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Islamic World News ( 7 Jul 2023, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Sweden Is Considering Making Quran Burnings Illegal, Aftonbladet Reports

New Age Islam News Bureau

07 July 20123

 

Police officers intervene after people's reaction as demonstrators burn the Koran (not pictured) outside Stockholm's central mosque in Stockholm, Sweden June 28, 2023. TT News Agency/Caisa Rasmussen/via REUTERS

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North America

• Muslims Who Fight Against LGBTQ2+ Inclusion Are Hurting Many — Including Themselves

• US Lawmaker Attacked After Muslim Prayer Service Alleges Police Downplaying Incident

• Connecticut lawmaker attacked after Muslim service says Hartford police downplayed assault

• Ramy Youssef On Returning To Stand-up At JFL And The Intersection Of Islam And Comedy

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Europe

• Moscow warns of dangers French riots present to Europe

• Families queue down street for hours as Cardiff mosque gives out hundreds of food donation bags

• Zelensky ‘dragging entire planet’ to hell – Russian envoy

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South Asia

• Roof Reconstruction of Herat's Great Mosque Completed After Nearly 11 Years

• Children in Kabul Malnourished Due to Poverty

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Pakistan

• Lahore ATC asks PTI chief to join probe in 5 cases linked to May 9 violence

• Judge says political motive behind allotment case against Nawaz

• PAC seeks probe into leak of military officials’ data

• Jahangir Tareen’s brother commits suicide

• Imran approaches SC against IHC order on Toshakhana reference

• Islamophobia acts being carried out to pit Muslims against Christians, warns PM

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India

• Alleging Cow Slaughter, Karnataka BJP MLA SharanuSalagar Barges Into Muslim Home, Booked

• Bomb Threat To Shivajinagar Mosque Proves To Be A Hoax

• Minority Report: Data Busts A Myth About Indian Muslims

• To Prevent ‘Political Misuse’ Of UCC, BJP Plans Community Dialogue With Pasmanda Muslims

• Muslim World League Secretary General Al-Issa to Arrive in India on July 10: Sources

• SC Grants Bail To Muslim Man Accused Of Kidnapping, Raping Live-In Partner

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Mideast

• Nine Islamic State Suspects Arrested in Germany, Netherlands

• Eid al-Ghadir; the day that Islam perfected

• Sa'ada's people celebrate "Wilayah" day of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, in 11 squares

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Arab World

• Saudi Delegation Takes Its Place At 4th Annual G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting In India

• Saudi and Thai officials discuss anti-corruption efforts

• Saudi Space Agency discusses cooperation with Chinese agencies and businesses

• Number of pilgrims arriving in Madinah passes 140,000

• Ornithology journal cites vulture research by Saudi nature reserve

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Southeast Asia

• Good Governance, Economic Management Attract Investments - PM Anwar

• Govt To Channel RM10 Billion In Sukuk For Felda's10-Year Recovery Plan: PM

• Unity govt implements various initiatives to improve people's economy - Fahmi

• PH to discuss Aminuddin's nomination for state election - Anwar

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Africa

• Labourer In Sharia Court For Allegedly Stealing 9 Packs Of Rubber Toys

• Muslims salute President on return from Mecca

• Nigeria confirms outbreak of deadly diphtheria

• South Africa gas leak death toll rises to 17

• Senegal: Sonko promises "chaos" if his candidacy is prevented

• Migrants accuse Tunisia of dumping them on border

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:  https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sweden-quran-aftonbladet/d/130159

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Sweden Is Considering Making Quran Burnings Illegal, Aftonbladet Reports

 

Police officers intervene after people's reaction as demonstrators burn the Koran (not pictured) outside Stockholm's central mosque in Stockholm, Sweden June 28, 2023. TT News Agency/Caisa Rasmussen/via REUTERS

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July 6, 2023

STOCKHOLM, July 6 (Reuters) - The Swedish government is examining whether it could make setting the Quran or other holy books on fire illegal, as recent Quran burnings have damaged Sweden's security, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told Aftonbladet paper on Thursday.

An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque last week, causing outrage in the Muslim world and condemnation from the Pope. The Swedish Security services said such action left the country less safe.

The police denied several applications earlier this year for protests that were set to include burning the Quran, citing security concerns, but courts have since overturned the police's decisions, saying such acts are protected by Sweden's far-reaching freedom of speech laws.

Sweden's minister of justice said on Thursday that the government is analysing the situation and whether the law needs to be changed.

"We have to ask ourselves whether the current order is good or whether there is reason to reconsider it," Strommer told Aftonbladet.

He added that Sweden had become a "prioritized target" for attacks.

"We can see that the Quran burning last week has generated threats to our internal security," he said.

The incident has also damaged Sweden's bid to join NATO, with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan saying his country cannot ratify Sweden's application before Quran burnings are stopped.

Reporting by Johan Ahlander Editing by Alexandra Hudson

Source: reuters.com

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

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/sweden-is-considering-making-Quran-burnings-illegal-aftonbladet-2023-07-06/

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Russia Investigate Egyptian National for Desecration of the Holy Qur'an

 

Photo: Shafaq.com

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2023-07-07

Shafaq News/ Russian authorities have investigated a young Egyptian man accused of desecrating the Holy Qur'an and making negative statements about Islam. The incident in the Russian province of Ulyanovsk has drawn significant attention, prompting local authorities to take swift action.

The Ulyanovsk security services announced the arrest of the Egyptian citizen and searched his residence as part of the ongoing investigation.

Governor Alexey Russkyh of the Ulyanovsk region condemned the act in a Telegram post, stating, "Disrespect towards the Quran is a repugnant crime in Russia." The governor emphasized that such behaviour goes against the principles of respect and religious tolerance upheld in the country.

The detainee, identified as Syed Abu Mustafa, an Egyptian national residing in Ulyanovsk, was seen in the video dancing on the Quran on a pedestrian bridge before discarding it and pouring an unknown liquid on it, according to reports from the Assembly of Russia's Peoples and local news outlet Inkazan.ru.

In collaboration with the Federal Security Service, the Anti-Extremism Center of the Ulyanovsk Region's Ministry of Interior successfully apprehended the individual after identifying him through video footage.

The suspect, born in Egypt in 1995, admitted to recording the desecration of the Quran several days before his arrest.

The incident has elicited strong condemnation and outrage from the local community, particularly among religious and cultural groups. Russian authorities are treating the case seriously and conducting a thorough investigation to determine the motives behind the act and take appropriate legal measures.

Source: shafaq.com/

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

https://shafaq.com/en/World/Russia-Investigate-Egyptian-National-for-Desecration-of-the-Holy-Qur-an

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Biden’s Comments on Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan 'Divorced From Reality': Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman

 

President Biden

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6 July 2023

The House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul in a statement reacted to US President Biden’s recent remarks on al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, saying that “it is completely divorced from reality for President Biden to claim that al Qaeda is no longer operating in Afghanistan or that the Taliban has somehow become our national security partner in the region.”

Earlier, Biden in response to a question about “mistakes in Afghanistan withdrawal”, said: “Remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al-Qaida would not be there. I said it wouldn’t be there. I said we’d get help from the Taliban. What’s happening now? What’s going on? Read your press. I was right.”

Referring to a UN report saying the “relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaida remained close and symbiotic with al-Qaida viewing Taliban-administered Afghanistan a safe haven,” McCaul said that Biden’s words can only be interpreted as an attempt to whitewash the Islamic Emirate and al Qaeda’s longstanding ties, and “may even be an attempt to get Washington on the path of recognizing the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.”

“That is something I will do everything in my power to oppose,” he said.

McCaul also mentioned the US strike in Kabul, in which, according to the US officials, Ayman al- Zawahiri, the leader of al Qaeda was killed.

However, earlier, the Islamic Emirate said that they have not found any details to prove that Zawahiri was killed in Afghanistan.

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman argued that the UN and top US generals regularly report al Qaeda’s growing capabilities, “which not only go unchecked by the Taliban, but are aided by the Taliban through funding and security cooperation.”

The Islamic Emirate has yet to comment on McCaul’s statement. 

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-184083

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PM Shehbaz Urges Nation To Protest Against Holy Quran’s Desecration As Country Observes ‘Quran Sanctity Day’

 

Nation protests against Holy Quran's desecration in Sweden. Photo: Express

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July 7, 2023

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called upon the nation to record their protest against the desecration of the Holy Quran as the nation observes “Youm-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran” [Quran Sanctity Day].

The premier’s remarks come after a man desecrated the Holy Quran in Sweden’s capital Stockholm last month, resulting in strong condemnation from several Muslim states, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the European Union, Pope Francis and the Swedish government as well, among others.

A day ago, a joint session of the Parliament also passed a resolution urging Sweden to take “appropriate steps” against the perpetrators involved in the desecration.

Meanwhile, protests have also been taking place during the past week across the country, including by political parties, lawyers and the Christian community.

In a tweet today, Shehbaz said, “When it comes to the [matter of] Quran, the [entire] nation is united. The entire Muslim Ummah is disturbed by the incident in Sweden.”

He further said the nation will unite to protest to “express their feelings and emotions over the disheartening incident”, adding that after the Friday afternoon prayers, “all classes of Pakistani Muslims will raise the flag of the Holy Quran’s honour and record their peaceful protest”.

“Quran is in our hearts. The Quran is not only a recitation for us but a guideline for living,” Shehbaz said.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also took to Twitter, noting that the desecration was “another example of the rising Islamophobic mindset that seeks to dehumanise and denigrate our faith”.

He called the act a “blatant provocation to try [to] inflame sentiments and undermine Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance and acceptance”.

Bilawal asserted that Pakistan will be raising the issue at the urgent debate of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which will be held on July 11 in Geneva, on behalf of the OIC group.

Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman voiced similar concerns, saying that the incident “not just dehumanises our religion but also deliberately seeks to provoke Muslim sentiment”.

Meanwhile, state-run Radio Pakistan reported that people belonging to different walks of life will take part in peaceful nationwide protests.

Yesterday, addressing the parliament, the prime minister had said, “I am trying to reach out to the secretary general of the United Nations to call a meeting of all the Muslim leaders in which condemnations would be issued.”

While noting that Sweden had condemned the incident, Shehbaz had raised the question that the country should clear its position on why the incident took place at all.

The premier had termed the incident to be a part of a “conspiracy to create rifts between Christians and Muslims”.

Earlier the same day, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan had raised the issue of the desecration with the Swedish charge d’affaires in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan had reported.

Separately, Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer had been reported as saying that the government was examining whether it could make desecration of the Holy Quran or other holy books on fire illegal, as recent incidents have damaged Sweden’s security.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1763451/pm-shehbaz-urges-nation-to-protest-against-holy-qurans-desecration-as-country-observes-quran-sanctity-day

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Fake Claim Of Bangladeshi Muslim Killing Trans Person In Gurugram Goes Viral

 

Photo: Boom.com

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6 July 2023

A disturbing video showing the body of a woman hanging from a balcony is going viral with a false claim that Bangladeshi Muslims killed a trans person in Gurugram'sDharampur, Sector 108 area and hanged her body from the balcony.

BOOM spoke to Gurugram West ACP Shiv Archan who confirmed the claim to be false. Archan refuted any communal angle to the incident and said that the transperson died by suicide.

In the 1 minute 3 seconds-long video, some people can be seen recording the scene of a dead body hanging from the balcony of a multi-story building.

ISKCON Kolkata vice president Radharamn Das tweeted the video with a caption saying, "Bangladeshi Peacefulls invited a transgender & brutally killed him in a house in Gurgaon & hanged the dead body from the balcony. All the Jihadi tenants living in the rented house are absconding. Many Bangladeshis peacefull's are living illegally in Dharampur village in Gurgaon." (sic)

BOOM has fact-checked Das for sharing communally charged misinformation in the past as well.

Fact Check

BOOM ran a related keyword search to find out news reports covering the incident but found none corroborating the communal claim.

On the other hand, we found a report published by inshorts on July 5, 2023, about the incident stating that Gurugram police refuted the viral communal claim.

Taking a cue from this, we found some tweets by the official handle of Gurugram police from July 5, 2023, where they debunked the viral claim about the death of the trans person.

Gurugram police, tweeted, "A message is going viral on social media claiming that a Bangladeshi Muslim hanged a transperson after brutally killing her in Taliban style in Dharmapuri Sector-108. This is untrue."

The police also added saying, "The incident took place on July 3, 2023, when a friend of a trans person named Priya, living in the Rajendra Park area of the police station, had informed the police that Priya had committed suicide due to illness. An action under 174 CrPC has been taken by Rajendra Park Police Station regarding the matter. The claim of killing is untrue."

For further clarification, we reached out to Rajendra Park Police Station in Gurugram about the incident. Inspector Pankaj confirmed the same to BOOM saying, “It is a case of suicide. She is a transperson, her name is Priya. She was troubled by her illness. Her post-mortem has also been done. This is not a case of murder by a Bangladeshi Muslim."

BOOM also contacted Gurugram West Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Shiv Archan and shared the viral video with him. He confirmed to BOOM that the incident took place in his area but the claim being made with the video is completely false.

“There is no Muslim angle in this incident. It is only a case of suicide. We are tracking those social media users who are giving communal colour to the incident,” Gurugram West ACP Shiv Archan said. Also Read:Video Showing Wax Figure Of Pope John Paul II Shared With False Claim

Source: boomlive.in

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

https://www.boomlive.in/fact-check/bangladeshi-muslims-killed-transgender-in-dharampur-gurugram-viral-video-fact-check-22451

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North America

Muslims who fight against LGBTQ2+ inclusion are hurting many — including themselves

Fri., July 7, 2023

A viral audio clip of an Edmonton teacher admonishing a Muslim student for avoiding Pride events perfectly encapsulates a dilemma that’s worth wrestling with. How does one tolerate — or, better still, tackle — the intolerance of some members of a group that has itself faced so much intolerance.

At least part of the answer is simple: not with the very discrimination you rail against.

Less simple, and also wrapped up in the answer, is a layered understanding of how religion, a source of support for many, can also be a basis of discrimination.

In the two-minute audio clip from last month, an unnamed Londonderry Junior High School teacher told a student his behaviour was unacceptable, and referenced Uganda, where intolerance and criminalization of homosexuality has been boosted by evangelical Christians.

She also pointed out there were no complaints when Ramadan was acknowledged at school.

“It goes two ways. If you want to be respected for who you are, if you don’t want to suffer prejudice for your religion, your colour of skin or whatever, then you better give it back to people who are different from you. That’s how it works,” said the teacher.

She should have stopped there.

It’s not uncommon to see individuals from equity-seeking groups aligning with discriminatory actions; the plaintiffs in front of the U.S. Supreme Court that struck down affirmative action last week were Asian-American.

Of course, Muslims are not a monolith. Nor are they the only faith group to denounce LGBTQ2+ teachings at school. On June 27, a group of Muslim, Jewish and Christian parents of students at a Montgomery county school demanded that their kids be able to opt-out of the sex-ed curriculum.

But Muslim opposition to Pride in Canada and the U.S. is not restricted to one Edmonton student’s choice to skip Pride-related events, or students routinely using provincial exemptions and not attending sex-ed classes, or parents leading protests against school boards for gay-inclusive teachings and other forms of gay expression.

It also affects policy. Residents of Hamtramck, Mich., who celebrated their multiculturalism when they voted in a Muslim-majority city council during Donald Trump’s Islamophobic campaign rhetoric in 2015, were dismayed to find that council passing legislation in June that banned flying the Pride flag on city properties.

It has become a knotty issue involving religious beliefs, political expediency and flirtation with outright hate. It raises questions about whether freedom of religious expression is more important than freedom from discrimination and paves a pathway to shaking hands with the devil.

It is notable because individual intolerance was in a way sanctified by a statement by North American Islamic scholars that declared queer life sinful. In addition, at least one senior member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an important civil rights advocacy group, supported parents seeking book bans and opt-out options.

Perhaps these examples of opposition come from a loud minority among Muslims or perhaps the sentiments are more mainstream. In any case, these actions risk being weaponized for a larger, insidious cause that could end up hurting Muslims here in the long run.

Even if sex-ed exemptions are allowed in Alberta, I’m glad the Londonderry teacher challenged the disdain toward LGBTQ2+ groups.

But she didn’t end it there. Instead, what she said next has been gleefully and understandably seized upon by conservatives as proof of hypocrisy among progressives.

She said, “We believe people can marry whoever they want. That is in the law. And if you don’t think that should be the law you can’t be Canadian. You don’t belong here.”

I think we can all agree that we can’t beat homophobia with Islamophobia or racism. What are the odds that a homophobic white child would have been told “You don’t belong in Canada”?

The National Council for Canadian Muslims lambasted the teacher’s comments as “deeply Islamophobic, inappropriate and harassing behaviour.”

But it did not weigh in on the question of whether the student should have dodged Pride events.

Intolerance against queer identities has surfaced over fear of a “woke gender ideology” — a fear manufactured and stoked by the white Christian far-right, expressed under the guise of protecting children.

In this twisted thinking, children being aware that a small minority of people are not heterosexual or that an even smaller minority doesn’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, is considered indoctrination or even pornographic corruption. (But gay and trans children and adults being surrounded and ridiculed by heterosexual cis people is apparently totally safe.) A miniscule fraction of that minority who might regret transitioning or might have had bad experiences with gender-affirming medical procedures is amplified as proof positive of hell having broken loose.

And what do Islamic experts say about the issue? Some 300 Islamic scholars and preachers across North America co-signed a statement late in May to clarify their religious position on sexual and gender ethics. It was damning: homosexuality and transgenderism are not permissible.

“By a decree from God, sexual relations are permitted within the bounds of marriage, and marriage can only occur between a man and a woman,” said the statement titled Navigating Differences: Clarifying Sexual and Gender Ethics in Islam.

I’m not qualified to offer a theological critique of Islamic beliefs. But this is a column about justice for the most vulnerable, and I don’t believe justice can be served by relying on principles of the past to moralize today.

That sentence by the Islamic scholars echoes the beliefs of the World Congress of Families created by American conservatives back in 1997, which now exists as the International Organization for the Family.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the congress “pushed for restrictions to LGBT rights under the guise of the defense of the ‘natural family’ — defined as heterosexual married couples with their biological children.”

The organization, which was created by the Christian right-wing, is another example of how religion is used to discriminate against others and it exists today, as the SPLC says, “as a political power broker as an anti-LGBT group in its own right.”

That group of people who blame gay lifestyles and feminist liberation for a declining white population also subscribe to the conspiracy theory of the Great Replacement of white people by Black and brown people.

In this process of rejecting LGBTQ2+ rights, conservative Muslims have linked hands with the very people who demonized them for decades.

But Edward Ahmed Mitchell, a deputy director at CAIR, calls the idea of that alliance “ludicrous,” and said parents were standing up for their religious rights “without prompting from the right and without fear of backlash from the left.”

“What matters is whether the cause itself is just,” he said in a Twitter statement.

Not only does his stance risks isolating gay and trans Muslims, the scholars’ statement that they are sinners could well be psychologically crippling at a time of rising hate against people like them.

The logical extension of the Islamic scholars’ argument is also damaging for all Muslims in North America.

For instance, the statement says, “As a religious minority that frequently experiences bigotry and exclusion, we reject the notion that moral disagreement amounts to intolerance or incitement of violence.”

By that token, could a law banning head coverings — based on a moral disagreement with seeing veiled Muslim women — no longer be criticized as being intolerant?

When it says: “Peaceful coexistence does not necessitate agreement, acceptance, affirmation, promotion, or celebration,” could that not be turned around to mean religious accommodation in schools or celebrating Muslim holidays is not required to signal acceptance of Muslims?

It says, “there is an increasing push to promote LGBTQ-centric values among children through legislation and regulations, disregarding parental consent,” as if this exact same objection could not be used by the far-right to decry depictions of Muslims in schoolbooks as a sample of wokeness.

But leaders of the white far-right, sensing weakness in the solidarity of rights groups, have switched tacks for the moment.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham, a far-right hero, who once said the “dual loyalties” of Muslim refugees to the Qur’an that would lead them to “to try to blow us up” is now praising Muslim parents who are opposed to their children reading books with LGBTQ2+ themes.

For white supremacists, expanding their base this way, or even appearing to grow support for their “causes”, offers a two-pronged advantage. One, images with visibly Muslim people in their midst make for an effective cover, similar to when the Proud Boys propped up the African-Cuban Enrique Tarrio as their “chairman” as if to say: See, no white supremacy here.

And two, it’s an effective divide-and-conquer strategy. When they need to invoke the Great Replacement fear again, the anti-racist rights-seeking groups will have already been disorganized and weakened.

To be clear, Muslims who support ultra-conservative ideologies around sexuality are not naïve dupes. They are simply being as closed-minded as conservatives of any religion.

Where is the compassion and mercy that religions are so famous for?

I don’t much care for religion nor do I particularly want it flapping in my face. Even so, I stick my neck out to speak up for the freedom of believers.

In times of disaster and injustice, in my experience, Muslims (and Sikhs) are often the first to show up to give support. That may be why I’m doubly disappointed by this not insignificant opposition to LGBTQ2+ rights.

As the Londonderry teacher pointed out, respect is reciprocal. The right to practise religion cannot trump the human right to sexuality. Because ultimately, religion and religiosity are a choice. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not.

Source: thestar.com

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

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2023/07/07/muslims-who-fight-against-lgbtq2-inclusion-are-hurting-many-including-themselves.html

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US lawmaker attacked after Muslim prayer service alleges police downplaying incident

07-07-23

A US lawmaker in the state of Connecticut who was attacked last month while leaving a Muslim prayer service accused police in the city of Hartford of downplaying the assault and called Thursday for a federal investigation of the department’s handling of violent crimes, especially against women.

Rep. Maryam Khan, the first Muslim member of the Connecticut House, wore a sling on her right arm at a news conference and was surrounded by friends, family and fellow state legislators as she gave a harrowing account of her ordeal. She called the attack much more violent and shocking than how it was described in a police report.

Khan said she was later diagnosed with a concussion and is now awaiting an MRI after losing feeling in her right arm and shoulder. She recalled having to convince emergency responders at the scene that she was physically injured and emotionally traumatized.

“All I keep thinking in these last few days is what happens to women in the city of Hartford that call the police when they are assaulted, when they experience what I experienced, when they experience sexual assault, when they experience physical assault,” she said in the appearance at the Legislative Office Building.

“Because if this is what’s happening to me and this is the best we can do, as a state representative who represents the city of Hartford, I cannot be OK with that. I’m not okay with that,” she said.

Khan, a Democrat, lives in the Hartford suburb of Windsor. Her legislative district includes Windsor and a part of Hartford, Connecticut’s capital.

Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody expressed his sympathy for the legislator in a statement and said the department is taking the assault “very seriously,” noting both the Intelligence and Major Crimes divisions were immediately assigned the case.

“What Representative Khan experienced is awful, and I am so sorry for her and her family,” he said. The chief said his detectives have “supplemented the initial report with additional information and context” and have shared it with prosecutors. He said the department “will review every aspect of our response” to Khan’s assault, noting “we always want to get better and better.”

Thody said the case remains under investigation and the department is prepared to release as much information - including video and police body camera footage - “as the law allows and Representative Khan requests.”

Khan described Thursday how she and her family were taking photos June 28 outside a Hartford arena where the prayer service was held. She said a man approached and said he “intended to have sexual relations” with one of them, including Khan’s 15-year-old daughter.

He then followed them inside and Khan said he started to pursue her in particular, grabbing at her face and shirt and demanding a kiss. Khan said the man followed her back outside and tried to grab her face again but became angry when she “dodged him” and slapped her across the face. She said he later held her in a “chokehold” and held up his hand and mimicked having a gun before slamming her body into the ground.

“I knew in that moment my body went numb, and I thought I was going to die,” she said.

The Associated Press doesn’t generally identify people who report attempted sexual assaults unless they publicly identify themselves, as Khan has done.

There was no immediate response to an email seeking comment from the US Department of Justice about Khan’s call for a federal probe.

The department originally said Khan suffered “minor injuries” after a man, who made lewd comments and tried to kiss her, slapped her face and let go of her neck, causing her to fall to the ground. Khan noted the police report did not mention how her children were present for the attack or that she was a Muslim marking Eid al-Adha, the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca.

She said her family regularly attends the annual prayer service at the XL Center, an arena in downtown Hartford, which drew roughly 4,000 people to the June 28 gathering. Information provided by Mayor Luke Bronin’s office said the XL Center hired one sergeant and two officers to work at the prayer service, which has been held there for many years without incidents.

“Without a legitimate reason, a larger police detail can drive up the expense for events and can make attendees uncomfortable and feel overpoliced,” the mayor’s office said.

The suspect, Andrey Desmond, 30, who was chased down and held by two bystanders, was held in lieu of $250,000 bond at his arraignment last week on charges including misdemeanor assault, unlawful restraint, breach of peace and interfering with police. Authorities have said he could still face additional charges.

Emails were sent Wednesday and Thursday seeking comment from Desmond’s public defender, but there was no immediate response.

Khan won a special election for her seat in March 2022.

Source: english.alarabiya.net

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2023/07/07/US-lawmaker-attacked-after-Muslim-prayer-service-alleges-police-downplaying-incident

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Connecticut lawmaker attacked after Muslim service says Hartford police downplayed assault

JULY 6, 2023

HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut lawmaker who was attacked last month while leaving a Muslim prayer service accused police in Hartford of downplaying the assault and called Thursday for a federal investigation of the department's handling of violent crimes, especially against women.

Rep. Maryam Khan, the first Muslim member of the Connecticut House, wore a sling on her right arm at a news conference and was surrounded by friends, family and fellow state legislators as she gave a harrowing account of her ordeal. She called the attack much more violent and shocking than how it was described in a police report.

Khan said she was later diagnosed with a concussion and is now awaiting an MRI after losing feeling in her right arm and shoulder. She recalled having to convince emergency responders at the scene that she was physically injured and emotionally traumatized.

''All I keep thinking in these last few days is what happens to women in the city of Hartford that call the police when they are assaulted, when they experience what I experienced, when they experience sexual assault, when they experience physical assault,'' she said in the appearance at the Legislative Office Building.

''Because if this is what's happening to me and this is the best we can do, as a state representative who represents the city of Hartford, I cannot be OK with that. I'm not okay with that,'' she said.

Khan, a Democrat, lives in the Hartford suburb of Windsor. Her legislative district includes Windsor and a part of Hartford, Connecticut's capital.

Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody expressed his sympathy for the legislator in a statement and said the department is taking the assault ''very seriously,'' noting both the Intelligence and Major Crimes divisions were immediately assigned the case.

''What Representative Khan experienced is awful, and I am so sorry for her and her family,'' he said. The chief said his detectives have ''supplemented the initial report with additional information and context" and have shared it with prosecutors. He said the department ''will review every aspect of our response" to Khan's assault, noting ''we always want to get better and better.''

Thody said the case remains under investigation and the department is prepared to release as much information — including video and police body camera footage — ''as the law allows and Representative Khan requests.''

Khan described Thursday how she and her family were taking photos June 28 outside a Hartford arena where the prayer service was held. She said a man approached and said he ''intended to have sexual relations" with one of them, including Khan's 15-year-old daughter.

He then followed them inside and Khan said he started to pursue her in particular, grabbing at her face and shirt and demanding a kiss. Khan said the man followed her back outside and tried to grab her face again but became angry when she ''dodged him'' and slapped her across the face. She said he later held her in a ''chokehold" and held up his hand and mimicked having a gun before slamming her body into the ground.

''I knew in that moment my body went numb, and I thought I was going to die,'' she said.

The Associated Press doesn't generally identify people who report attempted sexual assaults unless they publicly identify themselves, as Khan has done.

There was no immediate response to an email seeking comment from the U.S. Department of Justice about Khan's call for a federal probe.

The department originally said Khan suffered ''minor injuries" after a man, who made lewd comments and tried to kiss her, slapped her face and let go of her neck, causing her to fall to the ground. Khan noted the police report did not mention how her children were present for the attack or that she was a Muslim marking Eid al-Adha, the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca.

She said her family regularly attends the annual prayer service at the XL Center, an arena in downtown Hartford, which drew roughly 4,000 people to the June 28 gathering. Information provided by Mayor Luke Bronin's office said the XL Center hired one sergeant and two officers to work at the prayer service, which has been held there for many years without incidents.

''Without a legitimate reason, a larger police detail can drive up the expense for events and can make attendees uncomfortable and feel overpoliced,'' the mayor's office said.

The suspect, Andrey Desmond, 30, who was chased down and held by two bystanders, was held in lieu of $250,000 bond at his arraignment last week on charges including misdemeanor assault, unlawful restraint, breach of peace and interfering with police. Authorities have said he could still face additional charges.

Emails were sent Wednesday and Thursday seeking comment from Desmond's public defender, but there was no immediate response.

Khan won a special election for her seat in March 2022.

Source: startribune.com

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Ramy Youssef on returning to standup at JFL and the intersection of Islam and comedy

july 6, 2023

Sometimes I describe Ramy Youssef as the Muslim Lena Dunham. The two couldn’t be more different, but they do share a millennial affinity for auto-fiction, in that they both created shows based on people that, on the surface, would seem to easily align with their off-screen, offline personalities. Fiction is fiction, however, and Ramy Youssef is an entirely different beast from the awkward, fumbling and spiritually existential kid he portrays on Hulu’s hit comedy show Ramy. But just like the ways in which many young white women saw themselves in Hannah Horvath, many young Muslims found representation in Ramy Hassan.

Youssef’s career, thus far, intersects Islam with comedy, and he is bringing this intersection to the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal this year.

My early experience of navigating the push and pull of ethnic and Western identities very much took place online, where I built a community of equally confused members. I asked Youssef whether this was his experience, too.

“I never engaged in the internet too much,” he says, “but I think, for me, a lot of the standup that I did when I first started would involve, like, halal sets of standup. I would be performing at fundraisers, like a charity raising money for (Palestinian Children Relief Fund), and with these shows, you’d have to do a clean set. And I’d be like, ‘Oh, cool, I’m performing in front of a bunch of Muslims here. I want to make them laugh and I want to connect.’ And it’d be really interesting because I’d be there, and I’d realize they love talking about politics and religion, but if you talked about sex, they were uncomfortable. And then I would go to the comedy club later and they loved talking about politics and sex, but if you talked about religion, they were uncomfortable.” He stifles a laugh at the absurdity.

The point being that he’s eager to leave television and film sets, for a moment, to return to the stage. “What I do miss,” he says, “is that when I used to do comedy, it involved being in the room with people. And I think you lose something when you’re not in the room, you know? We can see each other and realize we’re human. It’s something I’m really looking forward to on this tour.”

From the success of his stand-up came television opportunities. In 2020 he won a Golden Globe for Ramy, and as the crowd applauded, he quipped and said, “I know none of you have seen my show.” He says this response was rooted more in awe, than anything, but did admit award shows were silly. Opportunities are wonderful but, “I don’t believe in gamifying art.”

This is especially evident when we look at Ramy’s spin-off series released on Netflix in 2022: Mo. Youssef took a fan favourite character and extended the opportunity to fill yet another writers room with diversity and complexity. Mo tells the story of an immigrant in an interfaith and interracial relationship who’s desperate for American citizenship, and spends a lot of the series aghast at the ways white people abuse olive oil and hummus. It’s very funny, and as I point out to Youssef, more palatable than Ramy, a show who sees a character so desperate to be good, and who, as each season develops, only seems to be getting worse.

“With Ramy,” Youssef says, “I think we’re tracking a bit of the death of ego. We’re really looking at the intimacy of a spiritual journey, and peeling those layers back and getting closer to the wound. I think that’s the space where we actually shift something and move. And what I think about Mo is that it’s almost the opposite. It’s a bit more outward — about a guy and his family and what they have to face in a system.”

As he prepares to share new stand-up material, I wonder whether fans can expect the work to stay political. Will the personal always be political for Ramy Youssef? “For sure, I think that’s always going to be intertwined with the material. For anyone who hasn’t seen me do standup since the first special, it will be really fun. Because it’s been four years, and I’ve been playing with a bunch of different types of versions of the new hour for probably a few years. I’m excited to really get it together. So, yes, definitely there’s the personal being political, but also a lot more personal in general.”

This fall, fans will also get a chance to see another side of the actor in YorgosLanthimos’s next feature film, Poor Things. While he won’t be playing Ramy — he had to learn a British accent — and I still wonder if, like the rest of his work, there was a spiritual element that drew him to the role. “You know, Yorgos is his own universe. I think the spiritual draw for me was just getting to work with truly one of the greatest living directors. It was very fulfilling.” Youssef pauses. “I mean, it is funny, the character I play in the film might be the only character that believes in God, or claims that he believes in God, which is interesting.”

Source: cultmtl.com

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https://cultmtl.com/2023/07/ramy-youssef-on-returning-to-standup-at-jfl-and-the-intersection-of-islam-and-comedy/

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Europe

 

Moscow warns of dangers French riots present to Europe

7 Jul, 2023

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed deep concern over the unprecedented spike in violence in France triggered by the police shooting of a 17-year-old man of Algerian and Moroccan descent, warning Paris against the use of any form of police brutality.

“We call on the [French] authorities to immediately establish the circumstances of the murder that stirred up France and take the necessary measures to punish the perpetrators. The situation in France must not threaten the security of our common European continent,” Zakharova said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Amid the latest wave of street violence in France, Moscow condemned both the police brutality, which it believes set the stage for the violence, as well as the mayhem caused by the rioters who have looted numerous businesses and injured hundreds of officers.

“In recent years we have witnessed numerous human rights violations and cases of police brutality in France, but the murder of a 17-year-old Algerian teenager by a police officer showed the world the true extent of the problems in the country that calls itself the cradle of human rights,” she added.

Zakharova said it is “hard to ignore the increasing level of xenophobia, hostility towards migrants, and manifestations of antisemitism,” urging the French authorities to “take seriously the growing radicalization of society.”

Zakharova separately claimed that French weapons originally supplied to Ukraine have surfaced in their country of origin, and have been used by rioters to attack police. “According to multiple media reports, neo-Nazi groups are taking direct action in the riots in France.”

Paris should stop criticizing other nations on how they uphold the rule of law and focus instead on solving its own domestic problems and protecting its citizens, Zakharova said.

Source: rt.com

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Families queue down street for hours as Cardiff mosque gives out hundreds of food donation bags

6 JUL 2023

Around a hundred families lined up in Cathays on Thursday, July 6, as a local mosque gave out free food bags. Dar Ul-Isra Muslim Welfare and Education Centre set up a food drive in the community after receiving a generous donation of Qurbani meat and groceries from a charity.

Every year during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, Muslims slaughter an animal – a goat, sheep, cow or camel – to reflect the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, for the sake of God. The meat is then distributed to people who are most in need.

In partnership with Islamic Relief, volunteers from Dar Ul-Isra mosque prepared around 300 food parcels - with the meat donation - for pick-up collection and distribution around Ely, Grangetown and Roath. Due to the cost of living crisis, many families are struggling to afford food and the mosque is doing everything it can to help its local community and beyond.

Doors to the building opened at 6.30pm for the public to collect the donations, but volunteers said that the queues started forming outside the mosque at 4pm. As families picked up a parcel - containing cupboard staples and hygiene products - and a portion of meat, a variety of people walked through the door. From refugees and asylum seekers to Ukrainians, the elderly, single mums, students, and young families - Dar Ul-Isra mosque welcomed all who were in financial need.

Dar Ul-Isra mosque also runs a popular food bank every Saturday at 12pm, which has been running for the last four years. Naveed Rahman, an organiser of the food bank, said that there has been a huge demand for food donations since the cost of living crisis. He said: “We’ve steadily seen an increase over the last four years for our weekly food service that we run. Obviously, things like this is an extension of that - a one-off - where we tend to give a lot more. The fact that people queue two to three hours before we open just shows the cost of living crisis is real for a lot of families and it’s just got more acute as the years go on.”

Naveed added that he sees the same faces coming to the food bank each week, noting that any money they have goes straight on their bills as they’re not able to afford “basic things” any more due to "the increase in utilities and everything else."

“From when we started - we spread the news through the whole community - so more than 50% of our attendees are not Muslim. What’s surprising is how far people come from. We have people coming from Splott, Tremorfa, west Cardiff and often they walk to us. It’s not unusual for us to see attendees on a Saturday queue from 8am, and our doors open at 12pm,” said Naveed. He added that around 40 to 60 families turn up to the mosque each week for the food bank.

Dar Ul-Isra mosque gets the majority of its donations from supermarkets in the area and has a partnership with FareShare - taking 150kg from them each week. For the first time in four years, about three months ago food supplies that were coming into FareShare from the supermarkets were “drying up” and the mosque only received 50kg.

Naveed said: “We had to reach out to the community and they responded magnificently - we raised around £10,000 in a month. So what we’re doing now is topping up the shortfall by doing our own private shopping every Saturday.

“We’re trying our best to accommodate everybody, but it’s becoming harder and harder.” Naveed hopes to set up a drop-off point in front of the mosque soon so members of the community are able to drop off food donations for their Saturday food bank, which is open to anyone who needs it.

Helen Criddle is a volunteer and has been with the mosque since 2015. Tonight she has been busy driving around Cardiff dropping food parcels to families in need. She said: “We try to spread it all over Cardiff and it’s great we have so many volunteers.” Helen added that tin goods, dental products, and feminine hygiene items are among the most important products for people to donate.

“We normally do this every year - but just the meat - but because we had this big donation there’s also the extra groceries - like the squash, toothpaste, toothbrush, oil, sugar etc.”

Rashid Campbell, the Midlands events co-ordinator for Islamic Relief, travelled to Dar Ul-Isra mosque for the first time to assist with the food bank. He said: "This is part of our UK programme where we help the local community here - and all over UK in the major cities. This time of year is called Qurbani, which is the sacrifice that our profit Abraham did and the word Qurbani means ‘to become close’. Through this act of sharing, we want to become close to our neighbours, to our community and god. That’s what Qurbani’s about.

“I wasn’t really surprised [by today’s response] because of the cost of living crisis - you can see the amount of people queuing around the mosque. There must have been 100+ families here today and everybody got something. Hopefully next year we’ll do stuff bigger and better for everybody.”

Source: walesonline.co.uk

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Zelensky ‘dragging entire planet’ to hell – Russian envoy

7 Jul, 2023

Faced with failure on the battlefield, Ukraine’s president is trying to drag NATO into the conflict with a false-flag attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, said on Thursday.

“News reporters continue to pretend not to notice the obvious: from the very beginning of the special military operation, all the accusations of the Zelensky regime against us turned out to be sabotage operations of Kiev itself,” Antonov told Newsweek in an email interview.

The difference now, he added, is that “this time stakes have grown substantially: Europe’s nuclear security is at risk.”

Zelensky has accused Russia of planting explosives at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Antonov called it “absurd” to accuse Russia of wanting to damage the facility which it has controlled since March 2022.

Kiev’s “criminal intentions” divert attention from “the failed counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in which the West has invested enormous resources,” to falsely accuse Russia as a ‘nuclear terrorist’ ahead of the NATO summit, and draw the US-led bloc into the conflict directly, Antonov said.

“Western ruling elites should understand that the failures on the battlefield make Kiev eager to create a pretext for the deployment of the NATO contingent to Ukraine, thereby to inflate a regional conflict into World War III,” the Russian ambassador told Newsweek.

“We call on the curators of the Kiev regime to exercise responsibility and exert influence on their ‘wards’ in order to avoid a large-scale catastrophe,” he added. “American and European citizens are hardly ready to march in orderly rows to the hell into which the Zelensky government is dragging the entire planet.”

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, who are on the ground at the ZNPP, reported on Wednesday that they have found no signs of any mines, either at the cooling pond – as Kiev initially claimed – or on the roofs of the reactor buildings.

The IAEA observer mission was deployed to the ZNPP in September 2022. Prior to that, the station and its environs had been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian artillery, which Kiev admitted at one point. Just before the IAEA mission arrived, Ukrainian commandos also attempted to seize the facility but were driven back. Russia has provided evidence of Ukrainian attacks to the UN, which has avoided assigning blame.

Source: rt.com

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South Asia

 

Roof Reconstruction of Herat's Great Mosque Completed After Nearly 11 Years

The Herat Great Mosque's roof reconstruction process has been completed after nearly eleven years.

The whole roof structure of this historical monument was constructed by the monument engineers.

 This project has been financially supported by several international organizations and individuals.

“The roof tile-covering process for the Herat Jami Mosque, the sixth historical-religious structure recognized in the world, was completed this year on schedule, covered with tiles over 3,800 square meters,” said Zalmay Safa, director of the preservation of Herat's historical monuments.

 Cultural activists emphasized the need to preserve the Great Mosque of Herat as the historical symbol of Afghanistan and the Islamic world.

"It is a historical symbol of the Islamic world; for this reason, the Jami Mosque is very great and has a long history and national value," said NaihekFalah, a cultural activist.

 The Great Mosque of Herat is often visited by local and foreign tourists.

To draw in international tourists, several people asked the Islamic Emirate to repair all areas of this historical site.

"All the people must protect and take care of this, it is not only the responsibility of the government, but the people must also cooperate in this respect,” said Iqbal Shah, a resident of Herat.

"It has a very high value. Not only me, but many other people from abroad and other countries come just to see this mosque,” said Shah Mohammad, a resident of Nimroz.

 According to the Herat Department of Information and Culture, the repair and renovation of the Herat Grand Mosque is proceeding based on a sustainable plan.

"Everything that is necessary for the Jami Mosque, from the bricks of the roofs of the Jami Mosque to everything that is necessary, will be provided,” said Naeemulhaq Haqqani, head of information and culture in Herat.

This mosque is regarded as one of the nation's most significant ancient monuments and has a history dating more than 800 years.

Source: tolonews.com/

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Children in Kabul Malnourished Due to Poverty

The father of a malnourished child, Khan Zada, said that he is the family's sole breadwinner and that his three-year-old child is malnourished as a result of his inability to provide adequate food for them.

"My last child had malnutrition because of a lack of food for him and his mother," he said.

"Every day, my husband makes between 50 and 60 Afs. He sometimes arrives empty-handed. We don't have anything to eat for lunch or at night,” said Freshta, the mother of a malnourished child.

Meanwhile, the Save the Children Fund said in a report that Afghanistan is among the fifteen countries in the world that face food insecurity.

“Millions of children around the world are facing hunger. In the 15 worst-affected countries, like South Sudan, Afghanistan or Burkina Faso, one child is pushed into severe acute malnutrition every minute. That’s why we urgently need your help. You can give hungry families the support they need to survive, and stop children dying from hunger,” Save the Children tweeted.

In the meantime, Fouzia Shafique, UNICEF’s health lead in Afghanistan, said that this organization will continue its health emergency response project with the aim of providing health services in 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

“This is a crucial project for the country right now. And the reason is, we are all aware of the economic crisis that Afghanistan has faced over the last one year. We know that more and more Afghans are living in poverty. We know there is loss of livelihoods. People have lost their jobs, their work. Some displacements in the country, last year alone we had a couple of disease outbreaks,”

This comes as, based on the statistics of the Ministry of Public Health in 2022, nearly three million people in Afghanistan have suffered from malnutrition.

Source: tolonews.com

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Pakistan

 

 

Lahore ATC asks PTI chief to join probe in 5 cases linked to May 9 violence

July 7, 2023

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Friday directed PTI Chairman Imran Khan to become part of the investigation into five cases registered in connection with violence in the country on May 9.

The cases in question concern the attacks on Jinnah House, Askari Tower, the Shadman Town police station, vandalism at the PML-N office in Model Town, and the setting ablaze of a container when protests erupted in the country following Imran’s arrest in the Toshakhana case.

During today’s hearing, Imran appeared in court alongside his lawyer IntizarPanjhuta. Lawyer Khawaja Waseem Abbas represented the Punjab government.

At the outset of the hearing, Judge Ejaz Ahmed Buttar expressed his displeasure at Imran’s failure to join the investigation in the five cases. “Why have you not yet joined the probe?” the judge asked Imran.

The PTI chief said that he was appearing in courts on a daily basis, therefore, he was unable to join the investigation.

The judge told Imran to provide a list of dates detailing his court appearances, to which the PTI chief said, “I am ready to join the investigation.”

“The implementation of the law is important,” the judge emphasised.

The PTI chief said that he would join the probe if investigation authorities visited his Zaman Park residence.

“This is a matter between you and the police which should be discussed and settled mutually,” the judge said.

The government’s lawyer insisted that Imran join the probe at 4pm today. However, Imran said that he was unavailable at that time as he was scheduled to meet with a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The judge said that it would be better if Imran went to the police headquarters to join the investigation and directed him to do so by July 14. Additionally, the judge extended Imran’s interim bail in all five cases until July 21.

Toshakhana case

Meanwhile, an Islamabad sessions judge exempted Imran from appearing before the court while hearing an appeal filed by the PTI chief challenging the maintainability of the Toshakhana reference.

At yesterday’s hearing, the judge had directed Imran to appear before the court today as he declined a plea by the PTI chief’s counsel to adjourn the hearing to Aug 1.

Additional District and Sessions Judge HumanyunDilawar presided over today’s hearing during which Imran’s counsel Gohar Ali Khan filed a plea to postpone the hearing till July 10.

However, the lawyer representing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Amjad Parvez, accused the petitioner of using delaying tactics. He said that the PTI chief’s lawyers did not intend to give arguments, adding that “time was being wasted”.

In response, Imran’s lawyer contended that the ECP’s counsel was indulging in “point-scoring”.

Subsequently, the judge adjourned the hearing till tomorrow (Saturday) and told Imran to appear in court alongside his lawyer Khawaja Haris.

Source: dawn.com

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Judge says political motive behind allotment case against Nawaz

July 7, 2023

LAHORE: The 34-year-old case against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was reopened for “political victimisation” and to damage his reputation, said the accountability court verdict which acquitted Mr Sharif of all charges.

The detailed verdict issued on Thursday was hailed by several PML-N leaders as the “vindication” of the party’s supreme leader.

The proceedings started in 2020 when during the PTI government, the National Account­ability Bureau (NAB) filed a reference alleging that Jang Group owner Mir Shakilur Rehman had illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots, each measuring one kanal, in Block-H of Lahore’s Johar Town. It alleged that the allotment was made in connivance with the then chief minister of Punjab, Nawaz Sharif, in 1986 for monetary gains.

Mr Sharif was given a clean chit of any wrongdoing through a short-order passed on June 24. Earlier, Mr Rehman and other principal accused, including former Lahore Development Authority director general Humayon Faiz Rasool and former LDA director of land development department Mian Bashir Ahmad were acquitted on Jan 31.

The detailed verdict of the ex-PM’s acquittal which came out on Thursday, said: “The record reflects that the accused Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had become the victim of political victimisation, and perhaps the NAB authorities were constrained to prepare the reference at the behest of the then ruling junta to damage and destroy the political career and goodwill of the accused who had been three-time elected prime minister of Pakistan.”

PML-N celebrates detailed verdict; PM says his elder brother stands ‘vindicated’

In his verdict, Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar Khan said the order passed by his predecessor declaring Mr Sharif a proclaimed offender “was not in line” with the parameters devised by the Supreme Court.

The former judge had not only declared Mr Sharif a proclaimed offender but also ordered an auction of his assets. Mr Sharif was out of the country when the inquiry was initiated and a reference was filed against him.

Judge Khan said the case record was silent regarding procedure under sections 87 and 88 of CrPC including the issuance of warrants and publication of proclamations to declare Mr Sharif a proclaimed offender.

“The court was never supposed to be a silent spectator, sitting with blind eyes and deaf ears” as settled by the Supreme Court, the verdict stated.

The judge ruled that Mr Sharif was entitled to the same relief given to the principal accused, having a lesser role and better legal footing compared to the acquitted accused.

The court concluded that no loss was caused to the LDA from any act of the accused or co-accused as the prosecution admitted that the reserved price was paid in time.

PML-N hails verdict

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb have said the verdict proved the PML-N supreme leader was deliberately implicated by the PTI government.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said the acquittal proved the case was meant to politically damage his elder brother, APP reported.

The information minister, Ms Aurangzeb, said NAB was pressurised by the PTI regime to create false cases against the PML-N leader.

She said under the “NAB-Niazi nexus” — a reference to the collusion between the accountability watchdog and the then PM Imran Khan — the bureau was given a task to target political opponents of the PTI chief.

“Today, the accountability court had affirmed that Nawaz Sharif was targeted for political vengeance,” she said, adding the court found no evidence of corruption against him.

The owner of a leading media house was arrested in a fake case just to pressurise the media to toe the then government’s line, Ms Aurangzeb claimed.

In his remarks, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said those who called Mr Sharif “Sicilian Mafia” were gradually being exposed.

He was referring to the statement of former PTI leader and eminent lawyer Hamid Khan in which he said the decision to disqualify Mr Sharif as prime minister was taken much before the Supreme Court verdict.

Talking to the media after addressing a ceremony at the University of Education in Lahore, the minister said those who were part of the conspiracy were now testifying to the innocence of Mr Sharif.

“Pakistan was punished by removing Nawaz Sharif from power through an unconstitutional step, a conspiracy to bring an incompetent favourite into the government.”

Amjad Mahmood and Kalbe Ali in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1763400/judge-says-political-motive-behind-allotment-case-against-nawaz

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PAC seeks probe into leak of military officials’ data

Jamal Shahid Published July 7, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Expressing apprehensions over the data leak of citizens, especially of military authorities from the Nadra, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday directed the Ministry of Interior to conduct a joint investigation into the breach of data.

PAC Chairman MNA Noor Alam Khan said that the Pakistan Tele­communication Authority (PTA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Military Intelligence (MI) should also be included in the investigation team.

“Everyone’s personal data is available on the internet. Data of military authorities has also been leaked. How was it leaked from the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra)?” Mr Khan asked as he instructed PTA to block the data online.

The PAC convened to review audit objections for the year 2019-20 related to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Members of the PAC were vexed over the absence of the Secretary of Religious Affairs. It was informed that the secretary, who returned from Haj operations a day ago, had fallen ill.

“Is he on a ventilator? In an emergency? Is he in the hospital? What is the disease?” Mr Khan said angrily, adding, “Does he know how much the pilgrims have suffered?”

“The secretary has fever, cough and infection,” an official from the ministry informed the members.

“After what you have done with Hajis, the FIA will look into this matter,” Mr Khan said.

He also registered a complaint with the ministry against private operators who took Rs2.5 million from aspiring pilgrims and failed to provide satisfactory services.

“They do not provide proper accommodation to the pilgrims and are rude,” said Mr Khan. Upon inquiry, ministry officials informed PAC members that about 200 members/officials from the religious affairs ministry went to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.

Last month, the PAC had urged President Arif Alvi and lawmakers who were also performing Haj to address the issues faced by other pilgrims using the government scheme.

It also warned of strict action against private operators who charged pilgrims Rs2.5m or more in fees but failed to provide proper facilities.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1763401/pac-seeks-probe-into-leak-of-military-officials-data

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Jahangir Tareen’s brother commits suicide

July 7, 2023

LAHORE: Alamgir Khan Tareen, brother of Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party Chairman Jahangir Khan Tareen, committed suicide by shooting himself in the temple at his residence here on Thursday.

Alamgir (63) was also the owner of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans.

Police found him dead with a pistol and a suicide note he left at his Gulberg residence.

In the hand-written note, he had unveiled the ‘endless list of illnesses’ he was suffering from as prime reason for ending his life.

The police also recovered a Glock pistol from the same room he had used to shoot himself.

The initial police inquiries suggested that Alamgir fired a shot in the right temple and the bullet left a deep hole on the other side, causing his instant death.

The postmortem report endorsed the police inquiries, saying that a single bullet fire caused excessive blood loss.

The report further stated that no torture marks or violence were found on any other part of his body.

“We were alerted by the domestic help [of Alamgir] on Thursday morning when he visited the room of his employer at upper storey of the house and found him in a pool of blood,” Lahore Operations DIG Nasir Rizvi told Dawn.

He said Alamgir was living alone in the apartment since he was unmarried and he used to hold a brief meeting with his employee Alam to discuss domestic chores before going to bed at around 9pm daily.

Alam told the police that on Wednesday night he noticed some ‘unusual’ things when his employer went to his room without sharing anything with him.

Alam said he got [somewhat] confused and went back to his quarter and had a sleepless night.

He then made a call on the mobile phone of his landlord at 3am [Thursday early morning] but found no response, Alam said adding that he again called at around 10am.

On finding no response, he rushed upstairs, entered the room and found him dead, the DIG quoted Alam as having said.

“The forensic and the police teams isolated the crime scene, seized the suicide note, pistol used by him, the bullet shell and fingerprints of the deceased,” Mr Rizvi said.

He said the police also alerted Jahangir Khan Tareen, who was holding a meeting in Model Town at that time and he immediately reached the house of his brother along with Aun Chaudhry.

The DIG said Jahangir was initially reluctant to go for postmortem but later got convinced when the police briefed him about the legal requirements.

The body was sent to the Lahore General Hospital where the postmortem was carried out, he said adding that before committing suicide, Alamgir was much concerned about his loyal employee which was evident from some contents of his suicide note wherein he had requested his brother to take care of Alam.

The body has been handed over to Jahangir Tareen after completing legal formalities, the DIG said.

“Jahangir pls take care of Alam. He has served me without a fault all his life and don’t let the police bother him about this (probable referring to his decision of suicide)”, reads the note.

In the note, he repeatedly mentioned multiple diseases he was facing that made his life irritating.

“So here goes, I love life and I never wanted to do this. The life was perfect full some six months ago”, reads the suicide note. He also mentioned his last visit to Sri Lanka where he spent vacation.

There were also some reports that Alamgir was planning to marry his fiancée in coming December.

He was a leading businessman in south Punjab and operated one of the largest water purification plants in the country.

Alamigir was also owner of Multan Sultans. It was added as the sixth team in 2017.

Captained by Mohammad Rizwan, the team was being represented by big names including Shan Masood, Anwar Ali, Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, David Miller, Adil Rashid, Tim David, and RileeRossouw.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our beloved team owner, Alamgir Khan Tareen. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Tareen’s family. We request you all to kindly respect his family’s privacy. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” Multan Sultans stated on Twitter.

Source: dawn.com

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Imran approaches SC against IHC order on Toshakhana reference

Nasir Iqbal

July 7, 2023

ISLAMABAD: PTI chief Imran Khan appro­a­ched the Supreme Court on Thurs­day to challenge the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) July 4 remand to a trial court for re-examination of the maintainability of the Toshakhana case within a week.

Moved through senior counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmad, a petition filed by the former prime minister requested the apex court to set aside the IHC directive. He also sought a stay on the proceedings before Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ), Islamabad, HamayunDilawar, until a decision on his appeal by the Supreme Court.

On Oct 21 last year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.

And on May 10 this year, the trial court rejected Imran Khan’s challenge to the maintainability of the Toshakhana reference and indicted him in the case.

The trial court’s decision was challenged before the IHC, which remanded the case back to the former on July 4 to re-examine the matter in seven days in the light of eight legal questions to decide maintainability of the reference.

The questions included “whether the complaint has been filed on behalf of ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) by a duly authorised person”, “whether the Oct 21, 2022, ECP decision was a valid authorisation to any officer of ECP to file a complaint,” “whether the question of authorisation was a question of fact and evidence and can be ratified subsequently during course of proceedings”.

The fresh petition, brought by Imran Khan before the apex court on Thursday, argued that the IHC was not legally justified in remanding the same questions of law that formed the basis of the impugned order for re-determination by the same trial judge who had already given his judgement.

Moreover, Mr Khan added, the IHC set aside the petitioner’s plea by remanding the matter back to the trial court for re-decision despite the fact that the petitioner had also applied for transfer of the complaint from the trial judge to any other court.

The petitioner contended the IHC had committed a jurisdiction error in remanding the case to the same trial judge against whom an application had been filed for transfer of the case.

Malik Asad adds: The ADSJ has summoned Imran Khan to appear before him today (Friday). The trial judge gave the order after taking up an appeal by the PTI chief challenging maintainability of the Toshakhana reference. The reference accused Mr Khan of concealing details of state gifts retained by him when he was prime minister.

During the hearing on Thursday, ADSJ HamayunDilawar declined a plea by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the PTI chief’s counsel, to adjourn the hearing to Aug 1, saying the Islamabad High Court had asked him to decide maintainability of the case by July 10.

However, the judge said if Imran Khan seeks exemption from personal appearance for “cogent reasons”, the court would consider it.

Our Correspondent in Toba Tek Singh adds: Faisalabad police registered two cases against the PTI chief on charges of abetment in attacks on an ISI office and Rana Sanaullah’s residence after Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9.

Source: dawn.com

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Islamophobia acts being carried out to pit Muslims against Christians, warns PM

July 07, 2023

YAUM-E-TAQADDUS-E-QURAN TODAY.

ISLAMABAD  -  Prime Minister She­hbaz Sharif on Thurs­day said the desecra­tion of Holy Quran was an attempt to cre­ate animosity between the Muslims and Chris­tians and any recur­rence of such condem­nable act, would in no way be tolerated.

The prime minister, in his address to the joint sitting of the parliament, urged United Nations Secretary-General Anto­nio Guterres to convene an urgent session to in­vite the Muslim world leaders, adopt a con­demnatory resolution and also warn the Swed­ish government and such individuals against the recurrence of such condemnable acts.

"The Holy Quran teaches the philoso­phy of love, respect and patience to the entire world," he said adding that we Muslims re­spect the books of oth­er religions.

“Never has anyone heard or seen the Bi­ble being desecrat­ed or burnt here. We respect all these reli­gions so that no one points a finger at our religion or book,” said the premier, claiming that events such as the one in Sweden were a part of “a conspira­cy to create rifts be­tween Christians and Muslims” and demand­ed that such actions be condemned.

He appreciated the Islamic countries for their immediate reaction to the incident.

“The incident that took place in Sweden on Eid, we need to tell the world that this won’t be tolerated,” he asserted.

“It is a part of our belief that we should sacrifice our lives to uphold the honour of the Holy Quran without worrying about anything ,” he said clarifying that the restraint that they are showing must not be seen as a weakness. Sharif called on peo­ple from all walks of life, as well as political and religious par­ties, to take to the streets on Fri­day (July 7) and register their protest against the incident and “give a message to the world”.

He said that the “vile man” who disrespected the Holy Qu­ran should be punished in an exemplary manner, highlight­ing that that could only be done through legal and political dis­cussions. “For this purpose, I want to appreciate the efforts of the Organisation of Islamic Co­operation,” PM Shehbaz said, re­ferring to an emergency meet­ing of the group which took place earlier this week.

He said that although Sweden had condemned the incident, it should clear its position on why the incident took place at all.

“We are not against freedom of speech, but no one has the right to talk about anyone’s religion or do propaganda against Muslims. No law in the world allows this,” he stressed, recalling that simi­lar incidents had taken place in Sweden in the past as well.

He also mentioned former New Zealand prime minister Ja­cinda Arden had talked about the way she “respected and pro­tected Muslims”. He paid trib­ute to Arden and said Pakistan would always remember her.

He urged the National Assem­bly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to form a committee with a mandate to formulate recom­mendations for their onward dissemination to the world in­cluding international organi­sations so that such acts could be averted. The prime minis­ter urged the parliamentarians to condemn the act of Swedish police and make it clear that the Muslims could even sacrifice their lives to protect the sancti­ty of the Holy Quran.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the House to put forward suggestions which would be raised at the UN platform to re­alise the world that the billions of Muslims would not allow any repetition of such hateful acts.

“This is beyond tolerance. This is not the first time as ear­lier too, same thing happened in Sweden. This must be con­demned in the strongest possi­ble words,” he said

He told the House that he was trying to contact with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Gu­terres to request him for conven­ing an urgent session to invite the Muslim leaders and adopt a condemnatory resolution. “I will also ask him to warn such governments and individuals against redoing such acts aimed at fanning hatred,” he added.

The prime minister thanked Pope Francis for condemning the act, saying his dissociation of such Islamophobic action gave a positive image.

Earlier, the parliamentarians in a joint session passed a res­olution urging Sweden to take “appropriate steps” against per­petrators involved in the recent incident of the Holy Quran’s desecration in Stockholm.

The lawmakers, in a unani­mously passed resolution, stat­ed that it believed in respecting all religions, beliefs and Holy Books. “This House urges that appropriate steps be taken by Swedish authorities against the perpetrator(s) including but not limited to legal action, and to ensure that no such act taken place in the future,” according to the resolution.

The lawmakers urged inci­dents of Islamophobia should be dealt with the same seriousness as hate against other religions.

“This house urges that rel­evant international organisa­tions and states must legislate to criminalise desecration of holy symbols of religions including holy books, personalities, places of worship and followers.” “This house resolves that the interna­tional community take appropri­ate measures for promoting in­terfaith harmony to ensure that any act that hurts religious sen­timents may never take place in the future,” it added. It was also decided in the house to form a committee for the purpose of condemning the desecration of the Holy Quran and suggesting measures to prevent such inci­dents in the future. Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing a ceremony in con­nection with the 247th nation­al day of the United States here, said that Pakistan and Ameri­ca are the good friends and the bilateral relations between the two countries are getting fur­ther strengthened.

Source: nation.com.pk

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India

 

Alleging cow slaughter, Karnataka BJP MLA SharanuSalagar barges into Muslim home, booked

The incident allegedly took place on July 1 in Basavakalyan when Mehraj (27) was celebrating Eid.

By: Express News Service

July 6, 2023

sharanusalagar, karnataka news, cow slaughter, indianexpress'Karnataka BJP MLA SharanuSalagar. (Photo source: FB/ SharanuSalagar)

Karnataka BJP MLA SharanuSalagar and his supporters have been booked for allegedly barging into a Muslim man’s home and abusing his family members claiming that they were slaughtering animals for Eid al-Adha.

On a complaint lodged Wednesday by Mehraj (27), an electrician, Salagar, MLA for Basavakalyan in Bidar district, and his followers were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 448 (house trespass), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object).

The incident allegedly took place on July 1 in Basavakalyan. According to the complaint, when Mehraj was inside his house celebrating Eid, Salagar and about 15-25 supporters barged into his house screaming that they were slaughtering animals inside their house. Initially, the MLA claimed that a cow was being slaughtered.

Despite Mehraj and his neighbours trying to clear their “doubts”, the MLA allegedly continued to abuse the women of the family and threatened to teach them a lesson. “Muslims are taking all the flats and if they are allowed, they will not allow Hindus to live. They are acting too much. We will teach them a lesson,” Salagar was quoted as saying by Mehraj in his complaint.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/cow-slaughter-karnataka-bjp-mla-sharanu-salagar-muslim-home-8786823/

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Bomb threat to Shivajinagar mosque proves to be a hoax

JUL 07 2023

A phone call about a bomb being planted at a mosque in Shivajinagar, central Bengaluru, was declared a hoax after hours of search, police said.

Around 9.55 pm on Wednesday, a man called 112 to tell the police that his sources had informed him that a bomb had been planted in Masjid-e-Azam, located on Chandni Chowk Road.

The caller, who reportedly spoke Urdu, also claimed that it was an act of terrorism.

Taking no chances, Shivajinagar police rushed to the mosque with members of the bomb disposal and canine squads and emergency services personnel. Senior police officers also arrived at the mosque.

The team combed the mosque and the whole area for about two hours, but found nothing.

The operation was eventually called off at 2 am and the team was demobilised, a police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

Police traced the call to a location outside Bengaluru. The caller is currently located in Hyderabad and his phone number is still operational, the officer said, adding that a police team has been sent to track him down.

Source: deccanherald.com

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https://www.deccanherald.com/city/top-bengaluru-stories/bomb-threat-to-shivajinagar-mosque-proves-to-be-a-hoax-1234661.html

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Minority Report: Data Busts A Myth About Indian Muslims

July 7, 2023,

Surjit S Bhalla

Former IMF executive director & former PMEAC member argues that since the early 1980s, median wages for Muslims have been mostly higher than those for Hindus

Opinions come cheap, and everyone is entitled to an opinion. George Soros has been openly critical of “democracy” in India and its imminent decline, and former US president Barack Obama added his weight to the opinion by stating that “if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart”. That Obama said this when the floodlights were on Modi, and before his speech to a joint session of the US Congress, well, that added fuel to the Soros fire.

Way back in the 1960s, Selig Harrison (India – The Most Dangerous Decades) warned that unless a new democratic leader arose post-Nehru, “India will face Balkanisation or authoritarian control based on army force. ” Obama’s comment is a more judicious rephrasing of Harrison’s “forecast” some 60 years ago.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/minority-report-data-busts-a-myth-about-indian-muslims/

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To prevent ‘political misuse’ of UCC, BJP plans community dialogue with Pasmanda Muslims

As per insiders, it will also be the next step in line with the party’s ongoing attempts to expand its base among Delhi’s second-largest minority community.

Written by Jatin Anand

July 7, 2023

Pasmanda Muslim population, ncr, Pasmanda Muslim population, ucc, Uniform Civil Code, Delhi news, New Delhi, Indian Express, current affairs“We are in the process of finalising the modalities around a large community event where the right information about UCC will be given and a dialogue will be held; it will either be held in Delhi or in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to coincide with the Monsoon Session of Parliament,” Rasheed said.

The BJP is planning a “big community dialogue” among the Pasmanda Muslim population in the NCR to dispel “misinformation” around the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), coinciding with the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

To be organised by the BJP’s Minority Morcha, the unit’s in-charge and President of the Rashtrwadi Muslim Pasmanda Mahaz, Atif Rasheed, said the main aim of the programme was to prevent the “possible political misuse” of the UCC.

As per insiders, it will also be the next step in line with the party’s ongoing attempts to expand its base among Delhi’s second-largest minority community. “Spreading rumours and misinformation around UCC, just like attempts to mislead people on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, is a very real possibility; we won’t let that happen,” Rasheed said.

Since Eid last month, Rasheed has been engaging with the capital’s Pasmanda Muslim community — an economically backward sub-group with numbers that contribute significantly to the Muslim population of India — while focussing on the BJP’s achievements during its nine-year-tenure as part of its ongoing ‘Sampark Se Samarthan’ initiative.

Outreach at areas like Trilokpuri and Sangam Vihar among others has, however, so far only focussed on targetting the AAP Delhi government for allegedly not allowing implementation of the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health scheme and seeking to underline PM Narendra Modi’s role in “ensuring delivery of free ration” to their homes every month. A senior party leader said these were core issues concerning the economic well-being of Pasmanda households.

Underlining the “significant outlook” with which the BJP viewed the community, a senior leader pointed out the PM’s instructions at two national executive meetings in 2022 and 2023 to reach out to marginalised sections within minority communities and his address in Bhopal on June 27 with regard to the Pasm-anda Muslim community per se.

“We are in the process of finalising the modalities around a large community event where the right information about UCC will be given and a dialogue will be held; it will either be held in Delhi or in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to coincide with the Monsoon Session of Parliament,” Rasheed said.

Source: indianexpress.com

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Muslim World League Secretary General Al-Issa to Arrive in India on July 10: Sources

JULY 06, 2023

Noted Saudi scholar and secretary general of the influential Muslim World League, Mohammad Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa will visit India between July 10-15, sources say.

According to them, Issa would arrive in New Delhi on July 10 and will have a meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

On July 11, at 11 am, on the invitation of the Khusro Foundation, Al-Issa will address a gathering of prominent religious and community leaders, academics and media at BS Abdur Rahman Auditorium at the India Islamic Cultural Centre.

NSA Ajit Doval shall also address the gathering, the sources said.

During the course of his visit, Issa is expected to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani.

He may also call on President Droupadi Murmu.

According to sources, Issa might visit the Akshardham temple and also meet some prominent personalities.

During his stay in Delhi, he is likely to pay tributes to martyrs at the National Police Memorial, Chanakyapuri.

An important part of his engagement will be the visit to Jama Masjid for Friday prayers.

He is also scheduled to visit Agra.

Al-Issa is an Islamic scholar and a leading voice on moderate Islam. He is also a promoter of inter-faith dialogue and world peace.

He is a prominent religious leader, Islamic scholar and reformist from Saudi Arabia. Before being appointed as the Secretary General of the Muslim World League in 2016, Al-Issa served as the Minister of Justice in the Saudi Cabinet.

He also serves as the chairman of the Centre for Responsible Leadership, a body of globally influential government, faith, media, business, and community leaders working together to solve the challenges facing humanity and the world today.

He has been commended by religious leaders, government officials, and international organisations for his efforts in promoting moderation, cooperation, and coexistence among people of different faiths.

Source: news18.com

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https://www.news18.com/india/muslim-world-league-secy-general-al-issa-to-arrive-in-india-on-july-10-sources-8270701.html

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SC Grants Bail To Muslim Man Accused Of Kidnapping, Raping Live-In Partner

06th July 2023

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has granted bail to a man accused of kidnapping and raping his live-in partner belonging to a different religious faith.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia noted that the interfaith couple had a live-in relationship agreement and even jointly filed a petition for police protection.

The Court also noted the petitioner was behind bars for nine months.

"Three factors weigh with us. In the live-in relationship agreement of August 25, 2022, the parties filing a joint petition for police protection especially as an interfaith couple and the petitioner has already been in custody for about nine months.

In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances, we grant bail to the appellant on terms and conditions to the satisfaction of the trial court," the bench said.

Advocate Namit Saxena, appearing for the accused, submitted that the girl's statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) made it clear that the relationship between them was consensual.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by a 22-year-old Muslim man challenging an order of the Rajasthan High Court dismissing his bail plea.

The plea said the petitioner and the woman are neighbours and fell in love with each other.

"While the petitioner belongs to the Muslim community, the alleged victim and her family follow the Hindu religion. That the couple wanted to marry each other and spend life together.

however, this was not agreeable to the family of the alleged victim due to religious differences.

"That the couple ultimately eloped to marry each other and also entered into a live-in relationship agreement dated August 25, 2022 to attain some societal status," the petition said.

It said a day after they eloped, the girl's father filed a missing report.

Later, he lodged a first information report (FIR) against the petitioner, alleging the man kidnapped and raped his daughter.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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Mideast

 

Nine Islamic State Suspects Arrested in Germany, Netherlands

06/07/2023

ERBIL — Security forces in the Federal Republic of Germany on Thursday arrested seven individuals on suspicion of forming terrorist cells and engaging in terrorist activities.

"The Turkmen, Tajik and Kyrgyz nationals arrested in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia had known each other for a long time and entered the country from Ukraine shortly after the war began in 2022," according to Al-Arabiya News, citing a statement from a German prosecutor' office.

They formed a terrorist organization in June 2022 and had been considering targets in Germany and trying to procure weapons, but at the time of arrest did not have concrete plans for an attack."

Meanwhile, Dutch authorities today arrested two suspected Islamic State (IS) members, a Tajikistani man and his Kyrgyz wife, who are reportedly linked to the group arrested in Germany.

Despite being defeated on the battlefield, remnants of the Islamic State (IS) continue to linger in many countries. In Iraq, they are especially active in disputed territories, hiding out in bushes, caves, marshes, and makeshift hideouts.

Source: basnews.com

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https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/814355

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Eid al-Ghadir; the day that Islam perfected

Jul 7, 2023

TEHRAN, Jul. 07 (MNA) – Eid al-Ghadir, the day on which Imam Ali (AS) was chosen by God as the successor of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is an Islamic commemorative holiday and is considered to be among the significant holidays of Shi'ite Muslims.

Eid al-Ghadir is a Shi'a holiday that celebrates the appointment of Ali ibn Abi Talib, Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, as the Prophet's successor. The festival takes its name from the place where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have made this announcement, the Pond (Ghadir) of Khumm.

Eid al-Ghadir is the commemoration of Prophet Muhammad’s (saw) final sermon at GhadirKhumm, which took place on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH. Shias celebrate this event as the basis for their acceptance of Imam Ali's (as) succession to the Prophet.

In the Farewell Pilgrimage that took place ten years after hijrah (the migration), Prophet Mohammad called on Muslims to join him in his last pilgrimage to Mecca. The event witnessed the largest Muslim gathering in the presence of the Messenger of God.

While traveling from Mecca to Madina after the last hajj, the Prophet (saw) and his companions stopped at a lake three miles from Al-Johfa.

The Prophet (saw) then came to a halt in GhadirKhuum, a site between Mecca and Medina. In front of hundreds of people, he proclaimed that Imam Ali (a.s.) was his chosen successor to rule Islam after him. He held up Imam Ali’s (a.s.) hand during his address and said:

“Ali is to be the Master of whoever I was Master (Mawla). Oh Allah, be a friend to those who support him (Ali) and an enemy to those who resist him (Ali).”

It was at that moment, that all the believers hailed Prophet Muhammad’s choice and congratulated Imam Ali (AS). The following verse of the Quran was revealed after the Prophet (saw) finished his discourse;

“Today I have perfected your religion and completed my bounty upon you, and I was satisfied that Islam be your religion” (Quran; 5:3)

This Quranic verse is noteworthy because it shows that Imam Ali (a.s.) was selected by Allah rather than Prophet Muhammad (saw) and that there was a rationale for Imam Ali’s (a.s.) selection.

On this day, Imam Ali (a.s.) was appointed the first of twelve Imams who would continue to give leadership and authority in Islam, marking the conclusion of Prophethood and the commencement of the Institution of Imamate.

The holy Imams are regarded as the Prophet’s legitimate successors not because they are related to him, but because they possess the attributes essential for religious-political leadership. In the absence of an Imam, a highly educated religious scholar (Marja') can provide direction to believers in all matters of jurisprudence.

On the day of Eid al-Ghadir, the holy shrines of Shia Imams would be decorated with flowers and celebrations would be held with the participation of crowds of Muslims.

Like many Muslim nation, the Iranian people celebrate Ghadir by holding public ceremonies or doing charity.

In Eid al-Ghadir 2022, Iranians attended a 10-km-long Eid al-Ghadir celebration on Tehran's Valiasr Street. According to estimates, some 3 million participated in the ceremony.

Like every other Eids on the Islamic calendar, Afghan Muslims celebrate Eid al-Ghadir with diverse ceremonies. In one of the festivities on this occasion, many of the couples tie the knot in a mass wedding in Afghanistan.

On the occasion of Eid Al-GhadirKhumm, different celebrations and book-reading competitions would be held in Afghanistan with the presence of children, adolescents, young people, university professors, and ulama.

Eid al-Ghadir in Turkey:

The followers of Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, celebrate the blessed occasion of Eid al-Ghadir in Turkey as well.

On the occasion, people in Turkey's Hatay usually cook special food called "Hirisi", which was made by mixing the sacrificial meat with wheat and cooking it in large cauldrons. They distribute the food among the people of their neighborhood, especially low-income families.

On the occasion of the Eid Al-Gadir, many tradesmen and shopkeepers in the city did not open their workplaces and joined the celebrations.

Source: en.mehrnews.com

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Sa'ada's people celebrate "Wilayah" day of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, in 11 squares

[06/July/2023]

SA'ADA July 06. 2023 (Saba)-Today, the people of Sa'ada province commemorated "Wilayah" day of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, with rhetorical and festive activities in 11 squares in the various directorates of the province.

During the ceremony that was held in Sa'ada city, in the presence of a number of ministers, the governor of Sa'ada, Muhammad Jaber Awad, noted the large attendance and mass interaction to commemorate "Wilayah" day in the province center and other squares in the districts.

He pointed out the importance of commemorating "Wilayah" day and consolidating its concept in the souls, to follow the example of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, his courage, sacrifices, and support for the true Islamic religion.

While Abdullah Al-Ghalbi reviewed the appropriate speech, the incident of guardianship and the communication of the Prophet Muhammad, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, in response to God in conveying the proof, completing the blessing, and perfecting the religion.

He affirmed the firm stance of the Yemeni people against the Zionist enemy and the forces of global hegemony and arrogance and their tools of agents, mercenaries, and his constant support for the Palestinian people and resistance until the victory is achieved.

The ceremony, which was attended by heads of military, security, social bodies and leaders, included paragraphs of folklore, an expression of joy at the commemoration of Wilayah Day, " Eid al-Ghadir", and the singing participation of the Sa'ada band.

Source: saba.ye

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Arab World

 

Saudi delegation takes its place at 4th annual G20 Space Economy Leaders meeting in India

July 07, 2023

RIYADH: A Saudi delegation is taking part in the fourth G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting, which began on Thursday in Bengaluru, India.

Mohammed Al-Tamimi, CEO of the Saudi Space Agency, is leading the Kingdom’s team at the two-day gathering, during which participants will discuss ways to enhance the role of the space economy and its tangible contributions to efforts to address global challenges and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The delegates include representatives of space agencies and related organizations from G20 member states, along with invited guests from other countries and the heads of international and regional organizations.

Speaking during the meeting, Al-Tamimi said the spirit of cooperation and optimism that is entrenched in the annual gathering has become the shared trait of global space activities and endeavors. It is a trait that will continue to shape humanity’s long-term future in terms of how it makes use of the space sector and its applications, he added.

He also extended thanks to authorities in India and officials from the Indian Space Research Organization for hosting the important meeting.

The Kingdom is working to promote the cooperative goals of the meeting, in line with its commitments as a signatory to the Artemis Accords, which serve as a guide for sustainable civil space exploration, and its contributions to efforts to implement the practical aspects of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, Al-Tamimi said.

The annual meeting is one of the results of the Kingdom’s presidency of the G20 in 2020, during which it was placed on the group’s agenda for the first time in an effort to enhance space-related cooperation between countries to maximize the benefits of the space economy and the utilization of associated data to support sustainable development, food security and global health.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2333666/saudi-arabia

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Saudi and Thai officials discuss anti-corruption efforts

July 07, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi and Thai officials held talks on enhanced cooperation between their countries in efforts to combat corruption and ensure high standards of integrity in public life.

It came as Mazen Al-Kahmous, president of the Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, also known as Nazaha, welcomed a delegation led by WatcharapolPrasanrajkit, president of Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission.

During the meeting the participants reviewed initiatives implemented by both Nazaha and Thai authorities to promote the principles of transparency, crack down on corrupt practices and guarantee integrity.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Space Agency discusses cooperation with Chinese agencies and businesses

July 06, 2023

RIYADH: The Saudi Space Agency has held a number of meetings with Chinese government agencies and businesses to discuss enhanced cooperation and collaborations in the fields of technology, industry and space exploration.

Abdullah Al-Swaha, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Space Agency, met his counterpart from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. and other leading figures from the space sector in Beijing to discuss common interests and explore opportunities for strategic cooperation.

A delegation from the Saudi agency also held talks with representatives of the Chinese companies MinoSpace, Galactic Energy, and China Electronics Technology Group Corp. to discuss satellites, the spacecraft industry, and the development of satellite payloads.

They also met executives from Galaxy Space, a company that develops and sells communication satellites, and I Space, a business that specializes in the development and manufacture of spaceships, to discuss partnership opportunities in the research and science fields, along with technological cooperation in the space industry.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the agency’s visit to China is the latest initiative in efforts to boost political ties and enhance bilateral relations to further the space exploration agenda.

The aim is to learn from Chinese successes in the field so that both nations can mutually benefit from the further development of space industries to the highest international tech standards that are bolstered by innovation, while facilitating efforts in the Kingdom to enhance the transfer of key knowledge, localization, and achieve strategic goals, the SPA added.

The Saudi Space Agency has partnered with a number of international agencies and organizations to help enhance the country’s stature in the sector and position itself as a global leader in space exploration and innovation, authorities said, while working to improve its competitiveness by seizing emerging opportunities in a rapidly evolving sector.

The status of the organization was last month elevated to that of agency from commission to better align with the country’s ambitious vision for the future of space exploration.

In May, Saudi astronauts Ali Al-Qarni and RayyanahBarnawi joined two Americans on the crew of the Axiom Mission 2, which successfully docked with the International Space Station. After an eight-day stay they returned safely to Earth on a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Barnawi, a scientist, became the first Saudi woman in space.

Source: arabnews.com

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Number of pilgrims arriving in Madinah passes 140,000

July 06, 2023

MADINAH: The number of pilgrims from around the world to arrive in Madinah up to Wednesday after performing the Hajj rituals has reached 142,588, state news agency SPA reported.

A total of 17,258 pilgrims arrived in Madinah on Wednesday, with 15,159 arriving at the Hijra Station through 395 flights, according to Hajj and Visit Committee statistics.

Meanwhile the Haramain high-speed railway station received 1,797 pilgrims who arrived on 395 trips.

Of these 36,963 pilgrims have already left to return to their home countries.

Source: arabnews.com

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Ornithology journal cites vulture research by Saudi nature reserve

July 06, 2023

RIYADH: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve’s efforts to research and protect the Eurasian griffon vulture have been cited by Sandgrouse, an international ornithology journal.

“Sandgrouse is an international magazine collecting and publishing data on birds of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Issued periodically since 1996, It is one of the most famous magazines specialized in birds in these regions,” said Fahad Al-Shuwaier, director-general of communications at KSRNR.

The importance of the Eurasian griffon vulture for the ecosystem lies in the fact that it feeds on the carcasses of dead animals collectively, as it is present in groups that go out to search for food collectively, which helps to clean the environment from the carcasses of these animals, which in turn reduces the spread of diseases and infection from these carcasses,” he added.

The publication of such news in international periodicals guarantees that KSRNR attracts the attention of researchers, experts and scientists at the world level who are interested in issues related to the environment.”

The Eurasian griffon vulture is an endangered species within the Kingdom, with population numbers falling dramatically across the Arabian Peninsula.

The number of Eurasian griffon vultures in Saudi Arabia fell by between 50-80 percent from 1972-2015 as a result of exposure to hazards including secondary poisoning, hunting, collision and electrification.

The Eurasian griffon vulture is one of the resident species nesting in KSRNR and in the wilds of southern Saudi Arabia.

It is one of the most important types of birds in the reserve, with 46 nesting sites being registered and monitored during the 2022 season, including 22 active nests, according to research.

KSRNR teams detected more than 250 birds and more than 100 nesting sites within the boundaries of the reserve during the 2023 nesting season, representing a key ornithological documentation of the species in the Middle East.

The reserve announced its commitment to join the Green List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature with the aim of protecting natural assets, restoring ecological balance, preserving endangered animals and birds, and achieving sustainable ecological balance through the protection of biodiversity.

The authority aims to preserve the Eurasian griffon vulture within its boundaries because of the important role that the species plays in maintaining environmental balance and protecting nature.

Special initiatives have been launched to protect griffon vultures by creating an incubating environment for their reproduction.

Source: arabnews.com

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Southeast Asia

 

Good governance, economic management attract investments - PM Anwar

July 7, 2023

SEREMBAN: Good governance and economic management can attract the interest and confidence of domestic and foreign investors to invest in the country thus ensuring rapid economic growth, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said this was proven when under his administration which prioritises such matters, foreign investments from China, Japan and Saudi Arabia were successfully recorded recently.

"Next week, Elon Musk (Tesla CEO) asked to consult with me, to discuss his possible commitment to increase investment in Malaysia, all this is with the beginning of good governance and economic management.

"Last week, I met Japanese investors who want to increase and expand their investments. A few months ago I went to China, resulting in the highest Chinese investment in Malaysian history," he said during his speech at the Majlis AmanatPerdanaMenteriKepadaPenjawatAwamNegri Sembilan at Seremban City Council Hall here today.

Anwar said the Saudi Aramco Company from Saudi Arabia previously also agreed to expand its investment in Johor.

"This is important, if there is no investment, unemployment will increase, the economy will not grow, restaurants, hotels and others will also be affected," he said.

Also present were Negeri Sembilan MenteriBesar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri MohdZuki Ali and Director-General of Public Service Datuk Dr Zulkapli Mohamed.– BERNAMA

Source: nst.com.my

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Govt to channel RM10 billion in sukuk for Felda's 10-year recovery plan: PM

July 7, 2023

SERDANG: The government will channel a total of RM10 billion in 'sukuk' for the Felda's recovery plans for a period of 10 years.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the allocation had been approved last month by the Finance Ministry to ensure Felda's survival.

"We previously have the sukuk but it was suspended by the previous government. However, I have signed the approval (for the allocation) last month.

"This is to ensure Felda's survival and recovery in the industry as a huge institution (that can help its settlers)," he said during the national-level Felda Settlers' Day celebration in MAEPS, today.

Last week, the government announced that it will restructure Felda's debts through sukuk issuance and revolving credit.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister said a large part of the restructuring plans involved reducing Felda's debt with financial institutions.

He also said the restructuring would help reduce Felda's costs against interest rates implemented and allow them to abolish 80 per cent of settlers' loan, worth RM8.3 billion.

Following this, Anwar also pledged that the government will restuctureFelda's financial position to ensure it could abolish 80 per cent of its settlers' debt.

"As what was announced last week, the government has also agreed to restructure Felda's financial position through sukuk issuance and revolving credit in our effort to recover its finances and allow the abolishment of 80 per cent of settlers' loan worth RM8.3 billion."

The prime minister also said Putrajaya had pledged to prioritise Felda through the 2024 Budget which would be tabled in October.

Anwar said the move to prioritise the institution was to look after the people of Felda and their livelihood.

"I vow to review (the move to help the settlers) through the 12th Malaysia Plan. (And) through this, we will include Felda under the second Madani Budget in October as an effort to lift the people's livelihood,"

Anwar also announced that the government would provide special health incentives worth RM21.2 million for settlers aged 65 years and above.

"To ensure the their health are taken care of, individuals aged 65 and above will be given RM300 each and this incentive will benefit a total of 70,715 settlers.

"The government will also establish a dialysis centre with an allocation of RM21 million for all Felda districts. The centre is expected to benefit almost 2,000 patients from Felda who had to travel up to two hours to get treatment."

Among others, Anwar also announced that the government agreed to bear the operating costs of 37,012 street lights in Felda districts nationwide, which involved RM7.7 million, as well as diesel subsidy worth RM36 million to ensure smooth operations for matters of energy and water treatment rations in Sabah.

The prime minister also vowed to resolve the abandoned housing projects issue for the second-generation of Felda farmers.

"Give me some time to discuss with the (Plantation and) Commodities Minister as we need to check the cost. However, I have agreed to consider (to resolve the issue)."

Also present at the event were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Selangor MenteriBesar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Felda Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

Source: nst.com.my

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https://www.nst.com.my/news/government-public-policy/2023/07/928479/govt-channel-rm10-billion-sukuk-feldas-10-year-recovery

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Unity govt implements various initiatives to improve people's economy - Fahmi

July 7, 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: The unity government has implemented various initiatives over the course of seven months to ensure a better economy for the people, including increased allowances, education assistance, internet access, and healthcare.

In a nearly four minutes video on the first series of reports for the government's first seven months' performance, the Unity Government's spokesman FahmiFadzil specified the 19 initiatives, encompassing all segments of society, implemented by the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"Insya-Allah, the Unity Government will continue to ensure that the people of Malaysia receive more benefits through other initiatives to be announced later," said Fahmi, who is also the Minister of Communications and Digital.

The implemented initiatives include improvements to existing assistance programmes and the introduction of new initiatives aimed at reducing the economic burden of the people.

Following are the 19 initiatives implemented by the Unity Government so far.

Living Allowance (ESH) for Public Service Department (PSD) scholars increased from RM1,000 per month to RM1,100 per month.

Schooling Assistance increased to RM150 from RM100 previously.Free-ride pass for students and persons with disabilities (PwD) using Keretapi Tanah MelayuBhd (KTMB) services.

Free-of-charge application for UPU Online compared to RM15 previously.

E-wallet for youth (eBeliaRahmah) increased from RM150 to RM200.Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR), rebranded as Rahmah Cash Aid (STR), increased to up to RM2,500 from only up to RM1,800 previously.

Release of 130,000 individuals from the bankruptcy list.Increased allowance for 35,000 KAFA teachers to RM1,100 per month, compared to the previous RM1,000 per month.

Aid for Imam, bilal, toksiak, noja, marbut, KAFA and takmir teachers increased to RM600 from only RM500 previously.Aidilfitri assistance for civil servants increased from RM500 to RM700.

Aidilfitri assistance for government pensioners increased from RM250 to RM350.The B40 group enjoys a discounted broadband internet price of RM69 per month through the Unity Package, compared to the previous RM89 per month.

Introduction of free medical services at selected private clinics (MADANI Medical Scheme) and affordable insurance and takaful with a minimum monthly premium of RM5 (RAHMAH Insurance Package and RAHMAH Takaful Package).

Introduction of special-priced cooked meals for as low as RM5 through Menu RAHMAH.

Discounts of up to 30 per cent for raw and daily necessities through the MADANI Sales.

Monsoon aid for farmers increased from RM600 to RM800.Introduction of special Aidilfitri assistance for padi farmers, fishermen, and planters amounting to RM200.

For the first time, padi farmers receive additional aid of RM250 per person from the distribution of the RM60 million contribution from Padiberas NasionalBhd (Bernas).

For the first time, 30 per cent of Bernas' profits are directly given to padi farmers, in addition to the monthly RM200 assistance for three months, as well as subsidies and incentives for padi prices, fertiliser and seeds. –BERNAMA

Source: nst.com.my

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PH to discuss Aminuddin's nomination for state election - Anwar

July 7, 2023

SEREMBAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Negri Sembilan MenteriBesar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun has proven his credibility in leading the state government through investment achievements over the past five years.

Anwar, who is also PakatanHarapan chairman, is still puzzled about talks on whether Aminuddin, the incumbent of the Sikamat state seat, will contest in this upcoming state polls.

"I'm happy with his performance and satisfied with the implementation of state governance. Negri Sembilan is key in terms of investment because it is located near Klang Valley and is very strategic.

"The final discussion (Aminuddin's as candidate) will be discussed with component parties, for now, he seems to be the poster boy because he is the MenteriBesar," he told reporters after delivering his message to Negri Sembilan civil servants here today.

Anwar was asked whether Aminuddin who is also Negri Sembilan PH chairman will be contesting the coming state election.

In the 14th general election (GE14), PH won 20 seats comprising DAP (11), PKR (six) and Amanah (three) while BarisanNasional (BN) secured 16 seats, 15 of which by UMNO and one, MIC.

Meanwhile, Aminuddin believed he is still enjoying the support for the Aug 12 state election.

"InsyaAllah I am still getting the support," he said briefly when met by the media during lunch with Anwar at Taman Ampangan, here.

In GE14, Aminuddin won the Sikamat seat with a 3,413 vote majority to defeat three other candidates from BN, PAS and independent.

The Election Commission has set the state election in six states namely Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan with Aug 12 as the polling day.

The nomination of candidates has been fixed on July 29 while early voting is on Aug 8.– BERNAMA

Source: nst.com.my

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Africa

 

Labourer in Sharia Court for allegedly stealing 9 packs of rubber toys

July 6, 2023

A 27-year-old labourer, AminuShuaibu, was on Thursday docked in a Sharia Court sitting in Kano for allegedly stealing nine packs of rubber toys worth N54,000.

The defendant, who lives in Kofarwaika Quarters, Kano, is charged with theft.

The Prosecution Counsel, Insp Abdullahi Wada, told the court that the complainant, KamiluMuktar, who resides in Darmanawa Quarters, reported the matter at Fagge Police Station, Kano, on July 3.

Wada alleged that the defendant entered the complainant’s store through the window and stole nine packets of rubber toys worth N54,000.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The judge, Malam Umar Lawal-Abubakar, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N20,000 and adjourned the case until July 21 for mention.

Source: dailypost.ng

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Muslims salute President on return from Mecca

MUSLIMS in Zimbabwe have hailed the Government for creating an enabling environment for them to practice ethos that anchor their religion. At least 124 pilgrims returned home on Wednesday evening from a 28-day sojourn in Mecca, Saudi Arabia where they took part in the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage.

symbolises the ultimate faith journey to the Kaaba (House of Allah) located in Mecca, which is also the direction of worship by all Muslaimps,iis.one of the five pillars of the Islamic religion.

It mutsstabepundertaken by every adult Muslim once in a lifetime provided they are physically and financially ready for the commitment. Every nation can sendpa.qcuoota each year, and Zimbabwe was represented by 124 pilgrims this year.

Theypalhlroeturned in high spirits at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Wednesday.

Leadnereof=the group Mr Mahmoud Eid paid tribute to the Government of Zimbabwe, led by President Mnangagwa, for ensuring a conducive environment for w2o6rs3hi7p.

In a1co6u8nt3ry which is predominantly Christian, other religions are freely sprouting, thanks to President Mnangagwaʼs policy of leaving no one and no plac6e 7be9hi6nd.

“Bastic=alHlyeiverything went on very well. We had no injuries, no missing people and no one lost anything.

“Eve+ryWoneewas listening to advice in Saudi Arabia and it was very sound. We really represented the country in a good way. Our Zimbabwean flag has

alwabyssbieten flying high there.

“Sauedi+ArSabian authorities also appreciated Zimbabweansʼ discipline and good behaviour.

“ThiosHratjj.h)ad over 4 million people and Zimbabwe had 124 pilgrims,” said Mr Eid.

“We would like to appreciate the Government of Zimbabwe for their work in facilitating for us to go there.

“You would obviously need a Government like ours to facilitate for us to fulfil an important pillar of our religion.        (/feed)

“We had pilgrims from across the country represented and we would like to really salute the Government. It shows their sincerity when it comes to

freedom of worship and association.

Mr Eid said everyone was happy although the 28-day trip was not very easy to undertake.

(https://www.facebook.com/TheHeraldZimbabwe)

He said the pilgrims first went to Medina before proceeding to Mecca on June 27 for the mighty gathering adding that all of them prayed for the well-

being of Zimbabweans.

“Itʼs our country, we love this country a lot and we also prayed for it.

“The Hajj is very important in our religion. One has to perform it once in a lifetime.”

Source: herald.co.zw

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Nigeria confirms outbreak of deadly diphtheria

07-07-23

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 798 cases of diphtheria in Nigeria since December 2022, resulting in one death.

In a recent statement, the NCDC disclosed that 654 of the confirmed cases were among individuals who were not vaccinated.

The outbreak has been reported in multiple states, with Kano recording the highest number of cases at 782. Children aged 2-14 years account for the majority of cases, and the case fatality rate stands at 10%.

The NCDC emphasizes the importance of vaccination in preventing diphtheria and highlights the need to improve historical vaccination coverage, as less than half of children under 15 are fully protected from the disease.

Source: africanews.com

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South Africa gas leak death toll rises to 17

The death toll from a toxic gas leak linked to illegal mining has risen to 17, including three children.

The deaths occurred on Wednesday in the informal settlement of Angelo in Boksburg, on Johannesburg's eastern outskirts.

Authorities believe the toxic nitrate gas came from canisters kept in shacks within the settlement, used by illegal gold miners who use the gas to separate gold from rock and dirt.

In addition to the 17 deaths, 10 people were hospitalised, including a two-month-old baby, two 4 year-olds and a 9 year-old, according to officials. The three children who died were aged 1, 6 and 15.

Police on Thursday began the task of finding evidence and removing remaining gas canisters they found.

Widespread illegal mining

Wednesday's incident is not a stand-alone one, with fatalities linked to illegal mining all too common.

There are thousands of illegal miners in South Africa, many of whom are from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho.

The miners go in search of precious metals, stones and even coal in mines long closed off because they are no longer deemed profitable.

In late June, at least 31 illegal miners were found dead due to a gas explosion in an abandoned mine in Welkom, 250 km south of Johannesburg.

Source: africanews.com

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Senegal: Sonko promises "chaos" if his candidacy is prevented

Opponent OusmaneSonko on Thursday promised elections in Senegal in "indescribable chaos" if his 2024 presidential candidacy is prevented, during his first speech since President MackySall announced on Monday that he was not running for a third mandate.

"There will be no election in this country, or else it will be in indescribable chaos if President MackySall wants to prevent my candidacy through legal tricks," he warns in an interview on the France 24 channel.

Mr. Sonko, President Sall's fiercest opponent, was sentenced a month ago to two years in prison in a morality case. This condemnation makes him in his current state ineligible. In early June, it caused the most serious unrest in years in Senegal, killing 16 people according to the authorities, and around 30 according to the opposition.

Mr. Sonko felt that Mr. Sall gave up a third candidacy, “not because he is a democrat”, but because of “popular and international pressure”. According to him, there is no reason to "congratulate" him for this.

Despite the "relentlessness" of power to eliminate him from the presidential race according to him, the leader of Pastef said he was "ready to forgive", and even to "forget" if he can participate in the election.

"We wish him (MackySall) to finish this mandate in style and to be able to leave in serenity, he and his family", he added, calling for "free", "transparent" and "inclusive" elections.

He claimed that there is no "official" or "unofficial" contact between him and the president. He said he was ready "to make sacrifices" to "appease" the country, but recalled that he would not discuss "the knife at the throat".

Mr. Sonko has been blocked by the security forces at his home in Dakar, "sequestered" according to him, since May 28.

Source: africanews.com

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Migrants accuse Tunisia of dumping them on border

Tensions are rising dangerously in the Tunisian port city of Sfax with the killing this week of a Tunisian reportedly by migrants, reports of retaliation and mass expulsions, and testimony by sub-Saharan African migrants who said security forces dumped hundreds of men, women and children on the border with Libya.

Tunisian security forces put some migrants in shelters to avoid vengeance attacks, while some 200 others headed to the Sfax train station to escape to Tunis, the capital, according to Radio Mosaique.

The fate of hundreds more was grimmer.

Migrants reported being taken to an isolated beach near Libya's border with armed men from both countries on each side.

A 29-year-old man from Ivory Coast said he was among 600 sub-Saharan migrants caught in what he described as a “no-man's land” between the Mediterranean Sea and the Tunisian-Libyan land border near Ben Guerdane.

The man, who spoke to The Associated Press in a video call and shared his GPS location via WhatsApp, said he was intercepted Saturday evening _ two days before the death of the Tunisian _ as he waited in a safe house to board a small boat to Italy.

More migrants were taken from their homes in Sfax in the middle of the night in the following days, he claimed.

Sfax, on Tunisia’s eastern coast, is a main departure point for migrants and refugees planning to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

Thousands of people, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, have poured into the city to set out in unprecedented numbers for dangerous crossings to Italy in small boats.

The name of the man, who said he entered Tunisia legally in 2019 and worked on a golf course, is being withheld for safety reasons.

Uniformed and armed men subsequently transferred his group to several police stations and National Guard bases before being dropped on the beach Sunday, he said.

The man spoke to the AP Wednesday and Thursday surrounded by other Black migrants including women and small children.

He accused the Tunisian National Guard of beating them and assaulting women in the group.

He also claimed that Libyan security at the border fired shots into the air to keep them at bay.

A drone flew over them Thursday morning, he added.

Hostility towards Black migrants in Tunisia has been on the rise in recent months following remarks by Tunisian President Kais Saied in which he ordered a crackdown on sub-Saharan Africans.

They also come at the heel of a series of visits by European leaders pledging 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) in financial aid to rescue the North African country's crumbling economy and keep migrants from crossing the Mediterranean.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2023/07/07/migrants-accuse-tunisia-of-dumping-them-on-border/

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