Tata Group’s Indian Jewellery Brand, Tanishq, Removes Ad on Hindu-Muslim Unity after Public Backlash
New Age Islam News Bureau
14 October 2020
A still of the characters from Tanishq's new jewellery
ad that was pulled down due to a social media backlash. (Photo | Twitter)
-----
• 'Out-Vote the Hate': Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and
Ilhan Omar Call For Large Muslim Turnout
• Election 2020: Al Noor Imam Gamal Fouda Abused While
Walking With Jacinda Ardern
• Pakistan Govt to Establish Interfaith Harmony
Councils: Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council
• Iran Militias Replace Ancient Syria Street Names
with Shia Figures
• Al Sunni: Numerous Discussions Are Far Better Than
Multiple Battlefronts
• Azerbaijan, Turkey Attempting To Create
"Islamic State-2" – Historian
• Ethiopian Migrants Are Stuck In Hell between Saudi
Arabia And Yemen
India
• Tata Group’s Indian Jewellery Brand, Tanishq,
Removes Ad on Hindu-Muslim Unity after Public Backlash
• Top Court to Hear Plea of 5 Malaysians Who Attended
Islamic Sect Event
• Trip To Mecca, Madina: 62-Yr-Old Man Duped Of Rs 12.26
L By Travel Agent In Mumbai
---------
North America
• 'Out-Vote the Hate': Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and
Ilhan Omar Call For Large Muslim Turnout
• CAIR Decries ‘Slap on Wrist’ for New Mexico
Officer’s Racist Video, Welcomes New Virginia
• In San Diego, Black Muslims are working to expand
voting access in jails
• Toronto Police Stepping up Patrols at Toronto’s
Mosques, in Response to Warnings of a Potential Murderous Attack
• School Calendar Including Jewish, Hindu and Muslim
Holidays
---------
New Zealand and Australia
• Election 2020: Al Noor Imam Gamal Fouda Abused While
Walking With Jacinda Ardern
• Religious group withdraws recent application to
build mosque in Perth
---------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Govt to Establish Interfaith Harmony
Councils: Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council
• Shia Groups to Stage ‘Kafan Posh’ Rally for
Registering ‘Baseless Cases Against Mourners’
• MoU Signed To Promote Women Well Being In Muslim Countries
• Law being amended to protect land ownership in AJK
---------
Mideast
• Iran Militias Replace Ancient Syria Street Names
with Shia Figures
• Iran to receive Iraqi medicine, staples for gas and
power in bid to avoid sanctions
• Iran in shock after 11-year-old boy commits suicide
over poverty
• How a Maritime Deal With Israel Could Ease Lebanon’s
Woes
---------
South Asia
• Al Sunni: Numerous Discussions Are Far Better Than
Multiple Battlefronts
• Posts On Govt, Military And Police: Bangladesh Govt
Slaps Gag On Social Media
• Deep Disputes within Taliban team; Power Struggle
between Stanekzai and Mullah Baradar
• What are China’s new laws for Muslims visiting Haj
• Unknown Gunmen Assassinate Islamic Scholar in
Nangarhar
• Herat Police: Shroff Rescued From Clutches Of
Kidnappers
• Helmand Battle Dislocates 35,000 Civilians: UNAMA
• Afghan Airforce Helicopters Collide Midair In
Helmand Province
---------
Europe
• Azerbaijan, Turkey Attempting To Create
"Islamic State-2" – Historian
• Armenian side restores the mosque, Azerbaijan shells
the church in Shushi – President • Sarkissian tells foreign journalists
• London knife crime: Man smiles after admitting to
stabbing prayer leader in Regent's Park mosque
---------
Africa
• Ethiopian Migrants Are Stuck In Hell between Saudi
Arabia And Yemen
• Bandits Kill Imam, 12 Others in Katsina, Niger
Communities
• Boko Haram kills 14 farmers in Nigeria
• How Somali Islamist insurgents are moving millions
through legitimate businesses
--------
Southeast Asia
• Parliament: 35% of Madrasa Students Pursue Tertiary
Islamic-Related Education
• Ismail Sabri: Non-contact sports like cycling,
jogging, athletics training permitted under CMCO
---------
Arab world
• Saudis Blow Hot and Cold Over Flu Vaccine As Winter
Approaches
• G20 Interfaith Forum Values Kingdom's Role In Int'l
Dialogue, Minister Of Islamic Affairs Says
• Mawhiba megaproject to support gifted youth in Saudi
Arabia
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/tata-groups-indian-jewellery-brand/d/123139
---------
Tata Group’s Indian Jewellery Brand, Tanishq, Removes Ad on Hindu-Muslim Unity after Public Backlash
Ankita Mukhopadhyay
14.10.2020
A still of the characters from Tanishq's new jewellery
ad that was pulled down due to a social media backlash. (Photo | Twitter)
-----
On Tuesday, Tanishq, one of India's top jewelry
brands, removed a short advertisement film which was released as part of its
"Ekatvam" (Oneness) campaign, after a public backlash.
The ad showed a Muslim family organizing a baby shower
ceremony for their pregnant Hindu daughter-in-law.
In a statement, the brand, which is owned by the Tata
Group, one of India's largest conglomerates, said that it withdrew the ad
"keeping in mind the hurt sentiments and well being of our employees,
partners and store staff."
Tanishq didn't reveal whether its employees had
received threats following the release of the ad.
Tanishq was trolled on social media after the ad's
release and accused of "promoting" inter-faith marriages.
Several users trended the hashtag #BoycottTanishq on
Twitter and accused the brand of promoting "love jihad", a campaign
that accuses Muslim men of luring Hindu women into marriage and converting them
to Islam.
Some users went on to accuse Tanishq of promoting only
"Muslim jewelry." Khemchand Sharma, a member of India's ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that the ad glorified the marriage of a
Hindu woman into a Muslim family.
"Why don't you show a Muslim daughter-in-law in
your ads with a Hindu family? Looks like you are promoting #LoveJihad and favouring
a particular faith only," he tweeted.
The stock of Titan Company Ltd., the holding company
of the Tanishq brand, was down by 2.5% on India's national stock exchange at
the end of the trading day on Tuesday.
Tanishq cited the "divergent and severe reactions"
and "inadvertent stirring of emotions" for their decision to withdraw
the ad.
However, several leaders of the Congress, India's main
opposition party, said that the brand had buckled to bigotry and called on
Ratan Tata, the former chairman of the Tata Group, to take a stand on the
matter.
The Tata Group's brands have previously released films
on several social issues like LGBTQ rights and widow remarriage. Those films
also received significant backlash, but were not withdrawn.
The removal of the ad comes at a time when India is in
the spotlight for its treatment of religious minorities and human rights
abuses.
At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March,
Muslims were labelled "super spreaders" of the virus after some
members of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation tested positive for the
coronavirus.
Last month, human rights watchdog Amnesty
International announced that it was halting operations in India, citing a
"continuing crackdown" and "harassment" by the government
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
https://www.dw.com/en/indian-jewelry-brand-removes-ad-on-hindu-muslim-unity-after-public-backlash/a-55269273
--------
'Out-Vote the Hate': Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and
Ilhan Omar Call For Large Muslim Turnout
By Ali Harb
14 October 2020
'Go out there and make sure this election is too big
to rig,' Rashida Tlaib says (AFP/File photo)
----
Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar along with
other prominent Muslim Americans called for high voter turnout from their
community to push back against bigotry and defeat President Donald Trump in
next month's election.
Speaking at a virtual town hall meeting with Muslim
officials and advocates hosted by Senator Bernie Sanders late on Tuesday, Tlaib
said US Muslims will "out-work" Trump's "hate", recalling
how protesters flooded airports across the country after the president
announced his ban on several Muslim-majority countries in 2017.
"Not only did we go in masses to the airport,
we're going to go in masses to the voting booth. And I'm calling on our Muslims
across the country to know that we have to take up the man who birthed the
Muslim ban," Tlaib said. "We have to make sure we out-vote the
hate."
Omar, who has been a frequent target of racist attacks
by Trump at campaign rallies, said civic engagement and community-building are
an "antidote" to hate.
"No matter what happens, we are not giving up
engagement and participation in our society," Omar said. "We are not
going to recoil or retreat into spaces of comfort, because that will eventually
create discomfort for ourselves... That is truly what it means to be an
American; it's that you stay resilient, strong and you work through everything."
Both Omar and Tlaib had originally endorsed Sanders
during the Democratic primaries before pledging their support for the eventual
Democratic nominee Joe Biden and vowing to mobilise the Muslim community to
defeat Trump.
While Muslims represent a small minority of voters
across the United States, their communities are concentrated in key swing
states, where their votes can affect the outcome of the race.
"No excuses, you cannot sit this one out,"
Sanders said. "You've got to not only vote yourselves, you've got to get
your friends, your family, your co-workers... We have got to have the largest
voter turnout in history. We've got to defeat Trump, and we have got to defeat
him badly."
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who became
the first Muslim to be elected to Congress in 2006, said bigotry is being used
to perpetuate broader inequality by creating a "boogeyman" to
distract people from establishing human solidarity and demanding their rights.
"If you want to have an unequal society for
everyone, you'll need racism; you've got to have bigotry because if you don't
have it, how are you going to distract the majority that is on the bottom to
the point where they will voluntarily give up their rights," he said.
Asked about voter suppression, Tlaib denounced Republican-led
measures to make voting more difficult and lauded the efforts of attorneys
general like Ellison to make it more accessible.
"You all have to help us and be our partners and
go out there and make sure this election is too big to rig," the congresswoman
said.
Omar also urged Muslim Americans to be
"assertive" about their right to vote. "If our vote wasn't as
important as it is, they wouldn't fight so hard to limit our ability to
vote," she said.
"They don't want you to vote, and if they don't
want you to vote, you better catch on that your vote is enormously
important," Sanders said. "They know it; now it's your turn to know
it."
Abdul El-Sayed, a public health advocate and former
gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, echoed that message.
"Talk to your ammos [uncles], to your khaltos
[aunties] and your aunties and your uncles and their kids and their parents and
all your cousins," El-Sayed said.
"You need to make sure that they understand
exactly where and how to vote, make sure that they're registered; walk them
through the process, ask them for their plan, and then hold them accountable to
their plan."
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/out-vote-hate-tlaib-and-omar-call-large-muslim-turnout
--------
Election 2020: Al Noor Imam Gamal Fouda abused while
walking with Jacinda Ardern
Thomas Coughlan
Oct 14, 2020
Jacinda Ardern and Gamal Fouda at Westfield Riccarton
mall
-----
The Imam of the Al Noor mosque was among a group of
people who suffered racist abuse whilst at a campaign stop with Labour leader Jacinda
Ardern.
Ardern spent Wednesday in Christchurch, and visited
the Westfield Riccarton mall shortly after lunch. The mall is about ten
minutes’ drive from Al Noor mosque.
Imam Gamal Fouda and other members of Christchurch’s
Muslim community had shown up to see Ardern, who was visiting the mall with
Labour's Christchurch Central candidates. During a walk through the mall, a
heckler directed a racist diatribe at Fouda and other members of the community.
Police spoke to the woman, who then left the crowd. Ardern,
meanwhile made some space for Fouda to walk beside her through the mall.
The altercation was brief and didn’t stop the walk.
Ardern continued to take selfies for the large crowd. Fouda appeared to brush
off the incident although he had stern words for the woman.
“This is racism,” he said. “I’m a New Zealander, I
have a New Zealand passport, and I've lived here for half of my life now – I've
got my children here, and this is my home”.
He said that no-one should have to listen to racism in
New Zealand.
“This shouldn't be said to anybody else in this
country," he said.
Fouda said the incident showed the need to call out
racism wherever it was spotted.
“There’s lots of ignorance out there, we need to learn
and to educate people as well – we need to start very seriously teaching our
children and our friends.
Cheers, Aotearoa. Thank you to our readers who have
already supported Stuff's reporting. Contribute today to help our journalists
bring you independent New Zealand news you can trust.
I hear anything I have to stop it and say this is not
correct – this is wrong – people need to stand for freedom of speech and that’s
what we’re talking about,” he said.
Fouda has been a Labour member since 2014 and is
currently on the local board.
The incident occurred on Ardern's last stop in
Christchurch that day. Tomorrow, she heads to Auckland for two final days of
whistle-stop campaigning before the final day of polling on Saturday.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300132578/election-2020-al-noor-imam-gamal-fouda-abused-while-walking-with-jacinda-ardern
----------
Pakistan Govt to Establish Interfaith Harmony
Councils: Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council
Staff Reporter
14 Oct 2020
ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council
(PUC) and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Hafiz
Tahir Ashrafi has said that the government will establish ‘interfaith harmony
councils’ across the country and there are plans to include the subject of
religious tolerance in the curriculum.
Talking to a delegation of ulema belonging to
different schools of thought here on Tuesday, he said that on the instructions
of Prime Minister Imran Khan ‘interfaith harmony councils’ would be established
all over the country at union and tehsil levels to promote religious tolerance.
Hafiz Ashrafi said that the ‘interfaith harmony
councils’ would include representatives of all religions, sects of Islam and
denominations of other religions, to promote intra-faith dialogue also.
He said the establishment of these councils would help
eliminate the registration of false blasphemy cases and stop people from taking
the law into their own hands after instigation by an unauthorised person.
The PUC chairman said that blasphemy cases had
witnessed a decline over the past two years due to effective coordination
between clerics and religious scholars.
He said the new councils would prove to be a positive
initiative as they are expected to keep a check on misuse of blasphemy laws.
“Joint sittings of representatives of different religions and schools of
thought should be held regularly across the country,” he added.
The PM’s special assistant said that most of the false
allegations about blasphemy had been levelled by certain miscreants for
personal benefits.
He said the Constitution had categorically defined the
rights of minorities and any organisation or individual could not be allowed to
take away the rights of others.
“Ending extremism, terrorism and sectarian violence
requires dialogue between people of different groups and to achieve this goal
the government will hold training sessions for imams, preachers, teachers as
per modern requirements and standards of society,” he added.
Hafiz Ashrafi said that interfaith dialogue was the
need of the hour as it was an essential requirement to eradicate the menace of
sectarian violence, extremism and terrorism.
He said that in order to promote religious harmony
topics on religious leniency and tolerance would be made part of curriculums at
schools and colleges.
The PUC chairman said training workshops for ulema,
mashaikh and even the non-teaching staff in religious seminaries would be
conducted.
“The enemies of the nation are taking advantage of
religious intolerance in our society and killers of Maulana Dr Adil Khan should
be exposed and taken to task. Pakistan has evidence to prove that Indian
elements are involved in fomenting sectarian violence here,” Hafiz Ashrafi
said.
In reply to a question, he said the government was
working to resolve the challenges of expatriate Pakistanis imprisoned abroad or
facing other issues in the wake of Covid-19.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1584950/govt-to-establish-interfaith-harmony-councils-ashrafi
-----------
Iran militias replace ancient Syria street names with
Shia figures
October 13, 2020
Memo news Paper
Iranian militias in Syria have been changing the names
of ancient streets within the country with names of Iranian Shia leaders,
according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR).
Citing sources from the city of Al-Mayadeen in Syria’s
eastern province of Deir Ez-Zor, SOHR reported that the Iranian militias
present in the country have been replacing the old names of streets with new
names in both Arabic and Persian.
Some examples of the name changes include ‘Anas Bin
Malik’ Street being turned into ‘Imam Al-Khamini’ Street, and ‘Al-Jaish’ Street
becoming ‘Imam Al-Abbas’ Street, referring to the ‘Al-Abbas Brigade’ militia
operating in the city.
Other examples include ‘Abu Grub’ Street becoming
‘Marty Qassem Soleimani’ Street after the assassinated Iranian commander, and
‘Al-Sakiat al-Rai’ Street becoming ‘Fatimiyoun’ Street.
The revelation of the Iranian militias’ changes of
ancient Syrian street names also comes amid reports of clashes between the
Syrian regime and some Iranian militias, as regime forces attacked some of
their positions in Deir Ez-Zor province and captured an oil field from one of
the militias.
Such clashes come as a surprise to many, as the
Iranian militias were a core part of the Syrian regime’s fight against the Syrian
opposition throughout the ongoing nine-year-long conflict, and potentially
signals the breakdown in relations between the Assad regime and the Iran-backed
forces.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201013-iran-militias-replace-ancient-syria-street-names-with-shia-figures/
---------
Al Sunni: Numerous discussions are far better than
multiple battlefronts
by: RabiaGolden
October 13, 2020
The Permanent Representative of Libya to the United
Nations (UN), Taher Al-Sunni, stated that the abundance of national dialogue
without force is far better than the existence of various fighting front lines
and axes in the country.
In a tweet, Al-Sunni expressed his sincere hope that
the ongoing dialogue would be not only national but uniform and non-destructive
at best, without dictations.
The UN said that Libyan inclusive discussions will
resume in Tunisia early next month, following weeks of previous intensive
discussions between the main Libyan and international stakeholders.
https://www.libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/al-sunni-numerous-discussions-are-far-better-multiple-battlefronts
---------
Azerbaijan, Turkey Attempting To Create "Islamic
State-2" – Historian
13 October 2020
by Tigran Sirekanyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, ARMENPRESS. The goal of
Azerbaijan and Turkey is to create an "Islamic State-2" in the north
of Iran, historian Aram Ananyan told ARMENPRESS.
‘’Judging from the information on the internet about
the locations of the jihadist-terrorists, Azerbaijan is sparing no efforts to
have large groups of jihadist-terrorists on the border with Iran. This cannot
leave the regional countries unconcerned, because in the near future a very
complicated problem can emerge in terms of turning those territories into
another terroristic quasi state’’, Ananyan said.
According to him, the terroristic threat in the region
becomes more and more obvious day by day. According to Ananyan, these
developments are in the interests of not only of Azerbaijan, but also for
Turkey, because a possible trouble spot is being created in a very sensitive
region.
Aram Ananyan also referred to the call of the U.S.
Department of State, urging Turkey to stop provocations in the eastern part of
the Mediterranean Sea. Ananyan emphasizes that Turkish expansionist aspirations
is not limited in the eastern direction, but includes the Aegean basin and is
directed against the legitimate rights of friendly Greece.
‘’The position of the U.S. Department of State
adequately describes the situation’’, he said.
Aram Ananyan emphasized the step of the EU member
state Greece, which recalled its Ambassador from Azerbaijan.
According to Ananyan, Greece carried out a demarche
and showed that Turkey is standing behind the military aggression of Azerbaijan
against Artsakh.
‘’Greece is the 1st EU member state that, putting
aside economic interests and other circumstances, demonstrates political
courage to show value criterion in big politics’’, Ananyan said, hoping that
other EU Member States will also take some measures, since a united foreign
policy is a necessity. ‘’The present behavior of Turkey threatens at least two
EU member states – Greece and Cyprus’’, Ananayan added.
According to the expert, this step of Greece was not
addressed only to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, but was also an alarm for the
European family that there are great chances that those developments in this
region can pass to Europe like a spreading fire.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031494.html
---------
Ethiopian migrants are stuck in hell between Saudi
Arabia and Yemen
MURAT SOFUOGLU
14-10-2020
Both Yemen’s Houthis and Riyadh have committed
horrible atrocities against Ethiopian migrants, rights groups say.
The terrible dilemma of Ethiopian migrants across
Saudi Arabia and Yemen has shown once again how the fight for political power
is creating insurmountable tragedies across the world.
Tens of thousands of Ethiopian migrants, who are
merely seeking job opportunities across the Arab peninsula, have literally been
caught in the crossfire between Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni enemies, the
Houthis, who have been fighting with a Riyadh-led Gulf coalition since 2014.
First, they were expelled from northern Yemen to the
Saudi border by the Houthis, who attacked them with rockets, and then, the
migrants were shot at by the kingdom’s border guards ending with them
languishing in detention centres in very poor conditions.
“What these people have gone through is unimaginable.
Aside from conditions they are in now, they were shot out by rockets [launched
by the Houthis] that pushed from where they were living in northern Yemen,”
says Nadia Hardman, a leading Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher, who has
conducted in-depth interviews with the Ethiopian migrants in Saudi Arabia,
Yemen and Ethiopia.
“[They were] shot at again [by Saudi border guards],
so their friends and families were killed at the border and then taken to these
detention facilities. So the psychological impact is going to be enormous,”
Hardman tells TRT World.
“These people are caught between two combatants
neither of which gives a damn about people’s lives in my assessment,” says Abdi
Samatar, professor of geography at the University of Minnesota and a research
fellow at the University of Pretoria. Samatar is originally from Somalia.
On both sides of the border, Saudi security forces and
Houthis have been attacking unarmed African migrants, primarily Ethiopians.
While she could not confirm it, aside from Ethiopians, there might be other
nationals like Somalis and Bangladeshis in Saudi detention centres.
"SaudiArabia is arbitrarily detaining 100s if not
1000s of Ethiopia migrants in appalling, overcrowded conditions with limited
access to food and water," according to the HRW's Nadia Hardman. (Credit:
Nadia Hardman / Human Rights Watch)
“The Houthis were pushing us from behind. We tried to
run in front of them but in front of us there was a mountain. There were people
shooting from the top of the mountain, from the Saudi base and they were firing
on us from there and they were firing behind, from the Houthi side, so we
stayed in between the mountains. They were firing bullets behind us and then
from the Saudi base they were firing too and so a lot of people were injured and
killed,” said one of the migrants, Gabi, a pseudonym used to protect them from
any attacks.
The Houthis deny any shooting of Ethiopian migrants
while they claim they have wanted the migrants out of Yemen because they were
“coronavirus carriers”.
“The Houthis were shooting at us. The Houthis came
with military cars, like pickups – they were using weapons. There were very
many soldiers, but I don’t know how many. Everyone ran for their lives,” said
another migrant, Juhur, to the HRW.
Everyone, who has been regarded as an obstacle to the
very survival of the Houthis, would be expelled from Yemen under the
territories controlled by the group, says Samatar.
“The Saudis were firing a rocket launcher at us. I saw
people shot and killed and they rolled over on the ground,” Juhur says.
“The tragedy is that the Saudi regime and its
operations in the south have been totally ruthless rather than providing some
sanctuary for people, who were expelled and had nowhere to go, until they
expatriate to their home countries,” Samatar tells TRT World.
But even after tens of thousands of Ethiopians were
able to enter Saudi Arabia, their tragedy has continued as they are being held
in inhumane conditions.
“I mean it’s horrifying,” says Hardman, indicating
that the HRW has, for a number of years, been documenting the treatment of
migrants in Saudi detention centres..
“All the detention centres they use are pretty uniform
with overcrowded conditions, limited to or no access to toilet facilities.
Overflowing toilets or toilets don’t work. Inadequate food. People are given a
piece of bread three times a day,” the researcher recounts her observations.
“[People are] forced to use the piping in the toilets
as a water source to drink from. People describing having to sleep, eat, and go
to the toilet in the same place,” Hardman says.
“People complain that they were beaten invariably.
Women, pregnant women and children are in the same facilities,” she explains.
In one of the detention centres, there was no roof, allowing rainwater to flood
over the facility, she says.
Many migrants have not been able to change their
clothes in six months because Saudi authorities confiscated their belongings at
the border, the researcher says.
“They are desperate. The story is so moving and
compelling, but desperation that people feel is difficult to translate into
words because they see no hope. Nothing has changed,” she says.
Despite the Saudi promise of an inquiry over the
mistreatment of the migrants across the kingdom, where 16,000 Ethiopians have been
held in just one of the facilities, according to the Ethiopian consulate in
Jeddah, Hardman has seen no evidence of any investigation at all.
She also assesses there has been no real change in the
conditions with which the migrants currently live. “I understand from detainees
that the situation remains the same,” she says.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, she thinks the
Saudis have resources to address the problems associated with their treatment
of migrants across their detention centres.
Last week, the EU Parliament passed a non-binding
resolution, condemning Saudi mistreatment of Ethiopian migrants across the
kingdom. Politically, it means very little.
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/ethiopian-migrants-are-stuck-in-hell-between-saudi-arabia-and-yemen-40541
---------
India
Top Court To Hear Plea Of 5 Malaysians Who Attended
Islamic Sect Event
Press Trust of India
October 13, 202
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to hear
the plea of five Malaysians who attended Tablighi Jammat congregation earlier
this year at Nizamuddin in Delhi, seeking withdrawal of cases lodged against
them by Bihar government for alleged violation of Foreigners Act.
A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, BR Gavai and
Krishna Murari asked the petitioners to serve the advance copy of the petition.
"Liberty is granted to the counsel for the
petitioner to serve advance copy of the petition on the standing counsel for
the State of Bihar through on-line/e-mail in the course of the day. Mr. Sahil
Raveen, learned counsel, agrees to accept notice for the State of Bihar. List
this matter on October 15, 2020 along with Writ Petition... and connected
cases," the bench said.
The plea filed through advocate Fauzia Shakil said
that the petitioners are resident of Malaysia and are seeking for a declaration
that the actions of the Centre and Bihar were in violation of the Fundamental
Rights guaranteed to the foreign nationals under the Constitution of India.
They sought directions to the Bihar government to
withdraw prosecution which was mechanically instituted on the basis of
notification dated April 2, 2020 issued by the Union of India in violation of
the procedure established by law.
They also sought appropriate directions to the
Ministry of Home Affairs for removing them from blacklist and reinstating their
visa for exit, and ensuring their safe passage to their country.
The plea sought directions to the MHA to follow its
own circular of March 28, 2020 according to which the foreigners found to be
free of COVID-19 were to be immediately deported to their home country after
the quarantine period.
It further added that the detention of the petitioners
in India amounts to illegal persecution as held by the Bombay High Court, and
so after declaring their detention illegal they may be suitably compensated.
It also sought court's directions to the MHA and the
Ministry of External Affairs to hand over the petitioners to the care of the
Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi till they are repatriated.
The MHA issued an Office Memorandum on April 2, 2020
stating that it has decided to cancel visas of 960 foreign nationals for their
alleged involvement in "Tablighi Jamaat" activities and also
blacklist them under category "A" as per the blacklisting guidelines,
it said.
The Malaysian nationals further said that pursuant to
the office memorandum they were blacklisted and their visas were also revoked.
"Immediately, on the same day on April 2, 2020,
another memorandum was issued by the MHA directing DGPs of all concerned
States/UTs and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police to take necessary legal
action against such violators, on a blanket presumption without any
substantiation that they had violated the conditions of their validly granted
visas, under relevant sections of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and Disaster
Management Act, 2005," it said.
The foreigners further stated that they had entered
India on a valid tourist visa on March 6-7, 2020 and subsequently after
attending the "Tablighi" congregation at Nizamuddin here on March
10-13, they had proceeded to Kishanganj and Araria districts of Bihar.
The plea said that on April 12 and 14, they were
charged for violations of provisions of foreigners Act and thereafter arrested
by the Bihar police in Kishanganj and Araria districts.
"The clarification issued by the Ministry of Home
Affairs, GOI on November 20, 1996 categorically states that attending
"Tablighi Jamat ijtemah" (congregations) does not amount to
"Tablighi" work", it said, adding that the Petitioners had to stay
back in India out of compulsion as the entire country was under lockdown from
March 24 onwards.
It said that the direction issued by the Centre to the
States and UTs by its Office Memorandum of April 2, 2020, to take legal action
was "illegal and violative of the principles of federal structure".
"That the act of Union of India is unjust,
unreasonable and manifestly arbitrary as it based wholly on conjectures and
surmises as no enquiry was conducted to showcase that the Petitioners indulged
in Tablighi activities," the plea said.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-plea-of-5-malaysians-who-attended-tablighi-jammat-event-2309621
---------
Trip to Mecca, Madina: 62-yr-old man duped of Rs 12.26
L by travel agent in Mumbai
by Sagar Rajput
October 14, 2020
A 62-year-old man was duped of Rs 12.26 lakh by a
travel agent, who took the money to facilitate his and his family members’ trip
to Mecca and Madina and perform Hajj, the police said.
The man, a retired Central Railway employee, has
lodged a complaint with Nagpada police. The police said the accused was a
friend of the complainant and had also promised to arrange his daughter’s
wedding at a mosque in Saudi Arabia. The FIR was registered last week.
“The travel agent is a close friend of mine. We had
gone to Mecca in 2017 with our families,” said Firoz Alam Naziruddin Khan, the
complainant who lived in Jijamata Nagar, Worli, before shifting to Ghazipur in
Uttar Pradesh.
After returning from Mecca, the accused told him he
could arrange another trip for the family for Rs 28,000 per person to perform
Hajj. “The trip was scheduled for December 2018 and as I was planning to get my
daughter married, he said he knew people who would help arrange my daughter’s
wedding there,” Khan said.
Accordingly, Khan made paid Rs 4.76 lakh in advance.
“I made bookings for 17 people, which included my family and my son-in-law’s
family,” he told the police.
The travel agent then made another offer of a trip to
Mecca and Madina at Rs 25000 per person in December 2019. “For 30 family
members, I paid him another Rs 7.5 lakh,” said Khan.
In March 2018, Khan shifted to Ghazipur but later in
October when he contacted the accused for their trip, he asked for more money.
“He said I will have to pay more, so I asked him to return my advance following
which he promised to arrange the trip in February 2019,” Khan said.
The police said the accused kept postponing the trip
and later cancelled it. The accused is yet to return the money to the
complainant. “I am now settled in UP, so I contact him on phone and since
February he has been promising to return the money,” Khan said. Last week, Khan
came to Mumbai and lodged a complaint with Nagpada police.
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/trip-to-mecca-madina-62-yr-old-man-duped-of-rs-12-26-l-by-travel-agent-in-mumbai-6724133/
--------
North America
CAIR Decries ‘Slap on Wrist’ for New Mexico Officer’s
Racist Video, Welcomes New Virginia
Ibrahim Hooper
October 13, 2020
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/13/2020) — The Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and
advocacy organization, today decried lack of appropriate disciplinary action
for a New Mexico officer’s racist video on Tik Tok and welcomed proposed school
calendar in Prince William County, Va., that includes days off for Jewish,
Hindu and Muslim holidays.
In Albuquerque, N.M., a police officer at the
University of New Mexico in was placed on paid administrative leave for two weeks
while an internal investigation was conducted. Eric Peer allegedly posted a
TikTok video featuring a South Park voiceover that said, “scanning for
Mexicans.” Peer reportedly received a written warning for a violation separate
from the video.
In Prince William County, Va., school officials have
included Jewish, Hindu and Muslim holidays to the 2021-22 school calendar and
asking for parent input. The proposed version of the school calendar would add
the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur, the Hindu
Festival of Lights— Diwali, and the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr.
“All Americans must rise to challenge racism and
applaud inclusion for people of all backgrounds if we are to heal and grow as a
just nation,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
CAIR recently expressed support for a proposed
amendment on the November ballot to remove racist language from the Alabama
constitution.
The American Muslim community and CAIR are standing in
solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, xenophobia,
Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and
advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam,
protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles,
mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los
musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-decries-slap-on-wrist-for-new-mexico-officers-racist-video-welcomes-new-virginia-school-calendar-including-jewish-hindu-and-muslim-holidays/
--------
In San Diego, Black Muslims are working to expand
voting access in jails
October 13, 2020
By Aysha Khan
(RNS) — Most inmates in California jails are eligible
to vote. But former inmate Christopher Jackson says few of them actually know
that. Fewer still have any idea how to cast their ballots from behind bars.
During the months Jackson spent in custody at San
Diego Central Jail and George Bailey Detention Facility, he registered about
200 of his fellow inmates to vote ahead of the 2018 municipal elections.
Nearly all, he said, were surprised to learn that
Californians in pretrial incarceration can legally vote, or that their votes
for city council members or judges could affect their own futures.
“We’re all here in this situation, in custody, but
that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a say in this district,” said Jackson, who
has since been released. “There are a lot of people who may not be found
guilty, and even those that have to take some time for what they did, their
vote should still count.”
Jackson’s work as an inside voting organizer was
funded by Pillars of the Community, a faith-based criminal justice advocacy
group led by Black Muslims in southeast San Diego. Leaders of the group say
they want to see an America without prisons.
The first step to accomplishing that goal, Pillars of
the Community’s founder Khalid Alexander said, is protecting currently and
formerly incarcerated individuals’ access to the ballot.
That’s why, during every election cycle for the past
five years, the group has hired and trained a team of pretrial inmates to
register eligible voters from behind bars.
“All of these laws and judges don’t just come out of
nowhere, like the tablets that came down to Moses,” said Alexander, a San Diego
native and community college professor. “These are all man-made. When our
communities aren’t aware of what’s on the ballot and aren’t fighting so that
everybody can be engaged in the political process, we’re the ones who end up
suffering.”
Alexander founded Pillars over a decade ago with the
aim of helping formerly incarcerated Muslims in southeastern San Diego find
employment and reintegrate into society. But without addressing broader issues
in the criminal justice system, he found, his work was like “filling a bucket
with water that has holes at the bottom.”
He began shifting Pillars toward advocacy work
targeting the criminal justice system, including voting rights for the
disenfranchised. Since then, his organization has registered hundreds of new
voters every year.
California is among the more progressive states when
it comes to felony convictions. Voting rights are automatically restored to
individuals after release from prison and discharge from parole. Those on
probation and in pretrial detention may also vote.
That means most of the tens of thousands of inmates in
California’s jails have the legal right to vote. But many still face de-facto disenfranchisement, according to the
ACLU of Northern California, which has touted Pillars of the Community’s inside
organizer work as a model for other activist groups around the state.
From delayed mail-in ballot delivery to restrictions
on access to pens, pretrial detainees in county jails are routinely prevented
from exercising their legal right to vote, said Laila Aziz, director of
operations at Pillars of the Community.
That’s where Pillars’ inside organizers, like Jackson
and other short-term hires who work from behind bars in county jails, come in.
Laila Aziz, operations manager at the nonprofit
Pillars of the Community in San Diego, is shown on June 24, 2020. Photo by Zoë
Meyers/inewsource
“When you don’t give me access, I’ll just hire
somebody in that location, in that pop, in that jail, and have them register
people involved,” said Aziz, who has been coordinating voter inreach programs
twice a year since joining Pillars in 2017.
Every election cycle, the group hires pretrial inmates
and pays them $17 an hour to register other eligible detainees to vote and
conduct civic engagement education while in custody. Pillars trained its inside
organizers during public visits and sets up phone accounts to remain in regular
contact.
These inside organizers are able to alert Pillars’
team to obstacles eligible voters are facing, such as ballots frequently
arriving days after the election had passed.
“We were all in close proximity together, so I was
able to translate better for my peers all this information I was getting from the
outside,” said Jackson. “I was speaking from a place where I’m just like them.”
Combined with door-knocking and other voter education
programs, such as registering locals who have completed their parole or are on
probation but were unaware that they can vote, Aziz said Pillars has connected
with tens of thousands of eligible voters.
Ahead of the November elections, Pillars has focused
on educating pretrial detainees about ballot initiatives, including Proposition
17, an amendment to open up voting rights to the estimated 40,000 Californians
on parole for felony convictions, as well as Proposition 25, a referendum on a
state law that banished money bail.
In the past, Pillars has also partnered with the
League of Women Voters to send its own volunteers into detention facilities for
voter registration drives. This year, that’s not happening due to the
coronavirus.
So Aziz’s team hired additional inside organizers to
educate and register their fellow pretrial detainees — hiring five instead of
the three employed in past years.
The nonprofit also ramped up its email outreach
program. Organizers filed California Public Records Act requests for the names
of all people currently in local jails. Dozens of volunteers then emailed each
of the names on the lists, informed them of their voting rights and gave
instructions on how to request voter registration and how to vote while in
jail.
Like many Muslims around the country working on
protecting voter access for their community, Aziz and Alexander say their work
is driven by the justice-oriented nature of their faith.
In San Diego and throughout California, Muslim
organizers are also working on a series of initiatives to mobilize their
community’s voters, registering Muslims by the dozens and educating them on
their voting rights.
Ismahan Abdullahi of San Diego’s Muslim American
Society spearheads local voter engagement initiatives targeting refugees. The
Council on American-Islamic Relations’ chapters up and down the state; the Los
Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council; Muslim Students Association West;
and mosques including Upland’s Middle Ground Muslim Center have also been
holding voter registration events.
“As Muslims, it’s really an obligation to resist
oppression, which is one of the worst sins a person can commit in our
religion,” said Malcolme Morgan, who was hired as Pillars’ Muslim organizer in
2018.
An artist, rapper and children’s book author who grew
up in southeast San Diego, Morgan describes his work with Pillars as
“liberation of the captives” — a striking image, considering that up to 30% of
enslaved Africans brought to America were Muslim.
At 19 years of age, Morgan was sentenced to 13 years
in prison. He has since been released to a halfway house, where he continues
serving his sentence. Though neither on parole nor probation, Morgan said he is
not legally able to vote.
“I’m only three-fifths of a man,” Morgan said. “I
don’t have the right to vote, I don’t have the right to purchase firearms, I
don’t have the rights to go and travel wherever. So, in essence, because I
don’t have the right status as a full citizen, I’m not free.”
Mass incarceration and felony disenfranchisement
disproportionately affect Muslims — especially Black Muslims. Many Black and
incarcerated people have been drawn to the faith, particularly through learning
about Malcolm X, due to Islam’s emphasis on racial equality and social justice.
“Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the United
States penitentiary,” noted Aziz. Many of the group’s members are themselves
formerly incarcerated Muslims.
While Muslims make up just 1% of the U.S. population,
about 12% of federal prisoners self-identify as Muslim, per Bureau of Prisons
data, and Muslims comprise about 9% of state prisoners, the civil rights group
Muslim Advocates found last year. An estimated 90% of all incarcerated Muslims
in the U.S. converted to Islam while behind bars.
Muslims have always held a special concern for civil
rights within the carceral system since Islam began taking hold among African
Americans in the 1920s. The Nation of Islam in particular was targeted for
surveillance, infiltration, harassment and religious and racial profiling by
law enforcement. Black Muslims responded by taking a leading role in the civil
rights struggle and successfully championing prisoners’ rights through civil
disobedience and the first organized prison litigation movement, according to
University of Mississippi history professor Garrett Felber.
A 1964 Supreme Court ruling in a case initiated by
Muslim prisoner Thomas X Cooper
recognized U.S. prisoners’ constitutional rights; until the Cooper v.
Pate decision, incarcerated people were seen as “slave(s) of the State.”
Islah LA, a Muslim-run inner-city community center in
South Los Angeles, hires formerly incarcerated Muslims to staff its Islamic
school and affordable housing initiatives. In New York, a former prison
chaplain runs the Muslim Prisoner Project, which holds book drives for
detainees. Southern California’s Tayba Foundation offers Islamic education
programs for incarcerated Muslims, including Morgan.
At San Antonio’s Masjid Bilal Ibn Rabah, mosque
leaders held a pandemic-friendly drive-thru voter registration event to educate
locals, including former felons, on their voting rights.
Believers Bail Out, launched two years ago in Chicago,
bails out Muslims in pretrial incarceration by collecting zakat, the annual tax
Muslims pay on their wealth. The funds are designated for the welfare of the
poor, needy and debt-ridden, as well as for other aims specified in the Quran
such as the freeing of slaves and captives.
“There’s millions of people in America just like me,
that are not free,” Morgan said. “That’s not only people that are stuck behind
barbed wire fences, they’re also people out here, riding or driving on the
freeways and going to work every day. The work that we’re doing is to liberate
those chains of bondage.”
Before being incarcerated, Morgan had no interest in
being involved with the political system. He felt voting was a pointless
exercise, even a hoax. Once he was imprisoned, he realized that the current
system of mass incarceration was shaped by legislation and ballot initiatives.
According to the Sentencing Project, about 30% of
California’s felony disenfranchised population is Black. Because of the
“lopsided” rates of felony convictions among minorities, saying felons and
parolees should not have the right to vote is effectively saying that many
Black and brown people don’t have the right to vote, Morgan argued.
“All these like voter disenfranchisement laws, mass
incarceration, these modern-day Jim Crow laws — they’re ways of keeping the
status quo as it has always been in this country,” he said.
Pillars has taken direct action to help people regain
their rights, organizing expungement clinics and job fairs for formerly
incarcerated Californians and sitting people with criminal records down with
San Diego’s public defender’s office to restore their voting rights.
Pillars also advocates for reforming criminal justice
legislation, such as removing gang enhancements, which can add time to a
convicted person’s sentence. Pillars joined the statewide Time Done campaign,
which argues that individuals who have completed their sentences should not be
restricted from participating in the democratic process.
“Voter disenfranchisement for prisoners and for people
who are on parole is basically an arm from the same beast that is meant to
suppress Black votes, is meant to suppress the votes of people who are supposed
to be outcasts and the other,” Alexander said. The best way to overturn the
system of inequality his community faces is ensuring disenfranchised
communities have access to voting, he argues.
Pillars’ founder was also once a skeptic about the
power of voting. But in 2014, he learned about California’s Proposition 47,
which aimed to recategorize certain nonviolent offenses as misdemeanors instead
of felonies.
Not long after, he met a man who told him he had been
incarcerated when the proposition passed. Overnight, he told Alexander, his
jail went from being so crowded that inmates were forced to sleep on the floor
— to nearly empty.
That’s when Pillars dove headfirst into its voter
in-reach program. Whether minorities approve of the system or not, Alexander
said, they cannot afford not to know what ballot measures and what candidates
are on the table.
“We’re not telling you to play the game,” Alexander
said. “We’re telling you not to get played. If you’re in a fight and one of
your hands is tied behind your back, or if you refuse to hit them because you
don’t believe in the power of the hand — well, you’re still going to get hit.”
https://religionnews.com/2020/10/13/in-san-diego-black-muslims-are-working-to-expand-voting-access-in-jails/
----------
Toronto Police Stepping up Patrols at Toronto’s
Mosques, in Response to Warnings of a Potential Murderous Attack
Joe Warmington
Oct 14, 2020
Toronto Police have “enhanced” patrols of Toronto’s
mosques in response to warnings of a potential murderous attack.
“The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) have
made us aware of threats made towards their community members,” said Toronto
Police spokesperson Const. Alex Li. “Our investigators are actively
investigating this incident and appeal to members of the public to remain
vigilant in their neighbourhoods and communities and report any suspicious
and/or threatening behaviour to police immediately.”
The threats shook the city to the core and brought
condemnation from top political leaders.
“Enough is enough,” said Mustafa Farooq of the
National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM). “We are dealing with threats to
murder members of the Toronto Muslim community en masse. What more needs to happen
before action is taken?”
“We will reassure members of the public that we have
deployed available resources in those areas affected to ensure the safety of
our communities,” said Li.
That this happened at all has upset everybody from
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Premier Doug Ford to Mayor John Tory.
“These threats to a Toronto mosque and the Muslim
community are unacceptable and disgusting,” said Ford. “There is no place for
hate and Islamophobia in Ontario. I stand with the Muslim community and ask
anyone with any information, please notify TPS.”
After a mosque in Rexdale saw a volunteer slain, the
rules of not thinking the worst changed. The worst thing possible happened at
the International Muslim Organization to 58-year-old Mohamed-Aslim Zafis, who
had his throat slit.
Toronto Police charged Guilherme “William” Von
Neutegem, 34, with first-degree murder. While considered innocent until proven
guilty, searches of his social-media accounts discovered white supremacy links.
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-toronto-police-stepping-up-patrols-at-mosques
---------
School Calendar Including Jewish, Hindu and Muslim
Holidays
Oct 12, 2020
Prince William County school officials have
tentatively added Jewish, Hindu and Muslim holidays to the 2021-22 school
calendar, and they're asking for parent input.
School staff has developed two calendar options. One
follows the calendar originally approved for 2020-21, and the other
incorporates additional holidays that reflect the diversity of the community,
school officials said in a news release.
The school calendar traditionally includes a winter
break over Christmas and New Year's Day and a spring break near Easter. Other
holidays off on the calendar include Labor Day, Veterans Day, Election Day, Thanksgiving
break, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Inauguration Day, Washington's
Birthday/President's Day and Memorial Day.
The newly-developed calendar would add the Jewish New
Year Rosh Hashanah; the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur; Diwali, the Hindu Festival
of Lights, and the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr.
The state requires 180 school days per school year and
adding the new holidays means instructional time must be made up somewhere else
in the calendar. To account for those days, school officials propose removing
days from winter break, as well as the Monday after spring break. Under both
calendars, the school year would begin Aug. 16 and end June 10.
The school board will discuss and approve a 2021-22
calendar this month, and results of a parent poll will be provided to board
members.
https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/proposed-prince-william-school-calendar-includes-jewish-hindu-muslim-holidays/article_88708f7e-0ce6-11eb-a8d9-0f6d5ff0f593.html
----------
New Zealand and Australia
Religious group withdraws recent application to build
mosque in Perth
ByPaul Cargill
13 OCT 2020
A religious group has withdrawn a recent application
to build a mosque in Perth.
Perth Islamic Society applied for permission to
construct the mosque on Jeanfield Road back in June.
The application drew six objections from residents
worried about possible traffic problems.
It has now emerged a society trustee wrote to council
officials on Thursday last week asking them to cancel the application.
Consultants acting for Perth Islamic Society
previously told PKC a proposed on-site car park plus existing spaces at a local
supermarket as well as Perth Leisure Pool would provide “adequate parking
capacity ... for attendees”.
Create Consulting Engineers said in their transport
statement: “The results of [a] transport survey demonstrate[d] that ... the
prospect of some on‐street parking associated with the proposed development can
never be entirely removed. However, [the] survey demonstrate[d] that attendees
are committed to using the available off-street alternative parking locations
[which] offer sufficient parking spaces to be able to comfortably accommodate
the anticipated number of attendees.”
It is unclear whether PKC’s transport planners had
fully assessed the proposed development’s likely impact on local roads before
Perth Islamic Society withdrew their application.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/religious-group-withdraws-recent-application-22838684
---------
Pakistan
Shia Groups to Stage ‘Kafan Posh’ Rally for Registering
‘Baseless Cases Against Mourners’
Our Correspondent
October 14, 2020
Various Shia groups have announced they will stage
demonstrations across Sindh on Friday and organise a ‘Kafan Posh’ rally towards
the Chief Minister House on Sunday to protest against the provincial government
for registering what they called “baseless cases against mourners” of the
Chehlum procession.
In a joint meeting held at the Sindh office of the
Shia Ulema Council on Monday, leaders of Shia groups devised their future plan
of action after the end of the ultimatum of 48 hours they had set for the
government to withdraw the cases lodged against more than 100 mourners,
including scholars, across the province.
Allama Baqir Zaidi, Allama Nazir Naqvi, Allama Shabbir
Mesami, Allama Kamran Abidi, Moulana Aqil Musa and other prominent leaders
attended the meeting.
They showed their concerns over the recent wave of
arrests and raids for the arrest of members of the Shia community and termed
such actions as a “biased and discriminatory” crackdown of the provincial
government.
Announcing their future plan, they agreed that all
Shia groups would jointly organise protests across the province, including
Karachi, on Friday, while on Sunday, they would stage a “Kafan posh” march
towards the CM House to register their protest.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/729085-shia-groups-to-stage-kafan-posh-rally-on-sunday
---------
MoU signed to promote women well being in Muslim
countries
October 14, 2020
APP
ISLAMABAD
- COMSTECH and Pink Pakistan Trust
have joined hands to work towards the achievement of shared objectives of good
health and well being of women in Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC)
region. In this regard, a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two organisations in a ceremony held
at COMSTECH on Tuesday.The MoU was signed by Coordinator General, COMSTECH,
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary and the President Pink Trust Pakistan, Dr. Zubaida
Qazi. According to the MoU, COMSTECH and Pink Pakistan Trust will work together
for spreading awareness to reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer and
promote women well being and empowerment.
Both the parties will jointly organise
awareness sessions, seminars, conferences, workshops and training
research and counselling support for eradicating breast cancer to the women of
the marginalised communities of the OIC member countries.
COMSTECH through its various Inter-Islamic Networks
and programmes shall partner with the Pink Pakistan Trust towards spreading
awareness regarding breast cancer and early detection of breast cancer purely
on voluntary basis for the welfare and well being of marginalised communities
to work for the noble cause.
https://nation.com.pk/14-Oct-2020/mou-signed-to-promote-women-well-being-in-muslim-countries
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Law being amended to protect land ownership in AJK
Tariq Naqash
14 Oct 2020
MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) cabinet
on Tuesday accorded approval to amendments in a law to give protection to the
lawful ownership of land.
Under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2020, harsh
punishment was proposed for the offence of illegal occupation of private or
crown land and a mechanism was fixed for early disposal of such cases.
According to a handout, those guilty of unlawful
occupation of immovable private or public property would be awarded punishment,
including 10 years imprisonment and payment of fine [to the state] and special
compensation [to the aggrieved person].
The aggrieved person would file a petition in the
sessions court which would have to pass a decision on it within 60 days. Only
one appeal could be filed against the session court’s decision which would have
tobe disposed of within 30 days.
After eviction of the illegal occupants, the land
would be returned to the original owner, whether a government department or
private individual.
Action might also be taken against the head of the government
department who would fail to take stock of illegal occupation of department’s
property by initiating legal proceedings against the occupants.
The amended law also made the tenants bound to vacate
the property for the owner at the expiry of the tenancy agreement or else
action would be taken against the tenant.
The cabinet resolved to take effective steps to
reorganize the development authorities and increase their capacity and income
to make them self-sustained.
It decided to release funds for salary arrears of the
employees of development authorities but made it clear that the state would not
bear this burden on a permanent basis.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1584870/law-being-amended-to-protect-land-ownership-in-ajk
----------
Mideast
Iran to receive Iraqi medicine, staples for gas and
power in bid to avoid sanctions
Herman Wang
13 Oct 2020
Tehran — Iran and Iraq have agreed to settle Iraq's
energy debt to Iran through a barter deal, under which Baghdad would supply
Tehran with needed medicine and staples, Iranian state news agency IRNA
reported Oct. 13.
Register Now Iraqi payments for Iranian gas and
electricity is paid into Iranian accounts in Iraqi banks. However, due to the
sanctions, those funds are frozen and Iran is unable to access them.
The settlement sidesteps US sanctions against
financial payments to Iran for its gas and electricity, said Abdolnaser
Hemmati, central bank governor, as quoted by IRNA.
Iran has "considerable financial resources"
in Iraq's banks, said Hemmati, who held discussions with Iraqi officials on
Oct. 12 during his second visit to Iraq over the past four months. Iran would
also withdraw money from these banks based on its needs, using it for such
sectors as industry, mines, agriculture and healthcare.
"Since these goods are among the country's
essential requirements, they will be exempted from the unfair and unilateral
sanctions," Hemmati said.
Iran's gas and electricity exports to Iraq are
estimated at $4 billion annually, out of total exports of $12 billion. Early
this year, Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh said Iraq's debt to Iran
amounted to $2 billion.
Iraq reportedly buys 1,200 MWh/d of electricity from
Iran, with local media previously reporting that $400 million was due Iran for
its power exports to Iraq. In May, meanwhile, an Iranian official told IRNA
that gas exports to Iraq has peaked to 32 million cu m/d.
Iran's national currency, the rial, has been taking a
steady dive over the last few months, losing value against the dollar. In the
face of the US' zero oil sales campaign, Iran's oil trade has slumped
drastically and its oil income has likewise shrunk. The central bank has been
trying to slow the fall by injecting dollars in the market.
https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/videos/market-movers-americas/101220-power-oil-hurricane-delta
----------
Iran in shock after 11-year-old boy commits suicide
over poverty
Al-Monitor Staff
Oct 13, 2020
An 11-year-old Iranian schoolboy, Mohammad
Mousavizadeh, has committed suicide by hanging from the kitchen of his family’s
rented, humble house in the southern city of Dayyer, Bushehr province, leaving
the Iranian society in yet another state of disbelief.
The horrifying details were released by Mohammad’s
mother, Fatemeh, who earns a living for her three other kids — one of them
disabled — and her ailing husband, through cleaning houses as well as small
donations from relatives.
“He insisted to sleep in my arms the night before his
death,” the mother told Rokna News Agency, which closely monitors developments
regarding Iran’s social maladies. “I had no idea what he was up to the day
after,” which is when she “found him lying on the kitchen floor with his black
and blue face” after he had hung himself. According to the mother, Mohammad was
pushed to the edge of suicide after his dream about having a smartphone that he
needed to join his online classes never came true.
As the Middle East’s biggest coronavirus victim, Iran
has transformed much of its regular curriculum into virtual courses, for which
students need a reliable internet connection and such devices as tablets or
smartphones.
“The principal had promised several times to provide
him and two other kids with smartphones, but he never did,” Mohammad’s mother
recounted. Officials at Mohammad’s school, on the contrary, said they had
already given him the device for free, declaring that they possessed evidence
showing the kid had joined the online courses. Yet, the mother accused the
school managers of “lying,” saying Mohammad only had a broken phone, not a
smart one. A note in grief written by Mohammad’s teacher says the boy had
repeatedly sent her messages indicating that his “broken phone” was incapable
of sending or receiving images he needed for his homework.
“The school principal’s denial would not change
anything because there are numerous families who cannot afford a tablet or a
smartphone for their children,” wrote Reformist paper Aftab-e-Yazd. The
shocking case also revealed how the Iranian government’s ambitious plans for
online learning contrasted with its poor infrastructure and its failure to
cover all students nationwide with the basics during the pandemic. According to
the spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s Commission for Public Education,
online classes remain inaccessible to as many as 3 million out of 14 million
Iranian schoolchildren.
Mohammad’s suicide even prompted the ultraconservative
daily Javan to describe him as a “victim of educational discrimination.” The
case, the paper wrote, served as yet another indication of “the deep-rooted
poverty” in the Iranian society, where the gap between the wealthy and the
needy has been fast widening in recent years, due to a multitude of causes,
most notably prevalent corruption.
The poverty-driven suicide by Mohammad was not an
entire novelty. Last week, two other cases of suicides by hanging in
impoverished areas were reported by local activists. In April, Zeinab, an
11-year-old girl from a village in underdeveloped Ilam province, similarly took
her life as she was reportedly ashamed of her worn-out clothing, which her
needy family could not afford to replace on the eve of the new Iranian year.
She was even deprived from a proper grave in the public cemetery, according to
the lawmaker representing her constituency in the Iranian parliament, and was
laid to rest outside her home.
Nearly a month later and only 60 miles to the north,
12-year-old Armin, a garbage scavenger in the city of Kermanshah, ended his
life, reportedly with a handful of pills. The incident occurred a few weeks
after Armin’s mother succumbed to cancer in a local hospital, where managers
kept her body for several days as the family could not pay the bill.
“There was no food in their home, not even a plate or
a spoon,” said the manager of a local private charity whose effort to provide
for some of Armin’s bare essentials came to naught.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/10/iran-shock-kid-suicide-poverty.html
---------
How a Maritime Deal With Israel Could Ease Lebanon’s
Woes
BY JOSHUA MITNICK
OCTOBER 13, 2020
TEL AVIV, Israel—Lebanon will become the third Arab
country in recent months to inaugurate public talks with Israel when
representatives of the two sides meet this week to negotiate an agreement on a
maritime border dispute.
The U.S.-mediated talks, to begin Wednesday in
Lebanon’s border town of Naqoura, will focus on a 330-square-mile patch of the
Mediterranean Sea where natural gas reserves are abundant and where each side
has territorial claims. A resolution to the dispute could have a meaningful
impact on the two neighbors, as well as the wider region.
Most critically, a deal would be a long-term boon for
Lebanon’s battered economy. It would also strengthen a U.S.-backed Eastern
Mediterranean energy alliance, of which Israel, which has already tapped gas
fields in its own offshore waters, is a leading participant.
The talks are not expected to blossom into a
normalization deal—the kind Israel reached with the United Arab Emirates and
Bahrain last month. But they do represent another achievement for the Trump administration
in its endeavor to improve Israel’s position in the region—at the expense of
the Palestinians.
“This isn’t a negotiation for peace and
normalization,” said Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, in an interview
with Israeli public television. The talks are strictly focused on demarcating
each country’s exclusive economic zone “to allow for the exploitation of
natural resources in the sea for the benefit of both peoples.”
A senior official in Israel’s Energy Ministry
suggested that Lebanon could extract natural gas worth $6 billion annually from
the disputed area, a thin, pizza slice-shaped tract of sea with its point at
the Israel-Lebanon border. Without a deal, the disputed waters remain a point
of angry rhetoric between the two sides and off-limits for commercial
developers.
The United States had tried for years to bring the two
countries to the bargaining table. The turning point appears to have been the
August explosion of a depot that wrecked Beirut’s port, escalating Lebanon’s
economic crisis and putting Hezbollah, a local power broker representing many
of the country’s Shiite Muslims, on the defensive. Many in Lebanon have accused
Hezbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006, of storing dangerous
materials in the port.
The sense of despair deepened last month, after an
initiative sponsored by France to form a new government failed to bear fruit.
At the same time, U.S. sanctions recently went into effect targeting members of
Amal, a Shiite Lebanese parliamentary party led by parliament speaker Nabih
Berri that is politically allied with Hezbollah, increasing pressure on the
Iran-backed organization. It was Berri who announced the agreement to hold the
talks.
“Hezbollah is being cornered, even by its own allies,”
said Nadim Koteich, a Lebanese political columnist and Sky News Arabic show
host. “This is prompting Hezbollah to think out of the box and to say, ‘I still
have cards to play, and one of them is having this border demarcation.’ …
Hezbollah is trying to tell the Lebanese, ‘No, I’m not responsible for this
economic meltdown.’”
When Israel withdrew its military from southern
Lebanon in 2000, some 18 years after invading its northern neighbor to kick out
the PLO, the United Nations traced out a land border.
One section on the eastern side of the border, a
mountainous region known as Shebaa Farms, remains contested and an occasional
flash point for Israel and Hezbollah. Since the two sides fought a monthlong
war in 2006, Hezbollah has amassed an arsenal that includes tens of thousands
of rockets. Israel has threatened to lay waste to Lebanon in case of a new
outbreak of violence.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/13/lebanon-israel-natural-gas-talks-maritime-deal/
--------
South Asia
Posts On Govt, Military And Police: Bangladesh Govt
Slaps Gag On Social Media
October 14, 2020
Staff Correspondent
The home ministry yesterday issued a statement
forbidding people both at home and abroad from spreading "false,
fabricated, confusing, and inciting statements" on social media about
government, military, police officials and members of different other law
enforcement agencies.
"They are presenting false and baseless news
about the security forces, which is threatening to ruin the peace in the
country, and spreading fear, concern and confusion among the general
public," said the statement, signed by Sharif Mahmud Apu, senior
information officer at the ministry.
"The government has observed the activities of
such people with patience, and has come to the conclusion that it is necessary
to take legal action against such people to maintain the stability, domestic
security and public well-being," added the statement.
The statement is the latest among a series of similar
statements obstructing freedom of speech, issued by different government
agencies since the pandemic struck the country.
On April 16, as the media reported the lack of
preparation of the health sector in dealing with the coronavirus-driven crisis,
all nurses were banned from speaking to the press. The order came from the Department
of Nursing and Midwifery.
The next day, the public administration ministry asked
all secretaries to give necessary instructions to their subordinates so that no
public servant talks to or writes in the media without approval from the
authorities concerned.
In a letter, the ministry said some public servants,
violating Section 22 of Government Servant (Conduct) Rules, are taking part in
talk shows, discussions and news on different media outlets, including
Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, private TV channels, and giving
comments or opinions and writing articles or letters in newspapers and online
portals without taking approval from their department chiefs or going beyond
his or her jurisdiction.
On October 7, the Department of Secondary and Higher
Education issued a circular forbidding students and teachers from writing,
sharing, "liking", or posting anything that "ruins the image of
the government or the state", or "disrespects any important person,
institution or profession" on social media.
They were also told not to post any writing, audio or
video clips that could create "dissatisfaction among the general
public". The heads of institutions were asked to take action against any
who did that.
After nurses, health officials, public officials,
students and teachers, it is now the turn of the general public to receive a
gag order.
Talking on the issue, eminent human rights lawyer
Jyotirmoy Barua said, "They do not have the option of dictating what the
general public will write on their social media accounts.
"We get to criticise them because it is our
right. There is no law against criticising. This circular can be called
illegal."
https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/posts-govt-military-police-govt-slaps-gag-social-media-1977489
----------
Deep Disputes within Taliban team; Power Struggle
between Stanekzai and Mullah Baradar
October 14, 2020
By Zaher Shokoohmand
Translator: Sayed Taher Mojab
The dispute between members of the Taliban’s political
bureau in Qatar escalated when Mullah Baradar, the co-founder of the Taliban,
left Pakistan for Doha. However, according to documents seen by DID Press
Agency, the differences among senior members of the Taliban group in Qatar are
far deeper than what one thought.
Based on the classified documents, which was written
by the Institute for Security Studies on 13 October 2020, the members of the
Taliban negotiating team are divided into three groups: Mullah Baradar, Mullah
Abbas Stanekzai, and another group that has been dismissed but does not leave
Doha.
The document suggests that Mullah Baradar is pushing
to get rid of Mullah Abbas and Mullah Hakim to get along with the westerns
himself. It indicates that Mullah Khairullah Khairkha and Mullah Fazel Mazloom
are on Mullah Baradar’s side while Mullah Mannan Omari, Mullah Omar’s brother,
Mullah Abdul Hakim, the new chairman of the Taliban delegation, and some others
are supporting Mullah Abbas Stanekzai.
Some Taliban members, however, do not want Mullah
Stanekzai and demand his removal. The Taliban do not even consider him as a
Taleb, but the document says that Stanekzai is trying to sabotage the talks and
move the Doha talks to another Arabic country, possibly the United Arab
Emirates.
The document states that Mullah Hakim is a highly
respected person among the Taliban, but Mullah Baradar considers him an
obstacle to negotiations and calls him “Mullah koknar (opium poppy)” whenever
the opportunity arises. “Mullah koknar” is already a popular title in Doha.
In contrast, Abbas Stanekzai’s team accuses Mullah
Baradar and his supporters of extorting money from Americans. The classified
document says that Mullah Baradar is receiving money from the Americans and
sending it to his nephew in Quetta, Pakistan. In this document, however, the
name of Mullah Baradar’s nephew and the amount of money are not mentioned.
Taliban’s weakness in negotiations:
In another part of the document, it is mentioned that
the government’s negotiating team has so far acted strongly during the talks
and the Taliban have entered the dialogue from a position of weakness, anger,
and irrationality. The classified document indicates that the government’s team
has challenged the Taliban by putting forward the Quran and Sunnah as the basis
of the intra-Afghan talks while the Taliban suggest the US-Taliban deal as the
basis of the talks. The Taliban do not want their rank-and-file to be informed
of this issue because in that case, the least legitimacy of the Taliban’s Qatar
office would be harmed seriously.
Separate meetings:
The document states that the government team has begun
separate meetings with the members of the Taliban in Qatar. According to the
document, the government team does not talk much and hears more from the
Taliban. The classified document concludes that this has allowed the government
team to know and analyze the Taliban’s plans before starting official direct
talks.
It is believed that the disputes within the Taliban
team are increasing day by day. The group’s fighters may have become aware that
their representatives did not accept the Qur’an and Sunnah as the basis of
negotiations, making the talks more difficult for them. I think we will see a
lot of change in Doha in the coming weeks and it is possible that the Taliban
team will be completely replaced. However, the continuing violent attacks by
the Taliban in different parts of the country show that the group’s agreement
with the United States was not valuable to the group’s war machine, and this
suggests the fragmentation of the Taliban.
https://www.didpress.com/en/2020/10/14/deep-disputes-within-taliban-team-power-struggle-between-stanekzai-and-mullah-baradar/
--------
What are China’s new laws for Muslims visiting Haj
By Vikash Aiyappa
October 14, 2020
Beijing, Oct 14: China has released new regulations
for Muslims visiting Saudi Arabia for annual Haj stipulating that the
pilgrimage should be organised only by the country's Islamic Association and
pilgrims should follow Chinese laws and oppose religious extremism.
There are 20 million Muslims in China, mostly Uyghurs
- an ethnic group of Turkic origin - and Hui Muslims, who are of Chinese ethnic
origin. Both Uyghurs and Hui Muslims have a population of about 10 million
each, according to an official white paper.
About 10,000 Chinese Muslims perform Haj every year.
The new regulation issued for Haj pilgrimage has a
total of 42 articles, including one that stipulates that Chinese Muslims'
pilgrimage should be organised in accordance with laws, and the Chinese Islamic
Association is the only organisation that is authorised to arrange for Chinese
Muslims to go to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform Haj.
No other organisation or individual should organise
the trips, and Chinese citizens should meet basic requirements when applying
for the Haj, the regulation, which would be implemented from December 1,
stipulates, state-run Global Times reported.
People who go overseas to perform Haj should abide by
China's and the destination country's laws and regulations, and oppose
religious extremism, according to the regulations.
The related government departments are requested to
fulfil their responsibilities and ban illegal Haj activities, the report said.
The Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam which
every Muslim is required to complete at least once in their lifetime if they
are healthy enough and have the means to do so.
China since last year faced severe international
criticism, including from the UN and western countries, over allegations that
it is holding over a million people, mostly ethnic Uyghurs, in internment camps
in Muslim-majority Xinjiang province in a bid to wean them away from religious
extremism.
https://www.oneindia.com/international/what-are-china-s-new-laws-for-muslims-visiting-haj-3163147.html
--------
Unknown Gunmen Assassinate Islamic Scholar in
Nangarhar
by Manager
October 13, 2020
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Jalalabad (BNA) An Islamic scholar from Nangarhar was
martyred in a terrorist attack.
Mawlavi Gol Nawaz was targeted last night when he was
moving toward his home.
A security official in Nangarhar told BNA that security
forces are trying to arrest the perpetrators of the assassination.
On the other hand, Zia-ul-Haq Amarkhail, the governor
of Nangarhar, condemned the assassination of this Islamic scholar and ordered
the security forces to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
So far, no individual or group has claimed
responsibility for the assassination of this Islamic scholar.
http://www.bakhtarnews.com.af/eng/security/item/44344-unknown-gunmen-assassinate-islamic-scholar-in-nangarhar.html
---------
Herat Police: Shroff Rescued From Clutches Of
Kidnappers
By Mohammad Haroon Alim
14 Oct 2020
According to security sources in Herat, police in the
province last night freed a money changer named Ismail Mohammadi from the
clutches of kidnappers.
Herat police spokesman Abdul-Ahad Walizada told media,
that the kidnappers had abducted the money changer from Herat city two nights
ago.
He said eight people had been arrested in connection
with the incident.
Earlier, The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has announced
that Abdul Qayyum, the head of the currency exchange union in Balkh province,
has been released from his abductors.
https://www.khaama.com/herat-police-shroff-rescued-from-the-clutches-of-kidnappers-8765454/
--------
Helmand Battle Dislocates 35,000 Civilians: UNAMA
By Mohammad Haroon Alim
14 Oct 2020
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(UNAMA) says the ongoing fighting in Helmand province over the past four days
has left 35,000 people homeless.
According to UNAMA thousands of people have been
displaced in Helmand over the past four days due to ongoing fighting between
Afghan security forces and the Taliban, which could lead to a major crisis.
UNAMA Tweeted Tuesday, calling on Afghan forces and
the Taliban to take practical steps to protect civilians.
https://www.khaama.com/helmand-battle-dislocates-35000-civilians-unama-7675646/
---------
Afghan Airforce Helicopters Collide Midair In Helmand
Province
By Mohammad Haroon Alim
14 Oct 2020
Two ANA helicopters have collided in the Nawa district
of southern Helmand province last night.
Reports indicated; the copters have crashed after the
Afghan commandos were dropped to conduct a mission, one of the choppers was
reportedly transporting the wounded soldiers.
Security sources in Helmand province say that between
8 to 15 security personnel have been killed in the collision incident.
According to the source, 8 to 15 ANA personnel,
including the pilots have died in the helicopters.
Omar Zwak, A spokesperson to the Helmand governor told
Khaama Press, that the incident has occurred, and the choppers had to push for
an emergency landing.
He did not further provide any details, according to
him casualties are not yet confirmed.
This comes as, in the past few days, fierce fighting
has taken place between government forces and Taliban-affiliated fighters in
Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand province, and in some districts of the
province.
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-airforce-helicopters-collide-midair-in-helmand-province-877665/
--------
Europe
Armenian side restores the mosque, Azerbaijan shells
the church in Shushi – President Sarkissian tells foreign journalists
Siranush Ghazanchyan
October 13, 2020
Today, President Armen Sarkissian met with a group of
European journalists who have been in Artsakh in recent days. The President
answered their questions about the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan
against Artsakh and the subsequent situation.
In response to the question how he feels seeing all
this as the country’s President, Armen Sarkissian noted that the pain is
terrible. “It’s double, triple painful because we are losing young, bright,
patriotic young people who are fighting for the homeland, who are sacrificing
their lives for the homeland.”
“There are no words to express the pain you feel. This
war is also inhumane, because from the very first day Azerbaijan started firing
rockets at the civilian population and settlements,” the President said.
The President told reporters in detail what the war
means to each side. If Azerbaijan declares the liberation of the territories,
the territories where Armenians have lived for millennia, which are their
historical homeland, as the goal of the war, then, according to the President,
there is another international wording to describe it – ethnic cleansing.
According to the President, Turkey’s goal is to show
Azerbaijan that they are ethnic brothers, that they have similar brothers in
many other countries, but the main goal is to have a more dominant position in
the Caucasus. Furthermore, he said, Turkey, most likely, intends to stay in
Azerbaijan, to manage the international pipelines.
“What are the people of Artsakh fighting for? They are
fighting for their lives, their honor, their heritage, their faith, their
families, their history, their home. At the same time, the small people of
Nagorno Karabakh are fighting for the security of the region, and also for the
security of Europe, I mean, for example, energy security. They are fighting for
the security of the Middle East. Let us note that Turkey is involved in the
conflicts in Syria, Libya and Iraq without thinking about the territorial
integrity of those countries,” the President stated.
President Sarkissian once again stressed that the only
way to return to the negotiation process and establish peace is for Turkey to
withdraw from this conflict, otherwise the situation will pose a great danger
to the whole region.
Answering the question on the possible recognition of
Artsakh by Armenia, the President spoke about several differences between the
approaches of the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides.
“Over the years, Armenia has not recognized the
independence of Artsakh for the simple reason that it would allow the status of
Nagorno Karabakh to be resolved through negotiations. We wanted the independence
of Nagorno Karabakh to be recognized as a result of the negotiations. At the
same time, if this war continues, there will be no opportunity to return to
negotiations, of course, Armenia, in all probability, will have no choice but
to recognize it. However, at the moment there is hope for a ceasefire and a
return to negotiations. That is why Armenia does not do that even today,” the
President said
“Our approach is that there is no military solution to
this problem. Have you been to Shushi, have you seen the church, have you seen
the mosque? The mosque was restored with the help and efforts of the Armenian
side. The church was restored. And what happened these days? Azerbaijan fired a
rocket at the church. This clearly shows the difference in our approaches,” he
added.
The other difference is the deployment of military
units. They are not in settlements in Artsakh. Here they try to keep the
military presence and operations as far away from the civilian population as
possible. “On the contrary, in Azerbaijan, military facilities are located in
settlements, making the population a target.”
In response to a question about France’s efforts,
President Sarkissian praised the activity and efforts of French President
Emanuel Macron’s government. “France represents Europe in the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmanship format, but we hear the voice of France more than the voice of
Europe. The voice of NATO is not heard, the voice of the European Union is not
heard enough. We also appreciate Russia’s efforts and mediation capabilities. “
The President also thanked Russian President Vladimir
Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov, expressing hope that greater efforts will be
made to achieve and maintain the ceasefire.
Thanking the journalists for their courage and
professional work, President Sarkissian stressed the need for media
representatives to visit the region, to be in Artsakh and to present the
situation objectively.
https://en.armradio.am/2020/10/13/armenian-side-restores-the-mosque-azerbaijan-shells-the-church-in-shushi-president-sarkissian-tells-foreign-journalists/
---------
London knife crime: Man smiles after admitting to
stabbing prayer leader in Regent's Park mosque
By Ellie McKinnell
13 OCT 2020
A man has admitted to stabbing a prayer leader in the
neck during an unprovoked attack in a Central London mosque, smiling as he did
so.
Daniel Horton pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm
with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place at Southwark
Crown Court on Monday, October 12, and will be sentenced in November.
The stabbing took place on Thursday, February 20 at
around 3pm, during afternoon prayers at London Central Mosque on Park Road.
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The victim, in his 70s, was acting as a muezzin, whose
responsibility it is to call all members of the mosque to prayer in the main
prayer hall.
The victim had noticed Horton in the main prayer hall,
and recognised his face as someone who often attends the mosque to pray.
When the second prayer was ending, the victim - who
had been attending the mosque for about 25 years - felt a sharp smack to the
right side of the neck, but wasn't aware at this stage that he had been
stabbed.
He then saw blood on the floor so he stood-up, held
his neck and made his way out of the main prayer hall. Many members of the
mosque also realised this and rushed over to help him.
Other worshippers who were close by witnessed Horton
raise his arm and stab the victim in the neck. These witnesses bravely detained
the 30-year-old and called the police.
The victim was treated at the scene before being taken
to hospital, where his condition was assessed as non life-threatening.
Police arrested Horton at the scene on suspicion of
attempted murder, and he told officers: “This is not a religious attack and is
not a racist attack”.
He later said to the custody sergeant: “I had no
intention of killing him. By the way I was standing I could easily have killed
him, but I had no intention of that. This was to send a message to him and the
others associated with him.”
During his police interview when asked about the above
statement, Horton simply smiled and nodded but gave no reply. He then gave no
comment to all the questions put to him.
Detective Constable Daniel Jones, the investigating
officer, said: “This was a shocking and brutal unprovoked attack in a place of
worship where the victim should’ve been safe.
"Horton had the audacity to smile when he was
shown images of his victim’s injuries, not showing any remorse for his heinous
actions. I’m therefore pleased that Horton has pleaded guilty and finally taken
responsibility for his wicked actions.
We've set up a Facebook group for London residents to
share information and advice which benefits the community and helps keep people
safe.
Whether you spot anything suspicious or want to warn
others about crime going on in any area of London - whether it's North, South,
East, West or Central - you can join this group to both share and find out
information.
“I’d like to thank the worshippers who heroically
detained Horton on that day, which possibly prevented him from causing further
harm. I’d also like to thank the victim for his courage and cooperation
throughout the investigation.
“We may never know why Horton chose to viciously
attack his victim, but there is never an acceptable excuse or reason for the
use of violence. The Met will continue to crack down on violence in London as
well as on those people who think it is acceptable to carry an offensive
weapon.”
https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/london-knife-crime-man-smiles-19093627
-----------
Africa
Bandits Kill Imam, 12 Others in Katsina, Niger
Communities
October 13, 2020
Francis Sardauna in Katsina and Laleye Dipo in Minna
No fewer than 13 persons, including children, have
been massacred by bandits in fresh onslaughts on Shau and Ruwangodiya villages
of Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, as well as Tasan -Kere and
Tungan-Makeri communities in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
The separate attacks on the two villages in Katsina
State, according to residents, were perpetrated on Sunday about 6 p.m. when
most of the victims were returning from their farms.
One of the residents, Mr. Aminu Hamisu, who confirmed
the incident to THISDAY yesterday, said the bandits killed the Imam of Shau
village and his assistant.
He said the bandits in a commando-style operation
arrived the villages and started shooting sporadically, killing people at sight
and razed property and rustled unspecified number of cows belonging to
residents.
Hamisu explained that several villagers sustained
varying degree of injuries from gunshots with scores of them, mostly women and
children, still unaccounted for in the affected communities.
He said: “The bandits arrived at Shau village on no
fewer than 60 motorcycles with each carrying three armed men about 6 p.m on
Sunday and started shooting indiscriminately.
“After their successful operation in Shau village,
they mobilised and moved to Ruwangodiya village where they killed two people
there.”
He lamented that they reported the arrival of the
hoodlums to security agencies but that they did not come to their aid till
after the bandits killed their people.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Gambo
Isah, who confirmed the incident said the bandits killed eight persons in Shau
village and razed several houses and vehicle of the village head during the
attack.
Isah, a superintendent of police, said combined
security operatives were drafted to the area but the hoodlums escaped to the
nearby forest due to the cumbersome nature of the place.
He said: “The bandits attacked Shau village and killed
eight people and destroyed many houses, including the vehicle of the village
head. Efforts are ongoing to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.”
Meanwhile, three people have been confirmed killed
with several others injured in attacks on two communities in the Rafi LGA of
Niger State.
It was learnt that when the cows were being rustled
the local vigilante mobilised to recover the cows from the bandits leading to
the bandits abandoning the cows and taking to their heels.
THISDAY gathered that angered by their inability to
escape with the cows, the same set of bandits reportedly mobilised and launched
a ferocious attack on neighbouring Tungan- Makeri community on Sunday night
during which two villagers were killed and several others injured.
It was alleged that while the attack was ongoing, the
village head of Tungan-Makeri alerted the security operatives but they
(security) claimed they did not have fuel in their vehicles.
THISDAY was told that the angry villagers, yesterday
morning deposited the corpses of the slain villagers in front of the office of
one of the security agencies in the town.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer
for Niger State Police Command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun, told THISDAY: “I am in a
meeting, I will get back to you.”
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/10/13/bandits-kill-imam-12-others-in-katsina-niger-communities/
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Boko Haram kills 14 farmers in Nigeria
Adam Abu-bashal
14.10.2020
Members of the Boko Haram terrorist group killed 14 farmers
in an attack in northeastern Nigeria, local media reported Tuesday.
The terrorists seized 15 famers working in their
fields in Ngwom village, located 14 kilometers (nine miles) north of the
region’s main city Maiduguri, and cut their throats, according to local media.
One of the farmers survived with a deep slash.
Around 3 million people have been displaced in more
than a decade of terrorist activities by Boko Haram. Scores of civilians are
still trapped in remote communities and are unable to flee due to a lack of
security on roads.
The violence, which has killed more than 30,000
people, has spread to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a
military response.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/boko-haram-kills-14-farmers-in-nigeria/2005471
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How Somali Islamist insurgents are moving millions
through legitimate businesses
By Michelle Nichols
Nairobi - Somalia's Islamist insurgents are moving
millions of dollars through the formal bank system and appear to be investing
in businesses and real estate, according to a United Nations report offering a
rare glimpse into their finances.
Al Shabaab has for years been battling Somalia's
internationally-backed government to impose strict Islamic law in the anarchic
Horn of Africa nation.
"Al Shabaab remains in a strong financial
position and is generating a significant budgetary surplus, some of which is
invested in property purchases and businesses in Mogadishu," said the
report by the UN sanctions panel on Somalia.
The al Qaeda-linked Somali militants carry out
frequent bombings and attacks at home and have also killed hundreds of
civilians in Kenya and Uganda. Earlier this year, al Shabaab killed three
Americans at a U.S. military base in Kenya.
The UN report included details on two bank accounts held
at Salaam Somali Bank, founded in 2009 as part of the Hormuud group of
companies, raising questions about Somalia's capacity to enforce a 2016 law
aimed at curbing terrorist financing.
Somalia's Financial Reporting Center, which oversees
compliance laws against money laundering and terror financing, said it is
investigating the allegations against Salaam.
Nearly $1.7 million moved through one of the accounts
during a 10-week period until mid-July this year, the report said, noting the
account appeared set up to receive Islamic tax called zakat.
With around 5,000 fighters, al Shabaab controls towns
and countryside in southern Somalia, but its spies and assassins operate
nationwide. Its estimated expenditure last year was around $21 million, with
about a quarter of that going to the Amniyat intelligence arm.
Al Shabaab also runs its own courts. One businessman
told investigators that the courts had summoned him this year and ordered him
to pay more than $100,000 in zakat based on a review of his business, which
they had assessed before he arrived.
The businessman, who was not named, provided a banking
deposit slip and a receipt from al Shabaab to investigators as proof of
payment. "Al Shabaab maintains a registry of citizens, which includes
financial assessments on individuals and businesses," the report said.
Another account, which appeared to handle fees levied
on businessmen using Mogadishu port, had $1.1 million moved through it from
mid-Febuary until the end of June this year, the report said. It included a
cash deposit of $25,000 by someone calling himself "A B C" on
documentation.
In total, the two accounts made more than 128
transactions exceeding the $10 000 threshold that should trigger automatic
reporting to the Financial Reporting Centre.
When asked if the accounts had been shut down, Amina
Ali, head of the centre, told Reuters: "All the necessary steps have been
taken."
The report also examined a single al Shabaab road
checkpoint - one of dozens - that former al Shabaab tax officials told
investigators made between $1.8 million-$2.4 million per year.
In the government-controlled southern port of Kismayo,
businesses are forced to pay the insurgency between $300-$600 monthly depending
on their size, which could earn them nearly $6 million a year from Kismayo
alone, the report said.
Businessmen are afraid to refuse al Shabaab for fear
of being killed, said Hussein Sheikh Ali, a former Somali national security
advisor and founder of the Mogadishu-based Hiraal Institute thinktank. Their
own report on al Shabaab finances is due out this month.
https://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/how-somali-islamist-insurgents-are-moving-millions-through-legitimate-businesses-ada73369-40f4-55a2-8a95-cad288f4328e
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Southeast Asia
Parliament: 35% of Madrasa students pursue tertiary
Islamic-related education
Hariz Baharudin
14-10-2020
SINGAPORE - In the past three years, more than a third
of each cohort of Islamic religious school students went on to pursue
pre-university Madrasa education.
"They form the steady pipeline of religious
leaders for the community," said Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs
Masagos Zulkifli on Wednesday (Oct 14).
Of the 35 per cent in each cohort who further their
education, most do so in Islamic science-related areas such as Islamic
jurisprudence and Islamic theology to better equip themselves to be religious
leaders, he added.
He was responding to questions from Dr Wan Rizal Wan
Zakariah (Jalan Besar GRC), who had asked questions about the career
trajectories of local Madrasa graduates.
After completing their higher education, these
students return and contribute to the religious sector as scholars, educators
or mosque religious officers, said Mr Masagos, who is also Minister for Social
and Family Development.
Some of them may also choose to use their training to
pursue jobs in sectors that complement the religious sector, which he said
include social services, business and research.
A Madrasa education also allows students to pursue
non-religious career paths, said Mr Masagos, noting that some move on to
post-secondary education at junior colleges, polytechnics and the Institute of
Technical Education.
"For this group, their career path may depend on
the field of study that they opt for at these institutes of higher
learning," he added.
For instance, some have ventured into industries such
as media, finance and the creative industries.
Mr Masagos said the Islamic Religious Council of
Singapore (Muis), which oversees Madrasas here, will work closely with the
schools to ensure their curriculum prepares students well for future careers in
the religious sector.
Responding to Dr Wan Rizal on support measures in
place for Madrasa students who drop out of their studies, Mr Masagos said Muis'
focus has to be on producing the best religious teachers for the community.
"Otherwise we will be importing them from all
over the world, and we have seen what result that has produced in many parts of
the world," said Mr Masagos.
"And therefore, for now, we are quite satisfied
with the number of students that are retained at the university level that will
move on to acquire professional recognised degrees in religious studies that
will help to guide our community."
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/parliament-35-of-Madrasa-students-pursue-tertiary-islamic-related-education
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Ismail Sabri: Non-contact sports like cycling,
jogging, athletics training permitted under CMCO
13 Oct 2020
Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Non-contact sports and
centralised training programmes for athletes are still allowed in Selangor,
Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya which will be under the conditional movement control
order (CMCO) starting after midnight tonight (at 12.01am).
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail
Sabri Yaakob said individual sport activities, e-sports, non-contact sports and
outdoor sports not exceeding 10 people were allowed.
The centralised training programme for athletes which
was being implemented by the National Sports Council (NSC) and State Sports
Councils could be continued in a closed and controlled manner (Quarantine Based
Approach) as implemented at the MSN Complex, Bukit Jalil and Keramat; Malaysian
Badminton Academy (ABM), Bukit Kiara and the Paralympics Sports Excellence
Centre, Kampung Pandan.
However, Ismail Sabri stressed that all swimming pool
activities, physical contact, combat sports and the organisations of sports or
championships were not allowed during the CMCO to curb the spread of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Sport events and competitions with spectators present
and sport events and competitions involving participants from abroad are not
allowed. All leisure, recreational and cultural activities are not allowed.
“Entertainment activities including night clubs or
pubs, recreational centres, theme parks, indoor playgrounds and cinemas are
also not allowed,” he told a virtual press conference through the Facebook of
the Ministry of Defence today.
Meanwhile, the Youth and Sports Ministry, via a
statement, said that activities such as walking, jogging, cycling,
self-aerobics and others performed in open areas were among those allowed in
the CMCO areas in Sabah, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
“Sport and recreational activities including owners
and operators of facilities such as football fields, sports complexes,
badminton halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, recreational centres and others in
the CMCO states and areas must comply with the directives stipulated by the
National Security Council to postpone and reschedule all their respective sport
and recreational activities.
“The operations of the sports and recreational
facilities must be closed temporarily during the CMCO.
“In other states or districts, sports and recreational
programmes can be continued by complying with the SOP currently in force. This
is in order for us to together help sever the pandemic infection chain,” he
said in a statement.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/10/13/ismail-sabri-non-contact-sports-like-cycling-jogging-athletics-training-per/1912369
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Arab world
Saudis blow hot and cold over flu vaccine as winter
approaches
HALA TASHKANDI
October 14, 2020
RIYADH: As October marches on and the weather
continues to cool across the Kingdom, many Saudis are concerned about coping
with the flu season on top of the coronavirus pandemic.
For those with the sniffles who are starting to fret,
Arab News asked health care professionals to weigh in on when it was the time
to worry and what everyone needed to know about the flu vaccine.
Unlike a few other vaccinations, flu shots are not
mandatory in Saudi Arabia. But guidelines from the Scientific Committee for
Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination recommend that the public and health
care professionals receive the vaccine every year, especially during flu season
as the composition of the vaccine is modified annually.
The Ministry of Health also recommends the vaccine for
the public and health care professionals.
At a recent press conference, the assistant minister
of health and spokesman, Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly, said that flu vaccines were
recommended despite having no protective effects against COVID-19.
“Protecting oneself from influenza infections will
improve a body’s overall health and protect it from many health issues
resulting from acquiring an infection, including coronavirus,” he said.
However, the similar symptoms of the flu and COVID-19
have made people wonder how they can tell if they have one or the other if or
when symptoms appear.
Dr. Abdulmalik Ismail, an ENT doctor and head and neck
surgery resident who was at the forefront of the early fight against COVID-19,
said that while there was no way to tell for sure if symptoms were COVID-19 or
the flu, there were certain “hints” that indicated whether or not someone
should get tested.
Although life-threatening allergic reactions to the
flu vaccine are rare, the shot can cause side effects such as headaches, fever,
nausea, and muscle pains. (Shutterstock)
“The common cold usually presents with a sore throat,
cough, runny nose, sneezing and fatigue,” he told Arab News. “The flu can
present similarly and can be mild, but may also cause more severe symptoms that
include fever, headache, body aches and chest discomfort and can sometimes
cause a lung infection otherwise known as pneumonia in certain people, such as
the elderly or those with reduced immune systems.”
As for COVID-19, Ismail said that certain flu-like
symptoms could be much worse than those of a typical flu, which could be used
as a benchmark of sorts.
“COVID-19 symptoms can vary from mild to severe
symptoms that can mimic the flu. It can also cause a loss of taste and smell
much more profound than that of the common cold or the flu. Another hint is
that children are commonly affected by the common cold and the flu. However,
they are less likely to be affected by COVID-19.”
He said that anyone experiencing symptoms they were
unsure about, especially if they were respiratory in nature, should begin
self-isolation and monitor themselves carefully for worsening health.
“Anyone that develops respiratory symptoms should
isolate themselves from other people and adhere to public health measures.
Alarming symptoms that warrant seeking medical care include severe, persistent
symptoms, chest pain, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.”
One of the most jarring points of concern for many is
that it is possible to have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. This
scenario has led people to start asking whether or not they should consider
getting vaccinated this year, even if they are not usually in the habit of
doing so.
Ismail said that people could protect themselves from
the flu by getting vaccinated, even if they could not yet be vaccinated against
COVID-19. But since the vaccine is not mandatory, and some find the side
effects unbearable, many are wondering if the vaccine is their best option for
self-protection.
• Unlike a few other vaccinations, flu shots are not
mandatory in Saudi Arabia. But guidelines recommend that the public and health
care professionals receive the vaccine every year, especially during flu season.
• The Ministry of Health also recommends the vaccine
for the public and health care professionals.
• Protecting oneself from influenza will also help in
protecting the body from many health issues, including coronavirus, says health
official.
Dr. Haya Zedan, a public health specialist, urged
people to educate themselves thoroughly about the flu vaccine and its effects,
given this year’s unprecedented circumstances.
“As a public health academic and researcher, it’s
important to note that now more than ever we all have a responsibility to make
informed choices that are in the best interests of our health and the health of
our families,” she told Arab News. “People should make the effort to learn more
about vaccines, such as the flu vaccine, and their benefits from verified
scientific sources.”
Although life-threatening allergic reactions to the
flu vaccine are rare, the shot can cause side effects such as headaches, fever,
nausea, muscle pains, and soreness or redness in the area of the arm that was injected.
Rania Najran, a public health specialist and a mother
of two, is debating whether or not getting a flu shot is right for her and her
family as she and her children have suffered from uncomfortable side effects in
the past.
“There’s so many factors to consider,” she told Arab
News. “The negative side effects are just part of it. I know the vaccine won’t
necessarily protect me 100 percent from getting the flu, it will just minimize
the symptoms for the most part. I would rather not subject my body to the side
effects. I prefer to boost my immunity the natural way, with vitamin-rich
meals, staying active, social distancing, everything that we would do during
any other flu season.”
For others, such as pediatrician Dr. Hind Assiri,
getting a flu shot is a priority given the current situation.
“Any protection we can give ourselves and our children
this flu season we should strive for,” she told Arab News. “I myself have four
children, and all of us have gotten the flu vaccine. Thankfully, our side
effects have been manageable and I can sleep better knowing that they have some
degree of protection in such an unsafe time.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1748551/saudi-arabia
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G20 Interfaith Forum values Kingdom's role in int'l
dialogue, Minister of Islamic Affairs says
2020/10/13
SPA
Riyadh, Oct 13, 2020, SPA -- Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin
Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance,
confirmed the humanitarian role and international status the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia is enjoying worldwide crowned by its presidency of the G20 and hosting
the G20 Interfaith Forum which discusses the international efforts to fight
coronavirus COVID-19 and other important issues facing the humanitarian
societies, highly valuing the Kingdom's prudent leadership's decisions to face
the pandemic according to the principles of Islam.
In a speech to the opening session of the forum, Al
Al-Shiekh conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his Crown Prince to the participants in the
event, held under the sponsorship of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International
Center for Dialogue among followers of religions and cultures and the alliance
of international partners which was kicked off here today.
He highlighted the measures taken by the Kingdom to
combat the coronavirus, making it among the best, citing the cooperation of
religious authorities in carrying out the government-led measures.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2144346
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Mawhiba megaproject to support gifted youth in Saudi
Arabia
HALA TASHKANDI
October 14, 2020
RIYADH: The biggest ever campaign to discover talented
and gifted students in Saudi Arabia was launched on Tuesday through the
National Program for Gifted Students Identification.
Led by the King Abdul Aziz and His Companions
Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), in partnership with the
Ministry of Education and the National Center for Assessment (Qiyas), the
program has seen the nomination of more than 594,000 students over the last 10
years, of whom more than 406,000 students have been tested, and more than
133,000 have qualified.
This year, for the first time, the program will be
available to students remotely. The program involves taking the Mawhiba
Multiple Cognitive Aptitude Test, conducted annually in English and in Arabic
for students in grades three, four, six, and nine, in more than 100 centers
across the Kingdom. The inauguration ceremony for the program’s 11th year was
sponsored by Minister of Education Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh and launched at
Mawhiba’s headquarters in Riyadh, in the presence of the organization’s
secretary-general, Dr. Saud Al-Mathami, and the education vice minister, Dr.
Abdul Rahman Al-Assemi. Al-Mathami expressed his pride in the program and its
achievements over the past decade, thanking the program’s partners for their
efforts.
“It’s an example of the integrative work between the
government establishments, through the strategic partnership between Mawhiba,
the Ministry of Education and Qiyas, in the field of discovering and sponsoring
talented students in the Kingdom,” he said.
He added that, as a result of the high demand for the
program under the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, it would be
available to students remotely for the first time.
“The program will also be available at the
headquarters of the National Center for Assessment for the first time, in a new
experience to implement the program in a manner that meets the requirements of
the times.” Al-Assemi told students that they were “the hope of the nation and
its bright future.”
“One of the most important conditions of excellence
and creativity is not only the possession of talent, but also hard work to
achieve the highest degrees of success,” he said.
Mawhiba was established in 1999 as a nonprofit
foundation to support the Kingdoms’ long-term vision for developing giftedness
and creativity.
Selected students, from the fourth to 12th grade, are
invited to join Mawhiba classes. These offer a high-quality educational
environment for gifted students to help them reach their full potential by
providing additional curricula.
Mawhiba supports the selected schools by providing
continuous professional development, regular assessments, annual tests, as well
as conducting parent orientation workshops, in addition to afterschool STEM
programs targeting children in grades four to nine.
Students are also invited to join Mawhiba Enrichment
Summer Programs as informal education, including residential and commuting
summer programs that are either local or international at leading universities.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1748556/saudi-arabia
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