Secularism Means Live and Let Live, Mainstreaming Answer to Ghettoisation: Supreme Court in UP Madrasa Act Case
New Age Islam News Bureau
23October 2024
Supreme Court of India
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· Secularism Means Live and Let Live, Mainstreaming Answer to Ghettoisation: Supreme Court in UP Madrasa Act Case
· No Legal Bar On Muslim Man Registering More Than One Marriage Under the State Law: Bombay HC
· Hasina’s Resignation: Govt Too Thinks President “Lied" Regarding Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Resignation Letter
· Saudi Cabinet Backs Proposal for Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh to Address Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
· Israel Confirms Killing Hashem Safieddine, Potential Successor Of Slain Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah
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India
· Why Concerned with Only Madrasas, SC Asks NCPCR, After NCPCR Said Students Madrasas Weren’t Able to Pursue Medical and Engineering Professions
· Day after BJP MLA raised ‘love jihad’ claims, interfaith couple granted police protection by Madhya Pradesh High Court
· Tribal land usurped in the name of mosques, churches, VHP tells Waqf Joint Parliamentary Committee
· J&K: Separatist leeway seen as Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led moderate Hurriyat leaders hold meeting
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South Asia
· EC registration: SC restores Jamaat’s appeal against scrapping
· Protesters stage sit-in near Bangabhaban demanding president's resignation
· Ministry of Refugees Signs MoUs to Improve Services for IDPs and Returnees Across Provinces
· Deputy Minister Azizi Tours Agha Khan Institute, Applauds Contributions to Afghan Cultural Preservation
· Central Committee Discusses Strategic Planning for Development Initiatives Along Durand Line
· New township built for flood victims in Afghanistan’s Ghor
· Afghan migrants killed in Iran, investigation stalls with no one held responsible
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Arab World
· Al-Sudani discusses with bin Salman holding an Islamic summit on regional events
· Riyadh event hails Saudi Arabia’s shift toward women in top roles
· Saudi health minister launches medical software licensing scheme
· Saudi Arabia to host donors’ conference to support displaced and refugees in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin
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Mideast
· Blinken urges Israel to reach Gaza truce, allow more aid
· Qalibaf urges Islamic nations to cut off critical resources of Israel
· Iran-Israel war could birth a tech-savvy bin Laden. It can cause big, disproportionate damage
· Hezbollah says struck army intelligence base near Tel Aviv
· Desperation amid search for survivors of an airstrike on a crowded area near major Beirut hospital
· Israel defenseminister says US should stand with Israel when it attacks Iran
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Pakistan
· Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Leader Says 'Out-Of-Turn' CJP Appointments Hurt Country
· People to get 'quick justice' after new law: PM
· NA speaker orders probe into alleged presence of spies
· Activists fear Sindh govt may spoil case of Dr Shahnawaz custodial killing
· students injured as PU guards pounce on their protest
· Punjab police want domestic violence offence non-bailable
· CM Bugti hails passage of 26th amendment
· Pak-Qatar Group and IFMP join hands to enhance Islamic financial expertise
· Pakistani delegation holds meeting with IMF’s Jihad
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Europe
· Azerbaijan-Islamic World Explore Key Regional Issues, Cooperation
· Belgium Revokes Work Permits of Imams Over ‘Foreign Influence’ Rules
· Norton Fitzwarren Man Sentenced for Sharing Material 'In Support' Of Islamic State
· Russians accused of crimes offered choice - go to war instead of court
· Russians feared dead after plane shot down in Sudan
· European state’s president opens door to BRICS referendum
· Trump alleges UK ‘interference’ in US election
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North America
· Muslim Students Furious at Swinburne University Over Prayer Room Closure On Main Day of Worship
· Trump Once Again Makes Pitch to Arab and Muslim Voters
· Harris Campaign Responds After Muslim Leader Expelled from Rally
· Detroit Muslim leader ejected from Kamala Harris rally, deepening rift between Democrats and Arab Americans
· Labour volunteers helping Harris 'in spare time' - Starmer
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Africa
· Sharia Court Orders Investigation into Jigawa Commissioner’s Alleged Relationship with Housewife
· PFAs to Deepen Pension Funds Investment In Sharia-Compliant Instruments
· Matawalle Meets Tinubu, Briefs President On Sokoto Operational Tours
· Jigawa Tanker Explosion: Gov Namadi Briefs Tinubu On Deadly Incident, Reveals 181 Fatalities
· IGP Egbetokun Appoints New AIG for Zone 16 Command
· South African Minister of International Relations hails ties with China, ahead of BRICS summit
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Southeast Asia
· Top GISBH Leader, Wife Among 22 Individuals to Be Charged Today
· IGP confirms ongoing probe into 30 remaining GISBH detainees held under Sosma after 22 charged in court
· Sultan Nazrin chairs 267th Conference of Rulers with royal leaders, governors in attendance
· DPM Zahid leads Malaysia at Asean disaster management summit in Brunei
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/secularism-ghettoisation-madrasa-hc/d/133521
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Secularism Means Live and Let Live, Mainstreaming Answer to Ghettoisation: Supreme Court in UP Madrasa Act Case
Supreme Court of India
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by Ananthakrishnan G
October 23, 2024
UP Madrasa Act case, Madrasa Act case, Supreme Court, Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act, Indian express news, current affairsThe CJI added that even if the SC were to uphold the HC judgment, what would happen is that parents who want to send their children to the madrasas will continue to do so “bereft of any regulation…”
Stating that “secularism means live and let live”, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that regulating madrasa education was in national interest and therefore, throwing out the entire Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act, 2004 as unconstitutional “is to throw the baby out with the bathwater”.
“As a state, you have wide powers under the Act under Section 20 (of the Act) to ensure that the basic quality of education is maintained even in madrasas… In fact, that power has been expressly conferred on you by the statute, if you find that the quality of education is not what the state as a matter of public policy expects of all students who are undergoing education…,” the CJI said as a three-judge bench presided by him reserved its judgment on petitions challenging the Allahabad High Court order which struck down the Act as unconstitutional.
He said, “The state does have a vital interest even in ensuring standards in places of religious instruction. You interpret it that way. But to throw out the Act is to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
The UP government, meanwhile, told the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, that it stood by the constitutionality of 2004 Act. The Allahabad HC had said that the Act violated the principle of secularism.
“It is our legislation which has been struck down by the High Court… The only aspect that needed to be examined was whether any of its provisions violated part 3 of the Constitution (dealing with fundamental rights). For that purpose, the entire legislation could not have been struck down… If there is some provision which offends part 3, then it can be examined,” Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj submitted.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for some appellants, said the HC decision was “against the principles of secularism”. “Hundreds of people are studying… you cannot force somebody. This is not secularism,” he contended.
The CJI then remarked, “secularism means live and let live”.
On Monday, the Supreme Court had said that some of the provisions of the 2004 Act, which empowers the madrasa board to give degrees like Kamil, Fazil etc., may be in conflict with the provisions of The University Grants Commission Act of 1956, which says that only universities within the meaning of the UGC statute can award such degrees.
On Tuesday, Rohatgi said as per the UGC Act, only those degrees which are specified by notification in the official gazette cannot be awarded. He added that the degrees being awarded by the madrasas do not figure in any such notification and therefore there was no bar in giving them.
The UGC, however, informed the bench subsequently that there was indeed a notification dated July 5, 2014 listing degrees like Fazil and Kamil.
Taking note, the CJI said, “Once there is a notification, then it falls within the bar imposed by the UGC Act.”
Nataraj agreed that madrasas have been exempted from the application of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, and added, “however, the underlying principle under Article 21, which has been recognised as a fundamental right, which has been interpreted by this court – the need to promote quality education” should be given effect to.
The CJI said “independent of the RTE Act, the Madrasa Act itself confers a power on the state government to issue directions… And the state government can yet exercise that authority to effectuate the right under Article 21”.
Appearing for an intervenor, senior advocate Guru Krishnakumar said the Madrasa Act is unconstitutional “for the simple reason that the Act singles out religious instructions provided by one particular community and gives state recognition for such education”.
The CJI said, “Whether you recognise it by the state or otherwise, you cannot exclude the historical and social cultural context that in India we do have religious instruction… whether it is the Vedic pathshalas, whether it is madrasas.” He asked “what’s wrong… If a statute enacted by Parliament or a statute enacted by the state legislature seeks to regulate it to ensure that while you are training young people, young minds, you must train them in a manner which is conducive to the quality of education, the broader national interest?”
Krishnakumar said the state’s objective in securing secular education is to ensure that persons who qualify are able to participate in the democratic process and be part of the mainstream.
The CJI said this can be achieved by the state exercising its regulatory powers under the Act.
Stating that the Act has a “salutary purpose”, the CJI said that even if it wasn’t there, “that doesn’t outlaw the madrasas. The madrasas will still continue to exist through the length and breadth of Uttar Pradesh. But these children who go to the madrasas will have no recognition at all”.
He asked, “Is this really in the national interest? Or is it in the national interest that you regulate the madrasas so that you can mainstream these children? Ultimately, these children will find employment. They will go into national open schools, so on and so forth. You can’t just wish away several 100 years of history of the nation like this.”
The CJI added that even if the SC were to uphold the HC judgment, what would happen is that parents who want to send their children to the madrasas will continue to do so “bereft of any regulation…”
Reminding that the state has the “power…to prescribe regulations…to prescribe rules, which the state must do”, he said “but if there is no regulation, this will be just a sort of a silo into itself without any legislative or executive intervention”.
The CJI said “therefore, it’s a policy statement in the Act that says look, rather than leaving these madrasas completely unregulated, we recognise them, but we subject them to conditions”.
He said “whether the state government has thus far since 2004 properly exercised its power of regulation is a different thing. A particular state government may feel, look, we need to have a more proactive approach”.
Hearing Krishnakumar, the CJI also said “ultimately we have to also have a look at the broad sweep of the country. Religious instruction is not something unique only to the Muslims. You have it among the Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus. It’s a country which is a melting pot of cultures, civilizations and religions. Let’s preserve it that way. In fact, the answer to ghettoisation is to mainstream, is to allow people to come together. Otherwise, what we essentially would be doing is putting people in a silo, to be shunted and forgotten”.
Source:indianexpress.com
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No Legal Bar On Muslim Man Registering More Than One Marriage Under The State Law: Bombay HC
Muslim Marraige
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By HT Correspondent
Oct 23, 2024
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has held that a Muslim man cannot be barred from registering more than one marriage under the state law as their personal laws allow him to have four wives at a time.
The court was hearing a petition filed by a Muslim man from Thane whose plea for registering his third marriage, with an Algerian woman, was rejected by the civic body’s deputy registrar of marriages in February 2023.
The civic official had rejected his application primarily because the Maharashtra Regulation of Marriage Bureaus and Registration of Marriages Act, 1998, contemplates only a single marriage and, therefore, his third marriage could not be registered under the law.
The high court, however, refused to accept the grounds of refusal, noting that Section 7(1)(a) of the 1998 Act specifically contemplated that the registrar has to ensure the marriage between the parties is performed in accordance with the personal law of the parties. Under Muslim personal law, men can have four wives at a time.
“Once this is the case, we are unable to accept the submission that under the provisions of the Maharashtra Regulation of Marriage Bureaus and Registration of Marriages Act, 1998, only one marriage can be registered even in the case of a Muslim male,” said the division bench of justice BP Colabawalla and justice Somasekhar Sundaresan.
The judges added that if they were to accept this submission, it would effectively mean that the Maharashtra Act overrides or displaces the personal laws of Muslims. “There is absolutely nothing in this Act to indicate that the personal laws of Muslims have been excluded,” the judges said, adding that “the personal laws of the parties are a very important factor that has to be taken into consideration whilst deciding whether a particular marriage ought to be registered or otherwise”.
The judges also noted that the same authority – the deputy registrar of marriages – had registered the Thane resident’s second marriage with a Moroccan woman under the same enactment.
The deputy registrar had also claimed that the couple had not furnished certain documents required to process the application. The petitioner assured the court they would submit all the necessary documents in two weeks.
The court clarified that the deputy registrar would then offer a personal hearing to the applicant on November 19 and decide the plea by passing a reasoned order within 10 days. The bench also directed the foreigners’ regional registration officer not to take any coercive steps to deport the petitioner’s partner, whose passport expired in May, until then.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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Hasina’s Resignation: Govt Too Thinks President “Lied" Regarding Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Resignation Letter
Sheikh Hasina (From Files)
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Oct 23, 2024
The interim government agrees with Law Adviser Asif Nazrul's statement that the president "lied" regarding former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation letter, which was "akin" to misconduct.
"The government agrees with what Law Adviser Asif Nazrul has said," Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir told a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday.
He, however, stated that the government is yet to make any move to remove President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
In an interview with daily Manab Zamin Chief Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, President Shahabuddin said he heard that Hasina resigned, but he did not have any documentary evidence.
"I tried [to collect the resignation letter] many times but failed. Maybe she did not get the time," he said.
The interview was published in the daily's political magazine "Janatar Chokh" on Sunday.
The following day, the law adviser termed the president's remark a lie.
He said that the president's comments were akin to misconduct, and if he stuck to his guns, the government should reconsider his position.
"If you contradict something you have said in front of the whole nation, then that is akin to misconduct. Then the question arises if you have the mental capacity to serve as the president. These questions may arise … you have created scope for that," the law adviser said.
Asif was referring to the president's national address on August 5, hours after Hasina fled the country in the face of a mass uprising.
At the press briefing yesterday, Apurbo also said that the advisory council decided to put some restrictions on tourists visiting the Saint Martin's Island for four months from November.
This decision was made as part of the government's efforts to ensure an environment-friendly atmosphere there, he said.
Tourists can go to the island in November, but they will not be able to stay there overnight.
In December and January, the tourists will be allowed on the island and they will be able to stay at night. However, the number of tourists cannot exceed 2,000 per day.
The island will be closed to tourists in February to facilitate cleaning efforts and protect the environment.
Asked about the government's stance on some students demand that this year's HSC exams results be cancelled, CA's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said the government will review any logical demands from anyone.
Regarding the formation of a search committee to set up a new Election Commission, he said a specific process has to be followed in this regard, and it will be done as per law.
Assistant press secretaries Nayem Ali and Shuchismita Tithi were present at the press briefing.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/hasinas-resignation-govt-too-thinks-president-lied-3734016
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Saudi Cabinet Backs Proposal for Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh to Address Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In the Cabinet session held in Riyadh, the Crown Prince provided updates on key diplomatic efforts. (SPA)
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October 22, 2024
RIYADH: The Saudi cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, expressed support for the Kingdom’s proposal to host a joint Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh.
The summit aims to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The council also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s firm commitment to Sudan’s security and stability, pledging support for efforts to resolve the country’s ongoing crisis.
In the cabinet session held in Riyadh, the crown prince provided updates on key diplomatic efforts. He briefed the council on his recent reception of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, where both leaders reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian and Lebanese people, vowing to continue providing humanitarian aid to alleviate their suffering.
The crown prince also highlighted the results of his official visit to Egypt, where he held talks with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The discussions emphasized the strength of relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, along with their shared commitment to enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors.
The cabinet expressed optimism about the newly formed Saudi-Egyptian Supreme Coordination Council, which is co-chaired by the crown prince and President El-Sisi, and the recent signing of an agreement aimed at protecting and encouraging mutual investments.
Source:arabnews.com
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Israel Confirms Killing Hashem Safieddine, Potential Successor Of Slain Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (File Photo)
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October 22, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel’s army confirmed Tuesday it “eliminated” Hezbollah’s Hashem Safieddine, apparent successor of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a strike in a southern Beirut suburb three weeks ago.
“It can now be confirmed that in an attack approximately three weeks ago, Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, and Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah’s Intelligence Directorate, were killed along with other Hezbollah commanders,” the army said in a statement.
Hezbollah has not yet issued a statement regarding the claim.
On October 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the military has “taken out” Safieddine, without specifically naming him.
In an address to the people of Lebanon, Netanyahu said Israeli forces “took out thousands of terrorists, including (Hezbollah leader Hassan) Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah’s replacement and the replacement of his replacement.”
Late on Tuesday, the army said that Israel’s air force “conducted a precise, intelligence-based strike on Hezbollah’s main intelligence headquarters,” in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in the Lebanese capital three weeks ago.
The statement added that over 25 Hezbollah militants were present in the headquarters during the strike, “including Bilal Saib Aish, who was in charge of aerial intelligence gathering.”
A member of Hezbollah’s decision-making body and a distant relative of Nasrallah, Safieddine was out of contact since Israeli strikes on Beirut weeks ago, a high-level Hezbollah source said at the time.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP in early October that the deeply religious cleric Safieddine, who had good relations with Hezbollah backer Iran, was the “most likely” candidate for the party’s top job.
Grey-bearded and bespectacled, Safieddine bore a striking resemblance to his distant cousin Nasrallah, but was several years his junior, aged in his late 50s or early 60s.
“We have reached Nasrallah, his replacement and most of Hezbollah’s senior leadership,” the Israeli army’s chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a statement late on Tuesday after the confirmation of Safieddine’s death.
After nearly a year of war with Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, Israel shifted its focus to Lebanon in late September, vowing to secure its northern border threatened by cross-border fire from Hamas’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
Israel ramped up its air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds around the country and sent in ground troops late last month, in a war that has killed at least 1,552 people since September 23, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures.
The Israeli military issued new calls for residents to evacuate areas in the southern suburbs of capital Beirut on Tuesday evening, warning of imminent attacks.
In recent days the military has targeted Hezbollah’s financial assets across the country.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, has continued to fire rockets and missiles at Israel.
“As of 23:00 (2000 GMT), approximately 140 projectiles that were fired by the Hezbollah terrorist organization have crossed from Lebanon into Israel today,” the military said in a statement late on Tuesday.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2576358/middle-east
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India
Why Concerned with Only Madrasas, SC Asks NCPCR, After NCPCR Said Students Madrasas Weren’t Able to Pursue Medical and Engineering Professions
October 22, 2024
The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) why was it concerned with madrasas after the child rights body said students of such institutions weren’t able to pursue medical and engineering professions.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj made the remarks while reserving the verdict on petitions challenging the Allahabad High Court judgement.
The high court had declared the 2004 Uttar Pradesh law on madrasas as unconstitutional on the ground it violated the principles of secularism.
Senior advocate Swarupama Chaturvedi, representing the NCPCR, said madrasas cannot be seen as an alternative to mainstream education. Moreover, madrasa students will not have the opportunity to pursue careers in fields like navy, medical, engineering and other professions, added Chaturvedi.
“Has NCPCR issued any instructions, cutting across communities, that you will not take children into your religious institutions unless they are taught secular subjects?” asked the CJI.
The child rights body said it had no objection if madrasa education supplemented school education. But, it cannot be a substitute, the counsel for NCPCR said, adding the body had filed a report on the deficiencies of the madrasa system and written to states to inspect them.
The bench asked if the NCPCR had taken a similar stand against institutes of other religions and was aware there were religious instructions provided across India to young children by institutions of their respective religions.
NCPCR’s stand, the counsel said, was that religious instructions should not be a substitute to mainstream education.
The top court, however, questioned, “So tell us, has the NCPCR issued a directive that across communities, that don’t send children to any monasteries, pathshalas, etc.” The apex court further asked the NCPCR if the latter had issued a directive saying children must be taught science, maths, when they are sent to these institutions.
“Why are you only concerned with madrasas? We would like to know if you have dealt with other institutes. Has NCPCR been even-handed in its treatment of all communities,” asked the bench.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/why-concerned-with-only-madrasas-sc-asks-ncpcr-9633575/
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Day after BJP MLA raised ‘love jihad’ claims, interfaith couple granted police protection by Madhya Pradesh High Court
by Anand Mohan J
October 23, 2024
love jihad, Madhya Pradesh High Court, Madhya Pradesh Police, interfaith couple granted police protection, Indian express news, current affairs“As there is strong possibility of injury to petitioner No. 1 (the woman) and 2 (the man), therefore, Superintendent of Police, Jabalpur, is directed to give police protection to petitioner No 1. Police party will take petitioner No. 1 to the place where she is living and permit her to collect all her belongings and articles which are used by her for day to day life,” the court said.
The Madhya Pradesh High court on Tuesday granted police protection to an interfaith couple and observed that “every citizen has a fundamental right in this country” to take decisions regarding their personal life.
Asking for police protection, the couple approached the High Court on Tuesday saying that the woman may be “abducted by their family members”, and that there were threats on their “lives and limb”. The couple also said they have known each other for four years, have been in a “live-in relationship” for the last one year, and now want to get married.
On Monday, Telangana BJP MLA T Raja had raised allegations of “love jihad” and asked Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to intervene and stop the marriage of a Muslim man and a Hindu woman in Jabalpur.
Justice Vishal Dhagat observed that it is the court’s duty “to see that no citizen is deprived of his life and liberty without recourse to law”.
“As there is strong possibility of injury to petitioner No. 1 (the woman) and 2 (the man), therefore, Superintendent of Police, Jabalpur, is directed to give police protection to petitioner No 1. Police party will take petitioner No. 1 to the place where she is living and permit her to collect all her belongings and articles which are used by her for day to day life,” the court said.
The government advocate, appearing for the state, submitted that “police protection will be provided to the petitioners”.
A lawyer representing a relative of the woman alleged in the court that the woman was being “targeted under love jihad campaign” and that she was “brainwashed”. The relative asked that the woman not be put in the company of the man or his family, alleging that they could “influence her decision making”. The relative also submitted that a marriage between the couple would not be valid under Islamic law.
The court, however, said the woman should temporarily be housed at a local shelter, where she will not be contacted by the man and will be free to “think about her decision” to marry him.
“On 12.11.2024, she will be taken to the Registrar of Marriage, where her statement will be recorded before the Registrar of Marriage for conducting marriage under Special Marriage Act, 1954,” the court said.
The court directed that the man also be given protection, and that he be taken by a police party to an undisclosed location for his safety. “When circumstances are conducive, he will be taken to his home and left in company of family members and relatives,” the court said.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/day-after-bjp-mla-raised-love-jihad-claims-interfaith-couple-granted-police-protection-by-madhya-pradesh-high-court-9633797/
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Tribal land usurped in the name of mosques, churches, VHP tells Waqf Joint Parliamentary Committee
October 22, 2024
Ishita MishraISHITA MISHRA
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), in a representation to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, alleged that thousands of properties in the Scheduled Areas across the country have been usurped in the name of mosques, churches, burial grounds, mazars, etc. The right-wing organisation demanded that such land be returned to tribal communities.
The demand comes at a time when Assembly polls in Jharkhand are round the corner and the Bharatiya Janata Party is pressing the issue of demographic change in the State due to Bangladeshi infiltration to garner tribal votes. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey last week said that as soon as the BJP would get majority in Jharkhand, the land taken from tribals by Muslims would be returned.
In a letter written to chairperson of Waqf JPC, VHP leader Alok Kumar, Justice (retired) V.S. Kokje, and Justice (retired) Vijaya Lakshmi said many properties in the Scheduled Areas were notified as waqf properties.
Joint parliamentary panel on Waqf bill gets 8 lakh petitions from public, institutions
“This violates the protection given to Scheduled Tribes in respect of the lands comprised in Scheduled Areas. Such transfer is unlawful and in breach of the constitutional protections to the tribes,” the letter reads.
Scheduled Areas are regions with a large tribal population and are governed under a special mechanism in which the Central government plays a direct role in protecting the cultural and economic interests of the people in living in these areas.
The VHP leader in the letter added that all properties declared as waqf within the Scheduled or the tribal areas must be reviewed by District Collectors.
What are the objections to the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024? | In Focus podcast
“All such properties which are being used by the non-tribals or for purposes viz. mosques/churches, burial grounds, mazars, maqhbaras and dargahs etc, in violation of the prohibition of transfer of lands under Schedule V of the Constitution must be restored to the tribals,” the letter reads.
The VHP said it must be mandatory to refer the matter to the Collector for examination in cases where a land is proposed to be declared as waqf property by a waqf board in a Scheduled Area.
“The decision of the Collector shall be final,” the VHP said.
The Central government had tabled the Waqf amendment Bill in Parliament on July 28. The Bill proposes inclusion of non-Muslims and Muslim women on waqf boards; strips the board of powers to declare a property as waqf. Amid strong objections from the Opposition parties, the Bill was referred to a JPC headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal on August 8. The JPC had asked for people’s submission on the issue last month.
Source:thehindu.com
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J&K: Separatist leeway seen as Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led moderate Hurriyat leaders hold meeting
Muzaffar Raina
23.10.24
Moderate Hurriyat leaders led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq reportedly met for the first time after the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, signalling that the newly formed government could relax curbs on some activities ofthe separatists.
The meeting has come days after the Omar Abdullah-led government took office. The Omar government is unlikely to have any say in allowing or disallowing such activities given the changed political scenario of the state.
The Mirwaiz, who spent most of the last five years under house detention, posted a video of his meeting with senior Hurriyat leaders Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Molvi MasroorAbbas Ansari.
The Mirwaiz wrote on X: “...After more than five years, I got a chance to be together with my dear colleagues Professor sb, Bilal sband Masroor sb.”
“An emotional experience of different feelings, including missing colleagues in jail. But happy to see dear Prof sb (Professor Abdul Gani Bhat) in good spirits and an alert mind at this age.”
Bhat, Lone and the father of Masroor Abbas Ansari, Abbas Ansari, were executive members of the moderate Hurriyat. Abbas died last year after prolonged illness.
Both Bhat and Masroor have served as chairman of Hurriyat.
The Hurriyat was split into hardline factions led by the Mirwaiz and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who passed away in 2021 while being under house arrest.
A separatist leader said the meeting assumes significance due to the government’s hard line against separatists.
“There is a difference between relaxing curbs on separatists and separatism. It is unlikely that thegovernment will change its policy on separatism anytime soon. But separatists might be given some freedom within a limited space,” a separatist leader who was part of the moderate Hurriyat said.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/separatist-leeway-seen-in-jammu-and-kashmir-as-mirwaiz-umar-farooq-led-moderate-hurriyat-leaders-hold-meeting/cid/2057583
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South Asia
EC registration: SC restores Jamaat’s appeal against scrapping
Oct 23, 2024
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday restored an appeal that challenged a High Court verdict scrapping the Jamaat-e-Islami's registration with the Election Commission as a political party.
The apex court will now fix a date for holding a complete hearing of the appeal on merit, said Mohammad Shishir Manir, a lawyer for the Jamaat.
"If the Appellate Division allows the appeal after holding a hearing on it, Jamaat-e-Islami will get back its registration and will participate in elections," he told The Daily Star.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order yesterday after holding hearing on a petition filed by Jamaat, seeking restoration of its appeal.
The other three judges of the bench are Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, and Justice Md Rezaul Haque.
The apex court bench also condoned 286 day's delay in filing Jamaat's restoration petition after this court had dismissed its appeal against the HC verdict.
On September 1 this year, lawyer Shishir Manir submitted the restoration petition to the apex court on behalf of Jamaat Secretary General Miah Golam Parwar seeking necessary directives.
On that day, the lawyer told The Daily Star that the Appellate Division earlier dismissed the Jamaat's appeal without holding a complete hearing.
On November 19 last year, a five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by the then chief justice Obaidul Hassan, dismissed the Jamaat's appeal for "default" as its counsels did not appear before the court on that day.
Yesterday, Jamaat's lawyer Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddiq told the SC bench that senior counsel AJ Mohammad Ali, now dead, for the party in this case could not attend the court for placing arguments due to political programmes, including countrywide strikes, and his illness.
Maulana Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri, secretary general of the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, along with 24 others, filed a writ petition with the HC on January 25, 2009, seeking its order declaring the Jamaat's registration illegal.
The petitioners said that the Jamaat is a religion-based political party, and it does not believe in the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.
Following the writ petition, the HC on August 1, 2013, declared the Jamaat's registration with the EC illegal.
The EC scrapped the Jamaat's registration in October 2018, making it clear that the party will not be able to contest the upcoming national election.
In the verdict, two judges of the three-member HC bench declared the registration illegal. However, the other judge disagreed with the decision made by his two colleagues.
The Jamaat then filed the appeal with the apex court challenging the HC verdict.
Attorney Ehsan Abdullah placed arguments on behalf of the petitioner, while a number of pro-Jamaat lawyers, including its leader Md Jashim Uddin Sarker and Shishir Manir, were present at the court during yesterday's hearing.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/ec-registration-sc-restores-jamaats-appeal-against-scrapping-3733481
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Protesters stage sit-in near Bangabhaban demanding president's resignation
Oct 22, 2024
Protesters this evening blocked Dhaka's Gulistan road near the Bangabhaban, demanding that President Mohammed Shahabuddin step down over his comment about the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The protesters first gathered at Shahbagh in the afternoon and marched towards Bangabhaban, the residence of the president.
They have been observing a sit-in programme on the street since shortly before 5:00pm, halting traffic movement in nearby areas. Commuters suffered as the area faced huge traffic congestion.
The protesters urged Law Adviser Asif Nazrul to arrive at the protest venue to tell them the legal procedures through which the president could resign.
Speaking to reporters on the spot, a protester said they want the president to go as he made contradictory statements over Hasina's resignation at different times.
They also said if necessary, they would spend the night there to realise their demand.
Earlier, several groups staged demonstration in front of the Bangabhaban, Central Shaheed Minar and Barishal on the same demand.
As per media reports, President Shahabuddin recently said he heard Sheikh Hasina had resigned as the prime minister, but does not have any documentary evidence.
"I tried [to collect the resignation letter] many times but failed. Maybe she did not get the time," the president said when Manab Zamin Chief Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury met him and wanted to know about Hasina's resignation letter.
The article that carries the conversation was published in the daily's political magazine "Janatar Chokh" on Sunday.
Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising. The president during his address to the nation hours later said he received Shiekh Hasina's resignation letter.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Ministry of Refugees Signs MoUs to Improve Services for IDPs and Returnees Across Provinces
2024-10-23
KABUL(BNA): The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation today signed three cooperation agreements, valued at a total of 2,498,063 USD, with two organizations to support over 10 sectors.
According to the Ministry’s statement, under these agreements, the Women for Women Organization will allocate 1,261,878 USD to support logistical needs for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), oversee and provide legal protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs), collect and analyze data on the status of IDPs and returnees to present to donors, and offer awareness campaigns, needs identification, and psychological counseling to 10,550 individuals across Balkh, Samangan, Jawzjan, Faryab, Baghlan, Takhar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, and Sar-e Pol provinces.
Additionally, the ACTED organization will invest 873,065 USD to provide shelter and sanitation services in Kunar and Laghman provinces, benefiting 1,296 families. The Organization for Health Administration and Development will also contribute 363,120 USD to implement awareness programs and distribute professional packages to 940 families.
These agreements were signed by Molavi Abdul Rahman Rashid, the Deputy Minister of Technical Affairs at the Ministry, alongside representatives from the respective organizations.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/ministry-of-refugees-signs-mous-to-improve-services-for-idps-and-returnees-across-provinces/
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Deputy Minister Azizi Tours Agha Khan Institute, Applauds Contributions to Afghan Cultural Preservation
2024-10-23
KABUL(BNA): Today, Mawlawi Atiqullah Azizi, the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture from the Ministry of Information and Culture, paid an official visit to the Agha Khan Cultural Organization’s Institute for Cultural and Vocational Studies, where he toured various sections and classrooms.
During the visit, Engineer Ajmal Maiwandi, the Director of the Institute, provided an overview of the institute’s ongoing academic activities and achievements. He highlighted that each year, hundreds of students receive technical training at the institute, gaining valuable skills in cultural and artistic fields such as stone carving, woodworking, handicrafts, miniature painting, and tile making. These skills are then applied to serve the broader community.
Deputy Minister Azizi commended the efforts of the Agha Khan Institute, praising its crucial role in preserving and promoting Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage. He emphasized the importance of such institutions in keeping the country’s traditional arts and crafts alive.
Additionally, Deputy Minister Azizi encouraged the institute’s officials to share their experiences and expertise with the Ministry’s Art Institute Directorate, which operates in similar fields.
He suggested establishing a dedicated department for artistic and vocational training within the Directorate to further enhance cooperation and promote Afghanistan’s cultural legacy.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Central Committee Discusses Strategic Planning for Development Initiatives Along Durand Line
2024-10-22
KABUL(BNA): In a significant step toward addressing the challenges faced by residents in districts adjacent to the Durand Line, the Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs convened a meeting of the central committee established for this purpose. This committee was formed following decree from esteemed Supreme Leader of IEA, tasking the Ministry with assessing and resolving the pressing concerns of these border communities.
According to the official statement, the Ministry was instructed to listen to the grievances of the people living near the border and Durand Line and provide a comprehensive report to the leadership for further action.
In line with this directive, provincial committees were already established in key provinces including Nuristan, Kunar, Nangarhar, Khost, Paktia, and Paktika. Subsequently, a central committee was formed under the leadership of Deputy Minister of Border Affairs, Mawlawi Mohammad Ismail Ghaznawi, tasked with evaluating and addressing the collected concerns from these districts.
During today’s meeting, chaired by Mawlawi Ghaznawi, extensive discussions were held regarding the allocation of financial resources, strategic planning, and the formulation of mechanisms to streamline efforts aimed at resolving these issues.
The committee emphasized the importance of developing a clear action plan and financial framework. To ensure the effective implementation of these measures, a team was appointed to raise public awareness through the provincial committees.
Furthermore, discussions included immediate actions to be taken, including the allocation of funds for essential projects such as road construction, healthcare, water and energy supply, telecommunications, and educational development in the affected districts.
These initiatives are expected to commence in the near future, demonstrating the IEA’s commitment to improving the living conditions of communities along the border.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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New township built for flood victims in Afghanistan’s Ghor
By Fidel Rahmati
October 23, 2024
Officials in Ghor province have announced that a special township has been inaugurated for flood victims in the region.
The Director of Migrant Affairs and Returnees in Ghor stated that this dedicated township for flood victims has been established in the Murghab district of Ghor province.
The officials in this province added that one hundred houses have been built for the flood victims, and work on constructing another hundred houses has also begun.
Previously, heavy floods in the Shuraba Bazaar in the center of Murghab district and its surrounding villages caused significant financial losses.
Recently, several provinces, including Badakhshan, Takhar, Baghlan, Panjshir, Nuristan, Kunar, Kapisa, Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Bamiyan, Samangan, and Ghor, have experienced deadly rains, thunderstorms, and floods.
Establishing this special township in Ghor highlights the government’s efforts to provide immediate relief and long-term support to those affected by the recent floods.
However, the widespread impact of floods across multiple provinces underscores the need for comprehensive disaster management strategies and infrastructural resilience to prevent and mitigate future disasters. Continued support and coordinated action will be crucial in aiding recovery and building a safer environment for vulnerable regions.
Source:khaama.com
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Afghan migrants killed in Iran, investigation stalls with no one held responsible
By Fidel Rahmati
October 22, 2024
Nearly 10 days have passed since the first deadly shooting by Iranian border forces at Afghan migrants and five days since the second incident, yet the fact-finding team from the interim government has not made any findings.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, stated today (Tuesday, 22 October) that the distance from the incident location is the reason for the prolonged investigations. He added, “The delegation is visiting three borders,” and the investigation is ongoing.
This is even though it has been nine days since the first shooting, which reportedly resulted in around 260 casualties, according to Hal Vash. It has also been almost a week since the second shooting occurred on Thursday evening, 17 October.
In the latest development, Hal Vash, a human rights organization, reported that Iranian authorities intend to bury the bodies of the migrants killed in the Kalgan Saravan region.
The bodies of migrants who were killed in the deadly shootings by Iranian border forces on 13 and 17 October in eastern Iran are being held in the morgue of “Razi” Hospital in Saravan.
Hal Vash further reported that the “Taliban government” is attempting to recover at least 13 bodies of Afghan migrants who lost their lives due to the shootings at the Kalgan Saravan border and to return them to Afghanistan.
The Taliban has not made any statement on this matter, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as expected, has denied such an incident.
The ongoing tension at the Iranian-Afghan border highlights a critical humanitarian issue that demands transparent investigation and accountability.
As conflicting reports emerge and the involved parties offer limited cooperation, the plight of Afghan migrants and the urgency of addressing border security violations remain pressing concerns. International bodies may need to step in to ensure justice for the victims and to prevent further escalations.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/afghan-migrants-killed-in-iran-investigation-stalls-with-no-one-held-responsible/
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Arab World
Al-Sudani discusses with bin Salman holding an Islamic summit on regional events
October 22, 2024
Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani held a phone conversation on Tuesday, with Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
"The phone call discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields, focusing on strengthening partnerships and coordinating positions to face shared challenges for the benefit of both brotherly countries, " stated The Media Office of The Prime Minister in a statement, received by The Iraqi News Agency-INA.
The statement added, “The phone conversation also discussed the ongoing developments in the region and the continuous escalation, and efforts to end the war that has been raging for over a year in Gaza and Lebanon. Additionally, they discussed preparations for holding an Islamic summit to address these developments and their repercussions, which pose a threat to the region's security and stability”.
Source:ina.iq
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https://ina.iq/eng/35750-al-sudani-discusses-with-bin-salman-holding-an-islamic-summit-on-regional-events.html
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Riyadh event hails Saudi Arabia’s shift toward women in top roles
LAMA ALHAMAWI
October 22, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi women are taking up diverse leadership positions and expanding their role in various sectors, a top official of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said at the “Women in Leadership” event in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Lorcan Tyrrell, chairman of ECCKSA, told Arab News: “Women are educating themselves rapidly now in spaces … 58 percent of engineers in Saudi Arabia are women, that’s staggering, 80 percent of female students are now looking into the STEM sector.”
Speaking about his own experience with Saudi professionals, he said: “I have worked with most professional MBA students looking at real-life solutions to problems in business and creating business plans around them, working in teams, openly presenting the solutions.
“My words at the time were, men better watch out. There is a big change happening. There’s a big shift from traditionally male-dominated positions with female coming into the equation now,” he said.
“It’s not a threat to men but it’s certainly an opportunity for us that we must embrace.
“The women are coming through so fast, so talented and so well-articulated in their messages … it’s fantastic to see,” Tyrrell said.
He added that seeing the event and the turnout and presence of the female workforce in Saudi Arabia was “inspiring.”
During the “Women in Leadership — Connecting for a Sustainable Future” event jointly hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia and DHL, diplomats, industry leaders, policymakers and key stakeholders gathered to discuss the growing role of women in leadership across the Kingdom, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.
The event showcased the different female leaders across sectors to discuss their challenges and accomplishments, and answer any questions in the hope of promoting gender diversity, empowerment and inclusion across all sectors of society.
The opening remarks were made by the head of the EU delegation and the Ambassador of the EU to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud, followed by a speech by Tyrrell.
“I think there has been a lot of dramatic change in the Kingdom and I think the positive change for women in the Kingdom in the past short number of years has enabled women to come to the table with men,” Tyrrell told Arab News.
Keynote speeches were also made by the Ambassador of Sweden to the Kingdom Petra Menander; board member of Aramco Digital and former minister of economy and digital affairs of Austria, Margarete Schramboeck; Saudi Deputy Minister of International Relations at the Ministry of Investment Sara Al-Sayed; Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization Deemah Al-Yahya; and Kristijonas Gedvilas, CEO of the European Chamber of Commerce in KSA.
Al-Sayed highlighted that women’s empowerment had been happening in Saudi Arabia even before Vision 2030. “The importance of empowering women is inherent in the Kingdom, it always has been,” she said.
“What the Vision 2030 is providing … is a promise and a commitment. It’s an onward trajectory of where we are going forward,” she added.
Al-Sayed, who spent many years studying and working in the US in the banking sector before returning to the Kingdom 10 years ago, said: “When I came here … it was the best decision of my life. I had a seat at the table, my voice was heard and I had the support from the highest level.
“I say this, and I emphasize that the fact that this was 10 years ago, prior to the Vision 2030,” she said.
Speaking about her interactions with female professionals, she added: “The dedication that I see from the female workforce in Saudi Arabia is something that’s unprecedented and I have never seen it before.”
She also shared figures that showcased the huge growth in women’s participation in the Saudi workforce across sectors.
Al-Sayed said that women-to-women companies in the Kingdom had increased by 60 percent in the past two years, and that 38 percent of SMEs were owned and operated by women.
She also highlighted that 20 percent of the total seats in the Shoura Council were held by women, as well as 50 percent of seats in the Human Rights Council. She said that there had also been an increase in the number of female ambassadors representing the Kingdom.
Speaking on the diversity of attendees and speakers at the event, Sue Donoghue, DHL’s Arab Cluster CEO and ECCKSA vice-chair, told Arab News: “(Women in leadership) is such a diverse topic. I think it’s essential to get as many perspectives as we can and actually use this as a call to action to really inspire everybody to join the initiative.
“There is a big difference between women domination and putting women in a role because they are women. It’s about having that equal opportunity and having the platform to thrive.”
She also highlighted that in her roles, she hopes to inspire other women to pursue positions of leadership.
ECCKSA is enhancing economic and business ties between the Kingdom and the EU.
The chamber was formed this year with the mandate of unifying voices toward joint missions such as supporting and empowering women in leadership.
“It’s more important now than ever that we get as many males and females together working in leadership,” Tyrrell said.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2576343/saudi-arabia
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Saudi health minister launches medical software licensing scheme
October 22, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Health Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel launched a licensing initiative for medical software developers on Tuesday.
It is a major step in advancing digital health in the Kingdom.
The initiative, unveiled during the Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh which began this week, aims to streamline the use of software in medical diagnosis, treatment and decision-making processes.
A launch event was attended by key figures in the Saudi health sector, including Saudi Food and Drug Authority CEO Hisham S. Al-Jadhey.
The initiative will allow innovators, research centers and investors to develop and implement advanced medical software in the Kingdom without establishing physical manufacturing facilities.
By focusing on the licensing of software for medical devices and supplies, the SFDA is looking to position Saudi Arabia as a leader in the global digital health landscape.
The scheme will also enhance the Kingdom’s digital diagnosis and treatment capabilities, while supporting the broader adoption of modern technologies in healthcare, an SFDA statement said.
Medical software has become an essential tool for healthcare professionals worldwide, enabling more accurate diagnoses and improving patient outcomes.
With the new licensing framework, the Kingdom is ensuring that its health sector keeps pace with the latest technological advancements, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety, the statement added.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia to host donors’ conference to support displaced and refugees in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin
October 22, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host a donors’ conference to support displaced people and refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin at the headquarters of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah on Saturday.
The conference is being held in coordination with King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
A high-level session on the challenges of the humanitarian situation in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, with the participation of a number of prominent speakers, will be held at the conference.
The conference aims to achieve a number of goals including raising awareness of the displacement and asylum crisis in the Sahel and Lake Chad region and mobilizing financial resources for the immediate humanitarian response to this crisis and any future challenges in this region.
The Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha are expected to address the conference’s opening session, the OIC said.
Source:arabnews.com
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Mideast
Blinken urges Israel to reach Gaza truce, allow more aid
October 22, 2024
JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel’s leaders to work toward a ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday, the latest call for a truce coming as fighting raged in the territory’s aid-starved north and Israeli strikes hit Lebanon.
Blinken is on his 11th trip to the Middle East since Hamas’s attack on Israel more than a year ago triggered the Gaza war, and his first since Israel’s conflict with Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah escalated last month.
The top US diplomat told Israel’s leaders that the army’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week presented an “opportunity” for a truce and the release of the hostages Hamas seized during the October 7, 2023 attack.
“I believe very much that the death of Sinwar does create an important opportunity to bring the hostages home, to bring the war to an end and to ensure Israel’s security,” Blinken said as he met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.
During an earlier discussion with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Blinken pressed for more aid to be allowed into the besieged Palestinian territory as concerns rise for tens of thousands of civilians trapped by a major Israeli assault in the hard-to-reach north.
A US official said that Netanyahu had recognized the “seriousness” of Blinken’s warnings to ramp up aid access to Gaza, “but it’s the results that matter.”
Washington has warned it may suspend some of its military assistance if Israel does not quickly improve humanitarian access to the area.
Netanyahu also denied claims that Israel was implementing a controversial plan for an intense siege to starve out northern Gaza, the US official said.
Previous efforts by the United States — Israel’s top ally and main arms supplier — to end the Gaza war and contain the regional fallout have failed, as did a previous bid to secure a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.
Blinken’s visit comes as Israel weighs its response to Iran’s missile attack on October 1.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Blinken that Israel expects Washington’s support “following our attack on Iran,” his office said.
Blinken again called for a “diplomatic resolution” in Lebanon and compliance with a UN resolution that ended Israel’s last war with Hezbollah in 2006.
After Israel, Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, a last-minute change from plans to head to Jordan caused by scheduling issues, a US official said.
Fighting meanwhile raged in Lebanon, with the Israeli military issuing new calls for residents to evacuate areas in the southern suburbs on capital Beirut on Tuesday evening, warning of imminent attacks.
After nearly a year of war in Gaza, Israel shifted its focus to Lebanon in late September, vowing to secure its northern border to allow tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by cross-border fire to return to their homes.
Israel ramped up its air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds around the country and sent in ground troops late last month, in a war that has killed at least 1,552 people since September 23, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures.
On Tuesday, an Israeli strike on the eastern Hermel region killed five people, while five more died from a separate strike in the southern city of Nabatiyeh, the ministry said.
An Israeli air strike near a Beirut hospital overnight killed 18 people, four of them children, according to the health ministry.
The strike flattened four buildings near the Rafic Hariri Hospital, Lebanon’s biggest public health facility which is located outside Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds, an AFP correspondent reported.
Resident Ola Eid said she was tossing children chocolate and candy from her balcony when her neighborhood was bombed.
“Before they could even catch them, the first strike hit, then a second. I saw the children ripped apart,” she told AFP.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said he was “appalled” by the strike.
Another Israeli strike on Tuesday came just minutes after a Hezbollah official cut short a news conference in response to an Israeli evacuation warning, an AFP correspondent said.
Hezbollah said it launched attack drones at an Israeli military base south of the coastal city of Haifa on Tuesday, with the group also saying it struck seven tanks at the border.
In the Gaza Strip, Israel launched a major air and ground assault in northern Gaza earlier this month, vowing to stop Hamas militants from regrouping in the area.
Despite the exodus of tens of thousands of civilians, around 400,000 have been trapped by the fighting, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned last week.
Paramedic Nevin Al-Dawasah said she was trapped for 16 days in a shelter for displaced people in the Jabalia refugee camp, the focus of the recent fighting.
When an Israeli army drone equipped with loudspeakers told them to evacuate, they started leaving “but suddenly there was shelling” that killed some people and wounded others, Dawasah told AFP.
The only medical facility still only partially functioning in the targeted area of northern Gaza has “no medicine or medical supplies,” warned Kamal Adwan Hospital director Hossam Abu Safia.
“People are being killed in the streets, and we can’t help them. Bodies are lying on the streets.”
The war was sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed 42,718 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry which the UN considers reliable.
Source:arabnews.com
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Qalibaf urges Islamic nations to cut off critical resources of Israel
October 22, 2024
Speaking at a meeting with ambassadors from Islamic nations on Tuesday, Qalibaf stressed the importance of coordinated efforts to condemn Israel's actions on the international stage.
In his remarks, Qalibaf urged Islamic nations to leverage their influence in global forums to hold Israel accountable for its ongoing aggression in Gaza and Lebanon. He argued that the Zionist regime should not be allowed to exploit the resources of Islamic countries while committing atrocities against Muslim populations.
“This regime must not be permitted to exploit the resources of Islamic nations to commit crimes against our Muslim brothers and sisters,” Qalibaf declared, calling for immediate action. “Islamic countries should act in coordination to leverage favorable international avenues, condemn the crimes of the Zionist regime, and enforce a ceasefire.”
One of the key actions Qalibaf proposed is the imposition of economic sanctions on Israel, alongside cutting off the vital financial and logistical lifelines that sustain the regime. He emphasized that such measures would serve as an effective tool in curbing Israel's military operations and influence in the region.
Qalibaf highlighted the critical role that ambassadors of Islamic countries could play in this effort. He urged them to lobby their respective governments to extend support for the oppressed people of Gaza and Lebanon. "The ambassadors have a unique responsibility to advocate for the Palestinian and Lebanese people at home and abroad," he said.
The Iranian Parliament speaker went on to discuss the current state of Israel, noting that the regime is facing growing internal unrest and external security threats, which, according to him, put its very existence at risk. “The sinister regime finds itself grappling with internal protests and external security threats, placing its illegitimate existence at risk of collapse," Qalibaf observed.
In this crucial moment, he continued, Islamic countries have a significant moral obligation to respond to the Zionist regime’s escalating violence. “Muslims and Islamic nations bear a significant responsibility to respond in this critical moment,” Qalibaf said, urging them to act swiftly.
Qalibaf also pointed to the ongoing acts of Israeli aggression in the region, describing the situation as dire. He criticized the Zionist regime for plunging the region into “bloodshed and chaos.”
“The Zionist regime, backed by some nations, is perpetrating violence with the intent of altering the region’s geopolitical landscape. All the while, it remains unaccountable to any authority,” Qalibaf added, warning that Israel's actions pose a threat to regional stability.
He also cautioned against remaining silent in the face of Israeli crimes, stating that indifference only emboldens the regime’s violence. “The occupiers have shown that they do not understand the language of dialogue. Silence and indifference only bring their barbaric nature to the fore,” Qalibaf warned.
Finally, Qalibaf reiterated Iran's unwavering support for the Resistance movements fighting against Israeli occupation. He also noted that Iran is actively pursuing diplomatic channels to further isolate Israel.
Source:tehrantimes.com
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Iran-Israel war could birth a tech-savvy bin Laden. It can cause big, disproportionate damage
LT GENERAL PRAKASH MENON
22 October, 2024
The cycle of revenge in West Asia triggered by Hamas on 7 October 2023 is expanding in scope and intensity. It now also includes Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, which are exchanging violent blows with Israel. The United States, the prime political and strategic supporter of Israel, has deployed maritime military assets that have reinforced the latter’s defence protection. It has also carried out several air strikes against Houthis in Yemen.
The US recently announced the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that will be operated by nearly 100 troops. The THAAD is a mobile platform designed to intercept short-, medium-, and intermediate-range missiles in their terminal phase. The deployment was presumably connected to Israel planning its reaction to Iran’s missiles, rockets, and drone strikes against Israel that were carried out nearly a month ago. What this signifies is a deepening of the US involvement in a confrontation that has morphed into an Israel-Iran conflict. It increases the possibility of the US taking direct action against Iran. However, Iran would not want an escalation, which involves the use of accurate and lethal armaments that it cannot counter.
Iran’s preference for the methodology of inflicting violence is based on small, lethally armed groups that could cause damage beyond their size. The methodology is best represented by the actions of suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices. Such strategies have been described as weapons of the weak against the strong. For the recipient of violence, ‘terrorism’ is the descriptor. Paradoxically, when violence is inflicted and civilians are impacted by bombs, missiles, and rockets from conventional platforms, ‘collateral damage’ presumably becomes the hypocritically accepted descriptor for the perpetrator even when humanitarian laws are cast aside.
Israel continues its blatant violation of humanitarian laws/norms in Gaza, West Bank, and Lebanon amid the inability of the international community represented by the United Nations to curb the pace and scope of the war in terms of civilians killed and wounded. In addition, most of the population in Gaza has been displaced and become refugees who have had to move many times constantly seeking shelter. They have also been facing chronic starvation and lack any medical support, with Israel blocking aid convoys.
Grounds for terrorism
Whichever way this cycle of revenge subsides, what is certain is that it could breed several generations of Palestinians and other ethnicities that would remember Israel’s infliction of violence. Moreover, with the images of destruction, death, and wounding of innocents, including children, populating the screens of a vastly connected world, the possibility of terrorism making a major comeback in the future has become a distinct possibility. Notably, the battlefronts of the emotions generated by revenge will be drawn along the lines of religion, especially between Islam and Christianity clubbed with Judaism. Such a clubbing is conceivable due to the perceived Western support led by the US for Israel’s actions.
Though the breeding ground for terrorism may have been created, it still requires some organisational structure and a certain degree of State support to pose any major threat. As things stand, unless there is a change of tack in dealing with Iran, the conflict is likely to continue with its current anti-Israeli nature. Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is also another candidate. It will not be surprising if China and Russia also provide tacit support, as the opening up of US-led anti-Iranian or any other front work to their advantage in the global geopolitical competition.
In terms of leadership, another Osama bin Laden or a number of them could emerge—the perception of the confrontation as a religious war could ignite emotions as no other factor can. There is a possibility of the Arab world being drawn into such a future conflict. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Indonesia could be potential candidates. This is apart from the religious cleavages that exist in many countries in Africa and Central Asia. Areas like Xinjiang, which harbours a sizable population of religiously repressed people, could also be drawn in especially if China is distracted from dealing with problems arising due to its geopolitical tensions.
A question we must ask
India, too, could be a possible candidate for being strung along by the resurgence of global religious wars, having in its sails the winds of emotions steeped in narratives of brutality witnessed on social media and TV. The last time around when the Bin Laden-led Jihad was played out, India, despite having the second-largest Muslim population, had managed to keep itself out of the confrontation. Whatever degree India was impacted was on account of Afghanistan-Pakistan providing shelter and support to terrorists.
There is a high possibility that the next generation of fighters to partake in future religious wars will be much more technologically savvy. Such skill sets could be leveraged by small groups of people to weaponise cyberspace and inflict damage to the big and strong. Cyberspace provides opportunities to find the cheapest pathways to cause unacceptable, disproportionate damage. Economic and transportation systems would be particularly vulnerable.
The question that we should now pose to ourselves is whether any alienated segments of India’s Muslim population can once again stay away from global religious strife if and when it makes its appearance. It is necessary to ask this question, for the context of India’s domestic politics has transformed and the constitutional safeguards of an inclusive and secular outlook eroded by the emergence of a pronounced and unfortunately popular Hindu majoritarian slant.
Source:theprint.in
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Hezbollah says struck army intelligence base near Tel Aviv
October 23, 2024
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it fired rockets at an Israeli military intelligence base in the Tel Aviv suburbs Wednesday, following a night of strikes on the group’s south Beirut bastion.
Hezbollah fighters launched “a rocket salvo” at “the Glilot base of the military intelligence unit... in the Tel Aviv suburbs,” the group said in a statement, referring to a base targeted several times in recent days. It said the rocket fire was “in response to attacks and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Desperation amid search for survivors of an airstrike on a crowded area near major Beirut hospital
October 23, 2024
BEIRUT: Nearly 16 hours after an Israeli airstrike hit across the street from Beirut’s main public hospital, rescuers were still removing debris Tuesday from the overcrowded slum area. An excavator was digging at one of the destroyed buildings, picking out twisted metal and bricks in search for bodies.
Residents standing on mounds of debris said an entire family remained missing under the rubble.
Mohammad Ibrahim, a Sudanese national, came looking for his brother. “His mobile phone is still ringing. We are trying to search for him,” he said. “I don’t know if he is dead or alive.”
Hours later, health officials said five bodies had been recovered from under the rubble. At least 18 people were killed, including four children, and at least 60 wounded in the strike that also caused damage across the street at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the capital’s main public medical facility.
Jihad Saadeh, director of the Rafik Hariri Hospital, said the strike broke several glass windows and the solar panels of the medical facility, which continued to operate despite the damage and the panic. None of the staff was injured.
Saadeh said the hospital received no warning of the impending strike, just a few meters (yards) across the street. Neither did the residents of the slum area, where several buildings were crammed and which houses several migrant workers as well as working class Lebanese.
The Israeli military said it struck a Hezbollah target, without elaborating. It added had not targeted the hospital itself.
It was hard for rescue equipment to reach the area of clustered settlements and dusty narrow roads.
Nizar, one of the rescuers, said he had been at the site of the explosion since Monday night. “It was too dark and there was so much panic,” he said, giving only his first name in line with the rescue team’s regulations. “People didn’t understand yet what had happened.”
The overcrowded slum was covered in debris, furniture and remains of life poking out of the twisted metal and broken bricks. Residents who survived the massive explosion were still in shock, some still searching through the debris with their hands for their relatives or what is left of their lives. Gunmen stood guard at the site. The Lebanese Civil Defense said Tuesday five buildings were destroyed and 12 sustained severe damage. The dead included one Sudanese and at least one Syrian.
“This is a very crowded area; buildings are very close. The destruction is massive,” Nizar said, explaining that the scale of the damage made their rescue effort harder.
Across the street, the hospital was still treating a few of the injured. The morgue had received 13 bodies.
Hussein Al-Ali, a nurse who was there when the attack happened, said it took him a few minutes to realize it was not the hospital that was hit. Dust and smoke covered the hospital lobby. The glass in the dialysis unit, the pharmacy and other rooms in the hospital was shattered. The false roof fell over his and his colleagues’ heads.
“We were terrified. This is a crime,” said Al-Ali. “It felt like judgment day.”
It took only minutes for the injured from across the street to start streaming in. Al-Ali said he had little time to breathe or reassure his terrified colleagues and the rattled patients.
“Staff and patients thought the strike was here. We fled outside as the injured were coming in,” he said. And when he was done admitting the injured, “we came out to carry our (killed) neighbors. They are our neighbors.”
Ola Eid survived the strike. She helped dig out her neighbors’ children from under the rubble, before realizing she herself was injured.
“The problem is we didn’t feel it. They didn’t inform us. We heard they want to strike Al-Sahel hospital,” said Eid, bandaged and still in shock sitting at the hospital gate. Israel had hinted another hospital miles away could possibly be a target, alleging it is housing tunnels used by the Hezbollah militant group.
Eid, an actor, said she was playing with her neighbor’s kids when the first explosion hit. It knocked her to the floor and scattered the candy she was handing out to the kids. She stood up, not believing she was still alive, to find her neighbor’s kid soaked in blood. One was killed immediately; the other remained in intensive care.
“I looked ahead and saw the kids torn apart and hurt,” she said. “The gas canisters were on fire. I didn’t know what to do — put out the fire or remove the kids.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Israel defenseminister says US should stand with Israel when it attacks Iran
October 22, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told visiting US top diplomat Antony Blinken that his government expects Washington’s support when it attacks Iran in response to a missile strike earlier this month.
“The United States’ stance with Israel following our attack on Iran will strengthen regional deterrence and weaken the axis of evil,” Gallant said according to a statement from his office, referring to Tehran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East, after Israel has vowed retaliation for the October 1 missile attack.
Source:arabnews.com
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Pakistan
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Leader Says 'Out-Of-Turn' CJP Appointments Hurt Country
By Web Desk
October 23, 2024
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vowed to launch a protest movement against the decision of the Special Parliamentary Committee to nominate Justice Yahya Afridi as the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).
“As lawyers we will condemn this nomination and will launch a protest movement,” PTI leader Hamid Khan said while speaking to Geo News following the parliamentary panel’s meeting, which the former ruling party boycotted.
However, he expressed hope that Justice Afridi will not accept the nomination as chief justice.
Chief justices have been appointed twice out-of-turn and it caused "a great loss to the country", Hamid said. "[This move] has been done create a divide within the Supreme Court."
Meanwhile, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has rejected the opposition’s allegations of creating a “constitutional crisis” by picking a chief justice after neglecting the seniority principle.
Speaking to Geo News, Iqbal criticised that the Imran Khan-founded party was seemingly eyeing to tow its political agenda via a specific nomination for the new CJP.
He defended the Special Parliament Committee for nominating Justice Afridi as the new top judge, saying that the decision was taken on merit.
He was of the view that it was not an unusual practice to skip seniority principle as the country witnessed such examples for the appointments the chief justices of the high courts.
The minister further said that the country needed a statesmanship and a strong leadership to end polarisation in the top court’s benches and judicial system besides strengthening the judiciary and bringing harmony to the institution.
The nomination came after two rounds of in-camera meetings of the parliamentary panel with the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) boycotting the proceedings "in line with the party's political committee's decision".
The committee consists of senators Azam Nazeer Tarar from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), Farooq H Naek from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Kamran Murtaza from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
Meanwhile, members of the NA from PML-N include Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Shaista Parvez; Raana Ansar from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Syed Naveed Qamar and Raja Pervez Ashraf from PPP.
In a statement, the National Assembly Secretariat said that the SIC members took final decision not to attend the parliamentary panel’s meeting. “The committee has been apprised of the SIC’s decision.”
The secretariat noted that a sub-committee, comprising four members — Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Ansar, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Kamran Murtaza, was constituted to convince the SIC lawmakers to attend the meeting, “but to no avail.”
During their meeting with SIC members, the statement noted, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that they would not attend the parliamentary committee’s session in line with the PTI’s political committee decision.
The government is racing against time to appoint the new top judge as the incumbent CJP Qazi Faez Isa is set to retire on October 25. Under the previous law, the incumbent CJP would have been automatically replaced by the senior puisne judge — Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.
However, the method has been changed following the enactment of the contentious 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Under amendments to clause 3 of Article 175A, the top judge will now be “appointed on the recommendation of the Special Parliamentary Committee from amongst the three most senior judges of Supreme Court” with two-thirds majority.
It may be pointed out that the process for appointment of the new chief justice is required to be completed in the next three days as incumbent CJP Isa is going to retire on October 25.
As per clause 3C of Article 175A, the committee by the majority of not less than two-thirds of its total membership, within 14 days prior to retirement of the CJP would send the nomination. However, the first nomination under clause 3 after commencement of the Constitution (Twenty-sixth) Act 2024 would be sent within three days prior to retirement of the chief justice.
However, the clause (3) of Article 175A also mentioned that if the nominee from amongst three senior most judges declines, the remaining judges from amongst three senior most judges would be considered for nomination.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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People to get 'quick justice' after new law: PM
By Web Desk
October 22, 2024
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the 26th Constitutional Amendment would bring ease for the common man who had to suffer owing to inordinate delays in seeking justice.
"With the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the people will get quick justice from the judicial system," he said, addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet whom he congratulated on the development.
He added that the establishment of constitutional benches would offer convenience to the common man.
The reforms, the premier insisted, would prove to be a milestone for the country’s political and economic stability as well as public welfare.
The prime minister's remarks came after the ruling coalition succeeded in pushing the highly contentious judicial reforms through the parliament via a two-third majority with 225 and 65 votes in the lower and upper house, respectively.
Under the judicial reforms — opposed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which boycotted the voting process — the chief justice of Pakistan will now be selected by a parliamentary committee and have a fixed term of three years. A new constitutional bench will also be formed under the constitutional package.
Following the late-night marathon session in the parliament which began on Sunday evening and ended in the early morning hours on Monday, PM Shehbaz sent an advice to President Zardari to give his assent and sign the legislation into law.
After the president's assent, the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2024 has now become an Act of the parliament which be followed by the formation of a special parliamentary committee — responsible for the appointment of the new CJP under clause 3 of Article 175A of the Constitution.
Incumbent CJP Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire on October 25, will send the names of three senior judges to the committee under sub-clause 3 of Article 175A.
The committee will appoint the next CJP and will send the name to the PM who will then forward it to the president.
He maintained that the new legislation was passed following an in-depth consultation among the ruling coalition and opposition parties, terming it an accomplishment of the vision of the Charter of Democracy signed by then-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif on May 14, 2006
He said the tireless efforts led to the successful legislation which also manifested a true spirit of consultation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked the leadership of the supportive political parties including President Asif Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Mualana Fazlur Rehman, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, National Party, Awami National Party, Balochistan Awami Party and, also the independent candidates for their vote.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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NA speaker orders probe into alleged presence of spies
Amir Wasim
October 23, 2024
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the allegations levelled by Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan about the presence of the “personnel of the intelligence agencies in the uniform of assembly’s security officials” inside the house during the proceedings related to the 26th Constitutional Amendment bill aimed at bringing drastic changes to the judicial system.
“The honourable speaker has already passed instructions for the inquiry,” announced Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah when Mr Khan raised the matter for a second time after Maghrib break on the private members’ day.
Speaking on a point of order in the presence of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the opposition leader earlier alleged the intelligence agencies personnel were present inside the assembly hall as well as in the precincts of the Parliament House and that they escorted the “abducted” PTI members to ensure their vote in support of the constitutional amendments.
He asked the speaker to inquire the matter through CCTV camera footage, claiming that these officials had come to parliament in double-cabin vehicles which were seen entering Gate No 5.
Mr Khan also presented some photos with his signature as evidence when the speaker interrupted him to assert “it is not possible”. Amid slogans of “shame, shame”, he showed a picture of a uniformed security official, stating that his identity should be verified.
“I never say anything unfounded,” he said, demanding that the matter be investigated through an independent committee that should also include the sergeant-at-arms.
“Check with your sergeant-at-arms or assign someone else and check the CCTV cameras,” said Mr Khan, alleging that the personnel were also present in the house during the Saturday’s sitting. He said the PTI dissidents had been made to sit on the treasury benches at a place from where they were not visible to the press gallery.
“Intrusion of intelligence agencies and other agencies will further derail and weaken this house and democracy,” Mr Khan said, adding that wrong traditions of “securing votes on gunpoint” were being set.
Footage
The opposition leader claimed that a number of treasury members had been given the task to bring the PTI dissidents to the house. He said he watched a video clip showing a “scuffle between the officials of the intelligence agencies with some media persons”.
He asked the chair to issue the directives to ensure that the CCTV footage of past two days was not “scrubbed or erased.”
Responding to Mr Khan, the speaker said he would show him the pictures of all the security officials, who were present in the house on Sunday.
About the lawmakers, he said he could not control the members if a few of them chose to sit on the other side. He said nothing could be hidden from the eyes of journalists as the press gallery was packed on Sunday.
A couple of times, the house witnessed rumpus when Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and ruling party MNA Hanif Abbasi in their speeches targeted PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan and castigated the opposition party for not voting on the bill.
Later, two PTI MNAs — Sher Afzal Marwat and Zartaj Gul — also lambasted the government over the way it bulldozed the constitutional amendment, alleging that the opposition members were not only “kidnapped and tortured”, but some were also “bribed”.
The two lawmakers accused their defecting colleagues of voting “under duress or as a result of some bargains”.
Mr Marwat said the PML-N’s motive for the legislation was to ensure its five-year rule by making the judiciary subservient to parliament, stating that the three senior most judges of the Supreme Court would never annoy the prime minister in the hope of becoming chief justice.
He said the “new judicial system” introduced by the government would be disastrous for the judiciary, which ranked 138 in the international index.
He also slammed ex-CJPs Iftikhar Chaudhry, Saqib Nisar, Asif Saeed Khosa and Abdul Hameed Dogar for bringing bad repute to the judiciary and placed incumbent CJP Qazi Faiz Isa and the one who resigned Umar Ata Bandial in the same category.
“We need independent judges and not favourite judges,” Mr Marwat said.
PTI’s parliamentary leader Zartaj Gul decried her alleged abduction in her Dera Ghazi Khan constituency, saying that she was “dragged” from her house and her face was covered like terrorists.
She said there had been criticism in the international media over the constitution amendment bill.
Mr Tarar refuted the opposition’s allegations of forced polling and said the constitutional amendments were not done in haste, rather it took “two and a half months”.
He claimed that two clauses of the amendment draft were removed on PTI’s demand. He said the four members who supported the bill were independents and cast their votes as per their will.
He alleged that the PTI was facing “internal conflicts”, claiming that the party had been “disintegrated into four groups”.
Meanwhile, the house passed two bills after suspending the rules to carry out the government agenda through a supplementary order of the day.
Resolutions
The house also passed five resolutions, including the one asking the government to “take immediate steps in order to devise and provide media literacy training in schools and colleges for countering fake news on social and electronic media.”
The members also passed resolutions urging the government to “take immediate steps to control overbilling by Discos” and to “condemn the incessant Israeli brutal killings of innocent women and children in Gaza and its recent deadly attacks in Lebanon.”
The NA will meet again on Wednesday (today) at 11am.
Source:dawn.com
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Activists fear Sindh govt may spoil case of Dr Shahnawaz custodial killing
October 23, 2024
HYDERABAD: Speakers at a consultative programme on Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar’s killing have expressed fear that the government wants to spoil this case and save culprits, which is evident from the fact that police have not arrested the killers and facilitators so far.
The consultation was held at the local press club on Tuesday by “Justice For Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar Committee” and chaired by Ismail Wassan, a former student leader.
They said that all forms of extremism would be resisted in Sindh which was the land of peace for centuries.
Ismail Wassan said Sindh’s civil society had been struggling against that murder from day one. He expressed the resolve that fanatics and extremists would not be allowed to occupy Sindh.
He added that the forum was created to pursue the case in order to ensure punishment to the killers of Dr Shahnawaz, including police officers, extremists and fanatics and their facilitators.
Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Riaz) chairman Riaz Ali Chandio said Sindh would not give up its secular and mystic ethos. He said people wanted to know why those, who had killed Shahnawaz and burnt his body, were still free. He said that on one hand certain forces were promoting extremism while on the other, they were planning to render Sindh barren by building new canals over Indus river. He vowed to resist canals’ projects.
JSQM-Bashir leader Dr Niaz Kalani said the PPP government was partner in crime with extremist forces ever since the murder of Shahnawaz. He said that those who had launched movement against the killing were intimidated and arrested instead. He said they were booked under false charges.
Prof Mushtaq Mirani said Sindh didn’t have any place for extremism and fanaticism. He said the Sindh government was directly responsible for the murder of Shahnawaz because had government taken timely notice, he would not have killed. The Sindh government did not stop extremists after the murder and Shahnawaz’s body was burnt, he added.
Imdad Chandio, Mir Mangrio advocate, Dr Badar Channa and others also spoke.
Resolutions were also adopted at the consultation, demanding formation of a judicial commission, comprising three serving judges of the high court, to probe the incident. It should submit report in a month and recommend punishment for the extrajudicial murder, the meeting said.
It demanded arrests of those nominated in Dr Shahnawaz’s FIR and urged PPP chairman Bilawal to unseat party’s MNA Ameer Ali Shah who garlanded the accused policemen after the murder.
It condemned the arrest of Riaz Chandio and Dr Niaz Kalani between the night of Oct 12 and 13 and the use of violence against the participants of Rawadari March in Karachi on Oct 13.
It demanded the suspension of the provincial home minister and Sindh IGP for registration of FIR against Sindhu Nawaz Ghangro, Saif Samejo and others on Oct 13 for holding a rally in Karachi. A resolution said the FIR registered against them should be withdrawn.
The meeting also condemned construction of six canals over Indus river, saying that the existing link canals over Indus should be closed.
It demanded an end to encroachment over millions of acres of land and stoppage of the allotment of Sindh’s lands under Green Initiative.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1867007/activists-fear-sindh-govt-may-spoil-case-of-dr-shahnawaz-custodial-killing
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30 students injured as PU guards pounce on their protest
Imran Gabol
October 23, 2024
LAHORE: Thirty students were injured in the torture by security guards of the Punjab University as they attacked the participants in ‘Students Rights March’ on Tuesday.
The march was being held by the Punjab University Student Federation (PUSF), a body of different student organisations, including those of Pashtun, Baloch, Seraiki and Punjabi students, outside the Institute of Education and Research (IER) to press for its demands.
The students’ demands included reversal of recent fee hikes, student representation in harassment committees, construction of new hostels, resolution of scholarship issues, restoration of quotas for South Punjab tribal areas, and an investigation into the death of a female student found hanging in the university hostel.
Students also called for an end to the profiling of students by law enforcement.
The protesters reacted when the security guards allegedly attacked them outside the IER as the guards tried to disperse them and snatched a microphone from Pashtun Council chairman Arif Kakar who was addressing the protestors.
A video clip being shared on social media also shows the security guards trying to stop the march and attacking the students.
The video shows the students resisting the guards who are attacking them with batons. The students first retreated and later started hurling stones and glass bottles at the guards. As a result of the clash, 30 students and 10 guards suffered injuries.
Mr Kakar told Dawn the students were holding their issues-related rights march when the guards started attacking and torturing them. He said the chief security officer (CSO) hurled threats at them for holding the protest on the campus and added that they were holding a peaceful demonstration when the CSO ordered the guards to attack them. He claimed that the guards’ torture had left 30 students injured.
“The CSO contacted his parents and also threatened them that he would not allow their son to complete his degree,” he alleged.
Kakar claimed that they were gathered to demand justice for the girl who was found dead in the hostel last week and the recent semester fee hike.
“We demand the administration take action against the guards for torturing the students,” he said.
A heavy police contingent, led by Iqbal Town SP Bilal Ahmad, approached the campus and dispersed the students and security guards.
A PU official, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that SP Ahmad questioned the CSO’s decision for ordering the guards to disperse the peaceful protesting students, which a created law and order situation on the campus.
The police officer said he would report the matter to the vice chancellor against the CSO for ordering the guards to disperse the students in presence of the police.
The PU spokesperson rejected the students claim as well as the video footage, saying that the students had attacked the guards with glass bottles, stones and sticks and as a result, 10 guards suffered serious injuries to the heads and other parts of the body.
He said the student organisations had assured that they would not involve themselves in provocative speeches before their rally but the speeches were made against the standard operating procedure and they were very provocative.
The PU spokesperson claimed that the head of the student organisation was immediately informed by the security staff about the provocative speeches but he did not intervene. He alleged that the guards took a student aside for making a provocative speech when the students attacked the guards.
He said that the students attacked the guards with glass bottles, stones and sticks before the guards took action in their own defense.
Punjab University Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and condemned the attack on the security guards without mentioning 30 injured students.
He issued instructions for the best treatment of the injured guards and directed strict action against students involved in the ‘hooliganism’ in the light of the eyewitnesses’ statements and the videos.
The Punjab government has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee led by University of Sargodha Vice-Chancellor Dr Qaiser Abbas as convener to probe the clash between PU students and security guards.
Other members are PU pro vice-chancellor Prof Khalid Mahmood, Higher Education Department Additional Secretary Muhammad Azam and Deputy Secretary (Univ-I) Usman Ibrahim.
Source:dawn.com
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Punjab police want domestic violence offence non-bailable
Asif Chaudhry
October 23, 2024
LAHORE: The police department has proposed amendments to the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act (PPWVA-2016) to enhance the fine to Rs1 million and declare it a non-bailable offence in order to ensure the support and protection of women against violence across the province.
A summary to this effect has been moved by Inspector General of Police Punjab Dr Usman Anwar to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to place it before the provincial cabinet for required changes.
A senior official said the Punjab police felt the need for amendments following the reports that most suspects/attackers involved in domestic violence against women managed to escape police action and punishment from the courts as the FIRs were lodged on six per cent of the total incidents reported across the province so far.
In majority of the cases, the matter was treated as non-cognisable when parties either reached an agreement or the victims abandoned pursuing the criminal proceedings to take the attackers to task owing to certain other reasons.
In the summary, the IG police briefed that domestic violence has been a systematic and widespread phenomenon which occurs across Punjab regardless of the age or socio-economic status of the victim.
“The absence of a strict legal regime further fuels the aggressors who have a perpetual sense of going unpunished due to legal void,” Dr Usman said.
He submitted that the Virtual Women Police Station (VWPS) was a unique initiative of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, operationalised on April 22, 2024 to empower women and ensure their protection against violence.
It has played a significant role in addressing the issues pertaining to the women in domestic violence incidents they have been facing.
Since its inauguration, the VWPS has received a total of 114,540 complaints to date out of which 59,798 were related to domestic violence against women, he said.
“Unfortunately, there was no explicit penal provision declaring domestic violence as a cognisable offence hence the first information report was lodged in only 3,365 cases out of 59,798,” whereas in all other cases, the matter was treated as non-cognisable,” reads the summary.
Talking about the primary objective of the initiative, the IG said the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act, 2016 was aimed to be a significant legislation towards addressing the issue of violence against women in the province.
However, the aforementioned data reflects that in only 6pc of cases, FIRs were registered against the offenders.
He said that the effectiveness of VWPS and PPWVA to effectively check domestic violence and become an effective grievance redressal tool for victims has been hampered by this legal void i.e. absence of a penal clause specifically declaring domestic violence a cognisable offence.
“In such circumstances, there is a dire need to amend the relevant section of the said Act, to ensure the support and protection of women against violence across the province of Punjab,” reads the summary.
Hence, legal amendment in Section 21 of “The Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act XVI of 2016” is proposed as follows:
Section 21: (1) The court shall not take cognisance of an offence under this Act except on a complaint of the district women protection officer or a woman protection officer acting on behalf of the district women protection officer.
(2) The court shall conduct the trial of an offence under this Act in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XXII of the Code relating to the summary trials.
Section 21-A: (1) (proposed) The offence of domestic violence shall be punished with imprisonment of three years or with a fine which may extend to Rs1 million or both. The offence shall be cognisable, bailable and compoundable.
(2) The court may take cognisance of the matter either on a police report u/s 173 Cr.PC or on a private complaint filed by the victim and try the offence summarily.
(3) If a person is punished under this Act and he commits the offence of domestic violence again, the offence shall be treated as non-bailable.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1867005/punjab-police-want-domestic-violence-offence-non-bailable
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CM Bugti hails passage of 26th amendment
October 22, 2024
QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti hailed the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment as major win for democracy.
In a statement issued on Monday, he congratulated PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and all coalition parties, describing the amendment as a significant step towards fair representation for all four provinces.
CM Bugti praised the collective efforts of the entire political leadership in reaching a consensus on this crucial amendment, highlighting that it is a great victory for democracy that strengthens the representative parliament.
He said the nation deserves congratulations on this achievement, marking the beginning of a bright chapter in the country’s democratic history and ensuring greater transparency and merit in the years to come.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1866807/cm-bugti-hails-passage-of-26th-amendment
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Pak-Qatar Group and IFMP join hands to enhance Islamic financial expertise
By Our Correspondent
October 23, 2024
KARACHI: Pak-Qatar Group (PQG) has entered a strategic partnership with the Institute of Financial Markets of Pakistan (IFMP) by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop the skills and knowledge in Takaful and Islamic financial services, a statement said on Tuesday.
This partnership will focus on developing learning and development programmes to enhance expertise in Islamic finance and Takaful. The IFMP’s pool of trained and certified professionals will be accessible to PQG, offering expertise in both new and complex financial market products.
The collaboration will also provide a platform for research, idea exchange and consulting services on financial market issues. This initiative aims to address Pakistan’s capacity constraints and enhance investor confidence through improved knowledge standards.
“We are pleased to collaborate with the IFMP and are excited to access their pool of talented individuals with expert knowledge on financial markets to our human capital,” said Waqas Ahmad, CEO of Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Limited.
“This is part of our initiatives to continuously move forward to provide the best Islamic financial solutions to our customers as Pak-Qatar Group is committed to providing expertise for making financial decisions to our customers for their secure financial future along with technology based innovative products and services with industry best customer services,” Ahmad added.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1242847-pak-qatar-group-and-ifmp-join-hands-to-enhance-islamic-financial-expertise
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Pakistani delegation holds meeting with IMF’s Jihad
October 23, 2024
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has briefed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about the government’s efforts towards fiscal consolidation, revenue expansion, energy and SOE reforms.
The Pakistani delegation held a meeting with Jihad Azour, Director MCD at the IMF. While thanking the IMF for its continued support to Pakistan, especially for the recently approved US$7 billion Extended Fund Facility, the delegation outlined the government’s efforts towards fiscal consolidation, revenue expansion, energy and SOE reforms, aimed at transitioning Pakistan from stabilization to growth. Congratulating Pakistan on the successful start of the Fund programme, Jihad Azour emphasized the importance of staying the course on reforms.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan delegation held a meeting with the representatives of Alvarez & Marsal Sovereign Advisory Services, comprising Dr Reza Baqir, Managing Director and Global Practice Leader, Peter Briggs, Division Executive for Sovereign Advisory Services, and Thibaud Fourcade. Alvarez & Marsal team congratulated Pakistan on the successful conclusion of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with IMF and discussed various approaches through which Pakistan could access the international capital markets and external creditors. The team outlined the steps needed for the country to chart an accelerated path to capital markets following a well-sequenced strategy. Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue, is leading Pakistan delegation to the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF), being held in Washington DC from October 21 to 26, 2024. Other delegates include Imdad Ullah Bosal, Finance Secretary, Dr. Kazim Niaz, Secretary Economic Affairs, and Jameel Ahmad, Governor, State Bank of Pakistan.
Source:nation.com.pk
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https://www.nation.com.pk/23-Oct-2024/pakistani-delegation-holds-meeting-with-imf-s-jihad
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Europe
Azerbaijan-Islamic world explore key regional issues, cooperation
22 October 2024
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, along with presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev, held a meeting with ambassadors of Muslim countries accredited in Azerbaijan.
The meeting included a presentation and a Q&A session regarding the prospects for bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Islamic world, a post by the Foreign Ministry on social media platform X says, Caliber.Az reports.
Topics discussed included the post-conflict situation in the region, the normalization process of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Azerbaijan's views and priority directions for COP29.
Source:caliber.az
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https://caliber.az/en/post/azerbaijan-islamic-world-explore-key-regional-issues-cooperation
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Belgium revokes work permits of imams over ‘foreign influence’ rules
22 October 2024
Five Turkish imams who had been living in Belgium for four years face losing their jobs and possible deportation from Belgium due to a Flemish regulation designed to limit foreign influence.
The five imams were denied work permit renewals after the Flemish Government discovered they were receiving funding from the Turkish State, which is not permitted under state-level law.
Since May 2024, the Flemish Government in Belgium has barred economic migrants from being financed by foreign governments.
The five Imams worked in mosques in Antwerp, Sint-Niklaas, Ghent, Diest, and Lommel and were reportedly linked to the Diyanet network, which has direct ties to President Recep Erdogan’s regime in Turkey.
Flemish labour minister Zuhal Demir said the decision to deny the permit renewals stemmed from growing concerns about foreign interference.
“I am taking a firm stand against these practices. We must act quickly and firmly in such cases. We cannot simply overlook it,” she said in a press release.
There have been concerns that some individuals may have used their position, upon arrival in Belgium, to promote Erdogan’s agenda and undermine Belgian values by going against the country’s social norms.
Diyanet-affiliated mosques have previously been flagged for promoting allegedly homophobic views.
“This funding model is part of Turkish doctrines that directly control the mosques,” Demir stated.
“You cannot separate the Diyanet network from the authoritarian Erdogan regime that rules in Ankara.”
For Team Fouad Adhir, a Belgian Muslim and minority-interest party, the decision represented a provocation.
“I’m not going to engage in this provocative debate,” party leader Fouad Adhir told Brussels Signal.
Demir’s decision to revoke the imams’ work permits could also be seen as an attempt to circumvent the Belgian Constitutional Court’s 2023 ruling that deemed a ban on foreign funding of religious communities unconstitutional.
“The condition that foreign funding or support undermines the independence of a local religious community is not precise enough. It is a disproportionate interference with freedom of worship,” the Belgian Constitutional Court had ruled.
Now that their applications for new work permits have been rejected, the five Imams have three months to find another employer.
If they do not, the federal immigration service can decide to permanently remove them from the country.
They can also appeal the decision if they file an objection with the Council of State within 60 days.
In 2023, 66 work permit applications were submitted in Flanders by ministers of a recognised religion. Of these, 48 were ultimately approved. For 2024, the count stands at 36 out of 51 applications that have received approval.
Source:brusselssignal.eu
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https://brusselssignal.eu/2024/10/belgium-revokes-work-permits-of-imams-over-foreign-influence-rules/
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Norton Fitzwarren man sentenced for sharing material 'in support' of Islamic State
22nd October 2024
A MAN from Norton Fitzwarren has been sentenced after pleading guilty to sharing online material in support of Islamic State.
Ryan Scuffil was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in London yesterday (Monday, October 21) following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing South West (CTPSW).
The 28-year-old had pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 when appearing before magistrates in Westminster on Monday, May 20.
Scuffil was found to have used a social media profile under a false name to post pro-Islamic State material, including statements glorifying acts of terrorism and graphic images over an 11-month period from September 2022.
A warrant was carried out in August 2023, involving officers from Counter Terrorism Policing South West (CTPSW) and Avon and Somerset Police, at Scuffil's home address. Electronic devices were seized from his property and subsequently examined.
The court was told Scuffil had no previous convictions and he received credit for an early guilty plea.
Scuffil was handed a three-year community order, which will include a rehabilitation requirement as well as ensuring he engages with the Prevent intervention programme. He will also be required to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work.
Head of CTPSW detective superintendent Sarah Robbins said: "We'd like to reassure people that during the course of enquiries there was no evidence at all that Scuffil was considering or planning any sort of activity that would have directly endangered public safety.
"The items found on his devices though clearly showed a mindset and willingness to disseminate propaganda material supportive of Islamic State and he had set up a social media profile under another name to carry that out.
"A dedicated team from across the CTPSW region worked together to obtain all the evidence that was required to secure this conviction, alongside Avon and Somerset Police colleagues.
"Such offences are rare, but where they do occur we will fully investigate and seek to bring the offender to justice."
“If you’ve seen or heard something that does not seem right, trust your instincts and report it. Your actions could save lives.”
Source:wsfp.co.uk
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https://www.wsfp.co.uk/news/norton-fitzwarren-man-sentenced-for-sharing-material-in-support-of-islamic-state-732587
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Russians accused of crimes offered choice - go to war instead of court
23 October 2024
Olga Ivshina
At about 06:45 on 28 March, police arrived at Andrey Perlov’s house near Novosibirsk in Siberia.
They accused him of stealing about three million roubles ($32,000; £24,000) from a Novosibirsk football club where he was the managing director - he and his family deny this.
Perlov, who is 62, is an Olympic gold medallist, having won the 50km race walk in 1992.
He has been detained for more than six months and his family says he is being pressured to agree to fight in Ukraine. He’s been told that, in return, the embezzlement case against him would be frozen and potentially dropped when the war ends.
It’s no secret that prisoners have been recruited to fight in Ukraine, but BBC analysis can reveal how the initial focus on convicted criminals has shifted to include people yet to face trial.
The latest laws mean that both prosecution and defence lawyers are now legally obliged to inform people who are charged with most crimes that they have the option to go to war instead of court.
The legislation, passed in March 2024, means that if they sign up, the prosecution and any investigation will be stopped. Their cases will generally be closed completely at the end of the war.
“This has turned Russia’s law enforcement system upside down,” says Olga Romanova, the director of Russia Behind Bars - an NGO that provides legal assistance to detainees.
“Police can now catch a man over a corpse of someone he has just killed. They tighten the handcuffs and then the killer says: ‘Oh wait, I want to go on a special military operation,’ and they close the criminal case.”
We received a leaked recording of an investigator describing the advantages of signing a contract with the Russian army to someone whose husband had already been sentenced to three years for theft.
“He can get six more for this other crime,” he tells her. “I offered him a chance to sign an agreement. If his request is approved, he will go to war and we will close the case.”
If the accused signs, within a few days the criminal case is suspended, and they leave for the front line almost immediately.
Three lawyers working in Russia confirmed that this has become the norm across the country.
Some sign up in the hope of avoiding prison and a criminal record - but it’s not an easy way out, as teenager Yaroslav Lipavsky discovered.
He signed a contract with the army after he was accused of intentionally inflicting "serious harm to health by a group of persons by prior agreement”.
His young girlfriend had just found out she was pregnant and in order to avoid prosecution, Lipavsky signed up with the military as soon as he turned 18.
He left for Ukraine and a week later was dead - one of the youngest soldiers to die in the war.
It’s not clear how many people accused of crimes have opted to fight instead of facing trial, but this shift in policy reflects Russia’s need to reinforce troops while minimising the number of other civilians it needs to mobilise.
“Do Russians care about convicts or those who are in prison? I suspect that they don't,” says Michael Koffman, military analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
He thinks the government “likely assumes that these are people they can lose, that nobody will miss and that they will not have a substantial, negative effect on the overall economy”.
When the Wagner mercenary group first recruited prison inmates, its late leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, targeted convicts in high-security jails, saying he needed their “criminal talents” in return for pardons.
The BBC and Russian website Mediazona have seen and verified confidential documents that shed light on the process of recruiting prisoners, what has happened to many of them and the need to maintain the flow of new fighters.
We know, from analysing the dog tags of convicts who died in Ukraine and payments made to their families, that Wagner recruited nearly 50,000 inmates from penal colonies, and at one point were losing up to 200 in action every day. Many others were injured.
All prisoners’ dog tags start with the letter K, which stands for “kolonya” or prison colony.
The first three numbers identify the prison where they came from and the last three numbers identify the recruit, given out in sequence - so the higher the number, the more recruits came from that colony.
Payment records show that more than 17,000 prisoners were killed trying to capture the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine between July 2022 and June 2023 alone.
To plug the losses, Wagner, and later the Ministry of Defence, have adapted their recruitment strategies to broaden the pool of people they can draw on.
Some people accused of crimes refuse the new deal because they are against the war in principle, others because the risk of dying or being injured on the battlefield is too great, and others because they want to stay at home to fight their case.
But they can come under huge pressure from the authorities, says Andrey Perlov's daughter Alina.
“He refused and we made quite a big noise in the local media so he was sent to the strict punishment cell, where they brought him the contract again."
She adds that when he refused a second time, he was forbidden from seeing or calling his family.
They still hope to prove his innocence, but the last time Alina saw her father in court in mid-July, he had lost a lot of weight. “He tries to keep himself cheerful,” she says, “but if this goes on, they will break him.”
We asked the Russian authorities about Andrey Perlov's case and whether they are unfairly pressurising detainees to join the army. They did not respond.
Source:.bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrjrp7625mo
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Russians feared dead after plane shot down in Sudan
Wycliffe Muia
23 October 2024
Russia's embassy in Sudan has said it is investigating reports that a cargo plane with Russian crew was shot down in Darfur, a key battle ground in the civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The aircraft, identified as a Russian-made ilyushin Il-76, was on a mission to deliver equipment and medicine to the army-held city of el-Fasher, military sources told Sudanese media.
On Monday, the RSF said it had downed a Russian-made plane flown by the Egyptian military that it accused of bombing civilians - though it was identified as an Antonov.
Egypt denies accusations that it has been providing military support to Sudan's army during the 18-month conflict.
The vicious struggle for power between the army and RSF began in April 2023, leading to what the UN has called one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Some estimates suggest up to 150,000 people have been killed since the war began last year, according to comments made in May by US special envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello.
The UN estimates it has also forced more than 10 million people - about a fifth of the population - from their homes.
Details about the crash and its mission are murky.
The Russian embassy in the capital, Khartoum, said it was co-ordinating with the Sudanese military-led government to gather more information about the crash and those who were onboard.
According to the Sudan Tribune news website, all members of the crew - including three Sudan nationals and two Russians - were killed in the crash.
It quotes military sources as saying it came down in the Malha area, near the border with Chad, en route to the besieged city of el-Fasher. This has not been independently verified.
El-Fasher is the only city still under army control in the western Darfur region - and has been under attack from the RSF since April.
The RSF says it has the plane’s black box and seized documents related to the plane and its mission.
Viral footage from the alleged scene of the crash shows RSF soldiers with what appears to be identification documents next to the plane wreckage.
According to BBC Verify, the documents - including a Russian passport, a job identification card from Manas airport in Kyrgyzstan and two South African driving licences (with different expiry dates) - all relate to one individual.
Preliminary research suggests he may have graduated from a Russian military academy and may have been a resident in South Africa.
One video posted by the RSF also shows a fighter holding up 50-rouble ($0.50; £0.40) Russian currency note - however the way it is filmed makes it hard to tell conclusively that the footage was shot near the crash site.
Some reports suggest a technical fault may have been responsible for the crash - but both the army and RSF are saying it was shot down.
Others indicate it may have mistakenly been targeted.
This is because some documents seen in circulating video footage suggest the aircraft was affiliated with an airline previously linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Middle Eastern country denies allegations that it has been arming the RSF - though the UN says there is credible evidence.
Fresh diplomatic attempts to negotiate a cessation of hostilities between the rival forces in Sudan have failed to make progress.
Fierce fighting has recently escalated around Khartoum, which is largely controlled by the RSF, with the military intensifying airstrikes in the city's centre and southern belt.
In Wad Madani, an RSF-held city south of Khartoum in Gezira state, local activists say more than 50 people have been killed in multiple attacks since Sunday.
The city’s “resistance committee”, made up of volunteers who try to bring aid locally to those caught up in the conflict, says more than 30 people were killed on Sunday in a military airstrike on a mosque.
It says the attack happened after evening prayers and accuses the army of using barrel bombs - banned from use in populated civilian areas under international conventions - and rescuers have been unable to identify over half of the dead as the bodies are charred and mutilated.
The attacks follow the recent defection to the army of the RSF’s top commander in Gezira state.
Source:.bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg9gk9zv5vo
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European state’s president opens door to BRICS referendum
22 Oct, 2024
A referendum on the possibility of joining BRICS could be held in Serbia in light of the economic bloc’s growing popularity in the country, President Aleksandar Vucic has suggested.
Vucic’s comment comes after Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said earlier this month that instead of EU membership, Serbia would explore the option of joining the BRICS economic group, which is currently chaired by Russia.
In an interview with state broadcaster RTS on Monday, Vucic cited new research as saying that 42% of Serbs are in favor of integration with the EU, while another 42% are supportive of the idea of joining BRICS. This is true “even though people in Serbia do not really know what BRICS means,” Vucic said
“Although no one will like this, that discussion [about EU or BRICS] will be very serious in this country in the next year and a half or two,” he said. “I do not rule out that it will be one of the key topics in the presidential elections in 2027… and it may also be a referendum topic.”
Vucic noted however, that BRICS would have to make some progress on the issue of setting up a common means of payment.
“People are fed up with stories about respecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine, while the territorial integrity of Serbia is not respected,” local media quoted Vuvic as saying, concerning Serbia’s potential EU membership.
The Balkan country applied to join the EU in 2009 and has been a candidate since 2012. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has accused Brussels of moving the goalposts for accession, most recently by linking Belgrade’s membership to severing relations with Moscow.
Despite enormous pressure from Brussels, Belgrade has not joined the US and EU sanctions against Moscow, officially pledging neutrality in the Ukraine conflict and maintaining trade relations with both Russia and the West.
Serbia sent a delegation to the BRICS Summit, which is currently underway in Russia’s Kazan. The delegation is led by Vulin, as well as Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic, Economy Minister Adrijana Mesarovic and Minister Nenad Popovic, who oversees international economic cooperation.
Vucic, who had been invited to the summit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, told RTS he asked for understanding for not attending the summit in person due to a visit to Serbia by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“I was very honest with President Putin and told him that it was planned in advance, but I did not hide it and told him… that even if it weren’t for these visits, it would be extremely difficult for me to come due to various circumstances that [he is] well aware of,” Vucic said.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/606159-serbia-brics-referendum-possibility/
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Trump alleges UK ‘interference’ in US election
22 Oct, 2024
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign has filed a complaint over alleged election meddling in the upcoming US election by the UK’s ruling party.
Labour Party officials have reportedly advised Democrats about strategies, while activists have worked in battleground states, but insist that this is all perfectly legal because they have not donated any money to the party.
In a complaint to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Trump campaign alleged “blatant foreign interference” by Labour in the US election, in the form of “apparent illegal foreign national contributions” accepted by the Democrats and their candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Foreign nationals are prohibited from making “a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation,” in support of an American candidate, “directly or indirectly,” the complaint said, citing US law.
Among the evidence cited by the campaign is a Washington Post report that “strategists linked to Britain’s Labour Party have been offering advice to Kamala Harris about how to earn back disaffected voters and run a winning campaign from the center-left.”
Likewise, UK outlet The Telegraph has reported that Morgan McSweeney, the chief of staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as Starmer’s chief of communications, Matthew Doyle, attended the Democrats’ convention in Chicago and met with Harris’ campaign team.
Last week, Labour’s head of operations, Sofia Patel, posted on LinkedIn that she had “nearly 100 Labour Party staff, current and former, going to the US in the next few weeks, heading to North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia,” advertising ten openings in North Carolina. Patel told potential applicants that “we will sort your housing.”
Trump supporters, including Elon Musk, have pointed to Patel’s post as a clear violation of campaign laws. The post has since been deleted. Democrats insist that none of this is illegal because it does not involve financial contributions.
“This is a normal thing that happens in elections,” British Employment Minister Alison McGovern told Sky News last week, noting that Labour activists have campaigned for Democrats many times before.
Democrats have made unsubstantiated allegations that Russia ‘meddled’ in the 2016 presidential election and that Trump ‘colluded’ with the Kremlin, after his surprise victory over Hillary Clinton that year. Claims of ‘Russian collusion’ were used to oust and even imprison several Trump advisers and campaign aides, while hobbling his presidency and driving US-Russia relations to their worst point since the Cold War.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/606177-trump-british-interference-us-election/
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North America
Muslim students furious at Swinburne University over prayer room closure on main day of worship
October 23, 2024
Swinburne University in Melbourne has decided to close its Hawthorn campus prayer room on Fridays — the Muslim holy day when congregational prayers are held — forcing dozens of Muslim students to pray elsewhere.
The ongoing closure of the Multi Faith Centre has sparked outrage among almost 400 members of the Swinburne Islamic Society who said it was part of a wider crackdown on their religious freedoms.
On Friday, the students gathered in the rain to protest before praying in the campus' atrium.
Swinburne University said it made the decision to close the Multi Faith Centre after "multiple breaches" of the centre's guidelines occurred on Friday, October 11.
A spokesperson for the university said the breaches included some members of the Swinburne Islamic Society refusing to allow the university-appointed Muslim chaplain to lead prayers, as well as "encouraging attendance from large numbers of people not associated with the university".
Friends of students, alumni and nearby residents sometimes attend prayers at the university because it is the closest prayer space.
Occasionally, including on October 11, they pray outside the Multi Faith Centre if they are not allowed in.
Video of the incident seen by the ABC shows the chaplain attempting to take a microphone from a student leading prayers.
After the student instead gave the microphone to a member of the Swinburne Islamic Society, the chaplain left.
The university then closed the Multi Faith Centre for the remainder of that day.
"In response to these breaches and a pattern of behaviour from this small group, Swinburne made the decision to close the centre on Fridays until the [Swinburne Islamic Society] meets with the university to discuss our concerns and commits to follow the guidelines that everyone else follows."
The Multi Faith Centre is still open to all faith groups on other days, the spokesperson said.
It is also accessible to staff and their immediate family to use for prayer.
President of the Swinburne Islamic Society Tabish Rather said the chaplain's presence on October 11 was "unnecessary" and upset the students who wanted one of their own to lead the prayer.
He said the incident and decision to close the centre on Fridays had come after a year of issues around access to the Multi Faith Centre for Muslim students.
Students felt like they were under surveillance
Mr Rather said Swinburne University implemented new restrictions including the requirement of swipe access cards to enter the floor where the Multi Faith Centre is located and installation of security alarms in one of the prayer rooms mainly used by Muslims.
The alarms were installed to ensure compliance with the key card access requirements and would sound if the door was left open.
"It felt like we were being surveilled for the past year. The university doesn't require swipe access cards to enter the student lounge which has computers but they have this security measure for us," said the 20-year-old applied mathematics student.
The alarms were disabled in February, two months after they were installed, after complaints from the Swinburne Islamic Society.
He also said the time restrictions on the Multi Faith Centre from 5am to 11pm meant many students had nowhere to do early morning prayers during Ramadan, as the nearest mosque was located 13 kilometres from campus.
The university did open the Multi Faith Centre for 24-hour access during the last 10 days of Ramadan this year.
However, in 2022 the Multi Faith Centre had 24-hour access during Ramadan.
Another issue has been the university's appointment of a Muslim chaplain earlier this year.
The chaplain was given the role of overseeing and delivering the sermon for the Swinburne Islamic Society-run Friday prayer.
The university also appoints accredited Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu chaplains to speak and lead prayers and other rituals in the centre.
But Mr Rather said there was no need for new chaplain to oversee the student-run prayer service.
"The Swinburne Islamic Society has been running their own Friday prayers without issue for the past 14 years," he said.
"As a Muslim community and independent student body it's our right to nominate our imam. We want a fellow student who knows the struggles we face, not an outsider."
In an online poll, 201 members of the Swinburne Islamic Society voted unanimously to keep a student-run Friday prayer service rather than a chaplain-led service.
Fatima, who asked to use only her first name, said she had enjoyed her studies at Swinburne University's Hawthorn campus for the past three years.
The health science masters student said she had found moments of peace in the prayer room between rushing to classes.
"It's a chill safe space, especially for us as hijabi women because it's that one place where you feel like your modesty is being guarded," she said.
However, for the past year updated guidelines for the use of the prayer room had caused issues for Muslim students like her.
The new guidelines like key card access and alarms made her feel like she was being unnecessarily watched, she said.
She said they also "infringed" on her student autonomy.
"You feel a bit out place as an international student already, and then you feel out of place with these additional barriers in the prayer room and it makes you feel unwelcome," she said.
"Earlier the space was more accessible to people outside of the university.
"It was an open space to everyone not just staff and students, now there's an added layer of exclusivity and anyone outside of Swinburne is seen with some sort of scrutiny because of the updated guidelines now being enforced.
Centre to remain closed while discussions held
Prior to the updated policies, Mr Rather said students were largely happy with the system and it was more accessible.
He said the lack of trust between the university and the Swinburne Islamic Society had made him feel uncomfortable on campus and guided his decision to pursue his postgraduate studies elsewhere.
"I definitely want to be at Swinburne, all of my friends are here, but who wants to live under surveillance?" he said.
Adel Salman, president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, the peak body for Muslims in the state, said he supported the students' right to run their own Friday sermon.
"Swinburne University should be allowing the Swinburne Islamic Society to maintain its autonomy for things like the Friday prayers," he said.
He said the biggest issue facing many Muslim international students was isolation.
"There are many international students in Swinburne University like other universities, and for them the prayer area is also a place to actually socialise and form a community as well as worship," he said.
"The university interfering in the operations of the prayer room actually has an impact on their mental well being and emotional wellbeing."
Mr Rather credited the friendships he had made in the university's prayer facilities as a rewarding aspect of studying on campus.
"Most of us international students don't have family here and the prayer room has become an important place for us," he said.
Swinburne University said the Multi Faith Centre would be closed on Fridays until the Swinburne Islamic Society met with the university "to discuss our concerns and commits to follow the guidelines that everyone else follows".
Mr Rather said the Swinburne Islamic Society was refusing to do so until they could be guaranteed a safe meeting with no restrictions on which students were allowed to attend.
Source:abc.net.au
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-23/muslim-students-furious-swinburne-uni-prayer-room-chaplain/104502376
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Trump Once Again Makes Pitch to Arab and Muslim Voters
BY ARIF RAFIQ
OCTOBER 23, 2024
At a rally in Greensboro, NC, on Tuesday evening, former President Donald Trump made yet another direct appeal to Arab and Muslim American voters, portraying himself as a candidate opposed to wars in Muslim-majority countries.
Reading from a teleprompter, Trump asked, “Why would Muslims support lying Kamala Harris when she embraces Muslim-hating and very dumb person Liz Cheney?”
He then went off-script, delivering insults aimed at the former Wyoming Republican congresswoman, who has endorsed Harris.
Cheney broke with Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot, voting to impeach him the next week for “incitement of insurrection.”
Returning to his prepared remarks, Trump highlighted Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, accusing him of bringing “years of war and death to the Middle East.” The elder Cheney, Trump said, “killed” many Arabs and Muslims.
Trump continued, “Why would an Arab want to vote for someone that has Liz Cheney as her hero?”
The Republican presidential nominee, who has said that he thinks “Islam hates us” and initiated a travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries soon after taking office in 2017, described Harris’s campaigning with Cheney as “a great insult to Muslims all over the world.”
Tuesday’s remarks marked the second consecutive day Trump has tried to appeal to Arab and Muslim audiences by linking Harris to Cheney, who he has labeled a warmonger. On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Cheney “wants to go to War with every Muslim Country known to mankind.”
Trump’s outreach to Arab and Muslim voters, some of whom have warmed to his candidacy, is among the more surprising developments of the 2024 presidential race, now in its final two weeks. It signals how both the Trump and Harris campaigns are breaking with convention in a dash for undecided voters, particularly in the battleground state of Michigan, home to large Arab and Muslim populations.
A mere .02 percent separates Harris and Trump in Michigan, according to the FiveThirtyEight polling average.
As Trump courts Arab and Muslim voters, the Harris campaign is doubling efforts to win over more strident pro-Israel voters. Some observers believe the Harris campaign sees “staunchly pro-Israel voters” as more persuadable and more likely to vote than Arabs and Muslims.
The Harris campaign is also deploying surrogates like New York Rep. Ritchie Torres to appeal to these voters with messaging that notes that the Harris campaign denied the pro-Palestinian Uncommitted Movement a speaking opportunity at this summer’s Democratic National Convention.
Source:globelynews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://globelynews.com/americas/trump-once-again-makes-pitch-to-arab-and-muslim-voters/
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Harris campaign responds after Muslim leader expelled from rally
Matthew Chapman
October 22, 2024
The Kamala Harris campaign is apologizing after a local Muslim Democratic leader in Detroit was summarily kicked out of their rally, reported the Detroit Metro Times — saying that it was done in error.
"Ahmed Ghanim, a Democrat, says he accepted an invitation to the event and was seated in the Royal Oak Music Theatre when a campaign organizer ordered him to leave," reported Steve Neavling. "Ghanim, who immigrated to the U.S. from Egypt in 2001 and is vehemently opposed to U.S. support for Israel’s military actions, says he still has been given no reason why he was removed from the event."
According to Ghanim, the unidentified organizer "took me to the door, and she closed it, and I found two police officers waiting there, and she said, ‘You have to leave right now.’ I asked why she was kicking me out. She wouldn’t answer. I was very calmly asking why I was being kicked out.”
A police officer then threatened to arrest him if he didn't leave, as he headed out.
“They keep saying they want the Muslims and the Arabs, but we aren’t even welcome at an event,” said Ghanim, who noted that many Muslims on social media were enraged over the incident. “They know me. I ran there. It’s my district. I canvassed all over Royal Oak.”
The Harris campaign has responded to the news with a statement that Ghanim's expulsion from the event was not authorized.
“The campaign was swiftly informed by Emgage Action of yesterday’s incident and looked into it,” said their statement. “Our campaign regrets this action and its impact on Dr. Ghanim and the community, and he is welcome at future events. We value our relationship with the Muslim American community and are committed to ensuring all community and political spaces are welcoming and respectful to every American.”
All of this comes as the Harris campaign faces tension and distrust from Muslim voters, many of whom are frustrated over the Israel-Hamas War and the lack of conditions the U.S. government so far has placed on aid to the Israelis as civilians continue to face mass death and displacement in Gaza. Michigan is one of a very small handful of states where the Muslim population is large enough to have a measurable impact on the electorate.
Source:rawstory.com
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https://www.rawstory.com/kamala-harris-rally/
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Detroit Muslim leader ejected from Kamala Harris rally, deepening rift between Democrats and Arab Americans
By Steve Neavling
Oct 22, 2024
The Kamala Harris campaign kicked out a prominent Muslim Democrat from the vice president’s rally in Royal Oak on Monday, further driving a wedge between the Democratic Party and Arab and Muslim Americans.
Ahmed Ghanim, a Democrat, says he accepted an invitation to the event and was seated in the Royal Oak Music Theatre when a campaign organizer ordered him to leave.
“She took me to the door, and she closed it, and I found two police officers waiting there, and she said, ‘You have to leave right now,’” Ghanim tells Metro Times. “I asked why she was kicking me out. She wouldn’t answer. I was very calmly asking why I was being kicked out.”
He continues, “I was just wearing a suit and a white shirt. I said, ‘OK,’ and I left. The police officer said, ‘You either leave now or I’ll put you in the back of my car.’”
Ghanim, who immigrated to the U.S. from Egypt in 2001 and is vehemently opposed to U.S. support for Israel’s military actions, says he still has been given no reason why he was removed from the event.
Ghanim became popular among progressives and other factions after co-founding Metro-Detroit Political Action Network, a group that formed after the inauguration of Donald Trump. The network rallied against Trump’s Muslim travel ban and branched out to fight other racial, environmental, and economic injustices.
In August, Ghanim lost in the Democratic primary election to U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, a third-term moderate Democrat who has been a staunch supporter of Israel. Pro-Israel groups, some of them funded by Republican megadonors, have lavished her with political donations.
Over the past four years, United Democracy Project, a political action committee affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spent more than $4 million on ads in support of Stevens, according to campaign finance records. The ads make no mention of Israel.
In an interview with Metro Times in May, Ghanim criticized Stevens as “genocide enabler.”
He repeatedly called on Democrats to be more welcoming to Muslim and Arab Americans and said there’s plenty of room in the party for diverse opinions on Israel’s conduct.
Ghanim says he and many other Muslims feel alienated by the Democratic Party and that Harris’s campaign will be impacted by it.
“They keep saying they want the Muslims and the Arabs, but we aren’t even welcome at an event,” Ghanim says. “They know me. I ran there. It’s my district. I canvassed all over Royal Oak.”
He adds, “If that happened to me, imagine what would happen to any other Muslim.”
Ghanim posted about his experience on social media and said a lot of Muslim and Arab Americans are angry with Democrats because of it.
“There are hundreds of Muslims who saw that, and they feel like they are unwelcome in this party, so why bother?” Ghanim says.
At a campaign rally in the Detroit area this summer, Harris shut down antiwar protesters, saying, “I am speaking now. … If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that, otherwise I’m speaking.” Leaders from the Uncommitted Movement, a group formed in Michigan that aims to pressure the Democratic Party to change course on Israel, also said Harris repeatedly declined to meet with them, causing them to refrain from offering her an endorsement.
And at the Democratic National Convention in August, the party refused to let Georgia state Representative Ruwa Romman speak at the convention. A Palestinian American and Democrat, Romman was forced to give her speech from a sit-in protest outside the convention.
Meanwhile, Trump visited Hamtrack’s Muslim leaders last week in an effort to win over Arab American voters. Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib, a Muslim immigrant from Yemen who campaigned on banning LGBTQ+ pride flags from city property, endorsed Trump in September.
“Trump was in Hamtramck eating with the Muslims with traditional Yemeni food,” Ghalib says. “That’s the difference between the two campaigns in Michigan.”
Muslim and Arab Americans have a large population in southeast Michigan, and many of them are refusing to support Harris because of her support of Israel, which has spent the past year launching U.S.-backed attacks throughout the Middle East, including on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, killing more than 40,000 people and stoking fears of a widening regional war.
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), a leading Muslim advocacy group, spoke out about Ghanim’s treatment at the event.
“As Donald Trump ramps up his outreach to the Muslim and Arab communities, the Harris campaign removes, under threat of arrest, a Muslim community leader who merely responded to an invitation,” Basim Elkarra, Executive Director of CAIR Action, added. “This disturbing action on the part of the Harris campaign sends a dangerous message of exclusion to the Muslim community.”
In a statement late Monday afternoon, the Harris campaign didn’t say why Ghanim was removed but said he’s welcome at future events.
“The campaign was swiftly informed by Emgage Action of yesterday’s incident and looked into it,” the statement reads, referring to a Muslim American advocacy group. “Our campaign regrets this action and its impact on Dr. Ghanim and the community, and he is welcome at future events. We value our relationship with the Muslim American community and are committed to ensuring all community and political spaces are welcoming and respectful to every American.”
Source:metrotimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.metrotimes.com/news/detroit-muslim-leader-ejected-from-kamala-harris-rally-deepening-rift-between-democrats-and-arab-americans-37670193
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Labour volunteers helping Harris 'in spare time' - Starmer
Oct 23, 2024
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has sought to play down the significance of alleged interference by the Labour Party in the American presidential election.
The Trump Campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in Washington seeking an immediate investigation – after the Head of Operations for the Labour Party, Sofia Patel, posted on social media that she had “ten spots available” for anyone willing to travel to North Carolina to campaign for Kamala Harris, adding “we will sort your housing”.
She said she had around 100 current and former party staff heading to America before polling day.
The post, on LinkedIn, has since been deleted.
Foreign nationals are permitted to serve as volunteers on campaigns in the US as long as they are not compensated, according to Federal Election Commission rules.
The complaint from the Trump Campaign is both pointed and theatrical.
“When representatives of the British government previously sought to go door-to-door in America, it did not end well for them,” it read.
That is a matter-of-fact reference to US independence around 250 years ago.
On matters more contemporary it requests “an immediate investigation” into what it calls “blatant foreign interference”.
Speaking to reporters while flying to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa in the south Pacific, the prime minister said: “The Labour Party has volunteers, [they] have gone over pretty much every election.
"They’re doing it in their spare time. They’re doing it as volunteers. They’re staying I think with other volunteers over there.”
The Trump Campaign letter to the Federal Election Commission also says: “Morgan McSweeney, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, and Matthew Doyle, director of communications, attended the (Democratic) convention in Chicago and met with Ms Harris’ campaign team.
“Deborah Mattinson, Sir Keir’s director of strategy, also went to Washington in September to brief Ms Harris’ presidential campaign on Labour’s election-winning approach.”
Ms Mattinson no longer works for the Labour Party.
Party sources say Mr Doyle and Mr McSweeney went to the Democratic Convention in their own time, and that the Democratic Party didn’t pay their travel and accommodation costs.
It isn’t clear who did.
Asked if the row risked jeopardising his relationship with Donald Trump, the prime minister said “no” – pointing to the dinner the two men had together at Trump Tower in New York last month.
“We established a good relationship. We’re grateful for him for making the time... for that dinner," Sir Keir said.
"We had a good, constructive discussion and, of course as prime minister of the United Kingdom I will work with whoever the American people return as their President in their elections, which are very close now.”
Sir Keir has never met the Vice-President Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival.
But he has met President Biden several times since becoming prime minister in July.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62m2pde4p6o
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Africa
Sharia Court Orders Investigation Into Jigawa Commissioner’s Alleged Relationship With Housewife
By: Abdullahi Yusuf, THEWILL
October 22, 2024
October 22, (THEWILL) – The Kano State Upper Shari’a Court has ordered AIG Zone One, Kano, to investigate the suspended Jigawa State Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwalu Danladi Sankara, over allegations of enticing a married woman, Tasleem Baba Nabegu.
The Judge, Ibrahim Sarki Yola, gave the order following a Direct Complaint filed before his court by the Husband to the 1st Defendant, Nasir Buba.
Buba prayed the court to order police to conduct an investigation over the alleged relationship between his wife and Auwalu Sankara.
During the court’s session on Tuesday, Counsel to the Complainant, Barrister Haruna Magashi, holding brief for Barrister Sa’id Muhammad Tudun Wada, told the court that they have overwhelming evidence to prove the allegation against the two Defendants, including video clips, pictures, phone conversation and transfer of funds between them among, other evidences.
On his side, counsel to Tasleem Baba Nabegu, Barrister Rabi’u Shuaibu Abdullahi, dismissed all the allegations against his client.
The counsel informed the court that the couple had been separated for over a year, citing allegations of repeated mistreatment and abuse during their time together.
The defendant claimed that his relationship with Tasleem was strictly commercial, as she owned a restaurant and he was merely a customer purchasing food from her
Similarly in his submission, Counsel to Auwalu Danladi Sankara, Barrister Aliyu Usman Hajji, alleged that the issue was politically concocted by the complainant in order to tarnish the image of Sankara being a politician.
Source:thewillnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thewillnews.com/sharia-court-orders-investigation-into-jigawa-commissioners-alleged-relationship-with-housewife/
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PFAs To Deepen Pension Funds Investment In Sharia-Compliant Instruments
by Zaka Khaliq
23 October 2024
The Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) are set to further deepen investment of the pension funds into Sharia-compliant and ethical instruments in a move to explore investment options available under Retirement Savings Fund(RSA) Fund VI.
To expand this investment outlet, the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (Penop), along with the National Pension Commission (PenCom) recently convened a webinar titled ‘Maximising the Potential of RSA Fund VI: Exploring Sharia-Compliant Investments.’
In his opening remarks at the event, the chief executive officer(CEO) of PenOp, Oguche Agudah, emphasised the importance of expanding the investment options available under RSA Fund VI while calling on pension operators for deeper industry collaboration to address existing challenges and seize opportunities for growth in Sharia-compliant and ethical investments.
Similarly, the chairman of the Pension Industry Non-Interest Advisory Committee (PINAC), Dr. Adam Muhammad Abubakar outlined the current challenges PFAs face in accessing Sharia-compliant instruments, stressing the need for more investment outlets and enhanced awareness about the growth potential of non-interest financial products.
Bil-yaminu Yakubu, who represented the head of Investment supervision of PenCom, Mr. Dahiru Abdulqadir, highlighted the efforts the commission had made to advancing the ethical investment space, stating that, “we understand the challenges PFAs are facing in terms of regulatory clarity. Pencom is committed to providing clear rules that will foster confidence in investing in non-interest instruments, ensuring compliance while driving innovation.”
The session also highlighted how Sharia-compliant investments, particularly, Sukuk bonds, have played a crucial role in raising infrastructure funds.
Attendees argued that expanding the issuance size of such instruments is seen as key to attracting more PFA participation and driving the growth of RSA Fund VI even as they discussed the importance of clear guidelines from PenCom and Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) to support the growth of non-interest financial instruments.
Treasurer of Alternative Bank, Abimbola Yusuf, who spoke on their transition into a standalone non-interest bank and highlighted upcoming products for Fund VI, stating that, “we are committed to delivering tailored financial services that comply with Islamic finance principles. Our goal is to offer pension fund administrators innovative products that meet both liquidity needs and ethical standards.”
The CEO of Marble Capital, Akeem Oyewale echoed similar sentiments, adding that, “the market for Sharia-compliant investments is growing, and we are developing a robust pipeline of instruments to support PFAs in diversifying their portfolios. Collaboration with issuers is key to ensuring that the size of Sharia-compliant issuances grows, creating more investment opportunities.”
As the demand for non-interest financial products continues to grow,pension fund operators remain committed to ensuring that Sharia-compliant and ethical investments can thrive within Nigeria’s pension framework.
Meanwhile, the newly elected compliance executives of the pension industry have assumed their roles at a critical time, as the sector faces increasing scrutiny and demand for improved operational standards.
The CEO of PenOp, Mr. Oguche Agudah congratulated the new executives while emphasising the vital responsibilities they will now undertake. Under the leadership of the new director general(DG), these roles are expected to play a pivotal part in addressing the industry’s pressing challenges, including fraud, inefficient processes, and ensuring better outcomes for pensioners.
The newly elected executives—Edidiong Akan, Temitope Anjorin, and Tunde Folayan—officially took their oaths of office, pledging to execute their duties with diligence, professionalism, and a focus on the best interests of the industry.
During the ceremony, they reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the highest ethical standards and fostering harmonious relationships among pension operators.
Their new positions are not only critical for day-to-day regulatory compliance but also vital in steering the industry toward a future where operators adhere to best practices, reduce inefficiencies, and combat fraud as the executives also acknowledged the importance of ethical governance, emphasising that integrity remains the cornerstone of their mandate.
In their remarks, the new compliance executives expressed deep gratitude for the trust placed in them by their peers and reiterated their dedication to advancing the goals of the association, while stressing the importance of collective action in addressing the industry’s challenges.
Plans to formalise the Compliance Forum were announced, with a vision of establishing it as a robust and influential voice within the pension industry.
This forum is expected to serve as a platform for industry-wide collaboration, fostering dialogue among stakeholders to address regulatory gaps and promote best practices.
Source:leadership.ng
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://leadership.ng/pfas-to-deepen-pension-funds-investment-in-sharia-compliant-instruments/
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Matawalle Meets Tinubu, Briefs President On Sokoto Operational Tours
23 October 2024
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has briefed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the outcomes of his recent operational tours in Sokoto State.
Naija News gathered that the minister highlighted the commendable successes achieved by the Nigerian Military in combating insecurity in the region, attributing these victories to the dedication and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
During his report, Dr. Matawalle emphasized the critical role the military continues to play in safeguarding the nation.
He said: “The Armed Forces will remain pivotal in maintaining peace and security across Nigeria.”
The former Zamfara State Governor also commended President Tinubu for his administration’s commitment to providing the necessary resources to enhance operational efficiency in the fight against security threats in the North-West.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s strategic focus on strengthening the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and other military branches to intensify efforts against insecurity.
His visit to Sokoto State, accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff and other senior military officials, was part of an effort to reassure the local populace of the Federal Government’s dedication to restoring peace in the region.
During the operation, key bandit leaders, including the notorious Halilu Buzu Sububu, were eliminated, demonstrating the government’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks.
Dr. Matawalle urged residents of Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi states to remain vigilant and cooperate with security forces to ensure the continued success of military operations.
President Tinubu expressed his satisfaction with the briefing, commending both the Minister and the troops for their renewed commitment to eradicating insecurity in the North-West and across Nigeria.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/23/matawalle-meets-tinubu-briefs-president-on-sokoto-operational-tours/
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Jigawa Tanker Explosion: Gov Namadi Briefs Tinubu On Deadly Incident, Reveals 181 Fatalities
22 October 2024
By Justina Otio
The Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, has disclosed that 181 people died and 210 families were affected in the tanker explosion that occurred in the state recently.
The governor shared the sad news on Tuesday while briefing President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, about the accident.
Naija News reports that last Tuesday a tanker laden with petrol exploded at Majiya town, along the Kano-Hadejia expressway in Taura LGA of Jigawa state.
The governor told the president that 80 people were hospitalised due to the incident, adding that the state government has paid their bills.
“I felt it is important to come and brief the president on what we are doing as a government and also thank him for sending a delegation immediately after the incident happened,“ he said.
Speaking further, he said, “This action taken by Mr. President has been appreciated by the people of Jigawa.
“So, I felt I should come to thank him for doing that and also to brief him on the situation—where we are and what we are trying to do.”
He added that the state government has carried out a lot of interventions to bring succour to the affected families.
“Mr. President has promised to intervene and assist the victims.
“The state government has already established a high-powered committee, headed by a retired DIG, to find out the remote cause and advise the government.
“You should also remember that Mr. President gave a directive immediately to the Corps Marshal to investigate the matter and come up with a permanent solution to this problem (tanker explosions) in the country,” he added.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/22/jigawa-tanker-explosion-gov-namadi-briefs-tinubu-on-deadly-incident-reveals-181-fatalities/
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IGP Egbetokun Appoints New AIG For Zone 16 Command
22 October 2024
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has appointed Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Adebola Ayinde Hamzat, as the commander of Zone 16 Command of the Nigerian Police with headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement on Tuesday by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, SP Emonena Gunn.
Gunn stated that the Hamzat’s appointment followed the retirement of the erstwhile AIG Paul Alifa Omata.
The statement said: “AIG Adebola Ayinde Hamzat, an indigene of Ifelodun L.G.A of Kwara State, was commissioned into the Nigeria Police Force as a cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police on 18th May 1992.
“He is a graduate of Sociology from the University of Ilorin and holds a Masters in Conflict Management & Peace Studies, Unijos and a PhD in Peace and Development Studies from Unilorin.
“He is a seasoned officer of repute and a distinguished fellow of the defence college.”
Gunn said Hamzat has served in different capacities in the police force and globally.
“He is a well-known investigator and intelligence professional whose operational experience and core intelligence abilities earned him commendable duty tours in the United Nations Missions in Kosovo (UNMIK) and Timor Leste (East Timor).
“Until his recent posting to the Zone as the 9th Zonal Commander, AIG Adebola Ayinde Hamzat was the immediate past AIG in charge of the Counter Terrorism Unit of the Nigeria Police Force. He also served as Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, and Commissioner of Police Border Patrol Force, respectively,” the statement added.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/22/igp-egbetokun-appoints-new-aig-for-zone-16-command/
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South African Minister of International Relations hails ties with China, ahead of BRICS summit
23 October 2024
The South African Minister of International Relations and cooperation spoke positively about bilateral relations between Moscow and Beijing, ahead of the BRICS summit of emerging economies that kicked off on Tuesday in Russia.
Ronald Lamola described the relationship between the two nations as based on mutual trust, and said that South Africa is open to more investment and collaboration.
"It is a relationship of trust, which is mutually beneficial. With the Chinese companies having invested a lot in our country, we are looking at the benefits for our country, value add in South Africa and also local manufacturing, which we believe can help drive our economy,'' Lamola said.
The BRICS summit will last until October 24th.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa were initially included in the BRICS alliance.
This summit will be the first since the alliance expanded to encompass Egypt, the UAE, Saudia Arabia, Ethiopia and Iran.
Commonly referred to as a counterbalance to the Western-led world, the BRICS nations account for around 28 percent of the global economy.
Source:africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/10/22/south-african-minister-of-international-relations-hails-ties-with-china-ahead-of-brics-sum/
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Southeast Asia
Top GISBH leader, wife among 22 individuals to be charged today
BERNAMA
23-10- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The chief executive officer (CEO) of GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH) and his wife are among 22 individuals who will be charged in the Selayang Sessions Court today.
According to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, all of them will be charged under Section 130V (1) of the Penal Code for being members of an organised crime group.
On Oct 10, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zin said that the top GISBH leader was among the 58 individuals re-arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA).
In addition, 35 individuals are still under remand, 273 have been granted bail, 37 released without conditions, two have been handed over to the Kedah Islamic Religious Affairs Department and one to the Immigration Department for deportation.
Since the launch of the first phase of Op Global in September, authorities have arrested 415 individuals, including the top management of GISBH, and rescued 625 victims aged between two months and 28 years.
Source:thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/top-gisbh-leader-wife-among-22-individuals-to-be-charged-today-CL13184134
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IGP confirms ongoing probe into 30 remaining GISBH detainees held under Sosma after 22 charged in court
23 Oct 2024
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 23 — More than 30 other individuals associated with GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH) and detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) are still being investigated, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
He said that 22 individuals out of the 60 previously detained were charged in the Selayang Sessions Court today.
“We arrested approximately 60 people under SOSMA. After that, we worked with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), and with the evidence we had, we were able to charge 22 individuals.
“The remaining detainees under SOSMA, whose investigations are not yet complete, will continue to be investigated. The duration of detention under SOSMA is long,” he said after attending the monthly assembly of the Home Ministry (KDN) here today.
Asked if all the remaining detainees would be charged in court, Razarudin did not rule out the possibility.
He added that police were also still tracking down any remaining members or individuals associated with GISBH.
Meanwhile, he said police would investigate allegations that parties were ‘monitoring’ shelters housing children rescued during Op Global, which involved GISBH.
Razarudin said they would obtain detailed information about it since several such shelters exist nationwide.
On Oct 16, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri revealed the matter. However, her ministry could not confirm whether the act was committed by the child’s parents or unrelated parties.
Some 560 children are residing in shelters after the Social Welfare Department (JKM) secured a two-month temporary custody order from the court. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/23/igp-confirms-ongoing-probe-into-30-remaining-gisbh-detainees-held-under-sosma-after-22-charged-in-court/154580
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Sultan Nazrin chairs 267th Conference of Rulers with royal leaders, governors in attendance
23 Oct 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak today presided over the 267th Meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara.
The two-day meeting is attended by the Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Sultan of Kedah Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail and the Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
The Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail, the Crown Prince of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah and the Crown Prince of Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra were also in attendance.
Also present were the Governors, namely Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak of Penang, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam (Melaka), Tun Juhar Mahiruddin (Sabah) and Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Sarawak).
Yesterday, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, graced the pre-council meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara.
The last time the Conference of Rulers convened a meeting was on July 17, presided by Tuanku Muhriz. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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DPM Zahid leads Malaysia at Asean disaster management summit in Brunei
23 Oct 2024
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 23 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is attending the three-day 12th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) which began today in Brunei.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s office said Ahmad Zahid, who is also National Disaster Management Committee chairman, is accompanied by National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus.
“This meeting serves as a forum to exchange views on strategic and current issues.
“It also discusses the ongoing progress and status of programmes and activities under the Asean Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) 2021-2025,” it said in a statement.
It added that the meeting would involve representatives from Asean member states directly involved in disaster risk management in their respective countries.
The statement said Ahmad Zahid would also attend several other meetings with dialogue partners, such as the Fourth AMMDM Plus China, the Fourth AMMDM Plus Japan, and the Third AMMDM Plus South Korea.
The Deputy Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver a Ministerial Statement on Thursday regarding initiatives, implementation, successes, and challenges in disaster management and risk reduction through Malaysia’s approach.
“In the evening, the Deputy Prime Minister is expected to take the opportunity to meet with Malaysians residing in Brunei during a dinner event,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister, along with other Asean representatives, will attend the 20th Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami commemoration event and the 2024 Asean Day for Disaster Management at Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas in Bandar Seri Begawan on Friday. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/secularism-ghettoisation-madrasa-hc/d/133521