Outrage Erupts Over Hate-Filled Slogans Against Muslims During Ram Navami Procession in Mumbai
New Age Islam News Bureau
8 April 2025
During the Ram Navami procession outside Mumbai’s International Airport on Sunday.
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· Outrage Erupts Over Hate-Filled Slogans Against Muslims During Ram Navami Procession in Mumbai
· ‘Shahi Jama Masjid’ To ‘Juma Masjid’: ASI Set to Replace Signboard Outside Sambhal Mosque
· Army in A ‘State of War’ To Protect Country’s Security, Pakistan SC Told
· Despite Genocidal War… Arab & Islamic Regimes Turn Their Backs on Gaza & Fail to Halt Israeli Aggression
· ‘As Soon as Possible,’ Says Senior US Envoy On Timeline for Disarming Hezbollah
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India
· Delhi HC Orders Status Quo at Nizamuddin’s 14th-Century Kalan Masjid as Petitioners Allege Illegal Constructions
· 32 Muslim Children and Guardian Detained in Bihar Prison Cell Under Allegations of Child Labor Trafficking, Released After Public Outcry
· ‘Significant Demonstration of People’s Trust in Constitution Within Valley,’ Says Amit Shah After 3 More Groups Dissociate from Hurriyat
· ‘Dangerous Conspiracy’: Jamiat Moves SC Challenging Validity OfWaqf (Amendment) Act, 2025
· Multiple JD(U) Leaders Resign in Protest of Party’s Support of Waqf Amendment Act
· DMK, IUML file petitions in SC challenging Waqf amendments
· Azad Samaj president Chandra Shekhar moves top court against Waqf Amendment Act
· ‘Adversely affects interests of Muslims’: DMK moves Supreme Court against Waqf amendment
· Supreme Court early hearing of waqf pleas: Petitions challenge Act's constitutional validity
· Waqf gag & garden flak for Omar Abdullah: J&K CM accused of yielding to BJP’s anti-Muslim agenda
· Gujarat: Muslim Group Files Complaint After Questionnaire On UCC Circulated In Govt School
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Pakistan
· Strike observed in many areas of Balochistan on BNP-M call
· IHC embroiled in fresh row over transfer of blasphemy case
· Minister defends Mardan action dubbed ‘drone strike’ in NA
· Imran, Bushra approach court for better facilities in jail
· Lahore Police book singer Salman Ahmad under Peca law
· LHC summons AGP again for assistance in case over implementation of Anti-Rape Act
· JI Emir announces nationwide public mobilisation drive against Israeli aggression
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Mideast
· Islamic Jihad: Enemy Targeting Journalists' Tent War Crime
· Iraq’s Election Law in doubt: Sunni bloc pushes back
· Israel army locks all Ibrahimi Mosque's doors
· Crushing response awaits any foolish move from enemies
· An Israeli strike hit near a charity kitchen in Gaza as Palestinians gathered for food
· Trump announces direct Iran nuclear talks during meeting with Netanyahu
· King Abdullah of Jordan discusses Gaza during summit with Egyptian, French presidents in Cairo
· Dutch tighten controls on military and dual use exports to Israel
· Dossier accuses British serving in Israeli military of war crimes in Gaza
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North America
· Goodyear veteran accused of threatening to bomb West Valley Islamic Center
· CAIR-DFW, Muslim, Jewish, Christian Faith Leaders to Condemn Attacks on Muslim Community Development in N. Texas
· 100+ Floridians, 10 Groups – Including CAIR-Florida – to Hold Muslim Day at the Capitol
· US in direct nuclear talks with Iran, Trump says
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Africa
· “It Is Impossible to Name a Country That Has Developed in Democracy” – Burkina Faso President
· MURIC Condemns Demolition of Two Mosques in Ekiti
· Bandits Invade Katsina Communities, Kill Six, Abduct 59
· Lagos Assembly Crisis Deepens as Legal Battles Stall Legislative Activities
· ‘You Failed Terribly’ – Sowore Berates Police Over Treatment Of Protesters
· Protest: Police Arrest TIB Coordinator in Yobe, Flag Boy in Abuja
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Arab World
· New Program to Boost Tech Skills of Saudi Leaders
· Saudi Arabia highlights cultural preservation efforts at UNESCO Executive Board session in Paris
· Saudi development agency improves Yemen’s sports infrastructure to empower youth
· Saudi, US defense chiefs discuss regional security in phone call
· GCC, Kuwaiti officials discuss regional ties
· Hajj, Umrah firms face penalties for failing to report overstays
· Festival brings global cultures to life in Alkhobar, Jeddah
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Europe
· Former Lord Mayor and Mosque Chief Stripped of Title Over 'Dategate' Lies Scandal
· 'A shining example' - praise for mosque team who helped council bin crew visit run without a hitch
· Three migrants acquitted over fire at Greece's Moria refugee camp
· Billionaire on trial in Azerbaijan who risks being left behind by peace deal
· Asylum seeker jailed for glorifying terrorism
· Masked mob trying to defend Hanley mosque hurled rocks at rioters
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Southeast Asia
· Simplified: The Perlis Govt’s Final Bid to Revive The Unilateral Conversion Of Hindu Mum Loh Siew Hong’s Kids
· Police confused over states' inconsistent Shia policies: Ex-SB officer
· Islamic association says former NMP Calvin Cheng's comments on pro-Palestine activists 'dehumanising, dismissive'
· Papagomo faces trial for seditious remarks against Malaysia’s King, court sets dates
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South Asia
· US and Pakistan Discuss Afghanistan’s Left Behind Military Equipment
· Over 100 Afghan citizens freed from Pakistan prisons
· Protesters demand end to Italian visa complications
· MoUDH Initiates Topographic Survey for Town of Forced Returnees in Parwan
· WFP warns US Food Aid Cuts Will Worsen Crisis in Afghanistan
· Trump cuts humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
· Arg Held Special Meeting to Address Afghan Refugees’ Concerns
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/procession-mumbai-against-muslims-during/d/135095
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Outrage Erupts Over Hate-Filled Slogans Against Muslims During Ram Navami Procession in Mumbai
April 8, 2025
During the Ram Navami procession outside Mumbai’s International Airport on Sunday.
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During the Ram Navami procession outside Mumbai’s International Airport on Sunday, a disturbing incident unfolded as participants chanted provocative and hateful slogans targeting Muslims.
A video circulating online shows a large crowd, many waving saffron flags, chanting slogans such as “Aurangzeb Ki Kabr Khudegi” (We will dig Aurangzeb’s grave), along with violent songs threatening Muslims. These chants, which were vulgar and inflammatory, sparked outrage on social media as they were seen as an attempt to provoke communal violence.
Several commentators have expressed deep concern over this incident. Journalist Rana Ayyub criticized the situation, highlighting the stark contrast between how Muslims are treated in India compared to right-wing extremists. She pointed out that while Muslims face restrictions on peaceful protests and prayers, the perpetrators of these hate-filled chants go unpunished.
“Right-wingers meanwhile may chant hate slogans on the streets, climb on top of mosques, and there will be no law to stop this,” she remarked, underscoring the apparent impunity enjoyed by those inciting violence.
Journalist Sucheta Dalal also weighed in, referencing the video and questioning the role of law enforcement. She suggested that Kunal Kamra’s lawyers might use this footage in court to showcase the selective targeting of Muslims by the authorities. Meanwhile, Rahul Pandita, a journalist and author, expressed his dismay over the situation, reflecting on the changing nature of Ram Navami celebrations.
He observed that while Ram Navami had once been a time of joyous festivity, it now seemed tainted by hate and violence. “These thugs remember Aurangzeb more than Ram,” he noted, criticizing the hate-driven agenda overshadowing the religious significance of the day.
Activist Sudheendra Kulkarni also condemned the actions, calling them a vulgar and communally provocative celebration of Ram Navami. He asked, “How can you allow this vulgar and communally provocative ‘celebration’ of Ram Navami in Mumbai?” Kulkarni expressed his dismay as a devout Hindu, saying that such actions insult the true spirit of Hinduism.
Another observer, Ramandeep Singh Mann, criticized the contrast between the traditional observance of Ram Navami, marked by prayers, fasting, and spiritual discourses, and the hate-filled chants heard during the procession. “Sorry, don’t see anything religious here,” he lamented.
Despite the heavy police presence in Mumbai, with over 13,500 officers deployed to maintain security, no action has been taken against those responsible for the hate-filled slogans. Similar incidents have occurred in other states, such as Hyderabad, where BJP leader T Raja Singh incited violence by urging youth to destroy the grave of Aurangzeb, and Jharkhand, where provocative songs were played during a rally. These events have raised concerns over the rising tensions in the country and the selective enforcement of the law. — With Agencies Inputs
Source: muslimmirror.com
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‘Shahi Jama Masjid’ to ‘Juma Masjid’: ASI set to replace signboard outside Sambhal mosque
by Amit Sharma
April 8, 2025
An ASI team will replace the existing board, which bears the name Shahi Jama Masjid on a green background, with the new board with the name on a blue background. (Source: WikimediaCommons)
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The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is set to place a new signboard outside the controversial Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal town that says that the mosque’s name is ‘Juma Masjid’ and that the structure is a protected monument.
The new board has been placed inside the new Satyavrat police outpost adjacent to the mosque. An ASI team will replace the existing board, which bears the name Shahi Jama Masjid on a green background, with the new board with the name on a blue background.
“During the arguments in the Allahabad High Court regarding a petition for whitewashing the mosque before Ramzan recently, a debate arose in court regarding the mosque’s original name,” an official at the ASI unit in Meerut’s Shastri Nagar locality said. “A 1927 agreement between the Government of India and the mosque committee refers to it as Juma Masjid, and the structure is referred to as the same in ASI records. We are just calling the structure by its original name…no one should have any objection,” the official added.
Five people were killed in the violence that broke out in Sambhal on November 24 last year after a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The survey was ordered after a priest and six others filed a civil suit claiming that a temple once stood at the site of the mosque.
The police have arrested 79 accused, including Zafar Ali, the president of the Shahi Jama Masjid managing committee.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/asi-replace-signboard-shahi-jama-masjid-juma-masjid-sambhal-9931461/
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Army in A ‘State of War’ To Protect Country’s Security, Pakistan SC Told
Nasir Iqbal
April 8, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench hearing cases related to the military trials of civilians was told on Monday that Pakistan Army remains in a state of war for ensuring security of the country.
“And the purpose of Sections 2(1)(d)(i) and (ii) of the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 was to hold accountable whosoever committed any offence under these provisions like any other members of the armed forces since it involves the very security and defence of the country,” argued senior counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmed, representing the defence ministry.
Headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, the seven-judge constitutional bench had taken up a set of 38 intra-court appeals (ICAs) moved by the federal and provincial governments as well as Shuhada Forum Balochistan among others against the 2023 order of a five-judge bench nullifying civilians’ trial by military courts involved in the May 9 violence.
Khawaja Haris explained that the May 9, 2023 events in which military installations were attacked had directly threatened the security and integrity of the country and therefore these offences involved the country’s defence. He argued the trials of the offenders were not done with malafide intent.
The counsel said the offences levelled against the accused did not come under the ambit of the Anti-Terrorist Act, rather they came under the domain of the Official Secret Act and Pakistan Army Act.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, one of the CB members, pointed out that the Supreme Court would only have to determine whether the trial of civilians in the military courts was in accordance with the Constitution, especially when provisions like Article 10A has been inserted in the green book to ensure fair trial.
“When it comes to the country’s security, strong measures need to be taken,” the counsel replied, also explaining that it was the job of competent authorities to gauge the level of threat or seriousness of the danger.
The counsel was of the opinion that emphasis should always be to save the legislation rather than striking it down while interpreting or determining the vires of the law.
He said the purpose of the military laws was to ensure discipline in the armed forces.
However, when the counsel said the military authorities could take cognizance under the PAA against any crime committed even by a civilian for which even registration of FIR was not necessary, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi wondered what procedure would be adopted then and whether the accused would be present before a magistrate if arrested without any FIR under PAA.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar also questioned how without FIR, cognizance could be taken.
He said FIRs were registered before initiating punitive action against the accused involved in the May 9 events.
The counsel touched upon the status of court martial and explained that the military courts did not fall under Article 175(3) of the constitution that asks for the separation of judiciary from the executive. He argued that the military courts established under the PAA were not subordinate to any high court and therefore did not come under the domain of Article 175(3) of the Constitution.
When Justice Mandokhail asked if the military courts did not come under Article 175(3), then under which constitutional provision would they fall especially when Article 175 exclusively talks about the judiciary.
Justice Mazhar also questioned the argument that military courts were not subordinate to the high court. The case will be taken up again on Tuesday.
Source: dawn.com
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Despite Genocidal War… Arab & Islamic Regimes Turn Their Backs on Gaza & Fail to Halt Israeli Aggression
07 Apr 2025
Since the outbreak of the brutal Israeli aggression against the besieged Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, fragile Arab and Islamic regimes have consistently turned their backs on Gaza. They have ignored desperate pleas for help—pleas that carry blame and sorrow from the residents of Gaza who hope that both the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation would take meaningful action to stop the assault.
Daily cries for help from Gaza's people continue, against the backdrop of massacres, widespread destruction, and acts of genocide committed by the Israeli army against defenseless civilians. The current escalation, especially after the renewal of aggression during Ramadan on March 18, has made the situation far more tragic than in the previous 15-month campaign. The Israeli army is now carrying out unprecedented ethnic cleansing, erasing what remains of life in Gaza.
Despite their suffering, the people of Gaza have not stopped appealing to the Arab and Islamic world. Yet, in reality, they see no genuine diplomatic efforts to restrain or hold the Israeli enemy accountable for its ongoing crimes.
In stark contrast to this Arab and Islamic inaction—and amid international silence—Yemen stands out with its firm and unwavering support for Gaza, sending a clear message to the world that the Yemeni people will continue supporting Gaza and Palestine regardless of consequences.
In response, the U.S. and the U.K. have launched attacks on Yemen to pressure it into halting its support for Gaza and lifting its blockade on Israeli ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea.
Yemen retaliates by launching hypersonic missiles and strike drones at Tel Aviv (Yafo) and other cities deep within the occupied Palestinian territories in support of Gaza.
Revolutionary leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi consistently affirms Yemen's steadfast position in supporting Gaza and the Palestinian cause.
He warned the Zionist enemy before it resumed its aggression on March 18 that if the ceasefire were violated, Yemen would escalate in response. In a speech on Sunday, January 26, 2025, marking the martyrdom anniversary of the “Martyr of the Qur’an,” Sayyed Hussein Badr al-Din, Sayyed Abdul-Malik declared, “We continue our comprehensive military and all-around movement in support of Palestine, just as we have done effectively for the past 15 months against the Israeli enemy.”
He emphasized that the Yemeni people stood by Gaza in all conditions—through heat, cold, rain, fasting, and under bombardment—unmoved by hostile media campaigns.
Sayyed Abdul-Malik stressed that the Ummah must recalibrate its positions to ensure they are grounded in faith, ethics, values, and divine principles.
He clarified that the American and Israeli agenda operates within frameworks of loyalty and hostility. When the Ummah aligns its stance with them, it becomes complicit. The stance toward enemies, he argued, is not just political or material—it’s rooted in moral, humanitarian, and religious principles.
U.S. President Donald Trump turned his back on promises made during his election campaign to promote global peace, openly declaring his aggressive war on Yemen for its unwavering support for Gaza.
Trump adopted a more hostile tone toward Yemen, stating on Saturday, “We will not tolerate attacks on American vessels. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we achieve our goal.”
On Saturday, March 15, he ordered criminal airstrikes on Yemen to force it to abandon its support for Gaza and lift the maritime blockade imposed by Yemen’s armed forces on Israeli ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea.
The first day of American aggression resulted in at least nine civilian deaths and nine injuries in U.S. airstrikes on Sana’a.
This situation raises urgent questions about the effective role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), comprising 57 Arab and Islamic countries, and the Arab League, which includes 22 member states. What are these institutions doing to stop the Zionist aggression and genocide in Gaza? What actions are expected of them to protect Palestinians, defend their rights in international forums, and pressure the criminal Israeli regime to cease its attacks?
Source: saba.ye
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‘As soon as possible,’ says senior US envoy on timeline for disarming Hezbollah
April 07, 2025
Handout photo provided by Lebanese Presidency on April 5, 2025, shows Lebanon’s President Aoun (R) meeting with Ortagus (2nd-R) and members of her delegation at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. (AFP)
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LONDON: Hezbollah and all militias in Lebanon must be disarmed “as soon as possible,” US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus has told the Lebanese broadcaster LBCI.
Ortagus, who was speaking to LBCI’s Toni Mrad in an interview aired on Sunday, emphasized President Donald Trump’s firm position that only by disarming militant groups could the Lebanese people be “free from foreign influence, free from terrorism, free from the fears that have been so pervasive in society.”
Speaking during her second visit to Lebanon, where she has held “fantastic meetings” with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Ortagus also reiterated Washington’s continued support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, while stressing that disarmament remained a central pillar of any meaningful recovery.
“We, of course, always bring up disarming Hezbollah, but not just Hezbollah, all militias in this country,” Ortagus said.
“President Aoun said clearly in his inaugural speech that he wanted the state to have the monopoly of force, he wanted the state to be the one with the weapons. That is a position that we support,” she added.
When asked to outline a timeline on disarming the Iran-backed group, Ortagus said there was “not necessarily a timetable,” but that it should happen “as soon as possible.”
She continued that the US had been providing aid and assistance, training, funding, and equipment to the LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces) for decades.
“That’s a very important American priority. Now that we’re in this new era — where the LAF is really able, under President Aoun’s leadership, to exert more authority over the state — we want to help them move toward those goals. Those goals are real; they’re clear,” she said.
Ortagus, who served as spokesperson for the State Department during the first Trump administration, said she was “very encouraged” by Lebanon’s new cabinet, describing its ministers as “real patriots” with a clear vision for reforms. This was in stark contrast to what she described as the “depressing” conditions of the past decade.
When asked whether Hezbollah could play a political role in Lebanon if disarmed, Ortagus responded by reframing the question in terms of broader US policy under Trump.
“I don’t come here as a US official representing the Trump administration to make demands: ‘You must do X, you must do Y.’ Rather, I encourage and say: If you want continued partnership with the United States, you have to meet certain goals and criteria,” she said.
“When I came here the first time, it was important to me that Nawaf Salam did not have Hezbollah represented among his ministers, just as important was that there not be corrupt ministers; corruption has eroded society’s confidence.
“If (Lebanon’s leaders) choose to work together and partner with the US government to disarm Hezbollah, to fulfil the cessation of hostilities, to end endemic corruption, we’re going to be a wonderful partner and friend. And there will be more of that to come.
“But if the government and the leaders choose to slow-walk that or not be part of that vision for Lebanon that we share, that’s a choice they can make. But they shouldn’t expect partnership if they’re not achieving these goals,” she added.
Addressing speculation over potential Lebanese normalization with Israel, Ortagus dismissed the issue as premature.
“I didn’t have a single conversation about that topic here in Lebanon. What we’re focused on now is implementing the cessation of hostilities. We’re focused on disarming Hezbollah. We’re focused on economic reforms,” she said. “You have to crawl before you run; we’re still at the crawling stage.”
On Lebanon’s deepening economic crisis, Ortagus said US support would hinge on reforms, echoing positions taken by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
“Lebanon must get off things like the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) gray list. It must move beyond a cash-based economy. It must return to having a sophisticated financial sector, the one Lebanon used to be known for,” she said.
Ortagus revealed she was struck by a billboard in Beirut that read “Make Lebanon Great Again,” saying she took a photo of it to show Trump.
“I loved that sign,” she said. “If you want to make Lebanon great again, you must implement these reforms. It’s tough, but Lebanon is in one of the worst financial conditions I’ve seen in the past 20 or 30 years.”
Calling the situation “devastating,” she warned that radical change was required to avoid collapse. “To rescue yourselves, you’ll need reforms, and some of them radical, to save the country.”
Ortagus also called for an overhaul of the traditional donor-aid approach to post-conflict reconstruction, advocating instead for increased private-sector investment and innovation.
“Our vision for Lebanon is not just as a donor country always asking for donations,” she told Mrad. “How do we think of a better way to rebuild southern Lebanon? We want people to have jobs. We want them to have hope for the future.”
Pointing to the regional devastation in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, she said the world must “look differently at these war-torn regions” and empower their youth to participate in shaping a more prosperous future.
Source: arabnews.com
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India
Delhi HC orders status quo at Nizamuddin’s 14th-century Kalan Masjid as petitioners allege illegal constructions
by Sohini Ghosh
April 7, 2025
The Delhi High Court has directed that the status quo be maintained at Kalan Masjid in Hazrat Nizamuddin, acting on a petition that seeks a court direction to preserve the 14th-century mosque from illegal and unauthorised alterations and constructions.
On April 4, Justice Mini Pushkarna also directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Archaeological Survey of India to carry out a joint inspection of the property and submit a report to the court by the next date of hearing, April 15. The inspection was ordered to be carried out on April 5.
During the hearing, while the MCD said “some construction is being carried out inside the mosque”, the Delhi Waqf Board said that “no unauthorised construction is going on”.
The court directed that “no further construction shall be carried out till the next date of hearing” and that the “status quo shall be maintained as regards any construction within the premises of the mosque”. It also issued notices seeking responses from the MCD, the Delhi lieutenant governor, the ASI’s superintending archaeologist and the Delhi Waqf Board CEO to the contentions being raised in the petition.
Aas Mohammed and Mounuddin Ahmed, residents in the locality, have said in the petition that there are “illegal occupants who are residing” inside the mosque and that “part of its structure has been converted into a residential complex” on the pretext of building a madrasa and toilet blocks. They have further said the mosque was being “used by unauthorised occupants, which is leading to negligence and possible damage to its structure”.
They have said the mosque’s boundary wall has been damaged and that several doors have been installed. The “original condition of the mosque is being changed completely” with its gates encroached on, domes converted into rooms and the outer peripheral space converted into rooms and a multi-storey building, their petition further said.
Kalan Mosque is one of the mosques built by Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, who was the wazir of the Delhi sultanate under Firuz Shah Tughlaq.
The petitioners want the authorities to be directed to remove the encroachment from the mosque and to restore it to its “original condition”. They also seek a court direction to notify the mosque as protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-hc-nizamuddins-kalan-masjid-petitioners-allege-illegal-constructions-9929958/
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32 Muslim Children and Guardian Detained in Bihar Prison Cell Under Allegations of Child Labor Trafficking, Released After Public Outcry
April 8, 2025
In a deeply disturbing incident, 32 Muslim children and their guardian were detained by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Mokama railway station in Bihar on Monday under allegations of child labor trafficking.
The children, who were en route to Jamia Zakariya Madarsa in Surat, Gujarat, to continue their Islamic education, were held for nearly 14 hours before being released due to growing public outcry.
Eyewitnesses and family members report that the children were stopped solely based on their traditional attire—kurta-pajama and skull caps. The RPF officers allegedly mistook them for victims of trafficking, despite the children showing valid student ID cards and madarsa admission certificates. The authorities, however, refused to accept the documents and took the children and their senior guardian into custody.
Qaisar Rehan, a local resident, expressed his frustration: “The kids were simply returning to Surat after celebrating Eid with their families. Even with all the documents in hand, the RPF did not listen to them and forcibly detained them.” A viral video circulating on social media shows the children sitting in custody, visibly frightened and confused. Reports suggest they were not allowed to contact anyone or receive food during their detention. “The children were crying, hungry, and terrified,” a local resident recalled.
When concerned locals attempted to intervene, they were threatened with arrest. Amin, another resident, said, “We were told to leave or we would be taken to Patna. We stood firm and demanded the release of the children.” After hours of negotiation, the detained children and their guardian were finally freed late that night.
This incident has sparked outrage, with many alleging that the children were unfairly targeted due to their Muslim identity. Local communities are now calling for accountability from the RPF for their actions, demanding a proper investigation and justice for the mistreatment. No official statement has been issued by the RPF or the local police at this time. — With Agencies Inputs
Source: muslimmirror.com
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‘Significant demonstration of people’s trust in Constitution within valley,’ says Amit Shah after 3 more groups dissociate from Hurriyat
April 8, 2025
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced Tuesday that the Jammu Kashmir Islamic Political Party, Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Democratic League, and Kashmir Freedom Front cut ties from the separatist group Hurriyat Conference.
Asserting the growing public trust in the Indian Constitution, Amit Shah said, “Three more organizations, namely Jammu Kashmir Islamic Political Party, Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Democratic League, and Kashmir Freedom Front, disassociate themselves from the Hurriyat. This is a significant demonstration of the people’s trust in the Constitution within the valley.”
The home minister added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a united and strong India is further strengthened, as 11 organisations have now rejected separatism and pledged support to the Constitution.
In March, two groups of Hurriyat – J&K People’s Movement and Democratic Political Movement also announced they have distanced themselves from separatism.
Earlier, the Centre banned two other groups, which are constituents of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference for five years for their alleged anti-national activities, “supporting terrorism and fuelling secessionist activities”. The organisations are Awami Action Committee (AAC) headed by Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM) led by Mohammad Abbas Ansari.
In separate notifications, the MHA said the AAC and the JKIM are indulging in unlawful activities that are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country.
Considering all the facts available, the MHA declared both groups outlawed for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, according to the notifications.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/three-groups-dissociate-hurriyat-amit-shah-9931529/
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‘Dangerous Conspiracy’: Jamiat Moves SC Challenging Validity OfWaqf (Amendment) Act, 2025
April 7, 2025
The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which was passed after intense debates in Parliament.
The Act, given assent by President Droupadi Murmu, has sparked controversy, with several petitions seeking its invalidation. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has condemned the law as a “dangerous conspiracy” designed to undermine Muslims’ religious freedom. In its petition, the organization argues that the Act attacks the Constitution’s provisions for equal rights and religious freedom.
The group claims that the law would strip Muslims of their rights and has taken the matter to the Supreme Court, with its state units planning similar challenges in various high courts.
Additionally, the Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, a religious body of Sunni Muslim clerics from Kerala, has filed its own plea, arguing that the Act infringes upon the right of religious denominations to manage their affairs.
Their petition, filed by advocate Zulfiker Ali P S, asserts that the amendments would distort the religious character of Waqfs and negatively affect the democratic process of managing Waqf properties. The plea further contends that the law violates Article 26 of the Constitution, which protects the right of religious communities to manage their own religious affairs.
The 2025 Act has also been criticized for centralizing control over Waqfs, with state governments and State Waqf Boards losing their authority. This shift of power to the Central government, according to the plea, would be detrimental to Waqfs and the Muslim community, particularly regarding the management of Waqf properties.
Several prominent figures, including Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, have filed petitions against the Act. Jawed’s petition claims that the Act imposes arbitrary restrictions on Waqf properties, which undermine the religious autonomy of the Muslim community.
Owaisi’s plea asserts that the Act discriminates against Muslims by reducing protections for Waqfs, while keeping similar protections intact for other religious endowments. He argues that this constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims, violating Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.
Amanatullah Khan has also sought to have the Act declared unconstitutional, arguing that it violates several constitutional provisions, including Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30, and 300-A. The Act, which was passed by Parliament with a majority vote in both Houses, has become a flashpoint for debates on religious autonomy and government control over religious endowments. — With Agencies Inputs
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/dangerous-conspiracy-jamiat-moves-sc-challenging-validity-of-waqf-amendment-act-2025/
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Multiple JD(U) Leaders Resign In Protest Of Party’s Support Of Waqf Amendment Act
Md Asghar Khan
8 April 2025
Janta Dal (United) has witnessed a wave of resignations since the Waqf Amendment bill was passed. As of now dozens of Muslim leaders and workers, who held positions in the JD(U)’s state committee in Bihar have left the party.
However, despite the resignations, JD(U) Leaders remain confident about the support for Nitish Kumar from the Muslim community. Ashraf Ansari, President of JD(U)'s Minority Cell in Bihar told Outlook, “The Muslim community is with Nitish Kumar. Those leaving are district-level leaders, neither well-established nor widely recognised. Their exit will not impact the party, as they have shifted between multiple parties even before.”
JD(U) states that it had proposed five suggestions for the Waqf Bill, all of which were incorporated into the legislation. The party upholds that the bill serves the interests of the Muslim community.
Furthermore, among those declared as “district-level” leaders by Ashraf Ansari are Shahnawaz Malik, Tabrez Siddiqui, and Nadeem Akhtar, who had held secretary and general secretary posts in the JD(U)’s State Minority Committee. On the other hand, the internal conflict within the party is also reflected in the statements of senior JD(U) leaders.
The bill was supported by JD(U) in the Parliament, but Ghulam Gaus, an MLC, from the same party, claimed the Waqf Bill to be “unconstitutional” and demanded Nitish Kumar to intervene. Meanwhile, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Baliyavi, National General Secretary of JD(U) and President of the religious body Idara-e-Shariah has already announced plans to challenge the bill legally.
Whatever the party claims, the impact of JDU's support to the Waqf Bill brought by the Government of India in the Parliament is clearly visible on the party leaders.
Veteran journalist Surur Ahmad says that while the actual damage to JD(U) from supporting the bill will be seen in the future, but the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) appears to be securing an immediate advantage.
He asserts that if the BJP believes the Waqf Bill will help consolidate Hindu votes in Bihar, it is mistaken, instead, the opposite may happen with Muslim votes consolidating towards the RJD alliance.
Surur Ahmad further tells Outlook, “The question is how many seats out of 243 in Bihar the BJP will leave for its allies. Suppose BJP contests 100–110 seats and wins 70–80 at best, but if JD(U), led by Nitish Kumar, fails to retain even 43 seats, the entire game could fall apart.”
According to him, anger among Muslims is being seen especially toward NDA allies who supported the Waqf Bill. This could lead to Muslim votes drifting toward the RJD alliance. In such a political scenario, it is quite possible that the Muslim votes that Nitish Kumar, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Chirag Paswan's party have been getting, will drift towards the RJD alliance, especially in constituencies where RJD lost narrowly in the last election, potentially giving it a significant edge this time.
With the President’s assent, the Waqf Amendment Bill has become a law. The union government claims that it will bring transparency and prevent the alleged misuse and corruption of Waqf properties. However, opposition parties and several Muslim organisations allege that the government is interfering in the religious affairs of the Muslim community.
Bihar is approaching assembly elections later this year. With Muslims holding influence in several constituencies, political parties often organise Iftar parties during Ramadan. The time at which the Waqf Bill was passed, a few months before the Bihar assembly elections indicates significant political shifts in the state.
As soon as NDA allies voted in favour of the bill in the Lok Sabha, multiple Muslim organisations, including Imarat-e-Shariah, appealed for a boycott of their Iftar parties. This triggered political turmoil in Bihar and led to a swing of resignations from Muslim leaders in JD(U).
These organisations had expected that JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar and TDP's Chandrababu Naidu would oppose the bill in Parliament, because of their secular image.
Acting General Secretary of Imarat-e-Shariah, Mohammad Sayyadul Rahman Qasmi, told Outlook, “Nitish Kumar and his party were known for their secular image and viewpoint, which is why Muslim groups were in constant communication with them. We genuinely believed they wouldn’t support the bill. But their stance has deeply disappointed the Muslim community.”
He added that on April 9, Imarat-e-Shariah is going to hold a large meeting with intellectuals and social workers to decide on a strategy against the bill. When asked whether Muslim organisations would appeal to support or oppose any particular party in the upcoming elections, he said such decisions would be made closer to the elections, as it would not be appropriate to decide it now.
Muslims constitute 18 per cent of Bihar’s 130 million population, the third largest group after backward classes (63 per cent) and Dalits (19.5 per cent). In past elections, the Muslim vote was often distributed among secular parties, unintentionally benefiting the BJP. However, the Waqf Bill may now cause Muslim votes to consolidate around one alliance.
Senior journalist Faisal Anurag noted that Jharkhand's recent election results show that Muslims are now voting tactically and in unity. He believes that the Waqf Bill's aftermath is not only impacting Nitish Kumar in Bihar but will also damage the remaining Muslim support for Chandrababu Naidu's TDP in Andhra Pradesh and Jayant Chaudhary's alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
Source: outlookindia.com
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https://www.outlookindia.com/national/multiple-jdu-leaders-resign-in-protest-of-partys-support-of-waqf-amendment-act
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DMK, IUML file petitions in SC challenging Waqf amendments
By Utkarsh Anand
Apr 08, 2025
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have filed separate writ petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, adding to a growing list of legal challenges against the new law that has emerged as a major flashpoint.
The Union government has justified the changes to the central waqf law as necessary to enhance transparency, curb mismanagement and ensure better regulation of waqf properties. But the move has sparked intense debate, with many critics and the Opposition parties arguing that it interferes with the religious autonomy of the Muslim community.
The DMK’s petition, filed through its deputy general secretary and Lok Sabha parliamentarian A Raja, who was also a member of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on the Waqf bill, alleges that the Amendment Act violates the fundamental rights of nearly five million Muslims in Tamil Nadu and 200 million Muslims across India. The petition was settled by senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson. The Tamil Nadu legislative assembly had earlier, on March 27, passed a resolution urging the Union government to withdraw the bill.
The IUML’s petition, filed under Article 32, also assails the legislation on multiple constitutional grounds, citing violations of a bunch of fundamental rights. It calls the 2025 amendment an “unconstitutional assault on the religious autonomy and personal rights of the Muslim community in India.”
The amendment act, which received Presidential assent on April 5, has already drawn legal challenges from a host of political leaders and organisations, including AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MP Mohammed Jawed, Delhi legislator Amanatullah Khan, Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani, Samastha Kerala Jamiatul Ulema, Association for Protection of Civil Rights, among others.
On Tuesday, the petitions were mentioned before Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, who declined to entertain oral requests for urgent listing of the matter, pointing out that the Supreme Court already has a “robust system of listing” in place and that the listing request would be considered in due course.
At the heart of the controversy lies the charge that the amendments impose arbitrary restrictions, enhance state control over religious endowments, and erode long-held religious practices intrinsic to Islamic tradition. The petitioners argue that the act deviates from the spiritual essence of waqf -- a form of Islamic endowment -- by redefining it in terms that dilute its religious identity and autonomy.
The petitioners have contended that the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, is a direct assault on the constitutional and religious rights of the Muslim community in India. According to the petitions, the act imposes conditions that are not rooted in Islamic law, such as requiring individuals to demonstrate that they have practised Islam for at least five years before they can create a waqf, thereby excluding new converts and other individuals and infringing religious autonomy.
Further, the law eliminates long-standing practices such as oral waqfs and waqf by user, undermining centuries-old traditions and faith-based customs, contended the petitioners, raising challenge to the inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf Boards and the Waqf Council on the ground that it interferes with the Muslim community’s right to manage its religious affairs independently.
The IUML has sought an immediate stay on the enforcement of the amendment act to prevent what it calls “immense and irreparable loss” to waqf properties and religious rights pending judicial review. It also urges the court to restore the original protections under the Waqf Act, 1995.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dmk-iuml-file-petitions-in-sc-challenging-waqf-amendments-101744052659803.html
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Azad Samaj president Chandra Shekhar moves top court against Waqf Amendment Act
Apr 7, 2025
Chandra Shekhar Azad, President of the Azad Samaj Party and Member of Parliament, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf Amendment Act.
The Waqf amendment, recently passed by Parliament, introduces significant changes to the management of Waqf properties and charitable endowments under Islamic law. Multiple challenges have been filed against the legislation in the Supreme Court over the past few days, and the top court on Monday agreed to list the petitions.
In his petition, Azad has contended that the amended provisions of the Act violate fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (equality before the law), 15 (prohibition of discrimination by the State based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth), 25 (freedom of religion and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion), 26 (right to manage religious affairs), and 300A (no person can be deprived of their property except by authority of law) of the Constitution.
Representing Uttar Pradesh's Nagina constituency, which has a significant Muslim population, Azad has submitted that the rights of his constituents under Articles 25 and 26 -- relating to freedom of religion and the management of religious affairs -- are being adversely affected. He has further argued that the amended provisions infringe upon the right to equality and protection from discrimination (Articles 14 and 15) and impose a restriction on the right to property under Article 300A.
The petition by the Dalit leader also claims that the amended law alters the foundational structure of Waqf law as laid down in the Waqf Act, 1995, and introduces elements inconsistent with constitutional provisions. It states that the amendments result in excessive executive control and undermine the original representative and community-based structure of the Waqf framework.
According to the petition, the amendment excludes non-Muslims from the ability to create Waqfs, despite the absence of any religious requirement in Islam mandating such a restriction. The plea further states that this change imposes restrictions not only on Muslims but also on other religious communities, allegedly enabling disproportionate state involvement in religious and charitable affairs.
The government argued that the amendments will ensure transparency, with key changes including the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards. The bill also grants the government authority to determine ownership of disputed Waqf properties. Meanwhile, the opposition and several Muslim organisations have opposed the legislation, calling it an attempt to seize properties belonging to the community.
Source: indiatoday.in
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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/chandra-shekhar-azad-waqf-amendment-petition-supreme-court-2705510-2025-04-07
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‘Adversely affects interests of Muslims’: DMK moves Supreme Court against Waqf amendment
by Arun Janardhanan
April 7, 2025
Tamil Nadu’s ruling party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on Monday filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, signalling a serious escalation in the party’s opposition to the central legislation that it says undermines minority rights.
Filed by DMK deputy general secretary and MP A Raja, who also serves on the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Bill, the petition contends that the amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995, infringe upon the fundamental rights of the Muslim community. The petition has been settled by senior advocate P Wilson.
In a statement, the party said the DMK government, under the leadership of Chief Minister M K Stalin, has consistently worked for the socio-economic upliftment of minorities and backward classes. “The DMK Government had passed a resolution dated 27 March, 2025 moved by the Hon’ble Chief Minister in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly urging the Union Government to withdraw the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 as it was unconstitutional and adversely affected the rights and interests of the Muslim minority community,” the statement said.
Despite opposition from members of the JPC and various stakeholders, the amendment was passed by Parliament and notified on April 6. The DMK has claimed that critical objections raised in Parliament were not addressed.
The DMK said the party chose to fight it legally as the immediate implementation of the Act infringes and prejudices the rights of about 50 lakh Muslims in Tamil Nadu and 20 crore Muslims in other parts of the country.
The move follows CM Stalin’s announcement on April 3 in the state Assembly that the DMK would approach the Supreme Court.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/dmk-moves-sc-against-waqf-amendment-affects-muslims-interests-9930290/
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Supreme Court early hearing of waqf pleas: Petitions challenge Act's constitutional validity
R. Balaji
08.04.25
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider the early listing of multiple petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
“I will see the mentioning letter in the afternoon and take a call… we will list it,” Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna told senior advocate Kapil Sibal.
Sibal was appearing for Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, one of the principal petitioners, during the morning mentioning time.
The apex court bench, which also included Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan, asked Sibal why he did not submit a written request for an early hearing.
Sibal told the bench that a letter had already been sent to the registry for the urgent listing of the case.
Other organisations and individuals who have filed petitions challenging the Waqf Act include the Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulama-Kerala, Congress MP Mohammed Jawed, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, DMK MP and party general secretary D. Raja, Uttar Pradesh madrasa head Anjum Qadri and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, through its president Maulana Arshad Madani, challenged the Act as unconstitutional as it sought to include non-Muslims on waqf boards and dilute the powers of the boards.
The petition termed the amendments destructive to the waqf administration and jurisprudence and an effort to redefine the very nature of waqfs as it exists in the country. It sought an immediate stay on the Act until the top court determined the constitutionality of the amendments.
The petition also challenged the omission of the “waqf by user” provision from the definition of waqf. “Waqf by user” refers to a property that is treated as waqf based on its long-term use for religious or charitable purposes, even without
formal documents.
The plea argued that it was an evidentiary tool developed by courts and its removal would deprive a large number of older mosques and graveyards of the benefit of the judicial doctrine that has stood the test of time in Indian waqf jurisprudence and was recognised by the Supreme Court in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid judgment.
It also challenged Sections 3D and 3E added by way of an amendment, which stipulated that monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) would cease to be waqf and prohibited the creation of waqf over properties belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
According to the petitioner, while other religious endowments continue their religious character even after being protected by the ASI, the Muslim structures are being singled out and discriminated against by Section 3D.
The petition also challenges the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Central Wakf Council and the state waqf boards.
The Samastha Kerala Jaimuthul Ulema submitted that there were around 35 amendments introduced to the Waqf Act, 1995, “primarily designed to weaken the state waqf boards and to convert the waqf properties into government properties”.
“These amendments will distort the religious character of waqfs while also irreversibly damaging the democratic process in the administration of waqfs and waqf boards,”
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/supreme-court-early-hearing-of-waqf-pleas-petitions-challenge-acts-constitutional-validity-prnt/cid/2092954
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Waqf gag & garden flak for Omar Abdullah: J&K CM accused of yielding to BJP’s anti-Muslim agenda
Muzaffar Raina
08.04.25
Omar Abdullah’s government faced protests in the Assembly and outside on Monday after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather disallowed a debate on the Centre’s Waqf Act, seen as an anti-Muslim law.
The chief minister later rubbed salt into the critics’ wounds by getting photographed with Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, who had introduced the waqf bill in Parliament, at Srinagar’s famed Tulip Garden.
The Speaker cited technicalities, such as the Act being sub judice, to disallow the adjournment motion that sought the debate. His decision left senior politicians, who included members of the ruling National Conference, seething.
Many wondered how a debate on the Act was denied in a Muslim-majority region when some other states had allowed one.
BJP members welcomed the Speaker’s decision by thumping their desks. The House was adjourned twice amid pandemonium before being adjourned for the day.
National Conference MLAs had moved the motion, which received support from other non-BJP members.
Seeking a debate, National Conference member Tanvir Sadiq stressed that Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim-majority region. The BJP’s Sunil Sharma objected to a debate and accused the rival group of enacting a drama.
Several MLAs tore up papers, angering BJP legislators who tried to stop them.
“The bill is currently sub judice in the Supreme Court. I have received writ petitions. It cannot be debated here,” the Speaker said and referred to Rule 58, Sub-section 7.
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti castigated the government in a post on X.
“Despite securing a strong mandate, the government appears to have completely yielded to the BJP’s anti-Muslim agenda, cynically attempting to appease both sides,”
she wrote.
She underlined how the Tamil Nadu government had “firmly opposed the Waqf Bill”.
“In J&K, the only Muslim-majority region, it’s alarming that a supposedly people-centric government lacks the courage even to debate this critical issue,” Mufti said.
Moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said it was “ridiculous and condemnable” that Tamil Nadu, where Muslims are only 6 per cent of the population, had passed a strong resolution against the Waqf Act in its Assembly, but “Muslim-majority J&K Assembly Speaker is… hiding behind technicalities….”
“The Speaker would know that the strong people’s mandate given to his party was precisely for the reason that the party had promised to safeguard the interests of the people being trampled upon since August 2019 and take a stand for them in critical matters. Why is he capitulating so meekly?” the Mirwaiz said.
Omar faced further backlash after Rijiju shared pictures showing him with a smiling chief minister and his father, Farooq Abdullah, at Tulip Garden.
“A refreshing morning walk amid the vibrant hues of the Tulip Garden in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, with Hon’ble CM Shri @OmarAbdullah ji and also glad to meet Dr Farooq Abdullah sahab. Nature at its finest & conversations filled with warmth & vision, a truly special morning,” Rijiju wrote.
People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone said the “least Muslims of India deserved was that in J and K, the only Muslim-majority province in India, the CM as a mark of protest stays away from Mr Kiren Rijiju, who presented the waqf bill”.
“Instead he tags along Farooq sahib as well. What a shame,” Lone wrote.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/omar-abdullah-government-faces-flak-for-disallowing-debate-on-centres-waqf-act-prnt/cid/2092970
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Gujarat: Muslim group files complaint after questionnaire on UCC circulated in govt school
April 7, 2025
The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) has filed a formal complaint regarding a controversy that emerged in Vadodara, where students from various schools under the city’s Education Committee were allegedly given Uniform Civil Code (UCC) forms by their principals and teachers.
The students were reportedly instructed to have their parents sign these forms and submit them, which sparked concern and led to the MCC lodging a complaint on Saturday with the panel tasked with assessing the UCC’s need in Gujarat.
The complaint centers on a questionnaire, allegedly being circulated in government-run schools, which asks for opinions on contentious aspects of the proposed UCC. The questionnaire, titled “A Questionnaire on Uniform Civil Code – Gujarat,” includes questions on issues such as inheritance rights in live-in relationships, divorce laws, and personal laws based on religious beliefs.
It also invites suggestions and seeks personal details like the respondent’s name, mobile phone number, school name, and the signature of the person filling out the form.
The questionnaire’s questions cover several sensitive topics, including whether the unequal treatment of men and women in religion-based family laws should be abolished, whether divorce and annulments should be compulsory to register, and whether the UCC could be implemented without infringing upon constitutional rights.
Additionally, it asks if women’s rights in live-in relationships should be incorporated into the UCC and what rights children born out of live-in relationships should have, particularly in terms of inheritance and maintenance.
According to reports, students were also allegedly threatened with not being allowed to take exams if they failed to sign and submit the forms. This has raised alarms among various groups, with the MCC arguing that the practice is unethical, misleading, and a violation of the rights of both the students and their families.
Sagirahamed Ansari, a member of the MCC, lodged a complaint with Ranjana Desai, the Chairperson of the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Committee. Ansari described the practice as exploitative, stating that it undermines the integrity of educational institutions by using minors for political purposes. He further urged Desai to investigate the matter and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
He also appealed to the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office, emphasizing that such actions should not be tolerated and schools should remain focused on education, not propaganda.
In response to the controversy, Vadodara’s Education Inspector Shweta Pargi clarified that the municipal corporation-run Akota Primary School had not been directed to distribute or collect any UCC forms. She stated that there were no official instructions to teachers to engage in any activity related to the UCC, even for individuals above the age of 18.
Moreover, retired senior IAS officer C.L. Meena, a member of the Gujarat UCC Committee, confirmed that the UCC committee had made a general appeal for individuals over the age of 18 to submit their opinions. However, she emphasized that no such request had been made for students under the age of 18. Meena added that if the complaint regarding the coercion of schoolchildren was substantiated, they would take appropriate action by issuing directions to district collectors.
The situation continues to be investigated, with both the MCC and the education authorities keen on clarifying the issue and ensuring accountability. The controversy underscores the sensitive nature of the UCC debate and the concerns about the potential misuse of educational institutions for political purposes. — With Agencies Inputs
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/gujarat-muslim-group-files-complaint-after-questionnaire-on-ucc-circulated-in-govt-school/
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Pakistan
Strike observed in many areas of Balochistan on BNP-M call
Saleem Shahid
April 8, 2025
QUETTA: A shutter down strike was observed in different areas of Balochistan on the call of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal against the provincial government on Monday for blocking roads to restrict marchers’ entry to Quetta from Lakpass, and the arrest of BYC leader Dr Mahrang Baloch and other female activists.
The protesters, who had planned a long march from Wadh to Quetta, were holding a sit-in near the Lakpass area for the last 11 days where the authorities had deployed heavy security and closed the tunnel linking Quetta with Kalat and Rakhshan divisions.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal was also warned by the authorities that he along with other protesters would be arrested under Maintenance of Public Order if they entered the limits of Quetta district, where Section 144 had been imposed to ban gatherings.
According to the BNP leaders, a strike was observed in most parts of Balochistan. They also claimed four party workers were injured by police firing in Wadh.
In Quetta, a partial strike was observed by the business community as bazaars, shopping malls, business centres and markets remained opened in the main commercial areas, while jewellery market in Liaquat Bazaar was shut. All shops on Sariab, Brewery Road, Qambrani, Sabzal Road, eastern and western bypass were closed.
Business activities also remained suspended in Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Noshki, Kharan, Sibi, Dera Murad Jamal, Dalbandin, Bela, Uthal, Hub, Turbat, Panjgur and Gwadar.
The Quetta-Karachi and Quetta-Taftan highways remained closed as the party workers staged sit-in at various places. Traffic has been suspended for past one week due to the BNP sit-in near Lakpass.
Meanwhile, the BNP-M senior vice president Sajid Tareen alleged that security forces in a crackdown in Quetta arrested around 70 party workers and put 13 of them in jail under MPO, besides leaving four injured in Wadh.
“Four people belonging to the BNP-M were seriously injured when security forces opened fire on the protesters in Wadh,” Mr Tareen told a press conference in the evening.
Agha Hassan Baloch, Malik Naseer Shahwani, Ghulam Nabi Marri, Musa Baloch and Wahid Baloch accompanied Mr Tareen at the presser.
Mr Tareen said that BNP’s peaceful march was scheduled to reach Quetta on Sunday, but blocked by heavy deployment of forces at Lakpass, and in an ensuing crackdown 70 youth were arrested — two of whom, Saifullah and Usama, were injured. Since the detainees had not been informed of the charges against them or provided MPO orders, he said, legal battle would be fought in court against the authorities.
Referring to Wadh, he claimed that four individuals were critically injured due to direct firing by security forces. FIRs have reportedly been registered against BNP-M workers and leaders in Dera Murad Jamali, Sibi, Noshki, and Qila Saifullah.
He accused the government of suppressing democratic voices instead of listening to them and reiterated that BNP-M would continue its protest until all demands were met. He thanked the political parties, traders, and tribal elders who supported their protest. He claimed that despite four contacts from the National Assembly speaker with the BNP-M president, no resolution has been reached. “We are also unaware of which of our demands the chief minister claims to have accepted,” he added.
In response to a query, he confirmed that NA speaker contacted Sardar Mengal four times, talks yielded no results. “At first, we were told to hold our rally in Shahwani Stadium, but when we insisted on a sit-in protest, they cited security threats and refused permission.”
He labelled the government’s negotiation efforts as mere delaying tactics, saying every meeting ended with empty promises.
Mr Tareen said the government had issued arrest orders for Sardar Akhtar Mengal but said the party would ensure “no reaction” until the arrest. However, “when the public stands with us, how we can prevent their reaction?” he questioned.
He expressed concerns over judicial independence, claiming that “after the 26th Amendment, people feel courts have been restrained.”
Behram Baloch, Abdul Wahid Shahwani and Ali Jan Mangi also contributed to this report
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1902827
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IHC embroiled in fresh row over transfer of blasphemy case
Malik Asad
April 8, 2025
ISLAMABAD: A fresh controversy has emerged within the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over the acting chief justice’s authority to unilaterally transfer cases from single benches to division benches.
The move has reportedly sparked concerns about judicial procedure and administrative transparency.
A division bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, while upholding an order previously issued by Justice Babar Sattar, expressed surprise at the recent transfer of several cases without clear legal justification.
Last month, Justice Sattar questioned the CJ’s authority to administratively reassign cases, emphasising that such decisions fall under the domain of judges and the deputy registrar.
“The chief justice has no authority to determine on the administrative side, whether a Court ought to hear a case,” Justice Sattar stated.
Justice Sattar’s remarks came in wake of a case that he himself had recused from, but the chief justice reassigned the same case to him, leading the former to call the return of the case an “inadvertent mistake”. He stressed that reassignment requests must be routed through the deputy registrar (judicial) to ensure compliance with institutional protocols.
An IHC division bench on Monday expressed surprise to note that a case pertaining to a blasphemy issue was fixed before the division bench instead of its scheduled hearing before a single-member bench.
As per the court record, Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir asked the registrar office to place three petitions related to blasphemy issues before the chief justice.
The chief justice ordered the judicial branch to consolidate all the relevant petitions and appeals and assign the hearing to the division bench-II comprising Justice Kayani and Justice Khan.
During proceedings, Justice Kayani asked: “Under which law can a single bench case be transferred to a division bench?”
Lawyers from all parties endorsed it, stating: “We are all worried about this”.
Justice Kayani further noted that the order to transfer the cases was reportedly issued by the acting chief justice, but added that in doing so reference to any legal provision or administrative committee decision had not been provided.
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan added that the transfer included not just the current case but also 21 related tax matters.
“There is no reference to any specific legal provision in the order of the acting chief justice,” Justice Kayani remarked. “This case has already been heard in detail by a single bench. It is not appropriate to transfer it to another bench without any justification.”
The bench directed the Registrar’s Office to place the cases before the acting chief justice for appropriate reassignment, stressing that the cases must be allocated according to law and rules of the court.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1902829/ihc-embroiled-in-fresh-row-over-transfer-of-blasphemy-case
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Minister defends Mardan action dubbed ‘drone strike’ in NA
Iftikhar A. Khan
April 8, 2025
• Tallal Chaudhry denounces attempts to ‘politicise’ counter-terror operations
• Opposition MNAs demand inquiry, compensation for victims of Katlang incident
• Dar says decision on canals delayed, will only be taken with partners’ input
ISLAMABAD: As the government defended a recent security operation in Mardan’s Katlang area — which led to at least 11 casualties — on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry did not dispute the claim that it was a ‘drone strike’, carried out by Pakistani security forces.
Although Pakistan’s government and military have never officially acknowledged the use of unmanned drones in anti-terror operations, a number of such attacks have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan over the past year.
The minister was responding to opposition criticism of the ‘drone strike’ when he insisted that the people who perished in the attack were militants — an assertion contested by the opposition, which claimed that civilians were slain in the action.
In response to a question, the minister informed lawmakers that the action was part of a broader intelligence-based campaign under the National Action Plan (NAP), adding that the strike was conducted in a remote, mountainous area with no civilian population to avoid collateral damage.
However, Mr Chaudhry did not contradict the opposition’s assertion that it was a drone strike.
As he spoke, the opposition lawmakers heckled him, calling him “a liar” and “ignorant”, which invited the ire of NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. Eventually, opposition lawmakers walked out in protest.
Reading out an official statement issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the minister said the counter-terrorism operation was carried out on March 29 based on credible intelligence.
“The area was being used by terrorists as a hideout and transit point,” he quoted the KP government’s statement as saying. According to the statement, several high-profile militants involved in terrorist activities in the region were neutralised, the minister said.
Mr Chaudhry slammed the politicisation of security operations, saying that national security should not be used for political gain. “It is unfortunate that matters of national interest, like counter-terrorism, are being turned into political controversies. We must rise above such attitudes,” he said.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s counter-terrorism measures, despite “receiving over Rs800 billion” through the NFC Award. “Who is responsible for law and order after the 18th Amendment — the federation or the provinces?” he asked.
He noted that several districts in KP lack functional Counter-Terrorism Departments (CTDs), Safe City projects have not been implemented, and there was not even a forensic lab in the province.
“Even today, terrorism-related cases from KP are being sent to Punjab’s forensic lab, established during Shehbaz Sharif’s tenure,” he said.
The minister also alleged that the KP government had resettled militants who were previously expelled. “Now, they want to politicise the Katlang operation,” he said. The minister also called for a special session on the National Action Plan to review the performance of all provinces.
‘Not allowed to talk’
The issue was raised in the house by PTI lawmaker Saleemur Rehman, who regretted the “first drone attack by security forces on its own unarmed people”.
He lamented that instead of expressing sorrow over the incident, innocent people were branded as terrorists. PTI’s Mujahid Ali called for a judicial inquiry into the drone strike and a compensation package for the victims.
JUI-F leader Misbahuddin alleged reckless drone strikes were being carried out in North Waziristan. He said a matric student wounded during a strike on 26th Ramazan later succumbed to his injuries.
Addressing a press conference later, PTI leaders criticised the speaker, alleging that he did not allow them to talk about terrorism. Those who spoke on the premises of the Parliament House included Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and others. While terming the Katlang incident a national tragedy, Mr Ayub claimed that innocent people were martyred.
Barrister Gohar also criticised the wave of terrorism across the country and said that the party had always condemned terrorism. However, he said Mr Chaudhry was not suitable for the job. He said that the attitude of the government negatively will affect the fight against terrorism.
Canals controversy
During the session, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also attempted to placate Sindh’s concerns on the controversial canal project, saying any decision in this regard would be taken with the PPP’s input.
Mr Dar said the project was proposed in July but had been delayed at Sindh’s request for a thorough review. “I urged my colleagues not to make any decisions without full consultation. We are partners, not dictators, and we cannot impose decisions on such sensitive matters,” he said.
Mr Dar said that while the project was discussed again by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), it had not been approved as the government awaited consent from all stakeholders.
Earlier, senior PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf emphasised the need to urgently resolve water distribution issues. PPP MNA Shazia Marri also expressed concern over the water crisis, calling it a national issue that required serious dialogue.
PPP MNA from Shikarpur Shaharyar Khan Mahar questioned the logic of starting such a controversial project at a time when there was unrest in two provinces — Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He refuted the claim of Mr Dar that only a few people were raising objections to the project, stating that the entire province and even its government were protesting. He said they were not satisfied with the deputy PM’s response on the matter.
Net metering policy
Another highlight of the day’s proceedings was the criticism by PPP lawmakers regarding the net metering policy.
PPP’s Sharmila Faruqui, during the question hour, grilled the government over the “U-turn” on the net metering policy and disincentivising consumers using solar energy by a 63pc decrease in the buyback rate of electricity.
On one hand, the government claims to be committed to a clean energy transition, and on the other, it is discouraging the use of solar energy, she said.
The PPP lawmaker said over a quarter million consumers contribute 4,124 MW of electricity to the national grid, asking: “How does the government justify this reversal?”
Source: dawn.com
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Imran, Bushra approach court for better facilities in jail
April 8, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have filed separate court applications for better facilities in the prison.
Mr Khan’s legal team, comprising advocates Zaheer Abbas, Chaudhry Usman Riaz Gill and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, filed the application before the special judge Central, Islamabad.
Mr Khan, 73, requested the court to direct prison authorities to allow him weekly audio/video calls with his sons, Qasim and Suleman Khan, who reside in the UK.
He cited the Punjab Prison Rules, which entitled inmates to weekly communication with family.
Mr Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023, alleged that jail officials have repeatedly ignored court orders (dated November 8, 2024, and January 10, 2025) mandating telephone contact with his sons.
The prison has a government-installed Public Call Office (PCO) system allowing inmates 20-minute weekly calls, yet Mr Khan pleaded he was denied even Eid 2025 calls.
This was a violation of Mr Khan’s fundamental rights and constituted discrimination, the petition said, adding that other inmates reportedly access the facility regularly.
In a parallel petition filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Mr Khan’s wife challenged the prison department’s refusal to classify her under the ‘Better Class’ category as per Prison Rules 1978.
Ms Bushra noted that her husband had already been granted the status, which entitled prisoners to enhanced amenities based on social standing.
Ms Bushra, convicted in an accountability case related to 190mn corruption and jailed since January 17, 2025, claimed her repeated applications to the jail superintendent were ignored.
The petition, filed under Article 199 of the Constitution, accused the authorities of “colourable exercise of power” and demanded compliance with prison regulations.
A third application focused on Mr Khan’s health. The former PM, who has a history of medical issues, has sought regular check-ups by his personal doctors Dr Asim Yousaf, Dr Samina Niazi, and Dr Muhammad Aasim Yusuf (substituted for Dr Faisal Sultan, who is abroad).
The plea referred to an IHC order dated October 23, 2024, directing the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) to form a medical board including private doctors.
Mr Khan’s lawyers argued that irregular health examinations would jeopardise their client’s health, which would be a violation of constitutional rights under Article 9 (right to life).
Source: dawn.com
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Lahore Police book singer Salman Ahmad under Peca law
Imran Gabol
April 7, 2025
The Lahore Police have booked musician and former PTI member Salman Ahmad under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (Peca) for allegedly sharing content against state institutions and figures online, it emerged on Monday.
A first information report (FIR) was registered at Lahore’s Defence A Police Station on April 4 on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Ikram Hussain under Sections 11 (hate speech) and 20 (offences against dignity of a natural person) of Peca and Sections 500 (punishment for defamation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505-1(C) (statement conducing to public mischief with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The FIR said some “malicious” elements had been using social media to “spread false and defamatory information” about government figures and institutions.
“This false campaign is often based on fabricated news and baseless allegations … to mislead the public and create distrust against respected and important institutions and individuals,” the FIR said.
Hussain said that he was informed about a post on X by the singer, which the sub-inspector alleged aimed to “incite against national institutions and personalities”.
Ahmad “made a provocative and hateful post on Twitter (now known as X). The profile has about 265.4K followers, to whom this hateful post is being spread,” Hussain wrote, adding that “the minds of his viewers/followers are being turned against national and government institutions and figures.”
The PTI terminated the musician’s party membership for running a campaign against “the family of Imran Khan” in December 2024. Ahmad had posted on X to criticise party founder Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi for her political activities during the November 26 protests, sparking criticism from party supporters.
Peca, since its introduction in 2016, has been widely criticised as a “black law” created mainly to punish dissent. In the eight years since its enactment, it has been used extensively against politicians, journalists, rights activists, and even ordinary political workers.
The National Assembly in January passed a controversial amendment bill to the country’s cybercrime laws amid a walkout by PTI lawmakers and journalists from the proceedings.
Earlier this year, the administrator of a WhatsApp group in Punjab’s Pakpattan was arrested for allegedly violating Peca by permitting an insulting post targeting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to be shared in the group.
Source: dawn.com
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LHC summons AGP again for assistance in case over implementation of Anti-Rape Act
Rana Bilal
April 7, 2025
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday again summoned Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan on April 14 for assistance in a case pertaining to the implementation of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021.
The Anti-Rape Act 2021 seeked to establish special courts and use of modern devices during the investigation and trial of rape cases. A special committee had been formed that year to oversee the implementation of the Act and reach out to any federal or provincial ministry, division office, agency or authority for effectual compliance.
Today’s proceedings were heard by a three-member bench headed by LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum. Justice Farooq Haider and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa were the other members of the bench.
Additional Attorney General (AAG) Mirza Nasr Ahmed, Punjab Prosecutor General Syed Farhad Ali Shah and Advocate General of Punjab Amjad Parvez appeared before the bench.
In the previous hearing of the case, Justice Neelum deplored that no effective measures had been taken to keep the victims’ identity confidential in sexual assault cases and stressed that protecting them was of utmost importance.
She had observed that the preservation of evidence was crucial, and video/audio recordings and other evidence must be legally secured under the Qanun-i-Shahadat (the law of evidence).
The bench also heard a petition of suspect Salman Tahir, who was booked in a case over allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and had pleaded that a doctor had issued a bogus and illegal medical certificate.
He contended that the victim’s medical examination, including a two-finger test that was banned in 2021, was not conducted under the Anti-Rape Act.
The petitioner requested the court to approve his bail application.
Hearing
At the outset of the hearing, Justice Neelum asked, “Has the AGP come to the court today?”
“The AGP is busy in the Supreme Court,” AAG Ahmed responded.
“The previous hearing was also postponed because of the AGP,” Chief Justice Neelum remarked.
Justice Haider observed, “This is a serious matter; they should have informed that they are busy in the Supreme Court. We come having read the case [as] this is a very important matter.”
“We are not satisfied with your answer,” Justice Haider told AAG Ahmed.
At this point, Justice Bajwa stated that if the AGP had prior engagements in the SC, he should have submitted a written request for adjourning the hearing.
“This means that every institution of the federation is working according to its own will,” Justice Neelum remarked.
“We had ordered that the AGP should appear for assistance,” Justice Haider said.
“At the ground level, it is not the federation’s responsibility but the provinces’ to implement this act,” AAG Ahmed contended.
“The national media does not raise this issue much; the international media has raised it more,” Justice Neelum noted, adding: “If there had been no international pressure, would this legislation have been enacted?”
Subsequently, the bench summoned the AGP again on April 14 for assisting the court.
Source: dawn.com
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JI Emir announces nationwide public mobilisation drive against Israeli aggression
April 07, 2025
LAHORE - Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has announced the launch of a nationwide public mobilisation campaign in support of Palestinians, particularly in light of the ongoing Israeli military brutality in Gaza since Eid. The movement will include protest demonstrations, rallies, and marches toward US embassies and consulates across major and smaller cities. Addressing a press conference at Mansoora on Sunday, Rehman stated that Jamaat-e-Islami is temporarily suspending its “Haq Do Awam Ko” campaign and redirecting its efforts entirely toward mobilizing the Pakistani public for Gaza. The campaign begins immediately, with major protests planned across the country. A protest and march toward the US Consulate in Lahore is scheduled for April 11, a mass rally on Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Faisal will be held on April 13, and a march toward the US Embassy in Islamabad is set for April 20. Rehman appealed to the public to participate in these protests in large numbers to send a clear message to the world and especially to Pakistan’s rulers—that the Pakistani nation is not for sale and that their bond with the Palestinians is rooted in faith. He further stated that Jamaat-e-Islami is in contact with Islamic organizations worldwide to observe a global “Day of Strike” for Gaza. Rehman urged the Pakistani Government to send a parliamentary delegation to meet leaders in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Qatar, and other Islamic nations, and to march toward Gaza to break the siege.”Pakistan must assume a leading role on the Palestine issue,” he stressed. “Tragically, neither the government nor opposition parties have condemned the United States or Israel. All are focused on appeasing Trump. Silence in the face of ongoing atrocities in Gaza is sheer hypocrisy.”Rehman dismissed economic excuses for inaction, saying long-entrenched rulers themselves weakened the economy. He warned Arab nations not to assume that their silence will save them, saying, “After Gaza, it will be their turn.”
He condemned the inaction of the Islamic world, which despite having armies, weapons, and resources, remains passive. “A satanic alliance of Trump, Netanyahu, and Modi is targeting Muslims everywhere,” he said, adding that the West’s mask of human rights has fallen. He said the US, UK, and EU are backing Israeli terrorism. Calling on religious scholars including Mufti Taqi Usmani and Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman, he urged them to issue a joint fatwa under the “Ittehad al-Ulama al-Islami”declaring it a religious duty to resist Israeli oppression. Rehman also revealed that he had contacted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding Gaza and would continue to engage with both government and opposition leaders to forge national consensus on the Palestine issue. “The nation can only unite on the basis ofIslam,” he emphasized. He appealed to PresidentAsif Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Army Chief General Asim Munirto take meaningful steps in support of Palestine. He also prayed for the swift recovery of President Zardari.Lamenting the situation inGaza during Eid, he said that while Muslims worldwide were celebrating, Israeliforces were bombing Palestinian children, who had no choice but to play atop rubble.
“The massacre continues with 50 to 100 deaths daily. Women,children, UN workers, doctors, paramedics, and journalists are all being targeted while the world remains disturbingly silent.”He called on people in KPand northern Punjab to participate in large numbers in the Islamabad march and urged the people of Lahore and Karachi to also turn out in full strength. Heappealed to journalists to engage with international media organizations to expose the humanitarian crisis.Rehman warned that those maligning Hamas in the current situation are acting as tools of Zionist andAmerican agendas. He demanded that any Pakistani who has visited Israel be arrested and questioned over who authorized their visit. He called on the government to issue a clarification on the matter.
Source: nation.com.pk
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Mideast
Islamic Jihad: Enemy Targeting Journalists' Tent War Crime
07 Apr 2025
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine said on Monday that the Zionist enemy's targeting of the journalists' tent in Khan Yunis constitutes a full-fledged war crime and a flagrant violation of all international conventions protecting journalists and civilians during conflicts.
In its statement, the Islamic Jihad Movement explained, "The heinous crime committed by the enemy army against journalists in the Gaza Strip by targeting a tent designated for media outlets resulted in the deaths and injuries of a number of people, including a journalist who was documented burning alive as a result of the barbaric shelling using heavy, internationally prohibited bombs.
Source: saba.ye
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Iraq’s Election Law in doubt: Sunni bloc pushes back
2025-04-08
Shafaq News/ Proposed changes to Iraq’s election law are unlikely to advance due to constitutional restrictions and political opposition, a senior official from the Unified Sunni Leadership Coalition said on Monday.
The amendments, aimed at revising the voting framework ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October, have not been formally introduced in Parliament and face multiple procedural hurdles, including difficulty in reaching quorum and a lack of cross-party consensus.
“There is near-total political and parliamentary agreement against revising the law,” the official told Shafaq News, pointing to concerns over financial implications and legal constraints.
He also considered the proposal would contradict Federal Supreme Court Decision No. 21 of 2015, which bars parliament from initiating legislation with financial impact unless it originates from the executive branch.
Iraq’s existing election law, enacted in 2019 after nationwide anti-government protests, introduced a single non-transferable vote system in multi-member districts, replacing the previous closed-list model. The shift was intended to weaken the influence of entrenched parties and open space for independent candidates.
Several independent lawmakers have floated amendment proposals to this law in recent weeks, but none have been submitted as formal legislation. “Much of the discussion is political noise,” the official emphasized.
Critics of the current amendment push say it would reverse those reforms and favor larger political blocs. “Some political forces try to adjust the rules ahead of every election to serve their own interests,” he spointed out, adding that certain proposals are also seen as efforts to "undermine" the current government.
Source: shafaq.com
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https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq/Iraq-s-Election-Law-in-doubt-Sunni-bloc-pushes-back
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Israel army locks all Ibrahimi Mosque's doors
07 Apr 2025
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs announced that Israeli authorities have placed locks on all doors of the Ibrahimi Mosque.
The door of the tomb of Joseph, peace be upon him, the door of the "incense burner" room, the door of the call to prayer room, and the door of the custodians' room in the occupied section.
The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) quoted the ministry as saying in a statement issued on Monday that the enemy's actions constitute a dangerous step aimed at clearly undermining the ministry's sovereignty over the Ibrahimi Mosque, its corridors, courtyards, rooms, and internal and external doors.
The statement added that this matter requires a serious stance from the international community, holding this unjust occupation accountable for its responsibility to protect religious sites, refrain from attacking them, and refrain from attempting to control and steal them, especially in light of its attacks that aim, gradually and systematically, to transform the mosque into a synagogue where Jewish Talmudic prayers are performed.
Sheikh Moataz Abu Sneineh, director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, emphasized that the keys to all the shrines and corridors in the mosque belong to the Islamic Waqf, which has sovereignty and legal jurisdiction over them. This constitutes a blatant and dangerous attack on the sanctity of these places, which may not be violated by any right or in any way.
The Palestinian Endowments called on the people of Hebron to confront these attacks with steadfastness and perseverance within the sanctuary by performing prayers and various religious activities.
Source: saba.ye
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Crushing response awaits any foolish move from enemies
Apr 7, 2025
Speaking in an interview regarding the military threats of the United States and the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Brigadier General Pourdastan said that the US's threat against Islamic Iran is nothing new.
These threats have existed since the victory of the glorious Islamic Revolution, he said, adding that Iran is not afraid of empty threats of the enemy at all.
Iran’s Army Force is fully prepared to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country with utmost power and strength, the Iranian general emphasized.
“We monitor all threats in the region and beyond the region meticulously,” he said, adding that the United States knows very well that if they try to attack, they will receive a much heavier and more regrettable blow.
Source: mehrnews.com
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An Israeli strike hit near a charity kitchen in Gaza as Palestinians gathered for food
April 08, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: An Israeli strike on Monday hit next to a charity kitchen where Palestinians crowded to receive cooked meals as food supplies dwindle under Israel’s month-long blockade of the Gaza Strip, one of a string of attacks in the territory that killed more than 30 people, mostly women and children, hospital officials said.
Another strike hit a media tent outside a hospital, killing two people, including a local reporter, and wounding six other journalists, medics said. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a man whom it identified as a Hamas militant posing as a journalist.
Video footage showed people carrying the body of a little girl, her face covered with blood, from the blast that witnesses said hit a tent next to the charity kitchen outside the southern city of Khan Younis. Six other people were killed, including two women, and at least 10 people were wounded, hospital officials said.
The strike hit around noon as the kitchen was distributing meals to displaced people living in tent camps. Samah Abu Jamie said her nephew was among those killed and her young daughter was wounded as they waited with their pots to collect meals for their families.
“They were going to get food. I told her, ‘Daughter, don’t go’,” she said. “These were children, and they had nothing with them but a pot. Is a pot a weapon?”
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.
‘Bombed and starved again’
Charity kitchens have been drawing bigger crowds of Palestinians because other sources of food are running out. More than a month ago, Israeli cut off all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies for Gaza’s population of more than 2 million people, forcing aid groups to ration their stocks.
The World Food Program has warned that its supplies to keep kitchens going could be depleted by next week. It had to stop distributing boxes of food staples directly to families last week, spokesperson Abeer Etefa said Monday. The bakeries it ran have also shut down for lack of flour, ending a main source of bread for hundreds of thousands of people.
Since it ended its ceasefire with Hamas last month, Israel has carried out bombardments across Gaza, killing hundreds of people, and ground forces have carved out new military zones. Israel says it is pressuring Hamas to free its remaining hostages, disarm and leave the territory. Under the ceasefire deal, it had agreed to negotiate for the hostages’ release.
The heads of six UN agencies operating in Gaza said in a joint statement Monday that the blockade has left Gaza’s population “trapped, bombed and starved again.” They said Israeli claims that enough supplies entered during the ceasefire “are far from the reality on the ground, and commodities are running extremely low.”
“We are witnessing acts of war in Gaza that show an utter disregard for human life,” they said. “Protect civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire.”
Strikes hit journalists and homes
The strike outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis about 2 a.m. set the media tent ablaze, killing Yousef Al-Faqawi, a reporter for the Palestine Today news website, and another man, according to hospital officials.
The military said the strike targeted Hassan Eslaiah, claiming he was a Hamas militant who took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the war. Eslaiah was among six journalists who were wounded in the strike, according to the hospital.
Eslaiah had occasionally contributed images to The Associated Press and other international media outlets as a freelance journalist, including on Oct. 7. The AP has not worked with him for over a year.
A strike that hit a street in Gaza City killed an emergency room doctor, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 1,000 health workers and at least 173 journalists, according to the UN and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Hospitals in Khan Younis and the central town of Deir Al-Balah said they received the bodies of 33 people, 19 of them women and children, from strikes overnight and into the day on Monday, including those from the kitchen and the media tent attack.
Some of the strike reduced houses to rubble. Imad Maghari said the blast that hit his neighbors in Deir Al-Balah at 2 a.m. was like “an earthquake,” followed by the screams of women and children. He said one neighbor lost five family members and another a young boy.
“I don’t know what danger he poses. He’s 7 years old,” Maghari said.
Israel’s military offensive in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry, whose count does not distinguish between militants and civilians. The offensive has destroyed vast areas of the Gaza Strip and displaced around 90 percent of its population.
Israel says it tries to avoid civilian casualties and blames Hamas for their deaths because it operates among the population.
In the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people. They are still holding 59 captives — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.
Protests in Israel as Netanyahu meets Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday to discuss Gaza and other issues.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem to call for an agreement to release the captives. Many fear that Netanyahu’s decision to resume the fighting has put the remaining hostages in grave danger and hope Trump can help broker another deal.
“Now the moment of truth has come,” said Varda Ben Baruch, grandmother of Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander, addressing Netanyahu. “You are in the United States and you have to sit there with President Trump and close a deal so that everyone will be released home.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Trump announces direct Iran nuclear talks during meeting with Netanyahu
April 07, 2025
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said the United States would start direct, high-level talks with Iran over its nuclear program on Saturday, in a shock announcement during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday after a meeting that was meant to focus on Israel’s bid to avoid US tariffs.
“Maybe a deal’s going to be made, that would be great. We are meeting very importantly on Saturday, at almost the highest level,” he said.
Trump’s stunning announcement came a day after Iran dismissed direct negotiations on a new deal to curb the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, calling the idea pointless.
The US president pulled out of the last deal in 2018 during his first presidency and there has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might attack Iranian facilities if no new agreement is reached.
Trump said “everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious — and the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with, or frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with, if they can avoid it.”
The surprise announcement came as Netanyahu became the first foreign leader to personally plead for a reprieve from stinging US tariffs that have shaken the world.
The Israeli premier pledged that he would “eliminate” the trade deficit between the two countries and also knock down trade “barriers.” His country moved to lift its last remaining tariffs on US imports ahead of the meeting.
Netanyahu said he felt Israel could serve “as a model for many countries” when it came to negotiating on tariffs.
Netanyahu and Trump also discussed Gaza, where a short-lived, US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas has collapsed.
Netanyahu said that new negotiations were in the works aimed at getting more hostages released from war-torn Gaza.
“We’re working now on another deal that we hope will succeed, and we’re committed to getting all the hostages out,” Netanyahu said in the Oval Office.
Trump also doubled down on his plan for the US to “control” the Gaza strip — which he described as a “great piece of real estate” — which he initially announced when Netanyahu last visited him in February.
Earlier, Trump greeted Netanyahu outside the West Wing and pumped his fist, before the two leaders — both wearing dark suits, red ties and white shirts — went inside for a meeting in the Oval Office.
A planned press conference between the two leaders was canceled at short notice without explanation in an unusual move but they spoke to a smaller group of pool reporters at length in the Oval Office.
The Israeli premier’s visit is his second to Trump since the US president returned to power and comes at short notice — just days after Trump slapped a 17 percent tariff on Israel in his “Liberation Day” announcement last week.
Trump refused to exempt the top beneficiary of US military aid from his global tariff salvo as he said Washington had a significant trade deficit with Israel.
Netanyahu met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Sunday night soon after his arrival, according to his office.
The Israeli premier also met Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday.
Source: arabnews.com
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King Abdullah of Jordan discusses Gaza during summit with Egyptian, French presidents in Cairo
April 07, 2025
LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan emphasized the need to halt the Israeli offensive in Gaza during a summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Cairo.
The leaders on Monday urged the international community to advocate for an end to the Israeli war in Gaza, restore the ceasefire agreement, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian coastal enclave.
King Abdullah said that Israeli attacks on Gaza undermine all diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to resolve the crisis and risk dragging the entire Middle East into chaos, the Petra news agency reported.
He stressed the need for a political solution based on the two-state vision, which would ensure security and stability for both Palestinians and Israelis.
King Abdullah said that Jordan opposes the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, warning against Israeli unilateral actions and assaults on Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, the Petra added.
The Jordanian ruler and El-Sisi welcomed France’s support for resolving the Palestinian issue. They highlighted the need for international cooperation, especially from EU countries, including France, to aid in Gaza’s reconstruction.
After arriving in Cairo on Sunday, Macron will travel to Al-Arish, 50 kilometers from the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday to meet with humanitarian and security authorities, and push for a ceasefire. On Monday, he expressed strong opposition to any displacement or annexation in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
King Abdullah, El-Sisi, and Macron highlighted the need for a political solution to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, aiming for lasting peace, the Petra reported.
The Jordanian delegation included the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, Ayman Safadi; Director of the King’s Office, Alaa Batayneh, and the Ambassador to Cairo, Amjad Al-Adaileh.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2596210/middle-east
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Dutch tighten controls on military and dual use exports to Israel
April 07, 2025
AMSTERDAM: The Dutch government said on Monday it had tightened export controls for all military and ‘dual use’ goods destined for Israel.
All direct exports and the transit of these goods to Israel will be checked to see if they comply with European regulations, and will no longer be covered by general export licenses, the government said in a letter to parliament.
“This is desirable considering the security situation in Israel, the Palestinian territories and the wider region,” foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp and trade minister Reinette Klever wrote.
“Exporters will still be able to request permits, that will then be checked against European regulations.”
The government said no military goods for Israel had been exported from the Netherlands under a general permit since Israel started its war in Gaza following the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
It said that the general license for the export of “low risk information security goods,” such as routers for network security, was frequently used for export to Israel.
It estimated that between 50 and 100 permits for the export of those goods would now have to be requested on an individual basis.
A Dutch court last year ordered the government to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used to violate international law during the war in Gaza. Israel denies violating international law.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2596182/middle-east
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Dossier accuses British serving in Israeli military of war crimes in Gaza
April 07, 2025
LONDON: A group of UK citizens who served with the Israeli military in Gaza will be the subject of a war crimes complaint handed to the Metropolitan Police, The Guardian reported on Monday.
A 240-page dossier compiled by a group of lawyers based in The Hague documents the activities of 10 Brits in Gaza, with complaints against them including alleged targeting of civilians and aid workers, coordinated attacks on hospitals and protected sites, and the forced displacement of people.
The dossier, which covers the period from October 2023 to May 2024 and took six months to compile, will be handed to the Met’s war crimes unit.
The complaint against the 10 Brits, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be brought on behalf of the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the UK-based Public Interest Law Centre.
The dossier includes eyewitness testimony from civilians in Gaza. One passage features evidence from a witness who recalled an attack on a hospital, including seeing corpses “scattered on the ground, especially in the middle of the hospital courtyard, where many dead bodies were buried in a mass grave.”
The account added that a bulldozer being used to demolish part of the hospital “ran over a dead body in a horrific and heart-wrenching scene desecrating the dead.”
Raji Sourani, director of the PCHR, said: “This is illegal, this is inhuman and enough is enough. The government cannot say we didn’t know; we are providing them with all the evidence.”
PILC legal director Paul Heron said: “We’re filing our report to make clear these war crimes are not in our name.”
The 2001 International Criminal Court Act says it “is an offence against the law of England and Wales for a person to commit genocide, a crime against humanity, or a war crime.”
Michael Mansfield KC, the lawyer leading the group, said: “If one of our nationals is committing an offence, we ought to be doing something about it. Even if we can’t stop the government of foreign countries behaving badly, we can at least stop our nationals from behaving badly.
“British nationals are under a legal obligation not to collude with crimes committed in Palestine. No one is above the law.”
Sean Summerfield, a barrister who also worked on the dossier, said: “The public will be shocked, I would have thought, to hear that there’s credible evidence that Brits have been directly involved in committing some of those atrocities.”
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2596174/middle-east
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North America
Goodyear veteran accused of threatening to bomb West Valley Islamic Center
Apr. 8, 2025
By Mickaela Castillo
AVONDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — A veteran from Goodyear was arrested after investigators said he threatened to bomb an Islamic center in Avondale.
On March 24, Avondale police were called to the West Valley Islamic Center after receiving a welfare call about 37-year-old Iraq war veteran Michael Hanson.
According to court documents, Hanson told officers that he was watching the film “American Sniper” and then searched for the nearest Muslim place of worship. Officers stated Hanson was slurring his words and smelled alcohol on his breath.
Hanson then called for a Lyft and while waiting, the documents state he told officers he was going to “bomb that place” and that he wanted to “show force.”
About 30 minutes after leaving, police said Hanson came back and was hiding behind a dumpster in the Islamic center’s parking lot. During this time, he was also seen heckling worshippers and calling them derogatory names.
Police arrested Hanson and booked him into jail on one felony count for making and communicating a terrorism threat and one misdemeanor for disorderly conduct.
This event comes just days after a Phoenix man was convicted of hoax bombs in bathrooms at several churches in three states, including Arizona. “It’s incomprehensible to me,” said Usama Shami, the president of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix.
Shami said that mosques and places of religion have been a target in recent years, including his own. “We had threats a few months ago that we ended up calling the FBI about it,” Shami said.
Just last year, the mosque had at least four instances of threats. The center said it is now guarding its glass windows and doors because people were throwing rocks through them. “It is ongoing. We’ve had a lot of demonstrations in front of our center with people with arms, and it just doesn’t make any sense,” Shami said.
The Council of American-Islamic Relations reported a rise in hate crimes, totaling 607 reported incidents in 2023. “This is troubling because we should worship freely,” Shami said.
Source: azfamily.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.azfamily.com/2025/04/08/goodyear-veteran-accused-threatening-bomb-west-valley-islamic-center/
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CAIR-DFW, Muslim, Jewish, Christian Faith Leaders to Condemn Attacks on Muslim Community Development in N. Texas
April 7, 2025
On Tuesday April 8, the Dallas, Texas, office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, plans to join North Texas religious leaders in the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities to condemn recent and ongoing attacks against Muslim community developments in North Texas.
WHEN: Tuesday April 8, at 7:30 am central time [NOTE: press conference is being held at this time to accommodate clergy who cannot attend later in the day due to teaching obligations]
WHERE: Wyndham DFW Airport Hotel, 4440 Airport Freeway, Irving, TX
CONTACT: CAIR-TX, DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, (832)-549-1042, mcarroll@cair.com
Muslim, Jewish, and Christian North Texas community leaders want to speak in unison to condemn the recent and ongoing attacks against the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) the Islamic Center of Aubrey, and the Princeton Islamic Center (Blue Ridge).
The interfaith groups say these attacks against East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), Princeton Islamic Center in Blue Ridge, and the Islamic Center of Aubrey contain some of the most insidious lies and slander against Islam and Muslims imaginable. Moreover, they pose a serious physical threat to the lives and safety of Muslim children, families, and communities in schools, homes, and public spaces throughout North Texas and statewide.
In a statement, CAIR-TX, DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll said:
“We’ve seen an unprecedented increase in civil rights complaints and Islamophobic attacks against Muslims. Unfortunately, it has become common to seek to deny Muslims their civil rights, whether at school, at work, or in the public square.”
“Texas Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, rather than deescalating the situation, have chosen instead to add fuel to the fire by disseminating hateful misinformation about their Muslim constituents and Islam. Instead of acting like true public servants and leaders, they have chosen to abuse their power by launching groundless ‘investigations’ against EPIC, blocking funerals, intimidating children and families, and violating their rights to constitutionally protected religious expression.
“As North Texan Muslim, Jewish, and Christian community leaders committed to truth, safety, and our constitutionally protected freedom of religion, we stand united in solidarity and love for our neighborhood masjids under attack. Any attack on them is an attack on all of us. In troubled times like these, the voices of interfaith community leaders play an essential role in turning today’s hateful minds into tomorrow’s loving neighbors.”
Last month, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
The mission of CAIR-Texas is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-dfw-muslim-jewish-christian-faith-leaders-to-condemn-attacks-on-muslim-community-development-in-n-texas/
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100+ Floridians, 10 Groups – Including CAIR-Florida – to Hold Muslim Day at the Capitol
April 7, 2025
Event focused on free speech, public safety, criminal justice reform, and Muslim American heritage
On April 8, the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida (CAIR-Florida), the state’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, will join more than 100 Floridians and 10 organizations – including CAIR-Florida – in the 2025 Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC) event.
Participants began arriving in Tallahassee on April 7 and will hold meetings with Florida senators and representatives on Tuesday, April 8. The delegation will address key policy priorities including the protection of free speech, public and school safety, criminal justice reform, and the recognition of Muslim American heritage.
The 2025 MDAC brings together a coalition of Muslim organizations, institutions, mosques, schools, community centers, immigrant advocacy groups, professionals, and individuals committed to civic engagement.
“This year’s agenda includes critical issues that affect not only Muslim Americans but all Floridians,” said Mari Marks, policy manager at CAIR-Florida. “Muslim constituents from across the state are gathering to make their voices heard. Now more than ever, we are standing and speaking up for equal treatment under the law, the protection of our First Amendment rights, and accountability for discriminatory practices.”
Opportunities for Media and Elected Officials:
Tuesday, April 8, 12 – 1 p.m. – Walking interviews with groups as they meet with their legislators
Tuesday, April 8, 1 p.m. – Press conference at the Capitol Rotunda, Tallahassee
CAIR-Florida is dedicated to enhancing understanding of Islam, protecting civil rights, promoting justice, and empowering American Muslims.
En español: La misión de CAIR-Florida es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Media Contact:
Rema Alahmad, Content and Outreach Coordinator, ralahmad@cair.com, 925-202-9905
Mari Marks, Policy Manager, mmarks@cair.com, 913-705-5432
Hiba Rahim, Deputy Executive Director, hrahim@cair.com, 813-705-5440
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/100-floridians-10-groups-including-cair-florida-to-hold-muslim-day-at-the-capitol/
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US in direct nuclear talks with Iran, Trump says
April 8, 2025
The US and Iran will hold "direct talks" over a possible nuclear deal on Saturday, says Donald Trump.
The meeting has also been confirmed by Iran's foreign minister who said the talks would be "indirect" but could be "as much an opportunity as it is a test".
The US president on Monday said discussions between Washington and Tehran would be at "very high level" and warned it would be a "very bad day for Iran" if no agreement was reached.
Last month, Trump raised the prospect of military action against Iran after its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly rejected the offer of direct talks.
Trump disclosed the talks after a White House meeting with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, who has also previously raised the prospect of attacking Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said: "We have a very big meeting on Saturday [with Iran], and we're dealing with them directly... And maybe a deal is going to be made, that would be great."
Trump later said Iran would be in "great danger" if the talks were not successful, adding: "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if the talks aren't successful, I actually think it'll be a very bad day for Iran."
The president did not provide further details about the talks, including how progressed they are or which officials have been involved.
Iran's foreign minister confirmed Washington and Tehran will meet in Oman on 12 April.
Abbas Araqchi wrote on X: "It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America's court."
In March, Trump sent a letter to Iran's leader via an intermediary from the United Arab Emirates setting out his willingness to negotiate.
That offer was rejected by Iran, though its leadership signalled a willingness to discuss a possible deal with the US via a third party.
Curbing Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons has been a key foreign policy goal for the US and its allies for decades.
In 2015, then-President Barack Obama made an agreement with Iran under which it would limit its nuclear activities and allow international inspectors into the country to ensure facilities were being solely used for civilian purposes and not weapons production.
In return, Iran was to be offered relief from sanctions, which have crippled its economy.
That agreement was co-signed by China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK.
However, in 2018, Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the deal, which he had been strongly critical of during his first presidential election campaign.
In the years that followed, Iran has increasingly breached its terms. The International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Tehran has built up large stockpiles of enriched uranium, which can be used to make nuclear bombs.
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect of negotiating a new agreement with Iran, while threatening military action if one can not be reached.
Israel sees preventing its rival Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon as central to its long-term security. It has reportedly weighed up striking its production facilities in recent months.
Last year, Israel said it had hit an Iranian nuclear site in retaliation for Iran's earlier missile attack on Israel.
Speaking at the White House, Netanyahu said: "We and the United States are both united in the goal that Iran does not ever get nuclear weapons.
"If it can be done diplomatically in a full way, the way it was done in Libya, I think that would be a good thing."
Source: bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx25e5rd2v9o
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Africa
“It Is Impossible To Name A Country That Has Developed In Democracy” – Burkina Faso President
April 7, 2025
By Ikenna Ngere
Burkina Faso’s President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has dismissed the idea that democracy is essential for national development, asserting that no country has achieved progress solely through democratic governance.
Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony at the Koulouba Palace, Traoré declared that Burkina Faso is undergoing a “popular, progressive revolution” rather than adhering to democratic principles.
He argued that democracy is merely a byproduct of development, not the driving force behind it, and insisted that his country must undergo a revolutionary transformation to secure its future.
“If we have to say it loud and clear here, we are not in a democracy, we are in a popular, progressive revolution,” he stated. “We must necessarily go through a revolution, and we are indeed in a revolution. So this question of democracy or libertinism of action or expression has no place. As much as you think you are free to speak and act, the other is also free to speak and act, and there we end up with a society of disorder.”
The Burkina Faso leader argued that no country has achieved significant development solely through democratic governance.
“It is impossible to name a country that has developed in democracy. Democracy is only the result,” he was quoted as saying by Burkina24.
Traoré has gained attention for his unconventional policies and leadership style since assuming power in September 2022 following a coup that ousted interim President Paul-Henri Damiba.
His government continues to emphasize self-reliance and national transformation, with a strong focus on revolutionary change rather than Western-style democracy.
One of his recent controversial decisions was rejecting an offer from Saudi Arabia to construct 200 mosques in Burkina Faso.
Instead, he urged the Gulf nation to channel its resources into infrastructure projects that would have a direct impact on the people.
Traoré maintains that his administration will persist in engaging with the public to explain the nature and necessity of the revolution, reinforcing his vision for a new governance model in Burkina Faso.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/04/07/it-is-impossible-to-name-a-country-that-has-developed-in-democracy-burkina-faso-president/
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MURIC Condemns Demolition of Two Mosques in Ekiti
By Chimezie Godfrey -
April 7, 2025
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the demolition of mosques in Ekitit State.
This is contained in a statement signed and issued on Monday by the Executive Director of the faith-based civil liberties organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
According to Akintola, two mosques were pulled down in Aramoko, Ekiti State. While no explanation was given for demolishing the first one, the second was pulled down to give way for a market which is a constituency project of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
“Meanwhile the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the demolition of the mosques. The Islamic human rights organization described the action as an onslaught on Islam in Ekiti State.
“The group queried the Senate Leader for embarking on war against Muslims in Ekiti State as his constituency project. MURIC charged the politician to reach out to the Muslim community at Aramoko with a view to rebuilding the mosque or remain in the bad books of Nigerian Muslims forever,” he stated.
The statement reads:
“The authorities of Aramoko, Ekiti State, have pulled down two mosques in the town in recent time. The principal actors include the Alara of Aramoko, Oba Adegoke Olu-Adeyemi, the Chairman of Ekiti West Local Government, Hon. Moses Omojola, his Vice, Hon. Isaac Fatoyinbo, a former deputy speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Gbenga Odebunmi and Hon. Muyiwa Olabode, the Secretary of the council.
“A short notice was given to the Muslims to vacate their mosque situated at Sabo in Aramoko town for a constituency project of the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele. Every trick in the books was employed to ensure that the mosque was demolished on 26th March, 2025.
“MURIC strongly decries the destruction of Sabo Central Mosque, Aramoko, Ekiti State. This action smirks of religious intolerance. It is a confirmation of renewed hostility against Yoruba Muslims and reinvigorated onslaught on the religion of Islam in the region. It is a hate action aimed at eliminating Islam not only in the city of Aramoko and Ekiti State but in the entire Yoruba geographical space.
“In particular, we are surprised that a politician of immense exposure at the federal level in the person of no less a personality as Opeyemi Bamidele who has risen to the status of Senate Leader in Nigeria could give the green light to the perpetration of such a dastardly act against a section of his constituents simply because they are Muslims.
“Muslims of Aramoko have been heart-broken since the incident. They are hugely disappointed in the person of the Senate Leader whom they had voted into senate to represent them but who had turned round to deprive them of their place of worship.
“Man is body, soul and spirit. The material provisions of this world can only meet the needs of the body. Our souls and spirits will only be at rest when we commune effectively with Allah. To demolish our mosques for any reason whatsoever without immediate replacement is to deprive our souls and spirits of that much needed spiritual shelter. It is a declaration of war against Allah, our Creator.
“MURIC affirms that the demolition of Sabo Central Mosque for Opeyemi Bamidele’s constituency project breaches Allah-given fundamental human rights of the Muslims of Aramoko. It is also a violation of Section 38(i)&(ii) which guarantees freedom of worship.
“Our question to the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele is this: How can Allah give us one thing and you, a homo sapien, take the same thing from us? Not even in the name of a constituency project should this happen because that mosque has been on that spot at Sabo for donkey years and the Senate Leader knows it.
“It is unacceptable. It is an anti-Muslim act. We are shocked that at your level and with your exposure, you will still embark on war against Muslims in your comfort zone. By their actions, you shall know them.
“But it is not too late. MURIC urges the Senate Leader to reach out to the Muslim community at Aramoko with a view to rebuilding the mosque or remain in the bad books of Nigerian Muslims forever.
“Nigerian Muslims have special regard for their mosques. It is part of their anatomy and their soul. An attack on one mosque is attack on all mosques in the country because they know that anyone who demolishes one mosque will be ready to destroy all other mosques if he has the chance to do so.
“That is why Muslims will be waiting for Opeyemi Bamidele if he ever seeks a federal position unless he rebuilds our Central Mosque at Sabo, Aramoko, Ekiti State. A Senate Leader who cannot protect Muslims and their cherished properties in his constituency cannot be expected to protect the interest of Muslims in Nigeria if he becomes a minister or gets to Aso Rock.
“Meanwhile we appeal to Muslims in the state to remain calm and unperturbed. Islam is a religion of peace and we expect every Muslim to be a good ambassador of his or her religion.”
Source: newsdiaryonline.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://newsdiaryonline.com/muric-condemns-demolition-of-two-mosques-in-ekiti/
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Bandits Invade Katsina Communities, Kill Six, Abduct 59
April 8, 2025
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
At least six people have been killed and around 59 others abducted in separate attacks across various communities in Katsina State.
The most recent attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday in Layin Gara village, located in Funtua Local Government Area (LGA), where two people were killed, and 16 others were abducted.
A resident of the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that the attackers operated for several hours without facing any resistance.
Earlier, on Saturday, bandits attacked Maikuma village in Dandume LGA, killing four people and kidnapping approximately 43 others. The attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons and riding motorcycles, stormed the community in large numbers.
A source said, “They moved from house to house for hours before retreating into the forest with their victims.”
The Chairman of Dandume LGA, Basiru Musa, confirmed the attack, stating that over 100 bandits were involved in the assault.
“Their goal was to kill and abduct as many people as possible. They killed four and kidnapped around 43. However, some say the number is closer to 45 or even higher,” he said.
Musa further explained that, upon receiving information about a potential attack, he contacted both the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and the military unit in the area.
While they responded promptly, the security forces could not go beyond their designated boundaries and were forced to pull back when the attackers fled into the forest.
The chairman expressed frustration over the persistent attacks and called on the government to take more decisive action to address the ongoing security crisis in the region.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/04/08/bandits-invade-katsina-communities-kill-six-abduct-59/
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Lagos Assembly Crisis Deepens As Legal Battles Stall Legislative Activities
April 8, 2025
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
The leadership crisis currently rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly shows no sign of resolution, with the possibility of resuming plenary sessions anytime soon appearing bleak.
The ongoing litigation between Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and 36 lawmakers has effectively brought the legislative process to a standstill.
The latest adjournment in the case, which was heard at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on Monday, March 17, has sparked growing uncertainty about the future of the House.
Despite expectations that the matter would be resolved and business would resume, the case proceeded without any indication of a resolution. The court adjourned with no clear end in sight, leaving legislative activities suspended indefinitely.
Before the case resumed, there had been optimism after a weekend meeting at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, where President Bola Tinubu called the warring factions of the Lagos Assembly to order.
The lawmakers left the meeting chanting “on your mandate we shall stand,” suggesting a breakthrough. However, the subsequent court proceedings revealed no signs of withdrawal, with the case continuing as usual.
As the legal battle unfolds, the essential business of lawmaking remains halted. This situation has raised concerns, particularly since there is no defined number of plenary sessions for state assemblies like there is for the House of Representatives at the federal level.
Observers are worried that if the case drags on throughout the year, it will further delay the legislative duties of the Assembly and jeopardize governance in Lagos.
A major challenge to resuming plenary is whether lawmakers will cooperate with Speaker Obasa, especially with 36 of them currently at odds with him.
Only a handful of Obasa’s supporters, four members are likely to attend plenary, which falls far short of the quorum needed to conduct official business. This situation could render any decisions made in plenary invalid.
Despite the turmoil, the Lagos Assembly has held more sessions this year than it did in the same period last year. However, the sessions have been sporadic, with limited activity due to a six-week break and Ramadan.
Speaker Obasa’s sessions, particularly his return after his impeachment and reinstatement, have been marked by controversy, with security operatives invading the Assembly and the resignation of his replacement, Hon. Meranda.
Concerns Over External Interference
Legal experts and political observers have expressed concern over the external influence and interference in the Assembly’s proceedings.
The Editor of Nigeria Weekly Law Report, Oluwole Kehinde who spoke with The Nation stated that the situation reflected poorly on the independence of the Lagos State Assembly. He argued that political maneuvering at the expense of the public interest damages the integrity of democratic institutions.
Kehinde emphasized, “My position surrounding the whole issue of the Lagos State House of Assembly is a picture that shows that the Assembly itself is not independent and that all is not well. It erodes public confidence in the institution.
“Moreover, the intervention by external forces in an open and brazen manner dictating what the assembly should do and how they should go about their business does not portend a good future for democracy. And I think that it is certainly not the best for our system.
“To me, it is not right, it is not proper and it is condemnable. Unfortunately, nobody cares about what happens again around our political institutions because it is either people are settled or people are looking for what to benefit or people who have good intentions are shut out and all you have is promotion of political interest at the expense of the public interests and good governance.
“At the end of the day, our politicians and their supporters benefit while society suffers.”
Activist and lawyer, Monday Ubani, advised the lawmakers to put aside their differences and prioritize the interests of the state.
He warned that continued inaction would only harm Lagos and hinder the legislative process.
“If they have cases in court, that means they have not been doing their legislative duties. The state will suffer for it,” he said. Ubani urged the factions to reach a compromise for the good of Lagos.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/04/08/lagos-assembly-crisis-deepens-as-legal-battles-stall-legislative-activities/
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‘You Failed Terribly’ – Sowore Berates Police Over Treatment Of Protesters
April 7, 2025
The convener of the Take it Back Movement, Omoyele Sowore, has slammed the police authorities across the country over the treatment of protesters during the demonstration on Monday.
Naija News reports that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had asked the protest organisers to shelve it, citing the celebration of the National Police Day.
However, the protesters ignored the warning of the police and took to the streets to register their displeasure over some of the policies of the Federal Government.
In Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the situation turned feisty as police officers reportedly beat up some of the protesters and fired tear gas in a bid to disperse them.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Sowore, while expressing displeasure over the treatment meted out to some of the demonstrators and calls for the halting of the protest, flayed the police, describing their action as disrespect for human rights.
Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), claimed that the protesters were attacked unprovoked and that the police were intolerant.
He said, “Today was the day the police ought to have proven that this is a police for the people. If there was a professional test that could be conducted, it is what we did today, and they failed terribly at it.
“Look at how they performed today – woefully again. They attacked us unprovoked. They are intolerant. They have no respect for human rights. There were three persons arrested today – one of them a journalist. They were made to lie down in a drainage. They fired tear gas at them. They beat them silly with the planks attached to their placards.”
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/04/07/you-failed-terribly-sowore-berates-police-over-treatment-of-protesters/
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Protest: Police Arrest TIB Coordinator In Yobe, Flag Boy In Abuja
April 7, 2025
By Udeze Ekene
The Yobe State coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement (TIB), Abubakar Jawa, and a social media influencer, known as Flag Boy, have been reportedly arrested by police in Yobe State and Abuja respectively.
Naija News reports that Jawa and Flag Boy were reportedly arrested while participating in a protest against the Cybercrime Act, organized by TIB Movement.
According to Sahara Reporters, Jawa and three others, Mohammed Kayeri Adam, Suleiman A. Gambo, and Maimuna Abba, were arrested by police in Damaturu, on Monday.
The social media influencer, Flag Boy, was arrested by police near Transcorp Hilton in Maitama, in Abuja.
However, the Yobe State Police Public Relations Officer, Dungus Abdulkarim, denied the arrest of any protesters or TIB movement members by the police.
“As far as the police are concerned, we don’t know any TIB movement coordinator or members in the state and we have made our doors open for any members or coordinator to come out and be identified with police so that police can provide security backing ahead of the protest. But we are yet to see anyone. So police have not arrested a TIB member or its coordinator,” Abdulkarim said.
On Flag Boy, Abuja protesters led by former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, were blocked from accessing the Eagle Square and Federal Secretariat by police officers.
Police fired tear gas canisters at the protesters, triggering chaos in the area, the protesters and journalists sought refuge inside the Transcorp Hilton.
Sahara Reporters reported that Flag Boy, who was holding the national flag, was singled out by the police, assaulted, and subsequently taken away in a police van, along with two other demonstrators.
Source: naijanews.com
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Arab World
New program to boost tech skills of Saudi leaders
April 07, 2025
RIYADH: Tuwaiq Academy has launched the Future Tech Leaders program, a six-month course designed to enhance the technical skills of professionals in leadership roles, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Sponsored by the National Technology Development Program and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the program is conducted in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley.
It uses a hands-on learning approach to equip CEOs and IT managers with skills to keep pace with emerging technologies, according to the SPA.
The curriculum covers key areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, and digital transformation — fields that are increasingly in demand.
Tuwaiq Academy seeks to develop national leadership in modern technologies through professional programs and bootcamps.
It partners with global leaders such as Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Stanford University to train skilled professionals across various sectors.
The academy also offers additional programs for various age groups, available at tuwaiq.edu.sa.
The initiative is designed to bridge the gap between the rapid evolution of modern technologies and the needs of the labor market.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2596180/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia highlights cultural preservation efforts at UNESCO Executive Board session in Paris
April 07, 2025
PARIS: Saudi Arabia has highlighted its work in cultural preservation at the 221st session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at the organization’s headquarters in Paris, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The session, which opened Monday and runs until April 17, is being attended by representatives from member states and key international stakeholders.
The UNESCO Executive Board, of which Saudi Arabia is a member, is one of the organization’s three main governing bodies, alongside the General Conference and the Secretariat.
Comprising 58 member states elected for four-year terms, the board evaluates the organization’s work, oversees programs, and reviews budgetary matters.
Saudi Arabia’s delegation is led by Abdulelah bin Ali Al-Tokhais, the Kingdom’s permanent representative to UNESCO.
Also in attendance are members of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and representatives from various national institutions.
Delivering the Kingdom’s address during the opening session, Al-Tokhais underscored Saudi Arabia’s historic and ongoing partnership with UNESCO, highlighting that the Kingdom was among the first nations to sign the UN Charter in 1945.
He emphasized the robust cooperation between Saudi Arabia and UNESCO, particularly through the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, a partnership that recently culminated in the Kingdom hosting the Sixth International Conference on Learning Cities, held under the patronage of King Salman.
Al-Tokhais also noted the Kingdom’s role in cultural preservation, citing the Saudi Fund to Support, Protect and Promote Culture and Heritage at UNESCO.
As part of collaborative efforts, he announced that two digital initiatives — the Virtual Museum of Stolen Objects and the Digital Heritage Platform — will be launched in partnership with UNESCO in the first half of 2025.
He also reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for UNESCO’s mission, and said that the Kingdom remained committed to advancing the organization’s strategic priorities and contributing to global development goals.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi development agency improves Yemen’s sports infrastructure to empower youth
April 07, 2025
RIYADH: The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen has supported various sports and youth initiatives in the country as part of the Kingdom’s commitment to empower Yemeni youth.
The SDRPY has built over 30 basketball and volleyball courts in schools across various Yemeni governorates, and supported the construction of FIFA-standard stadiums for clubs such as Al-Jazira, Al-Rawdah, and Al-Menaa.
In a report, the agency said that it remains dedicated to implementing sports projects in Yemen that meet global standards to enhance youth skills, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The SDRPY’s work in Yemen includes restoring sports facilities, sponsoring tournaments, providing technical support and sports education, and developing athletic skills among Yemeni children.
Various sports tournaments have been organized by the development agency to provide young Yemeni athletes with opportunities to compete, the SPA added.
In recent years, it has helped restore the Ali Asad Muthanna Sports Hall in Aden after a long period of disuse, providing youth with a renewed space to engage in physical activities.
It has also organized major tournaments in the country, including the Marib Football Championship, which involved 14 clubs and 588 young participants, and a basketball tournament in Hadramout, which involved 17 clubs and 289 young participants.
The agency celebrated the Yemeni U-17 national team for their victory in the West Asian Football Championship against the Saudi U-17 national squad in December 2021 as a gesture of encouragement and acknowledgment, the SPA reported.
In June 2020, SDRPY signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Sport to support athletics in Yemen. Since then, it has backed 264 projects and initiatives across various sectors in the country, including sports, education, health, water, energy, and developmental programs.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi, US defense chiefs discuss regional security in phone call
April 07, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman received a phone call from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two discussed defense cooperation between the two countries, SPA added.
They also spoke about regional developments and shared efforts to enhance security and stability in the region and beyond.
Source: arabnews.com
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GCC, Kuwaiti officials discuss regional ties
April 07, 2025
RIYADH: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Albudaiwi has received in Riyadh Sheikh Sabah Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the ambassador of Kuwait to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Sheikh Sabah presented Albudaiwi with a letter from Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya which extended an invitation to participate in the third ministerial meeting between the GCC and Central Asian countries, scheduled to take place in Kuwait on April 16.
Albudaiwi commended Kuwait’s efforts in supporting the council’s progress, emphasizing that its initiatives and constructive positions reflected a strong commitment to enhancing joint Gulf cooperation and fulfilling the aspirations of the citizens of the GCC countries for greater integration and solidarity.
The two officials discussed strategies to strengthen joint efforts to advance Gulf cooperation, in alignment with the visions of the GCC leaders, and exchanged perspectives on the latest regional and international developments.
Source: arabnews.com
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Hajj, Umrah firms face penalties for failing to report overstays
April 07, 2025
RIYADH: The Ministry of Interior has emphasized that Hajj and Umrah service companies and establishments must strictly adhere to all relevant regulations and instructions in Saudi Arabia.
The ministry said that financial penalties will be imposed on any company or establishment serving pilgrims and Umrah performers that delays reporting individuals who remain in the Kingdom beyond their authorized stay to the relevant authorities.
Penalties can reach SR100,000 ($26,600) and will be multiplied based on the number of individuals who violate their departure deadlines, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
On Monday, Matarat Holding Co. announced that more than 6.8 million passengers and Umrah performers passed through four Saudi airports from the first of Ramadan until the seventh of Shawwal.
These included King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, Prince Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Yanbu, and Taif International Airport.
Passenger traffic was split between international flights, with over 4.6 million passengers, including arrivals and departures, and 2.1 million passengers on domestic flights.
Source: arabnews.com
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Festival brings global cultures to life in Alkhobar, Jeddah
April 07, 2025
Riyadh: A cultural festival hosted by Saudi Arabia will bring the rich traditions of Sudan, India, the Philippines, and Bangladesh to Alkhobar and Jeddah.
Organized by the General Entertainment Authority, the “Your Passport to the World” event will celebrate the diverse cultural heritage of expatriate communities in the Kingdom.
The month-long festival will offer an immersive experience that reconnects participants with their roots, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Through a series of performances, culinary showcases, traditional crafts, and hands-on workshops, the event will provide a unique opportunity to explore and celebrate global traditions.
The festival will debut in Alkhobar, with each community featured for four days throughout April, according to the SPA.
The Sudanese pavilion will kick off the event from Wednesday to Saturday, followed by India from April 16-19, the Philippines from April 23-26, and Bangladesh from April 30 to May 3. Afterward, the festival will move to Jeddah.
Each cultural showcase will offer a holistic experience, incorporating folkloric patterns, textiles, natural elements, and architectural heritage unique to each nation, the SPA reported.
Specialized zones will highlight heritage clothing, dance performances, authentic cuisine, crafts, open-air markets, performance theaters, and interactive installations.
The initiative aims to celebrate cultural diversity, foster connections, provide an engaging family experience, and highlight cultural heritage through art and cuisine.
With its festive atmosphere and vibrant showcases, the event is expected to attract large crowds, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to enhance entertainment and improve quality of life for residents.
Source: arabnews.com
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Europe
Former Lord Mayor and mosque chief stripped of title over 'dategate' lies scandal
07 Apr 2025
Jane Haynes
Former Labour Lord Mayor of Birmingham Muhammed Afzal is set to be finally stripped this week of his honorary title of 'alderman of the city' after lying to an election court in a bid to bring down political opponents and win back his seat.
The 79-year-old, who previously represented Aston, was embroiled in allegations of 'gifting' packs of dates to voters and then lying to an election court about it in a bid to avenge defeat at local council elections in May 2022.
His deceit was only uncovered when a doorbell video emerged showing him on the election trail distributing the gifts.
The council was petitioned to strip him of his honorary title and privileges as a result, including free parking in the city centre and the right to use the title on business cards and letterheads - but it has taken two years to act. The council had to first change its rules. On Tuesday, April 8, Mr Afzal is finally set to lose the privileges linked to his title.
Mr Afzal, who also chairs Birmingham Central Mosque, had resisted the action to strip him of the title, claiming he was being discriminated against by virtue of his age and race.
Listed on the papers for tomorrow's full council meeting is a recommendation to 'remove the title of Honorary Alderman, and all the benefits affiliated to having the title, from former councillor and Lord Mayor Muhammed Afzal.' While the petition to strip him of his title was only signed by Liberal Democrat, Green and Conservative councillors, it is understood Labour members will not oppose the sanction.
Mr Afzal had targeted his Liberal Democrat opponents Ayoub Khan - a criminal barrister and now MP for Birmingham Perry Barr - and Mumtaz Hussain after he lost his seat. Today they welcomed the council's intention to sanction him over the issue.
"The scar of his attempt to lose me my livelihood and my reputation still lingers," said Mr Khan, who feared he faced being disbarred from practising law if Mr Afzal's false claim against him had succeeded.
"I had sleepless nights worrying about what could result, and was only saved by finding doorbell footage that exonerated me and showed he was not being truthful.
"He could have destroyed me, I am glad he is finally getting some sort of sanction."
Under new council rules, an honorary alderman title can be stripped if holders are 'convicted of a criminal offence and/or acted in such a way that there is a potential breach of the Nolan Principles, or the council’s code of conduct for councillors' and following a standards committee hearing that supports the action.
The veteran city councillor had served for 40 years when he lost. He then petitioned the High Court to throw out the case, claiming he had been undone by 'malicious' lies spread by his opponents that suggested he had gifted dates to voters to win favour.
But at the eleventh hour Mr Khan tracked down doorbell video footage proving Mr Afzal had done precisely that. He was seen canvassing voters and then standing by as packets of dates stamped 'Labour' were handed over.
Mr Afzal's actions were condemned by the judge in the case in harsh terms.
Judge Richard Foster said he "had the audacity to issue these proceedings in the knowledge the allegations quite properly made by the respondents (Couns Khan and Hussain) in the course of the election campaign were truthful.
"He persisted...and served evidence from himself and others which was, and he must have known to be, false."
He also ruled that "there is conclusive evidence that indeed he (Mr Afzal) and his supporters did supply electors with packets of dates containing Labour Party stickers on a widespread basis during the election campaign".
The former councillor was not charged with any crime linked to the incidents. But in an email exchange published as part of an initial report into the case last year, the council's assistant director of governance, Robert Connelly, cited the case of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, being stripped of his freeman of York title 'without any judicial rulings being made against him' as a precedent for the council being within its rights to act.
Mr Afzal's lawyers had claimed other honorary aldermen in the city had retained their titles "despite having criminal convictions" against them and added: "This is a case where our client is being discriminated against and victimised."
They argued stripping him of the title was both 'illegal' and 'ultra vires' (meaning 'done without legal authority') and was discriminatory to his age, race and faith. His representation said the title conferred on him could not be removed because of 'future conduct'.
'Dategate' claims around Birmingham Aston election
The original case revolved around claims that Mr Afzal, then councillor for Aston, and his supporters were going door to door on the campaign trail and gifting packets of dates to electors, stamped with a Labour Party sticker, just ahead of the May 2022 local elections.
This is against electoral law and amounts to 'treating' or 'gifting', a type of bribery. Mr Afzal was so incensed when his opponents, Liberal Democrats Ayoub Khan and Mumtaz Hussain, made this public that he petitioned the High Court, sitting as an election court, to strike out the result after Mr Khan and Mrs Hussain were elected and not him.
In written statements to the High Court, he claimed there was no truth to the 'dates' allegation and that it was made up out of malice. Others in the Labour party backed his claims.
But just before the election case was due to be heard, Mr Khan produced doorbell camera footage that had captured Mr Afzal and supporters in the act of gifting dates. They also produced evidence the action had been 'widespread'. The case was nullified as a result.
What is an honorary alderman and what do they do?
The title of honorary alderman is imposed on men and women who have served at least 15 years as a councillor, or at least 12 years and given particularly notable service, at Birmingham City Council.
Their role entitles them to 'parking privileges' offered to sitting councillors, the right to hold and issue business cards and letterheards with the title, and to sit in the honorary aldermen's box at council meetings. They are regularly invited to civic events and council functions and can be invited to serve as a deputy to the Lord Mayor, or stand in for them in their absence.
Source: birminghammail.co.uk
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'A shining example' - praise for mosque team who helped council bin crew visit run without a hitch
birminghammail.co.uk
07 Apr 2025
A team of volunteers, 120 tones of waste removed and not a speck of dirt left on the street.
Sparkbrook Islamic Centre (UKIM Sparkbrook Islamic Centre and Masjid) was praised for helping Birmingham City Council's mobile waste crews collect rubbish from 1,400 cars, around 2,000 residents and prevent fly-tipping during a visit.
In previous weeks, piles of rubbish were dumped at the roadside by impatient residents, sparking further chaos and worry during the seemingly never-ending bin strike.
In one ugly episode, police had to prevent people from leaving waste on Anderton Park Road, on the outskirts of Moseley, on March 19.
In shocking scenes on Thursday, April 3 , a JCB was deployed to shift a mountain of fly-tipped rubbish from the grounds of Tyseley Community Centre which was blocking entrance to a play park.
To prevent a repeat of such scenes, the mosque called a meeting on Thursday evening to formulate a strategy.
More than 40 helpers assembled hours before the trucks were scheduled to arrive on Saturday, April 5, and were served a freshly-cooked hot desi breakfast.
They were assigned positions in two car parks where they aimed to collect bin bags from cars within 90 seconds and take rubbish from those with wheelie bins so they were able to leave the sites quickly and keep roads clear.
UKIM Sparkbrook Islamic Centre and Masjid Ishtiaq Mohammed said: "On Thursday evening we had a meeting because after what we saw unfolding at Tyseley Community Centre, we were worried.
"We planned what we were going to do on the day and had a strategy in place.
"Cars would go into our main car park and we had people stand at each truck.
"As each car pulled up, we opened the doors and took the black bin bags, we set ourselves a target of a minute and a half per car."
Those dragging wheelie bins were assisted by volunteers in the centre's second car park off Anderton Road.
After the service finished at 3pm, everyone was fed another hot meal.
Mr Mohammed said not one bag was fly-tipped, with the grounds left spotless,
More than 1,400 cars and 2,000 residents used the service.
He said: "This would not have been possible without Coun Majid Mahmood's support, also we want to thank the council staff and all off the volunteers on the day.
"Nothing would have been achieved without them."
Council bins boss Coun Mahmood said of UKIM Sparkbrook Islamic Centre and Masjid: "This is a shining example of the ongoing partnerships we are developing with community groups across the city to work together in keeping our city clean.
"Thank you to the chair, Mohammed Ishtiaq, and the brilliant volunteers for their support throughout. I’m pleased that after the successful event more community groups approached us offering their facilities."
Source: birminghammail.co.uk
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Three migrants acquitted over fire at Greece's Moria refugee camp
08 Apr 2025
Three migrants have been cleared on appeal of setting fire to the overcrowded Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos during the Covid pandemic.
The juvenile court of Mytilene found the defendants not guilty, ruling that their involvement in the blaze in September 2020 had not been proven. They had previously been sentenced to ten years prison.
Much of Moria, Greece's largest and heavily overcrowded refugee camp, was destroyed in the blaze and around 13,000 people were left without shelter.
The fires broke out as tensions soared over restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In the aftermath of the fires, six Afghan migrants were arrested. Two were immediately identified as minors and tried as such. The remaining four were initially classified as adults and sentenced to 10 years in prison each by a court in Chios.
Following an appeal, however, the court accepted that it had not been proven that three of them had reached the age of 18 at the time of the fire, and the case was transferred to a juvenile court.
On Saturday night, that court acquitted all three.
The trio's lawyer, Zacharias Kesses, said the case had been based solely on the word of a single witness and lacked supporting evidence.
"My young clients were held for almost three-and-a-half years in prisons unsuitable for minors, without sufficient evidence and without due process," he said. "This case is a typical example of how criminal justice can fail when fear, stereotypes and political expediency prevail."
The two other defendants – who were recognised as minors from the outset – were previously sentenced to four years in prison, reduced from an initial five. They have since been released.
The Moria camp, which had been designed to hold up to 3,000 people, had become dangerously overcrowded by the time of the fire, with as many as 20,000 people living in and around the facility. Many were housed in makeshift shelters and tents in nearby olive groves.
The blaze forced thousands of people – including families with children – to flee into surrounding farmland, sparking a humanitarian emergency on the island.
Source: bbc.com
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Billionaire on trial in Azerbaijan who risks being left behind by peace deal
08 Apr 2025
Ruben Vardanyan is one of Armenia's richest men, but his millions are of little use now that he is facing a possible life term in jail in neighbouring Azerbaijan.
The two neighbouring Caucasus countries have agreed the text of a historic peace deal to end decades long conflict over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, but Vardanyan and 15 other former ethnic Armenian leaders are not part of the agreement.
They are on trial in a military court in Baku, accused of war crimes dating back decades.
Vardanyan, a 56-year-old Russian-Armenian entrepreneur, is facing 42 charges including planning and waging war, mercenary activities and terrorism.
A picture of him in court appeared to show bruises on his forehead and there have been allegations of torture, denied by Azerbaijan which insists his rights have been respected in custody.
It marks a dramatic downfall for a man who made his fortune in Russia and once rubbed shoulders with celebrities such as George and Amal Clooney.
He set up Russia's first investment bank back in the early 1990s, and as founder of the country's prestigious business management school "Skolkovo" he enjoyed the reputation of a progressive visionary, a Western-friendly voice in Russia's business community in the 2000's.
But a 2019 investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project said that employees of his investment bank built a financial system laundering billions of dollars in the mid-2000s.
Vardanyan denied being aware of any criminal activities, and was never legally charged.
He spent hundreds of millions of dollars on philanthropic projects in Armenia, and transformed a quiet town in the snow-capped mountains in the north of the country, setting up a school with the aim of attracting students from all over the world.
"This school was imagined as an institution that would bring Armenia to the world and the world to Armenia," says Adam Armanski, the principal of the United World Colleges (UWC) of Dilijan.
Everything changed for Ruben Vardanyan in September 2022 when he decided to move to Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region that was historically populated by ethnic Armenians but part of Soviet Azerbaijan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan had already fought two full scale wars over the region, which was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.
The first Karabakh war in the 1990s resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Azeris.
Then, in 2020, Azerbaijan - backed by Turkey - regained control of big swathes of the lost territory, while the Karabakh enclave remained in the hands of ethnic Armenian separatists.
Within months of Vardanyan's arrival Azerbaijani authorities blocked the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia, subjecting the region's population to severe food shortages.
Vardanyan renounced his Russian citizenship and became the de facto prime-minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenians call Artsakh. He used his name, contacts and the ability to speak fluent English to raise the awareness of the plight of Karabakh Armenians.
"My father did more interviews with international media in three months than all the other Nagorno-Karabakh presidents in 30 years. The amount of attention this was receiving from the Western media clearly irritated Azerbaijan," his son David Vardanyan told the BBC.
There had been speculation that Vardanyan had moved there to avoid international sanctions imposed on Russia's billionaires with links to the Kremlin.
The government in Baku considered his decision to take up the position as illegal.
His son insists he was driven by the desire to help local Armenians.
"We had an argument on our last family holiday, I was completely against his decision, which was putting the entire family at risk. He said he would not be able to live with himself knowing he did nothing for the Armenians of Karabakh."
His father's long-term friend Arman Jilavian said even the remotest of chances of helping ethnic Armenians remain in their ancestral land was enough for him.
"Some would say this was irrational, some say this was super calculated political move. I think none is true," he says.
In September 2023 Azerbaijan launched a military operation and took control of the entire territory in 24 hours.
Nagorno-Karabakh's leaders capitulated and more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians were forced to leave their homes.
Vardanyan was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities as he joined a mass exodus to Armenia.
Much of his time since has been spent in solitary confinement, his family says.
He has already been on hunger strike twice, protesting at what he has called a lack of proper judicial process, amid allegations of torture.
Fifteen other former Karabakh leaders are also being tried in Baku's military court for alleged war crimes committed since the late 1980s.
Vardanyan has been dealt with separately, but many in Armenia see all the cases as show trials.
Only the main Azerbaijani state TV channel has been allowed to film the trials.
Azerbaijan insists it is complying with international legal standards, and that it has a responsibility to hold to account those suspected of having committed war crimes.
But last month, the government in Baku ordered the closure of the local offices of the International Red Cross, the only international organisation with access to Armenian prisoners.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the "unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages", calling for their immediate release.
Vardanyan returns to court on Tuesday, but supporters fear his case will be overshadowed by a historic peace deal taking shape between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The details are yet to be made public but officials say the draft text does not include the issue of the prisoners on trial or the right of ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their homes.
The failure to mention the prisoners has prompted criticism of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government at home and abroad.
But Arsen Torosyan, the MP from the Armenian governing party Civil Contract believes this issue needs to be solved separately.
"It is a peace treaty between the conflicting countries with a long history of hatred between each other. I personally think that only completing or signing of this peace treaty can make ground to solve the issue of political prisoners. I don't see any other way to do it."
Vardanyan has warned this is a mistake.
"This is not the trial of just me and 15 others – this is the trial of all Armenians," he said in a voice message to supporters.
"If you don't understand this – it is a big tragedy because this is not the end of the story, not the end of the conflict, it's only the next stage of the conflict, for all sides."
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86jw1w0n5vo
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Asylum seeker jailed for glorifying terrorism
08 Apr 2025
An Islamic extremist who arrived in the UK seeking asylum has been jailed for supporting terror group Islamic State.
Turkish national Hakan Barac, 28, of Commercial Road, Newport, posted videos on social media sites glorifying terrorists Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
He admitted five counts relating to the online distribution of terrorist publications, and one of expressing support for a proscribed organisation.
Barac was sentenced to three years and nine months at Bristol Crown Court and will referred to authorities to consider deportation.
Barac, who reached the country two years ago, was arrested by counter-terrorism police last year.
He posted videos on social media sites, including Instagram and Telegram, that showed jihadists preparing for martyrdom as well as featuring Saudi-born Canadian recruiter Mohammed Khalifa, the court heard.
Ben Lloyd, prosecuting, said other material was "extreme" and depicted graphic violence.
"It was apparent that a substantial number of followers to his accounts were interested in extreme Islamic subject matters," he said.
Tim Forte KC, defending, said Barac had pleaded guilty on the basis there was "no intention to assist or encourage" and the posts had only been seen by a small number of people.
'Abhorrent rhetoric'
But in handing down a 45-month sentence, Judge Martin Picton said Barac had shared material glorifying "violent terrorism".
"The dissemination of material of this kind has the clear potential to be supportive of such activity," he said.
"It is apparent from your own use of social media that you have a mindset that is aligned with that ideology.
"The pattern of terrorist activity in modern times demonstrates the potential for individuals to be encouraged by material they see posted on social media so as to carry out acts of violence."
He added: "You are here seeking asylum but at the same time choose to disseminate material that strikes at the very heart of our democratic society.
"For you to behave in that way when seeking refuge in this country is very difficult to understand and must seem utterly unacceptable to all right thinking people."
Det Ch Insp Leanne Williams, from Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, said: "Without any doubt, Hakan Barac is a dangerous individual.
"Barac clearly expressed his support for the Islamic State, and it was our absolute priority to ensure the public were protected from him and the abhorrent rhetoric he espoused."
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy48v8n389ro
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Masked mob trying to defend Hanley mosque hurled rocks at rioters
8 APR 2025
A rioter who threw missiles at protesters as violence erupted in Hanley city centre has been jailed. Levi Jones, aged 31, went to defend the mosque in Town Road after receiving information on social media that it was coming under attack on August 3.
He wore a balaclava and could be heard shouting, 'Come on you p*****'. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he picked up a large stone and hurled it towards the opposing group and goaded them.
And on Potteries Way he broke up large rocks and threw them towards police. Now Jones has been jailed for two years. The sentence will run consecutively to a five-year term he is currently serving for firearms offences.
Prosecutor David Bennett said members of the far right community clashed with the Asian community in Hanley on August 3 in the wake of the Southport murders. Mr Bennett said: "Some turned violent. A large number of police were deployed in an attempt to restore order.
"A large number of officers also came under attack. A number of members of the public and police were injured. A significant amount of damage was caused.
"The defendant was part of a large group of counter protesters who moved around the town centre. He was wearing a balaclava during some of the incident. He could be heard shouting, 'Come on you p*****'.
"At 1.40pm in Town Road, close to the mosque, he threw missiles at protestors. At 1.43pm in the car park he was seen to pick up a large brick or stone and threw it to the opposing group and was seen to goad them.
"He was seen to throw a large stone at those protesting on Town Road. Shortly after he was seen on Potteries Way breaking up large rocks and throwing them towards police."
Jones was arrested on October 17. In his police interview he accepted his role but denied throwing anything at the police. He said his actions were in self-defence. He denied using violence but accepted throwing stones at other protesters. Jones, of Warwick Street, Shelton, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Jones received information to say protesters in the city centre were threatening to attack the mosque and possibly cause damage to it. Mr Cliff added: "He was subject to Islamaphobic insults. He is sorry he failed to exhibit a great deal of self-control and apologises for the lack of self-control."
Judge Graeme Smith sentenced Jones to two years in prison, which will run consecutively to the sentence he is currently serving. Judge Smith said: "I accept you initially attended without any intention of violence. However, as matters escalated, you did resort to violence. You threw a significant number of missiles in the direction of the protesters. That was wholly unnecessary because there was a significant police presence and there was no real risk of those protesters getting near the mosque for any reason.
"Missiles being thrown created a significant risk of injury to the police. It is clear the throwing of missiles antagonised the other side and had the impact of escalating the violence."
Source: stokesentinel.co.uk
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https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/masked-rioter-trying-defend-hanley-10088440
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Southeast Asia
Simplified: The Perlis govt’s final bid to revive the unilateral conversion of Hindu mum Loh Siew Hong’s kids
By Ida Lim
08 Apr 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — The Perlis state government will make one last attempt at the Federal Court today to argue why the three children of Hindu mother Loh Siew Hong should be recognised as Muslims, despite their previous conversion being ruled illegal.
The three children, aged nine and 11 at the time, were converted unilaterally to Islam in Perlis by their Hindu-turned-Muslim father Nagahswaran Muniandy; this was done without Loh knowing or agreeing.
Loh challenged the conversion in 2022, losing initially at the High Court but later winning at the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.
Soon to be 14 and 17, the children’s religious status is once again at the centre of a legal battle.
How the three children were converted
Loh’s children were born Hindu in Kedah.
After Loh filed for divorce in December 2019, Nagahswaran said he and the three children converted to Islam at the Perlis Islamic Religious Affairs Department on July 7, 2020.
Nagahswaran claimed they read the kalimah syahadah, the Islamic declaration of faith, and received conversion certificates on the same day.
Loh, through her lawyers, later asked the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPs) to cancel her three children’s certificates of conversion to Islam, as they were registered as Muslims without her knowledge or consent.
But MAIPs refused to do so, claiming that their conversion was legal as their father had given his consent.
MAIPs cited a Perlis state law, Section 117(b) of a 2006 Enactment, requiring only one parent’s consent for a child’s conversion.
Loh filed for judicial review at the High Court on March 25, 2022, to have her children’s unilateral conversion cancelled, naming four respondents including MAIPs and the Perlis state government.
What the High Court decided
The High Court dismissed Loh’s challenge on May 11, 2023, finding the conversion certificates to be “conclusive proof” the children converted.
The judge added there was no evidence the children stopped professing Islam and that their welfare meant their Muslim status quo should remain.
What the Court of Appeal decided
On January 10, 2024, however, a three-judge panel at the Court of Appeal unanimously decided in Loh’s favour, ruling that Nagahswaran’s unilateral conversion of the three children to Islam was unlawful.
The Court of Appeal cited the binding Federal Court decision in M. Indira Gandhi’s case, which requires both parents’ consent for a child’s conversion.
It also noted Section 117(b) of the Perlis Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2006 was amended in 2016 to require consent from only the “ibu atau bapa” (mother or father) for a child's conversion to Islam. The original Section 117(b) states “ibu dan bapa” (mother and father).
The court found this Perlis amendment invalid as it contradicts the Federal Constitution’s Article 12(4), where “parent” means both parents based on the Indira Gandhi precedent.
Consequently, the court declared the children Hindus, quashed their conversion certificates, and declared the Perlis amendment unconstitutional. These are all part of the nine court orders that Loh asked for and won.
What the Federal Court decided
On May 14, 2024, the Federal Court unanimously denied MAIPs, the Perlis government, and other respondents leave to appeal.
The Federal Court reaffirmed the binding Indira Gandhi precedent requiring both parents’ consent for child conversions.
It said the Court of Appeal’s decision to invalidate the three children's conversion was correct, noting Perlis’ arguments would encourage the “unconstitutional practice of unilateral conversion to persist”.
This means the children remain Hindus and the unilateral conversion, illegal.
What the Perlis state government wants now
However, on October 29, 2024, the Perlis state government filed for a review of the Federal Court’s decision.
Perlis is seeking a review by a new panel, claiming its right to be heard was “severely compromised”.
It wants the May 2024 refusal set aside and the leave application reheard, or for leave to appeal to be granted directly.
Ultimately, Perlis wants the Federal Court to hear its full appeal to argue the conversion should be declared valid.
This review application is what the Federal Court is scheduled to hear today.
Loh objected via an affidavit, calling the review application an abuse of power and an attempt to get a “second bite of the cherry”.
What about the other case of MAIPs wanting access to Loh’s children?
In February 2023, MAIPs applied to the High Court for permission to meet Loh’s children for regular Islamic lessons, take the son to a mosque weekly, bring all three to major Islamic celebrations, and enter their home to guide Loh on raising them in a conducive environment in accordance with Islam.
The Family Court then interviewed the children, who objected to access and stated they did not want to be Muslims.
The Family Court dismissed MAIPs’ access bid on October 11, 2023.
MAIPs filed an appeal against the Family Court’s decision on October 20, 2023.
However, Loh’s lawyer A. Srimurugan confirmed MAIPs has since withdrawn this appeal.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/08/simplified-the-perlis-govts-final-bid-to-revive-the-unilateral-conversion-of-hindu-mum-loh-siew-hongs-kids/172237
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Police confused over states' inconsistent Shia policies: Ex-SB officer
Apr 7, 2025
Hariz Mohd
Police and its intelligence arm the Special Branch were confused over the inconsistent policies adopted by different states on Shia teachings, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.
Former Special Branch principal assistant director Awaludin Jadid said the confusion came as some religious authorities have declared Shia as deviant from Islam and took action against its teachings, while states like Penang held an opposite view.
Source: malaysiakini.com
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https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/739410
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Islamic association says former NMP Calvin Cheng's comments on pro-Palestine activists 'dehumanising, dismissive'
APRIL 07, 2025
ByCHING SHI JIE
The Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (Pergas) has criticised former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Calvin Cheng's comments about activists from a pro-Palestine group.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (April 6), Pergas expressed "deep consternation" over the 49-year-old's "inflammatory suggestions" directed at members of the Muslim community in Singapore.
"His remarks, particularly the insinuation that certain individuals be sent to Gaza and not allowed to return, are deeply troubling and risk undermining the hard-earned social cohesion that defines our multiracial, multireligious society," said the organisation.
On March 13, Cheng wrote about a group known as the Monday of Palestine Solidarity, whose members were accused of disrupting Meet-The-People Sessions held by the People's Action Party.
"I would like to sponsor them to relocate to Gaza, expenses paid by me. But only if they never come back … I am offering business class to the leaders. And to their 928 followers, can buy them some walking shoes each. Take a slow hike," he wrote in the post.
Pergas said that as a former public figure, Cheng holds influence and reach.
"It is therefore disappointing that instead of fostering respectful discourse, he has chosen to ridicule and alienate fellow Singaporeans, many of whom are expressing empathy and solidarity in response to humanitarian suffering," it added.
"These remarks-made in the public domain-can be interpreted as dehumanising, dismissive, and grossly insensitive, especially in light of ongoing global tragedies that continue to cause grief to communities around the world."
Responding to Pergas' statement, Cheng said in a Facebook post on Monday (April 7) that his remarks were directed to Monday of Palestine Solidarity, which included non-Muslims.
"The remarks were not directed at any group defined by race or religion," he said, reiterating that "the facts are clear".
"I understand Pergas' sentiments. I hope they will re-read my post in this context."
On March 28, former opposition politician Jufrie Mahmood posted on Facebook that he had lodged a police report against Cheng, while calling him an "infamous Islamophobic ex-NMP".
Cheng has since published another Facebook post on April 2, saying that he had sought legal advice from a senior counsel and has been advised that the statements by Mahmood are "highly defamatory".
The former NMP added that he had instructed his lawyers to write to Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam, activist Martyn See, Taiwan-based media platform The Online Citizen, and one Mohamed Khair who republished Mahmood's views.
Source: asiaone.com
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https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/islamic-association-says-former-nmp-calvin-chengs-comments-pro-palestine-activists
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Papagomo faces trial for seditious remarks against Malaysia’s King, court sets dates
08 Apr 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — The prosecution is proceeding with the case involving blogger Papagomo, whose real name is Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris for posting seditious publications against His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Amir Hannif Ahijman told the Sessions Court here today that the prosecution had received instructions from the Attorney General’s Chambers to proceed with the case, as the investigation had been completed.
“I believe that there are still many witnesses (to be called) and we have set the trial date for April 23 and 30,” he said in a proceeding before Judge Norma Ismail.
On May 2 last year, Wan Muhammad Azri, 42, pleaded not guilty to the charge of issuing defamatory remarks that would tarnish the good name of the King on his X account.
He is alleged to have committed the offence at a condominium in Bukit Bintang here at noon on April 29 last year.
The charge, framed under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, provides a maximum fine of RM5,000 or imprisonment for up to three years or both upon conviction. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/08/papagomo-faces-trial-for-seditious-remarks-against-malaysias-king-court-sets-dates/172316
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South Asia
US and Pakistan discuss Afghanistan’s left behind Military Equipment
By Fidel Rahmati
April 8, 2025
The US and Pakistan discussed the military equipment left behind in Afghanistan, focusing on managing its disposal and security.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, held a phone call to discuss regional developments, with a focus on Afghanistan’s current situation. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two leaders addressed various topics, but Afghanistan’s security and stability were at the forefront of their discussions.
During the call, Secretary Rubio stressed the importance of resolving the issue of U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan. This has been a major point of contention since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, with both the U.S. and regional countries like Pakistan looking for solutions.
However, a Taliban spokesperson Mujahid stated that the military equipment belongs to Afghanistan and will not be returned.
The two officials also reaffirmed their commitment to continuing bilateral cooperation in promoting peace and stability in the region. They recognized the challenges faced by Afghanistan and the need for collaborative efforts to address the situation effectively.
Since the U.S. military’s exit from Afghanistan, the fate of the remaining military equipment has remained a sensitive issue. The U.S. seeks diplomatic channels to manage this matter and prevent any potential security risks.
Pakistan, as Afghanistan’s neighboring country, plays a critical role in regional security and political dynamics. Its involvement in discussions regarding Afghanistan’s future is crucial, given its proximity and historical ties to the country.
The phone call highlights the ongoing diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and Pakistan, as both countries recognize the importance of maintaining stability in the region. The fate of the military equipment and other unresolved issues continue to pose challenges in U.S.-Pakistan relations.
Meanwhile, both nations will likely continue their efforts to address Afghanistan’s situation through diplomatic means, while also focusing on long-term solutions for regional peace and security. The cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistan is vital, especially as Afghanistan remains a critical point of interest for both countries’ national interests.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/us-and-pakistan-discuss-afghanistans-left-behind-military-equipment/
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Over 100 Afghan citizens freed from Pakistan prisons
By Fidel Rahmati
April 8, 2025
More than 100 Afghans have been released from Pakistani prisons and returned to Afghanistan, according to the Ministry of Refugees.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations announced that 101 Afghan nationals have been released from various prisons across Pakistan. These individuals, detained for periods ranging from two to five days due to lack of legal residency documents, returned to Afghanistan on Tuesday, April 8.
Concurrently, Pakistan has initiated the second phase of deporting Afghan migrants, affecting families holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) and those without proper documentation. Reports indicate that since April 1, approximately 6,700 Afghan migrants, including 2,874 men, 1,755 women, and 2,071 children, have been expelled.
The deportation process has raised significant humanitarian concerns. Families, including women and children, face uncertain futures upon return. Human rights organizations have urged Pakistan to halt these deportations, citing potential violations of international law.
Efforts are ongoing to address the challenges faced by returnees, including providing support and reintegration assistance. However, resources remain limited amidst ongoing economic hardships.
The international community faces a critical juncture in addressing the plight of Afghan migrants. Collaborative efforts are essential to ensure the protection and support of these individuals, both within Afghanistan and in host countries.
The release of Afghan detainees and the ongoing deportations from Pakistan highlight the complex challenges facing Afghan migrants. While some are granted freedom, others face expulsion, underscoring the need for comprehensive policies and international cooperation to safeguard their rights and well-being.
Addressing the issues faced by Afghan migrants requires a multifaceted approach, including diplomatic engagement between Afghanistan and Pakistan, humanitarian assistance for returnees, and advocacy for migrant rights on international platforms. Only through concerted efforts can the cycle of displacement and hardship be mitigated.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/over-100-afghan-citizens-freed-from-pakistan-prisons/
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Protesters demand end to Italian visa complications
Apr 8, 2025
A group of people intending to travel to Italy staged a demonstration in Dhaka's Kakrail area this morning, demanding an end to entry complications.
The demonstrators claimed they had applied for Italian visas months ago but received their passports back without approval.
They began gathering near Kakrail Mosque around 8:00 am for the protest.
"We received our passports without the visa seal. We want our visas," said one of the protesters.
Farzana, a female protester, said, "We want this complication to end. Our passports are genuine, and we submitted them seven months ago. Our sponsors responded positively, agreeing to provide approval, but we have not received anything from the embassy yet. We do not want to know who is responsible—we just want our visas."
Another protester, Mizanur Rahman, added, "We applied in 2023 and 2024, but we have not received any serial yet. We do not want to face any further complications."
Police have been deployed in the area to maintain order and control the situation.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/protesters-demand-end-italian-visa-complications-3866256
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MoUDH Initiates Topographic Survey for Town of Forced Returnees in Parwan
2025-04-08
PARWAN(BNA): The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing has announced the commencement of a topographic survey aimed at establishing a dedicated town for forced returnees in Parwan Province.
Mohammad Yousuf Latif, head of the Survey and G.I.S Department of the Ministry, confirmed that a specialized technical team has been deployed to conduct this important survey.
Eng. Nematullah Hanif, the Head of Urban Development and Housing for Parwan Province, disclosed that approximately 871.9 acres of land in the Bagram district has been earmarked for this initiative.
The Ministry’s efforts are part of a broader strategy to identify and prepare suitable lands across various provinces for the establishment of towns, as led by the Permanent Settlement Committee.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/moudh-initiates-topographic-survey-for-town-of-forced-returnees-in-parwan/
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WFP warns US Food Aid Cuts Will Worsen Crisis in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
April 8, 2025
The World Food Programme warns that U.S. cuts to emergency food aid will worsen hunger and the crisis in Afghanistan.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has expressed deep concern over the U.S. decision to cut emergency food aid to 14 countries, including Afghanistan. On Tuesday, April 8, WFP officials confirmed that they are in communication with the U.S. government, raising their concerns about the potential consequences of this decision for millions of people facing severe hunger.
The WFP warned that if the U.S. follows through with its decision, it could lead to catastrophic consequences, including the deaths of millions of people already experiencing extreme hunger. The organization emphasized that this decision could exacerbate existing crises, particularly in regions like Afghanistan, where the humanitarian situation is dire.
While raising concerns, the WFP also thanked the U.S. and other international donors for their past contributions to global humanitarian efforts. The organization reiterated its commitment to providing essential food assistance to vulnerable communities in hunger hotspots around the world, stressing the critical role that continued support plays in addressing these crises.
The Trump administration’s recent decision to cut most or all remaining U.S. humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has drawn significant concern from international organizations. The WFP’s statement highlights the devastating impact of these cuts on Afghanistan, where millions are already struggling with food insecurity, economic hardship, and political instability.
According to experts like Sarah Charles, former head of USAID’s humanitarian affairs office, the reduction in U.S. aid will further aggravate the already severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. These cuts come at a time when the country is grappling with the aftermath of political changes, economic downturn, and widespread poverty, which have only deepened the suffering of Afghan citizens.
The U.S. cuts to humanitarian aid, particularly food assistance, come at a time when millions of people in Afghanistan and other affected countries rely on international aid for survival. If the decision is fully implemented, it could push vulnerable populations into even deeper crises, exacerbating already fragile conditions.
The international community must reconsider these cuts, as the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan and other crisis-affected regions remain urgent. Continuing to provide essential support, particularly in food aid, is vital to preventing widespread starvation and humanitarian collapse.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/wfp-warns-us-food-aid-cuts-will-worsen-crisis-in-afghanistan/
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Trump cuts humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
April 8, 2025
The Trump administration has recently cut most or all remaining U.S. humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. This decision is part of a broader strategy aimed at reducing U.S. involvement in the country. According to Reuters, the cuts were implemented by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) over the past weekend.
Sources such as Sarah Charles, former head of USAID’s humanitarian affairs office, emphasized to Reuters that these cuts would worsen the already dire crises in Afghanistan. These reductions have a profound impact on the country’s struggling health, education, and aid programs, exacerbating existing humanitarian challenges.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations, stated that the UN is actively following up on the details of canceled contracts related to U.S. humanitarian aid. The UN’s involvement highlights the international concern over the decision and its possible consequences for the millions of vulnerable Afghans who rely on foreign assistance.
This move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to either reduce or potentially eliminate USAID, the primary agency for U.S. humanitarian assistance. Since the beginning of this process, billions of dollars earmarked for life-saving programs have been canceled, creating significant instability in global development efforts.
The decision has profound humanitarian consequences, placing millions of people at risk, particularly in Afghanistan, where the Taliban now holds power. Programs that directly supported women and girls, the World Food Programme (WFP), and six other non-governmental organizations have all lost U.S. funding, which has only worsened the country’s crisis.
The withdrawal of U.S. aid, combined with the worsening conditions under the Taliban, will likely lead to an even greater humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan. These cuts, while part of broader geopolitical decisions, have left the Afghan people in a precarious situation with limited access to crucial support.
With Afghanistan facing critical shortages of food, medical supplies, and basic services, the international community may need to step in to fill the gap. However, the evolving political landscape under the Taliban will make international aid efforts increasingly difficult, both logistically and politically.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/trump-cuts-humanitarian-aid-to-afghanistan/
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Arg Held Special Meeting to Address Afghan Refugees’ Concerns
2025-04-08
KABUL(BNA): A special meeting chaired by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, focused on the inappropriate treatment and forced expulsion of Afghan refugees.
The session, attended by cabinet members, emphasized a strong condemnation of these actions as un-Islamic and against fundamental human rights.
In a press release from Arg, officials described the treatment of Afghan refugees as contrary to accepted principles and Islamic guidelines. The meeting called for the people, political parties, and influential figures in Pakistan to uphold their Islamic and neighborly responsibilities in this matter.
The participants highlighted the long-standing positive relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, stressing the importance of maintaining these ties for the benefit of both nations and their peoples. They warned that inappropriate actions could undermine this relationship.
Additionally, the meeting urged the United Nations and international organizations to take action to prevent a humanitarian crisis and ensure the dignified return of Afghan refugees. The commitment to fostering cooperation and compassion was a central theme, reflecting the shared history and cultural connections between the two countries.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/arg-held-special-meeting-to-address-afghan-refugees-concerns/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/procession-mumbai-against-muslims-during/d/135095