UP Minister Wants Mosque in Prayagraj Fort Removed, Says 'Illegally Constructed'
New
Age Islam News Bureau
21
June 2023
Sanjay Nishad. Credit: PTI File Photo
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India
• Akola Police Ask Muslim Men Accused of
Rioting To Furnish Hindu Guarantors
• 4 Hurt As 2 Groups Belonging To
Deobandi and Barelvi Sects Fight for A Mosque in UP's Bahraich
• Hindu Man to Marry Muslim Woman Today,
Days after Kerala Cops Dragged Her Away From Wedding Venue
• 50 booked for vandalising shops of
Muslims, assaulting man in Uttarakhand
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Pakistan
• Former CJP moves SC against trial of
civilians in military courts
• PTI chief, other party leaders'
non-bailable arrest warrants issued
• Pakistan, China sign deal for 1,200 MW
nuclear power project
• Army assures all-out support as govt
plans economic revival
• PPP will uphold Benazir Bhutto’s
philosophy: Zardari
• PM Shehbaz vows to present Pakistan’s
position on global financial firms’ restructuring at Paris summit
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Africa
• Uganda’s military rescues three
students abducted by Islamist fighters – army
• Islamic State Affiliate Expanding
Reach In DR Congo, UN Experts Say
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Europe
• German Professor under Fire for Racist
Slurs against Female Muslim Student
• Stoke-on-Trent's real life Top Gun who
was sent to kill Osama Bin Laden
• Austrian police arrest three suspected
Islamic extremists over Vienna Pride terror attack plot
• There are up to 2,500 mosques in
Azerbaijan, official says
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Arab World
• Saudi students win awards at European
Physics Olympiad
• Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli
aggression in Jenin raid that led to the death of 6 Palestinians
• Several measures adopted to protect
visitors of Prophet's Mosque from summer heat
• 47th Grand Hajj Symposium fosters
culture of innovation, service in Saudi Arabia
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Mideast
• Children from Amazon 'Kidnapped' and
Converted To Islam; Child Abuse Increased By 700 Percent under
"Sultan" Erdogan
• Regime Pressures Baluchs to Deny
Assassination Attempt On Sunni Leader
• Dozens of Israeli Settlers Invade
Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Flights between Israel and Saudi
Arabia for Muslim pilgrims won’t be ready for Hajj
• Bahrain Islamic Index closes higher
• Israel Prison Service seizes mobile phones
after Islamic Jihad inmate's live stream
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South Asia
• Kabul Will Mediate TTP-Islamabad Talks
If Pakistan Wants It: Mujahid
• Islamic Emirate Reacts to UN
Rapporteur's Report
• Afghan Migrants in Shipwreck off Coast
of Greece: Embassy
• Why India Needs To Support the Quest
for Restoring Democracy in Bangladesh
• Eid gift for 1.25cr ultra-poor
families
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Southeast Asia
• Singapore Mosque Worker Jailed For
Taking Meth and Keeping Cannabis Mixtures in Ablution Room, Cubicle and Locker
• Terrorist Groups Increasingly
Targeting Youths, Singapore A 'Prized Target': DPM Wong
• Malaysia grateful for ‘smooth’ Hajj
operations under Makkah Route
• Malaysia passes 3 Bills in parliament
to decriminalise suicide attempts
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North America
• Slots, Table Games and Stained Glass: Bally’s
Chicago Moving Quickly to Turn Landmark Medinah Temple into a Gambling Mecca
• Israel Kills Islamic Jihad Terrorists
in Fiery Jenin Raid; Media Fails to Report the Full Facts
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/up-minister-mosque-prayagraj/d/130045
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UP Minister Wants Mosque In Prayagraj Fort Removed, Says 'Illegally Constructed'
Sanjay Nishad. Credit: PTI File Photo
-----
JUN 20 2023
In controversial remarks, Uttar Pradesh
minister Sanjay Nishad has claimed that the mosque situated in the Nishadraj
Fort in Prayagraj is "illegally constructed" and if it is not
removed, people of the Nishad community will "throw it in the Ganga".
He was speaking to reporters on the side-lines
of a programme at the district headquarters here on Monday.
"At that time, there was no mosque
there. There is also a report of the archaeological department regarding the
excavation. It means the mosque was built later. It is an illegal mosque,"
he said.
"The fort is the centre of faith of
Hindus and Nishads. Will they (Muslims) now do land jihad along with love
jihad?" he added.
The fisheries minister, who has often
landed in controversies, said lakhs of people come to Prayagraj on the birth
anniversary of tribal king Nishad Raj.
"The people will come this time
too. They have decided that if the mosque is not removed, they will throw it in
the Ganga," he said.
Regarding the large number of deaths in
Ballia amid scorching heat, he said it was a "divine disaster". The
government will extend help to the affected after the inquiry committee submits
its report, he added.
Source: deccanherald.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/up-minister-wants-mosque-in-prayagraj-fort-removed-says-illegally-constructed-1229537.html
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'Erosion of Islamic Identity': Pakistan
Bans Holi in Universities to Check ‘Disconnect From Socio-cultural Values’
(Image for
representation)
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Jun 21, 2023
By India Today World Desk: Pakistan's
Higher Education Commission (HEC) has banned Holi celebrations in universities.
The order of the HEC comes days after students of Quaid-i-Azam University
celebrated Holi on the campus on June 12 and videos of the event went viral.
In a notice, the Commission stated that
students are forbidden to follow this festival in order to adhere to
"sociocultural values".
"Such activities portray a complete
disconnect from country's sociocultural values and are an erosion of the
country's Islamic identity," the notice read.
"While there is no denying the fact
that cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity leads towards an inclusive and
tolerant society that profoundly respects all faiths and creeds; albeit it
needs to be done so in a measured manner without going overboard. The students
need to be apprised to be aware of the self-serving vested interests who use them
for their own ends far from the altruistic critical thinking paradigm,"
the notice read.
In an apparent reference to Holi
celebrations at Quaid-i-Azam University, the Commission stated, "This
widely reported/publicized event from the platform of a university has caused
concern and has disadvantageously affected the country's image."
Advising the students to refrain
themselves from conducting such events, the Commission said, "Foregoing in
view, it is advised that the HEls may prudently distance themselves from all
such activities obviously incompatible with the country's identity and societal
values, while ensuring that they rigorously engage their students and faculty
in academic pursuits, intellectual debates, and cognitive learning besides
identifying, creating, and fostering avenues for extra-curricular activities
and rational discourse."
Earlier this month, videos of Holi
celebrations at the Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad went viral. In the
videos, students are seen playing Holi with colours and enjoying celebrations
on the college campus.
The event was held by the Mehran
Students’ Council, a non-political cultural organisation of the university,
reports said.
In March, at least 15 Hindu students
were injured after members of a radical Islamic student organisation stopped
them from celebrating Holi at the Punjab University premises.
Source: indiatoday.in
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/pakistan-high-education-commission-bans-holi-celebrations-universities-2395824-2023-06-21
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Morocco's Islamist Party Urges Ban of
Award-Winning Film, "The Blue Caftan", For 'Promoting Homosexuality'
Courtesy of
Cannes Film Festival
------
20 June, 2023
Morocco's Islamist party has called for
a ban on the award-winning Moroccan movie "The Blue Caftan" from
screening in national cinemas over its alleged "promotion of
homosexuality" and "violating" the country's religious morals.
"The General Secretariat denounces
allowing a film that promotes homosexuality to be screened in Moroccan cinemas,
in a grave violation of the religious, national, and moral values of the
Moroccan Muslim people," the Islamist party of Justice and Development
Party (PJD) added in a press release on Friday.
Directed by Maryam Touzani, "The
Blue Caftan" depicts the story of Halim, a tailor at a traditional shop in
a Moroccan medina that he runs with his ailing wife, Mina. While Halim works
lovingly and painstakingly with his wife, the couple lives with the secret of
his homosexuality – something Mina has come to accept yet still generates an
occasional stab of jealousy within her.
The movie follows the dynamic between
the couple and Youssef, a new apprentice who joins them at the shop.
The PJD has called on the authorities
"to prohibit the screening of the film, in accordance with the law in
force, adopted in May 2015."
This legal framework, adopted under the
PJD's government at the time, served as a basis to censor "a movie by the
same party, known for its hostile tendencies to the constants and the
sacredness of the nation," added the party's press release.
The Islamist party refers to "Much
Loved" by director Nabil Ayouch, who is also the producer of "The
Blue Caftan" and Touzani's husband.
Despite the controversy, the
avant-premier of "The Blue Caftan" on 4 June witnessed the attendance
of various public figures, including senior advisor to King Mohammed VI Andre
Azoulay, among others.
Since 7 June, the film has been screened
in cinemas in Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier.
However, its screening has triggered
different reactions among the Moroccan public.
Many viewers took to social media to
voice their disappointment in the "scandalous" concept behind the
movie, joining the PJD in their request to ban the film from the country's
cinemas.
Homosexuality is still a taboo and a
crime in Morocco. Article 489 of the Penal Code of Morocco criminalises
"lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex."
Nevertheless, pro-LGBTQ+ movements in
the country are getting louder and bolder in defending the community's rights,
and the screening of "The Blue Caftan", they argue, is a step forward
in the community's fight for visibility.
"Screening a movie about the LGBTQ
community in the country's cinemas is definitely a win for us and the result of
a long struggle against homophobia. We hope that its screening will
continue," Safae, a member of the LGBTQ+ community in Morocco, told TNA.
Amid the controversy over the film,
"The Blue Caftan" received the International Critics' Prize at the
75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival and the Jury's Prize at the Marrakech
International Film Festival.
Source: newarab.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.newarab.com/news/moroccos-islamist-party-urges-ban-homosexual-film
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Bangladeshi Radical Islamist Enayet
Ullah Abbasi Free To Give Birmingham Lecture despite Pro-Beheading Comments
Enayet Ullah Abbasi
------
20/06/202
An Islamist cleric who said critics of
the Prophet Mohammed should have their heads “chopped off” has been allowed
into the UK to speak at an event.
Sick Enayet Ullah Abbasi previously
slammed the late Queen Elizabeth II for endorsing a school that turned children
into “disgusting human beings”.
He also praised the terrorists who
carried out the 9/11 attacks in America calling them “brave lions”.
The Bangladeshi scholar was due to speak
in Birmingham this evening at the Islamic Conference 2023 which is being hosted
and organised by TV channel ION TV.
He is also set to appear in London on
Wednesday.
In his home country Bangladesh, Abbasi
has said: “If anybody dares to criticise our Prophet (Mohammed) that person
should be declared as a disbeliever and hence his/her head should be chopped
off.
“If that person urges to apologise for
criticising Mohammed we would not give them any chance or accept their apology.
“In this democratic Bangladesh if
anybody dares to criticise God, no matter that person be any intellectual,
atheist or blogger, that person’s head should be chopped off.”
“If that person urges to apologise for
criticising Mohammed we would not give them any chance or accept their apology.
“In this democratic Bangladesh if
anybody dares to criticise God, no matter that person be any intellectual,
atheist or blogger, that person’s head should be chopped off.”
In another rant, he blasted Queen
Elizabeth II for her Queen's Young Leaders Programme which praised teacher
Ayman Sadiq who founded Bangladeshi online learning platform 10 Minute School.
Abbasi said: “The young children are
being taught living together, free sex, intermingling in sexes, homosexuality
and nasty concepts of sexual relations with transgenders in the name of
education.
“They are being transformed into
disgusting human beings with inferior characteristics, all in the name of the
education system.
“I was saying now it is crystal clear
what the Queen of Britain is doing in the name of helping people.”
He has previously labelled the theory of
evolution a “conspiracy” and insisted it “had not been proven scientifically”.
Abbasi added: “All the scientists are
weed addicts. But Charles Darwin is the father of all weed addicts.”
In another hate-filled speech the cleric
commended Osama Bin Laden, the orchestrator of the September 11 attacks in
America, and founder of the Taliban, Mullah Omar.
He said: “You will never have the merit
to carry Laden and Omar’s shoes even after 50 years of pursuit.”
Abbasi went on to call those who flew
planes into the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, “brave lions”.
The hate cleric has also delivered
hateful speeches against Ahmadi Muslims, a persecuted minority of the Islamic
faith, urging his followers to kill them.
According to exiled Bangladeshi blogger
Asad Noor, this anti-Ahmadi speech led to two Muslims being killed and houses
being torched.
In 2010, then-Home Secretary Theresa May
banned Indian Muslim preacher Zakir Naik from entering the UK.
At the time, she said: "Numerous
comments made by Dr Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behaviour.”
He was due to give a series of lectures
in London and Sheffield.
Two years ago Islamic orator Mizanur
Rahman Azhari was denied boarding a Qatar Airways flight.
Reports said he was travelling to the UK
to attend an Islamic conference at the invitation of the satellite television
channel ION TV UK.
In 2009, Geert Wilders, the rightwing
Dutch politician, was refused entry to the UK ahead of a showing of his
17-minute film Fitna, which criticised the Qur'an as a "fascist book"
at the House of Lords.
WasiqWasiq, Associate Research Fellow at
the Henry Jackson Society, told GB News: “Enayetullah Abbasi is alleged to have
used rhetoric that is inciting hatred against Hindus and minority Muslim sects.
“The fact that he has been allowed to
enter the UK and speak freely demonstrates a weakness in our ability to
properly vet hateful preachers. He should be on the first plane back to
Bangladesh and handed to the authorities there.”
GB News contacted a reporter at iON TV,
who rejected this broadcaster’s claims that Abbasi was delivering hateful and
extreme rhetoric.
John Spellar, Labour MP for Warley, told
GB News: “Given his record, how the hell was he allowed to come into the
country?
“If we are clear that he has made these
statements, what the hell were the Home Office thinking?
“Clearly they have questions to answer.”
A Home Office spokesperson said:
“Extremism has no place in our society.
"We work closely with law
enforcement, local communities and our international partners to tackle groups
and individuals who sow division and hatred.”
Source: gbnews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.gbnews.com/news/radical-islamist-enayet-ullah-abbasi-birmingham-lecture-latest
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Saudi Arabia Executes Shia Man,
Al-Milad, from Qatif Region over Terror Charges
Photo: Fars News
----
2023-June-20
TEHRAN (FNA) - Saudi authorities have
executed a young man from the Shia-populated Qatif region over trumped-up
allegations of involvement in terrorist activities, as part of a heavy-handed
crackdown led by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince against political dissidents.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced
in a statement on Monday that the death sentence was carried out against Muslim
bin Ahmed bin Musallam Al-Milad, presstv reported.
“Al-Milad, a Saudi national, joined a terrorist
cell, which at times got into confrontations with security forces and carried
out armed attacks on them,” the statement alleged.
The statement claimed that Al-Milad has
“undermined domestic security”, and “traded in firearms and narcotics”.
It further alleged that the young man
“supported people wanted for armed clashes with security forces, financed
terrorism and terrorist acts, and harbored wanted criminals”.
The Saudi national was initially
referred to the kingdom’s Specialized Criminal Court, where he was found guilty
of charges leveled against him, and handed down a death sentence, which was
upheld on appeal, it added.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia
announced the execution of three people in the Shia-populated Eastern Province
over fabricated charges.
Hussein bin Ali bin Muhammad Al-Mohishi,
Fazel bin Zaki bin HosseinAnsif, and Zakaria bin Hassan bin Muhammad Al-Mohishi
received the death penalty.
Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich and
predominantly Shia Eastern Province has been the scene of peaceful demonstrations
since February 2011.
Protesters demand reforms, freedom of
expression, the release of political prisoners, and an end to economic and
religious discrimination against the region.
The protests have been met with a
heavy-handed crackdown, with regime forces increasing security measures across
the province.
Ever since Mohammad bin Salman became
Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader in 2017, the kingdom has ramped up arrests of
activists, bloggers, intellectuals, and others perceived as political opponents.
It shows almost zero tolerance for
dissent even in the face of international condemnations of the crackdown.
As a result, Muslim scholars have been
executed and women’s rights campaigners have been put behind bars and tortured
as freedoms of expression, association, and belief continue to be denied.
Source: farsnews.ir
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020330000427/Sadi-Arabia-Execes-Shia-Man-frm-Qaif-Regin-ver-Terrr-Charges
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India
Akola Police Ask Muslim Men Accused of
Rioting To Furnish Hindu Guarantors
SukanyaShantha
Mumbai: Over 150 Muslim men who were
arrested for their alleged role in a rioting incident that occurred in Akola
city in north-central Maharashtra in May this year have a unique dilemma before
them. On securing bail from the magistrate court, the Akola city police have
allegedly asked the individuals to furnish guarantors from the Hindu community
as surety. This demand, both unconstitutional and illegal and criticised by the
Bombay high court on several instances in the past, is apparently a common
practice in Akola.
M. Badar, a lawyer associated with the
human rights organisation the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR)
who is representing many of those arrested in the case, told The Wire that as
soon as the Muslim men were granted bail by the magistrate court, they were all
lined up before the local crime branch. “Here, depending upon their criminal
antecedents, the police-initiated Chapter Proceedings or preventive action as
prescribed under the Code of Criminal Procedure,” he said.
“Each of the accused persons was then
told to get individuals belonging to the Hindu community to vouch for them as a
surety before the police,” Badar shared. These sureties, Badar added, would
cost these individuals anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000, something that
most accused persons can’t afford. The police have, however, not given their
demand in writing – making it difficult for the lawyers to immediately move the
court, Badar said.
“Whether affordable or not, this demand
of furnishing surety from a certain community is an absurd act,” Badar pointed
out, adding that high court orders have already termed such a police action as
unconstitutional and illegal.
Sandeep Ghuge, the Akola superintendent
of police, however, denied the claims made by lawyers and those arrested in the
case. “How can we demand anyone to get guarantors from a particular community?”
Ghuge replied when asked for his comment. When The Wire asked if his office has
initiated an inquiry to ascertain the truth in the allegations, he said, “It is
not needed. The police aren’t doing any of this. So, we are not checking.”
The rioting incident
On May 13, following an Instagram post
by one Karan Sahu, a leader of the radical right-wing group in Akola
‘Chhatrapati Sena’, a tense situation developed in the city. Sahu, who has a
massive following on all social media platforms, uploaded a post on Instagram
deriding the Muslim community and Prophet Mohammed. In no time, the post
garnered thousands of likes and his followers began sharing it on their handles
too. By late evening, the Instagram post had reached many in the Muslim
community and the community leaders had decided to approach the nearby
Ramdaspeth police station.
In all, the police registered six FIRs
in two different police stations in Akola city. While the FIRs essentially
carry sections of rioting and destruction to public property, sections of
murder have also been added following the death of one youth. The youth,
identified as Vilas Gaikwad, was allegedly killed after a mob had mistaken him
for a Muslim man. One of the eyewitnesses told The Wire that Gaikwad was
driving an auto that had “KGN” inscribed on it. KGN stands for Khwaja Gharib
Nawaz, also known as Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti – a revered Islamic scholar.
While around 150 Muslim men were
arrested, less than 10 persons from the Hindu community have been arrested for
their alleged role in the rioting incident.
The arrest patterns and the magistrate
court order
Lawyers handling the rioting cases have
pointed to the manner in which most arrests were carried out by the police.
“Most accused persons had no role to play in the riot. There is no CCTV footage
or mobile grabs to support the police’s claim that they were present at the
rioting spot. Still, they were arrested,” said advocate Faizan Khan, who
managed to get over a dozen men released on bail in the past few weeks.
Khan said individuals who were not in
the city at the time of the riot were also arrested. “The police arrested one
person who was some 60 kilometres away from Akola city on May 13. He entered
the city and only then he found out that the local administration has imposed a
curfew. By the time he found out, it was too late. The police had already
arrested him in the case,” Khan added.
The local magistrate court has released
close to 110 persons on bail. In the bail order, the court has specifically
identified that their further custody is not required for the police to carry
out the investigation. Yet, the police have initiated chapter proceedings
against them and are seeking additional action against them.
Advocate Badar shared with The Wire that
he has already written to the local crime branch and the superintendent of
police and pointed out that their move is unconstitutional. “I have also
directed my clients to submit in writing that they can’t furnish guarantors
from the Hindu community. And if the police want, they can initiate a
proceeding against them. Which we will then challenge before the high court,”
Badar says.
Source: thewire.in
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://thewire.in/rights/akola-police-muslim-men-rioting-hindu-guarantors
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4 Hurt As 2 GroupsBelonging To Deobandi
and Barelvi Sects Fight for A Mosque in UP's Bahraich
Jun 20, 2023
BAHRAICH: Four persons were left injured
in a clash between two groups of the Muslim community who came face to face
over the occupation of a mosque located under Ranipur police station area of
Bahraich district.
The police, which reached the spot and
pacified the matter, have started an investigation after registering a case
against eight people from both sides. The video of the incident has also come
to fore.
The two groups of Muslims belonging to
Deobandi and Barelvi sects came face to face over the possession of a mosque
located in Gram Panchayat Achaulia under Ranipur police station.
According to the villagers, the
registration of the mosque is in the name of Deobandis and they are in
possession of the mosque.
However, the members of Barelwi sect
also stake their claim to the mosque.
Superintendent ofpPolice (SP) Bahraich,
Prashant Verma said that the case regarding the possession of the mosque is
also pending in the high court.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/4-hurt-as-2-groups-fight-for-a-mosque-in-ups-bahraich/articleshow/101129250.cms
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Hindu Man to Marry Muslim Woman Today,
Days after Kerala Cops Dragged Her Away From Wedding Venue
Jun 20, 2023
By Shibimol KG: A Hindu man and a Muslim
woman are set to get married on Tuesday, days after their wedding was disrupted
by the Kerala Police. The police dragged the bride away from the wedding venue.
Alfiya (18) and Akhil (21) had planned
to marry in a temple in Thiruvananthapuram on June 17. A video from that day,
which has now gone viral on social media, shows police dragging Alfiya from the
spot.
The families of both Akhil and Alfiya
were opposed to their relationship.
Alfiya’s family had filed a missing complaint
with the police. But, Alfiya, who left home on June 16, informed the police
that she did so of her own free will.
Police officials said that they had to
produce Alfiya before a judge to close the case. They also said she was not
cooperating, and hence they had to use force.
Source: indiatoday.in
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/hindu-man-to-marry-muslim-woman-days-after-wedding-disrupted-by-police-kerala-2395429-2023-06-20
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50 booked for vandalising shops of
Muslims, assaulting man in Uttarakhand
Jun 21, 2023
The incident in Nainital has come on the
heels of communal tensions in the hilly town of Purola in Uttarkashi where
shops run by Muslim men were attacked during protests by Hindu right-wing
organisations
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Police on
Tuesday booked 50-60 unidentified people for allegedly ransacking shops of
Muslims in Nainital and tonsuring a man from the minority community accused of
bestiality, officers said, even as no arrest has been made in connection with
anti-Muslim posters that surfaced in Uttarkashi’sPurola town.
On June 14, some residents of Lamachaur
village in Haldwani claimed to having caught a 25-year-old Muslim man,
identified as Hafiz, while having sex with a cow. Following the incident,
members of some Hindu right-wing outfits shaved the head of the accused and
forced Muslim traders in the area to shut their shops.
The same day, the police arrested Hafiz
and booked him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act on the basis of a complaint lodged by one
Mahesh Chand, a resident of Lamachaur. HT has seen a copy of the complaint
registered at the Mukhani police station.
On Tuesday, a case was registered
against 56-60 unidentified people at the Mukhani police station for vandalising
shops of Muslims under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 323 (voluntarily
causing hurt), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person),
and 427 (mischief) of the Indian Penal Code, a senior officer said.
“We have registered a case and
identification of the accused is underway,” Mukhani police sub-inspector
Preeti, who goes by the single name, said.
The incident in Nainital has come on the
heels of communal tensions in the hilly town of Purola in Uttarkashi where
shops run by Muslim men were attacked during protests by Hindu right-wing
organisations, forcing many from the minority community to leave the town.
Purola has been tensed since the alleged
abduction attempt on a 14-year-old girl on May 26. A day later, two accused—
including a Muslim man — were arrested in connection with the case. On May 29,
at least 30 shops owned or rented by Muslims were ransacked and attacked during
a protest rally by right-wing organisations, who claimed the abduction bid was
an attempt at “love jihad” — a term popularised by radical Hindu groups to
describe what they believe is an organised conspiracy by Muslim men to force or
trick Hindu women into conversion and marriage. The minor girl’s uncle, who is
also a complainant in the case, has denied the “love jihad” claim while talking
to HT.
On June 3, shops and houses belonging to
Muslims were again targeted during another protest by right-wing outfits in
Barkot. A day later, posters asking Muslim traders to vacate their shops in
Purola before a proposed mahapanchayat — which was not allowed by authorities —
on June 15 came up at various places.
On June 5, the police registered a first
information report (FIR) against unidentified people under sections 153A
(promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.), 505
(statements conducing public mischief), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC
for putting up anti-Muslim posters. However, no arrest has been made in
connection with the case yet.
“We have not arrested anyone for
hooliganism in the town thus far,” Uttarkashi superintendent of police Arpan
Yadhuvanshi said last week.
Even after three weeks, no FIR has been
registered by the police in connection with attack on Muslim shops during
protests on May 29 and June 3.
“Our probe into the incident is
underway. We will soon file an FIR,” the SP said on Tuesday.
On June 8, Barkot circle officer SS
Bhandari had said: “We have not been able to identify anyone who attacked
Muslim shops [during the protests] or those who put up posters asking Muslim
traders to leave by June 15. Due to low visibility at that time nobody could be
seen putting up the posters. We are also checking CCTV footage of hotels to
find out the culprits.”
Meanwhile, shops owned by Muslim traders
in Purola reopened for the first time in nearly 20 days, in a first sign of
normalcy returning to the town gradually. According to people aware of the
details, the market roughly consists of 650-700 shops and of these, around
30-40 are run by Muslims. Around half of them left the town amid violence,
locals said.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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Pakistan
Former CJP moves SC against trial of
civilians in military courts
June 21, 2023
ISLAMABAD -
Former chief Justice of Pakistan Jawad S Khawaja Tuesday filed a
constitutional petition under Article 184(3) of the constitution challenging
the trial of civilians in military courts.
In his petition, he requested the
Supreme Court of Pakistan to hold that when the civilian courts were
functioning, civilians not in active service could not be tried in military
courts. The former Chief Justice of Pakistan moved the petition through his
counsel Muhammad Ozair Chughtai and cited federation through Secretaries
Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Defence and Chief Secretaries of
all the provinces as respondents. The petitioner submitted that the court
martial of civilians and Article 2(1)(d)(i) and (ii) of the Pakistan Army Act
1952 should be declared unconstitutional on the grounds. He argued that the
Pakistan Army Act 1952 was meant for maintaining the internal discipline of the
armed forces and could not extend to civilians when the ordinary courts were
functioning
He further stated that the trial of
civilians by military courts when the armed forces were called in aid of civil
power was contrary to Article 245 of the Constitution as it displaced civil
power and did not “aid” it. He added that the military, as part of the
executive, could not undertake trials as judicial power could only be
exercised by the judiciary. The trial of civilians by military courts also
infringed upon Article 175(3) of the Constitution and was contrary to the
separation of powers. The petitioner clarified that it had no personal
interest in this case and he was seeking relief for the benefit of all citizens
regardless of political affiliation. He questioned whether civilians could be
court martialed under the constitutional framework of Pakistan, when civilian
courts are functioning, adding that under no circumstance can civilians who are
not in active service be tried in military courts. He said that the government
and the armed forces have indicated that they propose to court martial certain
civilians for involvement in offence allegedly committed on 9thMay 2023. In
spite of the fact that the allegations revolve around attacks on or offences in
respect of property within cantonments or so-called military installations,
the petitioner submitted that any such alleged offences by civilians may only
be tried by ordinary criminal courts.
He added that this fundamental right is
enshrined in Article 10-A of the Constitution. This right is violated when
civilians are court martialed. The recognized ingredients of a fair trial
include an open hearing by a competent and independent forum and the right to
counsel of choice. The petitioner said that the primary and fundamental
purpose of the Pakistan Army Act 1952 is to maintain discipline within the
armed forces. This is recognized in the Ministry of Defence Manual which
provides guidance to the court martial when deliberating what sentence to
impose – emphasis is placed on the “high state of discipline which springs from
a military system.” When an individual joins the armed forces, they consent to
be subject to this system of military discipline, and they consent to forgo
certain rights. It is unjustifiable for civilians to be subjected to a system
of military discipline. They have not consented to the same. In the context of
criminal prosecution and trial, court martial proceedings against civilians
violate fundamental rights and do not enjoy protection under Article 8(3) of
the Constitution.
The former chief justice said that
according to a ISPR statement dated 07.06.23 in 81st Formation Commanders
Conference at GHQ, the Pakistan Army has made clear that they intend to try
civilians who were allegedly involved in attacking military installations
under the Pakistan Army Act 1952. The government (whether federal or
provincial) has not expressed a different view. He mentioned that on
12.06.2023, the National Assembly passed a resolution which stated that those
involved in attacking military installations should be tried and punished under
the Pakistan Army Act 1952.
He pointed out that Brigadier F.B Ali
case was decided prior to the introduction of Article 10A of the Constitution
and is not binding on this Court. In the alternative, a bench larger than five
judges should be formed to overturn the finding that civilians can be tried by
military courts for certain offences even in times of peace; (b) the Darwesh
M. Arby and the Liaquat Hussain cases show that the courts in Pakistan have
struck down attempts to expand jurisdiction of military courts over civilians.
The courts have held that military courts exercising jurisdiction over
civilians when the ordinary courts are functioning is violative of inter alia
Article 8, Article 9, Article 25, Article 175, Article 245; and (c) the
District Bar Case permitted trial of civilians by military courts for a
certain limited period of time only on the basis of a constitutional amendment
which extended specific protection to such trials.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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PTI chief, other party leaders' non-bailable
arrest warrants issued
June 20, 2023
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
Chairman Imran Khan’s non-bailable arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday by
Lahore’s anti-terrorism court (ATC).
The non-bailable arrest warrants were
also issued for former ruling party leaders Hammad Azhar, Mian Aslam Iqbal and
others.
The court issued a non-bailable arrest
warrant at the request of the investigating officer.
The cases against the accused were
registered in the Naseerabad and Model Town police stations of Lahore for
torching the container and attacking Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
office in the provincial capital.
Dozens of cases ranging from terrorism
to corruption have been registered against the deposed prime minister since
being ousted from power via a no-trust motion in April last year.
Other party leaders including the party
chief were also booked under terrorism charges following riots sparked by the
arrest of the former PM in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9.
During the nearly three-day-long violent
protests, PTI supporters allegedly attacked and torched state installations,
leaving at least eight dead and dozens others injured.
Following the violent protests, several
PTI leaders and founding members including Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry,
Imran Ismail, Ali Zaidi, Aamir Mehmood Kiani and others parted their ways with
the party while many blaming the party chief’s policies for the violence.
Hundreds of PTI leaders and workers were
also arrested after the authorities launched a crackdown to detain the suspects
involved in the vandalism.
The National Security Committee (NSC)
comprising top civil and military leadership of the country had also expressed
the resolve to show a policy of zero tolerance to acts of violence by
miscreants on May 9 and endorsed the decision to hold the trial of those
involved in attacking sensitive installations and state buildings under the
Army Act, Official Secrets Act and other concerned laws under the Constitution.
The NSC meeting endorsed the decision
that all the abettors, planners, facilitators and those directly involved in
acts of arson, attacks on military installations and public buildings should be
tried under the Army Act, Official Secret Act and other laws as the country’s
Constitution.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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Pakistan, China sign deal for 1,200 MW
nuclear power project
June 21, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
has said that Pakistan was facing economic challenges and was engaged with the
IMF to finalize the 9th Review but there was an inordinate delay and it was at
that critical juncture that China came to Pakistan’s rescue.
The prime minister was addressing the
ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and China
for a 1,200 MW Chashma-5 (C-5) nuclear power project worth $3.48 billion here.
President of China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas Ltd and Member Power
and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Muhammad Saeedur Rehman signed the
MoU.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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Army assures all-out support as govt
plans economic revival
June 21, 2023
Special Investment Facilitation Council
to act as ‘Single Window’ interface for potential investors n PM says investors
will be given primacy, fast-track approvals through a well-coordinated approach
n Pakistan to target key sectors, foreign investment as part of the strategy n
COAS says plan fundamental to socio-economic prosperity of Pakistanis.
Shehbaz Sharif urges political parties
to work together for country’s uplift n Witnesses MoU signing on $3.48b C-5
nuclear power project n Donates four vans for orphan children at Pakistan Sweet
Homes.
ISLAMABAD -
The PML-N led coalition government, in the wake of economic hardships
confronting the country, Tuesday unveiled an elaborated ‘Economic Revival
Plan’ with a view to capitalise Pakistan’s untapped potential in key sectors,
fast-track the development projects and facilitate investment.
“The plan was unveiled during a
high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), chief ministers, federal and provincial ministers,
and high-level government officials,” says a press release issued by PM Office
on Tuesday.
The ‘Economic Revival Plan’ envisages
capitalising Pakistan’s untapped potential in key sectors of defence
production, agriculture, livestock, minerals, mining, information technology
and energy, through indigenous development as well as investments from
friendly countries.
To fast-track the development of
projects, the establishment of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)
has been undertaken to act as a ‘Single Window’ interface for the potential
investors as well as to adopt a unified approach.
The setup will shorten heretofore
cumbersome and lengthy business processes through a cooperative and
collaborative ‘whole of the government approach’ with representation of all
stakeholders. It is aimed at creating horizontal-vertical synergy between the
federation and provinces; facilitating timely decision making; avoiding
duplication of effort; and ensuring swift project implementation. The
high-ranking participation from federal and provincial governments, clearly
manifests the national resolve to turn around the economy despite all odds.
COAS, speaking on the occasion, assured
the Pakistan Army’s all-out support to complement the government’s efforts
for Economic Revival Plan, considered fundamental to socio-economic prosperity
of Pakistanis and reclaiming Pakistan’s rightful stature among the comity of
nations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz recalled that
his government inherited an economy which was on the brink of collapse. With
bold and difficult decisions, it was now being steered towards growth and
development, however, there were massive challenges ahead, he added.
He said export-oriented foreign direct
investments held the key to economic revival and the government had, therefore,
decided to adopt a holistic/whole-of-government approach which fostered
partnerships within the federal and provincial governments for effective
implementation and execution.
The investors would be given primacy and
fast-track approvals, through a well-coordinated approach, he added. The prime
minister observed that the expected investments would create jobs and
livelihoods for the youth and women, and advised that the focus should be on
empowering young and females to realise their full potential.
“Let us resolve to work together, leave
no stone unturned and be single minded in our focus and direction. We can
transform the destiny of Pakistan and its people. It would, however, not happen
without hard work and staying the course on the path of progress and
development,” he remarked. PM Shehbaz said Pakistan and Pakistanis deserved
nothing less from those who had been bestowed the responsibility to administer
the country by Allah Almighty and the people.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif on Tuesday called upon the nation and all political parties to work
together for bringing the country out of crisis and taking it to new heights
of development.
He said the dream of a prosperous and
developed Pakistan could only be fulfilled by rising above mutual differences,
burying the conspiracies, and maintaining rule of law in the country.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Margalla Avenue here, the prime
minister said the country possessed huge natural resources as it had the best
minds and manpower as well.
“The only thing that laps is the will to
do”, he said adding that although it was a difficult task but not impossible to
bring the country out of crisis.
He said all the initiatives were being
taken for the development and prosperity of people of Islamabad and its
attached areas. However, he said due to the past government’s criminal
negligence, the citizens of the federal capital had to wait for years to enjoy
their due facilities.
He said last year was devastating both
in terms of natural calamities and on the political front as the country
faced devastating floods and the political opponents hatched conspiracies
against the country. Their agenda surfaced on May 9, 2023 when everyone saw
that what they did was even never thought by the enemy of Pakistan,” he added.
He said despite the challenges, the CDA
Chairman, former MNA Hanif Abbasi and their team who worked diligently to
complete this project for which the people of Islamabad were waiting for years.
He said recently he visited Baku, where
he saw smooth and clean roads and beautiful landscape and gardening along the
roads. He advised Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to take his team to Baku to
get their first hand experience and apply in Pakistan as well.
PM Shehbaz said today he also witnessed
the signing of an MoU for a $3.48 billion Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (C-5)
which reflected the Chinese resolve to support Pakistan in difficult times.
He said Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE were
also Pakistan’s unmatched friendly countries that were also supporting
Pakistan at this difficult time.
The prime minister said his political
opponents alleged him for getting big kick backs on China Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) projects. “If that was true, Imran Khan should have presented
the proof before the courts,” he added.
He said the Chinese state owned company
not only kept the cost of the C-5 project at the level agreed in 2017-18, but
also on his personal request, the company gave discount of Rs 30 billion on the
project.
He said former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif himself launched 5000 MW energy projects at a time when Pakistan was
facing huge power load shedding.Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the
prime minister had inaugurated an important road Margalla Avenue which
connected new sectors of Islamabad with GT-Road.
He said the prime minister had also
launched a historic Rs 20 billion package for rural areas of the federal
capital.
Hanif Abbasi said the PML-N always
worked for welfare of the people and the prime minister was famous across the
world for his speed and his service for the people of his county.
Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
also laid the foundation stone of upgradation and rehabilitation project of
Sikander e Azam Road.
He was told that the 7.5 kilometer road
would be completed at cost of Rs 3.5 billion and it would connect district
Haripur and Khanpur Dam.
The prime minister directed the relevant
authorities to complete the project on time. PM assures utilization of
resources to strengthen, facilitate police force Prime Minister Muhammad
Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the incumbent government would utilize all
possible resources to upgrade the capacity and performance of the Islamabad
Capital Territory Police by extending different facilities.
Addressing a stone laying ceremony of
the National Police Hospital at Police Lines, the prime minister appreciated
the sacrifices and contributions of the police force.
He said the entire nation felt pride
over the police force as they were the protectors of the nation and expressed
the confidence that the police force would not tolerate any lapse in
maintaining law and order.
The prime minister assured to strengthen
the skills and capacity of the police force and all the recommendations in
that regard would be fulfilled despite economic constraints.
On the occasion, the prime minister also
unveiled plaques for Dolphin and SPU Headquarters and an educational
institute for the families of the police force projects. Minister for
Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Federal Education and Training Rana Tanveer
Hussain, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, parliamentarians, ambassadors
and a large number of police officers and jawans were present.
Appreciating the efforts of interior
minister, the prime minister said the plan for the establishment of Dolphin
force in Islamabad should be immediately prepared on the pattern he had
introduced in the Punjab province with the assistance of Turkiye. Instructors
from Turkiye should be brought to impart training and a comprehensive
programme in that regard should be introduced, he added.
The prime minister further said that a
hospital for the police force and their families in Islamabad should have been
constructed in the past. Now, the police force and their families would be
provided with the latest health and educational facilities.
Commending the interior minister for his
efforts for payment of the Shahuda Package arrears, he also assured that he
would take up the issue of police law and order allowance with the finance
minister.
The prime minister said about 2000
jawans had been inducted on merit which should be the standard emulated across
the society. He said with such like merit-based inductions, the nation would
move on path of progress whereas corruption and favourtism wreaked havoc during
the previous government’s tenure. Meritocracy should be maintained at all
levels, he stressed.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion,
Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah said the present government paid prompt
attention to address all the issues faced by the Capital Police.
He referred to the payment of arrears to
families of Shuhada and said over Rs 1 billion was paid within three days, in
that regard, on the direction of the prime minister.
He said deserving children of the
deceased police force were given jobs on merit.
Rana Sanaullah said salaries of the
Islamabad Capital Territory Police were made equivalent to those of the
Punjab police. He said the Dolphin force, special protection unit and
anti-terrorism force would be soon made operational in Islamabad. Lauding the
sacrifices of Shuhada of police force, he said they had sacrificed their lives
for the protection of countrymen and securing peace.
The interior minister said the entire
nation stood against those who attacked and disgraced the monuments of
Shuhada on May 9, adding the police force very bravely faced the onslaught of
a political party and protected the Capital city.
Inspector General of Police Dr Akbar
Nasir Khan also highlighted the performance and contributions of the police
force in maintaining law and order in the Federal Capital.
‘C-5 NUCLEAR POWER PROJECT’
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday
witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between
Pakistan and China for a 1200 MW Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-5 (C-5) worth
$3.48 billion here. President of China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas
Ltd (CNOS) and Member Power, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)
Muhammad Saeed Ur Rehman signed the MoU.
Speaking on the occasion, Shehbaz Sharif
said the nuclear power project was a great step forward towards economic
cooperation between the two countries.The prime minister said decision to start
this project had been taken and the main conditions were agreed during
previous government of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but the successive
government put this project in cold storage.
He said keeping view of the higher
international inflation, the project cost would have been much higher than that
determined in 2017-18 but the Chinese government not only abstained from
raising the cost according to the inflation but also gave a discount of around
Rs 30 billion.
Vowing to kick start the project
without delay, the prime minister said under the difficult economic situation,
investment from China in this project to the tune of $3.48 billion sent a
clear message that Pakistan was a place where Chinese companies and investors
continued to show their trust and faith.
“This reflects the famous quote that our
friendship is higher than Himalayas, deeper than the deepest ocean, sweeter
than sugar and honey, and stronger than iron and steel. He said President Xi
Jinping had called this friendship as iron brothers. He said recently he also
inaugurated K-3 nuclear project in Karachi.
He said owing to the economic
challenges, Pakistan was engaged with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
trying to finalize the 9th review. “Pakistan has met all conditions required
by the IMF that has been done three months ago, but there has been inordinate
delay”, he said adding that China once again had come to Pakistan’s rescue.
Other than China, he said Pakistan had
also great friends such as Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar that had been and still
supporting the country. However, he said at this critical juncture, Chinese
support was outstanding. “We are deeply obliged to President Xi, Chinese
leadership, sincere thanks to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his team for
working hard to strike the agreement with the Chinese counterpart.” He also
thanked Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Power Minister KhurramDastgir who
worked diligently in this regard. Especially, he thanked the new military
leadership for taking interest in this project. This is a beautiful
combination that all political parties and military leadership are on one
page,” he added.
He also paid tribute to Nawaz Sharif
who, for the first time in 1993 made an agreement with China for a nuclear
power project. PM Shehbaz said during the last few months, China also renewed
commercial and sovereign loans which reflected unparalleled friendship
between the two countries.
Source: nation.com.pk
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PPP will uphold Benazir Bhutto’s
philosophy: Zardari
June 21, 2023
ISLAMABAD - President Pakistan People’s Party
Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari said yesterday that the PPP will uphold the
philosophy of Benazir Bhutto and fulfill her dreams. In a message on the
occasion of Benazir Bhutto’s birth anniversary falling on June 21, Zardari,
former president of Pakistan, said that the aim of Benazir Bhutto’s politics
was to end the darkness of ignorance from the country. “Benazir Bhutto struggled
throughout her life to liberate the people from social and economic
exploitation,” he added. Zardari said that the PPP was struggling to make this
country one that was envisioned by Benazir Bhutto, a Pakistan where social and
economic justice is available to the people and a society that is free from all
kinds of extremism and terror. He said that PPP will definitely liberate the
people from poverty, bankruptcy and economic misery. Zardari said that
Chairman PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was determined to fulfil the mission of
his great maternal grandfather and great mother. Zardari said that the
philosophy of Benazir Bhutto was a beacon of hope. He expressed his resolve to
complete the mission of Benazir Bhutto.
Source: nation.com.pk
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PM Shehbaz vows to present Pakistan’s
position on global financial firms’ restructuring at Paris summit
June 21, 2023
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on
Wednesday said he planned to present Pakistan’s stance on the urgent need to
restructure international financial institutions to address the challenges
facing humanity.
He made the remarks as he was departing
for France to attend the New Global Financing Pact Summit in Paris.
In a tweet, the premier emphasised that
the summit provided a “unique opportunity” for global unity, enabling consensus
on fundamental principles and necessary measures for a comprehensive overhaul
of the international financial system.
The summit serves as a platform for the
exchange of ideas and consultation on future changes in the global financial
system to address challenges related to sustainable development, alternative and
renewable energy sources, environment, and climate change, the statement added.
The PM further highlighted that
Pakistan, as a prominent stakeholder in the G-77 plus China alliance and a
nation significantly affected by climate change, was well-positioned “to assume
this role”.
Later, the Prime Minister’s Office also
shared a video on Twitter, featuring the premier and his delegation boarding a
plane bound for France.
The premier will also hold bilateral
meetings with global leaders during his stay in Paris.
PM eyes boosting FDI to $5 billion
In another statement earlier today, the
prime minister said the coalition government had decided to set up a Special
Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) with a mandate to frame economic
policies that ensure policy predictability, continuity and effective
implementation to revive the economy.
“Attracting investment from friendly
countries remains one of the key goals of the SIFC. The immediate task is to
increase foreign direct investment to $5 billion,” he said in a tweet,
explaining initiatives being taken by the government to provide economy a
forward thrust.
He said the SIFC would serve as a top
decision-making forum to push through fundamental reforms in the structure of
the economy. “To begin with, the forum will focus on leveraging key sectors
such as IT, agriculture, energy, minerals and mining, and defence production.”
According to the premier, the need for a
representative forum like the SIFC had long been felt, given the scale of the
economic challenges caused by “internal and external factors”.
He said “the textbook approach to deal
with a unique set of problems” was not workable anymore. He said it was time to
leverage collective wisdom to kick-start the economy to make it self-reliant,
export-driven, and robust, capable of withstanding external shocks and
upheavals.
He insisted that creative ideas offered
the solution to economic problems faced by the country.
‘Economic revival plan’
Civilian and military leaders had on
Tuesday devised an “economic revival plan” to capitalise on “untapped potential
in key sectors” and attract foreign direct investments.
A statement issued by the PM Office had
said the meeting was chaired by PM Shehbaz and participants included chief
ministers, federal and provincial ministers, and the army chief, among others.
The plan envisages making the most of
“untapped potential in key sectors of defence production,
agricultural/livestock, minerals/mining, IT, and energy, through indigenous
development as well as investments from friendly countries”.
Source: dawn.com
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Africa
Uganda’s military rescues three students
abducted by Islamist fighters – army
KAMPALA (Reuters) -The Ugandan military
have rescued three of the six students who were kidnapped by Islamist fighters
when they stormed a school in the west of the country last week and massacred
42 people, mostly young students, the army said on Wednesday.
“There were six students kidnapped and
three have so far been rescued,” said military spokesman Felix Kulayigye.
A woman with two children who had been
kidnapped outside the school was also rescued, together with her children,
while two militants were killed and two guns captured, Kulayigye said.
On Friday night a group of fighters from
the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group linked to Islamic State, stormed
the Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe on Uganda’s border with the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
The militiamen entered a boys’
dormitory, shot at the children and set the building on fire, incinerating
nearly everyone in it. They then entered a girls’ dormitory and killed them
with machetes.
Most of the bodies recovered from the
boys’ dormitory were burnt beyond recognition and authorities are using DNA
tests to identify them.
ADF, formerly a Ugandan rebel group,
operates in the jungles of eastern Congo and has over the past two decades been
blamed for killings of civilians there.
The group has also sometimes carried out
attacks in Uganda including bombings at a police station and near the
parliament building in the Ugandan capital in 2021.
(Reporting by FistonMahamba in Congo and
Elias Biryabarema in Uganda; Editing by Alison Williams, Hereward Holland and
Estelle Shirbon)
Source: theprint.in
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https://theprint.in/world/ugandas-military-rescues-three-students-abducted-by-islamist-fighters-army/1635709/
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Islamic State Affiliate Expanding Reach
In DR Congo, UN Experts Say
By Sonia Rolley
June 20, 2023
KINSHASA, June 20 (Reuters) - A Ugandan
armed group that killed dozens of school children last week is expanding its
operations in Democratic Republic of Congo with funding from Islamic State, a
United Nations group of experts said on Tuesday.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)
started as an uprising in Uganda but has been based in neighbouring Congo since
the late 1990s. It pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2019.
The ADF killed at least 37 people in an
attack on a school in western Uganda near the Congolese border on Friday night.
Source: reuters.com
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https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/islamic-state-affiliate-expanding-reach-dr-congo-un-experts-say-2023-06-20/
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Europe
German Professor under fire for racist
slurs against female Muslim student
June 20, 2023
A Muslim student was racially insulted
by a university Professor in Germany because she was wearing a headscarf, her
lawyer said on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports.
According to the report, the incident
occurred during an economics class at the campus of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
University in north-western Germany.
The Professor used racist slurs and even
compared the Muslim woman's headscarf with the swastika symbol of neo-Nazis,
lawyer FatihZingal said, the report added.
"Article 4 of the German
Constitution protects religious freedom, and a student can attend lessons by
wearing a headscarf. The attitude of this Professor is absolutely
unacceptable," he told Anadolu.
Gulsen Kurt, who was shocked by the
lecturer's use of racist slurs, said most of the students reacted and left the
class in protest.
"The Professor said that he will
not allow a student with headscarf to attend the class, just as he would not
allow a neo-Nazi wearing a swastika, He shouted at me, saying 'you are an
Islamofascist', and that he will report me to the Directorate", she told
Anadolu.
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-german-professor-under-fire-for-racist-slurs-against-female-muslim-student/
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Stoke-on-Trent's real life Top Gun who
was sent to kill Osama Bin Laden
20 JUN 2023
A Stoke-on-Trent fighter pilot has
described his extraordinary experiences taking on top secret combat missions in
Afghanistan, including being ordered to blast the secret hideaway of Osama bin
Laden.
Former Holden Lane High School student
Nathan Gray has flown 140 missions in the war-torn country, despite the risk of
death on each and every hair-raising sortie. But the Stokie, who rose to the
rank of commander, comes from a humble background, having been born into a
working-class family in the Potteries.
His dad worked in the potbanks while his
mum had a job as a sales assistant. And his career as a fighter pilot is said
to have all come about after he spotted a 747 jet flying over his home and
carrying the Challenger Space Shuttle on its back, the Express reports.
After completing gruelling training,
including a near-death experience, he was sent on multiple top secret combat
missions. But there was one in particular he will never forget - the task of
killing bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda.
Through the crackle of his radio,
British Harrier jump jet pilot Lieutenant Gray received his latest bombing
target co-ordinates. “This is the HVT,” said one of his US special forces
colleagues on the ground, meaning “high value target”. “Yes, copy that and copy
HVT,” Gray responded from his cockpit over the secret frequency.
Suddenly, he realised the enormity of
his task: he was being ordered to blast what Americans believed was the secret
hideaway of bin Laden, and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on New York.
Below him, in the rugged mountains of
northern Afghanistan, US military colleagues were engaged in a firefight with
terrorists who were shooting from the entrance of a secluded cave at 9,000ft
above sea level.
“I knew I had the chance to get the
world’s most wanted terrorist as I prepared to press home the attack,” recalls
Gray, who has been described as the Royal Navy’s “Top Gun”, their best test and
fighter pilot. “I can’t get this wrong. There’s no way I can mess this up.”
At first he swooped in to drop a 540lb
bomb which landed just off-target, to the left of the cave mouth, showering
rock everywhere. For his second run he rolled his Harrier onto its back,
pushing the nose down to reduce altitude, before rolling back upright and then
lining up directly with the cave entrance.
From a distance of 1,000 yards he
unleashed all 38 of his rockets and then pulled up into a steep climb, pushing
the Harrier to its absolute flying limits.
“That was the bit that caught me out,”
he remembers. “We normally practise weapons at sea level, but I was so high up
the air was thin and the aircraft was struggling. It was touch and go. Trees
flashed past and I thought I might have to eject.”
Moments after releasing the missiles,
Gray was skimming over the mountain peaks, close enough to the ground to pick
out individual boulders.
Incredibly, he emerged unscathed and the
shooting from the terrorists ceased. Whether bin Laden was in the mountain cave
at the time is not clear, and further details of the mission remain classified.
As we now know, US special forces killed
the terrorist leader some years later, in 2011 in Pakistan, and buried his body
at sea. During three tours of duty in Afghanistan, Gray, now 47, flew 140
combat missions – each one risky in its own way.
The stories of his many brushes with
death have just been published in a pulsating new memoir called Hazard
Spectrum. Just prior to his first tour, a Harrier on the ground at Kandahar was
struck by a Taliban rocket, putting it firmly out of action. For Gray, it was a
timely reminder that nowhere was safe – either on the ground or in the air.
But the speed and agility of the
now-retired Harrier jump jets meant they provided support at very low
altitudes, often below 100ft.
“I can recall one occasion when I was
shot at by three guys with AK47s and a rocket launcher,” Gray says.
“The rocket was fired at my cockpit but
just missed. That was a close call. You think you’re invincible in a multi-million
pound aircraft, but you’re not. It only had a plastic canopy and I was not
wearing any body armour.”
Luckily, Apache helicopters were nearby
to offer assistance and neutralise the threat. As a schoolboy, with an ambition
to become a pilot, Gray had never envisaged being at the heart of military
conflict.
Born into a working-class family in
Stoke-on-Trent, he experienced flying in an aeroplane for the first time on a
holiday to Majorca, marvelling at the blue infinity of the skies around him.
But when he told a schoolteacher of his ambition, the response was hardly
encouraging: “People from around here don’t go on to do things like that.”
Undeterred, he worked harder than ever
to pass the necessary exams – including a degree in aerospace engineering – and
joined the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm.His first real test would come during
early training in 2002, when he narrowly escaped death at RAF Wittering, in
Cambridgeshire.
He was conducting his 16th flight in a
Sea Harrier, with the Navy’s top pilot, Lieutenant Commander Jack London, in
the rear seat as his instructor. Shortly after take-off the engine exploded.
“Jack was teaching me short take-offs
and landings,” Gray remembers. "We took off and slammed to full power, but
at 50ft my whole world changed.
“The engine exploded. There was a huge
deceleration and then a fireball. The whole aircraft was engulfed in fire.” As
the aircraft rolled and fell back to earth, both men pulled on their ejector
seats and shot out of the inferno in a trajectory parallel to the ground.
Tragically, Jack was killed, but Gray
survived as his trajectory was a fraction above ground level. “I went shooting
across the top of a barbed wire fence,” he remembers.
“Those three seconds felt like an
eternity. I believed I was going straight into the ground. I was thinking, what
will I see just before I die? I could feel the coldness of the air and
tumbling. My eyes were wide open. I was walking a tightrope between life and
death.”
Fortunately, he landed in a recently
ploughed field, softening the impact. As he emerged from the shock with minor
injuries, he could see his instructor had been killed. “Seeing that he lost his
life was very painful,” Gray says. “It was very difficult to get over, but his
death certainly was a driving force in me continuing. Jack lost his life
training me.
“So the very least I could do was become
the best pilot I could possibly be. I was never as good a fighter pilot as he
was. From there on in, I feel as if he has always been there, overseeing me and
being my instructor, especially when things got very challenging.”
As well as training at the Royal Naval
College, Dartmouth, Devon, Gray also spent a year with 40 Commando Royal
Marines. He is the proud owner of a green beret. He began flying combat
missions in Afghanistan in 2006 and impressed British and US military leaders
with his coolness under fire.
Following his three tours of duty, he
was seconded to the US Marine Corps, winning the US Meritorious Service Medal
and finishing top of his class at the US Naval Test Pilot School. All this
experience eventually helped him secure what he says was his dream job – test
pilot for the new F-35 stealth fighter jets.
There were many new skills to learn.
Instead of the traditional cockpit display screens, he wore a £240,000 helmet
which projected flight information directly onto the iris in his eye.
“It is the most sophisticated aircraft
out there – a world beater,” he says of the F-35. You could easily push it
close to twice the speed of sound and there is no limit to how high you can go.
It’s out of this world.”
One of Gray’s greatest honours was
piloting the first vertical landing of an F-35 on the aircraft carrier Queen
Elizabeth in September 2018.
The landing may have looked flawless,
but Gray still had to keep his cool when communication problems sprang up.
And when a hurricane blew up, he was
able to fly the aircraft through some atrocious weather in test conditions –
all of which will help British pilots today as they face new global threats.
Since leaving the Navy in 2019, at the rank of Commander, Gray has run a small
farm with his wife Lucy, 44.
And when he is not in the fields – he
was recently dealing with the very last of his spring lambs – he keeps himself
busy working on designs for unmanned aircraft.
In the future, it is possible these
“drones” may carry out the lion’s share of the perilous combat missions he once
flew.
As Gray says: “Hopefully this will mean
pilots don’t have to put themselves in the sort of danger zones that I’ve
luckily managed to survive.”
Source: stokesentinel.co.uk
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/stoke-trents-real-life-top-8534507
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Austrian police arrest three suspected
Islamic extremists over Vienna Pride terror attack plot
Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, from Austria’s
State Protection and Intelligence Directorate (DSN), told journalists on Sunday
(18 June) that three suspects were arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror
attack at the event, according to CNN.
The suspects, aged 14, 17 and 20, are
Austrian nationals of Bosnian and Chechen origin and were arrested by Austria’s
Cobra special forces ahead of the parade on Saturday.
Vienna Pride, which ran from 1 June to
18, was attended by about 300,000 people this year.
Haijawi-Pirchner said the trio had
become radicalised online, developing views in line with ISIS (Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria). He did not give details about the planned attack.
The domestic intelligence chief added
that police carried out searches on properties in Vienna and lower Austria
where they seized illegal weapons.
“In our democratic society, hate and
terror have no place,” he said.
State police president Gerhard Pürstl told
journalists: “For the LGBTQ community, many Islamic, as well as right-wing,
extremists represent an intense enemy, which is clear from the violent crimes
that have been committed during events in the past across the world.”
Austria’s Interior Ministry confirmed
investigations by the DSN had revealed a number of people were planning an
attack.
“The suspects were subsequently tracked
down and taken into custody in a co-ordinated attack,” the security agency
said, adding that those attending Pride were in no danger.
Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer tweeted his
thanks to investigators for preventing “a possible Islamist attack in Vienna”.
He added: “We must never give in in the
fight against radicals and extremists. They are a threat to our democracy and
security and must be dealt with severely.”
Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig told
Austria’s APA news agency that there “was no place for hate and exclusion in
Vienna. Our city is colourful and cosmopolitan”.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in
Austria in 2019, with registered partnerships permitted since 2010.
Since then, Catholic bishops in the
country have called for “official blessings” of same-sex couples to be allowed
within the Church.
Source: thepinknews.com
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https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/20/vienna-pride-terror-attack-arrests/
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There are up to 2,500 mosques in
Azerbaijan, official says
21 June 2023
Azerbaijan’s main task in the field of
religion is to achieve further improvement of state-religion relations,
Azernews reports, citing the Chairman of the State Committee for Work with
Religious Organizations MubarizGurbanli telling at the conference on
Azerbaijan's State-Religion Model held on June 21.
He said that important tasks have been
set before Azerbaijan’s victory. In this direction, the State Committee for
Work with Religious Organizations also has duties.
Noting that there are up to 2,500
mosques in Azerbaijan, and 1,500 of them are permanently functioning, the chairman
of the committee said that cases of abuse in the name of religion are not only
related to Islam. He noted that there are cases of abuse of other religions as
well. The task facing Azerbaijan is to make Azerbaijan the strongest state in
the region.
Source: azernews.az
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.azernews.az/nation/211364.html
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Arab World
Saudi students win awards at European
Physics Olympiad
June 20, 2023
RIYADH: A team of Saudi students won
four awards at the European Physics Olympiad 2023, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The olympiad, which ran in its seventh
edition, was held in Hannover, Germany from June 16-20.
Around 181 students from 38 countries
competed in the event, with the Kingdom being represented by the King Abdulaziz
and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba.
Three Saudi students, who spent over
2,000 hours training for the competition, won bronze medals, whilst one student
received a certificate of recognition.
Mawhiba Secretary-General Dr. Amal
Al-Hazzaa said that the win as well as the work of the foundation is in line
with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, and carved the path toward making the
Kingdom among the top 20 countries globally for education and qualifications.
The Saudi team participating in the
EuPhO underwent intensive preparation, training their critical thinking skills
by performing unfamiliar physics experiments.
EuPhO is a contest for high school
students. The concept is similar to real research situations, with short
problems description and plenty of space for creative solutions.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2325066/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli aggression
in Jenin raid that led to the death of 6 Palestinians
June 20, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday
condemned Israeli aggression in the city of Jenin the previous day that led to
the death of six Palestinians and injured dozens of others.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs released a statement denouncing and condemning the Israeli escalation
of actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Kingdom expressed its sincere
condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of
Palestine, wishing those injured a speedy recovery.
The ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s
categorical rejection of the serious violations committed by Israeli occupation
forces.
News agency Associated Press reported that
Israeli military forces raided a refugee camp in the northern West Bank which
left six Palestinians dead, including a 15-year-old boy, while injuring more
than 90, according to Palestinian health officials.
AP originally reported five Palestinian
fatalities, but the toll increased when 48-year-old Amjad Abu Jaas succumbed to
wounds sustained in a gun battle. Eight Israeli soldiers were wounded while a
dozen Palestinians were left in a critical condition.
Last month the Kingdom condemned the
storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and reiterated Saudi Arabia’s firm
position toward the Palestinian people.
Thousands of Jewish nationalists, some
of them chanting “Death to Arabs” and other slogans, paraded through the main
Palestinian thoroughfare of Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation
and the Gulf Cooperation Council have reiterated their support for the
establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Saudi foreign minister spoke about
the Kingdom’s stance on the Palestinian cause during a panel discussion on “The
Geostrategic Role of Middle Eastern Countries” at the Munich Security
Conference in February.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “We have
a moral responsibility to try to find a pathway to peace because the suffering
that will come both in Palestine and in Israel if we don’t find a pathway to
peace is indescribable.
“Therefore, we will do what we can. We
will engage with whomever we can to find that pathway.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2325146/saudi-arabia
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Several measures adopted to protect
visitors of Prophet's Mosque from summer heat
June 20, 2023
MADINAH — Coinciding with the huge
influx of Hajj pilgrims to the holy city of Madinah before the start of the
rites of the pilgrimage, the Saudi government has taken several measures to
protect them from the sweltering summer heat.
These measures, followed up by the
Prophet's Mosque agency, include air-conditioning systems, huge umbrellas, mist
fans, white marble, and chilled Zamzam water.
The air-conditioning system runs with
high efficiency; its cooling level is automatically adjusted depending on
outside heat to maintain a balanced temperature.
The Central Air Conditioning Station
covers an area of 70,000 square meters and comprises the world’s largest
concentrator to cool water. It has 6 coolers, each with a capacity of 3,400
tons. The water cooling reaches as low as 5 degrees Celsius.
The agency uses the latest methods and
technologies to distribute water received from the station in an accurate,
consistent and automatic manner to treat, distribute and cool the air.
The cooling in the Prophet's Mosque is
done by pushing air through pipes connected to the pillars of the Prophet’s
Mosque. The water cooling cycle is completed by returning the air through
insulated pipes to reach the central station to complete the cooling process.
The number of umbrellas installed in the
Prophet's Mosque reached 250. Each of the huge umbrellas has a height of 15
meters, and each one weighs 40 tons. The umbrellas operate with an automatic
system to protect the worshipers in the courtyards of the mosque from the hot
sun. They also protect them in the event of rain.
The mist fans in the Prophet's Mosque's
courtyards cool the atmosphere and reduce the heat.
There are 436 water mist fans in the
courtyards of the mosque. The central mist network is subjected to continuous
sterilization to ensure the quality of the water and that it is free of
bacteria to preserve the safety of visitors.
The white marble — known as the Thassos
marble — covers the areas allocated for prayer in the courtyards of the
Prophet's Mosque. The marble reflects heat and light, and absorbs moisture
through minute pores during the night. During the day, it emits moisture
absorbed at night. This is the reason why the floor is always cool even at
times of high temperature.
As for the chilled Zamzam, the agency
distributes it for drinking through 20,000 containers — 22,000 at peak times —
in addition to the several water points (mashrabiya) in the courtyards.
In addition, water bottles are
distributed among visitors throughout the Prophet's Mosque. These efforts are
intensified during the summer.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/633536/SAUDI-ARABIA/Several-measures-adopted-to-protect-visitors-of-Prophets-Mosque-from-sweltering-heat
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47th Grand Hajj Symposium fosters
culture of innovation, service in Saudi Arabia
June 20, 2023
JEDDAH: The 47th Grand Hajj Symposium,
organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, took place in Jeddah on Tuesday,
under the title “Jurisprudence Facilitation in Hajj.”
The symposium was attended by prominent
Saudi ministers including Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah;
Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the
Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques; Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat, deputy
minister of Hajj and Umrah; and Ayed Al-Gwinm, deputy minister for Hajj
affairs, in addition to a group of scholars and intellectuals from the Islamic
world, and representative delegations from Muslim countries.
The symposium aimed to advance the
values of peace, understanding, and cooperation, and sought to establish a
platform for discussing pressing and pivotal matters that could potentially
impact the pilgrims’ journey as they engaged in the rituals.
Through the event the ministry attempted
to highlight the cultural and civilizational role that Saudi Arabia had played
in serving Hajj pilgrims since the founding of the Kingdom.
It also highlighted the most significant
achievements, pioneering projects, and developments.
Al-Rabiah said in his opening remarks
that the symposium would allocate a special session in which senior leaders
could discuss operational programs that had been prepared for the Hajj season.
Four panel discussions were held at the
symposium, including a session called “Service Readiness and Operational Plans:
Key Enablers and Opportunities.”
Al-Gwinm said that there were more than
400 service packages offered by various companies, utilized by more than 1.4
million pilgrims.
He added that the ministry had worked
with its partners to license service providers in order to achieve targets in
regard to housing, food, and catering.
Hani Jokhdar, the deputy minister for
public health, said that 32,000 health practitioners were providing services to
pilgrims during the Hajj season through four regions and 14 health centers
through land, air and sea ports.
Additionally, there are 32 hospitals and
more than 140 health centers, which include 46 health centers in Arafat, 26 in
Mina, 6 on pedestrian roads of the holy sites, and 16 in Jamarat.
Jokhdar advised pilgrims to use
umbrellas due to the high temperatures expected.
He added: “I advise those who suffer
from chronic diseases and pregnant women not to go to stone the Jamarat by
themselves, and to appoint someone on their behalf to carry out this task
because it involves walking long distances while it is sunny, which will pose a
great risk to their health.”
Mashat, in his closing remarks, said
that some 20,000 buses would serve pilgrims this year.
He added: “If these buses were lined up
behind each other, it would form a distance of 350 km. We are talking about 2
million people traveling five times in five days.
“Hajj in the past was not like Hajj in
our time, and it will be different in the future ... information technology is
one of the key elements in Hajj.”
Regarding technology, Al-Gwinm told Arab
News: “The Hajj smart bracelet will serve in tracking pilgrims and managing
crowds.
“Nusuk platform will help the pilgrim to
choose the service operator for performing the rituals, as well as issuing the
necessary permits and visas. It is the comprehensive application for the Hajj
journey.
“We also use the Tafweej platform, in
which all transportation-related issues are included, to ensure that the
pilgrims move from their homes in Makkah to the holy sites, and from there to
the Grand Mosque easily.”
The Grand Hajj Symposium was established
in 1970 and highlights Saudi Arabia’s esteemed regional and international
position as a beacon of religion and culture.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2325201/saudi-arabia
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Mideast
Children from Amazon 'Kidnapped' and
Converted To Islam; Child Abuse Increased By 700 Percent under
"Sultan" Erdogan
Milan (AsiaNews) - A direct thread
connects the Amazon to Turkey. A traffic of minors, who are taken from their
families - often destitute and unable to support them or offer them prospects
for growth - to take them overseas to the former Ottoman Empire where, under
the pretext of education, they are educated and converted to Islam.
Police have launched an investigation
into the affair that is still ongoing, confirmed by AsiaNews sources in Manaus,
who urge "caution" and ask that "the names of those involved be
omitted for the moment" pending the judiciary and criminal implications.
The investigators' are focusing on the
Süleymancılar association, linked to Turkish Islam and active in several
countries, with a radical view of the faith that is contrary to the secularity
of the state and seeks to permeate-and influence-the lives of families
according to Muslim precepts.
An in-depth investigation by Turkish
diaspora news site ArtıGerçek uncovered a long-running practice. The newssite
is critical of the Ankara government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and was
founded in 2017 by exiled journalists.
Its' guiding principle is to
"publish news" that would be "victims of censorship" at
home and "give voice to groups, religions, minorities" relegated to
the margins, or persecuted, in the country of the "sultan."
This is a controversial and sensitive
affair, because it involves "minors being abused, trafficked and
violated," as our source confirms, and which is fueled by a pro-Islamic
entity that has already been the subject of complaints in the past, but has
been able to count on the cover of Turkey's top leadership.
Groomed and converted
A longtime Turkish citizen in the
Amazon, who since June 2021 benefits from a residence permit issued by
Brasilia, allegedly lured on behalf of the Süleymancılar sect dozens of
children from poor families of forest tribes.
The target area is that on the border
with Colombia, but the operational headquarters is Manaus, the capital of the
Amazon state, where children picked up with a "consent" signed by the
family are conveyed to receive the first dictates of their "new
educational model."
At least six of these were transferred
to Turkey after a three-year period in
Brazil and housed in centers owned by the sect or linked to it in Kütahya,
Tarsus or Istanbul (where child abuse had allegedly taken place in the past) to
continue "schooling" and eventually be converted to Islam.
The Turkish trafficker allegedly acted
through a company he founded, the Amazon Humanitarian Aid Solidarity
Association, which, under the guise of aid and development support, would
establish ties with the families and gain their trust by getting their children
into his care.
This move was also motivated by the
parents' desire, or hope, to secure a better future for the children by wrenching
them away from forest life toward an educational path, the opportunity to
attend schools and attain a higher level of education that would otherwise be
precluded.
After spending some time in Manaus, the
children are changed their names by receiving "Turkish and Muslim"
ones such as Muhammad, Hüseyin, Ahmet. Education is also Turkish, Arabic, and
Islamic, involving young guests between the ages of 5 and 17.
For some-in this case between the ages
of 15 and 17-the final step, with relocation to Turkey through an
"education visa" issued by Ankara's own embassy in Brazil.
Trafficked to Turkey
Once they arrived in Turkey, the
Brazilian Indians lost track of each other among the cities hosting branches or
affiliates of Süleymancılar. The investigation shows that the young boys from
the Amazon were taken to the MekânOrtadoğu men's dormitory in Tarsus, whose
center manager would not give his personal details and attacked the journalists
who authored the investigation.
"Why," he said, with a
reference to religion, "do you chase children who have taken the path of
the Prophet Allah? Mind your own business...." He then added that
"they came to Turkey for educational purposes, even their families gave
permission [...] they are no longer in the center and I don't know where they
are." Faced with the prospect of charges of international trafficking of
minors taken from their families by deception (the crime being investigated by
Brazilian police), he cut it short by saying that they have been transferred to
an Islamic solidarity association called Mena in Istanbul.
Among those who have put up a wall of
silence and omertà is the Turkish embassy in Brazil itself, which does not want
to comment on the affair and does not answer questions from reporters, both
Turkish and from Cariocans.
As Brazilian journalist ThalysAlcantara,
quoted by ArtıGerçek, explains, the children belong to Amazonian peoples whose
culture and way of life "are protected by Brazilian law" as part of a
policy to preserve tribes and indigenous areas.
"The young people," he
explains, "come from a town [which our source asks to keep secret, ed.] in
the state of Amazonia, located in the middle of the rainforest," from
which they were taken in 2019 behind "the signing of documents by their
parents that have no legal validity."
The families "are poor and dream of
a better future," the children "have few opportunities to learn to
read and overcome poverty." Islamic groups, AsiaNews sources confirm, have
seized on the destitution of populations that have become "targets"
for child trafficking, kidnapped and forcibly converted. Better fate befell 20
of these children, who were tracked down by police and returned to their
families.
Suleymancilar and sexual abuse
At the center of this international
trafficking is the Süleymancılar Association, which for years has been shrouded
by opaque affairs involving abuse and violations, including of minors.
In November 2020, a family in Istanbul
filed a complaint against the organizers of a Quran course after their son saw
with his own eyes sexual violence in the facility and dormitories.
The organizers belonged to the
controversial sect, which is no stranger to such events, and responding to the
parents' complaints one of the organizers said what happened "was not a
big deal," in any case not such "as to merit a complaint and create a
scandal." At the time, the family's lawyer stressed that for the
organization in question, the case of violence is "just the tip of an
iceberg" of abuse, rape, and exploitation with the blessing of the state.
An emergency confirmed by the numbers:
child violence has increased by 700 percent under President Erdogan's Akp
(Justice and Development Party) governments and, in many cases, investigations
have ended with the perpetrators going unpunished.
In 2018 alone, nearly a dozen cases had
emerged in the dormitories of the Süleymancılar, moreover known for its ties to
the highest echelons of the executive branch. The country ranks 38th in the
world for rape (15.6 per 100,000 population) and 45th for femicide (0.88 per
100,000).
In 2018 Turkey was third in the world
for child abuse; nearly 500 thousand young girls under the age of 18 were
married with the "permission" of the state; in pregnancies conducted
between 2007 and 2017 by girls 17 and under, more than 2,400 babies were
stillborn. Hdp and Chp have submitted dozens of parliamentary questions for the
prevention of sexual abuse and violence, all of which have been punctually
rejected by the Akp.
Today is UN World Refugee Day: "The
hope," concludes the AsiaNews source, "is that exploitation will be
nipped in the bud for the sake of these minors, who are lured with a false
promise that is also the motive behind this trade. Finally, what happened is
also a warning to the Brazilian and global Church, so that it can help to
become increasingly aware of the pastoral care of minors and contribute to the
prevention of possible violence."
Source: asianews.it
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.asianews.it/news-en/From-Amazon-to-Turkey%3A-Indigenous-children-%27kidnapped%27-and-converted-to-Islam-58628.html
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Regime Pressures BaluchsTo Deny
Assassination Attempt On Sunni Leader
Officials at Makki seminary in Zahedan
have come under pressure to deny the assassination of religious leader
MowlaviAbdolhamid.
Haalvsh website, which covers the events
in Sistan-Baluchestan province, reported on Tuesday that a number of staff at
Makki Mosque where Abdolhamid conducts his controversial anti-regime sermons,
are now trying to play down the conspiracy to show the suspect as a spy.
“On Monday, some officials from the
ministry of intelligence came to the seminary and the administrative deputy of
the complex handed over the arrested person to the security officers,” the
website reported.
On Monday, security guards at the mosque
arrested a man in the guise of a religious student who wanted to assassinate
the Sunni leader.
“The suspect, who is a Baluch and a
resident of Delgan region in Sistan and Baluchistan province, has been sleeping
and worshiping in the mosque for a long time in the dress of a student of
religious studies,” explained the Baluch website.
The report also claimed the suspect
admitted he had been attending the mosque for some time to poison
MowlaviAbdolhamid.
"This type of poison works through
tactile contact and does not have an immediate effect," the hitman told
Haalvsh sources.
According to the report, the suspect
admitted that he received a salary of 150 million rials per week since the
beginning of his operation.
In recent months, Abdolhamid has been
under pressure by Iranian security to end his weekly protests and critical
sermons on Fridays.
Source: iranintl.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202306203963
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Dozens of Israeli Settlers Invade
Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque
21 June, 2023
Dozens of Israeli settlers, supported by
Israeli occupation forces, raided the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and performed
provocative rituals on Wednesday morning, June 21, 2023.
The Department of Islamic Endowments in
occupied Jerusalem stated that tens of Israeli settlers performed provocative
rituals at Al-Aqsa’s courtyards.
Israeli settlers carry out semi-daily
incursions into the blessed Mosque in Jerusalem and provocatively perform
Talmudic rituals under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
Settlers’ raids into Al-Aqsa Mosque aim
to impose a temporal and spatial division in the holy site, which the Muslim Palestinians
reject and decry.
Earlier in June, media sources revealed
a new Israeli proposed plan aiming at dividing Al-Aqsa Mosque between Jews and
Muslims.
Meanwhile, Palestinians in occupied
Jerusalem continue their calls to mobilize at Al-Aqsa to confront the Israeli
settlers’ calls for mass raids in Al-Aqsa.
In April 2023, nearly 5054 Israeli
settlers invaded the courtyards of Al-Aqsa mosque and performed provocative
Talmudic rituals at its courtyards.
Source: daysofpalestine.ps
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https://daysofpalestine.ps/dozens-of-israeli-settlers-invade-jerusalems-al-aqsa-mosque-3/
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Flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia
for Muslim pilgrims won’t be ready for Hajj
20 June 2023
Direct flights between Israel and Saudi
Arabia for Muslim pilgrims will not be available in time for this year’s Hajj,
after months of intensive efforts by Israeli, Saudi and American negotiators,
National Security Council chairmanTzachiHanegbi confirmed on Monday.
The Biden administration has viewed
launching the direct line as a step toward reaching a normalization agreement
between Israel and Saudi Arabia. During US President Joe Biden’s visit to the
region last July, the idea was included in a package of steps that Washington
had managed to secure, including an agreement by Riyadh to allow Israeli
overflights.
The White House announcement said the US
“welcomed related steps under discussion to include direct flights from Israel
to Jeddah for next year’s Hajj on approved carriers.”
The parties have since been in talks to get
the flights up and running in time for this year’s pilgrimage from June 25 to
July 2.
But Hanegbi told the Kan public
broadcaster on Monday that they would not succeed in time. “Perhaps for the next
Hajj we will be in a position to help in this matter, and [direct] flights will
depart from here… but it’s too early to say.”
Citing three sources familiar with the
matter, Kan later reported that the delay was not politically motivated as far
as Saudi Arabia is concerned. The broadcaster said the airline the sides were
hoping would run the flights was unable to prepare in time.
While Hanegbi said the new goal would be
to have the flights running by next year’s Hajj, the subsequent Kan report said
Israel was still hoping to roll out the direct line later this year for Muslim
pilgrims looking to travel to Mecca outside the Hajj season.
The Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty
for all Muslims physically and financially able to make the journey, which
takes them along a path believed to have been traversed by the Prophet Muhammad
some 1,400 years ago.
Currently, Saudi Arabia accepts Muslim
pilgrims arriving from Israel to Mecca but requires them to travel through a
third country, increasing the cost of the already pricey journey. According to
Maariv, 2,700 Israelis embarked on the pilgrimage in 2022, and this year, the
figure is expected to almost double to 4,500.
Despite the hiccup with the Hajj
flights, the Biden administration is still working to secure a full
normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia in the coming months.
Biden’s top aides have visited Riyadh in
recent weeks to discuss the matter and they have subsequently been updating
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on their efforts.
Still, several US officials assessed the
chances of a deal at less than 50 percent in a New York Times report on
Saturday.
Saudi Arabia is demanding US support for
a civilian nuclear program along with a series of security and economic
assurances as well as significant weapons purchases, according to US, Israeli
and Arab officials.
Given Riyadh’s checkered human rights
record, Washington is hesitant to heed such demands, and Jerusalem also has
concerns about being able to maintain its so-called “Qualitative Military Edge”
over its neighbors.
Saudi officials have also made clear to
the Biden administration that any agreement with Israel will have to include a
significant gesture for the Palestinians, a senior US official told The Times
of Israel in May.
This would likely pose a significant
obstacle for Netanyahu, given that the majority of his coalition is
ideologically opposed to any move that offers them a pathway to statehood.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.timesofisrael.com/flights-between-israel-and-saudi-arabia-for-muslim-pilgrims-wont-be-ready-for-hajj/
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Bahrain Islamic Index closes higher
20 Jun 2023
Manama, June 20 (BNA): Bahrain All Share
Index has closed at 1,957.36 points marking a decrease of 0.17 points
below the previous closing .
This decrease was due to the fall in the
Material Sector.
Bahrain Islamic Index has closed at
743.60 points marking an increase of 0.89 points above the previous closing.
Results indicated that 52 equity
transactions took place with a volume of 1,403,949 worth BD 320,455.
Investors traded mainly in the Financial
Sector representing 63.02% of the total value of securities traded.
Source: bna.bh
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDlgk6m85d02TAiXRwIm1JYY%3d
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Israel Prison Service seizes mobile
phones after Islamic Jihad inmate's livestream
JUNE 20, 2023
The Israel Prison Service seized six
smuggled mobile phones from Palestinian Islamic Jihad prisoners at the Ketziot
Prison in southern Israel after a prisoner used a smuggled phone to stream his brother's
funeral on Monday.
Six prisoners were punished with 14 days
in solitary confinement and reduced living conditions. 26 prisoners were
isolated as well.
"The prison service will continue
to work to eradicate terrorist activity both within and from the prisons
professionally and for the safety of the country's residents," said the
prison service.
Palestinian prisoner uses smuggled phone
to stream brother's funeral
On Monday, a prisoner reportedly used a
smuggled phone to speak with his family and stream the funeral of his brother,
Ahmed Khaled Daraghmeh, who was killed in the clashes in Jenin earlier on
Monday.
Photos on social media showed the video
call with the prisoner, leading Israel Prison Service forces to search his cell
and find the phone. The prisoner's cell was searched and he was transferred to
solitary confinement.
After the prisoner was transferred,
other prisoners from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist movement torched a
mattress in their cell. Security forces in the prison entered the cell and
extinguished the fire and moved the prisoners in the cell to solitary
confinement as well.
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees'
Affairs stated on Tuesday that prisoners in the prison had announced their
"mobilization and readiness for confrontation" in light of the
situation.
Source: jpost.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-746922
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South Asia
Kabul Will Mediate TTP-Islamabad Talks
If Pakistan Wants It: Mujahid
20-06-23
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman,
Zabiullah Mujahid, said that if Islamabad seeks it, the Islamic Emirate will
mediate negotiations between Pakistan and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Earlier, Pakistani media reported that
the Afghan interim government tried to resume negotiations between the TTP and
Islamabad.
“If Pakistan wants us to mediate, and we
know that it is beneficial, we will undoubtedly mediate as it benefits the
region and we don’t want war in the region,” Mujahid said.
He also denied the presence of TTP in
Afghanistan and said that the Islamic Emirate will not allow Afghan soil to be
used against other countries.
“We don’t have any type of connection
with the TTP--in that we support them, or are with them; on the contrary, we do
not allow them to be active in Afghanistan,” Mujahid said.
“If the Islamic Emirate begins mediation
between the Pakistan government and TTP, it will be a good gesture,” said
SarwarNiazai, a military veteran.
“If any side mediates between the
Pakistan government and TTP, there is not any other group but the Taliban,”
said Asadullah Nadim, military analyst.
Earlier, the Express Tribune reported
that there is a renewed push by the Afghan Taliban to restart talks between
Pakistani officials and the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a
delegation of tribal elders reportedly met the TTP chief.
Though there was no official
confirmation from either side, sources claimed that the tribal delegation
recently met TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud. The meeting was part of efforts to
explore the possibility of the resumption talks that were called off in
November last year.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-183857
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Islamic Emirate Reacts to UN
Rapporteur's Report
20-06-23
The Islamic Emirate said in reaction to
the United Nations Human Rights Council's report on the situation of women in
Afghanistan, that the Western countries have begun an extensive effort of
propaganda against the current Afghan government.
The Islamic Emirate's spokesman,
Zabihullah Mujahid, said that orders regarding women are in accordance with
Sharia law, and that the world's opposition to the decrees of the Islamic
Emirate stems from their problems with Islam.
"The entire report is
anti-Afghanistan propaganda. Second, all of the laws that are in effect here
are Islamic and Sharia-based. The issue with Richard Bennett, his ilk, and
organizations like them that propagate in the West, is with Islam and Islamic
law,” Mujahid noted.
The UN Human Rights Council’s special
rapporteur for Afghan human rights, Richard Bennett, criticized the policies of
the current Afghan government towards women in Afghanistan.
“Grave, systematic and institutionalized
discrimination against women and girls is at the heart of Taliban ideology and
rule, which also gives rise to concerns that they may be responsible for gender
apartheid. A serious human rights violation which although not yet explicitly
an international crime requires further studies,” Bennett noted.
The UN Human Rights Council’s special
rapporteur highlighted that “a durable peace will only come about through
recognizing the richness of the diversity of Afghanistan's people, women, men,
any gender and different ethnic and religious groups.”
However, political experts believe that
it is not enough to emphasize human rights by broadcasting reports in
Afghanistan.
"Bennett's attitude should be truly
expert and very practical, which means changing the situation," said
WaisNasiri, a political analyst.
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
must reconsider the orders issued for the education and employment of Afghan
women, so that Afghan women have rights granted to them by the noble religion
of Islam,” said Ahmad Khan Andar, another political analyst.
The UN Human Rights Council’s special
rapporteur for Afghan human rights, Richard Bennett, on Monday presented his
report at the 53rd meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, in the
presence of representatives from various countries and international
organizations.
Earlier, Bennett has said in a report
that between September 2021 and May 2023, more than 50 edicts were issued
regarding women and girls by the Islamic Emirate, which has "deprived
Afghan women of the right to education, work, and participation in social and
political life."
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183856
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Afghan Migrants in Shipwreck Off Coast
of Greece: Embassy
20-06-23
The Afghanistan embassy in Italy said
that 78 men from Afghanistan and Pakistan lost their lives in a shipwreck off
the coast of Greece.
The embassy said in a statement that
hundreds of refugees are feared to be missing and based on speculation between
400 to 750 passengers were on board.
“The refugees who are heading to Europe
from Afghanistan to Europe, they are in fact traveling via Iran to Turkey and
Greece and the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe, and they are facing serious
threats of robbery, kidnapping, and even assaults and deaths,” said Asifa
Stanikzai, a refugees' rights activist.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman,
Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the Foreign Ministry is in contact with the Greek
officials and remains will be transported to Afghanistan after they are
identified.
“Our foreign ministry is informed about
it and is in contract with the countries where the ship has sunk. We first will
identify how many of them are Afghans and we will transfer the corpses,” he said.
The Amnesty International said in a
report voiced concerns about the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan,
saying that the government of Pakistan must urgently stop arbitrarily arresting
and harassing Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, “many of whom are fleeing
persecution by the Taliban, Amnesty International said today as it marks World
Refugee Day.”
“It is deeply concerning that the
situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is not receiving due international
attention. Being unable to return home or stay permanently in Pakistan, they
are caught in an impossible situation from which there is no escape. Their
ambiguous legal status and arduous processes for asylum or third country
relocation have made them even more vulnerable,” said DinushikaDissanayake,
Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia as quoted in
the report.
“The crime of the Afghan refugees is not
clear, and they are being arrested by the Pakistani military,” said Marriam, a
refugee.
The Afghanistan’s Consulate in Karachi,
Abdul JabarTakhari, said that in his meetings with the Pakistani officials, he
stressed on extension of refugee's cards or (POR) for the Afghan refugees in
Pakistan.
“We want the Pakistan government and UN
to extend the (expiration) dates of the identities of (refugees) so they are
provided with resources. Otherwise, when the date of the cards expire, the
police take them to prisons and their problems are increased,” Takhari said.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183860
--------
Why India Needs To Support the Quest for
Restoring Democracy in Bangladesh
21-06-23
ShaonProdhan, Shahidul Islam Shaon,
Nayan Mia, Maqbul Hossain and others like them were working class and
self-employed young men in Bangladesh – rickshaw pullers, vegetable vendors,
welders, factory workers, tailors, and so on. They risked violence from the
ruling Awami League workers and law enforcement agencies to attend rallies and
meetings of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – the country’s main
opposition party. And they paid the ultimate price for participating in
overwhelmingly peaceful protests against inflation, crippling power shortages,
and the right to vote in a free and fair election.
These protests have become more frequent
in the past year and the government’s reprisals more brutal. They signify a few
facts about Bangladesh that need to be better understood in India.
Firstly, Bangladesh’s economy is not
delivering for its people. That the economy is in trouble is self-evident – no
one takes a nearly $5 billion loan from the IMF otherwise. Inflation is running
at nearly double digits by official count, but in reality is perhaps much
higher because the authorities are known to fudge the data. Meanwhile, the
government seems to be unable to pay for imported coal to fire up power plants,
leaving people without electricity for hours on end in the middle of summer.
The official explanation for the
economic woes is the war in Ukraine. But the economic malaise, in fact, has
causes that run much deeper. After the precarious, war‑ravaged, famine‑stricken early years,
Bangladesh’s remarkable economic transformation over the past few decades – on
the back of rising female literacy and employment in
the ready-made garment sector and remittances from Bangladeshis working abroad
– is now well understood. In India, news reports have pointed out that on
average, Bangladeshis might now earn more than the average Indian. But what is
left unsaid is the fact that even according to the Bangladesh government’s own
measures, inequality has widened over the past decade, with the Gini
coefficient (an index for the degree of inequality in the distribution of
income/wealth) rising from 0.46 in 2010 to 0.5 in 2022.
And this rising inequality is not a bug,
but a feature of the Sheikh Hasina government that has been in power since
2009. Instead of continuing the policies of previous governments (including her
own in the late 1990s), the Hasina regime took a very different route in the
2010s. It struck a deal with the country’s emerging business tycoons whereby,
in exchange for helping the prime minister rig elections, the oligarchs would
be given access to infrastructure mega-projects and other business
opportunities without oversight.
Take electricity, for example. Power
purchasing agreements with not just local businessmen but also the Indian Adani
Group were signed with terms and conditions that allowed the power suppliers to
take an enormous cut of the total project price. And parliament passed a law
prohibiting anyone from investigating the matter.
Gautam Adani with Bangladesh PM Sheikh
Hasina in 2022. Photo: Twitter/@gautam_adani
Political cronies were allowed to set up
banks without proper governance frameworks. Attempts were made to steal nearly
a billion dollars from the country’s foreign exchange reserves in a caper
worthy of a Hollywood movie in 2016, but the investigation report on the case
is yet to be made public.
While the regime has prioritised
mega-infrastructure deals like the comically one-sided coal‑fuelled power plant deal
with the Adani Group, or the $7.1 billion infrastructure loan inked with China,
Bangladesh’s public expenditure on education and health is far lower than many
of its neighbours. It is the government’s priorities
that are driving the economic woes.
When the global economic conditions were
favourable, the country’s working poor still saw incomes rising. Income now is
falling behind the cost of living. No wonder then that the working poor are
despondent and protesting.
Bangladesh’s much-vaunted development
success story is at the risk of coming undone. However, contrary to the fear of
many progressive and liberal Indians, the threat to development is not coming
from Islamic fundamentalists and extremists opposed to female empowerment and
social transformation.
It is the Hasina government’s economic
model that is putting the country’s development at risk – the second fact about
Bangladesh that needs to be understood.
The BNP’s history of reform
The third, related, fact is that the
protesters are not flocking to Islamic fundamentalists, extremists, militants
or populist peddlers of communal-sectarian-ethnic hatred. They are risking
police firing to attend rallies and meetings of a political party that is
avowedly moderate, and cautious in its policy platform and political message
alike.
Contrary to the propaganda coming from
the acolytes of the Hasina regime and their supporters in India, the BNP has
always been a party of democratic reform and pragmatic development policies.
In its first term in office in the late
1970s, the party ended martial law and the one-party system that was introduced
by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In its second term in the 1990s, the BNP amended the
constitution to restore the parliamentary system and introduce an election-time
non-partisan caretaker government.
In 2008, the party put the restoration
of democracy in the country ahead of its narrower partisan interests and
contested an election that it knew it would lose. The playing field was
less-than-level, with the then quasi-military regime targeting its rank and
file over the previous year in a failed attempt to create a ‘King’s party’.
On the economic front, the garments
industry, migrant workers, and female empowerment – factors that drove
Bangladesh’s development in the past few decades – were all results of policies
by successive BNP governments.
Against the backdrop of economic
hardship and simmering discontent against the regime, BNP’s message harkens to
that track record of democratic renewal and pragmatic developmentalism.
Crucially, it promises a national government which, after the election, will
ensure lasting institutional reforms to restore democracy.
Khaleda Zia. Photo: US Department of
State, Public domain
Of course, that promise assumes that
there will be a free and fair election. The last two elections, held under
Hasina, were anything but that. In January 2014, more than half the MPs were
elected unopposed, giving the prime minister a parliamentary majority without a
single vote being cast. In December 2018, to ensure victory, Awami League cadres
and its cronies in the civil administration and law enforcement agencies
stuffed the ballot boxes the night before the election.
This brings us to the fourth fact:
Hasina must step down if Bangladesh is to avoid certain disaster. The idea that
there can be a free and fair election under her is a case of twice bitten,
thrice shy. A non-partisan caretaker administration is an absolute must for a
free and fair election in Bangladesh, and only a democratically elected
government can restore economic stability. If the democratic avenue is
thwarted, simmering discontent will have no alternative but to boil over.
India has a choice to make
Great powers appear to understand the
situation in Bangladesh very well. The Joe Biden administration in the US does
not want a potential development success story to become yet another
economically stagnant dictatorship, and therefore has announced a new policy
that will deny visas to anyone partaking in election rigging. China senses an
opportunity to court a potentate in the Hasina regime.
For obvious historical reasons, of
course, India has a special relationship with Bangladesh. No other country will
be affected as much as India if Bangladesh’s careen towards a crisis continues.
If India were to stand behind the Hasina regime till the bitter end, it would
just exacerbate the situation, not resolve it. More importantly, this would
only fuel anti-Indian sentiment in Bangladesh, to be exploited by some future
populist demagogue.
On the other hand, if India were to take
a firm stance on helping restore democracy in Bangladesh, it would likely find
a willing partner in the BNP. Contrary to the perception, the opposition party
is not inherently anti-Indian, and previous BNP governments had worked amicably
with India. For example, successive BNP governments adhered to the
India-Bangladesh 25 Year Friendship Agreement that was signed by the two
countries’ prime ministers in 1972.
Therefore, either from a cold hard
realpolitik perspective or to keep faith in its cherished democratic ideals,
the facts laid out above should make India choose democracy in Bangladesh.
A free and fair election would be the
most effective way for the country to avert a deeper crisis. Parliamentary
elections are due in the winter of 2023-24. Before that, however, there are
several more months of heat, monsoon, and the late autumn cyclone season. The
people of Bangladesh have lived with monsoon floods and tropical storms since
time immemorial. As the Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika sang in an iconic movie
about the Bhola cyclone of 1970, ‘jhorohawabhengediyo, miththetasherghor’ (the
gale will blow away the false house of cards).
A storm is brewing over the Bengal
delta. It’s not too late to avoid calamities.
Jyoti Rahman is director of the Sydney
Policy Analysis Centre, an Australian organisation of focussing on diaspora
communities, and a Bangladeshi writer.
Source: thewire.in
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://thewire.in/south-asia/india-bangladesh-democracy-economy-sheikh-hasina
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Eid gift for 1.25cr ultra-poor families
Wed Jun 21, 2023
The government is set to distribute 10
kilograms of rice to each of the 1.25 crore ultra-poor and destitute families
ahead of Eid-ul-Azha to soften the blow of a spiralling inflation.
The disclosure was made yesterday by
Enamur Rahman, the state minister for disaster management and relief, after a
meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council with Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
At the meeting, Hasina expressed
concerns about the escalating prices, The Daily Star has learnt from people
informed on the discussion.
In May, inflation hit an 11-year-high of
9.94 percent, taking the average inflation so far this fiscal year to 8.95
percent, way above the target of 7.5 percent.
"People are suffering due to
inflation -- it is everyone's responsibility to fight against inflation,"
said Planning Minister MA Mannan quoting the prime minister as saying.
Subsequently, she instructed the
respective ministries to find ways to give people respite from the soaring
price level.
After Hasina raised her concern, Rahman
informed the meeting about his ministry's plan for the poor ahead of Eid.
The rice, which is already being shipped
to the districts, will be distributed through the deputy commissioner's office
before Eid, said a top official of the ministry of disaster management.
Meanwhile, at the meeting, 16 projects
worth Tk 24,362 crore were approved.
Of these, nine are revised projects
where the cost escalated by 52.82 percent to Tk 19,835 crore. The original cost
was Tk 12,989 crore. Many of the projects were revised two to five times.
Three projects were taken for the rural
development of Chattogram and Rajshahi divisions and three districts including
Noakhali, Feni and Laxmipur. The estimated cost of the projects is Tk 8,160
crore.
While approving the projects, Hasina
quizzed why the projects are not implemented with foreign funds as many of the
development partners are interested in such projects.
Had the projects been implemented
through foreign funds, it would quell the inflationary pressure and shore up
strained foreign currency reserves.
"I am approving this. But the
concerned ministries will have to find foreign funding to implement
these," said a top official quoting Hasina as saying.
In response, an official of the Economic
Relations Division, the government wing that negotiates foreign loans, told the
prime minister that such projects never come to their desk.
They would have sought funds from the
development partners if they got it beforehand.
From now onwards, such project proposals
would be forwarded to the ERD to solicit foreign funding, said a planning
ministry official.
"Huge volumes of foreign loans
remained unutilised in the pipeline. If these can be used, it will reduce the
pressure on local currency and increase foreign currency reserves," Mannan
told reporters after the meeting.
At the meeting, the prime minister
instructed the finance and ERD secretaries to take measures to utilise more
foreign loans.
More than $50 billion of foreign loans
is remaining unused in the pipeline, said Shamsul Alam, the state minister for
planning.
The interest rate for foreign loans is
only about 3 percent whereas the interest rate for domestic borrowing is 7
percent.
Using foreign loans will reduce
expenditure and increase efficiency in the education, health and energy
sectors, he added.
One of the three projects that got
approval at the Ecnec meeting is taken to improve connectivity such that
farmers can get a fair price for their produce in Chattogram.
Under the project worth Tk 3,110 crore,
about 1,149km of roads will be improved in 67 upazilas of the Chattogram
division.
Another project involves extending 783
km of upazila roads and 44 km of union roads in Rajshahi division's 65 upazilas
for Tk 2,400 crore.
A similar project will be taken for
Noakhali, Feni and Laxmipur involving Tk 2,650 crore.
Asked why these projects are being taken
up now when there is little fiscal space, Mannan said: "Rural connectivity
is very important for the country as it is the lifeline of the rural economy.
These are not luxurious projects. We are not constructing four lanes or six
lanes now."
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/eid-gift-125cr-ultra-poor-families-3351516
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Southeast Asia
Singapore Mosque Worker Jailed For
Taking Meth and Keeping Cannabis Mixtures in Ablution Room, Cubicle and Locker
21 Jun 2023
SINGAPORE: A facilities maintenance
worker at a mosque kept drug utensils and cannabis mixtures at the place of
worship and took methamphetamine for more "energy" to work, but was
nabbed by Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers.
Mohammad AsyrafuddinJupri, 31, was sentenced
to a year's jail on Wednesday (Jun 21) for one count each of drug possession
and consumption, with another three charges taken into consideration.
The court heard that Asyrafuddin worked
at the YushofIshak Mosque at 10 Woodlands Drive, and was also a part-time
freelance confined-area rescuer.
He was arrested near the mosque by CNB
officers on Oct 28, 2022.
A search was conducted on level 5 of the
mosque where Asyrafuddin was staying. Officers recovered several items from his
resting space in the ablution room, his cubicle and his personal metal locker.
These included vegetable matter wrapped
in foil, packets of crystalline substances, glass and metal drug utensils and a
metal can containing vegetable matter.
The exhibits were sent to the Health
Sciences Authority (HSA) for analysis and two of them were found to contain
15.53g of cannabis mixture and 14.99g of cannabis mixture respectively.
Asyrafuddin admitted possessing the
items, which he knew contained "ganja", a street name for the Class A
controlled drug.
He was taken to the Central Police
Divisional Headquarters for further investigations, where his urine samples
tested positive for methamphetamine.
Asyrafuddin later admitted that he had
been smoking about 5g of Ice, a street name for meth, per month.
He said he did so because he felt that
Ice would give him the energy he needed for his work.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En
asked for eight months' jail for the drug possession charge and a year's jail
for the drug consumption charge, with no objection to it running concurrently.
Asyrafuddin has no prior convictions, he
said.
Defence lawyer Riko Isaac concurred. He
said his client had consumed the drugs as he "wished to work overtime and
give himself more energy so he can earn more income for himself".
Addressing Asyrafuddin, the judge said
he hoped the latter had learnt his lesson and would be able to stay drug-free
after his release.
Source: channelnewsasia.com
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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/mosque-worker-drugs-meth-ice-cannabis-ablution-room-cnb-3577036
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Terrorist groups increasingly targeting
youths, Singapore a 'prized target': DPM Wong
21 Jun 2023
SINGAPORE: Terrorist groups have been
increasingly targeting youths, with Singapore considered a "prized
target", Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Wednesday (Jun 21).
Speaking at the Religious Rehabilitation
Group's (RRG) 18th annual retreat, Mr Wong said that while terrorism may not be
at the top of many Singaporeans' minds, the threat of radicalism and extremism
remains high.
The RRG was formed in 2003, after
Singapore authorities arrested members of the Jemaah Islamiyah group.
Global terrorist groups like ISIS
(Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and Al-Qaeda continue to rebuild their
strength and "remain determined to sow disorder and chaos" by
conducting attacks in other countries, said Mr Wong.
"This includes Singapore, which is
considered a prized target by terrorists," he added.
The groups have become more
sophisticated at using digital platforms like social media to spread propaganda
and incite followers to conduct attacks.
"This has not only made extremist
material easier to access, but it has also accelerated the process of radicalisation
to a matter of months, or even weeks, because all of this now takes place
behind a computer screen and it is much harder to detect," said Mr Wong.
Terrorist groups have been increasingly
targeting youths who are more impressionable and susceptible to influence, he
said.
Apart from traditional social media
channels, they have started to exploit online music streaming sites and gaming
platforms that are popular with young people.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested in
November 2022 and issued with a detention order for terrorism-related
activities, making him the youngest person so far to be dealt with under the
Internal Security Act (ISA).
Mr Wong cited the case of another
self-radicalised 16-year-old who was issued with a restriction order in January.
The teenager had ventured into Islamic State-themed servers in popular online
game Roblox, where he practised shooting ISIS enemies and took a pledge to an
"in-game ISIS leader".
"You can imagine this has created a
very worrying trend – an increasing number of people dealt with by the ISD
(Internal Security Department) are youths," said the Deputy Prime
Minister.
Since 2015, ISD has issued ISA orders to
11 self-radicalised Singaporeans below 21. Some of them started their process
of radicalisation from as young as 14 years old, he noted. Before 2015, there
was only one case of youth radicalisation.
"The threat has also gone beyond
Islamic extremism, because we have seen a broader range of radical extremist
and violent groups active in spreading their ideologies online," said Mr
Wong.
For example, one of the 11 youths was a
16-year-old Protestant Christian who had planned to conduct attacks against
Muslims at two mosques in Singapore, after he imbibed far-right extremist
ideology, he noted.
"What all this means is that
extreme and violent ideologies can radicalise any Singaporean, regardless of
age, regardless of race or religion," said Mr Wong.
"And this has serious implications
for our society. The extremist and terror threat is far more insidious now, it
can reside within our own communities. It will seek to exploit our racial and
religious differences in attempts to divide us."
It will not be possible to
"completely insulate" Singaporeans from everything online, said Mr
Wong.
"So our approach must be to inoculate
Singaporeans against extreme ideologies," he added.
"This is not something that the
government or enforcement agencies can do alone. To succeed, we will need
everyone to do their part. We need active and vigilant citizens who will all
contribute to the safety and security of Singapore in their own ways."
People must be equipped with the
knowledge to identify and challenge extremist ideas, and spot indicators of
radicalisation so they can seek help for family members or friends, said Mr
Wong.
Singapore must also evolve its
rehabilitation methods so that it can help detainees to rejoin society, he
added.
"The increasing array of extremist
ideologies ... will make rehabilitation more complex, more challenging. We must
seek to better understand why some young people are attracted to these
ideologies, and work with their families to help them reclaim their
lives," said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Singapore must continue to have strong
community leaders who are deeply involved in this work, which means ensuring a
steady renewal and rejuvenation of the RRG and its leadership.
"I also encourage younger asatizahs
(religious teachers) to come onboard the RRG, and for those already within the
group to play an even more active role," he added.
"With the threat of radicalisation
extending to young people in Singapore, we will need fresh perspectives and new
ways of engaging our youth."
Source: channelnewsasia.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/woman-jail-stealing-milk-powder-acting-motherly-instinct-help-baby-3577161
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Malaysia grateful for ‘smooth’ Hajj
operations under Makkah Route
June 20, 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is grateful for
being part of Saudi Arabia’s flagship Makkah Route initiative, the chief of its
Hajj operations has told Arab News, with the last batch of pilgrims set to
depart from Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
Malaysia is among seven Muslim-majority
countries — alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco, Turkey and Cote
d’Ivoire — where Saudi Arabia opened its Makkah Route initiative.
“We are deeply grateful to Saudi Arabia
for continuing the initiative in Malaysia for the fifth year. The Makkah Route
initiative has indeed helped ease the journey of our hajj pilgrims
significantly,” said Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman, executive of Tabung Haji —
Malaysia’s Hajj board — and head of the Malaysian Hajj delegation.
“The Makkah Route initiative has proven
to be very smooth, effective and helpful for Malaysian pilgrims. This could not
have been done without the assistance rendered by various parties especially
the Saudi Arabian government and its relevant government agencies.”
The program, launched in 2019, is
dedicated to Hajj pilgrims, allowing them to fulfill all visa, customs and
health requirements at the airport of origin, saving long hours of waiting.
Upon arrival, pilgrims can enter the Kingdom without waiting, having already
gone through visa and customs processes back home.
This year, 31,600 Malaysians are participating
in the annual pilgrimage that is one of the five pillars of Islam. Most of them
have already reached the Kingdom.
Rahman said they “admired and praised”
Saudi efforts, which had “provided tremendous convenience” for the pilgrims,
especially the elderly who, without the Makkah Route, would have spent long
hours on immigration procedures at home and upon arrival.
When Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah
Sultan Ahmad Shah saw off the first batch of pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia
via the initiative earlier this month, he expressed his appreciation for the
Kingdom’s Hajj services and assistance.
“We hope that the close relationship
that has been established for a long time between Malaysia and the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia will continue to serve the pilgrims,” the king said.
The special Hajj flights under the
Makkah Route initiative will conclude in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
“The first phase of Hajj operations
involving departure flights is almost completed and will end on June 21, 2023,”
Rahman said.
“All praise to Allah, everything is
progressing according to plan and the Hajj operation has been smooth.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2325211/saudi-arabia
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Malaysia passes 3 Bills in parliament to
decriminalise suicide attempts
21 Jun 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Upper House of
parliament on Wednesday (Jun 21) passed a third Bill to decriminalise suicide
attempts, in addition to two Bills which were passed the day before.
The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023
was passed with a voice vote after a third reading.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's
Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Ramkarpal Singh told members of the
Upper House that the Bill is intended to empower crisis intervention officers
to rescue victims who are attempting suicide.
"(This includes giving them) the
space or power to forcefully break into the premises where the suicide attempt
is made. It is a necessity,” he said.
He added that the focus of the Bill is
on the victims.
“We believe that as a result of in-depth
research and so on, what needs to be done in cases like this is to treat and
not to criminalize an act of attempted suicide,” he said during a debate on the
Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023 which seeks to amend the Mental Health Act
2001.
According to Bernama, Minister in the
Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said
said previously that these amendments will define the post and powers of crisis
intervention officers.
It also includes a moratorium for the
implementation of Section 309 of the Penal Code until the repeal of the section
is completed and gazetted.
On Tuesday, two Bills related to the
decriminalisation of suicide attempts were passed by the Upper House.
Mr Singh said then that there are
several provisions which provide that a person who attempts suicide must be
taken to a medical facility for treatment.
"The priority in these amendments
is to rehabilitate a person who is thinking of taking his or her own life. That
will also take a long time because it involves a psychological process and so
on to rehabilitate the person," he was quoted as saying by Bernama while
wrapping up the debates on the Bills.
According to Bernama, Ms Azalina
previously said that the Bills to decriminalise attempted suicide contain
measures including retaining the offence of abetting suicide under Sections 305
and 306 of the Penal Code.
She said the Bills also differentiate
the categories of those who are incited to commit the actions of attempted
suicide or suicide.
The Bills will have to be presented to
the king for approval and then gazetted in order for the amendments to take
effect.
Related:
Malaysia seeks to decriminalise suicide
attempts
Decision on decriminalising suicide
attempts in Malaysia lies with Cabinet: Khairy
The Bills were tabled for first reading
by Ms Azalina on Apr 4 and were passed in the Lower House of parliament on May
22 and May 23.
Ms Azalina said in a statement on Apr 4
that the government hopes the reform will encourage those affected to seek
help, remove the stigma of suicide and lower the country's suicide death rate.
She also said then that the government
also proposes strengthening punishment for cases of aiding suicide involving
children and mentally incapacitated people.
"This is based on the fact that
suicide attempts are within the scope of suicidal behaviour and this act is the
impact of mental incapacity or psychiatric disorder," Ms Azalina said.
In comments made last year, former
health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Malaysia had in 2021 recorded 1,142
suicide cases, compared to 631 cases in 2020.
Its suicide mortality rate was at 5.7
per 100,000 population in 2019, according to the most recent data from World
Bank.
Source: channelnewsasia.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-law-pass-bills-decriminalise-suicide-attempts-mental-health-parliament-3576866
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North America
Slots, table games and stained glass:
Bally’s Chicago moving quickly to turn landmark Medinah Temple into a gambling
mecca
Jun 20, 2023
Days after getting preliminary approval
from the state, Bally’s Chicago has moved hundreds of slot machines and table
games into place at the landmark Medinah Temple, which is set to be reborn this
summer as a temporary Chicago gambling mecca.
The River North building, a
Moorish-style amphitheater perhaps best known for hosting the annual Shrine
Circus, is quickly being transformed into Chicago’s first casino, while
preserving elements of its colorful 111-year history.
“It’s probably the best-looking
temporary casino you’ll ever see,” said Chris Jewett, director of corporate
development for Bally’s, during a tour Tuesday. “It’s a wow factor just walking
in. It’s unique.”
Granted preliminary approval last week
by the Illinois Gaming Board — a precursor to final licensing — Bally’s Chicago
began installing more than 750 slot machines and 50 gaming tables almost
immediately. It expects to have all the equipment in place and the roughly
1,000 gaming positions laid out by the end of the week.
Rhode Island-based Bally’s won a heated
competition last year to build a $1.74 billion casino at the 30-acre site of
the Chicago Tribune printing plant in River West. It plans to open the
permanent casino in 2026.
Medinah Temple will serve as a temporary
casino for up to three years while the permanent facility is built. Bally’s
hopes customers can begin pulling slot levers and splitting aces by August,
pending Gaming Board approval.
Built by the Shriners in 1912, the
Medinah Temple was designed by architecture firm Huehl and Schmid. Over the
years, the venue hosted everything from concerts and high school graduations to
the annual Shrine Circus. Amenities included a 30,000-pound pipe organ
installed in 1915.
The building, which occupies nearly a
block on Wabash Avenue, was designated a Chicago landmark in 2001. It was
redeveloped as a Bloomingdale’s home furnishings store in 2003 but had been
vacant since Macy’s sold it to Chicago developer Albert Friedman in 2019.
Bally’s Chicago has been renovating the
historic 130,000-square-foot Medinah Temple since January.
“We basically knocked down 90% of
everything that was in here when it was Bloomingdale’s,” said Mark Wong, a
veteran casino executive named vice president and general manager of Bally’s
Chicago in August. “This is new construction.”
While much of the heavy lifting took
place earlier in the year, the transformation has accelerated in recent days
after getting the green light from the Gaming Board.
On Tuesday, dozens of hard-hatted
workers in yellow vests carted slot machines in on dollies, placing them in
marked spots near electrical stands where they will be mounted. Gaming table
bases found a home on the two upper floors, wrapped in plastic with small
placards indicating their designated purpose, awaiting the tops that make them
ready to play.
“We have 75% of the slot machines and
table games loaded in,” Wong said. “By the end of the week we’ll have
everything. Then it’s just a matter of installing, testing.”
The main entrance on Wabash Avenue opens
onto an expansive, modern blue-lit center bar. An abundance of slot machines
are scattered across the first floor. The ground level also includes a coffee
shop and an atrium looking up to the ornate rotunda lined with inset stained
glass windows.
The second floor includes half of the
table games, set down on spaces marked with blue tape on a swirling carpet of
blue, red and orange. It also features hundreds of slot machines and an element
seldom found in casinos — windows, or more precisely, 111-year-old stained
glass windows.
The historic windows are cordoned off by
a low glass partition to enable close viewing without touching — a preservation
requirement from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.
“It was important for us to have on
display some of the original architectural elements of the building,” Wong
said. “We purposely put a wall here to protect them, but at the same time make
sure that our customers will enjoy this very unique experience here.”
The third floor is home to the rest of
the table games, more slot machines, two restaurants and a planned sportsbook,
which Bally’s hopes to open in 2024, pending Gaming Board approval.
Other historic touches include the
theater proscenium, which long framed eclectic offerings on the auditorium
stage. The curtain is drawn, but backstage is where back office administrative
functions will take place, Wong said.
Modern amenities include six new
brightly-lit washrooms.
Bally’s is also considering a large
display on the inaccessible but visible lower level paying homage to Medinah
Temple’s history, with renderings and models of the permanent casino to come,
Jewett said.
The permanent facility will include an
exhibition hall, 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants and 4,000
gaming positions — by far the largest casino in the state.
Bally’s had planned to use an adjacent
Tribune Publishing warehouse at 700 W. Chicago Ave. as its temporary casino
while Freedom Center is demolished and the permanent facility is built, but the
city pushed for Medinah Temple as an alternative, sources said.
At the time, Bally’s chairman Soo Kim
told the Tribune he was “not crazy” about switching to Medinah Temple, a
sentiment shared by some River North neighbors. Concerns included the lack of
on-site parking.
On Tuesday, Jewett said the
Medinahbuildout has exceeded expectations.
“I think this is a much better
experience than you would have gotten from a warehouse,” Jewett said.
Source: chicagotribune.com
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following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-medinah-temple-ballys-chicago-casino-20230621-btyfgl736je2rkxqpznpbcw5zq-story.html
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Israel Kills Islamic Jihad Terrorists in
Fiery Jenin Raid; Media Fails to Report the Full Facts
JUNE 20, 2023
The Israeli military launched a
counter-terrorism raid in the West Bank city of Jenin on Sunday to arrest
terrorists planning deadly attacks against civilians in Israel.
A statement from the IDF confirmed that
the operation in the city — which has been dubbed the “terror capital” of the
Palestinian-Authority controlled territories — was for the purpose of arresting
two terror operatives belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both of whom were
successfully detained.
During the raid, an IDF armored vehicle
was ambushed, and eight IDF and Israel Border Police personnel were injured.
The IDF also came under fire from
terrorists using automatic weapons and a “large number of explosive devices
were hurled at [Israeli] forces,” which reportedly prompted the IDF to deploy a
helicopter to give air cover during the extraction of the soldiers.
During the gunfight, at least five
Palestinians were killed, including two who were almost immediately claimed by
terrorist organizations.
Despite copious amounts of evidence
confirming their membership in terror organizations — including photos and
video — reports about the Jenin raid have shied away from identifying the men
as terrorists.
The Associated Press included in its
headline and opening paragraph the fact that four Palestinians had been killed
— and later named them — but failed to mention their terror links. The outlet
also neglected to mention that the raid had been for the purpose of detaining
other terrorists.
The Guardian, using news copy from the
AFP wire agency, also sidestepped correctly identifying the slain men as
terrorists and prominently featured the Palestinian health ministry’s false
assertion that they “died as a result of the occupation (Israeli) aggression on
Jenin.” Of course, there is nothing “aggressive” about firing back at
heavily-armed militants trying to prevent the lawful arrest of fellow
terrorists.
Other media outlets that did not include
the fact that two of the men were terrorists include CNN and Sky News.
In fact, the only outlet that reported
the men had been claimed by Islamic Jihad was Reuters, which included this
relevant fact in the second paragraph of its piece.
Meanwhile, the obvious need for Israeli
counter-terror operations in Jenin has been completely overlooked in the
majority of the coverage, specifically that the city is a hub of terror
activity.
While CNN described Jenin as one of the
“tensest cities in the occupied West Bank” (a muted way to sum up a place where
Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, and the Jenin Battalion all
operate a network of cells), Sky News failed to make any reference to how the
city is totally overrun by armed militants.
Source: algemeiner.com
Please click the
following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/06/20/israel-kills-islamic-jihad-terrorists-in-fiery-jenin-raid-media-fail-to-report-the-full-facts/
---------
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/up-minister-mosque-prayagraj/d/130045