‘Vote Jihad?’: Shiv Sena (UBT) Questions Salary Hike For Madrasa Teachers In Maharashtra
New Age Islam News Bureau
12 October2024
Representative Photo from Files
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· 93 Mosques In Sharjah Offer Sermons In English, Urdu, Malayalam, Pashto And Tamil
· UK Mosques And Islamic Centres Subjected To Shocking Number Of Hate Incidents In The Past Year, Says A Report
· ‘Vote Jihad?’: Shiv Sena (UBT) Questions Salary Hike For Madrasa Teachers In Maharashtra
· 25 Islamic Clerics Urge American Muslims Across US to Defeat Trump
· Govt Won't Allow Anyone To Benefit From Religious Sentiment: Youth And Sports Adviser, Bangladesh
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India
· Hindus And Muslims Come Together For Dussehra In Odisha's Balasore
· All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman’s Post-Poll Message: J&K Results Show People Will Resist Attempts To Subjugate Them
· Fast-Bowler Mohammed Siraj Takes Charge As DSP In Telangana
· New government in Jammu & Kashmir must not be rigid in dealings with Centre: CPI(M) leader Tarigami
· To infiltrate into Kashmir, around 150 militants waiting at launchpads across LoC: BSF
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Arab World
· How Saudi Arabia is partnering with Denmark in sustainable wastewater management
· Saudi crown prince, French president discuss regional tension in phone call
· World Arthritis Day: Launch of campaigns in Saudi Arabia
· Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal University lands Gartner Eye on Innovation Award
· Diriyah Biennale announces winner of the 2024 AlMusalla Prize
· Heavy rains flood Mecca as thunderstorms hit holy city and surrounding regions
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Europe
· France’s Macron Reiterates Call For An Arms Embargo On Israel In Response To The Conflicts In Gaza And Lebanon
· Breakdancers warned of cone-shaped lump from 'extensive headspinning'
· Violent protests force Martinique airport to close
· Kremlin Mobilizes Muslim Hierarchies To Support War Effort – Analysis
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North America
· US Soldier Sentenced To 14 Years For Trying To Help Islamic State Kill Troops
· Voters can judge candidates under fire for Muslim, Indigenous comments: Rustad
· ‘Pain in Peace’ Opens Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival
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South Asia
· Shaheen: Islamic Emirate Ready to Pay if Given UN Seat
· Islamic song at puja mandap: Ctg Puja Udjapon Parishad president, secretary relieved from posts
· Chinese envoy holds meeting with BNP, Jamaat leaders in Ctg
· Amnesty: Human Rights Council fails to address human rights crisis in Afghanistan
· Islamic Emirate Distributes Aid After Poppy Ban, Farmers Seek Alternatives
· Russia Emphasizes Importance of Continuing Talks with Islamic Emirate
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Mideast
· Israel Observes Yom Kippur Amid Firestorm Over Lebanon Strikes
· Hezbollah warns Israelis to stay away from army in residential areas
· Israel prevents Palestinians from Friday prayers at West Bank mosque
· UAE Authorities To Probe Citizen For Violating Lebanon Travel Ban
· Gaza civil defense agency says 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Jabalia on Friday
· Baghdad reinvents itself as heritage tourism destination
· Israel army says sirens sound north of Tel Aviv due to ‘aircraft infiltration’
· 2 Lebanese soldiers killed and 3 others hurt in airstrike, Lebanese army says
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Pakistan
· Armed Men Steal, Burn Ballot Papers During NA-231 Recounting: Election Officials
· Two terrorists behind Dasu Hydel Project attack killed in 'friendly fire'
· Deaths of 20 labourers in Balochistan coal mine attack trigger protests
· PPP pushes talks forward with draft amendment
· Full court reference for outgoing CJP Qazi Faez Isa set for Oct 25
· KP CM Orders Full Facilitation Of Jamrud Jirga Participants In Site Visit
· PTI Calls Oct 15 D-Chowk ‘Massive, Peaceful Protest’ As Govt Warns None Allowed To Disrupt SCO Moot
· Section 144 imposed in Rawalpindi as Pakistan prepares to host SCO summit
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Africa
· Muslim Group Awards N1 Billion Scholarship To 732 Orphans In Sokoto
· Fear and food insecurity in Northeastern Nigeria on the rise
· Exploitation of the vulnerable: A reflection on Nigerian leadership through an Islamic lens
· Radda donates $10,000 for mosque reconstruction in Niger Republic
· Saudi aid agency continues relief work in Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Yemen
· Kenya’s oldest university gets mosque after a 50-year push
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Southeast Asia
· Federal Territories Mufti Bill Will Turn M’sia Into Islamic State Overnight - Groups
· As It Happens: Malaysians March For Pro-Palestine ‘Himpunan 1 Tahun Taufan Al Aqsa’ Rally
· Grand Imam of Nabawi Mosque fulfills long-held wish to visit Indonesia
· King, Queen extend birthday greetings to Wan Junaidi
· Over 3,000 halal certifications revoked due to non-compliance issues: Jakim
· Missing tahfiz boys in KL found with injuries, claim they ran away due to alleged bullying
· Jokowi Hands Over Inauguration of IKN Presidential Office to Prabowo
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/vote-jihad-maharashtra-ubt-shiv-sena-madrasa/d/133423
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‘Vote Jihad?’: Shiv Sena (UBT) Questions Salary Hike For Madrasa Teachers In Maharashtra
Representative Photo from Files
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By HT News Desk
Oct 12, 2024
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday took a jab at the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra, questioning if the decision to raise the honorarium and salaries of Madrasa teachers amounted to “vote jihad.”
He alleged that the implementation of schemes such as the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana and the increase in the working capital of the Maulana Azad Financial Corporation from ₹700 crore to ₹1,000 crore were being carried out with electoral considerations in mind, especially with assembly polls expected to take place next month.
The term of the current assembly concludes on November 26.
“Aren't these schemes, like the Ladki Bahin Yojana and the salary hike for Madrasa teachers, examples of vote jihad? While salaries for those who educate children should be increased, the BJP would label it as vote jihad if we had initiated such measures,” Raut said.
Congress leader Naseem Khan alleged that the decision to increase the honorarium and salaries of Madrasa teachers was aimed at the upcoming elections.
“Why is the BJP not taking action against its leaders who are threatening Muslims?” Khan questioned.
He claimed that the decision to increase the honorarium and salaries, along with the working capital of the Maulana Azad Financial Corporation is not intended for the upliftment of Muslims but rather to ensure that the BJP does not perform as poorly as it did in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“However, despite all these (motives), we welcome both decisions. But the countdown of the ruling alliance's defeat in the Maharashtra polls has begun,” Khan said.
Hitting back, Senior state BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said the government has not raised the salaries of Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut, whose party allegedly engaged in vote jihad during the Lok Sabha polls.
Somaiya said that the BJP's Mahayuti government does not discriminate based on religion regarding health and education.
Earlier this month, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attributed the Mahayuti alliance's defeat in the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra to vote jihad.
According to a cabinet decision, the working capital of the Maulana Azad Financial Corporation will increase from ₹700 crore to ₹1,000 crore.
The honorarium for Madrasa teachers holding a D.Ed degree will rise from ₹6,000 to ₹16,000, while those with BA, B.Ed, or BSc degrees will see their honorarium increase from ₹8,000 to ₹18,000.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/vote-jihad-sanjay-raut-shiv-sena-eknath-shinde-maharashtra-elections-devendra-fadnavis-bjp-Madrasa-teachers-101728662000708.html
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93 Mosques In Sharjah Offer Sermons In English, Urdu, Malayalam, Pashto And Tamil
A view of the Sharjah Mosque
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October 12, 2024
The Sharjah Islamic Affairs Department has designated 93 mosques for non-Arab communities, comprising 74 mosques in Sharjah city, 10 in the central region, and nine in the eastern region.
These mosques offer lessons, discussions, and Friday sermons in English, Urdu, Malayalam, Pashto, and Tamil. This initiative aligns with the department’s commitment to disseminate religious knowledge and education to all segments of society.
Abdullah Khalifa Al Sebousi, the head of the Department, emphasised that this plan is part of many efforts made by the department to make good use of the Friday sermon. This includes its teachings, values, and manners, to educate worshippers about religious and everyday matters. He explained that the department selects qualified preachers who are proficient in the designated languages and provides them with training in public speaking and effective communication with worshippers.
Source:gulftoday.ae
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https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/10/11/93-mosques-in-sharjah-offer-sermons-in-english-urdu-malayalam-pashto-and-tamil
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UK Mosques And Islamic Centres Subjected To Shocking Number Of Hate Incidents In The Past Year, Says A Report
A broken window at Southport Islamic Centre Mosque in Southport (Image: James Speakman | PA Wire)
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11th October
Mosques and Islamic centres have been subjected to a shocking number of hate incidents in the past year, says a new report.
Faith Associates through the Mosque Security initiative have published a new report that provides insight and data into incidents against Mosques and Muslim institutions in the UK since October 7 2023.
The 'Incidents against Mosques and Muslim Institutions' report reviews, hate crime statistics in the UK and present a number of case study reviews of recent hate crimes, with a specific focus on those targeting mosques and Muslim institutes.
Recommendations report explores how geopolitical factors have intensified anti-Muslim sentiment and contributed to a surge in Islamophobic hate crimes in the UK.
The reports shows that Islamophobic attacks increased by 365% across the UK between October 2023 – October 2024.
More than 500 Mosques in the UK requested the Home Office 'Surge' protection between July-August 2024.
Over 1200 Mosques sort some kind of protection from the Police or the community after the Southport riots in July 2024.
Recommendations in the report provides recommendations for policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and Muslim communities to 'strengthen protection, response, and prevention efforts against Islamophobic hate crimes targeting mosque's.
Incidents includes vandalism, harassment, targeted attacks and arson against Mosques and other forms of Muslim institutions and buildings in the UK.
Whilst some support has been provided by the UK Government to address the issue, especially after the Southport riots, the report calls for more support is needed to build capacity within the Mosques to ensure long term security and safety.
The report says there were 4971 anti-Muslim incidents recorded between 7 October 2023 - 30 September 2024, making this the highest total recorded in the past 14 years.
CEO of Faith Associates and Director of Mosque Security Services Shaukat Warraich said “The increased level of violence and intimidation against Mosques and Islamic Centre has resulted in a major take up in the UK for security services.
"The report highlights the challenges faced by Muslim communities, we need to look at long term solutions on how to tackle hate and misinformation”.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and MOPAC has supported Faith Associates and Mosque Security to deliver Mosque protection awareness programmes.
What does the report say:
63% of the cases were classified as abusive in nature.
27% of the cases involved threatening behaviour.
The majority of the incidents occurred in London, North West of England, Yorkshire and the Midlands.
Anti-migrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric alongside accusations of terrorism against Muslim communities have escalated tensions.
Events such as the Southport knife attack and false information linking the perpetrator to Muslim Asylum seekers have fuelled anti-Muslim narratives.
The number of anti-Muslim cases reported to Tell Mama since its launch in 2012 has increased by between 800-1000%.
The report says: "Muslim women have been disproportionately affected by Islamophobic hate crimes during this period. Data from Tell MAMA indicates that in two out of every three reported incidents, the victims were visibly Muslim women.
"The targeting of Muslim women in public spaces has become a concerning pattern, reflecting deep-seated prejudices amplified by global events and domestic political discourse."
The report says: "The rise of far-right extremism in the UK has become increasingly intertwined with the surge in Islamophobic incidents over the past year.
"Far-right groups have long been known for their anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric, but the Israel-Gaza conflict has provided a new avenue for these groups to spread their ideology.
"By exploiting geopolitical events, they have managed to link local Muslim communities with international terrorism, framing Muslims as a domestic threat."
The response from the wider community was praised.
The report adds: "The community responses to attacks on mosques and other Muslim institutions throughout 2023 and 2024 demonstrate the resilience, solidarity, and support from diverse groups, despite the intensity and frequency of Islamophobic incidents."
It points out cases with local communities often rallying together in the aftermath of hate crimes to offer protection, emotional support, and practical assistance.
This includes the vandalism of Muslim graves in Burnley Cemetery, where the local community expressed 'widespread disgust at the act of defacement. Religious and civic leaders called for unity and condemned the hate crime.
This sentiment during a threat against Hastings Mosque in January 2024 which prompted immediate action from both the police and local anti-racism activists.
The report reveals how fifty members of the community, responding to a call from Stand Up to Racism, showed up in solidarity to defend the mosque, preventing an actual attack from taking place.
Source:asianimage.co.uk
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https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/united_kingdom/24644895.new-report-reveals-growing-number-anti-muslim-incidents/
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25 Islamic Clerics Urge American Muslims Across US to Defeat Trump
Muslims pray during the funeral of Wadea Al-Fayoume—a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy who was stabbed to death in what authorities called a hate crime—at the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Illinois on October 16, 2023. (Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)
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By Brett Wilkins
October 11, 2024
Balancing grave concerns over the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel’s yearlong assault on Gaza against the dire prospects of a potential second administration of former Republican President Donald Trump, a group of 25 U.S. Islamic clerics on Sunday urged American Muslims to “consider the broad picture” and vote for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
“We are all heartbroken and in deep pain over the war in Gaza and the escalation in Lebanon. We stand with the global-wide outcry to immediately stop the continued genocide against the Palestinian people,” the religious leaders, who include numerous imams, wrote in a letter to Muslim voters. “The collective conscience, inherent soul, and sense of justice of all humanity [are] assaulted, disturbing the peace of all. We are all one in our frustration to the point of anger.”
“What’s popular is not always right and what’s right is not always popular. In our estimation, the present-future benefits of voting for Vice President Harris far outweighs the harms of the other options.”
“We are taught by our beloved Prophet Muhammad to ‘resist becoming angry,’ for it eats up goodness and overrides rational thinking,” the letter states. “Our lives in these United States of America are not in a vacuum, and as such the election choices, the decisions that we make are not either. They don’t just affect us, but all American citizens for years, maybe decades to come.”
“We are to be future-oriented, strategic, and rational rather than just focus on the present,” the clerics asserted. “Thus, it is an imperative that we elect leaders who have committed to a cease-fire, an independent Palestine, stabilizing our democracy, and who stand with our community.”
The letter continues:
In assessing the candidates for president, for us it’s not the lesser of two evils. For us, as people of faith, specifically as Muslims, it’s the measure or estimate (Qadar) of the Harm (Sharr or Darri) and the Benefit (Khayr or naf’ee). When faced with a choice, we are expected to carefully assess the potential benefits and harm involved, prioritizing actions that bring better and minimize negative consequences…
What’s popular is not always right and what’s right is not always popular. In our estimation, the present-future benefits of voting for Vice President Harris far outweighs the harms of the other options. Let’s consider the broad picture in addition to the one in our immediate vision.
Turning their attention to Trump, the clerics said that “our community is in pain, but we must also remember that we cannot allow our country to return to Jim Crow America, this is not a reality our community can afford.”
“Knowingly enabling someone like Donald Trump to return to office, whether by voting directly for him or for a third-party candidate, is both a moral and a strategic failure,” they stressed. “Particularly in swing states, a vote for a third party could enable Trump to win that state and therefore the election.”
“In 2016, Trump won Michigan by merely 11,000 votes mainly because of votes cast for third-party candidates. This enabled Trump to inflict great harm on our communities and country in numerous ways,” the letter says. “Trump is funded by pro-settlement donors who support Israeli annexation of the West Bank, he has promised to give [Israeli Prime Minister Bemjamin] Netanyahu what he needs to ‘finish the job’ in Gaza, and even promised to deport pro-Palestinian students and activists who he refers to as ‘jihadists.’ Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, has promised to turn Gaza into ‘lucrative beachfront properties.'”
“Given his well-documented history of harming our communities and country, as well as what he has promised he will do to Muslims and Palestinians should he return, it is incumbent upon us not to allow our high emotions to dictate our actions to our detriment,” the clerics argued.
Trump’s anti-Muslim animus far predates his presidency. In 2011 he said the U.S. “absolutely” has a “Muslim problem.” While campaigning in 2016 he said that “Islam hates us” and that it is “very hard” to differentiate between “radical Islam” and the entire Muslim faith.
As president, Trump ordered multiple bans on people from predominantly Muslim countries. The U.S. Supreme Court—three of whose right-wing members were appointed by Trump—upheld a version of the ban. On the international stage, Trump followed through on his campaign promise to “bomb the shit out of” the so-called Islamic State and “take out their families.” Thousands of civilians were killed in U.S. attacks on seven predominantly Muslim nations, matching the number of countries bombed by former President Barack Obama and exceeding the six nations attacked during the presidency of George W. Bush.
“We cannot turn our backs on our diverse Muslim community at home and those abroad who are impacted by U.S. policies in our moment of pain and anger,” the letter contends. “And we have a responsibility, an amana, not to place our community in harm’s way.”
The clerics said that Harris and her Democratic running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “see a new way forward and are not going back.”
“We stand with moving forward,” they concluded, “and call on other imams and our communities to move forward with us.”
The letter stands in stark contrast with the stance of Abandon Harris, a swing state, Muslim-led coalition that says it seeks to hold the Biden-Harris administration “accountable for the Gaza genocide.” The campaign endorsed Green Party candidate Jill Stein on Monday.
While the Uncommitted National Movement—a coalition of pro-Palestine, peace, and progressive groups that urged people to vote “uncommitted” in Democratic primaries in a bid to pressure the Biden administration to push Israel for a Gaza cease-fire—is not endorsing Harris, the group stressed that it opposes Trump and that voting third-party “is a mistake.”
Source:znetwork.org
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https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/25-islamic-clerics-urge-muslims-across-us-to-defeat-trump/
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Govt Won't Allow Anyone To Benefit From Religious Sentiment: Youth And Sports Adviser, Bangladesh
Photo:Business News
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Oct 11, 2024
Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sazeeb Bhuiyan today said many political parties have taken advantage in the past by using religious sentiments, but the interim government will not allow anyone to benefit from it.
He made the remarks while exchanging greetings with members of the Hindu community at the puja mandaps at Gallamari Harichand Tagore Temple and Bagmara Gavinda Temple in Khulna marking the Durga Puja celebration.
The interim government, he said, is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all religions and maintaining communal harmony in the country.
"The rights of every individual are enshrined by the constitution and the government is dedicated to upholding these rights," he said.
Referring to the untoward incidents that took place at cultural event in Chattogram puja mandap and theft of goddess Kali's crown from Jashoreshori temple in Satkhira, the adviser said that the administration has already arrested the culprits and they will be brought to justice.
He warned against any sort of religious persecution or violence, saying all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs, are equal under the constitution.
Asif said that no one would be allowed to inflict harm on any community based on religion.
"If such incidents occur, the government will bring the perpetrators to justice. I assure you, on behalf of the government, that offenders will be held accountable," he said.
Khulna Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saiful Islam, Superintendent of Police TM Mossarraf Hossain and General Secretary of City Unit Puja Udjapon Parishad Proshanta Kumar Kundu, among others, were present.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/govt-wont-allow-anyone-benefit-religious-sentiment-asif-3725491
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India
Hindus And Muslims Come Together For Dussehra In Odisha's Balasore
12 OCTOBER 2024
The holy festival of Dussehra signifies the hope and faith in the victory of good over evil. The festival reinforces the belief that no matter how formidable evil may seem, the forces of good will ultimately prevail.
Mostly considered a Hindu festival, Dussehra is celebrated with great fervour every year across the country. However, in this Odisha district, Dussehra is the celebration of brotherhood and unity. Not just Hindus, but Muslims here also play a great role in Dussehra.
Yes, you read that right! In Odisha’s Balasore, not just Hindus, but people from the Muslim community celebrate Dussehra. We are talking about Dussehra celebrations in Balasore’s Arad Bazar. Unlike other places, people from both Hindu and Muslim communities welcome Maa Durga together in this area. Not just one or two, this unity has been going on for the last 47 years.
The holy festival unites people, irrespective of caste, religion and status. As the name suggests, Dussehra is the celebration of brotherhood, no matter what religion or caste you are from. People of both communities come together to worship Maa Durga. Not only Dussehra, but people from both communities also join hands during the celebration of Eid and Muharram and many other festivals.
For people here, the festival strengthens the spirit and doctrine of unity in diversity.
It is that time of year for reflection, tradition, and community as people come together to remember the heroic deeds of Lord Rama and the significance of righteousness.
“This is Balasore Arad Bazar. Not just Dussehra, we celebrate Eid, Muharram, and other festivals together. There is no Hindu-Muslim, we are all brothers and united here,” a Hindu local said.
Similarly, a Muslim local added, “This is a message to the society that we should always be together as brothers and sisters. It is our unity in diversity that together makes India great. There is no differentiation or odd feelings here. The atmosphere here is only filled with love, devotion, and unity.”
Source:odishatv.in
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https://odishatv.in/news/odisha/hindus-and-muslims-come-together-for-dussehra-in-odisha-s-balasore-246313
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All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman’s Post-Poll Message: J&K Results Show People Will Resist Attempts To Subjugate Them
by Naveed Iqbal
October 11, 2024
Responding to the result of the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir, All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said Friday that the people of J&K have sent a “unanimous and clear message that in every manner available to them, they will resist attempts to subjugate and disempower them”.
He also called on the government that will be formed in J&K to take up with the Centre the issue of releasing “political prisoners” and repealing laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Speaking from Jamia Masjid after Friday prayers, he said that this time, “through a consolidated ballot”, the people registered their “strong disapproval of the drastic, unilateral changes made in August 2019 (abrogation of special powers under Article 370), since when they have been systematically disempowered, deprived, and their voices stifled.”
Urging political parties to respect the voters’ message and “fulfil the promise” they made to restore the legal safeguards and the rights “snatched” from them in 2019, the Mirwaiz said, “The ownership of our land and resources, the constitutional commitments reneged on, our very identity, and dignity were further undermined by the 2019 commandments.”
Calling for the Centre to initiate engagement, Mirwaiz said the Hurriyat was peacefully striving for the rights of the people of J&K, “for which we are constantly struggling and being sent to jails. We have been constantly appealing to the GOI for engagement and the release of political prisoners, which include political leaders, lawyers, human rights activists and youth.”
He also urged the incoming J&K government to “urgently take up the matter with the Government of India and help secure the release of all political prisoners and youth languishing in jails for years and decades, some even without trial, and push for the withdrawal of the draconian laws, including UAPA and PSA”.
“These laws have destroyed people’s lives. The medical condition of many prisoners in jail is very worrying. There is an urgent humanitarian need to reunite them with their families, so this matter demands immediate attention and should be addressed on priority,” he said.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jammu-kashmir-election-results-mirwaiz-umar-farooq-message-9615573/
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Fast-bowler Mohammed Siraj takes charge as DSP in Telangana
Oct 12, 2024
NEW DELHI: Indian men's cricket team player Mohammed Siraj on Saturday officially took charge as deputy superindent of Police (DSP) of Telangana.
Siraj assumed office at the Telangana director general of police (DGP) office, in the presence of Telangana DGP Jitender, along with other high-ranking officials.
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy announced in July a residential plot and a government job for Siraj when the latter met him after India's T20 World Cup victory in Barbados. Revanth Reddy congratulated Siraj "for displaying his amazing talent in international cricket".
During a recent state assembly session, the chief minister highlighted Siraj's achievements and his role in India's T20 World Cup triumph. He said that the Group-I job offered to the international cricketer would allow him direct entry to high-ranking positions such as deputy superintendent of police if he decides to join the police force.
Despite Siraj not meeting the educational qualifications for the Group-I job, the Cabinet granted him an exemption as part of their efforts to support and encourage sportspersons. "For a Group-I job, the required educational qualification is a degree. Siraj has passed intermediate (12th class) but we have given the exemption to provide him the Group-I job," the CM said.
Siraj was last seen in action during the two-match Test series against Bangladesh last month, where he took four wickets to help India in a 2-0 clean sweep.
In 89 outings across formats for India so far, Mohammed Siraj has taken 163 wickets with an average of 27.57. He made his international debut vs New Zealand at Rajkot on November 04, 2017.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/fast-bowler-mohammed-siraj-takes-charge-as-dsp-in-telangana/articleshow/114163860.cms
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New government in Jammu & Kashmir must not be rigid in dealings with Centre: CPI(M) leader Tarigami
11.10.24
CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami has said the new government in Jammu and Kashmir must not be rigid in its dealings with the BJP-led Centre, but should do whatever is possible to convey the demands of the people here to New Delhi.
"We will do whatever is possible on our part to convey a strong message to the government in Delhi, the demands of the people here and appeal to them to listen to the ground situation in Kashmir. There should be no rigidity.
"We have to move forward and for that the restoration of the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is key. We will together demand that on the floor of the House," Tarigami, whose party is part of a pre-poll alliance involving the National Conference (NC) and Congress, told PTI Videos in an interview.
Tarigami was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for a fifth consecutive time from south Kashmir's Kulgam seat in the recently-held polls.
Responding to a question on a controversy over the proposed nomination of five MLAs by the lieutenant governor, the veteran Marxist leader said the coalition has enough strength in the Assembly to face any eventuality or situation.
"But the fact remains that a state was downgraded into a Union Territory and reduced to the level of a bigger municipality and then again, one more amendment was moved, which was the Reorganisation Act, again disempowering the legislature, disempowering the cabinet and empowering the nominee of the government of India," he said.
The MLA-elect said the new government is the only hope for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and "we will not disappoint them".
Tarigami said every institution in the country is bound by the Constitution to respect the mandate of people, including in Jammu and Kashmir. "That will not be a favour to us, that is our legitimate right," he added.
On being elected to the Assembly for the fifth time, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said people's love and his long-standing relationship with them were key to his success.
"They know me, they know what I have done for them and what I have not and they are the real judges. I have always respected and appreciated their judgment. I do not have much more to say. They are wise and they know how to make choices, not only in Kulgam but elsewhere as well," he said.
Asked about some former members of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami contesting the recently-held Assembly polls, Tarigami said the electoral process is open to everyone but what makes it "more complex" is when there are "unseen hands at work, sponsoring candidates or proxies".
"But people understand who is who. For example, there were different groups in my view, who were not genuinely asking for a certain amount of support from people, but were pushed to. However, they made their choice," he said.
People have voted wisely, Tarigami added.
"I am proud of the people's choice and the mandate that they have given," he said.
To a question on whether he would be a part of the cabinet, Tarigami said he has never aspired to be in the government.
"There were offers, certain opportunities earlier as well but my party did not agree to those," he said.
Asked about the reasons for the dismal poll performance of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in south Kashmir, which is considered to be its bastion, the CPI(M) leader said there was a time when people had given a huge mandate to the party led by Mehbooba Mufti and now is the time when people have not accepted it as an alternative.
"That speaks for what they have done and what they have not. But the party may have learnt its lessons. The journey is a longer one and we might have to go together," he said.
Asked if the new government in the Union Territory could face any hurdle like the one in Delhi, Tarigami said the ruling coalition would face any obstacle together.
"Why should we speculate? Whenever there are hurdles, we will face those. We know how to act together and face emergency situations," he said.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/cpim-leader-tarigami-new-government-in-jammu-kashmir-must-not-be-rigid-in-dealings-with-centre/cid/2054727
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To infiltrate into Kashmir, around 150 militants waiting at launchpads across LoC: BSF
11.10.24
Around 150 militants are waiting at launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into the Kashmir valley as winter approaches, but security forces would foil any such bid, a senior BSF officer said on Friday.
"Attempts of infiltration continue to take place. Based on the intelligence inputs we receive from various agencies, we coordinate with the army to establish a domination plan along the border."
"We also keep in mind the number of terrorists at the launching pads, which helps us shape our strategy and domination plan to ensure we foil any plans," BSF Inspector General (Kashmir Frontier) Ashok Yadav told reporters here.
He said the security forces would ensure any infiltration attempt is thwarted.
Asked how many militants were waiting at terror launchpads now, he said, "The number of terrorists at the launching pads usually varies between 130 and 150, at times it may be slightly higher."
On the challenges after conducting peaceful assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Yadav said the security forces coordinated closely with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the administration to ensure fair and peaceful polls.
"There were numerous threat inputs, but with our well-coordinated domination plan, we prevented any attack, and the elections were successful.
"Now, with winter approaching, preparations are in place. Before winter sets in, terrorists often attempt infiltration, and we are dominating the area accordingly," he said, adding there are inputs about possible infiltration attempts along the LoC.
Asked about the volatile West Asia situation having any impact in the Valley, the IG BSF said while the security forces do not have specific inputs on militants trying to take advantage of the crises "we keep these international developments in our analysis and factor them into our operational plans".
On a question about narcoterrorism, Yadav said narcotics comes in from across the LoC and is a good source for terror financing.
"There are some villages along the LoC, some vulnerable patches like Tangdhar and Keran sectors, but we have deployed mobile bunkers and women troopers as well because there were inputs that they might use some women as couriers, to stop the inflow of narcotics. There has a been huge impact and we have been successful in bringing it down to a large extent," he added.
The BSF officer said the forces strive to ensure that soldiers are trained not only in traditional aspects of border management such as weapon handling, firing, field craft and tactics and endurance activities, but also in the latest technology.
"With the evolving nature of technology, we have integrated various types of surveillance equipment into border management. Given the growing issue of drones, we are incorporating training on how to effectively use new technology for better border security.
"Additionally, we are utilising the Government of India's platform, iGOT, which offers various types of training that we provide to our trainees," he said.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/to-infiltrate-into-kashmir-around-150-militants-waiting-at-launchpads-across-loc-bsf/cid/2054715
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Arab World
How Saudi Arabia is partnering with Denmark in sustainable wastewater management
HAIFA ALSHAMMARI
October 11, 2024
RIYADH: With a rapidly expanding population, limited natural water resources, and the harsh realities of climate change, Saudi Arabia is looking to international experts to develop its water sustainability and treatment infrastructure.
Among those answering the call are companies and consultants from Denmark, who are contributing their extensive knowledge and innovative solutions in wastewater management to support Saudi Arabia’s sustainability goals.
Partnerships with Danish firms like Danfoss, Grundfos, and AVK are helping the Kingdom manage its water resources more efficiently, reduce water wastage, and minimize its environmental impact.
Saudi Arabia, a country that relies heavily on groundwater and desalination, faces many challenges in water resource management.
According to a 2019 report titled “Wastewater Treatment and Water Resources in Saudi Arabia,” the Kingdom’s water demand has skyrocketed over the past two decades.
Between 2007 and 2018, the population grew from 25 million to nearly 33 million, leading to a sharp rise in freshwater demand.
However, only a portion of wastewater in Saudi cities is treated and reused. According to a 2021 report from King Saud University, 78 percent of wastewater in Dammam is treated, 60 percent in Riyadh, and just 50 percent in Jeddah.
To combat waste and to encourage the reuse of precious freshwater resources, the Kingdom has sought the expertise of Danish firms renowned for their advancements in sustainable water management.
Jacob Vind, a global water industry expert at Danish engineering firm Danfoss, highlighted the importance of addressing water scarcity in the region.
“We are in reality in the midst of an extremely serious and pervasive water challenge. There is not enough water,” Vind told Arab News.
He further stressed that the growing demand for water, coupled with climate change, makes it essential for governments and industries to adopt advanced water management technologies.
Denmark has long been recognized for its cutting-edge wastewater management policies. The country boasts well-developed wastewater infrastructure, incorporating advanced filtration, treatment, and energy recovery processes.
Denmark’s approach to water sustainability relies on innovative technologies that reduce water wastage while conserving energy and resources.
Danish engineering firms like Grundfos are making an impact in Saudi Arabia by introducing solar-powered pumping systems to supply water to remote and off-grid areas where access to electricity may be limited.
According to Morten Riis, the company’s group senior director, their water solutions target not only groundwater and rivers but also focus on reducing water loss and optimizing energy consumption in the process.
“We have intelligent solutions that can reduce not only the water loss but also reduce the use of energy due to managing the pressure in the water system,” Riis told Arab News.
This expertise is critical in Saudi Arabia, where reclaimed wastewater is expected to play a key role in ensuring a sustainable future.
The “Wastewater Treatment and Water Resources in Saudi Arabia” report highlighted how wastewater treatment infrastructure in the Kingdom lagged behind demand in the 1990s, leading to 40 percent of untreated wastewater being discharged into the environment.
However, recent investments and foreign collaborations are transforming the situation.
Besides the solar-powered pumping stations introduced by Grundfos, fellow Danish engineering firm Danfoss is helping Saudi Arabia implement efficient water technologies that use less water, energy, and chemicals.
Vind says that while water treatment technologies are available, the challenge lies in making them affordable and accessible.
“In terms of recent advancements, I want to highlight that efficient water technologies use less water, less energy or chemicals and resources in general,” he said.
Meanwhile, over the past 30 years, Danish company AVK International has been providing solutions for wastewater, offering valves, hydrants, and accessories for water, gas, and sewage treatment in Jeddah.
Wastewater treatment involves several stages to ensure it meets the safety standards for different uses, such as irrigation, industrial processes, and potable water.
At the start of the process, preliminary treatment involves the removal of large debris and solid particles using screens and sedimentation tanks. This is followed by primary treatment, where water passes through sedimentation tanks. Here, smaller solids settle to form sludge.
During secondary treatment, aeration is introduced to stimulate microbes that break down organic matter, removing most pollutants. Then, in a process known as tertiary treatment, the water is further filtered and disinfected to remove harmful pathogens, rendering it usable for irrigation and industrial purposes.
Some systems also include advanced treatment involving reverse osmosis and UV filtration, making the water safe for human consumption.
Of course, sustainability does not start at the treatment phase. Policies designed to protect freshwater at its source are just as important.
“We get our drinking water from groundwater, so we focus on prevention, and we always have a strategy on prevention being better than advanced treatment for drinking water,” Tanya Gottlieb Jacobsen, deputy director of Danish consultancy State of Green, told Arab News.
Denmark’s holistic approach to water sustainability — focusing on prevention, smart technologies, and strategic investments — aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, which prioritize economic diversification alongside environmental stewardship.
As the Kingdom adopts cutting-edge technologies and incorporates Danish expertise into its water infrastructure, it is taking vital steps toward securing its water future.
These efforts will not only help Saudi Arabia mitigate the effects of water scarcity and climate change but will also position the country as a leader in sustainable water management in the region.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574944/saudi-arabia
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Saudi crown prince, French president discuss regional tension in phone call
October 11, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the call, they discussed the latest developments in the region and reviewed the efforts exerted to de-escalate the situation in Palestine and Lebanon to achieve security and stability, SPA added.
Macron, who attended a summit of European and Mediterranean leaders in Cyprus on Friday, said earlier on Friday that “stopping the export of weapons” used in Gaza and Lebanon was the only way to end fighting there, and also condemned “deliberate” targeting of UN peacekeepers.
“We all know it. It’s the unique lever that would end it,” Macron said, adding that it was “absolutely unacceptable” that UN peacekeepers in Lebanon were “deliberately targeted” by Israeli forces.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574940/saudi-arabia
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World Arthritis Day: Launch of campaigns in Saudi Arabia
October 11, 2024
JEDDAH: On Oct. 12 each year, the Kingdom, along with the rest of the globe, marks World Arthritis Day.
An integrated system of awareness campaigns is staged and educational programs on rheumatic diseases designated to patients to help them cope with their illness.
The aim is to highlight the importance of early recognition of arthritis and how it can improve the patient’s life.
The Saudi Society of Rheumatology is engaged in minimizing the risks of the disease while avoiding the occurrence of complications that may lead to permanent disability, deformities and failure of some body organs. These complications may occur in the event of delayed diagnosis. Proper measures should be taken for early detection of rheumatoid arthritis and raising awareness about the importance of having a healthy lifestyle.
Rheumatology consultant Dr. Hanan Alrayes explained how to cope with the disease, from which many elderly suffer, and the importance of early treatment. She discussed the importance of taking into account the psychological state of chronic arthritis patients and introducing them to the impact of the disease on the psychological aspect and associated skin conditions.
Dr. Alrayes also said that this introduction must be held in an interactive medical and cultural environment in the presence of a group of rheumatology, dermatology and psychology consultants.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574928/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal University lands Gartner Eye on Innovation Award
October 11, 2024
RIYADH: King Faisal University has been awarded the prestigious Gartner Eye on Innovation Award for Education 2024 in the category of “Innovation in Teaching and Learning,” Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
The award recognizes the university’s groundbreaking efforts in developing an augmented reality (AR) application that transforms traditional teaching methods.
The AR application introduces interactive 3D scientific content, enhancing students’ ability to grasp complex concepts and enriching their overall educational experience, SPA added.
This tool marks a significant leap forward in the university’s approach to teaching and learning.
Dr. Fawaz bin Wasl Allah Al-Saedi, Dean of E-Learning and Information Technology, emphasized the university’s leadership in integrating cutting-edge technology into education.
He noted that King Faisal University’s project was chosen from a wide range of submissions by top international educational institutions, highlighting its global standing in advancing educational technology.
The Gartner Award, a major accolade in technical research and consulting, is headquartered in Stamford, US, and celebrates institutions that leverage technology to improve education in innovative ways.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574908/saudi-arabia
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Diriyah Biennale announces winner of the 2024 AlMusalla Prize
ARAB NEWS
October 11, 2024
RIYADH: The Diriyah Biennale Foundation announced the winner of the 2024 AlMusalla Prize, an architectural competition to create an innovative prayer space at King Abdulaziz International Airport’s Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The successful design team includes East Architecture Studio, which has offices in Lebanon and the UAE; British engineering firm AKT II; and Lebanese artist Rayyane Tabet, who splits his time between Beirut and San Francisco.
The team said they set out to design a communal prayer area that combines traditional Islamic architecture with modern sustainable practices, with the aim of creating a serene, inclusive space in which people can reflect on and engage with the rich artistic and spiritual traditions of Islam.
The design of the 6x6-meter space, inspired by palm tree farms in the Kingdom, will be constructed using materials derived from the trees, an abundant natural resource in Saudi Arabia, including wood and fronds. This choice reflects a revival in local crafts and architecture inspired by Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad neighborhood.
According to SPA, the space is designed to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing, with an open courtyard in addition to designated areas for prayers. The interior of the musalla, or prayer space, will be adorned with layers of textiles colored with dyes that use natural pigments, with the aim of creating a connection between worshippers and their environment.
Prince Nawaf bin Nayef, who chaired the prize jury, said the winning project balances traditional Islamic architectural principles with an innovative, modern, eco-friendly design. The use of palm trees symbolizes the region’s cultural and environmental connections, he added, while the simplicity and versatility of the design means it can be easily assembled and disassembled, making it a model for sustainable architecture.
Aya Al-Bakri, the CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, praised the successful team for creating a prayer space that embodies the values of openness and community and reflects the broader mission of the Islamic Arts Biennale to promote cultural exchanges.
The musalla will be installed as a central feature of the Islamic Arts Biennale, which begins on Jan. 25, 2025, and will remain there for four months before being moved to the airport.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574904/saudi-arabia
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Heavy rains flood Mecca as thunderstorms hit holy city and surrounding regions
October 11, 2024
Dubai: Heavy rains lashed Mecca on Thursday, bringing thunderstorms and torrents that swept through the holy city and surrounding areas.
Videos shared widely on social media captured the intensity of the downpour, which followed a wave of dust that had earlier reduced visibility across the region.
The National Meteorological Centre had previously issued alerts warning of moderate to heavy thunderstorms, with potential flooding and hail in parts of Mecca, Jizan, Asir, Al Baha, and Medina. The forecast also called for strong winds carrying dust, with thunderstorms expected across parts of the Eastern Province and fog likely in some coastal areas of Tabuk.
Thursday’s storms led to flash floods in several valleys and low-lying areas in Mecca, with authorities urging residents and visitors to exercise caution. Civil Defense officials advised the public to avoid valleys and follow safety guidelines as torrents surged through the streets, creating a dramatic scene of rain-drenched cityscapes that resonated with onlookers.
The Saudi Meteorological Department’s report highlighted continued unstable conditions, including northwesterly winds over the Red Sea, reaching speeds up to 50kmph and resulting in high waves. Similar gusty conditions are expected along the Arabian Gulf, where rough seas are anticipated in central and southern regions.
With warnings remaining in place for eight regions, including Mecca, Sharqiya, Medina, and Tabuk, the authorities have encouraged vigilance as the weather unfolds.
Source:gulfnews.com
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https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/heavy-rains-flood-mecca-as-thunderstorms-hit-holy-city-and-surrounding-regions-1.1728658846345
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Europe
France’s Macron Reiterates Call For An Arms Embargo On Israel In Response To The Conflicts In Gaza And Lebanon
12 Oct, 2024
French President Emmanuel Macron has reiterated his call for an arms embargo on Israel in response to the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. He also condemned recent attacks on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, describing them as “totally unacceptable.”
Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured this week after a Merkava tank fired at a watchtower at the force’s headquarters in the border town of Naqoura. Israel claims its forces fired at an immediate threat, but Macron insists that the strike was “deliberate,” echoing the view of the force’s spokesperson, who spoke to RT.
“It is totally unacceptable to see UNIFIL troops being deliberately targeted by Israeli army forces. We condemn it, we do not tolerate it, and we will not accept that it is being repeated,” Macron said following a summit of European leaders in Cyprus on Friday.
Macron argued that stopping the sale of weapons to Israel that it uses in Gaza and Lebanon is crucial to halting the violence.
“We all know it. It’s the unique lever that would end it,” the French leader told a joint news conference following a gathering of the Med9, an alliance of nine EU Mediterranean nations.
The French leader explained that he is not calling for “disarming Israel,” but rather for “stopping all additional destabilization in this part of the world.”
This is not the first time Macron has called for an arms embargo on Israel. In an interview with French media aired last Saturday, he advocated for “a political solution” to the conflict in the Middle East and argued that Western nations should “stop delivering arms for fighting in Gaza.” He labeled the continued hostilities “a mistake” and warned against turning Lebanon into “a new Gaza.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with a fiery statement, claiming that Israel is fighting “on seven fronts against the enemies of civilization,” referring to conflicts with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, as well as Iran and its allies in Syria and Iraq.
“As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should stand firmly by Israel’s side,” Netanyahu said. “Yet President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them,” he added, calling the move a “disgrace” and vowing that Israel “would win with or without their support.”
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/605598-macron-israel-arms-embargo/
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Breakdancers warned of cone-shaped lump from 'extensive headspinning'
October 12, 2024
Maia Davies'
Breakdancers have been urged to avoid headspinning after a dancer who developed a cone-shaped lump on his head due to "years of extensive headspinning practice” had to have it surgically removed.
The benign tumour, dubbed a “breakdance bulge”, was more than an inch thick, according to a report published by the British Medical Journal.
The condition is thought to be caused by repeated friction between the scalp and the floor, combined with pressure from the dancer’s body.
The unnamed dancer from Denmark trained five times a week – including up to seven minutes of headspinning – and had been wearing a hat to hide the bulge.
He had continued spinning on his head despite developing the “protuberance” over 19 years of breakdancing.
Over the last five years, it had grown bigger and more painful.
When he sought help in his thirties, medics at Copenhagen University Hospital had to rule out diseases including cancer before diagnosing a "headspin hole".
The condition typically begins with hair loss but can develop into a significant lump on the head.
One of the authors of the paper, published in the journal BMJ Case Reports on Thursday, told the PA news agency: "This report does not advocate against headspinning entirely."
"However, breakdancers who notice the early development of a breakdance bulge should consider reducing or avoiding headspins, as continuing may lead to further enlargement of the bulge", said Dr Christian Baastrup Sondergaard.
He added: "Although this is a rare condition unique to breakdancers, the successful surgical treatment in this case demonstrates that it is a viable option for symptom relief."
He added that only one prior case had been reported and encouraged further study of breakdancing injuries.
The dancer said: "It is now possible for me to go out in public without a cap... which is, of course, a very nice feeling."
He added that he had received "a lot of positive feedback", including that his head "looks completely normal".
The report notes that breakdancing involves "a range of complex and physically demanding techniques" that render dancers "particularly prone to injuries".
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwdpl212gzo
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Violent protests force Martinique airport to close
October 12, 2024
Maia Davies
Passengers were left stranded when the international airport in the Caribbean island of Martinique was forced to close by unrest over the cost of living in the French territory.
On Thursday dozens of protesters stormed the runway at the airport in the capital, Fort-de-France, prompting its closure. Inbound flights were re-directed to nearby Guadeloupe, also a French territory. The airport reopened on Friday.
A curfew has been imposed until at least Monday following a wave of violent protests.
Authorities have banned public gatherings, as well as the purchase of items that could be used for arson attacks.
Protests began in September to demand the alignment of local food prices with those of mainland France, where they are 40% lower. One protester has been shot dead and 26 police officers injured in the unrest.
Curfews have been introduced on the island since then, and in late September the French government sent in riot police after protesters ignored bans on public gatherings.
Unrest flared again on Monday when police tried to dismantle a road block, AFP news agency says.
In recent days burning barricades have been erected, businesses looted and vehicles set alight in many parts of the island.
One of the 26 officers injured had bullet wounds, AFP says. A man died in hospital from similar wounds on Thursday, following a night of rioting. An investigation has been launched into his death.
The local government said police had not opened fire.
French Overseas Minister François-Noël Buffet condemned the violence and called for "responsibility and calm".
Residents of France's overseas territories have long complained about the high cost of living.
The protests in Martinique were launched by the Assembly for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources, which says food prices should be the same as on mainland France.
On Tuesday Fort-de-France Mayor Didier Laguerre acknowledged that people in Martinique - a territory of 350,000 people - were struggling: “I understand the suffering and anger.”
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7v69d4yzjjo
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Kremlin Mobilizes Muslim Hierarchies To Support War Effort – Analysis
October 12, 2024
By Paul Goble
Moscow is once again using the Muslim Spiritual Directorates (MSDs), bodies the Soviet Union set up in World War II to supervise the Islamic community, for the primary purpose for which they were established: to mobilize Muslims to fight against a foreign enemy. If anything, the role of the MSDs is even more important now in Moscow’s war against Ukraine than it was against Nazi Germany.
The Kremlin has chosen to rely on non-Russian areas and poorer Russian populations for recruitment to maintain the perception of normalcy among residents of major cities (see EDM, July 14, 2022). The MSDs’ roles have also expanded to encompass more tasks than during World War II. These roles now include recruiting young Muslims, sending aid and ammunition to the front, limiting internal clashes between Muslim and non-Muslim soldiers in the field, and suppressing anger among Muslims concerning the rising number of their combat deaths (12-kanal.ru, August 18, 2023). Opinions on the success of the MSDs in meeting these tasks have been mixed, but Moscow’s decision to rely on them both reflects the Russian government’s own administrative weakness and the importance of these directorates.
MSDs in the Russian Federation trace their origins to three earlier events. First, the tsarist era saw attempts to create an administrative hierarchy for a faith that lacks such hierarchies canonically. Second, the All-Russian Muslim Congress in 1917 called for the creation of bodies that could represent the faithful in their dealings with the Russian state. Third, having previously suppressed these institutions, former leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin restored them during World War II to help mobilize Muslims to fight against the German invasion (Millard Tatar, November 16, 2023).
Since the end of Soviet times, these groups have exploded in number, with nearly 100 regional MSDs and half a dozen “super” MSDs—an MSD that subordinates to itself MSDs in the regions—currently in existence (Window on Eurasia, April 24, 2020). As they have increased in number, however, the MSDs have decreased in importance. This is because the Russian state has been able to dismiss them as irrelevant or play the groups off against one another. At the same time, individual parishes have often chosen to go their own way. Now, due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and how Russian President Vladimir Putin has chosen to fight it, the MSDs are recovering the purpose for which Stalin created them and quite possibly gaining the importance that some have hoped for as a Muslim version of the Moscow Patriarchate’s hierarchy. If that happens, Putin’s use of MSDs could backfire and allow them to emerge as a significant challenge to the Russian state.
Since the start of his expanded war in Ukraine, Putin has chosen to raise an army first and foremost in non-Russian republics and poorer Russian regions (see EDM, March 1, 2020, April 4, 9, 16, July 16). These regions far from Moscow allow him to maintain the fiction to the cities where three-quarters of the population lives that everything remains as it was before the conflict.
The existing MSDs, almost without exception, are similar to the other bodies of the so-called four traditional religions of the Russian Federation—Russian Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism—that have issued statements in support of the war. Russian religious organizations, except for the Russian Orthodox Church, however, have done relatively little in supporting the war effort until recently (Window on Eurasia, June 3, 2022). Russia’s Buddhist population, however, is one of the few organizations in Russia that has even condemned the war (see Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, October 3, 2022). This is beginning to change, first of all among the Muslim hierarchies, where recruitment and combat deaths are the highest per capita, leading to shifts in public opinion.
Tatarstan and the North Caucasus have seen the most important moves in this regard. In Tatarstan, the dominant republic in the Middle Volga, the mufti, who heads the MSD there, has created a new deputy to supervise the institution’s multifarious activities related to “the special military operation” (Novyye Izvestiya, October 8). In the North Caucasus, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been playing a major military role in Ukraine, has installed his man as head of the region’s MSD, the Coordinating Center of Muslims of the North Caucasus. From this position, Supreme Mufti of Chechnya Salah Mezhiev can be expected to push for an expanded role in Ukraine by other parts of that region as well (Window on Eurasia, October 5; Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 1; KavkasUzel.eu, October 1).
The new arrangement in Tatarstan is the more critical of the two because the region’s actions generally serve as a precedent for MSDs elsewhere. Novyye Izvestiya points out that “the [MSD] of Tatarstan has been involved with the support of Russian Muslims fighting in Ukraine from the very beginning of the special military operation. Tatarstan Mufti Kamil Samigullin has visited the front seven times. His new deputy … will assume responsibility for supporting the families and the soldiers themselves, sending supplies to the front, and supervising ammunition production” (Novyye Izvestiya, October 8). These are no small things given Moscow’s priorities as Putin’s expanded war in Ukraine approaches its third anniversary. This public listing, however, obscures the tasks set before the newly invigorated MSD in Tatarstan.
As with other federal subjects far from Moscow, Tatarstan is under enormous pressure to recruit more men to send to the front. The region’s MSD will help, but will also deal with two other problems that may be even more fateful. The deputy head of the MSD will work closely with Tatarstan citizens fighting in Ukraine to limit clashes between them and soldiers of other ethnicities that have undercut unit effectiveness (Window on Eurasia, July 30, 2022). The new deputy mufti and his staff will also deal with the rising tide of combat deaths among Tatarstan residents in Ukraine. Those deaths, now at unprecedented levels, have sparked growing anger about the war that could eventually trigger anti-war protests (Idelreal.org, September 30, October 3).
Due to Moscow’s immediate needs, it clearly hopes that the MSDs will be able to meet all the assigned tasks, but it also has reason to fear any successes on the part of the MSDs that could help power the rise of a new Muslim movement in the country. Moscow would likely then resort to its traditional divide-and-rule strategy, but in doing so may find that it will lose more in the short-term than it can afford. This is especially likely given the short time horizons Putin and his team have adopted on Ukraine and so many other issues.
Source:eurasiareview.com
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https://www.eurasiareview.com/12102024-kremlin-mobilizes-muslim-hierarchies-to-support-war-effort-analysis/
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North America
US soldier sentenced to 14 years for trying to help Islamic State kill troops
12 October 2024
A US soldier was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison for attempting to help the Islamic State murder troops.
The sentencing of Cole Bridges, 24, came after his 14 June 2023 guilty plea to terrorism charges.
Bridges joined the army some five years ago, and was assigned as a cavalry scout in the third infantry division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia. Before Bridges became a soldier, however, he started researching and consuming pro-terrorist propaganda – and voiced his support for IS and jihad on social media, Manhattan federal prosecutors said.
Around October 2020, Bridges started communicating online with someone whom he believed was an IS supporter. This person was actually an FBI undercover employee, authorities said.
Bridges told the covert operative that he was frustrated with the US armed forces and wanted to help IS. He then gave “training and guidance to purported Isis fighters who were planning attacks, including advice about potential targets in New York City”, according to a press release on his sentencing.
Bridges also gave parts of a US army training manual, as well as information on combat techniques, to the undercover employee. He did so “with the understanding that the materials would be used by Isis in future attack planning”.
In December 2020, Bridges started giving the covert operative instructions so that the purported IS militants would know how target US forces in the Middle East. Bridges also shared guidance on the best way to protect an IS stronghold in a bid to attack US special forces, prosecutors said.
This advice included how to wire some buildings with explosives, to kill troops. Early the next year, Bridges gave the undercover employee a video of himself wearing his military body armor “standing in front of a flag often used by Isis fighters and making a gesture symbolic of support for Isis,” prosecutors said.
About one week later, Bridges sent yet another video in which he, “using a voice manipulator”, voiced a propaganda speech to support an expected IS attack against US servicemen, officials said.
Bridges’ time in federal prison will be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
“Cole Bridges used his US army training to pursue a horrifying goal: the brutal murder of his fellow service members in a carefully plotted ambush,” the Manhattan US attorney Damian Williams said in a press release. “Bridges sought to attack the very soldiers he was entrusted to protect and, making this abhorrent conduct even more troubling, was eager to help people he believed were members of a deadly foreign terrorist organization plan this attack.
Source:yahoo.com
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https://uk.news.yahoo.com/us-soldier-sentenced-14-years-235336521.html
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Voters can judge candidates under fire for Muslim, Indigenous comments: Rustad
October 11, 2024
BC Conservative Leader John Rustad says it will be up to voters to judge his party’s candidates as he stood by a pair whose remarks on Indigenous and Muslim people drew condemnation from election rivals and other critics.
On Friday, NDP Leader David Eby called Vancouver-Quilchena candidate Dallas Brodie “ignorant” for her remarks that people who “want to be First Nations” should take responsibility for people on the city’s Downtown Eastside.
Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau said it was a “failure” by Rustad not to ditch Brodie and Surrey South candidate Brent Chapman, who apologized this week for calling Palestinian children “inbred” and “time bombs” on social media.
“When a candidate makes racist or hateful comments, it’s the leader’s responsibility to remove that candidate,” Furstenau said Friday on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This is a failure of John Rustad — a failure he has repeated again and again.”
Asked about his candidates, Rustad said Friday that British Columbians faced a “stark choice” in the Oct. 19 provincial election.
“We have candidates who have said a number of things and represent their ridings, and it will be up to the people in the ridings to elect them,” Rustad said.
“The stark choice that we have is this: We have seen people dying on our streets from crime and drugs. Our health care system is collapsing and in crisis, our economy is in shambles … David Eby is doing nothing but attacking and slagging. I get that, because he cannot defend what he has done.”
Throughout the campaign, Rustad’s party has been dealing with fallout from a series of contentious remarks by candidates that have emerged on social media.
The latest is Brodie, who was seen in a video posted on X saying “it’s not OK” for First Nations communities “to leave your people” in the city’s impoverished Downtown Eastside.
“I believe when people say they want to be First Nations, they want autonomy, they want to be treated on an equal bases, equal footing … with those rights of being a First Nation comes responsibilities,” Brodie is seen telling a candidates meeting in the Dunbar neighbourhood on Thursday.
“And when a large percentage of your people are on the Downtown Eastside, it’s important that you come and take responsibility for that piece as well.”
Brodie said in a response shared by her party on Friday that she hadn’t been allowed to finish her remarks.
“We, as a government, need to work with First Nations to achieve reconciliation by helping Indigenous people who are suffering from addiction get into housing and treatment. We need to take action to heal this generational trauma,” she said.
She said that a Conservative government “will work with Indigenous leaders to develop treatment and recovery programs that are available within First Nations communities.”
Eby said Indigenous leaders were already working to provide housing and support in the Downtown Eastside and Brodie “wants to believe in her heart that Indigenous people are not taking action.”
Rustad has also been facing questions about why his party is the only one that has yet to release a costed platform, with just eight days to go before election day and with advance voting already well underway.
Elections BC said more than 170,000 people in the province voted on Thursday — a record for the first advance-voting day in an election.
Almost 45,000 more people voted than on the first voting day in 2017, when overall turnout went on to reach 61 per cent, the highest in almost two decades.
Rustad said the absence of a platform was deliberate and it would likely be released in the next few days.
“Once you release a fully costed platform, you’ve released your entire platform,” Rustad said. “And so we’re using this opportunity through the campaign for people to understand who we are, the things that we want to bring.”
Asked about the tone of the campaign at an event in Comox, B.C., on Friday, Eby said it was important voters knew the values of candidates.
“I think people were making light of these candidates early on. They were calling them a clown car of candidates. And it’s not a minor thing. These views are a threat to our way of life in British Columbia. What makes us successful and prosperous? Working together and communities that aren’t divided and we need to fight that.”
On Friday, the B.C. Muslim Association called for the removal of Chapman in a letter to the party and the candidate, saying a comment like the one he posted in 2015 “promotes division and hate” and it was imperative he be asked to step down.
Chapman wrote of Palestinian children: “They are all little inbred walking, talking, breathing time bombs … figuratively and quite literally.”
The National Council of Canadian Muslims had already condemned Chapman’s post as deeply Islamophobic, disgusting, and utterly unacceptable.
Chapman issued his “sincerest apologies to everyone hurt” by his posts, adding that the comments “do not reflect who I am today.”
Rustad said his party was focusing on “clear policies” that would improve people’s lives, such as the party’s promise Friday to expand access to fertility treatments including funding for two rounds of in vitro fertilization treatment and granting one-month paid compassionate leave after a miscarriage.
The party also pledged to establish a midwife training school in Surrey, B.C.
Source:globalnews.ca
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https://globalnews.ca/news/10807056/brent-chapman-muslim-association-comments/
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‘Pain in Peace’ Opens Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival
BY DAVID LUHRSSEN
OCT. 11, 2024
In September 2001, just days after 911, a white supremacist went looking for “Muslim-looking” clerks at Dallas convenience stores. He killed two. One of his survivors, Rais Bhuiya, forgave the man who fired at him with a shotgun. Bhuiya’s face has been restored but he lost sight in one eye and shotgun pellets will always be embedded in his skull.
For Bhuiya, a Bangladeshi who moved to the U.S. “to pursue my dreams,” personal reconciliation with his would-be murderer wasn’t enough. Bhuiya became an activist not only against hate crimes but the psychology, the twisted emotional roots, behind those crimes. His documentary, Pain in Peace, is the opening night feature at this year’s Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival.
Working with Emmy-winning filmmaker Mark Feijo, Bhuiya traveled the U.S. and Canada, visiting the locations of notorious as well as less known hate crimes. He interviewed Rev. Al Sharpton, who reminded listeners of the progress against flagrant racism in his own lifetime. “What we have as normal now, people could not have imagined,” he said, adding that much still needs to be done. And it’s up to everyone. “The only thing that matters when you’re dead is what you’ve done. Whatever possessions you leave behind will not matter,” Sharpton continued. “We all have a duty and an obligation” to make the world a better place.
Victims and Perpetrators
For the most part, Bhuiya speaks with victims and perpetrators. A repentant neo-Nazi skinhead confesses the damage he suffered when, at age 10, he stumbled across his father with another woman. His grades sank and with them, his self-esteem. He “thrived on negativity because it’s better than feeling invisible,” he explained, and that negativity was directed against Jews. Eventually he turned his life around and had the courage to visit the synagogue he had defaced years earlier. Expecting to be judged harshly, he was received with compassion. They helped him overcome his feeling that he didn’t deserve compassion.
Breaking the cycle of hate and violence, the tit for tat, is the theme running through Bhuiya’s interviews. He spoke with a former Islamist extremist who explained his past beliefs as a wrong turn in the search for belonging to something greater than himself. “Radicalization is a process,” he said. People can grow increasingly extreme through the bad influence of others and the torrent of hatred and lies running through the sewers of social media.
Bhuiya visited Buffalo, NY, and Charleston, SC, where he spoke with survivors of the lone white gunmen who went to a grocery and a church to murder Blacks. Those survivors counseled relentless struggle against the racist attitudes that eventually erupted in violence. “Evil doesn’t shut off, but our goodness takes a breather,” one woman warned. A Buffalo man added, reflecting on his life experience with racism, “In my silence I was part of the problem.” He is now committed to working for change.
Among Bhuiya’s other stops was Oak Creek, Wis., site of the 2012 Sikh Temple massacre. He interviewed Pardeep Kaleka, who vividly recalled rushing to the Temple to find his mother safely hidden in a closet and his father dead. Kaleka was never able to reconcile with the killer who took his own life as police closed in. “We can’t let what happened that day be the lasting message,” Kaleka told Bhuiya. “Pain without purpose is pointless,” but that pain can spur us to look more deeply into the causes and effects of the frustration and rage that can turn our world into a toxic place.
Source:shepherdexpress.com
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South Asia
Shaheen: Islamic Emirate Ready to Pay if Given UN Seat
October 12, 2024
Suhail Shaheen, head of the political office of the Islamic Emirate in Qatar, once again criticized the withholding of Afghanistan's seat at the United Nations from the caretaker government.
The head of the political office of the Islamic Emirate in Qatar emphasized that if Afghanistan’s seat at the UN is given to the caretaker government, the Islamic Emirate is ready to pay Afghanistan's voting dues.
Shaheen believes that the UN’s decision is not based on current realities, but rather has political motives.
Speaking to TOLOnews, Suhail Shaheen said, "I want to say that if Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations is handed over to the Islamic Emirate, we are ready to pay all outstanding dues."
This comes as Afghanistan's request for voting rights in the United Nations General Assembly was once again rejected at the 84th session of the UN Credentials Committee.
Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Chargé d'Affaires of Afghanistan's Permanent Mission to the UN, requested an exemption from paying the organization’s voting dues.
Faiq said: "We recognize the importance of member states fulfilling the financial obligations to the United Nations however Afghanistan is currently in during extraordinary political social and economic challenge is that severely limits our capacity to meet these obligations.”
Aziz Maraj, a former diplomat, said, "Until the Taliban accepts the world’s conditions and establishes a system that also meets the demands of the Afghan people, they will not be granted the UN seat or voting rights."
Afghanistan’s UN membership dues amount to nearly $200,000 per year, which was previously paid by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the former government.
Source:tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-191124
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Islamic song at puja mandap: Ctg Puja Udjapon Parishad president, secretary relieved from posts
Oct 11, 2024
Central committee of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad today relieved its Chattogram chapter President Ashish Bhattacharya and General Secretary Hillol Dey for failing to perform their responsibilities adequately.
Earlier, the Chattogram unit issued a lifetime termination of Joint Secretary Sajal Dutta for allowing a group that rendered songs, including one having Islamic theme, at JM Sen Hall Puja mandap yesterday evening, as stated in a release signed by Sachin Chandra Baroi, office secretary of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad.
Besides, central Puja Udjapon Parishad strongly condemned the incident.
President of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad Shri Basudev Dhar and General Secretary Shri Santosh Sharma said in a statement that people of the Hindu community have been deeply hurt by this unexpected incident. The parishad demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and exemplary punishment.
Simultaneously, the Puja Udjapon Parish emphasised that the government has implemented necessary measures to ensure the successful celebration of Durga Puja. Such incidents can understandably hinder these positive efforts, it said.
The statement called for collaboration among the government, military, law enforcement, political parties, and student organizations to unite against miscreants, stressing that there is no alternative to this collective action.
Meanwhile, Puja Udjapon Parishad Chattogram Finance Secretary Sukanto Bikash Mohajan filed a case accusing seven persons with the Kotwali Police Station today.
The six persons who performed songs on the stage and Sajal Dutta were accused in the case, said Fazlul Kader, officer in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.
Police earlier detained two of the six persons. The two individuals were shown arrested in the case.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/islamic-song-puja-mandap-ctg-puja-udjapon-parishad-president-secretary-relieved-posts-3725486
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Chinese envoy holds meeting with BNP, Jamaat leaders in Ctg
Oct 11, 2024
Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen today held separate meetings with regional leaders of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in Chattogram.
Adviser to BNP Chairperson Golam Akbar Khandkar along with BNP's regional leaders met the Chinese ambassador while in another meeting Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Muhammad Shahjahan along with his party's leaders met the envoy, a Chinese Embassy's press release said.
During the discussion, Ambassador Yao emphasised that the Communist Party of China (CPC) has long maintained friendly relations with all major political parties in Bangladesh.
He expressed China's willingness to further strengthen exchanges on governance under the new circumstances, enhance personnel training, and promote cooperation across various fields, advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership for the benefit of both the people.
The regional leaders of the two parties expressed their gratitude for the long-standing support provided by the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people towards Bangladesh's national development, economic and social progress, and the well-being of its people.
They noted that Bangladesh is at a critical juncture of national reconstruction and requested continued Chinese support for Bangladesh's development.
They also expressed their desire to further strengthen party-to-party exchanges and friendly cooperation with the CPC.
Both sides exchanged views on the current situation in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Bangladesh diplomatic relations in 2025, as well as the "Year of People-to-People Exchanges".
Source:thedailystar.net
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Amnesty: Human Rights Council fails to address human rights crisis in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati-
October 11, 2024
Amnesty International has stated that the United Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution on Afghanistan has failed to provide an adequate response to the escalating human rights crisis in the country.
The organization asserts that the Taliban continues to suppress the rights of the Afghan people.
In a statement released on Thursday, October 10, Amnesty International noted that while the UN Human Rights Council extended Richard Bennett’s mandate, it still did not establish an independent international accountability mechanism for the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.
Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s regional director for South Asia, criticized the Human Rights Council for failing to provide adequate support for justice to the people of Afghanistan, who have placed their hopes in the international community.
Amnesty International warned that the shortcomings in this resolution leave brave activists, particularly women human rights defenders, journalists, and others who continue their work in the face of repression, in a precarious situation.
The organization emphasized the urgent need for UN member states to act swiftly to establish an independent international accountability mechanism. This would ensure that those responsible for human rights violations are held accountable.
Hillary Power from Human Rights Watch described the latest resolution of the UN Human Rights Council as another failure for the body. She noted that despite repeated requests from human rights groups, the Council has not created a mechanism for holding the Taliban accountable for human rights violations.
The ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan, particularly against women and girls, are exacerbating the dire humanitarian crisis in the country. With the Taliban’s strict regulations prohibiting women from participating in public life and education, the prospects for future generations are bleak.
These violations not only undermine the dignity and rights of Afghan women but also hinder the country’s overall development and stability.
As the international community grapples with the crisis, it is crucial to advocate for stronger mechanisms that ensure accountability and protection of human rights in Afghanistan.
Supporting local and international efforts to document abuses and demand justice can empower the voices of those affected and contribute to fostering a more inclusive and just society.
Source:khaama.com
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Islamic Emirate Distributes Aid After Poppy Ban, Farmers Seek Alternatives
October 12, 2024
Following the ban on poppy cultivation in the country, nearly 100,000 tons of improved seed varieties and 200,000 tons of chemical fertilizers have been distributed to farmers across the nation.
Misbahuddin Mustaeen, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, stressed that this quantity of materials has been distributed in cooperation with domestic and international organizations to support farmers.
Mustaeen added that by the end of the current solar year, another 53,000 tons of improved seeds will also be distributed to farmers nationwide.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock said: "One hundred thousand tons of improved seeds and 200,000 tons of chemical fertilizers have been distributed. Additionally, the distribution of 53,000 tons of improved seeds is currently underway in various provinces and is being distributed to farmers."
Meanwhile, some farmers in the country are calling for more support from the ministry for alternative crops to poppies.
"Wheat and corn do not meet our needs, and our request from the government is to provide alternative crops for us instead of opium," said Hamidullah, a farmer.
"There are seven people in my family who need to be fed, and the government must help us in place of poppies; they should distribute improved seeds or chemical fertilizers because our economy is very weak," said Jamaluddin, another farmer.
Earlier, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the political deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, in the first meeting of the High Commission for Combating Narcotics, said that the international community must fulfill its commitments in the fight against narcotics in Afghanistan.
Kabir said that important discussions were held at the third Doha meeting regarding alternative crops, and he is hopeful that the commitments made to assist Afghan farmers and the agricultural sector of Afghanistan will be fulfilled.
Source:tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-191134
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Russia Emphasizes Importance of Continuing Talks with Islamic Emirate
October 12, 2024
By Mohammad Bashir Soltani,
Grigory Karasin, the head of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council, called the continuation of talks with Afghanistan’s interim government important.
In a meeting on Central Asia regional security held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, this Russian official added that the interim government now holds power in Afghanistan, and dialogue with it is essential to maintain peace and stability in Central Asia.
TASS news agency quoted Karasin as saying: "It appears important to continue dialogue with the Taliban movement in power [in Afghanistan] in order to maintain peace and stability in Central Asia."
"The countries of the region should have good relations with Afghanistan in all areas and cooperate with this country; this will be beneficial for the region and other countries," said Sayed Akbar Sial Wardak, a political analyst.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan sees peaceful talks aimed at forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan as beneficial for the country.
Sodik Imom, Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan, said: "That is why our countries agree that peaceful dialogue aimed at forming an inclusive government with the participation of representatives of all political and ethnic forces of Afghanistan is an important guarantee for this country's transition to peaceful development."
"Afghanistan is an important part of the region, and if the region wants peace and to implement large economic projects, it needs, it requires Afghanistan. Without Afghanistan’s cooperation, these projects cannot be realized," said Hewad Zazai, another political analyst.
Although the Islamic Emirate has not commented on the remarks of Tajikistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, it expressed appreciation for the statement of the head of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council regarding the continuation of talks with the interim government.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, said: "We welcome the positive stance of the head of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council. It is indeed a fact that dialogue between the Islamic Emirate and regional countries is important for regional stability and the expansion of relations."
Russia is one of the countries that has hosted several regional meetings on Afghan issues in the past three years, and in the sixth Moscow Consultative Format meeting, the country’s foreign minister also stressed pragmatic talks with the interim government.
Source:tolonews.com
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Mideast
Israel observes Yom Kippur amid firestorm over Lebanon strikes
October 12, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel observed Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, on Saturday amid a firestorm of international criticism over its military offensive in Lebanon and its soldiers firing on peacekeepers.
As the holy day got under way Friday from sundown, Israel faced diplomatic backlash over what it acknowledged was a “hit” earlier in the day on a United Nations peacekeeping position in Lebanon.
Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the second such incident in two days, the UNIFIL mission said Friday.
The military said Israeli soldiers had responded with fire to “an immediate threat” around 50 meters (yards) from the UNIFIL post.
As Israel faced a chorus of condemnation from UN chief Antonio Guterres and Western allies, the military pledged to carry out a “thorough review.”
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah meanwhile warned Israelis to stay away from Israeli army sites in residential areas in the north of the country, alleging the military “uses the homes” of locals and has military bases in residential neighborhoods.
Hezbollah has repeatedly announced it has fired rockets at areas in northern Israel.
The UNIFIL peacekeepers have found themselves on the frontline of the Israel-Hezbollah war, which has killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures.
The latest incident came a day after two Indonesian soldiers were hurt when, according to UNIFIL, tank fire hit a watchtower.
Sean Clancy, the Irish military’s chief of staff, said he did not believe Israel’s explanation of Friday’s incident.
“So from a military perspective, this is not an accidental act,” said Clancy, whose country has troops in UNIFIL.
Guterres condemned the firing as “intolerable” and “a violation of international humanitarian law,” while the British government said it was “appalled” by reports of the wounded.
US President Joe Biden said Friday he was “absolutely” asking Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers, while the French, Spanish and Italian leaders issued a joint statement expressing “outrage.”
French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his call for an end to exports of weapons used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, while saying the UN peacekeepers had been “deliberately targeted.”
The incidents came more than two weeks into Israel’s war with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has seen Israeli warplanes conduct extensive strikes since September 23 on the militants’ strongholds, with multiple civilian areas hit, and ground troops deployed across the border.
Israeli and Hezbollah forces fought along the border on Friday, with Israeli air strikes reported in the south and east of Lebanon.
It marked a tense start to Yom Kippur. From sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday, Israeli markets are closed, flights stopped and public transport halted as observant Jews fast and pray on the Day of Atonement.
Diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza have so far failed, but Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his government would ask the UN Security Council to issue a new resolution calling for a “full and immediate ceasefire.”
Leaders from nine European countries around the Mediterranean Sea on Friday also called for an end to fighting in Lebanon, as well as Gaza.
Mikati said that only the Lebanese military and peacekeepers should be deployed in the south of the country — the essence of existing Security Council Resolution 1701 — and “Hezbollah is in agreement on this issue.”
US special envoy Amos Hochstein said the United States was working “non-stop” toward a ceasefire.
“We want the whole conflict to end,” he told Lebanese television channel LBC from Washington.
Lebanon’s military said an Israeli strike on one of its positions in south Lebanon killed two of its soldiers on Friday.
Hezbollah is heavily armed and controls large swathes of Lebanon, and successive Lebanese governments have failed to subdue it.
The movement also fought Israeli troops during Israel’s last invasion in 2006.
In Beirut, residents of a central area of the capital targeted by twin Israeli air strikes on Thursday night salvaged their possessions and cleared rubble from the devastated streets.
“There are a lot of families living here,” said Bilal Othman, who explained that many people had sought shelter there from southern Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, which has been pummelled by Israeli raids since last month.
“Do they want to tell us there is no safe place left in this country?” he said.
The Israeli strikes apparently targeted Hezbollah’s security chief Wafiq Safa, a source close to Hezbollah told AFP.
Lebanon’s health ministry said the strikes killed 22 people and wounded more than 100.
Safa was close to Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike on south Beirut last month.
Hezbollah began firing on Israel in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.
Israel’s military campaign has wrought devastation on Gaza and, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, killed 42,126 people, mostly civilians.
Late Friday, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported 30 people killed in Israeli strikes on Jabalia, north Gaza.
The co-head of a Japanese atomic bomb survivor group awarded the Nobel Peace Prize said the situation for children in Gaza reminded him of the plight of survivors after World War II.
“It’s like in Japan 80 years ago,” Toshiyuki Mimaki said in Tokyo.
Source:arabnews.com
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Hezbollah warns Israelis to stay away from army in residential areas
October 12, 2024
BEIRUT, Lebanon: Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Friday warned Israelis to stay away from Israeli army sites in residential areas in the north of the country.
“The Israeli enemy army uses the homes” of Israelis in north Israel, and has military bases inside residential “neighborhoods in major occupied cities such as Haifa, Tiberias, Acre,” it said in a statement in Arabic and Hebrew.
It warned Israelis “from being near these military gatherings in order to preserve their lives.”
After almost a year of cross-border fire, Israel has increased its strikes on what it says are Lebanese militant group Hezbollah sites since September 23.
The escalation has killed more than 1,200 people and displaced around a million from their homes.
Hezbollah has repeatedly announced it has fired rockets at areas in northern Israel.
Source:arabnews.com
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Israel prevents Palestinians from Friday prayers at West Bank mosque
11.10.2024
The Israeli army prevented Palestinians in Hebron, in the southern West Bank, from performing weekly Friday prayers and continued to close the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim faithfuls, leaving it open only to illegal Israeli settlers for the third consecutive day.
"Israeli soldiers prevented us from entering the mosque to perform Friday prayers, so we prayed at one of the surrounding checkpoints," Hebron Endowments Director Ghassan Al-Rajabi told Anadolu.
“Around a thousand Palestinians performed Friday prayers at a closed military checkpoint west of the mosque,” he added.
According to Al-Rajabi, dozens of Palestinians were denied entry to the mosque on Friday morning, forcing them to offer prayers at the checkpoints surrounding it.
He explained that Israeli authorities have closed the mosque for four days, citing Jewish holidays, and that the closure was expected to end on Saturday evening.
Al-Rajabi accused Israel of trying to "alter the Palestinian demographic around the mosque, increase illegal Israeli settlers’ presence, and simultaneously prevent the call to prayer (Adhan) and prayers."
He made the point that "the Israeli occupation (authorities) only recognizes religious of illegal Israeli settlers, denying the same to Palestinians."
On Wednesday, Mutaz Abu Sunaina, the mosque's director, told Anadolu that “Israeli authorities began the closure on Wednesday due to the Sukkot and Yom Kippur holidays.”
He noted that during such closures, “the entire mosque is opened for illegal settlers, where they hold loud celebrations and Talmudic prayers.”
He added that “The closure will continue until Saturday evening.”
Yom Kippur celebrations began on Thursday evening, during which illegal Israeli settlers increased their incursions into Islamic and historical sites, such as the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and the Al-Aqsa Mosque Complex in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Ibrahimi Mosque is located in Hebron's Old City, which is under Israeli control, and is home to approximately 400 illegal Israeli settlers who are protected by 1,500 Israeli soldiers and numerous military checkpoints.
Following a massacre by an Israeli settler in 1994 that killed 29 Palestinians, Israel divided the mosque, allocating 63% to Jews and 37% to Muslims, with the Adhan (call to prayer) room in the Jewish section.
Source:aa.com.tr
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UAE authorities to probe citizen for violating Lebanon travel ban
October 12, 2024
ABU DHABI: UAE attorney-general Hamad Said Al-Shamsi ordered an immediate investigation into a UAE national who violated the country’s travel ban to Lebanon, state news agency WAM reported on Friday.
The citizen had traveled to Lebanon with his family via another country, overcoming the travel restrictions placed from the UAE.
He will be investigated for endangering his family’s safety amid the escalating violence in Lebanon, WAM said.
“The Attorney-General emphasized the importance of adhering to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ travel advisories, which are designed to protect UAE citizens from potential dangers in certain regions,” read the statement.
Violators will be subject to fines and/or imprisonment according to the UAE Penal Code, warned Al-Shamsi.
Israel has intensified its bombardment on Lebanon, a year after it exchanged almost daily cross-border fire with the militant group Hezbollah since the war in Gaza started last October.
The international community has called for a ceasefire to prevent the outbreak of a wider war in the region.
Source:arabnews.com
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Gaza civil defense agency says 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Jabalia on Friday
October 11, 2024
GAZA: Gaza’s civil defense agency Friday said at least 30 people have been killed by Israeli strikes throughout the day in northern Gaza’s Jabalia town and refugee camp amid intense combat operations by the Israeli army in the area.
The agency’s spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said that a strike that occurred before 9:40 p.m. local time (1840 GMT) had left “12 dead, including women and children” in the town.
Before that incident, Ahmad Kahlout — director of the agency in northern Gaza — said 18 people had been killed by several strikes, including hits on “eight schools” in the camp that were serving as shelters for displaced people.
Source:arabnews.com
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Baghdad reinvents itself as heritage tourism destination
October 11, 2024
RIYADH: After decades of war, airstrikes, suicide attacks and car bombs, Baghdad is staking its claim as a heritage tourism attraction.
A fragile stability has emerged since the defeat of Daesh in 2017 allowed a greater focus on the Iraqi capital’s history and culture.
Muaffaq Al-Tai, 83, a professor, and Abdullah Imad, 23, an architecture student, organize walking tours of the city’s historic center, including an 800-year-old Abbasid palace with arabesque reliefs and the battlements of the 12th-century Bab Al-Wastani, the Central Gate.
“We want to show the public what Baghdad has to offer in terms of Islamic architecture, its value and identity,” Imad said
The renewed interest in Iraq’s heritage was “a source of hope for a positive change in our identity, and our heritage and its preservation,” said Fatima Al-Moqdad, 28, an architect.
“When young people surf the internet, they see how other nations look after their heritage. They want and deserve the same.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Israel army says sirens sound north of Tel Aviv due to ‘aircraft infiltration’
October 11, 2024
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Friday said air raid sirens sounded in central Israel, including areas north of the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, after an aircraft infiltrated.
“Sirens have been activated in several areas in central Israel following an intrusion of hostile aircraft. Interception attempts have been made, and details are under investigation. Additional explosions may be heard, originating from interceptions or debris,” the military said in a statement.
Roughly 20 minutes after the alert, Israel’s military said the incident had ended.
The air raid sirens came as Israelis observe the Yom Kippur holiday.
Earlier Friday evening, air raid sirens blared in dozens of areas across northwestern after dozens of projectiles were fired from Lebanon, the military said.
From sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday, markets are closed, flights stopped and public transport halted as most Jews fast and pray on the Day of Atonement.
Due to its status as Judaism’s holiest day, Yom Kippur is traditionally observed with a complete media silence during the period.
Media outlets, however, have pledged to cover major developments or updates, as Israel fights Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas Palestinians militants in Gaza.\
Source:arabnews.com
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2 Lebanese soldiers killed and 3 others hurt in airstrike, Lebanese army says
October 11, 2024
BEIRUT: Two Lebanese soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an Israeli airstrike that hit a building near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Kafra, Bint Jbeil province, the Lebanese Army said Friday.
Since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon, Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have clashed along the border while the Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines.
As Israeli troops made their first forays across the border and Hezbollah responded with rocket fire, Lebanese soldiers withdrew from observation posts along the frontier and repositioned about 5 km back.
On Oct. 3, a Lebanese soldier was killed and another injured in an Israeli strike in Taybeh during rescue operations. On Sept. 30, another Lebanese soldier was killed by an Israeli drone targeting a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Wazzani.
Source:arabnews.com
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Pakistan
Armed men steal, burn ballot papers during NA-231 recounting: election officials
Imtiaz Ali
October 11, 2024
The recounting process at four polling stations in NA-231 Malir III, Karachi turned into a clash on Friday as armed men ransacked the office, election officials said.
PPP’s Abdul Hakeem Baloch has won Malir’s NA-231 in Karachi with 43,634 votes, according to the provisional results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
On the request of PTI candidate Advocate Khalid Mehmood, the election tribunal had decided to hold recounting at four polling stations — PS 65, 71, 98, and 175.
PTI Sindh Secretary General Ali Pulh was present at the polling station, and said, “If there is a fair recount, this seat is ours.”
A media statement by PTI Sindh claimed that “PPP thugs” reached the office of the ECP and burnt the records, as well as ballot boxes and other records.
The statement claimed that Mehmood was “tortured and abducted”, and he later told PTI leaders over the phone that “the PPP goons” took away his laptop.
“Out of fear of defeat, the people of PPP have stormed the office of the Election Commission,” PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh said.
“Illegal action has taken place in the presence of police and law enforcement agencies,” Sheikh said, claiming that NA-231 was won by Mehmood.
“The people of PPP did not allow recounting on orders of the court,” the statement quoted him as saying.
A statement issued by Regional Election Commissioner Karachi, Imtiaz Ahmed Qureshi, took notice of the incident and said that the recounting process was due to begin at 10am.
At around 11am, unknown men with their faces covered, “armed with weapons and sticks”, forcefully entered the office premises.
“[They] broke open the gates of the office and the Committee Room where the recounting process was going on, ransacked the office furniture and forcibly took away the polling bags of four polling stations ie 65, 71, 98 and 175 of Constituency NA-231 Malir III.
“The mob also burnt down the said polling bags in front of [the] polling building,” the statement read.
It added that during the recounting process, a heavy police contingency and police mobiles were deployed on the office premises.
“Despite the adequate security measures and presence of police force, the mob attacked the office.”
South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com that a first information report (FIR) has been registered against unknown miscreants on the complaint of the election commission office.
“Strict legal action would be taken against elements involved in rioting and hooliganism,” the DIG said, adding that the police are in touch with the complainant to obtain evidence with the help of CCTV footage since the incident occurred within their premises.
He later told Dawn.com: “One suspect belonging to a certain political party has been arrested so far.”
The officer did not disclose the political affiliation of the suspect.
Source:.dawn.com
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Two terrorists behind Dasu Hydel Project attack killed in 'friendly fire'
By Mian Abid
October 11, 2024
LAHORE: Terrorists opened fire on law enforcement officials and gunned down two of their accomplices involved in 2021 Dasu Hydropower Project (DHPP) attack as they were being moved from the Sahiwal prison, said the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
The terrorists were on death row and were being moved from the prison due to security concerns, said a CTD spokesperson, adding one of them was mastermind of the attack.
“Accomplices of the arrested terrorists opened fire on police to get them freed, resultantly shooting both of them dead,” the spokesperson said. The incident took place on Sammundari road in Sahiwal.
At least 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals working on the Dasu Hydropower Project (DHPP), were killed in an explosion on July 14, 2021.
A probe into the incident had later revealed that it was an act of terrorism involving the nexus between India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS).
Following the explosion, the Chinese firm working on the project had stopped working on the site citing “security concerns” and laid off all but the most essential Pakistani workers.
However, the company had later withdrawn the notification and the work on the project was resumed after a few months.
In November 2022, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) handed down the death sentence on 13 counts to each of the two men arrested in the DHPP terrorist attack case.
The court had also imposed Rs40 million fine on the two convicted terrorists, besides awarding them a total of around 800 years of imprisonment; including life imprisonment.
The Foreign Office on November 14, 2022, welcomed the verdict saying the decision demonstrated Pakistan’s commitment to counterterrorism.
"[...] the proactive investigation, prosecution and judgment in this case have once again demonstrated Pakistan’s abiding commitment to counterterrorism."
Source:thenews.com.pk
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Deaths of 20 labourers in Balochistan coal mine attack trigger protests
By Nadeem Kausar
October 11, 2024
Citizens and traders recorded their protest on Friday against the deadly rocket attack on coal mines in Balochistan's District Duki which left at least 20 miners dead and seven others injured.
The attack came as the latest incident of violence in the southwestern province
The mineral-rich region borders Afghanistan and Iran has been troubled for decades due to frequent incidents of violence.
No group has yet claimed responsibility.
"A group of armed men attacked the mines in the Duki area in the wee hours [of Friday] using heavy weapons,” said Humayun Khan, the police station house officer for the town, located east of the city of Quetta.
They fired rockets and grenades at the mines as well, he added.
Following the deadly attack, citizens staged a demonstration at Bacha Khan Chowk with the bodies of the slain miners.
Meanwhile, traders announced a shutter-down strike in the entire district in condemnation of the dastardly attack. All trade centres and markets remained closed across Duki on Friday.
The area surrounding the coal mines were cordoned off by the police and FC personnel and a search operation was launched soon after the attack.
Bodies of the slain miners and the injured were rushed to nearby medical facility, Teaching Hospital Loralai for medical care.
The police had initially reported the deaths of two miners but the death toll soared to 20 in the following hours, Medical Officer Dr Johar Sadozai confirmed.
As per the official, two of the deceased miners belonged to Pishin and two others were residents of Qila Saifullah while one of them was from Kuchlak and three others came for work from Afghanistan, according to the medial officer.
The owner of the coal mines, Haji Khairullah Nasir, said that the attackers not only carried out an assault on the mining site but also set the machinery on fire.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack and sought a report from the authorities concerned on the matter and reiterated his government’s resolve to purge the country of terrorism.
He expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and conveyed his sympathies to the families of the slain miners.
Taking notice of the matter, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the incident and ordered action against the "terrorists" involved in the attack.
"Terrorists working on the agenda of destablising Pakistan. Labourers are soft targets in cowardly attacks by terrorists," he said, pledging to punish the elements involved in such activities.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the Taliban government returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, mostly in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southwestern Balochistan, which abuts Afghanistan and Iran.
Against this backdrop, the federal cabinet in June this year approved Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, a reinvigorated national counter-terrorism campaign following the Central Apex Committee's recommendations under the National Action Plan to root out terrorism.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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PPP pushes talks forward with draft amendment
Syed Irfan Raza
October 12, 2024
• Party makes its proposals public, outlines provisions for creating federal and provincial constitutional courts
• Stalemate persists in the parliamentary committee as PTI terms PML-N’s suggestions ‘vague’
• Govt ‘gives Bilawal one-month’ to evolve consensus; Fazl confirms receiving govt draft
ISLAMABAD: There was a whiff of consensus on the proposed constitutional amendments during talks between the government and opposition on Friday, as major parties shared their drafts with each other; but only the PPP made its proposals public.
A meeting of the parliamentary committee with both government and opposition members, formed to review the proposed amendment, discussed the drafts threadbare, even though no decision was made.
The ruling PML-N and PPP have shared their proposals for the 26th constitutional amendment, which is required to be passed by the two houses of parliament — the Senate and the National Assembly — with at least a two-thirds majority.
The government’s draft was rejected by the PTI, which called it “vague and confusing”. The party, however, called the PPP’s proposals “clear and understandable”.
After the committee meeting, PTI leader Amir Dogar told reporters that the government wanted to present these amendments in the National Assembly on Saturday, but the plan was shelved after they opposed it.
The committee decided that the constitutional package would be introduced after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which will be held in the federal capital next week.
Separate drafts
Three drafts of the constitutional package have been discussed by the committee, led by PPP’s Khursheed Shah.
Talking to reporters after the meeting on Friday, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said recommendations were presented to the committee, but members could not reach any agreement.
“The PTI has asked for time to examine [the proposals],” the minister said, adding that JUI-F is also expected to share its draft with other parties tomorrow.
“We will meet tomorrow at noon to take matters forward.”
According to Mr Tarar, suggestions of lawyers’ bodies were also presented before the committee.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who also attended the meeting, said his party would give suggestions when a detailed draft is presented.
“[So far,] we have not seen anything from the government,” he claimed.
Mr Dogar, another PTI leader, said the government’s draft “has ambiguity” and requires clarity.
“The amendments require more time,” he said, adding that his party intends to hold discussions with its members, experts, and the JUI-F chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Later, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met the Maulana.
Following the meeting, Mr Bhutto-Zardari told journalists that the government had given him a month to evolve consensus on constitutional amendments related to judicial reforms.
“How long will the government wait and give us space,” he asked, adding that he was trying his best to “continuously engage and put an agreed draft before the government through political consultation”.
While answering a question, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the federal government was confident that it had the numbers to pass the constitutional amendments.
Mr Rehman, the JUI-F chief, said the government had shared its draft with them “for the first time” and his party will hold talks with PPP to come up with a joint proposal.
The draft will also be shared with the PML-N and PTI to reach a consensus, Mr Rehman said, adding other political parties would also be included in the consultations.
PPP’s proposals
The draft amendments submitted by the PPP propose the establishment of a Constitutional Court, along with changes to Article 175, which deals with the powers of courts, and Article 175A, which outlines the process of judges’ appointment.
As per the draft, Article 175AA will be added to the Constitution to set up a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).
A new provision, under Article 175AB, would outline the FCC’s structure — a chief justice and four judges.
Each province will have an equal representation in the FCC, with the chief justice appointed on rotation for three years from each province.
Article 175AC would allow for the court to be set up in Islamabad, while the addition of 175AD would remove the existing Article 184 from the Constitution.
This essentially means that the Supreme Court’s powers to take suo-motu notice — as outlined under Article 184 — will be taken away and transferred to the FCC.
The contents of the said article would be reproduced as Article 175AD, and any reference to the Supreme Court will be replaced with that of the FCC.
Similarly, PPP has also proposed removing the existing Article 186 — which empowers the president to seek Supreme Court’s opinion on a question of public importance — and replace it with Article 175E to transfer the advisory jurisdiction to the FCC.
Under the proposed Article 175F, the FCC’s decision will be final and couldn’t be challenged at any forum.
The PPP has also proposed constitutional courts in each of the four provinces. These courts will have a chief justice and as many judges as determined by the provincial governments.
Like with the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction, the party has proposed to take away high courts’ power to hear complaints filed by aggrieved citizens and transfer it to the provincial constitutional courts.
The proposed Article 191AD would replace Article 199, and any reference to high courts would be replaced with the provincial constitutional courts.
However, provincial constitutional courts won’t have the power to hear appeals against lower courts’ decisions, which will remain under the jurisdiction of respective high courts.
Under Article 191AF, the decision of provincial constitutional courts could be challenged in the FCC for a final order.
Source:dawn.com
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Full court reference for outgoing CJP Qazi Faez Isa set for Oct 25
Umer Mehtab
October 11, 2024
The full court reference for outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has been scheduled for October 25, according to a letter from the Supreme Court registrar.
The development emerged in a letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, from Supreme Court Registrar Jazeela Aslam dated today, written to Supreme Court Bar Association President Shahzad Shaukat.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is next in line to be the country’s top judge after CJP Isa’s retirement.
An invitation to Attorney General of Pakistan Mansoor Awan said that it was a practice for a farewell dinner to be arranged on the occasion but CJP Isa said that he did not want one since it would cost about Rs2 million.
Since August, there have been rumours that the government was planning to extend CJP Isa’s tenure in office. Sources within the ruling coalition had claimed that some crucial amendments were on the cards. Without elaboration, a source had said the amendments would be tabled in the house through a supplementary agenda, indicating that it may be about a uniform extension in the retirement age of superior court judges.
The opposition has opposed any such move, with PTI Founder Imran Khan warning of a nationwide protest if the chief justice’s tenure was extended.
In an informal talk with reporters in Islamabad after addressing a full court to mark the beginning of the new judicial year, CJP Isa was asked about his reportedly agreeing to an extension “if it was applied to all judges”.
Dismissing the claims made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s political adviser Rana Sanaullah that CJP Isa would accept the proposal if the age limit was extended for all judges, the top judge had reiterated that he had refused any extension to his tenure.
However, the Supreme Court had subsequently regretted that “an off-the-record conversation between CJP Isa and journalists” was unnecessarily and largely inaccurately reported and published, resulting in “unwarranted sensationalism”.
A press release issued with the signature of CJP’s Secretary Dr Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad had explained that “giving unnecessary attention and importance to individuals detracts from what was important — institutions — and it be ensured that they serve the people”.
Biography
Born in Quetta on October 26, 1959, CJP Isa is the son of the late Qazi Mohammad Isa of Pishin, who was at the forefront of the Pakistan Movement and a close associate of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
CJP Isa’s father was the first person from the province to acquire the Bar-at-Law degree and helped establish the All India Muslim League in Balochistan after his return from London. His father had served as the only member on the Central Working Committee of the All India Muslim League from Balochistan.
Begum Saida Isa, CJP Isa’s mother, was a social worker and worked in an honorary capacity on the boards of hospitals and other charitable organisations which focused on education, children and women’s health issues.
After completing his primary and secondary education in Quetta, Isa moved to Karachi to finish his ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels at the Karachi Grammar School (KGS). He then went on to study law in London, where he completed his Bar Professional Examination from the Inns of Court School Law, London.
CJP Isa enrolled as an Advocate of the Balochistan High Court on January 30, 1985, and as an Advocate Supreme Court in March 1998.
He has practised law for over 27 years before the High Courts of Pakistan, the Federal Shariat Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He became a member of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association and a Life Member of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.
From time to time, he was called upon by the High Courts and the Supreme Court as amicus curiae and rendered assistance in certain complicated cases. He has also conducted international arbitration.
CJP Isa took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on September 5, 2014, and was sworn in as the 29th chief justice on September 17, 2023, for 13 months.
He lives in Islamabad with his wife and has two children and a granddaughter.
Source:dawn.com
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KP CM orders full facilitation of Jamrud jirga participants in site visit
Dawn.com | Arif Hayat
October 11, 2024
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday visited the site of a peace jirga in Khyber district to oversee arrangements for the gathering and ordered the administration to fully facilitate the participants with whatever they needed.
Earlier today, he had announced that the provincial administration would host the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement’s (PTM) three-day jirga and ensure that all the matters were resolved peacefully.
The federal government agreed, in principle, to lift a recently-imposed ban on the PTM during a multiparty grand jirga, hosted by the provincial government on Thursday. The jirga agreed that the “proscribed” PTM would be allowed to hold its scheduled Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga today, which would be hosted by the KP government and attended by CM Gandapur.
Visiting the site at the district’s Jamrud area, the chief minister reviewed security and other arrangements for holding the jirga after being briefed by the relevant authorities.
Representatives of the provincial government, divisional and district administration officials and police officers were present on the occasion.
CM Gandapur directed the administration to provide all the facilities required by the jirga’s attendants on a priority basis.
“Water, temporary washrooms, lighting, medical campus and other basic needs should be arranged for the jirga participants,” the chief minister ordered, adding that 5,000 blankets should also be immediately provided.
“People participating in the jirga expressed their happiness to see the chief minister and gathered around him. The youth took selfies with him and shouted long live the chief minister,” said a statement from the office of the press secretary to the chief minister.
Prayers were also offered for peace in the country on the occasion.
We will continue our efforts and sacrifices for peace: CM Gandapur
“We will host this jirga and it will be peaceful,” CM Gandapur earlier told reporters in the early hours of today after a jirga with PTM representatives.
“The people will be able to present their demands through the jirga and resolutions,” Gandapur pledged, saying he would resolve the problems raised at the jirga.
“People will come from across the province, sit down and present their issues. They will present their demands according to their district and as CM, I will put these demands in a resolution and try to fulfil them.
“We will continue our efforts and sacrifices for peace,” the CM said.
The chief minister expressed his happiness that a jirga took place “according to Pashtun traditions”, referring to the grand jirga on Thursday. “The government participated, which they have the power to.
He, however, said that “just because there are powers does not mean that they should all be used.”
“In using that power, they shelled a peaceful gathering, which left four people dead and 10 others injured. It is deeply upsetting,” Gandapur said. “Our people have demanded peace because they have suffered and sacrificed so much.
“Nations are formed through sacrifices,” he said. “I hope the sacrifices bear fruit.”
Barrister Saif hails govt jirga as a ‘success’
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information adviser Barrister Saif on Friday took to X to announce that the jirga with the federal government was successful, adding that the parties reached an “agreement on many points in the negotiations to promote peace”.
“The government Jirga under the supervision of the Chief Minister had a successful negotiation with the representative delegation of Jamrud Jirga late at night,” Saif wrote.
“There will be no slogans raised against the state of Pakistan in the Jirga, no slogans raised against the Constitution and the Pakistan Army and no flags of any other country will be allowed,” he added. “Only local issues will be discussed at the jirga.”
Saif added that the Jamrud Jirga will be hosted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, while Gandapur will put the Jirga’s demands before the federal government.
“The federal government has the authority to ban an organisation and they, along with the Supreme Court, have the authority to make decisions in this regard,” Saif said.
“The main priority of the chief minister at this time is the establishment of peace in the province,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, the KP government issued a statement confirming that Hayatabad Medical Complex and Jamrud Hospital have been put on high alert to receive participants from the Pashtun Qaumi Jirga.
“Instructions have been issued to DHO Khyber to provide all possible first aid to the participants of the Pashtun Qaumi Jirga,” the statement read.
Source:dawn.com
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PTI calls Oct 15 D-Chowk ‘massive, peaceful protest’ as govt warns none allowed to disrupt SCO moot
APP | Dawn.com
October 11, 2024
The PTI on Friday announced a protest for Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 15 even as the government warned that no one would be allowed to disrupt the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government Council (CHG) in the federal capital.
The federal government has deployed more than 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel for the security of about 900 delegates who will arrive in Islamabad for the 23rd SCO summit to be held on Oct 15 and 16.
The CHG is the second-highest forum in the SCO. The SCO meeting is being participated by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Iranian first vice president Reza Aref, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and leaders from other member states. The security agencies are, therefore, determined to prevent any disruptions.
The government has deployed army troops under Article 245 of the Constitution, to bolster security measures in Islamabad from October 5 to 17. The federal government has also announced a three-day holiday in the capital starting from Oct 14 to ensure the safety and protection of delegates attending the summit.
Amid the lead-up to the important summit, the PTI’s political committee announced a “massive protest” for D-Chowk on Oct 15.
In a statement issued by the party on X, it said all organisational officials and wings from the centre to the lowest level were instructed to finalise the preparations for the D-Chowk protest.
The party cancelled all protests in the districts of Punjab to prepare for the “peaceful protest” at D-Chowk
“The mandate thief and the illegitimate rulers disgusted with the Constitution and law do not seem willing to give up cruelty and brutality.
“PTI founder Imran Khan was unjustly imprisoned in Adiala [jail] and is being subjected to a new series of brutality.
“Imran Khan’s life, health and safety have been deliberately exposed to serious threats, all his basic and human rights have been deprived,” the party said.
It alleged that the “brutal government is engaged in conspiracies to endanger the security of Imran Khan”.
The party warned that the entire nation would come out on Oct 15 for a full protest if the government did not immediately restore Imran’s basic rights and restore full access to his lawyers, doctors, family members and leaders.
The PTI also demanded the immediate release of its detained workers, officials, citizens and MPAs from across Punjab.
“The illegitimate governments of Punjab and the federal government are also demanded to immediately stop the series of illegal and immoral raids and roundups while violating the sanctity of the cloak and four walls,” it said.
The Punjab government earlier this week imposed a ban on visitors of prisoners in Adiala jail till Oct 18. The ban also applies to all types of meetings of lawyers, political personalities and family members with Imran.
The decision was taken due to security concerns.
PM reviews arrangements as govt warns disrupters
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Islamabad to review preparations for the SCO summit.
On the occasion, the prime minister was briefed on the reception arrangements for the guests attending the SCO summit and was accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and other key officials.
Tarar said Islamabad was made fully safe and secure to welcome the 12 heads of government for the summit.
“Those who have a mindset to conspire against the country should better stay at home as no miscreant will be allowed to disrupt the SCO conference in Islamabad,” the minister said while addressing the media.
“The announcements do not make any difference as Islamabad has been made fully safe and secure,” he said, referring to the PTI.
“It will go as planned and will elevate Pakistan’s prestige and improve its image at the international level,” the minister remarked.
Tarar said all security arrangements were finalised in Islamabad with the deployment of all law enforcement agencies.
“The whole Islamabad has been decorated which would eventually leave a positive impression of Pakistan in minds of the visiting delegations,” he noted.
“The SCO will be a great success for Pakistan and will help enhance regional cooperation with a discussion on many important topics.”
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1864562/pti-calls-oct-15-d-chowk-massive-peaceful-protest-as-govt-warns-none-allowed-to-disrupt-sco-moot
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Section 144 imposed in Rawalpindi as Pakistan prepares to host SCO summit
Tahir Naseer
October 11, 2024
The Punjab government on Friday imposed Section 144 in Rawalpindi district for eight days, banning public gatherings, as Pakistan prepares for the arrival of foreign dignitaries to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad on October 15-16.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period. It is usually imposed to prevent potential disturbances, maintain law and order, and curb any activities that might escalate into violence.
The government has deployed more than 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel for the security of about 900 delegates who will arrive in Islamabad for the summit. The capital will also observe a three-day holiday to ensure the safety and protection of delegates.
According to a notification issued by the Punjab Home Department dated October 10 — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — given that foreign dignitaries will arrive in the twin cities next week for the summit, it was requested to impose section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1898 on certain acts to maintain the law and order situation in the city.
The notification said the district administrations prohibited “all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sits-in, rallies, demonstrations, jalsas, protests and such like other activities” from October 10 to 17.
Pillion riding on motorcycles, aerial firing, pigeon flying, and the use of drones or laser lights have also been banned.
Separately, the Islamabad High Court also declared the starting three days of the next week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) as a “closed holiday” for IHC, civil, and session courts.
The provincial government has also imposed a ban on all political assemblies in nine other districts from Oct 10 to 12 following the announcement of protests by the PTI.
The PTI had announced a schedule of protests beginning from Multan and Sahiwal on Friday. The protests have been planned in Gujranwala and Sargodha on October 12, in Dera Ghazi Khan on October 13 and in Lahore and Faisalabad on October 14.
Source:dawn.com
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Africa
Muslim group awards N1 billion scholarship to 732 orphans in Sokoto
OCTOBER 11, 2024
No fewer than 732 orphans in Sokoto state on Friday benefited from a N1 billion scholarship grant provided by the Muslim World League.
Gov. Ahmed Aliyu, who inaugurated the disbursement, described the gesture as a significant opportunity that would complement the government’s efforts to improve the living conditions of the less privileged in the state.
“When we assumed office, we continued to implement strategies to ensure that orphans and vulnerable groups receive the utmost support.
“Our administration has increased the cash allocation for orphanages and the monthly stipends for people living with disabilities.
“This commitment is aimed at easing their living conditions and improving their standing in society,” he said.
Mr Aliyu expressed his gratitude to the league for the initiative and also commended Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North), its member, for his sustained commitment to supporting the less privileged.
The governor assured that the state government would continue to collaborate closely with the league to ensure the well-being of the people of the state.
In his remarks, Mr Wamakko explained that the delay in the disbursement of the scholarships was due to sanctions imposed on certain international organisations by the Western countries.
Mr Wamakko, who chaired the distribution exercise, said that the 732 beneficiaries were carefully selected from a total of 1,146 registered orphans in the state.
The lawmaker added that the scholarship programme would be a continuous initiative.
732 orphans, both males and females, were drawn from 15 out of the 23 LGA in the state.
The benefiting LGAs included: Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Wamakko, Silame, Bodinga, Kware, Shagari, Yabo, Tureta, Dange/Shuni, Binji, Illela, Goronyo, Gwadabawa and Rabah.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of an award of excellence to Mr Wamakko for his efforts in promoting the activities of the league.
Source:gazettengr.com
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Fear and food insecurity in Northeastern Nigeria on the rise
12 October 2024
Humanitarian workers and locals are warning of worsening hunger and malnutrition levels among internally displaced people in northeastern Nigeria amid the Boko Haram conflict that has raged on in the region since 2009.
While aid groups such as the World Food Program are assisting the displaced people with food and other essentials, many others remain out of the reach of aid, mostly trapped in hot spots and hard-to-reach areas.
Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown jihadi rebels, launched its insurgency in 2009 to establish Islamic Shariah law in the country.
At least 35,000 people have been killed and 2.1 million people displaced as a result of the extremist violence, according to U.N. agencies in Nigeria.
During her visit to Nigeria, Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Program, visited Damasak, one of the communities close to the frontlines in the conflict-hit region, and met with humanitarian workers and locals receiving assistance from the U.N. food agency.
"How do I take food from the hungry and give it to the starving? Because that's the choices I have to make now,” said McCain.
She also met with government leaders in Borno and assured authorities of continued support from the U.N. food agency.
Source:africanews.com
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Exploitation of the vulnerable: A reflection on Nigerian leadership through an Islamic lens
11, 2024
by Our Reporter
While traveling from Ibadan to Lagos, our public bus made a stop at the NNPC filling station in Academy, Ibadan, around 3:20 p.m. on October 6, 2024, for refueling. From my seat, I observed a striking scene unfold.
A car, having just refueled, got stuck in a pothole at the station’s exit. In response, five young hawkers, aged around 7 to 13, who were peddling their goods nearby, quickly organized themselves and pushed the car out of its predicament.
In appreciation, the driver handed them 1,000 naira. However, before the children could enjoy their well-deserved reward, a man dressed in a white round-neck shirt, face cap, and blue jeans—who had no part in helping—stepped in. Without hesitation, he took the money, handing the children only 500 naira to share amongst themselves.
What was most unsettling wasn’t just the man’s audacity to cheat the kids, but how casually he walked away as if he had done nothing wrong. The kids, too, didn’t seem upset by the injustice; their focus was solely on dividing the little they had received.
This incident, small as it may seem, reflects a larger problem that plagues Nigerian society: the exploitation of the vulnerable by those in positions of power.
This article seeks to draw a parallel between these children being cheated and the relationship between Nigerian leaders and their followers, while examining the issue through the lens of Islamic principles on justice, fairness, and the protection of the weak.
Public Apathy and Acceptance
This incident underscores a broader mindset prevalent in Nigeria, where survival mentality, political manipulation, corruption, and a culture of silence dominate. The children’s inability to challenge the man who cheated them highlights a survival instinct—they likely felt powerless to confront him, perhaps due to his age or perceived authority.
Similarly, many Nigerians remain silent in the face of injustice, complacently accepting the little they receive instead of demanding accountability.
Thus, the most powerful tool for demanding justice and accountability lies in the electoral process, yet many Nigerians either neglect to vote responsibly or sell their votes to meet immediate needs, just to survive. This transactional approach to voting reflects a short-term survival mentality rather than a commitment to long-term justice and reform. By prioritizing immediate gain over holding leaders accountable, Nigerians inadvertently perpetuate the cycle of exploitation, where corrupt leaders continue to benefit at the expense of the people.
Furthermore, Islam advocates the importance of ensuring leadership is based on integrity, and choosing a leader is seen as a serious responsibility. When citizens neglect this duty or allow their vote to be bought, they undermine the very justice and fairness they seek.
Therefore, confronting exploitation requires more than just voting—it demands responsible, principled participation in the electoral process to elect leaders who embody justice, transparency, and accountability. When challenging injustice, it is essential to do so through legal and peaceful means, as Islam advocates resisting oppression without resorting to unrest.
The culture of silence in Nigeria further entrenches exploitation, as many citizens fear the repercussions of speaking out or have grown numb to it, much like the children who quietly accepted the unfair distribution of their reward.
Political manipulation and corruption are also evident in this context. Just as the man took the children’s money without contributing to their efforts, Nigerian leaders often manipulated the system for their benefit while demanding sacrifice from the masses during times of economic hardship. The culture of silence supports this injustice, as many Nigerians choose to stay quiet, accepting minimal benefits rather than demanding justice and accountability from their leaders.
Islamic Perspective on Justice and Leadership
In Islam, justice is the cornerstone of leadership. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the rightly guided caliphs prioritized protecting the vulnerable and ensuring fairness for all. Leadership is seen as a trust (al-amaanah), a promise by the leader to defend and treat the people justly. In Islam, leadership is an inverted pyramid where the leader shoulders the responsibilities of those under their care.
A well-known example from the life of the Prophet (PBUH) is when a woman from a noble tribe, Fatimah bint Al-Aswad, committed theft. Although people urged the Prophet to pardon her due to her social status, he firmly responded, “Even if Fatimah, my own daughter, had stolen, I would have her hand chopped off.”
Similarly, Umar (RA) ordered the demolition of a mosque built on stolen land and returned the property to its rightful owner who was a Jew. These actions demonstrate a commitment to justice, regardless of a person’s wealth or status.
Islamic leadership requires fairness, accountability, and transparency. The Qur’an emphasizes the importance of standing firm for justice, even against oneself or one’s kin:
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice…” (Qur’an 4:135)
Call for a Shift in Leadership and Accountability
Islam teaches that no one is above the law. Leaders must embody Islamic values of justice, trust, and accountability. The philosophy of Islam holds that when people are on a journey, they must appoint a leader, who is to be followed as long as he adheres to Allah’s guidance. Disobedience is allowed only when the leader strays from this path.
In the story of the children, the man who took the money acted as a leader, but instead of coordinating the children to ensure a fair distribution, he exploited them. This mirrors the relationship between corrupt leaders and their followers. Just as the children were cheated, citizens often faced exploitation. However, followers must resist such exploitation and demand fairness.
During Umar’s caliphate, when a man questioned him about how he obtained a new cloak when everyone received only one piece of fabric from the public treasury, Umar explained that his son had given him his share, allowing him to make a full garment. This incident reflects the transparency expected of leaders and demonstrates that they should always be answerable to their followers.
Conclusion
Just as the children at the filling station accepted their fate without challenging the man who cheated them, many Nigerians have grown accustomed to exploitation by their leaders. The children focused on dividing the little they received rather than confronting the injustice, much like how Nigerians often focus on survival rather than demanding accountability and justice from their leaders. However, Islam teaches us to resist exploitation and injustice peacefully, legally, and wisely.
It is high time for leaders to embody Islamic values of justice, fairness, and accountability, and for followers to demand these qualities from their leaders. By breaking the cycle of exploitation, both leaders and followers can contribute to a society rooted in fairness and equity, following the exemplary leadership of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his successors.
Source:thenationonlineng.net
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Radda donates $10,000 for mosque reconstruction in Niger Republic
By Rayyan Alhassan
October 11, 2024
Governir Dikko Radda of Katsina State, has donated the sum of $10,000 for the rebuilding of a 200 year-old mosque in Damagaram, Niger Republic.
The Special Adviser on Political Matters to the governor, Alhaji Ya’u Umar Gwajo-gwajo who delivered the donation, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Katsina on Friday.
According to Mr Gwajo-Gwajo, who is also the Turankin Damagaran, the historic Mosque will be reconstructed after it collapsed recently.
He added that the Sultan of Damagaram, Alhaji Abubakar Sanda-Umau, expressed appreciation to the governor for the donation which he said would enable the construction of a standard Mosque.
“The gesture will further cement the long-standing relationship between Katsina and Damagaram, which has been flourishing for over 500 years,” Gwajo-Gwajo quoted the Sultan as saying.
Mr Gwajo-gwajo told the Emir that Gov. Radda gave the donation for the rebuilding of the Mosque, owing to his passion for social and spiritual development of the people.
“The governor is passionate about the social and spiritual development of the people of Damagaram and Niger Republic as a whole.
“This Mosque will contribute towards instilling Islamic moral discipline in our people, and it will assist in addressing many social ills in our society.
“We are one people separated by artificial borders, this is why we should strengthen bilateral relations between our people and address our challenges collectively,“ Mr Gwajo-gwajo said.
Source:dailynigerian.com
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Saudi aid agency continues relief work in Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Yemen
October 12, 2024
RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) continues its humanitarian work in Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Yemen with the distribution of needed food packages and hygiene kits.
In Kyrgyzstan, KSrelief dispersed 2,060 food parcels as part of its 2024 food aid distribution project for neediest families there.
In Sudan, 4,000 food packages were given to displaced persons in shelters across the Damazin, Roseire and Bao regions of the Blue Nile State to ease the humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing conflict.
In Yemen, about 362 tonnes of food aid were distributed to 5,758 families in Abyan and Aden governorates as part of KSrelief’s 2024 food aid project for the neediest families.
In Yemen’s Mareb Governorate, the distribution of 2,000 cartons of dates benefited 12,000 individuals who rely on relief and humanitarian efforts from Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, to support food security as the conflict in the country continues.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574959/saudi-arabia
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Kenya’s oldest university gets mosque after a 50-year push
Fredrick Nzwili
October 11, 2024
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — After a half-century, students, lecturers and the Muslim community at the University of Nairobi will soon have a small mosque on the institution’s main campus.
The 54-year-old university is Kenya’s oldest and is the top-ranking in East Africa, but the push for establishing the mosque is as old as the institution itself. Muslims within the university say the clamor for the mosque started around 1972, two years after the then-college became an independent university.
Politics, differences between Sunni and Shia Muslim groups and the university administration’s concern over ownership all kept administrators from approving the mosque in the past.
But that changed last year — after many letters and discussions — when the administration allowed the construction of the temporary mosque on an empty car park on the campus.
“We are in the process of erecting the mosque, with the support from the students and the Muslim community. The structure should be up before December,” Sheikh Muhammad Abdallah, the Muslim chaplain at the university, told RNS in an interview. “It means a lot … This will give that tranquility and calmness needed when communicating with their creator, for those who go there.”
According to the chaplain, the number of Muslim students at the university has been growing — and the new mosque will help serve that community.
The mosque will be constructed using modern technology to keep the cost as low as possible. Abdallah said the project will cost between $47,000 and $67,000 (6-8 million Kenyan shillings), including prayer carpets and public address systems.
At a single sitting, the mosque will accommodate about 300 people, qualifying it as a small mosque, said Sheikh Hassan Kinyua Omari, a religious scholar at the university.
“Nairobi is the leading university in East Africa, and I think this will be a great lesson for all universities in this country that we must give equal respect to all religions,” he said, adding that constructing a mosque on campus will make the university an interfaith icon institution. Omari said there is already a chapel and a church on the campus and that Pope Francis visited the campus in the past.
Muslim students currently pray at a space behind the main library, where they often face distraction from passing students, according to officials.
“You have seen the dire condition of where we are praying,” said Mohammed Abdul Sheemaka, the chairperson of the Muslim Students Association of the University of Nairobi. “It’s coincidental you came here when it’s not raining, but when it rains, it would be muddy and so wet; you can’t pray in that area.”
According to the student leader, Muslims at the university and surrounding campuses, including the former students, are celebrating the new mosque.
“When people heard that finally the university has allocated us land, everyone … thanked God … because this is a struggle that has been here for long,” he said.
The student leader said the mosque was long overdue since other East African universities, like the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and the Makerere University in Uganda, have mosques.
“We have been asking, ‘Why not the University of Nairobi?’” he said.
When it is finally constructed, the Mosque will stand a few meters from St. Paul’s University Chapel — a Catholic space — St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Cathedral and Uhuru Highway Lutheran Cathedral, among other symbols of Christian traditions.
But the Sheikh said three chaplains at the university have supported the mosque.
“I don’t foresee any resistance, but in case it comes, that is the matter of the administration,” he said.
The Rev. Hosea Kiprono Mitei, the Protestant chaplain at the university, confirmed that the mosque was unlikely to face any resistance from the Christians since all others have spaces for prayer and worship.
“The Muslim students do not have a proper place for their prayers. More so, this is not a Christian institution. I don’t think there would be any resistance,” he said.
Abdallah hopes the mosque can become a place where the students can find calm and tranquility and where they can relax, recite the Quran or have prayers or engagement among themselves. Muslim leaders can also visit to give talks to uplift the students’ spirituality.
Source:religionnews.com
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https://religionnews.com/2024/10/11/kenyas-oldest-university-gets-mosque-after-a-50-years-push/
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Southeast Asia
Federal Territories Mufti Bill Will Turn M’sia Into Islamic State Overnight - Groups
Oct 11, 2024
The Mufti (Federal Territories) Bill 2024 would turn Malaysia into an Islamic state overnight, several groups from East Malaysia claimed today.
According to Borneo Post Online, 14 Sarawak- and Sabah-based groups also said that the bill violates the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and constitutes a direct attack on the nation’s secular system.
“We in Sabah and Sarawak strongly oppose the proposed mufti bill that seeks to expand the powers of the mufti in the Federal Territories.
Source:malaysiakini.com
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As It Happens: Malaysians March For Pro-Palestine ‘Himpunan 1 Tahun Taufan Al Aqsa’ Rally
12 Oct 2024
By Milad Hassandarvish and Arif Zikri
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Malaysians are attending a pro-Palestine rally starting from Kuala Lumpur City Centre’s (KLCC) Asy-Syakirin Mosque until the United States Embassy nearby in Jalan Tun Razak, which started at 2pm.
Named “Himpunan 1 Tahun Taufan Al Aqsa”, it serves to commemorate the “Al Aqsa Storm” (also called Flood or Deluge) — the October 7, 2023 armed incursion by Hamas and Palestinian nationalists into Israel, which has since sparked a one-year brutal retaliation by Israeli forces into Gaza and Lebanon.
Several hundreds of Malaysians — predominantly Malay-Muslims — have arrived in front of the US Embassy, and are now listening to speeches from organisers.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Parti Pejuang Tanahair president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir just arrived the event. Abdul Hadi and Mukhriz's father Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad were slated as the top speakers for the rally.
Several top PAS leaders who are also attending the event: secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, International Bureau chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi, Youth wing chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden, and Muslimat wing chief Nuridah Salleh.
An American academic from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman previously received cheers and applause from the crowd for condemning Israel’s aggression.
Also present were activists Hishamuddin Rais and Chua Tian Chang a.k.a Tian Chua. Both had organised the Kepung Demi Israel picket at the same spot back in December.
A significant number of participants came from outstation.
Waled Al Fateh, originally from Yemen, parked his car nearby the US Embassy before distributing cartons of drinking water and juices to participants.
Ahmad Rizal Mohd Nor, 50, drove from Kedah this morning to attend the rally and show his solidarity to the cause.
What had happened earlier?
The protesters had marched while chanting the “takbir” proclaiming that “God is great” and “hancur Israel” (destroy Israel). Uniformed police officers were monitoring them march peacefully, as traffic at Jalan Tun Razak moves slowly. There were honks from several of the commuters — some in support of the cause, others visibly upset by the disruption.
The participants are holding placards and banners among others telling US to “stop funding the genocide”, reminding the public that the “Gaza genocide” did not just start on October 7 last year, and calling to “save Al-Aqsa” — referring to one of the holiest Muslims sites, located in Israel-occupied Jerusalem.
The participants had congregated at the Asy-Syakirin Mosque — some for prayers. Most of them were wearing or bringing the traditional Palestinian scarves called “keffiyeh”. There was also a heavy presence of PAS’ volunteer corps Jabatan Amal.
At the roadside near the mosque, enterprising locals had set up stalls selling various Palestine-themed items from the above-mentioned keffiyeh, flags, face stickers as well as T-shirts. Some were also selling drinks and snacks amid the hot afternoon.
What are their demands?
The organisers have not listed any of their demands for the US Embassy, besides condemnation for Washington for siding with the Zionist regime.
This, however, isn't the first time Malaysians march towards the US Embassy to show their frustration against Israel's aggression.
Just yesterday, hundreds had marched from the Tabung Haji Mosque to the same embassy. In its memorandum, this rally called Himpunan Mega Solidariti Palestin Setahun Genosid Gaza (Mega Rally of Solidarity One Year after Gaza Genocide) demanded:
For the US to stop supplying weapons for Israel to attack Palestine
For the US to close its embassy here if it refuses to take firm action in easing the conflict in the Middle East.
Last December, over 100 Malaysians joined Kepung Demi Palestin’s five-day picket outside the US Embassy in response to the continued US veto to attempts for a ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza-Israel war.
Who are the organisers?
The rally seems to be a collaboration between Opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional and the local Islamist lobby, but is largely spearheaded by Islamist party PAS.
According to the party, it has mobilised members from across the country including from Kedah, Perlis, Perak, and Selangor to join.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad — who is now an adviser for the PN-led state governments — are expected so speak during the rally.
The event has also received backing from Islamist coalition Gerakan Pembela Ummah, which comprises hundreds of Islamist lobby groups such as Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), Pembela, Malaysian Muslim Consumers Assocation (PPIM), Malaysian Muslim Students Coalition (Gamis), and Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS).
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/12/as-it-happens-malaysians-march-for-pro-palestine-himpunan-1-tahun-taufan-al-aqsa-rally/153359
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Grand Imam of Nabawi Mosque fulfills long-held wish to visit Indonesia
October 11, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al-Hudzaifi, Grand Imam of the Nabawi Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, said on Friday that his visit to Indonesia had been a long-held wish.
"I have longed to visit Indonesia. I had heard much about Indonesia and its Muslim community. Alhamdulillah (thank God), my longing has been fulfilled with this visit," he said during the Friday sermon at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta.
He shared several reasons for his admiration of Indonesia, noting that Muslims in the country embody true Islamic teachings, practicing the religion with love, compassion, and moderation.
He remarked that the warm hospitality of Indonesians in welcoming guests is particularly impressive and unlike anything he has seen elsewhere.
"Islam is full of compassion, deeply respects humanity, and upholds the guidance brought by previous prophets and apostles. It is a moderate and balanced religion," he stated.
Sheikh Ahmad further explained that Islam promotes a balance between faith and good deeds. If anything is deemed excessive, he said, it is not part of Islam.
"Excessive behavior is neither good nor encouraged. We should avoid it," he emphasized.
He also highlighted that Islam values humanity and honors all people, as described in the Quran, which teaches that humans are created with differences in religion, ethnicity, skin color, and language.
For Muslims, these differences are not grounds for division, he said, quoting a verse from the Quran: "Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects—you, (O Muhammad), are not associated with them in anything. Their affair is only with Allah, and He will inform them of what they used to do."
"I want all of us to follow Allah's command: that all believers are brothers," he added.
In addition to delivering the sermon, Sheikh Ahmad also led the Friday prayers at Istiqlal Mosque.
Source:antaranews.com
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King, Queen extend birthday greetings to Wan Junaidi
BERNAMA
12-10- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The King and Queen of Malaysia, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, conveyed their birthday wishes to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
The royal couple shared their well wishes through a poster uploaded on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s official Facebook page today.
This year’s celebration, marking Wan Junaidi’s 78th birthday, is his first official birthday commemoration since being sworn in as the Sarawak Governor on Jan 29, 2024.
Wan Junaidi succeeded Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud for a four-year term.
The three-day birthday celebration, which commenced on Thursday (Oct 10), features seven main events including a thanksgiving ceremony, a state banquet, a parade, and the state award investiture ceremony.
Source:thesun.my
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http://thesun.my/malaysia-news/king-queen-extend-birthday-greetings-to-wan-junaidi-EB13120895
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Over 3,000 halal certifications revoked due to non-compliance issues: Jakim
12-10- 2024
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has revoked 3,068 Malaysian halal certifications (SPHM) due to non-compliance with halal certification requirements and standards.
Jakim Halal Management Division director Muhyidin Aziz@Saari said the revocations were based on violations of Shariah or technical standards at certified premises, as outlined in Clause 32 of the Malaysian Halal Certification Manual 2020.
He said there are three common types of non-compliance often identified during monitoring that can result in the suspension or revocation of halal certificates, reported New Straits Times.
“SPHM can be suspended and later revoked if the holder fails to take corrective action within the stipulated period, indicating a lack of commitment as a certificate holder.
“In cases of major non-compliance, SPHM can also be revoked immediately during monitoring,“ he was quoted as saying.
He also stated that a common tactic companies use to mislead customers is displaying unauthorised halal logos or attempting to forge Malaysian halal certification certificates.
“They cannot be sold, loaned, transferred, forged, or altered in any way. If any party violates this, action will be taken under the Trade Descriptions Act (TDA 2011).
“The act of displaying Quranic verses without a valid SPHM at the premises is an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act (TDA) 2011, as it can mislead consumers,“ he added.
Muhyidin pointed out that ongoing monitoring and enforcement efforts have strengthened compliance with halal certification standards, reflecting the industry’s growing commitment and understanding of halal concerns, despite ongoing challenges.
“What the public needs to know is that SPHM applications are only managed by Jakim and the respective state Islamic religious councils and departments,“ he said.
Source:thesun.my
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http://thesun.my/malaysia-news/over-3000-halal-certifications-revoked-due-to-non-compliance-issues-jakim-IB13120558
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Missing tahfiz boys in KL found with injuries, claim they ran away due to alleged bullying
12 Oct 2024
By Malay Mail
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — City police said that the four boys reported missing from the Tahfiz Darun Quran Ittifaqiyah Centre here were found to have injuries.
Astro Awani reported Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa saying initial investigations found that the boys likely sustained the injuries while at the tahfiz, but investigations are still being carried out.
The children had admitted to running away from the centre, saying they could not bear staying there any longer.
However, Rusdi said, “You have to remember, these are children, and their statements must be corroborated, to allow the police to take further action.”
According to Rusdi the police have opened investigation papers under Section 31 (1) of the Children’s Act and Section 14 (b) related to sexual crimes.
While there were allegations of bullying, with bruises found on the children’s bodies that could have resulted from said acts, the police will first investigate and take individual statements from the tahfiz.
Yesterday, the four tahfiz students, who had been reported missing since last Tuesday were found in Bangi and then later taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) for medical examinations.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/12/missing-tahfiz-boys-in-kl-found-with-injuries-claim-they-ran-away-due-to-alleged-bullying/153368
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Jokowi Hands Over Inauguration of IKN Presidential Office to Prabowo
October 11, 2024
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inaugurated the State Palace in the Nusantara Capital (IKN), East Kalimantan, today, October 11, 2024. He subsequently handed over the inauguration of the Garuda Palace, or the Presidential Office, in the new capital to President-elect Prabowo Subianto.
“Since the Garuda Palace is still in the finishing process and might require another month to complete, I will inaugurate the State Palace first today,” he announced in IKN as broadcast live from the Presidential Secretariat.
In attendance were Prabowo's staff, the Secretary-General of the Gerindra Party and Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Ahmad Muzani. Also present, as seen in the live broadcast, were First Lady Iriana Jokowi, State Secretary Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Minister of Public Works and Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Investment Rosan Roeslani, and Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin.
According to the initial agenda for the day, Jokowi was scheduled to inaugurate not only the State Palace and Garuda Palace but also the Hermina Hospital and Mayapada Hospital. In addition to these inauguration events, the head of state also delivered a speech at the CEO 100 Kompas forum.
Both the State Palace and the Garuda Palace in IKN have been operational since July 2024. Jokowi held two cabinet meetings within three months in the new capital city and also celebrated Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17 for the first time in IKN's history.
The budget for the State Palace building and the Ceremonial Field amounts to Rp1.34 trillion, whereas the Garuda Palace or Presidential Office incurred a budget of Rp1.56 trillion. Combined, the total budget for both is Rp2.90 trillion.
Previously, Jokowi handed over the responsibility of signing the presidential decree (Keppres) on the relocation of the Capital City from Jakarta to IKN to his successor, Prabowo. The former Governor of Jakarta has repeatedly emphasized the importance of considering ecosystem readiness in this capital relocation.
“Yes, it should be signed by the new president, Pak Prabowo. Everything takes time. Moving houses is complicated, let alone moving the capital city,” he said in IKN as quoted from his press statement on Sunday, October 6.
Source:tempo.co
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/vote-jihad-maharashtra-ubt-shiv-sena-madrasa/d/133423