (that’s) because it was hot,” she said. “I liked it cold with vanilla syrup and oat milk. I definitely can’t drink it alone.”

Now, she can’t go a day without it. “Sometimes twice or more,” she said. “I like its color … I enjoy every step of making it, and it just tastes so good. It brightens my mood.”

Al-Zamil is not the only one who sees matcha as more than just a drink.

For 28-year-old Mona Abdullah, matcha represents healing. “As someone who suffers from IBS, coffee tends to affect me for a while, whereas matcha provides steady energy without causing any discomfort,” she said. “I’ve stopped drinking coffee for the past three months. I now believe that matcha is a better source of caffeine compared to black coffee.”

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common digestive condition. Many people with IBS find that coffee, with its acidity and high caffeine content, can trigger discomfort, making gentler alternatives like matcha a preferred choice.

Abdullah drinks it twice a day, iced, and without any added flavors. “Health,” she says, is what made her switch.

Still, matcha’s appeal goes beyond health — it’s also about aesthetics and culture. “I think it’s a mix of everything,” said Al-Mutairi. “The health benefits, the taste, and yes, the aesthetic.”

Anas echoed that idea, noting that people’s motivations vary. “For me, it’s for its health benefits and for the taste. You don’t usually get a healthy drink with a good taste,” she said. “But I think there are a lot of people who drink it just for the aesthetic. You see them adding hundreds of syrups just to say they drink matcha.”

That blend of wellness and image — serious health meets playful branding — has fueled matcha’s surge on social media. With its bright green hue, minimalist packaging, and frequent cameos in cafe selfies, matcha has become the drink of the “soft life” movement, one that prioritizes peace, balance, and pleasure.

“It’s definitely the vibe and the taste,” said Al-Zamil.

In a country where coffee culture runs deep, matcha is not replacing tradition; it’s offering something new: a blend of taste, lifestyle, and personal meaning, one bright green cup at a time.

Source: arabnews.com

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Riyadh hospital advances breast tumor diagnosis

May 06, 2025

RIYADH: The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh has implemented an advanced interventional technique to diagnose breast tumors that conventional imaging cannot detect.

It enables physicians to obtain precise biopsy samples during the same visit, accelerating diagnosis and allowing earlier treatment, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The shift addresses recent cases where certain breast abnormalities were only visible through contrast-enhanced imaging, leading the hospital to adopt contrast-enhanced mammography as a precise clinical tool.

Previously, the standard protocol required a separate MRI-guided biopsy after initial imaging, often resulting in redundant procedures, greater patient burden, higher costs and treatment delays.

In contrast, the new CEM-guided approach allows immediate, accurate tissue sampling during the same session, eliminating the need for additional appointments.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi crown prince receives phone call from Iraqi PM

May 06, 2025

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Tuesday.

During the call, they reviewed relations between their countries and ways to strengthen them in various fields, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Source: arabnews.com

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New Saudi initiative focuses on water efficiency

May 06, 2025

RIYADH: A new project launched in Riyadh aims to optimize water use and conserve resources, aligning with Vision 2030 goals, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

Khaled Al-Abdulkader, CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, and Yazeed Al-Asheikh, vice president for graduate studies and scientific research at King Saud University, launched the project.

It will estimate water needs of native species like haloxylon persicum, ziziphus spina-christi, calligonum comosum, and vachellia gerrardii in Riyadh and Qassim.

The project will also evaluate the impact of biochar on water efficiency and sustainable growth, according to the SPA.

Additionally, it will assess carbon storage potential of native species in Riyadh and Qassim, as well as mangroves in Asir and Jazan, across various ecosystems.

At the launch, the team presented the project’s objectives, phases, and expected outcomes. Field visits have begun to identify key locations and plant communities.

The center continues to implement initiatives to establish sustainable vegetation cover throughout the Kingdom, including conservation, ecosystem rehabilitation, biodiversity restoration, rangeland management, and the protection of natural resources.

Source: arabnews.com

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Europe

 

The Divides Behind the Scenes in The Vatican Ahead ofthe Conclave

May 07, 2025

The Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse has 128 rooms. From 7 May, it will be filled with cardinals participating in the conclave to elect the next Pope. But one room in the guesthouse is still sealed with a red ribbon, as it has been since its occupant died there on Easter Monday.

That suite will only be reopened when the new pope is chosen. The ribbon remains a tangible reminder of the man whose shoes the cardinals are looking to fill – but Pope Francis' presence looms large over this conclave in many profound ways.

He spent 12 years in the role and appointed around 80% of the cardinals who will select his successor. He also looked to radically shake up the workings of the Catholic Church, moving its centre of gravity away from its hierarchy at the Vatican in the direction of the rank-and-file faithful all over the world, and focused on the poor and marginalised.

My conversations with cardinals and those assessing the needs of the Church in the days leading to this papal election almost always end up looking at what is required through the prism of what Pope Francis did in the role.

While in recent days there appears to have been a growing coalescence around the idea that Francis' work should be built on, some of his critics remain far from convinced. So might there be enough of them to sway the vote as the Church attempts to reconcile the different outlooks and realities it faces around the globe?

A most diverse conclave

During the two weeks that followed the Pope's death, the cardinals met almost daily at the Vatican for pre-conclave gatherings known as general congregations.

While the conclave in the Sistine Chapel is limited to cardinals who haven't yet reached the age of 80 (133 will participate in this one), these preliminary meetings are open to all 252 cardinals. Each attendee was given up to five minutes to air their views, though we know that some took longer.

It was during such a meeting ahead of the last conclave of 2013, in a speech lasting less than four minutes, that Pope Francis - then known as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina - made an impact, talking of a need to connect with those in the far reaches of the Catholic world.

As Pope, he made a conscious drive to appoint cardinals from such places. It is why this is the most diverse conclave there has ever been. For the first time Cape Verde, Haiti, South Sudan, Tonga, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and Rwanda will be represented.

That diversity has already made its mark: the pre-conclave meetings are said to have brought to the fore just how different the needs of the Church appear to be depending on where in the world they are viewed.

In Europe, for example, a primary consideration for some might be finding ways to reinvigorate and make relevant the mission of the Church in the face of shrinking congregations, whereas elsewhere - in African or Asian countries - concerns may revolve around social issues, poverty and conflict resolution.

A prospective pope is likely to be one who has at least shown recognition of those very different realities.

Spiritual leader, statesman, global influencer

The official titles that the new pope will inherit gives a sense of the breadth of the role: Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City among them.

While some relate to the deeply spiritual, the last of those titles suggests the need for a statesman too, given that the pope is leader of a country, albeit the world's smallest.

"Unlike your average state, the agenda of the Vatican is driven to an extent by where the pope reigning at the time puts their emphasis," says Chris Trott, British ambassador to the Holy See. "On the face of it a very tiny state, [but it is] one that punches many, many times above its weight.

"And Pope Francis had 50 million followers on Twitter, so [it is] a very, very small state and an incredible global influencer."

Pope Francis chose to amplify this part of the role, becoming a powerful global spokesman on behalf of those on the margins, including the poor and victims of war.

He also tried to play the role of peacemaker, though not everyone thought he was successful in that regard, in relation to China and Russia in particular.

According to Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the most senior Catholic figure in England and Wales, this expansion of the role is one reason so many even outside the faith are invested in the outcome of the conclave.

"There is a sense that the Pope in the person of Pope Francis became a figure who addressed everybody in the world… religious people and even those who do not have a religious affiliation," he says.

"I'm more and more aware that it's not just Catholics who are interested in this."

Confusion around Pope Francis' vision

For many voting cardinals, it is primarily issues within the Catholic Church that are under the spotlight, which brings about the question of the type of pope they want as a manager, and someone who runs the Church's administrative body and its ministries.

While Pope Francis worked on improving the way the Church deals with the huge issues of sexual abuse and of financial corruption, it is his successor who will have to ensure that reforms are evenly applied across the Catholic world.

Even supporters of Pope Francis' efforts to make changes to the way the Church relates to its rank-and-file believers, and the way he built bridges with those outside the faith, were sometimes left confused about how exactly he envisioned things should work.

Pope Francis changed the tone on social issues through comments he made, talking openly about subjects ranging from climate change to financial transparency within the Vatican. But throughout his papacy, some were unclear about what he meant or how it would be applied.

One mission he had was to take some of the power and decision-making away from the Vatican hierarchy and into the hands of rank-and-file Catholics.

Over nearly four years, at great effort, he commissioned what was, in effect, a poll of many of the world's Catholics to find out what mattered to them. Lay people were invited to participate in the most recent bishop's conference where the results of the survey were discussed.

The biggest issues raised related to greater roles for women in the running of the church and welcoming LGBT+ Catholics. But the meeting ended in some confusion, with little in the form of tangible steps forward and little clarity as to how lay people will help steer the future direction of the Church.

So, there is a general keenness for greater clarity from the new pope.

An ugly divide: supporters and detractors

Throughout his pontificate, some vocal traditionalists opposed what they saw as Pope Francis straying from Church teaching and long-standing tradition.

In the pre-conclave meetings of cardinals, a number of those over the age of 80 (who because of their age would not be involved in voting) took the opportunity to play their part.

Most contributions remained secret, but one that was reported was that of 83-year-old Italian cardinal, Beniamino Stella. He criticised Pope Francis for "imposing his own ideas" by attempting to move Church governance away from the clergy.

And yet during the homily, or religious speech, at Pope Francis' funeral, what appeared to resonate with the public in attendance – judging by the volume of the applause – was talk of the themes Francis chose to champion: the dignity of migrants, an end to war, and the environment.

This applause would have been heard loud and clear by the rows of cardinals.

In some senses, Pope Francis did have clarity in focusing on the Church being relevant to people in their daily lives and, indeed, their struggles. He was clear about connecting with the world outside the faith too.

"There is a sense that in the voice of the pope, there's a voice of something that is needed," says Cardinal Nichols. "For some people it's a moral compass, for some people it's the sense of being accepted, for some people it's the insistence that we must look at things from the point of view of the poorest.

"That's a voice that has fallen silent and our task is to find someone who can carry that forward."

From the death of Pope Francis to the moment cardinals checked into the Santa Marta guesthouse and its overflow residences, there appeared to be a trend towards a desire for continuity of what Pope Francis had achieved.

Though perhaps that vision of continuity is one that could bring along more of his sceptics, in a way that was pragmatic. The word "unity" has been talked of a lot, after a period where the divides between supporters and detractors of the Pope's vision could sometimes become ugly.

But in the end, when they step into the Sistine Chapel, the holiest of voting chambers, for all the pragmatism they may have taken into consideration before they cast their ballot, they will be urged to let God and the Holy Spirit guide them.

Source: bbc.com

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Britain must act against the Muslim Brotherhood for sake of Jews and Muslims

By GHANEM NUSIEBEH

May 6, 2025

Last month, the self-style International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) issued a fatwa calling for a global jihad against Israel. The fatwa, posted on the Union’s X account amongst other platforms, states that supporting the “resistance” – in reference to Hamas, “militarily, financially, politically and legally” is a duty on Muslims. The post remains accessible on X. This is not the first time the IUMS backed Hamas, but it is the first time such an explicit and open call to arms is issued as a fatwa aimed at Muslims around the world.

The first clause of the fatwa is directed at Muslims in Muslim countries, calls on Muslims to “fight with weapons” against the “occupation in Palestine”. Clause 4 says that it is “a religious duty to support the resistance militarily, financially, politically and legally”. Unlike the clause calling for actively fighting Israel, this clause does not restrict the fatwa to Muslims in Muslims countries, thereby implicitly applying it to Muslims world-wide.  Egypt’s Dar al Ifta – the official religious institution that issues fatwas in Egypt and widely accepted across the Sunni Muslim world as the pre-eminent religious authority, condemned the IUMS fatwa saying it would lead to chaos, and went on to say that the IUMS is not entitled to issue fatwas that cross political territories.

The Union was founded by Yusuf Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of Muslim Brotherhood who was banned from entering Britain for his extremist views. Whilst Qaradawi was banned from Britain, his various organisations and disciples continue to incite and undermine British national security. In the immediate aftermath of the 7 October terrorist attacks by Hamas, even before the ugly and reprehensible Israeli response to those attacks that claimed many innocent Palestinian lives, the IUMS provided a platform for Hamas’s leaders in a direct support of the 7 October attacks. Hamas was being feted by the IUMS.

The Union’s latest fatwa is a direct call for Muslims including in Britain to break British law. Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation and supporting it is a punishable offence in the UK. As Muslims fighting extremism and antisemitism, this call makes our efforts even harder than they already are. We cannot fight antisemitism when resource-rich organisations like Muslim Brotherhood and their friends, associates and affiliates are allowed to spew their poisonous venom of promoting extremism without being challenged.

Whilst the Union is not officially part of the Muslim Brotherhood, it has links to it. It was founded by one of the most notorious spiritual leaders of the MB. If the MB had a fatwa council, it would look like IUMS.

Regardless of the organisational link between the IUMS and the MB, they represent identical ideology. This is not the first time the Muslim Brotherhood or organisations directly or indirectly linked to it tried to influence and radicalise British, and European Muslims. In 2019, the European Council for Fatwa and Research, another organisation that was then also headed by Qaradawi, published an app it called “Euro Fatwa App”, with antisemitic content.

After a campaign that I was proudly part of, Apple Store removed the app which was later re-instated after the extremist content was removed. Now, this latest fatwa goes a step further. It is no different than Khomeini’s fatwa against Salman Rushdie, except that this new fatwa has a much larger reach and potential harm.

In 2021, the British government proscribed Hamas, the Palestinian branch of Muslim Brotherhood. Now is the time for a proscription of Muslim Brotherhood in its entirety. The global Muslim Brotherhood has recently embarked on a global effort to spread its extremist ideology. Last month, Jordan banned Muslim Brotherhood in its entirety for plotting to commit terrorist acts and undermine Jordan, a key ally of Britain. In Sudan, the Muslim Brotherhood has penetrated the Sudanese army, that has been building stronger links to Iran and Russia, another clear threat to Britain.

The 2015 British government report into the Muslim Brotherhood did not lead to the government proscribing the organisation. The view then was that the MB operated differently in different countries and that the conclusion was that the MB should not be proscribed at the time. Ten years later, the MB are rapidly changing their modus operandi. The MB are no longer working as discrete national cells but are increasingly working towards a global goal, at the heart of which is the use of violence.

The British government also has an urgent duty to investigate the IUMS and its links to Muslim Brotherhood.

Muslim Brotherhood continues in its attempts to radicalise Muslims around the world, including Britain. This leads to further alienation of British Muslims, the vast majority of whom reject the Brotherhood’s ideology. By refusing to act decisively against Muslim Brotherhood, the British government encourages those forces of darkness to continue to penetrate and radicalise Britain’s Muslim, threatening not only Britain’s Muslims, but also Britain’s Jewish community.

With Muslim Brotherhood engaged on a global effort to radicalise and incite, sitting idly by is no longer an option.

Ghanem Nusiebeh is chair of Muslims Against Antisemitism

Source: jewishnews.co.uk

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Australian Muslim Voters Say Election Delivered Strong Message Despite Labor Landslide

By Erwin Renaldi

May 07, 2025

Muslim Australian Hawraa put Labor last on her ballot paper for the first time at this year's federal election.

Hawraa, who only wants to be identified by her first name, said she wanted to send Labor a message: "Do not take us for granted."

A voter in the Victorian electorate of Wills, Hawraa was "disappointed" at news Labor's Peter Khalil had been re-elected in the Melbourne seat, narrowly defeating a challenge from Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam.

Despite the result, Hawraa said the close race and first preference vote swing towards Ms Ratnam gave her hope, and showed the Muslim community was energised.

"We've learned a lot from this time, and it is only the start of the mobilisation of the community and of the Muslim community," Hawraa said.

Many Australian Muslims have told the ABC they feel "betrayed" by the government's response to the war in Gaza and a surge in Islamophobia at home.

Advocacy group Muslim Votes Matter targeted federal seats across Australia during the campaign and despite Labor's landslide win, a closer inspection of the results told a more nuanced story, said the group's spokesperson Ghaith Krayem.

"When we look at those electorates, those seats where we targeted our effort, a different picture emerges," said Mr Krayem.

He pointed to the Wills and Calwell electorates in Victoria that recorded swings in primary votes away from Labor candidates.

"There's no doubt in our mind what was different [in those two seats] was the mobilisation of our community."

NSW results 'mind-blowing'

In the two electorates with the largest Muslim population nationally, Watson and Blaxland in New South Wales, Muslim Votes Matter and a second, unaffiliated lobby group, The Muslim Vote, endorsed two independent candidates.

In Watson, the groups backed Muslim candidate Ziad Bassyouny to run against Labor's Tony Burke.

In Blaxland, Ahmed Ouf ran against another Labor incumbent, Jason Clare.

While neither independent won, and Labor retained both seats, the pair did secure a lot of first preference votes, said Mr Krayem.

"For Ahmed to get 19 per cent primary, and for Ziad to get almost 17 per cent on primary, that is a significant achievement," he said.

"They've set themselves up really well for the next election."

Zakaria Wahid, Islamic Council of Victoria chief executive, said the primary vote results were "mind-blowing".

"They [the candidates] did not exist until this election; we're not talking about independents [who] have been around for years and years," said Mr Wahid.

Those results showed the Muslim community mobilised for this federal election like never before, he added.

"There's a growing push and a growing number of people that are becoming part of this voting bloc".

Among them is Shiraz, a second-generation migrant, who lives in the Victorian seat of Scullin and has traditionally voted Labor.

For the first time at a federal election, Shiraz voted differently.

Shiraz, who also only wants to be known by his first name, said he preferenced Greens first, followed by independent candidates.

"We want the government to hear our voices and concerns, not take our votes and support for granted," he said.

He added he also wanted to break down the long-standing dominance of two major parties.

Shiraz believed the major parties had not done enough to support Palestinian people and were too complacent in relation to Gaza.

Hawraa, who is from southern Lebanon, said her community also felt "completely neglected and ignored".

She said the community was disappointed that Australia continued to have an arms trade deal with Israel, even though the evidence suggests it is only importing, not exporting, lethal technology.

However, many Muslim community members who spoke to the ABC said the "swing against Labor" had been taking place over a long time.

They said they felt the federal government had responded more strongly to a spate of antisemitic attacks last year compared with the increased number of Islamophobia attacks.

The community members had also been calling for the government to remove the concept of "religiously motivated terrorism" from Australia's terrorism laws after six teenagers were charged with terrorism-related offences in Sydney last year.

"[But] Gaza was the largest example of how Labor has consistently become disconnected with this Muslim voter base, and especially how people feel taken advantage of," Mr Wahid said.

"Labor's lack of effort and lack of effective response to a genocide that's going on coupled with various other elements such as the rising Islamophobia … that will definitely be a factor in the minds of Muslims."

Rita Jabri Markwell, from the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network, said even though the impact of the Muslim vote was not "as strong as it could have been", Labor candidates were still left fighting to retain their seats.

"It really is a warning to those members of parliament that if they continue to ignore those voters they may be paying an even greater price at the next election," the lawyer said.

Source: abc.net.au

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Faisal Islam: Trump tariffs may have helped drive UK-India trade deal

May 07, 2025

It has long been the great prize for Britain's post-EU trade freedom - a deal with what is now the world's most populous country.

India has agreed its most generous free trade agreement with the UK, which is at the same time Britain's biggest post-Brexit trade deal.

It means a big boost for key UK exports such as whisky and cars which will see very high tariffs or taxes on imports slashed.

This is not a normal deal taking two way trade down to zero tariffs. India is a highly protectionist economy. So, while 99% of tariffs on India's exports to the UK will be eradicated, 85% of British exports will not be tariffed going to India.

But because British exports are so much higher value than Indian exports of clothing, footwear, and food, this should be worth £15bn extra for British exports and £10bn for India by 2040. This could change, though. For example, 88,000 cheaper Indian cars will now be able to be imported tariff free.

The UK government sees this as a win-win which helps exporters, creates jobs, and means lower prices for consumers. This is all part of, in Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds words, making the UK the "most connected market in the world" - with a Brexit reset, a deal with the US, "pragmatism" on China, and new deals with India, and soon the Gulf.

But there is also a much bigger picture here. This is the worlds fifth and sixth biggest economies doing a much closer deal to increase trade at a time when the top two - the US and China - are involved in a brutal trade war, and the Trump administration is tariffing everywhere.

This may be one of the reasons why this elusive deal, coveted by many previous governments, has finally got over the line. It also turns the page on decades of missed economic opportunities, given the strong historic connections between the two nations.

Source: bbc.com

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Rosenberg: Russians remember WW2 with victory on their minds

May 07, 2025

Eighty miles from Moscow, a park echoes to the sound of explosions and gunfire.

As plumes of thick grey smoke rise into the air, the Red Army storms across a bridge and battles for control of a tiny island. More Soviet soldiers are arriving by boat from across a lake.

Once on the island they tear down a swastika and replace it with the hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union. Victory.

A large crowd is watching from the safety of the shore. What they're witnessing is an historical re-enactment of one of the final battles for Berlin in 1945. It led to the capitulation of Nazi Germany and what Moscow still refers to as The Great Victory.

The battle for Berlin, unfolding in front of me in the town of Dubna, is one of many events in Russia for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War Two.

The anniversary is receiving enormous attention in a country where the national idea is built very much around the notion of Russia as victor and victim.

"I'm here because my grandfather fought in this war," one of the spectators, Katya, tells me.

"He went missing near Berlin. Much later we found out he'd been killed in January 1945."

Eighty years on Katya's son is fighting in Ukraine.

"My son is in a war now. He's in the 'special military operation'," she tells me. "He volunteered. I tried to talk him out of it. But he hasn't listened to anyone since he was a kid.

'I'm my own tsar,' he told me. 'Go fight, then, if you're a tsar,' I replied. He and his friend went together. His friend was killed."

Katya's family history is a story of different generations fighting on the front line.

But in very different circumstances.

In 1941, Hitler's Germany invaded the Soviet Union to try to conquer the world's largest country and secure world domination. Soviet soldiers (Katya's grandfather among them) fought to liberate their country from the Nazis. Victory for Moscow came at an enormous human cost: more than 27 million Soviet citizens were killed in what is known here as the Great Fatherland or Great Patriotic War.

But in 2022 it was Russia that launched a large-scale invasion - of its neighbour. What the Kremlin still calls a "special military operation" was widely seen as an attempt to force Ukraine back into Russia's geo-political orbit. In March 2022, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution condemning Russia's "aggression."

And yet the Russian authorities portray the war in Ukraine as a continuation of World War Two. The official narrative here creates a parallel reality, in which Russia once again is fighting Nazism and fascism, in Ukraine and across Europe. Russia, the country which invaded Ukraine, presents itself as the victim of external aggression.

"Historically and sociologically, victory in the Great Patriotic War was always a cornerstone of Russian united consciousness," Novaya Gazeta columnist Andrei Kolesnikov explains, "because there is no glue for the nation: only this event. It was always so, from Brezhnev's time until now.

"But what's happening now is something special. Now the Great Patriotic War is presented as just the first step in our permanent war with the West, against 'Eurofascism.' The Special Military Operation as the continuation of the Great Patriotic War: this is something new."

In Russia, television plays a key role in spreading the official message that Europe couldn't be trusted then and cannot be trusted now. Recently, on Russian TV, I saw a documentary entitled "Europe Against Russia. Hitler's Crusaders". It was about how European countries had collaborated with the Nazis during World War Two.

No mention of the 1939 non-aggression pact between Hitler and Stalin: under its secret protocol Germany and the USSR had carved up spheres of influence in eastern Europe.

Last month a Russian TV presenter launched a tirade against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a staunch supporter of military support to Ukraine. The talk show host called Germany's leader "a Nazi scumbag" for comments about Russia. Addressing the Chancellor directly, the anchor said that Russians "hold you and your comrades responsible for the killing of 27 million Soviet citizens."

Iconography underpins the ideology. In the town of Khimki, near Moscow, a recently unveiled monument depicts a Red Army soldier side by side with a Russian who is fighting in Ukraine. Framed photos of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine have been placed below the two fighter figures.

An inscription reads: "By preserving the past we defend the future!"

Wars past and present: brought together in bronze.

In the run up to Victory Day, Russia has been awash with reminders of The Great Victory. Last month a Soyuz rocket decorated to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

Back down on earth, at a maternity hospital in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, newborn babies are being dressed in miniature Red Army caps and capes.

On its Telegram channel, the hospital explained that battle clothes for babies served "as a reminder of links between the generations, the courage of the defenders of the Fatherland and of how even the tiniest Russian citizen is part of a big history."

In Moscow, the Russian word for 'Victory' - 'Pobeda' – is everywhere: on giant billboards, on posters in shop windows, even stuck to the side of road-sweepers. Underground, special "victory trains" on the Moscow Metro have been decked out with World War Two imagery and the words: "Be proud!" and "Remember!"

Tanks have been rolling down Moscow's main street, Tverskaya, at rehearsals for the big 9 May parade on Red Square. In Soviet times, after 1945, military parades on Victory Day were rare. Under Vladimir Putin they have become a key element of what is now Russia's most sacred national holiday - a day not only for remembering the victims of World War Two, but for showcasing Russian military power and to unite the people around the idea of Russia as an unbeatable nation.

The USSR was, indeed, victorious in the Great Patriotic War. But eighty years on, and despite confident pronouncements by Russian officials, victory eludes Moscow in Ukraine. The Kremlin's "special military operation" was only expected to last a few days, a few weeks maximum. After more than three years of war – and huge casualties on both sides - it's still unclear how and when the fighting will end.

The Kremlin says 29 world leaders, including China's Xi Jinping, will be attending the Victory Day parade. According to Moscow, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will be visiting Russia for the commemorations. Ensuring security for the military parade and guests on Red Square will already have been a top priority for the Kremlin. Even more so after two consecutive nights of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow.

Back in Dubna, German resistance has crumbled and the Red Army is in full control. The re-enactment is over.

Some of the spectators here believe the official portrayal of Russia as a besieged fortress threatened by the West.

"Both Britain and America have betrayed us and threaten us," Lidiya tells me. "But we are resilient. You cannot defeat Russia."

When I talk to 98-year-old Fyodor Melnikov, he doesn't get into politics. The military show has sparked painful memories for him. Fyodor's brother was killed in the Great Patriotic War.

"War is a terrifying thing," Fyodor tells me. "People should be allowed to live freely. Let them work, let them live their lives, let them die naturally."

Fyodor has written a poem about his late brother, about war. He recites it for me. In translation it sounds like this:

"A uniform I never wore,

A battle I never saw.

But in my mind's eye I see

My brother going off to war.

The only thing he said to me

Before he went was this:

'Live, little brother, be well.'

I will bring victory home."

On Friday, along with the whole of Russia, Fyodor Melnikov will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of The Great Victory of 1945.

But it will be a day for remembering, too: friends and family who never returned.

A day for acknowledging the cost of war.

Source: bbc.com

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Zelensky wants Ukraine-friendly government in Budapest – Orban

6 May, 2025

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky would like to see a pro-Kiev government in Budapest that will approve his country’s accession to the EU, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said. He has vowed to ensure that Hungarians have their say without external pressure.

Ukraine formally applied to join the bloc in February 2022, following the escalation of hostilities with Russia. Membership requires the unanimous approval of all current EU member states.

In a post on X on Monday, Orban’s spokesperson, Zoltan Kovacs, quoted the Hungarian leader as saying during a parliamentary session that “Zelensky wants a Ukraine-friendly government [installed] in Hungary.” Orban further suggested that the Ukrainian leader had reached an agreement with Brussels on Kiev’s accelerated EU accession, and now expects Hungary to rubber-stamp it.

Orban stressed that “there will never be a situation where Kiev or Brussels dictates how Hungarians exercise their rightful sovereignty,” and repeated his arguments that Ukraine’s accession would be ruinous for Hungary’s economy.

He urged Hungarians to take part in Voks 2025, which is a consultative vote featuring a single question: “Do you support Ukraine’s European Union membership?”

Addressing lawmakers in parliament, Orban also accused the opposition Democratic Coalition, whom he branded the “agents of Brussels,” of seeking to “remove Hungary’s national government, bring Ukraine into the EU, drag Hungary into the war [and] unleash migrants on us.”

Last Friday, the Hungarian prime minister lambasted Brussels’ plans to admit Ukraine into the bloc by 2030 – a target recently referenced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Zelensky responded by citing domestic polling in Hungary and claiming that “70% support Ukraine joining the EU. That means people in Hungary are with us.”

However, the poll conducted by the opposition Tisza Party to which Zelensky referred actually indicated only 58% support, while an earlier survey produced a figure even lower, at 47%.

In a post on X, Orban emphasized that “there is no Ukrainian EU accession without Hungary,” promising that “every Hungarian will have their say on this. Whether you like it or not.”

The Hungarian government has long criticized the EU’s policies on the Ukraine conflict, including weapons deliveries to Kiev and sanctions against Moscow.

Source: rt.com

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Mideast

 

Kurdistan Leader Barzani, Muslim Scholars Discuss Mideast Tensions

2025-05-06

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the Leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, discussed Middle East tensions, Kurdish unity, and Syria’s political future with Ali Qaradaghi, head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

According to a statement from Barzani’s office, the meeting reviewed recent moves by political actors in Turkiye, underlining the value of peaceful approaches and dialogue to address long-standing issues.

The discussions included an overview of the Kurdistan Region’s internal affairs, as well as relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraq’s federal authorities. The ongoing talks to form the KRG’s new cabinet and the broader political process in Erbil and Baghdad were also a part of the talks.

Source: shafaq.com

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What recent arrests and ban mean for political influence of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood

SHEROUK ZAKARIA

May 06, 2025

DUBAI: Jordan’s recent ban on the Muslim Brotherhood marks a historic rupture in the kingdom’s political landscape, ending decades of uneasy coexistence and raising urgent questions about the future of political Islam in the country.

The Brotherhood is now outlawed after authorities uncovered arms caches and arrested last month 16 people for allegedly plotting rocket and drone attacks that authorities said “aimed at targeting national security, sowing chaos and sabotaging within Jordan.”

Interior Minister Mazin Al-Farrayeh’s subsequent decision to declare membership of the organization and promotion of its ideology as illegal reinforced a 2020 court ruling that had been largely unenforced in what analysts described as a “strategy of containment.”

Jordan’s announcement comes at a time of heightened regional tension and surging Islamist activism amid Israel’s war on Gaza. The question on many political observers’ lips since the arrests has been: Why was Jordan targeted by Islamists, and how will the kingdom respond in the coming days?

The Brotherhood’s resurgence in the political spotlight coincided with the eruption of the war on Gaza, as it staged nationwide pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Hazem Salem Al-Damour, director-general of the Strategiecs think tank, said the group sought to exploit strong anti-Israel sentiment and deep-rooted grassroots support to rally backing for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group founded as a Brotherhood offshoot.

Pro-Hamas slogans at protests highlighted the group’s transnational and pan-Islamic loyalties, often at odds with Jordan’s national interests, especially since Hamas’ offices were shut down in Jordan in 1999.

Authorities were further alarmed when investigations revealed that the busted Brotherhood cell had ties to Hamas’ Lebanese wing, which trained and funded some of the arrested militants. This followed a similar incident in May 2024, when Jordan accused the Brotherhood of involvement in a foiled plot by Iranian-backed militias in Syria to smuggle weapons through Jordan.

At the time, the Brotherhood said that while some members may have acted independently, the organization itself was not involved and remained part of the loyal opposition. It also claimed that the weapons were not intended for use in or against Jordan, but were being transported to support Palestinians in Gaza in their fight against Israeli security forces.

However, Jordan has also witnessed a surge in attempts to smuggle weapons and explosives from Syria for delivery to the West Bank over the past year.

“In a sense, the government, with its ban on the Brotherhood, shut down the group’s external support networks, through which it had sought to exploit Jordan’s geographic position in the region,” Al-Damour told Arab News, referring to the April 23 ban.

According to Al-Damour, the government’s decision was driven by security concerns rather than political calculations, and that the Brotherhood’s dual approach — public activity paired with covert operations — had become unacceptable to the state.

On April 30, four of the 16 defendants were sentenced by Jordan’s state security court to 20 years in prison after being convicted of “possession of explosives, weapons and ammunition.”

Mohammed Abu Rumman, a former Jordanian minister of culture and youth, regards the perceived radicalization of the Brotherhood’s activities as unprecedented.

“The production of weapons, explosives and missiles, as well as planning of drone operations marked a significant shift in the mindset of young members of the movement, signaling a clear break from the organization’s traditional framework and presenting a new challenge for the state,” he told Arab News.

The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood’s cross-border, partisan character dates back to its founding. Inspired by the Egyptian organization established by Hassan Al-Banna in 1928, the Jordanian branch began as a charitable entity and gradually expanded its reach, becoming deeply embedded in the country’s social and political landscape.

For more than four decades, the Brotherhood maintained a close alliance with the early Hashemite regime, backing the late King Hussein during pivotal moments, including the attempted military coup of 1957.

The absence of competing political forces — such as leftist and nationalist parties — due to martial law created a vacuum. This allowed the Islamist movement to broaden its religious-ideological outreach and deepen its political engagement across Jordanian society, including among labor unions and student groups.

The Brotherhood’s political trajectory shifted significantly following the government’s liberalization process in the wake of the April 1989 protests in southern Jordan.

With the lifting of martial law and the resumption of parliamentary elections, the Brotherhood expanded its charitable network by launching its political wing, the Islamic Action Front, in 1992. It quickly seized the moment, winning a strong bloc in the 11th parliament and earning broad popular support, establishing itself as a major political force.

Although the Brotherhood and its political wing retained distinct leaderships and organizational structures, the line between the two remained blurred.

Tensions between the movement and the government first emerged over the 1994 peace treaty with Israel and deepened in 1997, when the IAF chose to boycott the parliamentary elections.

By 2007, the Brotherhood viewed the regime’s policies as increasingly restrictive, particularly changes to the electoral law. The group participated in that year’s elections only symbolically, winning just six seats — a disappointing result that triggered a leadership crisis within the organization.

The 2011 “Arab Spring” revolts marked another period of tense relations in Jordan between the organization and the state, as the ascent of Islamist regimes to power in Egypt and Tunisia sparked alarm in the kingdom.

In 2015, Jordan passed a law dissolving the Brotherhood and transferring its assets to a newly established entity, the “Muslim Brotherhood Association,” in a move widely seen as an attempt to split the more hardline “hawks” from the moderate “doves.”

This new group was formed by leaders who had either been expelled from the original organization or resigned amid an increasingly bitter internal power struggle.

Abu Rumman, the former minister, says that Jordan’s decision to reinforce the 2020 court ruling aims to regulate political activity and ensure transparent participation, potentially benefiting the Brotherhood by pushing it away from the dualities that previously defined Islamist politics and caused internal divisions.

“The strict application of the rule of law requires the Brotherhood to clearly define its identity and role within the national framework, while cutting all foreign ties that raise ambiguity and suspicion,” he said.

The future now hinges on the findings of ongoing security investigations and the extent of the IAF’s links to the Brotherhood’s suspected activities. Soon after the activities of the Brotherhood were outlawed on April 23, Jordanian security forces raided the premises associated with it, acting in line with the new directive. The IAF has not been officially banned, though the authorities also carried out raids on its offices.

Al-Damour, from the think tank Strategiecs, outlined three possible scenarios: the ban remains limited to the Brotherhood, it extends to the IAF if its involvement is proven, or both are fully dismantled.

Under the Political Parties Law, the IAF could face a ban if its involvement in the plot is confirmed, a possibility that has grown after it suspended the membership of three accused members. This would mark a fundamental shift in Jordan’s political landscape and alter the course of reform announced in 2022.

If the IAF survives, Al-Damour said, it would need to formally sever ties with the banned Brotherhood, shrinking its size and influence by cutting off its traditional electoral base, mobilization network, and campaign funding. Alternatively, the party may attempt to circumvent the ban by quietly absorbing sympathizers and non-involved members of the banned group.

“Individuals from the banned group or its affiliated party may establish new licensed political parties, associations, or civil society organizations; and second, they may seek membership in already licensed Islamic parties. Their motivations could vary from genuine political participation and reform to quietly infiltrating these parties,” he said.

However, according to him, a purely legal approach may not be enough to eradicate threats to national security. “This casts doubt on the likelihood that all members of the banned group will comply with the law,” Al-Damour said.

“Instead, the radical elements of the group may intensify covert activity similar to what the group practiced in Egypt during the 1950s and 1960s, and again after the July 30, 2013, revolution, as well as in Syria during the 1980s and Algeria in the 1990s.”

Security and intelligence efforts will likely remain active and focused on tracking the organization’s radical remnants, their networks, and alignment with regional counterparts invested in their continued activity.

Amer Al-Sabaileh, a geopolitical and security expert, stresses the need for a clear state strategy that extends beyond security measures to address social and media aspects. “The organization has enjoyed freedom of operation for years, building extensive support networks,” he told Arab News.

“To contain these implications, the state should construct a strong, solid narrative that clearly communicates the risks associated with the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities within Jordan.”

Jordan’s break from the Muslim Brotherhood, then, is both a response to immediate security threats and a reckoning with the movement’s complex legacy. The question posed at the outset — why was Jordan targeted by Islamists? — finds its answer in the confluence of history, ideology and the shifting sands of Middle Eastern geopolitics.

The kingdom’s next steps may determine not only the fate of political Islam within its borders, but also the broader trajectory of reform, stability and national identity in a region where the lines between domestic dissent and regional conflict are increasingly blurred.

Source: arabnews.com

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Pezeshkian calls for implementation of justice in society

May 6, 2025

Speaking at the 6th Global Congress of Imam Reza (PBUH) in Mashhad on Monday, President Pezeshkian expressed that if the congress can develop a practical approach aligned with the lifestyle and teachings of Imam Reza (PBUH), ensuring that no race, ethnicity, color, or gender faces discrimination, it will be deemed successful.

He noted that Imam Reza (PBUH) introduced religion based on reason, and today’s officials must provide the public, especially the younger generation, with sound reasoning to demonstrate their commitment to justice.

During the event, President Pezeshkian paid tribute to the memory of his late predecessor, Martyr Ebrahim Raeisi, and his companions, highlighting that divine guidance emphasizes the importance of justice and fairness for all.

“We must reform ourselves so that, through righteous actions rooted in piety, we can establish justice and fairness,” Pezeshkian stated.

The president also acknowledged the lasting legacy of Imam Khomeini in the public consciousness, inspired by his eloquent words, actions, and principles.

Furthermore, President Pezeshkian underscored the importance of unity among the Islamic Ummah, asserting that if there were no divisions among Muslims, the Zionist regime would not dare to perpetrate such atrocities. He called for efforts to promote cohesion and justice both within Iran and across the Muslim world.

Source: mehrnews.com

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Islamic Jihad Movement Condemns Zionist Aggression on Yemen

06 May 2025

The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine condemned the Zionist-American aggression on Yemen.

In a statement posted on Telegram, it said, "The aggression perpetrated by the usurping entity against the brotherly Yemeni people expresses the degree of pain and humiliation this entity is suffering at the hands of the heroes of the Yemeni Armed Forces."

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3476790.htm

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Egypt, Qatar mediate for Gaza Strip humanitarian relief

May 07, 2025

DUBAI: Egypt and Qatar issued a joint statement on Wednesday affirming their ongoing mediation efforts to address a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Egypt and Qatar said their efforts are closely coordinated with the United States to reach an agreement that ensures civilian protection and resolves the humanitarian tragedy.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2599820/middle-east

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Gaza aid dries up as Israeli blockade enters a third month

May 07, 2025

JERUSALEM: Israel has blockaded all entrances to the Gaza Strip since March.

While pummeling the strip with airstrikes, it has banned any food, water, shelter or medication from being trucked into the Palestinian territory, where the UN says the vast majority of the population is reliant on humanitarian aid to survive. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release the hostages it still holds. Of the 59 captives remaining in Gaza, 21 are believed to still be alive, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, revealing that three had died.

Here’s a look at the humanitarian crisis spiraling in Gaza, through key statistics and charts:

The current blockade has lasted longer than any previous Israeli halt in aid to Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began. Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and Israel froze aid to Gaza for two weeks.

Now, Gaza is entering its third month without supplies. Thousands of trucks queue along the border of the territory, waiting to be let in. Community kitchens are closing down and bakeries are running out of fuel. Families spend hours waiting in line for small portions of rice.

In their desperation, Palestinians have begun scavenging warehouses and stores for anything left. Aid groups report a rise in looting incidents over the last week. At least some have been looted by armed groups.

Meanwhile, Israel is moving forward with plans to seize all of Gaza and to stay in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time. It says it will expand operations there, defying calls for an immediate renewal of a ceasefire from families whose relatives are still held hostage in Gaza.

Israel’s offensive has displaced more than 90 percent of Gaza’s population and, Palestinian health officials say, killed more than 52,000 people, many of them women and children. Palestinian officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2599813/middle-east

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Gaza rescuers say 31 killed in Israeli strikes on school sheltering displaced

May 07, 2025

GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Wednesday that Israeli strikes on a school sheltering displaced people in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory killed 31 people and wounded dozens, with Israel saying it had targeted Hamas militants.

Gaza civil defense media officer Ahmad Radwan told AFP that a total of 31 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli strikes “on a school sheltering displaced persons” in the Bureij refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military meanwhile said in a statement that its forces had struck a “Hamas command and control center in the central Gaza Strip” which was used “to store weapons.”

The strikes came as Israel drew international condemnation on Tuesday over its plans for an expanded Gaza offensive, as the country’s far-right finance minister called for the Palestinian territory to be “destroyed.”

Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once during the war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

On Tuesday, Hamas dismissed as pointless ceasefire talks with Israel, accusing it of waging a “hunger war” on Gaza.

Israel’s military resumed its offensive on the Gaza Strip in March, ending a two-month truce that saw a surge in aid into the territory and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Source: arabnews.com

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Israeli strike kills one in southern Lebanon city of Sidon: state media

May 06, 2025

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli strike Tuesday on a car in the country’s south killed one person, the latest attack despite a fragile ceasefire between Hezbollah militants and Israel.

The ministry said in a statement that the “Israeli enemy” strike on Kfar Rumman killed one person and wounded three others.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the car was hit with a “guided missile” on the road linking the town of Kfar Rumman with the nearby city of Nabatieh.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Israel has continued to launch regular strikes in Lebanon despite the November 27 truce which sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah including two months of all-out war, with a heavy Israeli bombing campaign and ground incursion.

Under the deal, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters north of Lebanon’s Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure to its south.

Israel was to withdraw all its forces from south Lebanon, but it has kept troops in five positions that it deems “strategic.”

A Lebanese security source told AFP that Hezbollah had withdrawn fighters from south of the Litani and dismantled most of its military infrastructure in that area.

Lebanon says it has respected its commitments and has called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its attacks and withdraw from the five border positions.

Source: arabnews.com

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Sanaa airport suspends flights after ‘severe damage’ from Israel strikes: director

May 07, 2025

SANAA: The airport in Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa has suspended all flights until further notice, its director said on Wednesday, after it sustained “severe damage” in Israeli strikes a day earlier.

“As a result of the Zionist (Israeli) aggression on Sanaa International Airport that resulted in severe damage, it has been decided to suspend all flights to and from the airport until further notice,” said the airport’s general director Khaled alShaief.

Source: arabnews.com

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Oman announces US-Houthi ceasefire deal

May 06, 2025

WASHINGTON: The United States and Yemen’s Houthis have reached a ceasefire agreement, mediator Oman announced Tuesday, saying the deal would ensure “freedom of navigation” in the Red Sea where the militia has attacked shipping.

“Following recent discussions and contacts... with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides,” said Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi in a statement posted online, adding that “neither side will target the other... ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping” in the Red Sea.

Earlier on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said that the US will stop bombing the Houthis in Yemen after the Iran-aligned group agreed to stop interrupting important shipping lanes in the Middle East.

In an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump announced the Houthis have said that they no longer want to fight but did not elaborate on the message.

“They said please don’t bomb us any more and we’re not going to attack your ships,” Trump said.

The Houthis have been firing at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea since Israel began its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza after the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The US president said Washington will take the Houthis’ word that they would not be blowing up ships any longer.

Tensions have been high since the Gaza war began, but have risen further since a Houthi missile landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah port on Monday.

The Israeli military carried out an airstrike on Yemen’s main airport in Sanaa on Tuesday, its second attack in two days on the Houthis after a surge in tensions between the group and Israel.

Source: arabnews.com

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Emir of Qatar discusses ties in phone call with India PM Modi

May 06, 2025

LONDON: The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani discussed ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a phone call on Tuesday.

The leaders discussed ways to strengthen the relationship between Doha and New Delhi. They also shared perspectives on regional and international developments of mutual concern, according to the Qatar News Agency.

Sheikh Tamim visited India last February to enhance bilateral collaboration between the two countries in areas such as trade, investment, energy, and finance.

Source: arabnews.com

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North America

 

US Supreme Court backs Trump’s transgender military ban

7 May, 2025

The US Supreme Court has permitted the White House to enforce its ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, overturning a lower court’s injunction and allowing the policy to take effect amid ongoing legal challenges.

The 6–3 decision reinstating US President Donald Trump’s executive order “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” was made on May 6, 2025.

Issued a week after Trump returned to office in January, the executive order prohibits transgender individuals from enlisting and requires the US Defense Department to identify and dismiss all service members who have “a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling lifts a nationwide injunction previously issued by a federal judge in Washington state in March.

Under the reinstated policy, individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria are disqualified from military service unless they serve in their biological sex and do not seek to undergo transitioning.

The Department of Defense has been directed to implement the policy, which includes halting sex-change operations and other related procedures for transgender service members.

Trump first banned transgender people from serving in the US military in 2017. Former President Joe Biden repealed the ban shortly after taking office in 2021, only for Trump to reinstate it during his second term.

Since returning to office, Trump has rescinded dozens of executive orders signed by his predecessor, including at least a dozen measures aimed at promoting the interests of racial minorities and the LGBTQ community.

He also issued a formal decree recognizing only two genders – male and female – which, according to the order, cannot be changed. Trump further ended federal support for what he described as the “chemical and surgical mutilation” of children using puberty blockers, hormones, and medical procedures for individuals under the age of 19.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/616916-us-transgender-military-ban/

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CAIR Welcomes Dismissal of Tennessee Assistant Prosecutor Over Alleged Racist, Anti-Immigrant, Anti-Muslim Posts

May 6, 2025

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the dismissal of an assistant prosecutor in Knox County, Tennessee, over social media posts allegedly expressing racist, anti-immigrant, sexist, neo-Nazi, and anti-Muslim views.

The Knox County District Attorney’s Office fired an assistant prosecutor May 5 hours after Knox News made the office aware of his active X account full of post that local media reported “praised Nazism and consistently belittled and disparaged Black people and immigrants.”

“Someone with such reportedly hateful views should not be tasked with upholding justice in any court of law,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “We welcome the dismissal of this individual and hope it sends a message to all those serving justice that bigotry will not be tolerated.”

Washington, D.C., based CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.   

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-dismissal-of-tennessee-assistant-prosecutor-over-alleged-racist-anti-immigrant-anti-muslim-posts/

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CAIR Urges Congress to Condemn Rep. Randy Fine’s Violently Anti-Muslim, Anti-American and Anti-Palestinian Rhetoric

May 6, 2025

Florida Republican calls fellow member of Congress a ‘Muslim terrorist,’ responds to a photo of starving Palestinian civilians with the hashtag #StarveAway

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today sent a message to every member of the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to publicly condemn Florida Congressman Randy Fine’s (R-FL) violently anti-Muslim, anti-American, and anti-Palestinian rhetoric.

This urgent request follows Rep. Fine’s May 2 statement on X.com, in which he referred to a fellow member of Congress as a “Muslim terrorist” and responded to a photo of starving Palestinian civilians with the hashtag #StarveAway.

CAIR’s message was sent to more than 1,600 congressional staffers, including all House chiefs of staff, legislative directors, communications directors, and staffers assigned to civil rights, civil liberties, and minority affairs. To emphasize the threat posed by Congressman Fine’s rhetoric, CAIR included a list of ten past examples of Fine spreading hatred, dehumanizing Palestinians and Muslims, and promoting violence.

“Randy Fine’s long and documented history of promoting bigotry and political violence is a danger to his colleagues, to American Muslims and Palestinians, and to the foundational principles of our democracy,” said CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw, who authored the message. “Congress must take a stand against hate before it further poisons our national discourse or incites real-world violence and acts of terrorism.”

Among the examples cited in CAIR’s message were Rep. Fine’s past celebrations of Israeli violence against American citizens, open threats directed at Muslim members of Congress, endorsements of collective punishment against Palestinians, and Islamophobic attacks on constituents. CAIR warned that Fine’s behavior, now amplified by his federal office, demands immediate and unambiguous condemnation.

The message sent to congressional offices concludes with the following demands:

Publicly condemn Randy Fine’s hateful remarks and make it clear that bigotry has no place in Congress.

Confront and refuse to normalize Congressman Fine’s extremist discourse during this legislative term.

FULL TEXT OF CAIR’S MESSAGE TO CONGRESS:

Dear Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:

On behalf of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, we write to request that your office publicly condemn the violently anti-Muslim, anti-American, and anti-Palestinian rhetoric spread by Florida Congressman Randy Fine.

On May 2, Rep. Fine posted a statement on X.com that referred to a fellow member of Congress as a “Muslim terrorist” and responded to a photo of starving Palestinians with the hashtag “#StarveAway.”

This is morally reprehensible, dangerously inciting, and sadly typical for Randy Fine. Before his election, Fine openly celebrated an Israeli sniper’s killing of an American citizen who was peacefully demonstrating in the West Bank. Fine has also implicitly threatened violence against female American Muslim members of Congress, warning them to leave before he arrived and using the hashtag #BombsAway.

Now that he has joined the 119th Congress, it is critical that your office reject any collaboration with this extremist and confront his bigotry whenever it surfaces. It is also important for members of Congress not to silently sit by when Fine uses his office to attack fellow members of Congress with racist, bigoted, and violent rhetoric.

Below are just ten examples of Congressman Fine spreading hatred against not only the American Muslim and Palestinian communities, but our nation’s values of equality and justice for all:

“The ‘Hebrew Hammer’ is coming. @RashidaTlaib and @IlhanMN might consider leaving before I get there. #BombsAway.” (11/26/24): Congressman Fine openly threatened two Muslim members of Congress, Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, implying they should flee or face violence. By calling himself the “Hebrew Hammer” and concluding with “#BombsAway,” he effectively endorses the idea of forcibly removing or harming them. This chilling statement is far beyond any partisan disagreement; it encourages attacks on sitting elected officials. Fine’s willingness to target fellow lawmakers underscores his dangerously Islamophobic worldview.

“Stop the trucks. Let them eat rockets. There are plenty of those. #BombsAway.” (12/2/23):

Here, Fine mocks the need for humanitarian aid, telling Palestinians to “eat rockets” instead of receiving desperately needed supplies. This statement goes beyond callousness, effectively endorsing collective punishment. Denying people lifesaving aid is a clear violation of basic human decency and international norms. By adding “#BombsAway,” he reduces Palestinian lives to nothing more than collateral damage.

“Gaza must be destroyed.” (2/20/25): Declaring that Gaza must be “destroyed” calls for the annihilation of more than two million civilians. Such remarks are reminiscent of the most dangerous forms of hate speech that historically precipitate atrocities. This is not a critique of a political entity—it’s an outright call for genocide. Using his platform to normalize this mindset poses a serious threat to public safety and moral integrity.

“Thanks for the pic!”(6/4/21): In response to a photo of a Palestinian infant reportedly killed by an Israeli air strike, Fine’s casual dismissal—thanking someone for the picture—reveals a disturbing lack of empathy. Children are the most vulnerable in any conflict, yet his reaction shows complete indifference. This callousness indicates how deeply entrenched his dehumanization of Palestinians is. It sets a dangerous precedent for normalizing cruelty toward civilians.

“Yesterday in Jerusalem, today in Palatka talking about the need to solve America’s #MuslimProblem. In just 26 days, Republicans can send the message that they agree with @realDonaldTrump and want a fighter to protect America!  #ItsGoingToBeFine:” In this post, Fine brazenly describes Muslims in America as a “problem” that needs to be “solved.” By framing an entire religious community as a threat to national security, he deliberately invokes fear and prejudice. Invoking the President Trump’s name and urging Republicans to stand with him reinforces the idea that anti-Muslim sentiment is central to his political campaign. Such rhetoric fosters division and can fuel hate crimes, endangering the very people he swore to represent.

“Throw rocks, get shot. One less #MuslimTerrorist. #FireAway.” (9/6/24): Fine brazenly celebrated the lethal shooting of protesters, including the recent killing of 26-year-old Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi by Israeli forces in the West Bank. By labeling Eygi a “Muslim terrorist,” he promotes violence and extrajudicial killings of American citizens. This inflammatory framing ignores the reality that unarmed civilians—sometimes American citizens—are among those shot. Equating protest with terrorism is both unconstitutional and inhumane.

“YES” (Responding to a Question About Being Okay With Building Being Bombed with U.S. Reporters Inside) (5/15/21): Fine publicly defended the bombing of a news building despite knowing that American journalists were inside. When asked if he was okay with reporters being among the targets, Fine tersely replied, “YES.” This stance not only places the lives of American citizens at risk but also reveals his willingness to silence or endanger the press when it does not align with his agenda. By trivializing the bombing of journalists, Fine undermines the very freedoms—speech and press—that uphold our democracy.

“Go blow yourself up!”: Fine privately sent this message to a Florida Muslim who challenged his social media posts, effectively urging them to commit a suicide attack. Beyond being profoundly insulting, it’s also a darkly Islamophobic trope implying that Muslims are prone to violence or suicide bombings. Encouraging someone to harm themselves in such a manner reflects an extreme level of hostility. This is a direct instigation of violence rather than a policy debate.

“Enjoy Your Terrorist Rag.” (3/29/25): During a Florida Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing, then-State Senator Fine told a member of the public wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh to “enjoy your terrorist rag.” When others objected, he threatened to “clear the room,” declaring, “I’m the chairman, I can say whatever I want.” By using his official position to demean and intimidate someone wearing Palestinian cultural attire, Fine not only displayed blatant disrespect for free expression but also fostered a hostile environment for all who identify with or show solidarity toward Palestinians.

Weaponizing Legislation to Silence Dissent: While in the Florida Legislature, Randy Fine openly threatened to use anti-protest and anti-boycott laws (including HB1 and HB741) against anyone who criticized Israel or advocated for Palestinian rights. By vowing to punish peaceful activists and business owners, he tried to chill free speech and subvert constitutional protections. This willingness to abuse public office reveals a deeply authoritarian mindset, one that endangers core American freedoms. His pattern of leveraging state power to silence dissent is a harbinger of what we can expect now that he sits in Congress.

These statements and positions should alarm any public official who values respectful debate and justice for all. Randy Fine’s rhetoric not only endangers Palestinians and Muslims but also degrades the integrity of our national discourse. He has gone so far as to directly threaten Muslim members of Congress, creating an environment where any disagreement risks being met with hateful, potentially violent responses.

In light of these disturbing facts, we call on every member of the 119th Congress to:

Publicly condemn Randy Fine’s hateful remarks, making it clear that bigotry has no place in our legislative branch.

Confront Congressman Fine’s bigotry at every step during this term, refusing to normalize his extremist discourse.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We stand ready to provide any additional information or testimony you may need. If you have questions or would like further engagement, please reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Robert S. McCaw

Randy Fine, recently elected to the 119th Congress, has a documented pattern of anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, and anti-American rhetoric during his time in the Florida Legislature and now in federal office. His use of social media to encourage violence and hatred raises serious concerns about the safety and rights of American Muslims, Palestinian-Americans, and other communities he targets with bigoted speech.

Yesterday, CAIR welcomed H.R. 867, the “International Governmental Organizations Anti-Boycott Act,” having been pulled from the House schedule this week following significant grassroots opposition.

Last Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee delaying a vote on its considering of the misleadingly titled Antisemitism Awareness Act (S. 558), following bipartisan concerns over the act dangerously conflating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism and threatens to chill free speech on college campuses nationwide.

CAIR will continue working to ensure that public officials who spread hate are held accountable by their peers and by the American public.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, 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.           

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Source: cair.com

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Carney tells Trump that Canada 'won't be for sale, ever'

May 7, 2025

Mark Carney has told Donald Trump that Canada "is not for sale" as the president raised the prospect of the country becoming the 51st US state while welcoming the prime minister to the White House.

Carney won the election last month promising to "stand up" to Trump, who has imposed tariffs on some Canadian products and sometimes talks about annexing the country.

The former central banker responded with a firm but measured tone after the president proposed a "wonderful marriage" of incorporating Canada into the US.

Despite a strained relationship recently between the once-close neighbours, the two men also lavished praise on each other in what was a largely cordial Oval Office meeting.

Trump has imposed general tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico and sector-specific import taxes on cars, some of which have been suspended pending negotiations.

The US president, who accuses Canada of not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl south, has levied similar duties on steel and aluminium.

Tuesday's meeting was the first time the two had met since Carney won Canada's general election on 28 April, a victory many have credited to concerns in that country about Trump.

But the two leaders began with warm words, with Trump describing Carney as "a very talented person".

He also hailed his guest's election win as "one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics, maybe even greater than mine".

Carney said Trump was a "transformational president", with "a relentless focus on the American worker, securing your border, and securing the world" and said he had "revitalised" Nato.

But friction arose when Trump again argued that Canada would be better off as part of the US.

Carney came prepared with a carefully worded response.

"As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale," he told property magnate Trump, likening Canada to the Oval Office itself and to Britain's Buckingham Palace.

"Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it's not for sale. Won't be for sale, ever."

Trump replied: "Never say never."

The US leader traced his own red line when a journalist in the Oval Office asked if Carney could say anything to persuade him to lift tariffs.

"No," he replied. "It's just the way it is."

"This was a very friendly conversation," he added. "But we want to make our own cars."

Trump once again argued that the US was subsidising Canada's military and did not need Canadian goods such as aluminium and steel.

He said he and Carney would discuss "tough points" at their meeting, but "regardless of anything, we're going to be friends with Canada".

Trump also criticised his visitor's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, with whom he had an adversarial relationship.

Still, he said the meeting with Carney was in stark contrast to another recent Oval Office "blow-up" - a reference to a disastrous visit from Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky in February.

Notably, Trump also downplayed the prospect of trade deals, even though his administration has repeatedly pointed to the over 80 countries the White House says are hoping to negotiate as a sign of progress.

"Everyone says, 'When, when, when are you going to sign deals?," Trump said. "We don't have to sign deals, they have to sign deals with us. They want a piece of our market. We don't want a piece of their market."

Carney said that he "pressed the case" to Trump on lifting tariffs, and found him to be "willing to have that negotiation".

"I think that's the main thing. That doesn't presuppose the outcome of the negotiation," Carney added at a news conference at the Canadian embassy in Washington DC. "There'll be zigs and zags. Difficult aspects to it. But the prospect is there."

Carney did not speculate on timing, saying only that both leaders and their teams would speak again in the coming weeks.

Additionally, Carney said he again asked that Trump stopped calling for Canada to become a US state. He added that he believed it important to distinguish between "wish and reality".

"He's the president. He's his own person," Carney said. "He understands that we're having a negotiation between sovereign nations."

During Canada's election campaign, Carney argued he was the leader who could fight Trump's "betrayal", as well as push back against US threats to Canada's economy and sovereignty.

In his victory speech, the Liberal leader went as far as to say that the formerly tight US-Canadian relationship was "over" and that Canadians must "fundamentally re-imagine our economy" in the Trump era.

More than $760bn (£570bn) in goods flowed between Canada and the US last year. Canada is the US' second-largest individual trading partner after Mexico, and the largest export market for US goods.

Source: bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g4gw18753o

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US loses another jet off Yemen – media

7 May, 2025

The US Navy has lost another fighter jet in the Red Sea, marking the second incident involving an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Harry S. Truman in just over a week, and the third such loss since Washington intensified operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The aircraft reportedly plunged into the sea after experiencing an arrestment failure while attempting to land on the carrier, forcing both the pilot and weapons systems officer to eject. CNN first reported the incident on Tuesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

“The arrestment failed, causing the aircraft to go overboard. Both aviators safely ejected and were rescued by a helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 11,” an unnamed defense official told USNI News. “The aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and assessed to have minor injuries. No flight deck personnel were injured.”

The incident reportedly occurred the same day the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group “took a shot” at the Truman, though it remains unclear whether the two events are connected. A formal investigation is underway, while the US Navy has yet to officially confirm the details.

Just last week, another F/A-18 fell off the Truman during evasive maneuvers to avoid incoming Houthi missile fire. In a separate incident last December, an F/A-18 was mistakenly shot down by the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg shortly after launching from the Truman for bombing raids against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Each F/A-18 Super Hornet costs between $60 million and $70 million, according to Pentagon estimates. The Houthis have also claimed to have shot down more than a dozen American MQ-9 Reaper drones over the past year, each valued at approximately $30 million.

The US has repeatedly clashed with the Houthis since the group began targeting Red Sea shipping in late 2023, claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinian people amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The Truman strike group has launched numerous airstrikes on Yemen as part of a broader US-UK operation.

However, on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would “immediately halt” its bombing campaign, claiming the Houthis had “capitulated” and no longer sought confrontation. Shortly after the announcement, Oman confirmed it had mediated a ceasefire agreement between Washington and the Houthis, with both sides pledging not to target one another in the Red Sea.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/616912-us-navy-jet-crash-yemen/

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Canadian province could hold secession referendum – premier

6 May, 2025

Alberta could hold a public referendum on breaking away from Canada next year if a citizen-led petition gets the required number of signatures, the province’s premier, Danielle Smith, said on Monday.

The western province has long clashed with the federal government over legislation limiting fossil fuel development and promoting clean energy, which Alberta officials say unfairly targets their economy. Smith’s announcement comes days after the Liberal Party secured a fourth consecutive term in the federal election, deepening political divides between Ottawa and oil-rich Alberta.

Following the election, the Alberta Prosperity Project launched a petition calling for a referendum on the province’s independence. The petition garnered more than 80,000 signatures within 36 hours of its May 2 launch and remains open for public support.

“Should Ottawa, for whatever reason, continue to attack our province as they have done over the last decade? Ultimately that will be for Albertans to decide,” Smith said.

She added that although she does not personally support the idea of separation, she would respect the will of voters. “I will accept their judgement,” the premier said.

Recently, Smith’s government also introduced legislation to lower the threshold for referendums initiated by citizen petition. The bill reduces the number of signatures needed from 20% to 10% of eligible voters from the last provincial election and extends the collection period from 90 to 120 days. In order to pass the threshold, a petition would need about 177,000 signatures.

Smith noted that Alberta doesn’t want “special treatment or handouts;” it just wants to be free to develop its “incredible wealth of resources” and choose how to provide healthcare and education. She expressed hope that secession would not be necessary and that her government would be able to reach an agreement with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s new government.

Last week, Carney’s Liberal Party retained power after a campaign that focused heavily on what he called the existential threat posed by US President Donald Trump, who has floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st US state and imposed extensive tariffs on most of its neighbor’s goods.

The outcome of the election has added to long-running tensions in conservative regions. In Alberta, where the Conservatives won 34 out of 37 seats, many residents have expressed frustration with their federal leadership. Similar dissatisfaction has been reported in neighboring Saskatchewan, and to a lesser extent in British Columbia.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/616869-alberta-break-away-vote-canada/

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Africa

 

Chaos In House Of Rep As Lawmakers Cry Out, Share Dire Stories Of Boko Haram Attacks

May 6, 2025

By Justina Otio

The House of Representatives was thrown into chaos on Tuesday, as lawmakers from regions in the country facing insurgency accused the Federal Government of failing to address the situation.

They warned about Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation, lamenting fresh attacks by Boko Haram.

The debate was sparked by a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rep Ahmed Satomi on the recent fire incident at the armory at Giwa Barracks and the escalating attacks on military formations in Borno and Yobe state.

The motion subsequently led to lawmakers sharing emotional stories about the situation in their constituencies, warning that if urgent steps are not taken, Nigerians may turn on their elected representatives.

Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) issued a searing rebuke to those downplaying the severity of the crisis. “When the governor is crying, and someone within the comfort of his own says the governor is raising an unnecessary alarm, we are rascals. Nigerians are being killed. This is unacceptable,” Gagdi fumed.

Hon. Ahmed Jaha (APC, Borno), whose constituency includes Chibok, gave a chilling update: “Ten peasant farmers were slaughtered in Pulka, 14 in Chibok, and military officers in Izge and Kampu. In Wajiboko, Boko Haram used weaponized drones. The Nigerian Army is outgunned and undermanned. I have seen it. Nobody told me. I was there.”

Jaha warned the House not to be complacent: “Between 2015 to 2019, the government spent N19.7 trillion on security. Yet Boko Haram is resurging worse than ever. We must do proper oversight.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am taking as a victim of the recent resurgence of an insurgence of Boko Haram. I went to my constituency on Saturday to sympathize, to condone with the people that lost their lives as a result of this sporadic, uninterrupted attack.

“In my constituency, in Pulka constituency, ten peasant farmers went out to scavenge for what we call sawroot. Peasant farmers were slaughtered by Boko Haram members and five are still at large and three are critically ill in the hospital. In Chibok, 14 peasant farmers were attacked in their community.

“In less than a blink of an eye, they reduced 14 people to nothing. New motorcycles, new AK-47s kill people when they are running for their own lives. I lost two military men, a captain and a senior officer as a result of Boko Haram insurgence.

“In Kampu, I lost two men and one military officer as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“This will be on record. They are using armed drones, weaponised drones, which the Nigerian army is not using. In other words, they are more sophisticated and advanced than the Nigerian army.

“Boko Haram is coming back worse than what we had in the past. Take it or leave it..Boko Haram is whatever name you tell them, they are coming back. Let us do something serious in order not to come back, go back to our days when 22 local governments out of 27 local governments of the world were occupied by Boko Haram.

“We shouldn’t be complacent with this. I align with the Honourable Deputy by saying that we should do our own part. By doing the proper oversight, as many expected, because between 2015 to 2019, Nigeria government spent 19.7 trillion on security issues. I have the record with me. So we shouldn’t be complacent.”

Source: naijanews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.naijanews.com/2025/05/06/chaos-in-house-of-rep-as-lawmakers-cry-out-share-dire-stories-of-boko-haram-attacks/

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New wave of Sudanese refugees flees into neighbouring Chad

May 6, 2025

Large numbers of Sudanese refugees are pouring into eastern Chad with more than 18,500 people arriving in the past two weeks alone, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said.

After the bombing of the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people in Darfur and the city of al-Fasher, it says hundreds of thousands of people are on the move.

Many of them, including children, elderly people, and pregnant women, are severely malnourished.

"We didn't expect this big influx of people,” says Jean-Paul Habamungu, head of the UNHCR sub-office in Chad.

“It's terrible here at the border, many children, unaccompanied children like the one of 14 years we just met,  this boy of 9 years who is crying here looking for their parents.”

Habamungu says there are also many people with specific needs including pregnant and lactating women who are malnourished.

“So we expect more malnourished people coming now, talking about people who are dying on their way from Zamzam to between Tawila and Tiné, dying with hunger.”

The UNHCR says some 76% of them have lived through traumatic experiences such as sexual violence, extortion, and theft.

In addition, it says Chad is struggling to take in the new arrivals.

It already hosts some 1.3 million refugees, including 794,000 who have fled Sudan since the civil war started there over two years ago.

Humanitarian resources across the country are severely limited, impacting the ability to provide water, shelter, health, education, and protection.

Last month, Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces stormed into the Zamzam camp and went on a three-day rampage, killing at least 400 people, after months of starving its population with a siege.

Refugees and aid workers say RSF fighters gunned down men and women in the streets, beat and tortured others, and raped and sexually assaulted women and girls.

The 11 April attack was the worst ever suffered by Zamzam, Sudan’s largest displacement camp, in its 20 years of existence.

Once home to some 500,000 residents, the camp has been virtually emptied.

The RSF also destroyed Zamzam’s only functioning medical centre, killing nine workers from Relief International.

Much of the south and east of the camp was burned to the ground, the General Coordination said.

Source: africanews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.africanews.com/2025/05/06/new-wave-of-sudanese-refugees-flee-into-neighbouring-chad/

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Senator Tinubu, UNODC, Marwa Express Concerns On Trafficking, Drug Abuse In Nigeria

May 6, 2025

By Richard Ogunsile

First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has urged state governments to adopt and implement community-based strategies to mitigate the effects of substance abuse and illegal drug trafficking at the local level, in accordance with the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).

Naija News reports that Senator Tinubu, in her address at a training workshop organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum in Abuja on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, expressed concerns over the rising tide of drug and substance abuse amongst adolescents.

She stressed that the development is a challenge that must no longer be ignored or tackled in isolation.

Naija News reports that the event was attended by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa; Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cheikh Ousmane Toure; and ECOWAS representative, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah.

Speaking further at the event, the First Lady praised the NDLEA and NGSF for their initiative aimed at enhancing drug control efforts at the grassroots level throughout the nation.

She particularly acknowledged Marwa and his team for their courageous efforts in tackling the issues of illicit drug abuse and trafficking in the country.

“This training cannot be coming at any better time than now when statistics and daily life experiences are revealing that drugs have infiltrated every nook and cranny of our communities. As a nation, we are confronted with a growing crisis, one that affects the very core of our society, the health, safety, and future of our children.

“The rising tide of drug and substance abuse amongst adolescents is a challenge that we must no longer ignore or tackle in isolation. It requires concerted efforts, a community-driven response, one that integrates enforcement, education, family support, and sustained intervention. Our presence at this training testifies to the collective resolve we display in ensuring that we strengthen, secure, and safeguard families and communities.

“Today’s training will ensure that we are adequately armed with the right knowledge, tools, skills, and competencies necessary to effectively tackle this complex issue. It is my hope that this capacity-building workshop, through honest discussions and sharing of best practices, will provide valuable insights into evidence-based strategies for prevention, early intervention, and holistic treatment approaches, especially targeting marginalised and vulnerable communities.

“I urge us to utilise the knowledge gathered at this training to develop viable solutions while collaborating with relevant stakeholders, especially the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, other law enforcement agencies, MDAS, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, educators, and community leaders.

“Let us always bear in mind that as state First Ladies, you owe our people the duty to lead by example, to bear their burden, and share in their pain as we jointly confront drug abuse in our society. I urge us to continue to provide the right direction through prevention initiatives, advocating for those whose voices have been silenced by addiction, providing community interventions to support recovery and reintegrate people into communities after treatment.

“Let us approach the formidable task ahead with humility, doggedness, and commitment to enable us to build communities where our children are protected from harm and empowered to thrive. Together, we can change the narrative, restore dignity to our communities, and ensure a healthier, safer future for all Nigerians,” the First Lady said in her keynote address, delivered by the wife of the Deputy Senate President, Hajiya Laila Jibrin Barau.

In his welcome address, NDLEA Boss, Marwa, expressed concerns over the drug scourge, which, according to him, obstructs progress and dims prospects in an already beleaguered world.

He said: “Regrettably, Nigeria is not immune to this scourge, which steadily infiltrates every stratum of our society. Statistics, academic research, and lived experiences alike reveal a grim reality about illicit drug use and consequences in the country. The magnitude and impact of the drug crisis render the attainment of our national aspiration—improving the health and security of all who dwell within our borders, as enshrined in the National Drug Control Master Plan 2021–2025—a daunting yet inevitable task for any government and people worthy of the name.”

The NDLEA boss stressed that it is imperative for all stakeholders at the workshop to adopt urgent, holistic, and inclusive strategies to dismantle the drug menace.

Marwa said, “Over the past four years, the NDLEA has pursued this mission with renewed and unwavering zeal, ensuring that Nigeria’s hard-won global and regional drug control successes are not merely preserved but expanded.

“Permit me to inform this distinguished gathering that over the four years, the NDLEA has deployed substantial resources towards a comprehensive assault on the drug problem, yielding significant outcomes. Under the drug supply reduction mandate—encompassing drug seizures, arrests, prosecutions, and convictions—we recorded the arrest of 62,595 drug suspects (Including 68 drug barons), the seizure of 10,317,137.55 kilograms of assorted drugs, and secured the conviction of 11,628 offenders. Furthermore, 1,330.56553 hectares of cannabis farms were identified and destroyed.

“To ensure a balanced approach in accordance with international best practices, equal emphasis has been placed on drug demand reduction. Between January 2021 and March 2025, a total of 24,375 drug users received counselling and treatment at NDLEA facilities, primarily through brief interventions. Concurrently, 10,501 drug sensitisation programmes were conducted nationwide under the auspices of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign, reaching diverse target groups within communities. In parallel, a remarkable 3, 843, 789 participants were mobilised to partake in these enlightenment initiatives undertaken across the nation.”

Marwa urged the stakeholders to resist succumbing to despair regarding the issue of drug abuse.

As dedicated citizens and guardians of our nation’s welfare, it is our responsibility to reinforce our determination and to advance with intentional urgency towards effective and sustainable solutions that, with divine assistance, will disrupt the relentless cycle of drug abuse.

This capacity-building initiative, though modest, signifies a positive step forward, as emphasised by the NDLEA leader.

He further noted that since the impact of the drug crisis is most profoundly experienced at the community level, it is essential for stakeholders, including all present today, to tackle the various aspects of the issue from a community-focused approach.

This assembly must seek consensus, creating local and practical solutions that transcend mere statistics and distressing news reports, and instead confront the genuine and severe human consequences of drug abuse.

Marwa conveyed optimism that the training will enhance capabilities, leverage community assets, and unlock the necessary potential to design and execute evidence-based strategies that will restore and revitalise every facet of struggling communities.

“Let us, as frontliners, ever remember: the cost of inaction is infinitely higher than the cost of collective action. Your Excellencies, your roles as mothers, changemakers, and drivers of the State Drug Control Committees (SDCC) place upon you a sacred trust—a responsibility not to be borne lightly. Through your ingenuity, your states may yet emerge as shining examples, immortalised in gold as bastions of hope that defied the tides of darkness.

“The SDCCs remain a potent platform for fostering multisectoral collaboration in the crucial task of drug demand reduction at the state level. I must fervently implore you to ensure the establishment, strengthening, and revitalisation of these Committees across your respective states. Let us always remember that the value of these training events lies not in the richness of their content alone, but in the continued motion and effectiveness of the SDCCS moving resolutely towards our collective aspiration of a drug-free, resilient Nigeria,” a statement made available to Naija News on Tuesday, May 6, by the Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, quoted Marwa as stating.

Also speaking at the workshop, UNODC Country, Rep Cheikh Ousmane Toure, stated that “If the root of this crisis lies in our neighbourhoods, schools, and homes, then the solution must too. The National Drug Control Master Plan and the WADA initiative remind us of that a national framework alone cannot heal fractured communities. Lasting change begins when states and local governments own this fight.”

He emphasised to the first ladies that their impact extends beyond the realm of politics, stating, ‘You are the guardians of trust within your states. When you speak, the community pays attention. When you take action, local governments are inclined to follow. Today, I encourage us to harness this distinctive influence towards three key areas of action. Firstly, states must lead in resource mobilisation. Each state should prioritise a specific budget for prevention and treatment initiatives. This entails the formation of a state-specific drug control task force to align with the national efforts of the NDLEA, as well as the allocation of local government resources to establish community drop-in centres, safe spaces for counselling, and care facilities that are easily accessible to those in need.’

The UNODC chief further asserted that states should implement evidence-based programs tailored to their cultural contexts and decentralise access to treatment.

The head of the ECOWAS Drug Prevention and Control Division, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah, echoed this sentiment in his goodwill message, urging state governments to commit resources to prevention and treatment initiatives at both the state and community levels.

The technical session of the workshop featured experts such as Dr. Martins Agwogie, Prof. Akintunde Oyedokun, Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, Dr. Kunle Adeshina, Dr. Abubakar Salami, Dr. Kunle Adeshina, and Dr. Ngozi Madubuike as resource persons.

Source: naijanews.com

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Nigeria Is Not Practicing Democracy – Middle Belt Forum

 May 6, 2025

By Udeze Ekene

Socio-cultural organization, Middle Belt Forum (MBF), has faulted Nigeria’s democracy and the capacity of the nation’s National Assembly.

Naija News reports that MBF’s National Publicity Secretary, Isuwa Dogo, said electoral malpractice, corrupt judicial system and poor representation from the legislature showed the nation’s democracy is yet to work.

In an interview with Daily Independent, Dogo noted that the nation’s electoral system, including internal party politics, has robbed citizens of the right to elect their leaders.

“I’m not sure if we’re practising democracy in Nigeria. There’s hardly anything that’s not influenced in one form or the other, directly or indirectly. All elections, right from the councillorship at the local government to the presidency.

“In one form or the other, some­body, somewhere, a party, a group, an individual, a tribe, a religious organisation, and people with different interests will try to influ­ence it. You’ll also discover that if it’s democracy, it wouldn’t be that almost every single election ends up in the court.

“At no point has the court re­versed some of them or most of the very important ones, like the governorship, the senatorial, and the presidency. No matter how manipulated it might have been, the court will still say the person was duly elected.

“So, it’s either the court is being induced criminally to give their verdict, or they just don’t want to waste their time to do the right thing.

“Another aspect is that from the primaries, people spend so much money to buy off the delegates.

“They’re voting for people who are the highest bidders. So right from the very councillorship to the highest level, the presidency,” Dogo said.

The Middle Belt Forum Spokesman decried the mass defection of politicians to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This, he said, could be to protect themselves from trial for corrupt practices, citing statement of former Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

Dogo stressed that politicians who defect to other parties should be made to lose their offices. He said the law has to be reviewed to address the wave of defections.

“Like this gale of defections, when Ad­ams Oshiomhole was APC na­tional chairman, would say if you come to APC, your sins are forgiven. That is to say, no matter how corrupt you are, if you go to the APC, there’s nobody that will touch you.

“But the most interesting aspect should have been that if you defect, you lose your position. Because you contested on the plat­form of the party. But that is not the case now,” he stated.

He further lambasted the National Assembly for failing to be true representatives of the citizens.

“I think the National Assem­bly doesn’t even exist any longer. Because the whole beauty of the National Assembly is to represent the people.

“Do they represent the people? Tell me one single bill they have sponsored in the advent of this very government.

“When it comes to political issues, there’s really no judiciary. You know, why? Because it’s the executive that elects the judiciary,” he noted.

Dogo added that Nigeria’s de­mocracy needs urgent help if it must survive, including ensuring that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is independent and officials are not appointed by the president.

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/05/06/nigeria-is-not-practicing-democracy-middle-belt-forum/

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NYSC DG Urges Corps Members To Promote Cultural Integration

May 6, 2025

By Enioluwa Adeniyi

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has challenged Corps members posted to Katsina State to actively promote cultural integration as part of their service to the nation.

Naija News reports that Nafiu made the call during his visit to the Katsina NYSC camp, as part of his nationwide tour of NYSC formations.

In his address, Nafiu encouraged the Corps members to embrace the rich cultural heritage of the Katsina people, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting the customs and traditions of their host community.

He urged the youth to retain and uphold national values while integrating with their local environment during their service year.

Highlighting the significance of their service, Nafiu reminded the Corps members that they were fortunate to be among the millions of Nigerian youths selected for the NYSC programme.

“The NYSC has given you a platform to thrive, hence it is something that should be respected at all cost and be proud about,” he said.

The DG said, “Cultural integration is what we are here for. The beauty of diversity is the unique value of every society. Take time to learn the culture of Katsina State people.

“Learn your ways of being there. Integrate and take pride. Respect their values, religion, and culture. NYSC respects culture and values hence, there is a need for you to embrace and imbibe it as it is the core value of each society. Be security conscious, avoid night journeys.

“You have a role to play as the youth of this nation. Leave a legacy. Let your PPA remember you for good.

“Refrain from political involvement during your service year. Restrain from posting negative messages on your social media handles, in as much as you are free citizens of this country, note also that you are under an oath of the NYSC which you have to respect and abide by.”

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/05/06/nysc-dg-urges-corps-members-to-promote-cultural-integration/

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Paramilitary RSF attacks leave Port Sudan without power

May 6, 2025

Drone strikes have hit a major power station in Port Sudan on Tuesday, causing “a complete power outage” in the eastern Sudanese city, the country’s electricity provider told the BBC.

The barrage occurred as the paramilitary RSF continue to heighten attacks on Port Sudan, after launching their first strikes on the city this weekend.

The RSF unleashed drones on other key targets early Tuesday. One drone hit the civilian part of the city’s international airport, causing flights to be cancelled.  Another drone hit an army base in the city centre and a third one struck a fuel depot near the port.

Witnesses say a hotel located close to the residence of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was also hit in the attack.  There were no reported casualties.

Sudan Information Minister Khalid Aleiser visited the southern part of the port, where fuel tanks were reportedly hit. He slammed the United Arab Emirates, saying it was arming the RSF. The UAE rejected the accusation and condemned the attacks.

The RSF is targeting Port Sudan for the third day in a row. The city had previously been spared in Sudan's two-year war.

On Sunday, strikes hit the military part of the airport, followed by the targeting of fuel depots on Monday. In both cases, military sources blamed the RSF. The paramilitary has not commented on the attacks. 

The United Nations has temporarily suspended all aid flights in and out of Port Sudan but maintains regular aid operations. "None of our offices, premises or warehouses have been impacted, and we continue to carry out our regular operations", said Farhan Haq, the UN deputy spokesperson.

The city was once seen as a safe haven for displaced people. It had become the de facto seat of the army-aligned government since the RSF first invaded Khartoum two years ago. 

The city also welcomed hundreds of thousands of displaced people. The recent attacks are likely to worsen the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

Two years into the war, the army has succeeded in pushing the RSF out of most of central Sudan, and the paramilitary has shifted tactics from ground incursions to drone attacks.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2025/05/06/paramilitary-rsf-attacks-leave-port-sudan-without-power/

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Southeast Asia

 

Fadhlina backs Nurul Izzah for PKR deputy presidency, dismisses nepotism concerns

By Malay Mail

07 May 2025

PETALING JAYA, May 7 — Wanita PKR chief Fadhlina Sidek has voiced her support for party vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar to contest the party’s deputy presidency, downplaying concerns of nepotism given her father Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim remains PKR president.

Fadhlina said Nurul Izzah’s candidacy for the second-highest position in the party aligns with the aspirations of grassroots members, who seek leadership that prioritises stability, sustainability, and loyalty to PKR.

“This isn’t about her family ties or gender, nor is it about factional politics,” she said in a Facebook post. “This is about ensuring the party’s continuity through rejuvenation in its leadership.”

Fadhlina, who also serves as education minister, highlighted Nurul Izzah’s longstanding commitment to PKR, noting her involvement since the early days of the “reformasi” movement, the party’s formation, and its role in the current unity government.

Nurul Izzah, often referred to as PKR’s “Puteri Reformasi,” has garnered endorsements from numerous senior leaders, including vice-president Amirudin Shari, youth wing chief Adam Adli, and senior political secretary to the prime minister, Shamsul Iskandar Akin.

In 2022, Nurul Izzah was appointed as a PKR vice-president, choosing not to run in the central leadership elections that year. However, she lost her Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in the 15th general election to PAS candidate Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan, who secured a majority of 5,272 votes.

Her potential bid for the deputy presidency is seen as a significant move that could reshape the party’s leadership dynamics.

Last night, Selangor PKR has declared its open support for Nurul Izzah Anwar to contest the deputy president post.

Selangor PKR chairman Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the party needed a deputy president who was not tied to government administration and could focus on strengthening internal unity while preparing PKR for the next General Election with robust strategies and renewed vigour.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/05/07/fadhlina-backs-nurul-izzah-for-pkr-deputy-presidency-dismisses-nepotism-concerns/175861

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Rafizi says he offered to step down from PKR and Cabinet posts to focus on GE16 preparation

By Kenneth Tee

07 May 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli revealed today that he was prepared to relinquish his party position and Cabinet role to help the party’s grassroots prepare for the 16th General Election (GE16).

Rafizi said he conveyed this during separate one-on-one meetings with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail while he was on leave from April 29 to May 5.

“In my meetings with Anwar, I expressed my view that campaign strategies for GE16 need to be streamlined, taking into account the current political climate.

“I told him I was prepared to not contest the deputy president post and to vacate my Cabinet role to focus entirely on grassroots campaigning.

“I also shared the same view with Saifuddin, stating my willingness to step aside so I could return to campaigning more freely and aggressively for GE16 without being constrained by government protocols,” he said in a statement.

However, Rafizi said both leaders emphasised the importance of him contesting for the party’s second-highest position and remaining in the Cabinet amid speculation about his potential resignation.

Rafizi explained that his concerns stemmed from the federal government being perceived as overly defensive, contrasting with PKR’s aggressive stance when it was in Opposition.

“That has been my strength as a politician, and it aligns better with the demands of campaigning, especially since we only have two years left until GE16.

“As a minister, I am now bound by the administration’s consensus, which makes it harder for me to speak as freely as I did before,” he said.

On his leave of absence, Rafizi clarified that it was to address issues raised during the party’s 2025 internal elections, particularly allegations of irregularities after the unexpected losses of several senior leaders.

“As deputy president, I decided to focus full-time on resolving these matters, including meeting with candidates and addressing their concerns.

“It is reasonable that party affairs should not overlap with the official duties of a minister. To me, separating responsibilities as a party leader from ministerial roles reflects a political culture we should nurture,” he added.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/05/07/rafizi-says-he-offered-to-step-down-from-pkr-and-cabinet-posts-to-focus-on-ge16-preparation/175878

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Trader charged with dangerous driving, causing death of motorcyclist in Seremban crash

07 May 2025

SEREMBAN, May 7 — A trader pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court here today to a charge of dangerous driving which resulted in the death of a motorcyclist in a road crash at Matahari Heights early this month.

P. Mohan, 45, made the plea before Magistrate Nurul Farha Sulaiman.

He was charged with dangerously driving a van and causing the death of Muhammad Annas Iskandar Mohd Khairi, 21, at the traffic lights at Persiaran Senawang 1, Matahari Heights, here at 11.59pm last May 3.

The charge, under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333), provides imprisonment for up to 10 years and a maximum fine of not more than RM50,000, as well as disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for not less than five years, if convicted.

The court allowed him bail of RM7,000 with one surety and also ordered that his driving licence be suspended pending disposal of the case.

The court also set July 3 for mention for the submission of documents, including reports from the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom), as well as the forensic and chemist reports.

Earlier, lawyer Rajindar Singh, representing Mohan, when seeking a lower bail, said his client, who earned between RM3,000 to RM3,500 a month, is self-employed.

He said Mohan’s wife sells flowers and the couple are supporting two children aged 21 and 22 who are still studying.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nadia Ezzati Mohd Zainal appeared for the prosecution. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/05/07/trader-charged-with-dangerous-driving-causing-death-of-motorcyclist-in-seremban-crash/175866

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