Popular Front of India Wanted To Create Islamic Movement, Start Civil War In India: Probe Agency

New Age Islam News Bureau

19 October  2024

 

 

·         Popular Front of India Wanted To Create Islamic Movement, Start Civil War In India: Probe Agency

·         Bill To Grant Mufti Lawmaking Powers Stokes Concern Among Malaysia’s Muslims

·         Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Hamas Leader’s Death Will Not Halt ‘Axis Of Resistance’

·         Saudi Arabia Championing Disposal Of Batteries And E-Waste, A Significant Contributor To Environmental Threats

·         Asylum To Sheikh Hasina Means Sheltering A Killer: Bangladesh Nationalist Party

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India

·         Traders In Chamoli Town, Uttarakhand, Tell Muslims, Leaving Their For Decades, To Leave By Dec 31

·         J & K Govt Seeking Restoration Of Statehood, Not Article 370 'Very Painful': Engineer Rashid

·         Such attacks abhorrent, must be condemned: Omar Abdullah on labourer's killing in Jammu and Kashmir

·         Five more persons held in Baba Siddique murder case, taking total number of arrests to nine: Mumbai police

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Southeast Asia

·         Children Freed From Banned Malaysian Islamic SectGISBH Must Undergo Rehabilitation

·         Malaysia mourns loss of Yahya Sinwar, condemns Israel’s atrocities

·         Legal team offers pro bono services to GISBH victims

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Mideast

·         ‘This Is How A Hero Dies,’ Say Gazans Of Sinwar’s Battlefield Death

·         Iraqi Strikes Kill Senior Daesh LeaderAnd Three Other Militants

·         Martyr Sinwar Symbol Of Islamic Values: Senior Cleric

·         PLO mourns death of Hamas chief Sinwar

·         Israel unearths Hezbollah’s web of tunnels in southern Lebanon

·         Gaza civil defense agency says Israeli strike kills 33 in Jabalia

·         Israel army says intercepts ‘aerial target’ approaching from Syria

·         Iraqi Islamic Resistance conducts new op on Israeli regime

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Arab World

·         Global Fashion Leaders Compete For Foothold In Thriving SaudiFashion And Sportswear Market

·         Saudi Arabia, Spain discuss economic cooperation

·         Saudi Arabia takes part in global drug regulatory conference

·         Project to handle worshippers’ luggage at the two holiest mosques

·         500 unsafe tyres seized in raid in Mecca

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South Asia

·         Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan Calls Sinwar ‘Hero’, Says Jihad Will Intensify

·         Yunus to hold dialogue with some political parties today

·         Germany contributes €10 million to Afghanistan humanitarian aid fund

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Europe

·         Muslim Labour Councilors In UK Call For Immediate Suspension Of Arms Sales To Israel

·         Blackburn Mosque Must Hold New Election, High Court Rules

·         Italy faces big setback over migrant camps in Albania

·         Cuba suffers nationwide blackout after main power plant fails

·         ‘No consensus’ on Ukraine missiles – Biden

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North America

·         'Showing Us How To Win A War': Navy Seal Who Killed Bin Laden Lauds Israel's Killing Of Sinwar

·         Muslim candidates surge in local elections in US

·         Muslim Voters Flock To Jill Stein Over Kamala Harris

·         Trump calls judge 'evil' for releasing case files before election

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Pakistan

·         PM Shehbaz Urges President Biden To Order Dr Aafia Siddiqui's Release On Humanitarian Grounds

·         PTI Protesters Take To Streets In Karachi, Other Cities Against Constitutional Package

·         Probe Finds Rape Story Fabricated, Spread Via Fake Accounts

·         Rawalpindi police arrest over 380 students after Lahore 'rape' protests

·         Warning of ‘brute majority’, Bilawal seeks opposition support for amendment

·         PTI protests tepid amid ‘no show’ from leaders

·         LHC Full Bench To Hear Cases On Girls’ Harassment, Fake Videos

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Africa

·         Tunisia Sentences Prominent Opponent Noureddine Bhiri To 10 Years In Prison

·         National Mosque Abuja Appoints First Igbo Imam

·         Bridging centuries of trade ethics: Madinah’s legacy in Iwo Islamic market

·         10,000 delegates to attend 2024 MSSN Islamic Vacation Course

·         Hisbah Arrests Jigawa Commissioner With Married Woman In Kano

·         ‘Despite Tinubu’s Absence, Wheel Of His Govt Has Been In Top Gear’ – Okupe Knocks Critics

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pfi-india-islamic-movement-civil-war/d/133485

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Popular Front of India Wanted To Create Islamic Movement, Start Civil War In India: Probe Agency

 

 

October 19, 2024

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said the Popular Front of India (PFI), a proscribed terrorist organisation, was working to create an Islamic movement in India through a "jihad" that included non-violent air raids and "guerilla theatre", apart from various methods of cruelty and subjugation.

The federal agency issued a statement, saying it has attached fresh assets worth more than ₹ 35 crore that are "beneficially-owned and controlled" by the PFI "in the name of various trusts, companies and individuals" as part of its ongoing probe against the outfit and entities linked to it.

The PFI was banned by the Centre in September 2022 after the ED, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and various state police forces carried out countrywide raids against its office-bearers and establishments.

The ED alleged that the real objectives of the PFI, formed in 2006 in Kerala but headquartered in Delhi, are "different" from the ones stated in its constitution.

"Real objectives of PFI include formation of an organisation for carrying out an Islamic movement in India through jihad, though PFI masquerades itself as a social movement.

"PFI claimed use of non-violent forms of protest but evidence reveals that the methods of protest employed by them are violent in nature," the agency alleged.

It described some of the methods of protest used by the outfit for the preparation of a "civil war" by creating unrest and strife in the society, through "non-violent air raids, guerrilla theatre (street plays on social and political issues), alternative communication systems (non-mainstream media outlets) etc.".

It alleged that the PFI deployed some methods of cruelty and subjugation like haunting and taunting officials, fraternisation (establishing unethical relations or contacts), mock funerals, interdict (a strong prohibitory order), Lysistratic non-action or sexual abstinence.

The agency said the PFI undertook civil disobedience of laws, propounded dual sovereignty (holding more than one sovereign), creating parallel governments and disclosing identities of secret agents in order to "undermine" the unity and sovereignty of the country.

The outfit deployed tactics of "politically-motivated counterfeiting", "preclusive purchasing" (buying strategic commodities in global markets to prevent an opponent from purchasing those), non-violent land seizure, seizure of assets, "selective patronage", dumping (selling a commodity at a price lower than its market value to pressure an opponent) etc.

It has also been alleged by the ED that the PFI gave arms training under the garb of physical education classes, where they imparted "offensive and defensive" manoeuvres using different variations of blows, punches, kicks, knife and stick attacks.

The outfit, according to the ED, was imparting "intensive" violent training to its cadre for attacks using punches, kicks, blows and also weapons like knives, sticks, sickles and swords.

The PFI has also been charged with being "actively involved" in "inciting" violence and "fomenting trouble" during the February 2020 Delhi riots. It has also been alleged that PFI and CFI (Campus Front of India, the PFI's student wing) members visited Hathras in Uttar Pradesh a few years ago with an intent to disturb communal harmony, incite communal riots and spread terror.

The ED has alleged that the PFI had planned to form a "terrorist gang" by collecting deadly weapons and explosive devices to launch attacks on important and sensitive places and individuals with an intent to undermine India's unity, integrity and sovereignty, and disturb communal harmony.

The outfit has been accused of organising a training camp with an intent to cause disturbance during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Patna on July 12, 2022 and printing "incriminating" literature that had the potential to pose a threat to the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country.

It has been alleged that the PFI conspired and raised funds from within the country and abroad through banking channels, "hawala", donations etc. for "committing and financing" terror acts across India.

"PFI had more than 13,000 active members in Singapore and Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

"PFI has formed well-defined district executive committees (DECs) for the non-resident Muslim expatriates living in the Gulf, which was tasked with collection of funds," the ED said.

The agency said it has seized assets worth a total ₹ 61.72 crore as part of its probe, arrested 26 PFI members and filed nine chargesheets.

Source:ndtv.com

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

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pfi-wanted-to-create-islamic-movement-start-civil-war-in-india-probe-agency-6821508

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Bill To Grant Mufti Lawmaking Powers Stokes Concern Among Malaysia’s Muslims

 

Malaysian Religious Affairs Minister Mohd Na'im Mokhtar came under fire over the new Bill seeking to grant lawmaking powers to muftis. PHOTO: BERNAMA

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OCT 18, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR – A Bill that grants the federal territories’ (FT) mufti the power to enshrine religious edicts into law has raised concerns among Malaysia’s Muslims, who fear it will infringe on their freedom of choice.

The Federal Territories Mufti Bill 2024 is intended to formalise the position of the mufti, or Islamic jurist, of the FT, which covers the capital Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

The new law will prescribe the mufti’s qualifications, duties and scope of authority.

It represents a substantial overhaul of the existing legal framework governing Islamic jurisprudence in the FT, said human rights lawyer Siti Kasim.

In Malaysia, Islamic jurisprudence falls under each of its 13 states’ purview, but in the FT, it falls under the federal government.

Article 10 of the Bill allows the mufti to propose a fatwa, or religious ruling, to the King and have it gazetted into law without parliamentary debate. Under Article 11 of the Bill, the fatwa will then become legally binding on all Muslims who are in the FT. Non-Muslims are not affected.

Human rights activists and prominent Muslims, along with several non-Muslim groups, are alarmed by elements of the Bill, which was introduced in Parliament on July 2 by Religious Affairs Minister Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.

“While this Bill is confined to the federal territories, similar laws are bound to be adopted throughout the states. It will give power to the government, through the mufti, to control or police every aspect of the life of Muslims in this country,” rights lawyer Latheefa Koya wrote on X on Oct 10.

“For example, what Muslims wear, where they eat, who they associate with or how they interact with fellow Malaysians may all be subject to such fatwas, which will be enforceable,” she added.

Legal experts such as former law minister Zaid Ibrahim and Ms Siti argued that these articles infringe upon the rights of Muslims in the FT and are undemocratic, seeing that muftis are not lawmakers.

“Suppose the FT mufti issues a fatwa (for example) that all tobacco is haram, or Muslims must eat only in restaurants with a halal certificate on display. In that case, that’s the law in the FT,” said Datuk Zaid in a post on X on Oct 7.

“What happens to democracy and religious freedom? What if the muftis ruled that Muslims could no longer shake hands with their female colleagues? Or deny Muslims (the right) to wish merry Christmas? Or happy Deepavali?” he added.

Backbencher Syahredzan Johan has refuted Mr Zaid’s claims, saying that the power to bind Muslims under a fatwa is not new as there are already provisions for it under the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993, and Muslims can be convicted for going against a fatwa under the Syariah Criminal Offences Act (Federal Territories) 1997.

In an analysis shared with The Straits Times, Ms Siti pointed out that unlike these two laws, the current Bill is of concern as it seeks to bind all Muslims in the FT instead of just Muslims residing in those three areas. The proposed law, she says, also removes the element of personal choice.

“This contrasts also with the current law, which allows for personal deviations from fatwas based on individual observance, belief or opinion. If enacted, the Bill would eliminate this personal choice.

“A critical question arises: Does a fatwa constitute law? If so, it is pertinent to question why an unelected body or individual is granted the power to create binding laws,” said the lawyer.

Sunway University Professor Wong Chin Huat observed that by tabling the Bill, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration appears to want Islam to be more entrenched in state structure.

“Anwar might hope to win more support from conservative Muslims, who want the expansion of Islam’s role (in Malaysia),” said the political scientist.

G25, a group comprising retired prominent civil servants, said that elements in the Bill were fundamentally unconstitutional.

“It must be remembered that Malaysia is a constitutional democracy. While Islam is indeed the religion of the federation by virtue of Article 3 of the Federal Constitution (FC), Article 4... makes it clear that the FC is the supreme law of the federation, and any laws inconsistent with it will be void,” it said in a statement on Oct 16.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Chinese Association, a component party of Barisan Nasional, which is part of the ruling alliance, said in a statement on Oct 16 that the Bill has already caused unease among non-Muslims as it indicates that the current administration’s control over religious affairs is increasing.

“We urge the government to ensure that any legal changes take into account Malaysia’s multicultural society, adhere to the spirit of constitutional democracy and safeguard the values of diversity, moderation and inclusivity from being eroded,” said the party.

Another point of contention, raised by Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and opposition party Parti Islam SeMalaysia president Abdul Hadi Awang, is the narrow definition of who can be appointed as a mufti.

According to Article 3 of the Bill, a mufti can only be appointed from Sunni Muslims and those that follow the Syafie, Hanafi, Maliki or Hanbali schools, whereas Islam has more diverse schools of thought.

In a Facebook post on July 2, Datuk Asri said that it is not appropriate for the government to pass any legislation or enactment that restricts the thinking of the people, and seizes freedom of thought and academic freedom, especially in the name of religion.

He was backed by the Sultan of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, who on July 10 expressed his displeasure over the use of the Conference of Rulers’ name in efforts to garner support for the Bill.

Some Muslims living in Kuala Lumpur who ST spoke to were apathetic about the proposed law, citing the lack of enforcement on existing fatwas that are already binding on them.

Advertising executive Syed Jamal Syed Ahmad said he does not believe that the Bill will make any difference.

“There are fatwas issued prohibiting Muslims from purchasing and drinking alcohol, but there has been no enforcement by the authorities. You can see Muslims drinking in pubs and bars around the city,” he added.

“How is this democratic? What happened to our personal liberties? The mufti is a civil servant; he is not a lawmaker. The mufti can issue fatwas but if it must be turned into a law, it should be passed by Parliament. Submit the law to Parliament,” said bank employee Hafiz Ghulam.

Defending the Bill, Datuk Na’im told ST that the power granted to the mufti to gazette a fatwa into law is similar to directives issued by other senior civil servants.

He cited the example of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, where the director-general of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health has been granted the power to ban any materials that are hazardous to the safety of workers.

“The power granted to any individual, such as the mufti and Occupational Safety and Health Department’s director-general, follows his respective expertise. Their appointment is based on the legislation and not merely administration,” added Mr Na’im.

He also pointed out that the power to gazette a fatwa into law is critical in stamping out Islamic deviancy.

In Malaysia, Islamic deviancy often equates to practices that fall outside of the Sunni sect and extremist factions that may be linked to terrorism.

The Bill is expected to be tabled and debated for its second and third readings during the current parliamentary sessions, which runs from Oct 14 to Dec 12.

Source:straitstimes.com

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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/bill-to-grant-mufti-lawmaking-powers-stokes-concern-among-malaysia-s-muslims

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Hamas Leader’s Death Will Not Halt ‘Axis Of Resistance’

 

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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October 19, 2024

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Saturday the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will not halt the “Axis of Resistance” and that Hamas would live on.

“His loss is undoubtedly painful for the Axis of Resistance, but this front did not cease advancing with the martyrdom of prominent figures,” Khamenei said in a statement. “Hamas is alive and will remain alive.”

Source:arabnews.com

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

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2575869/middle-east

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Saudi Arabia Championing Disposal Of Batteries And E-Waste, A Significant Contributor To Environmental Threats

 

Staff from the Fortech company in Cartago, Costa Rica, disassembles batteries from electric cars to recycle them. Fortech recycles lithium batteries from telephones, computers, electric cars and other items to sell the resulting materials for the construction of new batteries. (AFP)

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Haifa Alshammari

October 18, 2024

RIYADH: In today’s tech-driven society, electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is growing at an alarming rate, with batteries being a significant contributor to this environmental challenge.

The improper disposal of batteries poses serious threats to human health, the environment, and public safety. As Saudi Arabia adopts sustainable practices, addressing battery waste is viewed as a critical issue.

Batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy, allowing them to power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. While they are essential to modern life, they contain hazardous materials that, if improperly disposed of, can leach into the environment.

“Improper battery disposal can contaminate the air, water and soil as batteries contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury,” Dr. Sultan Meo, a professor and consultant at King Saud University’s Department of Physiology in Riyadh, told Arab News.

In a recent study, Meo reported that environmental pollution causes about 8.1 million deaths a year — more than 1 in 8 deaths globally — making it the second leading risk factor for early death, surpassed only by high blood pressure.

Lead is particularly harmful, especially to children. In fact, the World Health Organization lists it as one of the top ten chemicals of public health concern.

“Lead exposure is particularly harmful to children, as it can cause neurological disorders, developmental delays, learning difficulties, impaired memory, cognitive dysfunction, attention disorders, depression and anxiety,” Meo said.

There is also a link between lead exposure and cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial infarction.

“Lead exposure causes systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, atherosclerosis and thrombosis,” Meo added.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that more than 1.5 million deaths worldwide were attributed to lead exposure in 2021, primarily due to cardiovascular effects. It has also been linked to reduced IQ in children.

The health risks extend beyond the heart and brain, however. Lead also reduces sperm count and motility, affecting male fertility, further highlighting the need for responsible disposal methods.

When batteries are discarded in landfills or mixed with regular waste, the impact on wildlife and ecosystems is immense. Chemicals from leaking batteries seep into the soil and waterways, poisoning plant and animal life and disrupting food chains.

The effects also trickle down to humans through contaminated water and food.

Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in electronics, are particularly hazardous. When damaged or mishandled, they can short-circuit and cause fires, both in landfills and recycling centers.

Fires in waste management facilities expose workers to dangerous toxins and can lead to larger environmental disasters.

To prevent such incidents, it is crucial to store batteries safely before disposal. Batteries should be kept away from flammable materials and handled carefully to avoid puncturing or crushing, which could result in hazardous leaks or explosions.

Saudi Arabia has committed to promoting environmental sustainability, including responsible e-waste management and recycling. As part of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is implementing recycling programs and raising awareness about the importance of proper battery disposal.

In 2022, the Saudi government launched various initiatives aimed at enhancing recycling infrastructure, including dedicated e-waste collection points and awareness campaigns to encourage citizens to recycle batteries and other electronic waste properly.

The Saudi Investment Recycling Company is leading these efforts by building the Kingdom’s first integrated e-waste recycling plant.

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture is also promoting initiatives that align with global standards for battery recycling, helping to mitigate the harmful effects of hazardous materials on the environment.

Saudi Arabia is also promoting circular economy principles — reducing waste, recycling materials and reusing valuable components from old batteries.

While infrastructure improvements are vital, public awareness of proper disposal methods is equally important.

Batteries should never be thrown in regular trash bins. Instead, consumers must be educated on using designated drop-off locations for battery recycling.

Retailers and municipalities across Saudi Arabia are increasingly offering these facilities, but public engagement is key to their success.

“Batteries should be recycled or disposed of properly at designated facilities to prevent fires and the release of toxic chemicals into the air, water and soil,” Meo said.

Through a combination of government initiatives, public awareness campaigns and individual action, the Kingdom is taking action on e-waste management.

Source:arabnews.com

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

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2575842/saudi-arabia

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Asylum To Sheikh Hasina Means Sheltering A Killer: Bangladesh Nationalist Party

 

Former Bangladesh PM, Sheikh Hasina

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Oct 18, 2024

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today said giving asylum to Sheikh Hasina is like providing shelter to a "killer".

He said this while speaking to journalists after paying tributes to BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at his mausoleum in the capital, marking the silver jubilee of Ziaur Rahman Foundation.

Referring to a statement of a neighbouring country regarding providing shelter to Hasina, the BNP leader said they have clearly said that Hasina is in their country and their behaviour to this end is that of a "big brother".

"We have extradition treaty with India. Arrest warrant has been issued against Sheikh Hasina. We have to bring her back to the country through due diplomatic process under the treaty," he said.

Otherwise, the top criminals of Bangladesh will get a chance to seek refuge in different foreign countries, including India, he said.

Referring to the shutdown on Thursday by a section of officials from various Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) units under the Rural Electrification Board (BREB), Rizvi said they are yet to become free from the clutches of the autocracy as the cohorts of the fascist government are still in the administration and are out to create chaos in the country.

"We have said several times about the conspiracy. If they have any demands, they can place it before the government. But why did they announce the shutdown instead of informing the government of their demands? This is part of a deep-rooted conspiracy. It is sabotage," he said.

They did not take such a programme during the regime of Hasina, he observed.

The senior BNP leader called upon the government to be cautious, otherwise, the journey towards democracy which has started with the sacrifices of lives of the students would be halted.

"It will create doubt among people as you [interim government] are making delay (in holding election) in the name of reforms. If you have sincerity, give power of the people in their hands after making necessary reforms at the quickest possible time," he said.

Rizvi continued: "Don't create complication by raising the issue of proportionate voting system. Many countries across the globe returned from proportionate voting."

Source:thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/granting-asylum-hasina-means-sheltering-killer-rizvi-3730656

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India

Traders In Chamoli Town, Uttarakhand, Tell Muslims, Leaving Their For Decades, To Leave By Dec 31

 Oct 19, 2024

DEHRADUN: A traders' body in Uttarakhand's Khansar town in Chamoli district, around 260 km from Dehradun, has "passed a resolution" asking about 15 MUslim families to leave the town by Dec 31. Some of them have been in Chamoli for decades.

The resolution was passed on Wednesday during a meeting of the vyapar mandal, following a ‘chetna' (awareness) rally in Maithan market of Khansar on the same day. TOI has accessed a video of the rally in which the participants, mostly local Hindu traders, could be purportedly seen raising provocative slogans.

Former president of the traders' body, Virendra Singh, who is now president of Maithan Seva Samiti, told TOI the resolution was passed "unanimously" as "preventive action."

He said, "During the meeting, it was decided that all such families should leave before Dec 31. Failing to do so will attract legal and punitive action not only against these families but also against those who rent out their houses or establishments to them. Such landlords will also face a penalty of Rs 10,000."

Singh added, "Moreover, it has been decided to prohibit all hawkers from entering villages in Khansar valley. Any hawker caught doing business will face a penalty of Rs 10,000 and legal action. These decisions have been taken to prevent any criminal incident against Hindu women by members of the minority community in the wake of similar incidents in other towns."

TOI has a copy of the resolution mentioning the two decisions by the traders' body.

A minority community member, requesting anonymity, said, "None of us were ever involved in any criminal incident in the town in the past. The action by the traders' body is not just an attempt to disturb communal harmony but also to oust us due to vested business interests. We hope the administration will take action."

Chamoli SP Sarvesh Panwar said police were "‘not aware" of any such incident. "We will investigate the matter and take appropriate legal action, if needed. Nobody will be allowed to disturb peace and harmony in the district," said Panwar.

Khansar valley comprises 11 gram panchayats with over 4,000 Hindu families.

In early Sept, Hindutva groups took out a procession in Gopeshwar town of Chamoli district following violence against Muslim shops at Nandghat. They sought verification of all "outsiders" following allegations of harassment allegedly by a Muslim youth running a barber shop. At least 10 families from minority community, including a BJP functionary, were forced to flee their homes after receiving death threats.

During the same time, some villages in Kedar valley of Rudraprayag district had put up boards barring entry of "non-Hindus and Rohingya Muslims."

A week later, a protest rally was held in Uttarkashi city in which members of right-wing groups and locals demanded "demolition" of a mosque "registered in 1969" and a minority-dominated colony.

In March, at least 86 traders belonging to the minority community were asked to leave Dharchula town of Pithoragarh district by local traders' association after a barber of the minority community was arrested for allegedly abducting two minor girls of majority community and taking them to his hometown in UP.

Dehradun: A traders' body in Uttarakhand's Khansar town in Chamoli district, around 260 km from Dehradun, has "passed a resolution" asking about 15 MUslim families to leave the town by Dec 31. Some of them have been in Chamoli for decades.

The resolution was passed on Wednesday during a meeting of the vyapar mandal, following a ‘chetna' (awareness) rally in Maithan market of Khansar on the same day. TOI has accessed a video of the rally in which the participants, mostly local Hindu traders, could be purportedly seen raising provocative slogans.

Former president of the traders' body, Virendra Singh, who is now president of Maithan Seva Samiti, told TOI the resolution was passed "unanimously" as "preventive action."

He said, "During the meeting, it was decided that all such families should leave before Dec 31. Failing to do so will attract legal and punitive action not only against these families but also against those who rent out their houses or establishments to them. Such landlords will also face a penalty of Rs 10,000."

Singh added, "Moreover, it has been decided to prohibit all hawkers from entering villages in Khansar valley. Any hawker caught doing business will face a penalty of Rs 10,000 and legal action. These decisions have been taken to prevent any criminal incident against Hindu women by members of the minority community in the wake of similar incidents in other towns."

TOI has a copy of the resolution mentioning the two decisions by the traders' body.

A minority community member, requesting anonymity, said, "None of us were ever involved in any criminal incident in the town in the past. The action by the traders' body is not just an attempt to disturb communal harmony but also to oust us due to vested business interests. We hope the administration will take action."

Chamoli SP Sarvesh Panwar said police were "‘not aware" of any such incident. "We will investigate the matter and take appropriate legal action, if needed. Nobody will be allowed to disturb peace and harmony in the district," said Panwar.

Khansar valley comprises 11 gram panchayats with over 4,000 Hindu families.

In early Sept, Hindutva groups took out a procession in Gopeshwar town of Chamoli district following violence against Muslim shops at Nandghat. They sought verification of all "outsiders" following allegations of harassment allegedly by a Muslim youth running a barber shop. At least 10 families from minority community, including a BJP functionary, were forced to flee their homes after receiving death threats.

During the same time, some villages in Kedar valley of Rudraprayag district had put up boards barring entry of "non-Hindus and Rohingya Muslims."

A week later, a protest rally was held in Uttarkashi city in which members of right-wing groups and locals demanded "demolition" of a mosque "registered in 1969" and a minority-dominated colony.

In March, at least 86 traders belonging to the minority community were asked to leave Dharchula town of Pithoragarh district by local traders' association after a barber of the minority community was arrested for allegedly abducting two minor girls of majority community and taking them to his hometown in UP.

Source:indiatimes.com

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/traders-in-chamoli-issue-ultimatum-for-muslims-to-leave-by-year-end/articleshow/114358137.cms

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J & KGovt Seeking Restoration Of Statehood, Not Article 370 'Very Painful': Engineer Rashid

18.10.24

Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid on Friday said reports of a resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir government seeking restoration of statehood only and not Article 370 was "very painful" and a "departure" from the principle stand of the ruling National Conference (NC).

The remarks of the Baramulla MP, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, came after a Jammu-based newspaper 'Daily Excelsior' carried a report that the cabinet had passed a resolution urging the Centre to restore JK's statehood. The report also said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will travel to Delhi to handover the draft of the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, there was no official confirmation or denial of the report.

"There are reports that a resolution has been passed to seek restoration of the statehood. It is his right to pass anything.

"But, we want to remind Abdullah that you contested the election on Articles 370 and 35A and statehood. So these reports that only a resolution on statehood has been passed is very painful. It means a departure from the principle stand of his party," Rashid said at a press conference here.

He said the resolution on statehood only makes it clear that Abdullah, who is also the NC vice president, is "playing into the hands of the BJP".

"The prime minister and (Union) home minister have promised the restoration of statehood a number of times. So why is Omar seeking the same thing? Why is he seeking what the BJP is already ready to give? "It means he is not ready to talk about (Articles) 370 and 35A. It is just an eyewash and he is deviating from the agenda on which he contested the elections," Rashid said.

The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief said it seems "something is going on between the NC and the BJP".

"They are playing hide-and-seek. The Centre has to restore the statehood according to the directions of the Supreme Court.

"Abdullah just wants to be counted in martyrs, he wants to run away from the other main issues... This is like the betrayal done by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah when he became the chief minister from being the Prime Minister before," Rashid added.

Taking a dig at Abdullah for allegedly changing his attire three times on the day of his swearing-in, the AIP chief said it meant the chief minister was very happy to take oath, when he should have been serious that day.

"I am not attacking him on this. This is his personal thing and he is at a liberty to do what he wants. But, since he is a chief minister, we have to observe these things.

"This means he is not bothered about the real issues. It seems he is trying to justify his friendship with the BJP like he praised the PM and HM," he added.

The Baramulla MP said the JK government needs support from the Centre and "we want the Centre to support the JK government on administrative and developmental issues". But it does not mean that Abdullah has to leave his stand, he said.

"He is looking for an excuse to build up his relationship with Modi and the BJP government. Abdullah should clarify if the BJP remains in power for 100 years, should Kashmiris wait for 100 years to ask for their rights.

"I am not talking about seeking their rights, the political struggle. But if we cannot even talk about it, then it is unfortunate," he added.

Rashid also asked the government to restore the practice of 'Darbar Move', the bi-annual practice of shifting the seat of power for six months in winters to Jammu and in summers to Srinagar.

"He (Abdullah) should tell the people which city is the capital of the UT -- whether it is Srinagar or Jammu? Where will his government sit? "We want the tradition of the Darbar Move to continue. It is a bonding between the two regions," he said.

Source:telegraphindia.com

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Such attacks abhorrent, must be condemned: Omar Abdullah on labourer's killing in Jammu and Kashmir

19.10.24

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expressed grief over the killing of a non-local labourer whose body was found in Shopian district and said such attacks must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

The body of the labourer, who was identified as Ashok Chauhan, was found in a field in the Wachi area of Zainapora in the south Kashmir district on Friday.

"Very sorry to hear about the death of Ashok Chouhan at the hands of militants in South Kashmir. These attacks are abhorrent & must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. I send my condolences to the family & loved ones of the deceased," Abdullah said on X.

Chouhan's body bore two bullet wounds, according to police.

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Five more persons held in Baba Siddique murder case, taking total number of arrests to nine: Mumbai police

18.10.24

Five more persons were held on Friday in connection with the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, taking the total number of arrests in the sensational case to nine, a Mumbai police official said.

Based on specific information, raids were carried out by the Crime Branch in Panvel and Karjat in neighbouring Raigad district, leading to the arrest of these five persons for conspiracy related to the crime and its execution, he said.

The arrested persons were also in touch with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which is accused of gunning down Siddique, the official added.

"The total number of arrests in the case now stands at nine. Further probe is underway," he added.

Siddique was shot at and grievously injured on October 12 near his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Nirmal Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area. The Congress-turned-NCP leader died some time later in nearby Lilavati Hospital.

The four persons arrested earlier include two alleged shooters who were overpowered by police and passersby at the spot itself.

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Southeast Asia

 

Children Freed From Banned Malaysian Islamic SectGISBHMust Undergo Rehabilitation

2024.10.18

Razarudin Husain, Malaysia’s police inspector-general, points to a photo of books on al-Arqam teaching that were seized by officers and displayed at the police training center in Kuala Lumpur, Sept. 23, 2024.

Hundreds of members of a controversial Malaysian Islamic conglomerate, including children, must undergo a 90-day rehabilitation program amid accusations of human trafficking, sexual abuse and indoctrination of deviant teachings, the government said Friday.

Authorities did not specify when the program would begin or the exact number of adults who would be required to participate.

Malaysian authorities have rescued over 600 children from welfare homes operated by Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH), a company linked to al-Arqam, a religious sect banned in 1994 for allegedly promoting a deviant form of Islam in the Muslim-majority country.

The ministry overseeing women’s and children’s affairs said the “end goal” is returning the rescued children to their parents, although some will remain in state care until they are fully rehabilitated.

“Most participants will be with their families based on the National Security Council (NSC) recommendation and approval. The program will generally last 90 days for everyone,” said Sirajuddin Suhaimee, director-general of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM).

The program will focus on providing religious, educational, psychological and vocational support to the children and other members of the group, according to the NSC.

“The aim is to ensure these individuals receive proper guidance on Islamic teachings and a healthy livelihood after the enforcement actions against GISB,” the NSC said in an earlier statement.

“We do not want to alienate these people. They need help and full support from both the government and society to return to the true Islamic faith.”

Many of the rescued children were believed to be trafficked as well as physically and sexually abused, authorities said.

Some were separated from their families at a young age and forced to perform hundreds of squats as punishment for minor infractions, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.

“They would be punished with not 100 but 500 ear squats,” Saifuddin said on Tuesday, adding that some children were forced to work in industries owned by GISBH under the guise of education.

Over 350 individuals have been detained in connection with alleged child abuse at these homes since Sept. 11, according to authorities.

GISBH denied any connection to the welfare homes and accusations of child abuse, saying the claims were an attempt to tarnish its reputation.

However, the conglomerate’s CEO, Nasiruddin Mohd Ali, admitted last month there had been “one or two cases of sodomy” at the shelters.

Proper rehabilitation

Child psychology experts said the rescued children should be kept at safe houses and separated from their parents while they are undergoing rehabilitation.

“If they are returned to their families too soon, it is feared that the healing process won’t happen and the situation could worsen if there are negative elements in the home itself,” Mariani Md. Nor, a child psychology expert at SEGi University, told BenarNews.

She urged a holistic recovery process involving counselors, psychologists and social workers to help children rebuild their mental, emotional and intellectual well-being.

A psychologist offered similar concerns.

The trauma experienced by the children could have severe long-term consequences if not addressed properly, said Zulfikar Ahmad, a senior psychologist at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Psychological and Counseling Services Center.

“Some may need psychosocial, spiritual, or clinical intervention, and that takes time,” he told BenarNews. “But for now, the safe house is the best option.”

Source:benarnews.org

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Malaysia mourns loss of Yahya Sinwar, condemns Israel’s atrocities

BERNAMA

19-10- 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia mourns the loss of martyr Yahya Sinwar. a fighter and defender of the Palestinian people, who was brutally killed by the ruthless Zionist regime.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia strongly condemns the assassination of the Hamas Political Bureau Chief, and it is clear that Israel’s attempt to weaken the Palestinian liberation cause will not succeed.

“Once again, the international community has failed to uphold and ensure peace and justice, further worsening the (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict,” he said in a Facebook post today.

The Prime Minister also called on the international community to stand up to Israel’s atrocities and demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing massacre of Palestinians.

Yesterday, Hamas confirmed that Yahya Sinwar was killed in an Israeli attack on Thursday.

Yahya Sinwar was appointed as Hamas’ Political Bureau Chief, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran in August.

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Legal team offers pro bono services to GISBH victims

19-10- 2024

PETALING JAYA: A group of over 40 lawyers is providing free legal assistance to the victims of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) scandal, aiming to encourage more individuals to come forward and share information.

According to Harian Metro, lawyer Mohd Akmal Arif Shamsul Kahar is leading the team, with the help of several influencers and activists.

Another lawyer Ainur Rabiatuadawiyah Hassim, who is also part of the legal team reportedly said that efforts to support the victims have been ongoing since July.

“Our aim is to highlight the voices of the victims, as they have expressed to us,“ she was quoted as saying.

So far, about 10 victims have contacted the legal team.

The legal team plans to use various legal avenues to protect victims’ rights, including the Federal Constitution, Children’s Act 2012, Employment Act 1955, and Defamation Act 1957.

“We encourage more people to come forward because we understand that some victims have been hesitant due to various factors, including fear of threats,“ Ainur added.

It also intends to take action against public attacks and slander directed at victims by GISBH supporters.

“We want people to understand that these victims have legal representation, and we will take legal action not only against GISBH but also against other individuals who engage in slander,“ she added.

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Mideast

 

‘This is how a hero dies,’ say Gazans of Sinwar’s battlefield death

October 19, 2024

CAIRO: For one Gazan father, Yahya Sinwar’s death in battle trying to beat back a drone with a stick was “how heroes die.” For others, it was an example for future generations even as some lamented the ruinous cost of the war he sparked with Israel.

Sinwar, the architect of Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, was killed on Wednesday in a gunfight with Israeli forces after a year-long manhunt, and his death was announced on Thursday.

A video of some of his final minutes, showing him masked and wounded in a shell-smashed apartment trying to hurl a stick at a drone filming him inspired pride among Palestinians.

“He died a hero, attacking not fleeing, clutching his rifle, and engaging against the occupation army at the front line,” a Hamas statement mourning Sinwar’s death said.

In the statement, Hamas vowed his death would only strengthen the movement, adding that it wouldn’t compromise on conditions to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel.

“He died wearing a military vest, fighting with a rifle and grenades, and when he was wounded and was bleeding he fought with a stick. This is how heroes die,” said Adel Rajab, 60, a father of two in Gaza.

“I have watched the video 30 times since last night, there is no better way to die,” said Ali, a 30-year-old taxi driver in Gaza.

“I will make this video a daily duty to watch for my sons, and my grandsons in the future,” said the father of two.

The attack Sinwar planned on Israeli communities a year ago killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, with another 253 dragged back to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s subsequent war has devastated Gaza, killing more than 42,000 Palestinians, with another 10,000 uncounted dead thought to lie under the rubble, say Gaza health authorities.

Sinwar’s own words in previous speeches, saying he would rather die at Israel’s hands than from a heart attack or car accident, have been repeatedly shared by Palestinians online.

“The best gift the enemy and the occupation can offer me is to assassinate me and that I go as a martyr at their hands,” he had said.

Recruiting tool

Now some Palestinians are wondering whether Israel will regret allowing the fulfilment of that wish to be broadcast as a potential recruiting tool for an organization it has sworn to destroy.

“They said he was hiding inside the tunnels. They said he was keeping Israeli prisoners next to him to save his life. Yesterday we saw that he was hunting down Israeli soldiers in Rafah, where the occupation has been operating since May,” said Rasha, a displaced 42-year-old mother of four children.

“This is how leaders go, with a rifle in the hand. I supported Sinwar as a leader and today I am proud of him as a martyr,” she added.

A poll in September showed a majority of Gazans thought the Oct. 7 attack was the wrong decision and a growing number of Palestinians have questioned Sinwar’s willingness to launch a war that has caused them so much suffering.

Rajab, who praised Sinwar’s death as heroic, said he had not supported the Oct. 7 attacks, believing Palestinians were not prepared for all-out war with Israel. But he said the manner of his death “made me proud as a Palestinian.”

In both Gaza and the West Bank, where Hamas also has significant support and where fighting between Israeli occupying forces and Palestinians has increased over the past year, people wondered whether Sinwar’s death would hasten the war’s end.

In Hebron, a flashpoint West Bank city, Ala’a Hashalmoon said killing Sinwar would not mean a more conciliatory leader. “What I can figure out is that whoever dies, there is someone who replaces him (who) is more stubborn,” he said.

And in Ramallah, Murad Omar, 54, said little would change on the ground. “The war will continue and it seems it won’t end soon,” he said.

Source:arabnews.com

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Iraqi Strikes Kill Senior Daesh LeaderAnd Three Other Militants

October 18, 2024

BAGHDAD: Iraqi airstrikes killed a senior Daesh leader and three other militants, the US military announced on Friday, saying the strikes were enabled by intelligence from the international anti-terror coalition.

“Iraqi security forces conducted precision airstrikes in northeastern Iraq on Oct. 14 that killed four members of the terrorist organization Daesh, including a senior leader,” US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said in a statement on social media.

“The Iraqi-led strikes were conducted to disrupt and degrade Daesh attack networks in Iraq and were enabled by technical support and intelligence from coalition forces,” CENTCOM said.

It said the deceased leader was the group’s most senior official in northern Iraq, identifying him as Shahadhah Allawi Salih Ulaywi Al-Bajjari and saying he was also known as Abu Issa.

Iraq’s Joint Operations Command had previously said in a statement that F-16 warplanes carried out strikes on Oct.14 in Kirkuk province that killed four militants, “one of them an important leader.”

The strikes came after US and Iraqi forces conducted a joint operation in late August that CENTCOM said killed 14 Daesh members, among them four leaders.

The US has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the coalition, which Washington and Baghdad announced last month will end its decade-long military mission in Iraq within a year.

The announcement followed months of talks between the US and Iraq on the future of the coalition, which was established in 2014 to help local forces retake swathes of territory seized by the extremists there and in neighboring Syria.

The coalition will continue its military operation in Syria, with international troops permitted to support anti-jihadist operations there from Iraq until September 2026.

Daesh was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but terrorists continue to operate in remote desert areas although they no longer control territory.

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Martyr Sinwar symbol of Islamic values: senior cleric

Oct 18, 2024

Speaking during this week's Friday Prayers in Tehran, the interim Friday prayers leader Hujjat al-Islam Mohammad Hassan Abu Torabi Fard praised the late Hamas Palestinian Resistance movement's chief Yahya Sinwar for his long-time struggle in the way of Allah, adding that "Today there is Ashura going on in Gaza. Nahj al-balagha has moved the Islamic world."

"Martyrs like Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Sinwar, Gen. Nilforoushan were other mujahids who fought in the way of Allah," he said, adding that those Mujahedeen sacrifices their lives for the well-being of people.

The senior cleric went through a history of Palestinians and Lebanese struggles against the occupying Israeli regime, recalling that the Zionist suffered a humiliating deaf against Hezbollah forces in the 33-day battle.

Abu Torabi Fard went on to point to two missile attacks by Iran on the Zionist regime, adding that, "Western experts have written that Israel is strategically finished, and also extremely unstable and shaky from a social perspective."

He called for maintaining Islamic unity under the current circumstances in the region based on Islamic values.

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PLO mourns death of Hamas chief Sinwar

October 18, 2024

RAMALLAH: The Palestine Liberation Organization, seen internationally as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, expressed its condolences on Friday on the “martyrdom” of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and called for unity among all Palestinian factions.

“The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) expresses its condolences to the Palestinian people and all national factions on the martyrdom of the great national leader Yahya Sinwar, head of the political bureau of Hamas,” a statement by the committee said.

The PLO accused Israel of committing “massacres and genocide” against Palestinians and called for all Palestinian factions to stand united, especially after the death of Sinwar.

The PLO called for a united struggle against Israel for the “full reclaiming of our rights, including the right of return, the end of the occupation, and the establishment of our Palestinian state on all our occupied territories based on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its eternal capital,” the statement said.

In a separate statement, Fatah, the party of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, said Israel’s policy of “killing and terrorism will not succeed in breaking the will of our people to achieve their legitimate national rights to freedom and independence.”

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Israel unearths Hezbollah’s web of tunnels in southern Lebanon

October 19, 2024

TEL AVIV: Israeli forces have spent much of the past year destroying Hamas’ vast underground network in Gaza. They are now focused on dismantling tunnels and other hideouts belonging to Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.

Scarred by Hamas’ deadly raid into Israel last year that sparked the war in Gaza, Israel says it aims to prevent a similar incursion across its northern border from ever getting off the ground.

The Israeli military has combed through the dense brush of southern Lebanon for the past two weeks, uncovering what it says are Hezbollah’s deep attack capabilities — highlighted by a tunnel system equipped with weapons caches and rocket launchers that Israel says pose a direct threat to nearby communities.

Israel’s war against the Iran-backed militant group stretches far inside Lebanon, and its airstrikes in recent weeks have killed more than 1,700 people, about a quarter of whom were women and children, according to local health authorities. But its ground campaign has centered on a narrow patch of land just along the border, where Hezbollah has had a longstanding presence.

Hezbollah has deep ties to southern Lebanon

Hezbollah, which has called for Israel’s destruction, is the Arab world’s most significant paramilitary force. It began firing rockets into Israel a day after Hamas’ attack. After nearly a year of tit-for-tat fighting with Hezbollah, Israel launched its ground invasion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1 and has since sent thousands of troops into the rugged terrain.

Even as it continues to bolster its forces, Israel says its invasion consists of “limited, localized and targeted ground raids” that are meant to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure so that tens of thousands of displaced Israelis can return home. The fighting also has uprooted more than 1 million Lebanese in the past month.

Many residents of southern Lebanon are supporters of the group and benefit from its social outreach. Though most fled the area months ago, they widely see the heavily armed Hezbollah as their defender, especially as the US-backed Lebanese army does not have suitable weapons to protect them from any Israeli incursion.

That broad support has allowed Hezbollah to establish “a military infrastructure for itself” within the villages, said Eva J. Koulouriotis, a political analyst specialized in the Middle East and Islamic militant groups. The Israeli military says it has found weapons within homes and buildings in the villages.

Hezbollah built a network of tunnels in multiple areas of Lebanon

With Israel’s air power far outstripping Hezbollah’s defenses, the militant group has turned to underground tunnels as a way to elude Israeli drones and jets. Experts say Hezbollah’s tunnels are not limited to the south.

“It’s a land of tunnels,” said Tal Beeri, who studies Hezbollah as director of research at The Alma Research and Education Center, a think tank with a focus on northern Israel’s security.

Koulouriotis said tunnels stretch under the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah’s command and control are located and where it keeps a stockpile of strategic missiles. She said the group also maintains tunnels along the border with Syria, which it uses to smuggle weapons and other supplies from Iran into Lebanon.

Southern Lebanon is where Hezbollah maintains tunnels to store missiles — and from where it can launch them, Koulouriotis said. Some of the more than 50 Israelis killed by Hezbollah over the past year were hit by anti-tank missiles.

In contrast to the tunnels dug out by Hamas in the sandy coastal terrain of Gaza, Hezbollah’s tunnels in southern Lebanon were carved into solid rock, a feat that likely required time, money, machinery and expertise.

An Israeli military official said that using prior intelligence, Israel had found “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds” of underground positions, many of which could hold about ten fighters and were stocked with rations. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military rules, said troops were blowing up the tunnels found or using cement to make them unusable.

The group used tunnels during the monthlong 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, but the network has been expanded since, even as a United Nations ceasefire resolution compelled Lebanese and UN forces to keep Hezbollah fighters out of the south.

In mid-August, Hezbollah released a video showing what appeared to be a cavernous underground tunnel large enough for trucks loaded with missiles to drive through. Hezbollah operatives were also seen riding motorcycles inside the illuminated tunnel, named Imad-4 after the group’s late military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in Syria in 2008 in an explosion blamed on Israel.

Hezbollah’s tunnels could be hindering Israel’s mission

Israeli troops are pushing through southern Lebanon using tanks and engineering equipment, and air and ground forces have struck thousands of targets in the area since the invasion began.

The military recently said it found one cross-border tunnel that stretched just a few meters into Israel but did not have an opening. Israel also exposed a tunnel shaft that was located about 100 meters (yards) from a UN peacekeepers ‘ post, although it wasn’t clear what the precise purpose of that tunnel was.

Israel says the tunnels are stocked with supplies and weapons and are outfitted with lighting, ventilation and sometimes plumbing, indicating they could be used for long stays. It says it has arrested several Hezbollah fighters hiding inside, including three on Tuesday who were said to have been found armed. The Israeli military official said many Hezbollah fighters appear to have withdrawn from the area.

Lebanese military expert, Naji Malaeb, a retired brigadier general, said he assessed that Hezbollah’s tunnels were preventing Israel from making major gains. He compared that achievement to the war in Gaza, where Hamas has used its tunnels to bedevil Israeli forces and stage insurgency-like attacks.

Israeli authorities insist the mission in Lebanon is succeeding. It says it has killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters since the ground operation in Lebanon began, though at least 15 Israeli soldiers have been killed during that time.

Israel has encountered Hezbollah’s tunnels before. In 2018, Israel launched an operation to destroy what is said were attack tunnels that crossed into Israeli territory. Beeri said that six tunnels were discovered, including one that was 1 kilometer (1,000 yards) long and 80 meters (87 yards) deep, crossing some 50 meters (yards) into Israel.

Israel believes Hezbollah was planning an Oct. 7-style invasion

For Israel, the tunnels are evidence that Hezbollah planned what Israel says would be a bloody offensive against communities in the north.

“Hezbollah has openly declared that it plans to carry out its own Oct. 7 massacre on Israel’s northern border, on an even larger scale,” Israeli military spokesman Rear. Adm. Daniel Hagari said the day troops entered Lebanon.

Israel has not released evidence that any such attack was imminent but has expressed concern that one might be launched once residents return.

Former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel last month while in an underground bunker, had signaled in speeches that Hezbollah could launch an attack on northern Israel.

In May 2023, just months before Hamas’ attack, Hezbollah staged a simulation of an incursion into northern Israel with rifle-toting militants on motorcycles bursting through a mock border fence bedecked with Israeli flags.

Hezbollah officials have at times framed calls for an attack against Israel as a defensive measure that would be taken in times of war.

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Gaza civil defense agency says Israeli strike kills 33 in Jabalia

October 19, 2024

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency said an Israeli strike near Jabalia in the territory’s north killed 33 people at a refugee camp overnight from Friday to Saturday.

Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal announced “33 deaths and dozens of wounded,” while a medical source at the Al-Awda hospital told AFP that it had registered 22 dead and 70 wounded after the strike on the Tal Al-Zaatar camp for Palestinian refugees.

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Israel army says intercepts ‘aerial target’ approaching from Syria

October 19, 2024

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it had intercepted a suspicious “aerial target” approaching from Syria on Friday, which a war monitor said was a drone launched by an Iran-backed group.

“A short while ago, a suspicious aerial target that approached Israeli territory from Syria was intercepted by the IAF (air force)... before it crossed into Israeli territory,” the military said in a statement.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the drone was launched by the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq group.

“Israeli air defenses in the occupied Syrian Golan targeted two drones launched by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, coming from Iraq through Syrian territory,” the war monitor said in a statement.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of pro-Iran militias, has regularly claimed launching drones targeting Israel.

Israel is fighting a war on two fronts, one with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the other with Hamas in Gaza, while it also faces attacks from Iran-backed militants in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Israeli authorities rarely comment publicly about individual strikes or operations involving Syria, but have repeatedly said they will not allow Iran to expand its foothold in the region.

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Iraqi Islamic Resistance conducts new op on Israeli regime

Oct 18, 2024,

In a statement on Friday, the Islamic Resistance group in Iraq said it has launched drone against a vital target in occupied Palestine.

The Iraqi resistance movement also announced yesterday that it had launched two separate attacks on targets in the occupied territories.

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ArabWorld

 

Global Fashion Leaders Compete For Foothold In Thriving SaudiFashion And Sportswear Market

WAAD HUSSAIN

October 18, 2024

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia continues its remarkable journey toward economic diversification and modernization under Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s fashion and sportswear markets have become increasingly significant.

With the Saudi Fashion Commission projecting growth rates of 48 percent in apparel and footwear retail sales by 2025, international fashion brands are now competing for a foothold in the rapidly expanding market.

This trend was evident at a panel discussion in preparation for Saudi Lifestyle Week 2025, held recently at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The event attracted global fashion leaders from Italy, Portugal, Germany and Spain, all seeking to explore opportunities in the Kingdom’s booming fashion industry.

With Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy experiencing 4.6 percent growth in 2023, sectors such as fashion and retail are expected to flourish.

According to the event’s organizers, the Kingdom’s retail space is growing, with 962,000 sq. meters of new retail development anticipated this year.

This expansion — coupled with a young, tech-savvy population increasingly drawn to e-commerce — offers fertile ground for international brands to enter and thrive in the Saudi market.

For countries like Portugal, renowned for its footwear industry, Saudi Arabia represents a key target for expansion.

The Portuguese Footwear Association has been closely monitoring the evolution of the Saudi market, especially the rise in demand for high-quality, durable products.

Joao Maia, general manager of the association, said: “Saudi Arabia plays a crucial role in our global strategy as it presents a growing demand for premium footwear, particularly among younger consumers seeking style and comfort.”

Similarly, Koray Suce from Expotim, representing Turkish brands, said that Turkish companies were increasingly focusing on Saudi Arabia as a market ripe with potential.

Suce said: “Growth opportunities for Turkish fashion brands in Saudi Arabia are significant, especially with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative, which is driving consumers toward more diverse and global fashion choices.”

The growth of e-commerce has also shifted the landscape for international fashion brands in Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom is seeing a steady increase in online apparel stores, with more than 5,000 launched in 2024, according to the event’s organizers.

This trend aligns with the global shift toward online shopping, especially among younger consumers who value convenience and a broader selection of products.

Marlene Oliveira, head of the international unit at Centro de Inteligencia Textil, also known as CENIT, said: “Saudi consumers are increasingly shifting toward online shopping for both apparel and accessories.

“This presents a unique opportunity for brands to expand their digital presence and engage with consumers in a more personalized way.”

One of the main draws for international brands is Saudi Arabia’s growing interest in luxury goods.

The value of luxury fashion purchases across the Gulf reached $9.7 billion in 2021, with Saudi Arabia leading the growth at 19 percent, according to the Fashion Commission.

Rocio Minguez, secretary-general of the Spanish Fur Association, highlighted Spain’s role in meeting this demand.

Minguez said: “Spanish fashion and fur brands are implementing strategies to capture the attention of Saudi consumers by offering high-quality, luxury items that resonate with the Kingdom’s growing appetite for premium products.”

Germany is also looking to expand its footprint in the Saudi market, particularly in the footwear sector.

Manfred Junkert, CEO of the German Footwear Association, spoke about Germany’s interest in the Saudi market.

He said: “We see the Saudi consumer as sophisticated and increasingly drawn to well-made, sustainable products. German footwear brands are planning to capitalize on this by introducing more eco-friendly collections tailored to this market.”

Saudi Arabia’s commitment to diversifying its economy through Vision 2030 has paved the way for substantial growth in the fashion and retail sectors.

The Ministry of Culture’s Fashion Commission is playing a key role in guiding the expansion of the industry, with initiatives like Riyadh Fashion Week garnering international attention.

The commission’s focus on supporting local designers while attracting international brands is transforming Saudi Arabia into a fashion hub.

Federica Dottori, head of international promotion at Sistema Moda Italia, said: “The future of Italian textiles and fashion in Saudi Arabia looks promising, especially with the growing interest in high-quality fabrics and unique designs.

“We are excited to be part of this journey as the Saudi market continues to grow and evolve.”

Source:arabnews.com

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

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2575776/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Arabia, Spain discuss economic cooperation

October 18, 2024

MADRID: Saudi Arabia’s Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar Alkhorayef held talks on Friday in Madrid with Spain’s Industry and Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu, and Economy, Trade and Business Minister Carlos Cuerpo.

During the meetings, they discussed ways to develop economic relations and increase Spain’s investments in the Kingdom.

Alkhorayef highlighted the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to diversify the Kingdom’s economy and, through various incentives, attract foreign investment in the industrial and mining sectors.

Source:arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2575838/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Arabia takes part in global drug regulatory conference

October 18, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is participating in a major international pharmaceutical regulation conference in India this week.

The 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities is taking place in New Delhi from Oct. 14-18, bringing together drug regulators from around the world to discuss key issues in pharmaceutical oversight.

The event is organized by the Indian government, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, and the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, with this year’s theme being “Smart Regulation: Delivering Quality-Assured Pharmaceuticals for All.”

India’s Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel opened the conference, which aims to enhance cooperation and exchange experiences among regulatory bodies, and formulate crucial recommendations for drug regulation.

Topics on the agenda include regulatory reforms, drug safety, and regulating emerging technologies.

The Saudi delegation is led by Dr. Hisham bin Saad Al-Jadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, who highlighted the event’s importance in working towards shared goals of safe and effective medicines globally.

Source:arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2575836/saudi-arabia

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Project to handle worshippers’ luggage at the two holiest mosques

October 18, 2024

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has disclosed a planned service of storing luggage and personal belongings of worshippers and pilgrims while performing prayers and rites at Islam’s two holiest mosques annually frequented by millions of Muslims from around the world.

The Saudi General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques said the project seeks to enable worshippers to undertake their rituals in a safe environment. The state agency added that it had begun receiving applications to implement the project aimed to develop the pilgrims’ experience in line with the highest local and global solutions.

The main objectives of the project, according to the agency, include designing an integrated solution for luggage and personal belongings of all kinds, deepening the pilgrims’ feelings of comfort and security, and providing an organised and safe environment that ensures the luggage is preserved professionally, thus making the guest focus on worship.

The agency said the application period started Thursday, October 17, and runs until November 15, at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.

After performing Umrah or minor pilgrimage at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, many pilgrims would head to Medina to offer prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque.

The current season of Umrah, which can be undertaken around the year, got underway in late June after the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage that around 1.8 million Muslims from across the globe attended.

Around 13.5 Muslims performed Umrah last year, according to Saudi figures. The kingdom plans to welcome 15 million Muslims to perform Umrah next year.

Saudi Arabia, Islam’s birthplace, recently introduced a host of facilities for Muslims wishing to come to the country for Umrah.

Authorities have extended the Umrah visa from 30 days to 90 and allowed holders to enter the kingdom via all land, air and sea outlets and leave from any airport. Women pilgrims are no longer required to be escorted by male guardians.

Muslims holding different types of entry visas such as the personal, visit and tourism visas are allowed to undertake Umrah and visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa, where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is located at the Prophet’s Mosque after booking an e-appointment.

Saudi citizens can also apply to invite their friends abroad to visit the kingdom and undertake Umrah.

Source:gulfnews.com

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https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/project-to-handle-worshippers-luggage-at-the-two-holiest-mosques-1.1729256098671

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500 unsafe tyres seized in raid in Mecca

 October 18, 2024

Cairo: Saudi inspectors have raided and shut down an illegal warehouse of substandard car tyres in the holy city of Mecca as part of a crackdown on unsafe products.

Mounted by the Ministry of Commerce teams, the raid followed two weeks of a close watch and investigations, reported Saudi newspaper Okaz.

The ministry’s inspectors seized more than 500 substandard used tyres inside the warehouse in the Al Zaher district, north of Mecca. The raid was conducted in cooperation with the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organisation, the Civil Defence, and the city’s municipality.

The warehouse was run by illegal workers, who were handed over to the competent agency.

Authorities, meanwhile, summoned the facility’s owner to complete legal procedures according to the kingdom’s anti-commercial fraud law.

Under this law, commercial fraud is punishable by a maximum of three years in prison, fines of up to SR1 million, or both penalties, and deportation of the violating workers. Moreover, violators are named and shamed after final judicial rulings are issued.

In recent years, Saudi authorities have ramped up a clampdown on backstreet workshops trading in second-hand and substandard tyres, blaming them for deadly road crashes.

Fatalities resulting from traffic accidents in the kingdom have declined by more than 40% over the past nine years.

Some 4,423 fatalities were registered last year due to road crashes in the kingdom against 7,486 in 2014, Saudi newspaper Al Yaum said last month, citing a Ministry of Health report.

During the same period, injuries resulting from traffic mishaps dropped by over 33%, registering 24,002 injured persons last year against 35,843 in 2014, the report added.

Source:gulfnews.com

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https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/500-unsafe-tyres-seized-in-raid-in-mecca-1.1729251785747

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South Asia

 

Islamic Emirate Of AfghanistanCalls Sinwar ‘Hero’, Says Jihad Will Intensify

 October 19, 2024

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Friday condoled the death of Yahya Ibrahim Hassan al-Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas movement, in combat in Gaza by Israeli forces.

In a statement released by the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, it is stated that “martyrdom in the path of Allah represents the highest aspiration for every Muslim, particularly for a combatant Mujahid.”

“We extend our deepest condolences to the Islamic Movement of Hamas, to all mujahideen, and especially to the oppressed and courageous Palestinian fighters, on the martyrdom of our heroic mujahid brother, Yahya Sinwar,” the statement said.

IEA told Israel that “the martyrdom of mujahideen leaders will only serve to intensify and fortify the resistance and Jihadist struggle against the enemy.”

It called on Muslims worldwide to “stand in solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine, to support their cause, and to fulfill the divine duty incumbent upon all of us in this regard.”

Israeli forces killed Sinwar on Wednesday.

Source:ariananews.af

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https://www.ariananews.af/iea-calls-sinwar-hero-says-jihad-will-intensify/

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Yunus to hold dialogue with some political parties today

Oct 19, 2024

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is set to meet leaders of several political parties today as part of an ongoing dialogue.

Fifteen political parties, including Gono Forum, Liberal Democrats Party (LDP), and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Andaleeve), are among those likely to join today's dialogue, said the Chief Adviser's press wing.

This is going to be the second such dialogue in the current phase, which started on October 5 with the participation of BNP, Jamaat, CPB, and some other parties.

The key purpose of the dialogue is to inform the political parties about the progress of the reform work and to seek their suggestions.

Source:thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/yunus-hold-dialogue-some-political-parties-today-3730991

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Germany contributes €10 million to Afghanistan humanitarian aid fund

By Fidel Rahmati

October 19, 2024

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan has announced a €10 million donation from Germany to support Afghanistan.

OCHA stated that this funding will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund for 2024.

On Thursday, October 17, OCHA expressed gratitude to Germany through a post on X/, highlighting that Germany’s continuous support is helping to save lives in Afghanistan.

Recently, OCHA reported that 23.7 million people, including 9.2 million children, in Afghanistan are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance this year.

Additionally, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed on Wednesday that one in three people in Afghanistan is facing food insecurity due to climate shocks and economic instability.

The dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is further compounded by the ongoing conflict, economic collapse, and environmental crises, which continue to push millions of Afghans into poverty and hunger.

International aid remains a critical lifeline for Afghanistan, but much more is needed to address the scale of the crisis and prevent further deterioration of living conditions for vulnerable populations, especially children.

Source:khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/germany-contributes-e10-million-to-afghanistan-humanitarian-aid-fund/

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Europe

 

Muslim Labour councilors in UK call for immediate suspension of arms sales to Israel

18.10.2024

More than 100 Labour Muslim councilors have called on the British prime minister to completely and immediately halt arms sales to Israel which has killed 42,500 Palestinians in Gaza since Oct. 7 last year.

In a letter to Keir Starmer, the signatories representing communities all across Britain stressed the tragic human toll in the Gaza Strip has been “unimaginable.”

Recalling that over 17,000 children are estimated to have been killed in the besieged Palestinian enclave by Israeli attacks in a year, the letter said that 31 hospitals and 88% of schools in the strip have now been destroyed or severely damaged.


"We must not be complicit in these clear violations of international humanitarian law. It is our moral obligation to act now," said the councilors, in the letter, shared Friday on X by Labour Muslim Network.


"That is why we have come together, as Councillors, as Muslims, and as Labour members to call on this Labour government to meet our moral obligation by suspending all arms sales to Israel until such a time that international humanitarian law is observed and respected,” it added.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the war.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

Source:aa.com.tr

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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/muslim-labour-councilors-in-uk-call-for-immediate-suspension-of-arms-sales-to-israel/3366568

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Blackburn mosque must hold new election, High Court rules

October 19, 2024

By Shuiab Khan

A High Court has ruled that one of Blackburn’s biggest mosques must hold new elections to choose a governing body.

The Masjide Tauheedul Islam, based off Bicknell Street in Brookhouse, held elections to choose an executive committee in the summer.

The mosque is one of the oldest in Blackburn and is run separately from the schools in the town of the same name.

A legal document names five applicants who took their grievances to the High Court against 15 elected executive committee members of the mosque.

This followed an August election which a group of individuals disputed.

Following a ruling last week a legal document states, ‘the election to the Charity’s Executive Committee purportedly called by notice given on or around June 13, 2024 ('the Disputed Election'), was unlawful and the results announced on August 7, 2024, are invalid'.

It calls for a general meeting of the charity on October 27 at 7.15pm, at which ‘elections of the Executive Committee shall take place in accordance with clauses nine and 13 of the charity’s constitution'.

The ruling comes after summer when a number of incidents took place at the mosque during which an imam was suspended.

Some of these incidents were filmed and shared on social media.

A High Court document shared in August named three claimants including the imam.

The document, signed by Suhel Master,  says he was suspended by the mosque on May 16 for an alleged ‘incitement of disorder’ - claims he describes in the document as ‘fabricated’.

That document goes on to list a further number of employment claims during a position he has held at the mosque for 20 years.

The mosque said at the time it ‘does not make comments regarding its employees or members’.

The Masjide Tauheedul Islam was approached for comment. One of the five named claimants was approached for comment.

Source:lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

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https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24657615.blackburn-mosque-must-hold-new-election-high-court-rules/

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Italy faces big setback over migrant camps in Albania

19 October 2024

Paul Kirby

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's five-year deal to send migrants rescued at sea to camps in Albania for processing has been dealt a significant blow by the courts, only days after the first arrivals.

A special immigration court in Rome ruled that the 12 migrants, sent to the camp at Gjader not far from the Adriatic coast in northern Albania, should be brought back to Italy because they were from countries considered unsafe to be returned to.

Meloni's deal with Albania has attracted widespread interest with Western allies and Italy's government has said it will challenge the ruling.

"It's not for the judiciary to say which countries are safe - it's for the government," she told reporters.

She has called a cabinet meeting for next Monday.

Although the EU says irregular migration has fallen this year - by 64% this year via the Central Mediterranean route - governments across Europe are under pressure to curb the number of arrivals.

The Italian agreement with Albania is aimed at processing and then repatriating about 3,000 irregular migrants rescued from the Mediterranean a month in two camps.

But the estimated €800m (£666m) cost has drawn criticism from opposition leaders such as Elly Schlein of the Democratic Party who said it could have been spent on healthcare.

The deal does not include women or children, and the first group of men arrived in Albania on Wednesday on board an Italian navy ship, three days after they were part of a group of 85 people picked up at sea.

There were 10 men from Bangladesh and six from Egypt on board the Libra, but that number was swiftly reduced from 16 to 12, because health screenings assessed that two were children and two were vulnerable.

On Friday, judges in Rome decided the rest of the migrants should be returned to Italy too, even though their asylum applications had been turned down. The judges ruled it was impossible to recognise their countries of origin as "safe countries".

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the government would take the case to appeal, insisting that Italy's migrant camp plan would become European law within two years.

Current European law was spelt out only two weeks ago by the European Court of Justice, which said a country could only be considered safe if "persecution... torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is never resorted to".

Italy's deal with Albania is being watched closely elsewhere in Europe, including in the UK. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he had discussed the "concept" of Italy's deal with Meloni last month.

EU leaders agreed at a summit on Thursday that returns of irregular migrants should be speeded up.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said new proposals were being worked on, and she argued that migrants in need of protection could have that protection in "safe third countries".

In a separate development, the Dutch government has run into difficulties with a migrant plan of its own, involving a so-called return hub for rejected asylum seekers.

The idea to send people refused asylum to Uganda was first mooted by Reinette Klever, a foreign trade minister from the far-right Freedom Party, during a visit to East Africa.

The plan appeared to catch Prime Minister Dick Schoof by surprise at the EU summit, although he said it was an "innovative solution".

And on Friday it became clear that it was also news to Uganda's government. "We did not discuss anything about the Netherlands sending refugees to Uganda, we did not," Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo told Dutch radio.

"If there is a proposal to do that we will look at it on a case by case basis."

Source:bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62dyzwze0do

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Cuba suffers nationwide blackout after main power plant fails

19 October 2024

Will Grant

Cuba is experiencing a nationwide blackout after its main energy plant failed, knocking out power to its 10 million people.

Its power grid collapsed at around 11:00 (15:00 GMT) on Friday, the energy ministry announced on social media.

Grid officials said they did not know how long it would take to restore power.

The island has suffered months of lengthy blackouts, prompting the prime minister to declare an "energy emergency" on Thursday.

Friday's total blackout came after the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas - the largest on the island - went offline.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said the situation was his "absolute priority".

"There will be no rest until power is restored," he wrote on X.

The head of electricity supply at the energy ministry, Lazara Guerra, was later quoted by AFP news agency as saying the process of restoring power was in its early stages.

There was, she added, "some level of electricity generation" that would be used to start up power plants in several regions of the country.

Earlier on Friday, officials announced that all schools and non-essential activities, including nightclubs, were to close until Monday.

Non-essential workers were urged to stay home to safeguard electricity supply, and non-vital government services were suspended.

Cubans have also been urged to switch off high-consumption appliances such as fridges and ovens during peak hours, according to local media.

"This is crazy," Eloy Fon, an 80-year-old pensioner living in central Havana, told AFP.

"It shows the fragility of our electricity system... We have no reserves, there is nothing to sustain the country, we are living day to day."

Bárbara López, 47, a digital content creator, said she had already "barely been able to work for two days".

"It's the worst I've seen in 47 years," she said. "They've really messed up now... We have no power or mobile data."

Source:bbc.com

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

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8elzx8dg7zo

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‘No consensus’ on Ukraine missiles – Biden

19 Oct, 2024

US President Joe Biden has said there is still no agreement within his administration on whether to allow Ukraine to use foreign-made long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

The statement came days after Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky renewed his call to lift the restrictions.

Biden clarified White House stance before boarding Air Force One at Berlin Brandenburg International Airport on Friday.

Asked whether he had changed his mind about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Biden replied: “Right now, there is no consensus for long-range weapons.”

A reporter then asked Biden what would have to happen for Washington to revise its position, to which the president said: “I’m not going to speculate.”

Biden reaffirmed that, despite declining Zelensky’s request, Washington would continue to support Kiev. “We’re going to stay with Ukraine.  We’re going to make sure they continue to have capabilities,” he told reporters.

The statement came two days after the US announced a new military aid package worth $425 million, which will include additional anti-air and anti-tank missiles, as well as artillery shells.

Unveiling his “victory plan” to Ukrainian lawmakers this week, Zelensky renewed his call to allow the use of longer-range weapons “on the whole Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia and on the territory of Russia” and asked foreign partners to provide Kiev with “appropriate” missiles and drones. Ukraine had previously submitted a revised list of proposed targets for US-supplied ATACMS missiles.

Washington has so far refused to authorize the use of ATACMS for targets far inside Russia, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin argued last month that the change would not “be decisive in this campaign.”

Moscow has warned that an increase of military aid to Kiev would trigger a new wave of dangerous escalation. A decision to greenlight the use of longer-range weapons would push NATO countries closer “war with Russia,” President Vladimir Putin said in September.

Source:rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/605937-no-consensus-ukraine-missiles/

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North America

 

'Showing us how to win a war': Navy Seal who killed Bin Laden lauds Israel's killing of Sinwar

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

OCTOBER 19, 2024

Retired Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Rob O'Neill told NewsMax on Thursday that Israel was “showing [the US] how to win a war” following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

O’Neill, according to the Daily Mail, was a member of SEAL Team Six, the group that stormed Al Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011. In 2014, he reportedly identified himself as the one who pulled the trigger on the mastermind of the September 11 attacks.

"This is huge for them, O’Neil said. “And I love that they were able to do it with soldiers. So, the last thing that Yahya saw was probably the Israeli flag.

"And it's just good on them. Good for the pursuit. And just like the rest of them, you know, he died running away afraid. And the good guys finally caught up to him.

Acknowledging the significance of the elimination, O’Neil said that the elimination of Sinwar incapacitated many of Hamas’s “abilities.”

The US's foreign policy

Israel has faced numerous calls to implement a ceasefire in Gaza, despite Hamas’s consistent refusal of a hostage deal and recent absence from talks in Qatar.

US President Joe Biden reignited conversations for a ceasefire on Friday, telling reporters “We’re going to work out what is the day after now,” explaining that this means, “how do we secure Gaza and move on.”

Commenting on the international push to end the war, O’Neil said, "What Israel is doing right now is they're showing us how to win a war. They're taking out the top leaders. They're going to keep doing it.

"And they're proving to everyone, including like, even right now, our president will say, 'Well, now he's dead, we can work on a ceasefire.' You don't don't let someone start a war and then whine about a ceasefire.”

Further casting an eye at the US’s foreign policy, O’Neil said that while Iran is "obviously a problem and the No. 1 state sponsor of terror," the US should be more cautious when it came to  "our supposed ally in Qatar."

"That's where Hamas, the last two billionaire leaders of Hamas — they should round these dudes up and give them to Israel right now," O'Neill said.

Source:jpost.com

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https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-825198

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Muslim candidates surge in local elections in US

October 18, 2024

WASHINGTON —

As the United States prepares for a presidential election next month, the idyllic New York suburb of Teaneck, New Jersey, is gearing up for elections that reflect a broader trend in U.S. politics.

Two Muslim women are running for local office in Teaneck, a town of 41,000 residents with a significant Muslim population. They are among hundreds of Muslim candidates in local, state and federal elections around the country.

Teaneck once had a Muslim mayor but never a Muslim woman on its city council.

Reshma Khan, a longtime local activist of Indian origin and a council candidate, is aiming to change that.

"I don't take that lightly," Khan, 47, said in a recent phone interview from her makeshift canvassing base in Teaneck. "It's one of great responsibility as a Muslim."

Nadia Hussain, a Trinidadian American high school teacher, is the other Muslim candidate in Teaneck's nonpartisan local elections. She is hoping to be the first Muslim woman elected to the local school board.

The two hijab-wearing, everyday working American moms represent a growing trend of Muslim Americans seeking office, reflecting a larger national pattern of more diverse candidates.

"There is a saying that we have: 'If you're not at the table, then you're on the menu,' so engagement is a must," Hussain said in an interview with VOA.

Muslims' political engagement surges

The U.S. has roughly 3.5 million Muslims from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Though most vote Democratic, a growing number have leaned Republican in recent elections.

Muslim elected officials, once a rarity, have become increasingly common in recent years. This surge in political engagement is driven by a mix of factors, from a concern about Islamophobia to a desire for political representation, experts say.

"If voter turnout of American Muslims is any indication of further political participation, Muslims running for office seems to parallel that trend," said Nura Sediqe, an assistant professor of political science at Michigan State University.

Some experts trace the surge of Muslim political engagement to 2018, when Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib shattered glass ceilings by becoming the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Their success, coupled with that of numerous local candidates, ignited a wave of Muslim political activism.

The ripple effects have continued in the years since. In 2021, Boston and New York City elected their first Muslim council members. The following year, Dearborn, Michigan, a city with a substantial Arab and Muslim population, inaugurated its first Muslim mayor. Meanwhile, state legislatures from Maine to Texas have welcomed about 50 Muslim members into their ranks.

"Every cycle we're seeing an increase in the number of people running," said Basim Elkarra, executive director of CAIR Action, himself a school board president near the Sacramento, California, area. "You're seeing more local races, more school board races and more city council races where folks are running in."

Last year, CAIR, a civil rights group promoting American-Islamic relations, tallied 235 Muslim elected officials, including nearly 50 in New Jersey, home to the largest Muslim population per capita in the country. This year, the group expects the total number to surpass 250, a record.

Local races, like school board and city council elections, account for most of the recent growth. A city council member may not wield the power of a member of Congress, but in a country where "all politics is local," these races can have a huge impact on local communities.

Recounting her talking points to voters, Khan said, "We say, yes, the presidential election is important, but more important is local elections."

A consummate activist, Khan views a future role on the city council as an extension of her activism rather than a political position. Her goal, she said, is to inspire future generations of Muslim women.

"I'm not doing this for myself," Khan said. "I am doing this for the Fatimas and the Muhammads and the Ahmads who are going to come 50 years from now."

Candidate aims to challenge stereotypes

Khan wasn't always a hijabi woman. Born in Chennai, India, she attended a Catholic school. After earning an master's degree in business administration from an Indian university, she moved to the U.S. in early 2001 to take a marketing job in New Jersey.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, changed her outlook. To challenge stereotypes about Muslims, she began wearing a hijab.

"I wanted to show that there are peaceful Muslims," she said.

Nearly 20 years ago, Khan and her husband, Arif, moved to Teaneck, where she immersed herself in community activism: attending city council meetings, serving on the council's community relations board and leading a school Parent Teacher Association.

Then in 2021, she was thrust into the spotlight after helping lead a ballot initiative to move local elections from May to November when turnout is higher. She credits her marketing skills for the success of the "One Town, One Vote" campaign.

"At this point, I had become such an icon in Teaneck, because even though the movement was not started by me, I brought my marketing skills," she said.

The following year, she considered running for town council but decided to wait while she was raising three young daughters. This year, though, she took the plunge, inspired by the success of other Muslim women in New Jersey and a sense the council wasn't listening to her community.

"I felt that I should be the leader for my community, so my community finds a voice in American politics," she said.

Teaneck is an ethnically and religiously diverse town, with about 40% of the population Jewish, more than 25% Muslim, and the rest mostly Blacks and Latinos.

The war in Gaza, ignited by Hamas' terror attack on Israel last October, sparked tensions after the council passed a resolution in support of Israel but not one "designed to speak for Palestinian voices," Khan said.

Teaneck's Muslims, Khan said, "feel let down by the local leadership because the local leadership has only spoken for one community."

Teaneck Mayor Mike Pagan did not respond to repeated requests from VOA for comment.

A self-described "bridge builder," Khan said she has formed a broad coalition of supporters from Teaneck's major communities, using young canvassers to go door to door.

Whether that's enough to win remains to be seen. With local elections now held in November, winning a council seat requires substantially more votes. But whether she wins or not, Khan said she wants to be remembered "as a woman in her hijab who's a Muslim and has galvanized support from every community in the town, not because she is a Muslim person but because she is someone who stands for equity."

Source:voanews.com

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https://www.voanews.com/a/muslim-candidates-surge-in-local-u-s-elections/7828101.html

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MUSLIM VOTERS FLOCK TO JILL STEIN OVER KAMALA HARRIS

October 18, 2024

A nightmare scenario is unfolding for the Kamala Harris presidential campaign, as the latest polling shows Harris performing neck-and-neck with Green Party nominee Dr. Jill Stein among a key demographic: American Muslims…

For twenty years, Muslim Americans have overwhelmingly supported Democrats. But now — seemingly influenced by the war in Gaza — one third of 1,155 Muslim voters polled by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) indicated plans to defy Democrats’ expectations by voting for Stein; that same amount plan to vote for Harris.

Meanwhile, GOP nominee Donald J. Trump earned 11.2 percent, People’s Party presidential nominee Dr. Cornel West received 4.2 percent, Libertarian nominee Chase Oliver sits at less than one percent, and 16.5 percent of respondents were undecided.

Source:truthinmedia.com

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https://truthinmedia.com/muslim-voters-flock-to-jill-stein-over-kamala-harris/

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Trump calls judge 'evil' for releasing case files before election

Madeline Halpert

OCTOBER 19, 2024

Donald Trump has called a judge "the most evil person" as she released more than 1,800 pages of evidence in Special Counsel Jack Smith's election conspiracy case against him.

The Republican White House candidate said US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan's rejection of his request to delay releasing the new evidence until after next month's vote amounted to "election interference".

Legal analysts have debated whether filings in the case breach a justice department internal rule that prosecutors avoid any investigative step that might affect an election within 60 days of voting.

But in her ruling, Judge Chutkan argued that if she had kept the files under wraps, that could itself have been construed as election interference.

"If the court withheld information that the public otherwise had a right to access solely because of the potential political consequences of releasing it, that withholding could itself constitute - or appear to be - election interference," she wrote.

Last year, a Texas woman was charged with making death threats against Judge Chutkan, citing the Trump case.

The heavily redacted 1,889 pages of documents released on Friday mostly rehash information already available publicly, including parts of former Vice-President Mike Pence's biography and his formal announcement that he would not overturn the 2020 election results.

The new evidence is a part of a motion filed by Mr Smith last month.

Appearing on Friday during a podcast with right-wing media personality Dan Bongino, Trump lambasted Judge Chutkan and called the special counsel "a sick puppy".

The indictment centres on the 6 January 2021 US Capitol riot and accuses Trump of illegally conspiring to overturn his election defeat three months earlier to Joe Biden.

During the interview, Trump also likened the detention of those charged with storming the Capitol to the US internment of Japanese Americans in World War Two.

"Why are they still being held? Nobody's ever been treated like this," he said. "Maybe the Japanese during Second World War, frankly."

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump cannot be prosecuted for official acts carried out as president.

As a result, Mr Smith was forced to change the historic case brought against Trump and argue that he committed crimes while still in office, but as a private citizen.

He filed a new motion in September laying out the new case against the former president, which included allegations that Trump promoted false claims of election fraud despite believing them to be "crazy".

The motion also included new details on how Trump's relationship with Pence deteriorated, with the former vice-president telling Trump to stop repeating false election fraud theories and move on.

The documents released on Friday include transcripts of interviews with the 6 January House committee that investigated the US Capitol riot, parts of Pence’s autobiography and fundraising emails sent to voters.

It is unclear if the 6 January case will ever go to trial. Trump is expected to end the prosecution if he returns to the White House.

He is facing several other criminal cases. He already has been convicted on 34 felony counts in New York in relation to a hush-money payment.

Source:bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr54yqg60jvo

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Pakistan

 

PM Shehbaz urges President Biden to order Dr Aafia Siddiqui's release on humanitarian grounds

By Awais Yousafzai & Rabia Mushtaq

October 18, 2024

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has written a letter to the United States President Joe Biden seeking his intervention to ensure release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui who spent nearly 16 years in an American prison.

In his letter, written to Biden on October 13, the premier wrote about seeking the US president's intervention in the matter that deserves to be viewed with compassion, as Siddiqui remains incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Carswell in Texas.

The FMC Carswell houses female inmates of all security levels, primarily with special needs pertaining to their medical and mental health.

She has been serving an 86-year sentence there, without the possibility of parole, imposed by the Southern District Court of New York.

"Now 52 years old, she has spent approximately sixteen years behind bars in the US," PM Shehbaz wrote in the letter.

Dr Aafia, a Pakistani neuroscientist, was indicted by a New York federal district court in September 2008 on charges of attempted murder and assault, stemming from an incident during an interview with the US authorities in Ghazni, Afghanistan — charges that she denied.

After 18 months in detention, she was tried and convicted in early 2010 and sentenced to 86 years in prison. She has since been imprisoned in the US.

The premier further mentioned that numerous Pakistani officials have paid consular visits to Siddiqui at the prison facility over the years and have raised "serious concerns about the treatment she has received".

The treatment meted out to her has severely impacted her "already fragile mental and frail physical health".

"In fact, they even fear that she could take her own life," the prime minister mentioned in the letter.

PM Shehbaz further praised Biden for passionately fighting for the rights of US citizens, particularly those stranded or held captive abroad.

Therefore, the premier added, it is his "solemn duty" as Pakistan's premier to intervene when it becomes absolutely necessary to ensure a citizen’s well-being, particularly when the circumstances are as dire as they are in her case.

"Keeping these facts in view, I request you, Mr President, to kindly exercise your constitutional authority and accept Dr Siddiqui’s clemency petition and order her release, strictly on humanitarian grounds," he wrote urging the American president to pardon the neuroscientist.

The prime minister added that he trusts Biden to accord the most serious consideration that the request deserves.

"Her family, and millions of my fellow citizens join me in seeking your blessings for a favorable outcome of this request," the prime minister wrote, concluding the letter.

Reacting to Premier Shehbaz's letter, Clive Stafford Smith — American human rights lawyer who represents Dr Siddiqui — told Geo.tv that the letter is "very welcome and very heartfelt from the PM".

"I have been pushing for something like this but it is only the first step," he said, adding that he hopes to meet the Pakistani delegation in Washington by the middle of November to make the rounds of the White House and other politicians.

Regarding the timing of the letter — which remains crucial as President Biden will soon say goodbye to the White House just a couple of months after the presidential elections in November — Clive said that it was something he had pressed for all along.

"The 10 weeks between the election on November 5th and inauguration on January 20th are the ten weeks when you can get something done in the US as Biden is still president, but he has nothing to lose," he said.

In June this year, Smith told Geo News that his client was being sexually harassed continuously at a jail in Fort Worth, Texas, adding that a security guard raped her two weeks ago as punishment.

"Sexual abuse of Dr Aafia has not stopped so far. She is being consistently subjected to physical harassment," he had disclosed after meeting her at the prison facility this summer.

Source:thenews.com.pk

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

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1241450-pm-shehbaz-urges-president-biden-to-order-dr-aafia-siddiquis-release

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PTI protesters take to streets in Karachi, other cities against constitutional package

By Web Desk

October 18, 2024

Amid the imposition of Section 144 restrictions in Punjab and Sindh capital, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged protests in major cities against the proposed 26th constitutional amendment and party founder Imran Khan's imprisonment on Friday.

Karachi witnessed a tense situation as police personnel fired tear gas shells and restored to baton charge on the PTI activists who gathered near Empress Market for a protest against the government's attempts to pass the contentious judicial package.

A group of party loyalists also gathered at Karachi Press Club despite the closure of several roads leading to the Governor’s House.

Karachi police issued an alternative traffic plan for commuters due to the closure of arterial roads — from Sharea Faisal's FTC bridge to Metropole, Coast Guard Office to Karachi Press Club, and Arts Council to press club — due to the PTI protests.

DIG South Asad Raza said that 1,200 police personnel have been deployed in Red Zone area of the metropolis amid the PTI protest.

It is noteworthy to mention here that the Karachi administration extended the enforcement of Section 144 for an additional two days, until October 19, according to a notification issued earlier today.

Moreover, the Punjab government also imposed Section 144 in the province for two days — October 18 and 19 besides announcing a holiday in all private and public schools, universities and colleges.

Islamabad authorities have also heightened security measures in the federal capital and opened only one lane on the arterial road from Islamabad to Rawalpindi. However, the other track of the road was opened for general traffic.

In Rawalpindi, police contingents led by Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Kamran Asghar conducted a flag march amid PTI’s call for protest. Personnel from police, elite force, Dolphin Force, and traffic department took part in the flag march.

Meanwhile, more than 3,000 officials were deployed across the city.

Security officials also arrested some PTI workers in different cities as three women workers were arrested in Lahore while 10 more activists were arrested from Rawalpindi’s Dhoke Khabba who were gathering to hold demonstrations.

Rawalpindi police officials shifted the arrested PTI workers to Waris Khan Police Station.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa capital Peshawar, PTI workers organised a protest outside the press club and shouted slogans against the proposed constitutional amendment.

They also alleged that former premier Khan was illegally imprisoned by the incumbent government and demanded that “maltreatment” with the party founder should be stopped in jail.

Probe Finds Rape Story Fabricated, Spread Via Fake Accounts

Imran Gabol

October 19, 2024

LAHORE: The Punjab government’s seven-member inquiry committee constituted to investigate the alleged rape of a private college student in Gulberg has submitted its findings, concluding that no such incident occurred.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had constituted the high-level committee led by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, with home secretary, advocate general of Punjab, secretaries of higher education, special education and specialised healthcare as its members.

The committee report available with Dawn revealed that the news of the rape was fabricated and spread via fake social media accounts to create unrest and a law and order situation.

It noted the involvement of “malicious actors” with vested interests who exploited the situation to advance their political agenda.

The committee expressed concern over the manipulation of students and the disruption caused by the spread of disinformation.

The report noted psychological and social damage inflicted on the alleged victim and her family and recommended the government to provide appropriate support to the family.

The inquiry committee concluded that no rape occurred at the girls college.

“The fabricated incident was part of a broader disinformation campaign aimed at inciting unrest and damaging public order.”

The report criticised the college management for its failure to handle the situation professionally, citing a lack of proper system and protocol to address such incidents.

The committee commended the police for their prompt action in securing evidence.

However, it suggested the police to establish standard operating procedures for handling similar incidents in educational institutions in future.

It identified a pattern of targeted disinformation and recommended the Punjab government to take stringent legal measures to address the misuse of social media platforms and prosecute those responsible for spreading false information.

The report urged the government to develop a framework to combat disinformation, educate students about the dangers of fake news and build the capacity of law enforcement agencies to manage such situations.

Source:dawn.com

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

https://www.dawn.com/news/1866108/probe-finds-rape-story-fabricated-spread-via-fake-accounts

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The PTI’s lawyer forum held a demonstration in Gujranwala against the proposed judicial package in the premises of a district and sessions court.

In Faisalabad, police blocked roads via trucks for traffic to eight central markets at Clock Tower roundabout. Additionally, containers were also placed on different localities at GT Road’s Gondlanwala Chowk, Sheikhupura Morr, and Sheranwala Bagh.

The blockage of GT Road from different spots caused traffic jam in the city, making it difficult for commuters to reach their destinations.

In Sahiwal, police arrested PTI’s former MPA Rana Aftab and district president along with nine workers for organising a protest at Bhandari Chowk in violation of Section 144.

The Imran Khan-founded party had given a nationwide protest call two days ago against the proposed constitutional package and the party founder’s imprisonment who has been behind bars for more than a year in different cases.

The party’s political committee had said in a statement that it would make all-out efforts to block the passage of proposed constitutional amendments in both houses of parliament.

The constitutional package, among other things, aims to set up a federal constitutional court and fix the tenure of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) for three years.

Source:thenews.com.pk

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

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1241424-pti-protesters-take-to-streets-in-karachi-other-cities-against-constitutional-package

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Probe Finds Rape Story Fabricated, Spread Via Fake Accounts

Imran Gabol

October 19, 2024

LAHORE: The Punjab government’s seven-member inquiry committee constituted to investigate the alleged rape of a private college student in Gulberg has submitted its findings, concluding that no such incident occurred.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had constituted the high-level committee led by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, with home secretary, advocate general of Punjab, secretaries of higher education, special education and specialised healthcare as its members.

The committee report available with Dawn revealed that the news of the rape was fabricated and spread via fake social media accounts to create unrest and a law and order situation.

It noted the involvement of “malicious actors” with vested interests who exploited the situation to advance their political agenda.

The committee expressed concern over the manipulation of students and the disruption caused by the spread of disinformation.

The report noted psychological and social damage inflicted on the alleged victim and her family and recommended the government to provide appropriate support to the family.

The inquiry committee concluded that no rape occurred at the girls college.

“The fabricated incident was part of a broader disinformation campaign aimed at inciting unrest and damaging public order.”

The report criticised the college management for its failure to handle the situation professionally, citing a lack of proper system and protocol to address such incidents.

The committee commended the police for their prompt action in securing evidence.

However, it suggested the police to establish standard operating procedures for handling similar incidents in educational institutions in future.

It identified a pattern of targeted disinformation and recommended the Punjab government to take stringent legal measures to address the misuse of social media platforms and prosecute those responsible for spreading false information.

The report urged the government to develop a framework to combat disinformation, educate students about the dangers of fake news and build the capacity of law enforcement agencies to manage such situations.

Source:dawn.com

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

https://www.dawn.com/news/1866108/probe-finds-rape-story-fabricated-spread-via-fake-accounts

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Rawalpindi police arrest over 380 students after Lahore 'rape' protests

By Shabbir Dar

October 18, 2024

RAWALPINDI: Police have taken more than 380 student protestors in Rawalpindi into custody, as over 1500 unidentified persons have been charged in eight separate cases.

A massive protest was held by students in Rawalpindi against an alleged rape of a female college student of Lahore.

According to the police, the demonstrators violated Section 144, interfered in state affairs, set fire to and damaged properties, and lobbed stones at police mobile vans.

As per the FIRs, the demonstrators injured police officials and spread terror, as the students ransacked a hostel after forcefully entering the hostel premises, pelted stones and damaged the vehicles there.

The police resorted to teargas shelling to disperse the students and evacuated the teachers and staff who were initially besieged in the building.

The cases have been lodged, police said, at various police stations including Airport, Gujjar Khan, Saddar (Wah), Morgah and Naseerabad.

Meanwhile, as a measure to control the crowd, the road leading to Faizabad from Murree road has been partially closed by placing containers on them.

The demonstrations come amid the ongoing unrest across the province over rape allegations which went viral on social media platforms prompting students to hold multiple demonstrations across various cities in recent days.

More than two dozen people, including four policemen, were injured in violent protests in Lahore on Tuesday.

The turmoil eventually warranted a strong response from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz who, while speaking to the media on Wednesday, announced a crackdown on those spreading fake news regarding the rape of a student.

On the other hand, authorities in Punjab ordered all educational institutes shut for Friday. The closure will affect about 26 million children in addition to adult learners in the province.

The police and provincial government have said that no victim has come forward and have blamed misinformation online.

In addition to closure of the institutes, the provincial interior department has also banned gatherings on Friday and Saturday.

Source:thenews.com.pk

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

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1241366-rawalpindi-police-arrest-over-380-students-amid-widespread-protests-following-alleged-rape-incident

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Warning of ‘brute majority’, Bilawal seeks opposition support for amendment

Mohammad Hussain Khan

October 19, 2024

• Says govt believes it has waited long enough for ‘consensus’

• Insists tweaks necessary to break ‘One Unit’ in judiciary

• Maintains CJP Isa will be remembered for his courage; all chief justices before him were cowards

HYDERABAD: In a hard-hitting speech on Friday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari warned that if political parties in parliament do not reach a consensus on the 26th constitutional amendment, which he said seeks to establish a parity-based constitutional court or bench, he will push the amendment through parliament using a brute, or two-thirds, majority to break the ‘One Unit’ system in the judiciary.

Addressing a PPP rally in Hyderabad — held to mark the anniversary of the Karsaz attack on his mother’s homecoming parade in 2007 — Mr Bhutto-Zardari said: “It is my desire to have consensus among all political parties in parliament for this amendment. The second option, which is not my preferred path, is to rely on the majority’s vote to pass it,” he said.

He urged political parties to consider the future and work towards raising the dignity of parliament, adding that they operate within a certain “political space”.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari noted that while the PPP was unable to establish a constitutional court during its 2008-2013 government, he is committed to fulfilling the promise made by Benazir Bhutto.

The PPP chairman acknowledged opposition to the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), particularly from PTI leaders, but insisted that the new court would ensure equal representation for all provinces. He pointed out that even Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had called for a separate court for routine justice matters at the 1930 Round Table Conference, a proposal supported by Justice Dorab Patel, who opposed the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto due to insufficient evidence.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari highlighted that Justice Patel had called for the creation of an FCC in 1980 and refused to take an oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order, which would have made him chief justice. “Today, I am striving to complete the mission of Jinnah and Benazir Bhutto by establishing an FCC,” he said, adding that the judiciary could not deliver justice if it continues to deviate from the Constitution.

The FCC, he claimed, would protect the rights of provinces by providing equal representation and addressing disputes between the federation and provinces.

He insisted that Benazir Bhutto had supported the FCC because she understood the “real face” of the judiciary, which he said had repeatedly legitimised dictatorial rule. “After abolishing the ‘One Unit’ system in the country through parliament, my mother wanted to eliminate the concept of ‘One Unit’ in the judiciary as well,” he added.

While the PPP chairman criticised past chief justices for legitimising dictatorships, he praised Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa for his judgements, including “delivering justice” to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Faizabad sit-in case and declaring Pervez Musharraf a traitor.

He noted that CJP Isa would be remembered in history for his courage. “All chief justices before Justice Isa were cowards, as they never declared a dictator a dictator.”

He said the PPP was striving to ensure that the amendments were passed in a similar manner to the 18th Amendment with consensus, adding that he was engaged in talks for the past two months with Maulana Fazl and other parties.

“Now it is a test for political parties. We did whatever was possible for us,” he said, adding he had accepted many of the demands made and asking what more he could do.

He said there were two paths before him now, saying that the government had decided that it had waited as long as it could.

“The options in front of me are either that the government brings the bill and the numbers will be complete depending on those who are voting based on their conscience, even though our friends in the opposition won’t be there, and then we make a court of the PML-N’s choice.

“Or it is still possible today, I don’t know if it will be tomorrow or the day after, that the PPP’s draft that has been accepted by the PML-N and JUI-F [should be backed]… I am requesting the opposition, JUI-F, PTI and all others that it will be the first time in history that legislation is going to be enacted on the basis of the majority instead of political consensus.”

Later, the PPP chairman flew back to Islamabad to meet the JUI-F chief and “request one final time for his support for the PPP’s draft”.

Source:dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1866140/warning-of-brute-majority-bilawal-seeks-opposition-support-for-amendment

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PTI protests tepid amid ‘no show’ from leaders

Mansoor Malik | Aamir Yasin

October 19, 2024

LAHORE / RAWALPINDI: PTI’s protests across the country on Friday attracted a dispirited response, as they remained disorganised and sparse due to official restrictions and a “no-show” by central leaders.

PTI workers in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi, Quetta, Rawalpindi and other cities held demonstrations for the release of their party’s leader, Imran Khan, and against the proposed constitutional amendments.

In Punjab, central party leaders stayed away from protests since the government had banned all gatherings for two days and imposed Section 144 across the province.

The protest in Lahore was scheduled at 2pm at Liberty Chowk. However, police were already present at the site with prison vans before protesters gathered there.

Around 2:30pm, PTI Punjab acting president Hammad Azhar, announced on X that the protest venue has been changed to GPO Chowk on The Mall instead of Liberty Chowk.

Similarly, many announced protest locations across the province were changed at the final moment to dodge police.

A sparse demonstration, led by Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and Hammad Awan, was held at GPO Chowk. During the protest, two women leaders, Tanzeela Imran and Ghazala Rafique, were arrested. They were not taken to any police station in Lahore and their whereabouts remained unknown.

In Vehari, Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry, PTI’s candidate for National Assembly seat, was also arrested by plainclothesmen after Juma prayers.

The PTI workers also staged flash protests and motorcycle rallies in different cities.

The gathering in Rawalpindi near Committee Chowk also remained tepid.

A senior PTI leader said their lack of public appearance was due to three reasons.

“One is that workers and supporters mostly respond to the call of Imran Khan only as they don’t accept anyone else as the party head,” the leader told Dawn.

The second reason, he said, was that all local party leaders and ticket holders are hiding to evade arrests. “Some [of them] are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and without local leaders, it would be difficult for people to come out,” he said.

The PTI leader however conceded that there are differences among the party’s provincial leadership, MPAs and local leaders who criticised the Punjab chapter for “not mobilising party workers and supporters for the last one year”.

While talking to Dawn, PTI’s youth leaders expressed their disappointment over the “cold response” from party leaders, MPAs, and office-bearers.

In Okara, PTI deputy general secretary Punjab Mahr Abdul Sattar organised a large protest, while a similar demonstration was led by Rehana Dar and her son Umar Dar in Sialkot.

Protests were also held in Multan, Layyah, Chiniot, Sahiwal and Kasur.

Acknowledging that attendance at the ‘flash’ protests was quite thin, PTI Punjab Information Secretary Shaukat Basra blamed official curbs imposed in all cities and police action against their workers for the low turnout.

He claimed that the party’s main leaders had stayed away from the demonstrations on purpose because “a final call [for protest] is yet to be given.

“Punjab will lead in protests in the next call,” he asserted.

Protests in KP

The PTI protest in Peshawar had some presence of central leadership including Senator Faisal Javed, MNA Sher Ali Arbab, provincial minister Meena Khan Afridi and district president Irfan Saleem.

While addressing the protesters outside the Peshawar Press, Mr Afridi claimed the Constitution is being amended to “pave the way for Imran Khan’s military trial”.

He said the amendment to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges was a “conspiracy against PTI”.

“Children and relatives of senators were being held hostage to pressurise them for voting in favour of their amendments,” he said.

The protest in Bara, Khyber, was led by MNA Iqbal Afridi and MPA Abdul Ghani Afridi. Demonstrations were also held in Wana and Lower Dir.

Arrests in Karachi

In Karachi, at least 19 workers and leaders of PTI were arrested from the protest at Empress Market, according to police and the party officials.

The workers turned out in good numbers despite a ban on rallies and protests.

District South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the police have detained 15 workers of the PTI.

PTI Sindh general secretary Ali Palh claimed police also manhandled their workers and fired tear gas. DIG Raza denied the claim.

While addressing the protesters, PTI Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh condemned the police “crackdown” on a peaceful protest.

In Quetta, workers and supporters of PTI and BNP-Mengal held a demonstration outside the press club against the constitutional amendment and alleged harassment and kidnapping of their lawmakers.

Mohammad Ashfaq in Peshawar, Imtiaz Ali in Karachi and Saleem Shahid in Quetta also contributed to this report

Source:dawn.com

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

https://www.dawn.com/news/1866123/pti-protests-tepid-amid-no-show-from-leaders

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LHC full bench to hear cases on girls’ harassment, fake videos

Wajih Ahmad Sheikh

 October 19, 2024

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum on Friday expre­ssed her deep displeasure over the failure of authorities to remove a viral video, based on ‘misinformation’ about an alleged rape involving a female student of a private college, from social media.

“Why wasn’t the viral video stopped from circulating on social media,” the chief justice asked Ins­pector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Dr Usman Anwar during the hearing of a petition against incidents of alleged harassment of female students in educational institutions.

Considering the sensitivity of the circumstances, the chief justice formed a full bench to further proceed with the matters including the incidents of alleged harassment at the institutions and fake lea­ked video of Punjab Info­rma­tion Minister Azma Bokhari.

When she remarked that removing the video from social media would have only taken half an hour, the IGP said action was taken, but it wasn’t within their (police) dom­ain to delete a video from going viral, as this responsibility lies with the PTA.

He explained that the video in question went viral on Oct 13 and 14, and the Counter Terrorism Department was assigned the task of identifying 114 social media accounts which shared it.

Chief Justice Neelum observed that the police must account for what they did during those two days, questioning delayed action only after the situation worsened.

Dr Anwar stated that a specialised team formed on the matter explored various social media platforms to identify and apprehend the individuals accountable for orchestrating the malicious smear campaign.

He said the PTA, on the request of FIA, blocked 38 social media accounts including 12 on Facebook, 19 on X, 12 on Instagram, and six on TikTok.

Advocate General of Punjab Khalid Ishaq told the court that malicious social media campaigns had been initiated based on fake information as no incident of sexual assault had taken place.

He stated that there was extreme disinformation, saying the basement of the private college was an open hall with complete CCTV footage available, and no such incident occurred. He said if anyone had been affected, they should come forward.

Separately, the IGP admitted that police officials had not adequately dealt with the suicide case of a female student in a Punjab University hostel.

He said the police failed to take prompt action on the issues.

Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) Registrar Uzma Batool also appeared before the court and presented a report of an inquiry committee formed on an incident of alleged harassment of students at the campus.

Chief Justice Neelum rejected the report, noting that the report was prepared after the court issued a notice to the LCWU registrar, which she also admitted.

“As the issue at hand is sensitive, touches on the social issue of spreading fake news, and relates to female students of colleges and universities, it must be handled with care and caution,” the chief justice observed in the written order of the hearing.

The CJ maintained that the safety of female students was the prime consideration of the court.

She ordered the investigating agencies to complete the investigation using modern techniques without harassing anyone. She directed the FIA director general to personally appear with a report after probing all social media accounts relating to the alleged incidents of harassment at the Punjab Group of Colleges, LCWU and the suicide of a female student at the PU.

The CJ instructed the FIA to record statements of the students, if needed, in the presence of their parents and heads of institutions.

However, she observed that no one should be forced to make any statement.

Justice Farooq Haider and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa would be other members of the bench headed by the chief justice herself. The bench would resume its hearing on Oct 22.

Source:dawn.com

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

https://www.dawn.com/news/1866144/lhc-full-bench-to-hear-cases-on-girls-harassment-fake-videos

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Africa

 

Tunisia sentences prominent opponent Noureddine Bhiri to 10 years in prison

October 19, 2024

TUNIS: Tunisian court sentenced on Friday the prominent official in Ennahda opposition party Noureddine Bhiri to 10 years in prison, on charges of attacking state security and inciting Tunisians against each other, a lawyer told Reuters.

Bhiri’s lawyer Monia Bouali, said the trial “was marred by many legal violations due to a Facebook post attributed to him that technical tests proved did not exist at all.”

Bhiri has been detained for 18 months, along with many opponents of President Kais Saied who has tightened his grip on powers and began ruling by decree in a move the opposition described as a coup.

Source:arabnews.com

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

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2575846/middle-east

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National Mosque Abuja appoints first Igbo imam

October 19, 2024

by Gbenga Omokhunu | Abuja

The National Mosque, Abuja, has appointed Prof. Ilyas Usman as imam.

Usman, who is the first Professor of Arabic in Igboland, has joined the ranks of the three existing imams of the National Mosque. He will now support the two active imams, Prof. Ibrahim Makari and Prof. Muhammad Kabir, in the rotational conduct of the Juma’ah and daily congregational prayers.

The fourth imam, Sheikh Ahmad Onilewura from Southwest Nigeria, has not been leading prayers for a long time because he is indisposed.

With the newly appointed imam from South East, the 25,000-capacity National Mosque of Nigeria built in 1984 and officially opened to the public in 1991 now has three active imams in addition to the Murshid, Prof. Shehu Ahmad Sai’d Galadanci, who is the overall head, spiritual guide or general administrator.

Reacting to Usman’s appointment, South East Muslims Organisation of Nigeria (SEMON), prayed to Allah to grant him the wisdom and strength to discharge the sacred duty.

“We the South East Muslim Organisation of Nigeria (SEMON), extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Ilyasu Usman on your recent appointment as an imam of the National Mosque, Abuja.

“This prestigious role is not only a testament to your unwavering dedication and scholarly excellence but also a divine blessing and responsibility to lead the Ummah in worship and service to Allah.

“We pray that Allah (SWT) grants you the wisdom, strength, and steadfastness to discharge this sacred duty with diligence, integrity, and humility. May your leadership inspire unity, peace, and piety. “We also attest to the inclusiveness of the leadership of the National Mosque and Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its President General, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar. We pray that this achievement serves as an uplift for the Igbo Muslim community in Nigeria, showcasing their contributions and dedications to Islam and the Ummah at large,” the group said, in a statement signed by its Ag. National Chairman, Dr. Suleiman Afikpo and National Executive Secretary, Ustaz Sirajuddeen Ugwu.

Source:thenationonlineng.net

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Bridging centuries of trade ethics: Madinah’s legacy in Iwo Islamic market

October 18, 2024

Islamic principles emphasise economic justice and societal well-being, with Maqasid al-Shariah (objectives of Islamic law) prioritising the protection of human life, including safeguarding people from harmful economic practices.

In Nigeria, inflation has led to a significant rise in food prices, placing a heavy burden on vulnerable communities.

The Islamic Market in Iwo, Osun State, established by Sheikh Daood Imran Molasan, Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta and the President of the Jamaat Taawunil Muslimeen, seeks to mitigate this by offering essential goods at fair prices.

The market encourages sellers to reduce prices in a manner that does not harm their profitability, while simultaneously easing the financial burden on shoppers.

This initiative aims to reduce the pangs of inflation by striking a balance between the interests of both sellers and consumers.

This article explores the market’s alignment with Islamic ethics, alongside critiques from Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Al-Ilory, OON, and commendations from Professor Ishaq Oloyede CON FNAL, Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). It also investigates the broader historical roots of Islamic market ethics and its impact on community welfare.

Historical background of the Islamic market and its basic etiquettes

Markets in Islam occupy a significant and esteemed position due to their essential financial and economic roles in people’s lives. They serve as centres of exchange and commerce, where individuals acquire their livelihoods and fulfil their essential needs.

The concept of the Islamic market, as established during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is rooted in prophetic guidance aimed at promoting economic justice and ethical conduct in trade. The migration of Muslims to Medina intensified the economic challenges faced by the nascent Islamic state.

In response, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) initiated several measures to address these challenges. A critical step was fostering brotherhood between the immigrants (Muhajirun) and the local supporters (Ansar), alongside the establishment of the Suffah, a space adjacent to the Prophet’s mosque to accommodate poor immigrants.

Upon examining the economic landscape of Medina, the Prophet (PBUH) recognized that the Jewish community wielded significant control over trade, manipulating prices and resources to exploit the needs of the population. To counter this, it was imperative to create, a market that would enable Muslims to engage in commerce and showcase Islamic ethical standards.

Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) designated a location for the Muslim market to the west of the mosque, personally marking the area and declaring, “This is your market; let it not be diminished, and no tax shall be levied upon it” (Ibn Majah, 2233). Under his supervision, the market flourished, and he established guidelines and ethical standards to govern its operations. This included the elimination of deceitful practices prevalent in pre-Islamic trade, promoting fairness and equal opportunities for all participants.

The historical foundation laid by the Prophet (PBUH) was guided by fundamental etiquettes and principles of justice that have continued to shape Islamic economic practices.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instituted numerous etiquettes and sanctities for the Medina market to protect its integrity, and these etiquettes continue to serve as a moral compass for economic activities in Islamic societies today.

 Prominent wealthy companions like Othman bin Affan, Talha bin Obeid-Allah, Zubair bin Awam, and Abdul Rahman bin Auf were significant contributors to the market’s success.

Objectives of establishing the Islamic market: A comparison with modern markets

A Muslim market abides by Sharia principles in all sectors. There are acceptable religious viewpoints regarding this. For example, in Muslim countries, non-Halal products or products that do not adhere to Sharia principles are sold in restaurants and hotels, such as alcohol and pork.

Some Muslim customers have no problem eating in these establishments as long as their orders do not include pork or alcohol. In many countries, like Malaysia, restaurants must be free of pork for Muslims to dine in them. Besides protecting dietary practices, these markets also regulate prices to bring relief to the public.

The objectives of establishing the Islamic market include promoting economic freedom while adhering to Sharia principles and creating a marketplace that respects Islamic values and facilitates trade. This emphasis ensures that all transactions comply with Islamic laws, including prohibitions against interest (riba) and unethical practices.

Additionally, the Islamic market aims to reduce government interference in market transactions and minimize excessive taxation that could hinder economic activity. It seeks to balance societal and individual economic needs, fostering a fair trading environment for both the community and individual traders.

Promoting fair business practices is central to this objective, banning monopolies and ensuring equal access to information while prohibiting unethical practices such as gambling and usury.

In comparison with modern markets, contemporary markets often prioritize profit maximization, sometimes neglecting ethical considerations and fairness.

They are frequently characterized by monopolistic practices, which contradict the Islamic principles of competition and fairness. Moreover, modern markets typically experience significant government intervention, leading to inefficiencies that do not align with the Islamic emphasis on economic freedom.

Consequently, prevailing practices in modern markets, such as interest-based transactions, undermine the core Islamic principles of fairness, justice, and ethical trading.

The Iwo Islamic market: Context and purpose

The Islamic market in Iwo, Osun State, has provided significant relief to shoppers by offering essential food items at more affordable prices. This initiative, spearheaded by Sheikh Daood Imran Molasan, was launched to address the economic pressures arising from inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies. Vendors at the market are able to sell their goods at lower prices while maintaining fair profit margins, meeting the demands of the local population for affordable commodities.

A key factor contributing to the market’s fair pricing is the absence of union or association levies, which often inflate prices in other markets. For instance, a vendor highlighted that selling fish at this market is significantly cheaper than elsewhere, while still yielding a healthy profit.

In addition to providing economic relief to residents, the market has drawn a diverse range of shoppers from various backgrounds. Plans include partnerships with local farmers to cut out middlemen, ensuring that farm produce can be brought directly to the market.

Mechanized farming initiatives are also under consideration, aimed at guaranteeing a steady supply of affordable produce. By aligning with Islamic principles, the Iwo Islamic Market represents a proactive step toward economic justice, offering an inclusive space for buyers and sellers from all walks of life. It also reflects the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whose teachings stress the alleviation of hardship within the community.

Commendations and critiques: Perspectives from the gown and town

The Iwo Islamic Market has attracted both commendation and critique from key figures in the Muslim community. Before the Rabitah conference, several notable personalities visited the market and praised the initiative. Among them was Alhaji Mutiullahi Onimalu, Asiwaju Musulumi of Oyo State, who visited the market and expressed admiration for its efforts in providing economic relief to the local community.

He acknowledged how the market, by offering food items at lower prices, was helping to ease the financial strain on residents, particularly in the face of rising inflation and subsidy removal.

During the Rabitah conference, although the Iwo Islamic Market was not a central topic of discussion, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, CON, FNAL, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), mentioned the market in his keynote address.

He praised the initiative as a proactive step towards fostering an ideal Islamic community, highlighting how it aligned with Islamic principles of justice, fairness, and economic welfare.

However, Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, OON, Mudir of Markaz, voiced his criticism following the keynote speech. He questioned the legitimacy of the market, asking whether such an institution truly conformed to Islamic teachings. Sheikh Habeebullah speculated that the market might have been established as a means to seek financial support from Saudi Arabia for personal use.

Despite this critique, the market had already received widespread commendation for its ability to alleviate the economic burden on low-income earners and uphold Islamic values in trade.

Habeebullah’s opposition

Some Muslim netizens speculate that Sheikh Habeebullah’s opposition is rooted in his earlier disapproval of Sheikh Daood Molasan’s appointment as the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland by His Royal Highness Abdul Rasheed, the Oluwo of Iwo (Telu 1).

In contrast, Sheikh Habeebullah presided over the installation of Sheikh Abdularasaq Abdul Azeez I. as the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta, reinforcing the authority of the Rabitah in appointing Muftis. Other speculations suggest that Mudir’s criticism may be because the initiators of the Islamic Market are not part of his immediate circle of students or associates.

Despite these critiques, Sheikh Habeebullah’s allegations have not diminished the market’s appeal or impact. Research shows that even non-Muslims are actively participating in the market by lowering prices to support the community.

The label “Islamic Market” does not exclude individuals of other faiths; instead, it promotes fairness and economic justice for all, consistent with Islamic ethical principles.

Conclusion

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the primary purpose of establishing an Islamic market was to regulate trade according to Islamic laws, allowing participation from individuals of other faiths as long as they adhered to the principles laid down by Muslims.

This principle is similarly reflected in Sheikh Molaasan’s market, where we encountered Christian neighbours, such as Mrs. Alabi Gloria, who confirmed that both Muslims and Christians engage in trade within the market. Therefore, it appears that Sheikh Habeebullah may be jurisprudentially incorrect in this context, given the historical actions of the Prophet and his companions in establishing and regulating Islamic markets.

Islamic history illustrates that during the development and rising economy of Madinah, Umar appointed Shifa Bint Abdullah as an officer and Controller of the Madinan Market to ensure that all business practices adhered to Islamic rulings, teachings, and values.

Her wisdom and knowledge significantly contributed to equitable trading in the marketplace, allowing the people to greatly benefit from her presence. This underscores how Muslims actively monitored market affairs in accordance with Islamic principles, ensuring that trade was conducted justly and in alignment with their teachings.

While it could be argued that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not explicitly mention an “Islamic Market,” it is essential to recognize that his actions were guided by divine command, indicating that such initiatives can indeed be considered “Islamic.”

In our modern world, we have Islamic schools, Islamic banking, and other institutions based solely on Islamic principles. Thus, it is reasonable to assert that the establishment of the Iwo Islamic Market aligns with Islamic principles, and its designation as an “Islamic Market” is fully justified.

Source:thenationonlineng.net

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10,000 delegates to attend 2024 MSSN Islamic Vacation Course

October 18, 2024

About 10,000 delegates are expected at the 2024 Islamic Vacation Course (IVC) by the B-Zone of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN).

According to MSSN B-Zone coordinator, Dr. Moshood Kolawole, the 114th edition of the IVC will be held at the IVC permanent site located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from 23rd of December, 2024 to January 2025.

Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Kolawole stated that the aim of the programme was to address various distractions faced by the youths in society and to equip the youths with knowledge and faith to thrive in all aspects of life.

He added that the programme had for decades been a beacon of knowledge, as well as spiritual and community empowerment for Muslim youths across Nigeria.

Kolawole said the IVC had over the years attracted participants from diverse sectors of the society that included students, Islamic workers, scholars, government officials, and captains of industry.

“This programme has become a unique platform where Muslim youths are inspired, empowered, and enriched both spiritually and intellectually.

“Since its inception, the IVC has consistently provided a nurturing environment for thousands of Muslim youths to deepen their understanding of Islamic teachings and foster leadership qualities and a sense of social responsibility.”

He also said that Justice Abdur-Raheem Sayi, the Quaadi of the Shariah Court of Appeal in Kwara, would be the Guest Speaker at the programme.

He urged Muslims to attend the programme which according to him would offer a unique opportunity for spiritual rejuvenation and personal development.

In his remark, the association’s Deputy Coordinator, Malam Alli AbdulSalam, had said several lectures would be delivered at the programme which would widen the knowledge of Muslims about Islam.

AbdulSalam said the programme would also help to reduce immorality in society, appealing to parents to bring their children to the programme.

Source:thenationonlineng.net

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Hisbah Arrests Jigawa Commissioner With Married Woman In Kano

18 October 2024

By Enioluwa Adeniyi

The Kano State Hisbah Board has confirmed the arrest of Auwal Danladi Sankara, the Commissioner of Special Duties in Jigawa State, for allegedly engaging in a romantic relationship with a married woman, Tasleem Baba Nabegu.

The arrest took place on Friday after Hisbah operatives caught Sankara in the act in an uncompleted building that reportedly belongs to him.

Hisbah, known as the Sharia police, made the announcement following intelligence tracking and a series of complaints received about Sankara’s alleged misconduct.

Abba Sufi, the Director General of the Hisbah Board, confirmed the arrest, stating, “Yes, it is true we have arrested Auwal Danladi Sankara with a married woman in an uncompleted building. Unknown to him, we were tracking him based on reports we received against him.”

The allegations surfaced after Nasiru Bulama, the husband of the married woman, lodged complaints with multiple authorities, including the Kano State Police Command and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Bulama accused Sankara of engaging in illicit sexual activities with his wife, who is also the mother of his two children.

The Hisbah DG revealed that Sankara would face multiple charges in court on Monday, not only related to the alleged affair but also for operating illicit drug centers disguised as hotels, known by names including “Picklock” and “360.”

Sufi added, “We have been having problems with Sankara because he is operating illicit drug centers in the names of hotels, involving prostitution and drug addiction activities.”

Source:naijanews.com

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‘Despite Tinubu’s Absence, Wheel Of His Govt Has Been In Top Gear’ – Okupe Knocks Critics

18 October 2024

By Rachel Okporu Fadoju

A former Director General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, has said that the impression that no one is in charge of the country following the foreign trips of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President, Kashim Shettima, is misleading.

Naija News reports that Okupe, in an interview with journalists on Friday in Lagos, said that presidents, chief executives, and field commanders in war situation go off duty.

According to him, in the physical absence of the President, in these days of high tech, all arms of government- judiciary, legislative and even the executive, function 100 per cent.

Okupe said the opposition’s plot to feast on the issue exposes their crass ignorance or lack of appreciation for the overriding influence of modern information management on contemporary governance.

The former presidential spokesman noted that despite the absence of Tinubu and Shettima, the wheel of the administration has been in top gear, adding that the opposition parties should move on and restrategize for 2027.

He said, “Presidents and chief executives, globally, do take time off to rest for a little while.

“Even in war situations, field commanders go off duty to cool off from war theatres.

“The impression being given that there is no one in charge is false and preposterous. The President is head of government not government by himself.

“Whether the President is in Abuja, Kaura Namoda, Pankshin, Oguta, Ilesha, Yenagoa, London or Paris, all instruments of command and control are accessible and available to him 24/7.

“In these last two weeks, the wheel of the administration has been in top gear. Promotions and new appointments are being made.

“Policies are being implemented to the letter. Obviously there is no evidence of dereliction of duty or official irresponsibility.

“The truth is that elections are over and political gladiators should go back to the drawing board to restrategize for 2027.”

Source:naijanews.com

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