Yearlong Prison Sentences To 3 People of Tajdeed Society For Debating Islamic Theology in Bahrain
New
Age Islam News Bureau
31
March 2023
This
is a locator map for the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, including
Bahrain. Bahraini prosecutors handed out yearlong prison sentences to three
people for debating Islamic theology. (AP Photo)
-------------
•
No To Same-Sex Marriage: Muslim, Christian, Jain Groups Write To Chief Justice
Of India
•
UK ‘Urged To Boost Monitoring Of Islamic Schools’ In New Government Report
•
Hague-Based ICJ Says US Violated Intl. Law By Freezing Iran's Assets, Orders
Compensation
•
'Pakistani Relatives of Scotland's 1st Muslim Leader: 'Witty, A Thorough
Gentleman
Arab
World
•
Saudi-Iran deal could have ‘calming’ effect on Lebanon, region: Senior US
diplomat
•
Israel carries out more strikes near Damascus: Syria state media
•
Saudi King Salman, Crown Prince congratulate UAE president on recent
appointments
•
Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world
•
Saudi aid agency distributes 12 tons of food baskets in Bangladesh
--------
India
•
Muslim Man Leads Ram Navami Procession For 45th Time In Jharkhand's Ramgarh
since 1966
•
Hindu Mahasabha Appeal On Shahi Idgah In A Mathura Court
•
One Killed In Maharashtra Clashes; Violence In Bengal, Gujarat Too During Ram
Navami Procession
•
2 Groups Clash, Hurl Stones Over Ram Navami Procession In Front Of Lucknow Mosque
•
Muslim Trader Gives Water ToRam Devotees
•
Three Anand wards to get extra hours of water supply for Ramadan
•
Jharkhand: Muslim man thrashed by Hindutva goons, rescued by Adivasis
•
Jharkhand cops rescue Muslim man from mob after beef found in house; 6 injured
--------
Europe
•
Turkey's Parliament Ratifies Finland's Membership In NATO
•
Elderly Muslim man walking home from mosque attacked in UK
•
British Muslims welcome Humza Yousaf’s election as Scotland’s first minister
•
French police under fire for tear gassing of Arab cameraman covering protests
•
Denmark’s ruling coalition divided over repatriation of Danish women, children
from Syrian camp
--------
North
America
•
Xavier Pelkey, 19-Year-Old, From Maine Who Allegedly Built Homemade Explosives
Plans To Plead Guilty In Plan To Attack Mosque
•
Blinken affirms Israel ties, warns on peace after Netanyahu spat
•
US retaliatory airstrikes in Syria killed 8 Iran-backed militants: Pentagon
•
Pentagon: Several US troops suffer 'traumatic brain injuries' in Syria
--------
Pakistan
•
TTP Militants Kill 4 Police Officers, Injure 6 in Northwest Pakistan
•
Pakistan initiates outsourcing of three major airports
•
To Fight Climate Change, Islamic Seminary In Southern Pakistan Turns To Fruit
Plantations
•
IHC approached for criminal case against Gen Bajwa
•
Imran only concerned with polls in 90 days
•
JUI-F chief assures PM of coalition’s support
•
DSP among 4 police officers martyred in LakkiMarwat blast
--------
Southeast
Asia
•
Indonesian Buddhists Step Out To Support Muslims In Ramadan Fast
•
In police report, woman says Johor Islamic authorities harassing her over
lawsuit against unilateral conversion
•
I Am On The Case, Zahid Assures 137 Orang Asli Seeking To Nullify Islam Status
Over Alleged Forced Conversion
•
Malaysians tighten belts during Ramadan as food prices continue to rise
•
PKNS launches Ramadan Kasih initiative to help the less fortunate
--------
Mideast
•
Hamas Vows Not To Concede An Inch Of Palestinian Land To Israel
•
Lawmakers urge Biden to probe Israel’s use of US arms against Palestinians
•
Israel’s Relations With Arab World Jeopardized By New Government’s Actions,
Experts Say
•
Blinken Speaks With His Israeli Counterpart, Welcomes Efforts To Deescalate
Tensions With Palestinians
•
Hamas condemns Israeli plan to form 'settler militia'
•
FM Reiterates Iran's Strong Opposition to Any Geopolitical Change in Region
•
Iran's Embassy Dismisses Israeli Regime's Claim
•
Israel charges two Jewish settlers with ‘terror’ for attacking Palestinians
•
Palestinians commemorate Land Day, remember sacrifices
--------
South
Asia
•
Afghan Authorities React to SCO Concerns About Threats Emanating from
Afghanistan
•
MoD Chief of Staff Accuses US of Violating Afghan Airspace
•
Attack on Kabul Security Compound Kills Two, Injures Another
•
Afghanistan Poses Major Threat to the Security of SCO Member States: Russia’s
NSA
•
Terrorism Remains ‘Serious Threat’ To International Peace: NSA Doval
--------
Africa
•
AsariDokuboDismisses Allegations OfTinubu Leading Jihad In Nigeria As President
•
Displaced families in drought-hit Somalia struggle to celebrate Ramadan
•
Burkina Faso to resume diplomatic relations with North Korea
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Yearlong
Prison Sentences To 3 People of Tajdeed Society For Debating Islamic Theology
in Bahrain
March
30, 2023
This
is a locator map for the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, including
Bahrain. Bahraini prosecutors handed out yearlong prison sentences to three
people for debating Islamic theology. (AP Photo)
-----------
Prosecutors
in the Arab Gulf nation of Bahrain on Thursday have handed down yearlong prison
sentences to three people for debating Islamic theology in a series of blog
posts and online videos.
The
three are part of a local cultural society called Tajdeed, Arabic for Renewal,
that says it questions traditional Islamic scholarship and jurisprudence but
not the religion itself. Critics, including prominent Shiite clerics in the
kingdom, have accused the group of attacking the foundations of Islam and have
waged a campaign of incitement against them.
The
case has divided the majority Shiite community in Bahrain, which is ruled by a
Sunni monarchy.
The
public prosecutor's office said the three defendants were guilty of
"infringing on the foundations of the Islamic faith" and insulting
its prophets, in part by dismissing purported miracles as popular myths.
It
did not name the defendants, but activists have identified them as Jalal
al-Qassab and Redha Rajab, who were summoned to court, and Mohammed Rajab, who
lives in Britain. They are free on bail pending appeal.
Islam,
like other world religions, has a rich tradition of theological debate going
back to its earliest days. But in modern Muslim-majority countries both
political and religious authorities often enforce a conservative orthodoxy, and
reformers are censured and in some cases targeted with violence.
Prosecutors
specializing in cybercrimes referred the three defendants to a criminal court
last month, accusing them of "deliberately undermining the basics of the
Islamic religion on which all Muslims and sects agree," the state-run
Bahrain News Agency reported.
Human
Rights Watch has called on authorities to drop the charges.
"Despite
putting on an appearance of religious and political tolerance in the country,
Bahraini authorities continue to target and suppress speech that does not
conform to their own views," NikuJafarnia, a Bahrain researcher for the
New York-based rights group, said in a statement last month.
The
members of Tajdeed are "being persecuted for doing nothing other than
researching and questioning religious texts and speaking openly about their
beliefs," HRW said.
Prominent
Shiite clerics in Bahrain have inveighed against Tajdeed in Friday sermons,
accusing them of undermining Islam and calling on the faithful to ostracize
them.
Tajdeed
says it does not question the Quran, Islam's holy book, or the teachings of the
Prophet Muhammad, which are at the heart of the faith, but rather the opinions
of religious scholars and others who came later, including modern-day clerics.
Bahrain
was rocked by pro-democracy protests led by the Shiite majority against the
Sunni monarchy in 2011. Authorities quashed the protests by force with aid from
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but Bahrain has continued to see
low-level unrest over the years.
The
small island nation off Saudi Arabia is also home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
Source:FoxNews
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
No
To Same-Sex Marriage: Muslim, Christian, Jain Groups Write To Chief Justice Of
India
30th
March 2023
New
Delhi: Some minority groups have written to Chief Justice of India D Y
Chandrachud to cite their religious beliefs to express opposition to same-sex
marriage, an issue being heard by the Supreme Court.
One
body, the Communion of Churches in India, has echoed similar views in a letter
to President DroupadiMurmu.
The
Centre has also opposed in the Supreme Court a batch of pleas seeking legal
validation of same-sex marriage, saying it would cause complete havoc with the
delicate balance of personal laws and accepted societal values.
Sayed
Salman Chishty of the Chishty Foundation, Ajmer, has conveyed his “concerns and
reservations” to Chandrachud, claiming that any legal validation for same-sex
marriage will contradict India’s religious, social and moral values, and cause
“havoc” with the delicate balance of personal laws and accepted societal
values.
“In
India’s secular yet multi-faith context, which is already recognised as the
most diverse country in the world, this is indeed a very complex and sensitive
issue that needs careful deliberation and understanding before opinions are
made part of national policies,” he said.
Chishty
cited Islamic beliefs to oppose the plea seeking legal validation for such a
marriage.
Prakash
P Thomas of the Communion of Churches in India expressed “shock” at such a
plea.
According
to Christian beliefs, marriage is a divine institution made by God and cannot
accept the union of two homosexuals as marriage, he claimed, urging the
President to to ensure the status quo on marriage.
Jain
guru Acharya Lokesh said legal sanction to same-sex marriage will go against
the ethos of India’s ancient values-based society. In Indian culture,
especially among Jains, marriage is a foundation for reproduction for extending
the family tree, he said.
Pravez
Hanif of a Pasmanda (backward) Muslim group echoed the view of these groups.
Source:Siasat
Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/muslim-christian-groups-express-opposition-to-same-sex-marriage-2558183/
--------
UK
‘Urged To Boost Monitoring Of Islamic Schools’ In New Government Report
March
30, 2023
Muslim
worshippers gather for Friday prayer on the streets outside the mosque of the
Muslim centre in east London. (AFP/File Photo)
------------
LONDON:
Britain should do more to monitor Islamic groups and schools, crack down on
forced marriages and help people to leave oppressive religious groups, a
government consultation is reported to recommend.
The
report, to be released within weeks, is set to be what the Guardian described
on Wednesday as “the most sweeping review of the relationship between faith and
the state in recent times”. It is led by Colin Bloom, a former head of the
Conservative Christian Fellowship who was appointed in 2019 to review the
government’s engagement with various faiths.
Several
sources have told the Guardian that the report, which is due to be published by
the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities, will call for the
monitoring of unregistered faith schools, where there are concerns about abuse
and radicalization.
It
however also warns that such measures risk clashes with faith leaders, who have
previously resisted attempts by ministers to intervene in religious affairs.
Other
sections will also call on the government to do more to combat forced marriages
and offer more help to those attempting to leave oppressive religious groups.
The
recommendations are likely to boost calls for stricter monitoring of Islamic
groups by Secretary of State for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities Michael
Gove.
The
Muslim Council of Britain told the Guardian: “There remains a lack of any meaningful
engagement by government with diverse British Muslim communities.
“We
would hope that the Bloom report recognizes how vital it is for the government
to establish meaningful engagement with British Muslim communities more broadly
and the key role Muslim-led representative bodies can play in facilitating
this.”
In
the past, Conservative ministers have attempted to regulate such schools before
but were forced to back down due to protests from mainstream religious groups.
Following
the “Trojan horse” scandal in 2015, the then-Prime Minister David Cameron
wanted to crack down on Islamic madrasas by allowing inspectors to visit any
institution where children are taught for more than six hours a week.
Islamic
groups claimed they were being unfairly singled out premised on shaky evidence
of systemic radicalization within their community.
Cameron
reportedly abandoned the plans after Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby
warned that it would make running Sunday schools more difficult.
Some
of the Bloom proposals will also be intended to strengthen religion as a core
component of British society. This includes providing resources for religious
education in schools and increased funding for chaplains in prisons, schools,
and universities.
“I
have never seen a report on religion and the state which is this
comprehensive,” one source familiar with large parts of the report told the
Guardian.
“Colin
[Bloom] has gone in-depth into many areas of public and religious life from
which ministers normally stay well away,” they added.
Richy
Thompson, the director of public affairs at Humanists UK, said: “In the past,
the government has sometimes been nervous about tackling problems caused by
religious groups, but those problems can extend to the most extreme forms of
abuse.
“If
this report is to see the government change tack here, then that is to be
welcomed.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278406/world
--------
Hague-based
ICJ says US violated intl. law by freezing Iran's assets, orders compensation
30
March 2023
This
file picture shows a general view of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
in The Hague, the Netherlands. (Photo by Reuters)
-----------
Judges
at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague have ruled that the
United States had violated international law by allowing American courts to
confiscate nearly two billion dollars in assets from Iranian companies, and
ordered Washington to pay compensation, the amount of which will be determined
later.
On
Thursday, the ICJ said Washington's freezing of funds belonging to several
Iranian individuals and companies, including $1.75 billion from the Central
Bank of Iran (CBI), was “manifestly unreasonable.”
The
court, however, said that it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the freezing
of assets from the CBI.
Iran:
ICJ ruling supports Tehran's case against Washington
In
reaction, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the verdict demonstrates the
legitimacy of the Islamic Republic’s positions and the illegal behavior of the
US.
“As
per this important ruling, the court rightfully dismissed the unsubstantiated
defenses of the United States and recognized Iran as the rightful party by
emphasizing the former’s violation of its commitments. The US obligation to
compensate for the losses will be the most cogent reason for the legitimacy of
the request of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ministry said in a statement.
It
added that Tehran “considers it as one of its inherent duties to press for the
rights of the Iranian nation, and will utilize all diplomatic, legal and
judicial means and channels to demand the rights of the honorable Iranian
people and the national interests of Iranians.”
The
case before the ICJ was initially brought by Tehran against Washington in 2016
for breaching a 1955 friendship treaty, signed before the 1979 Islamic
Revolution, by allowing American courts to freeze the assets of Iranian
companies.
The
US Supreme Court in 2016 ruled that about USD 2 billion in frozen Iranian
assets must be turned over to American families of people killed in the 1983
bombing of a US Marine Corps barracks in the Lebanese capital of Beirut and
other attacks blamed on Iran. Tehran has long rejected allegations of
involvement in the 1983 Beirut bombing.
The
money confiscated under the US court ruling belongs to the CBI. The assets were
blocked under US sanctions.
The
US formally withdrew from the 1955 treaty in 2018 after Iran filed two claims
based on the accord.
Also
known as the World Court, the ICJ is the United Nations' top court dealing with
disputes between countries. Although the ICJ's rulings are binding, it has no
power to enforce them.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
'Pakistani
Relatives of Scotland's 1st Muslim Leader: 'Witty, A Thorough Gentleman
Aamir
Latif
30.03.2023
MIAN
CHANNU, Pakistan
“Witty,
easy to mingle with, and a thorough gentleman,” Pakistani relatives recall
moments spent with Humza Yousaf, who was elected as Scotland's 1st Muslim
leader.
A
paternal uncle of the new leader of the Scots, Manzoor Hussain was checking
school copies at his home in this small Mian Channu town of Pakistan's
northeastern Punjab province when he heard of the big news that his nephew,
Humza Yousaf, was elected as the new leader of Scotland.
The
history-making development was received with a surprise across the world but
for Hussain, and other family members dwelling back in Pakistan, "it was
very much expected."
"We
were expecting this news since long as we knew that it's just a matter of time,
considering his (Yousaf) vigorous nature and profound involvement in Scotland's
politics," said Hussain.
“I
was informed by my wife who is currently in Edinburgh over the telephone that
Humza has been elected (as SNP leader). It was exciting news for me but not at
all surprising,” he told Anadolu.
Yousaf,
37, was sworn in as Scotland’s sixth First Minister on Wednesday, becoming the
first-ever Muslim leader of any Western European country.
He
replaced Nicola Sturgeon as head of the Scottish National Party (SNP) to become
the first Muslim to lead a major UK party and the first ethnic minority leader
of a devolved government in the UK.
He
was elected to the role of the first minister by members of the Scottish
Parliament on Tuesday.
Yousaf,
who joined the SNP in 2005, was also the first South Asian and first Muslim
Cabinet secretary to serve in the Scottish government.
In
May 2011, he was elected to the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region at
the age of 26, becoming the youngest-ever MSP at that time.
Though
Yousaf was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1985, his grandparents had moved to the
country in 1962 from Mian Channu in Punjab, Pakistan. His mother, also of South
Asian descent, emigrated to Scotland from Kenya.
Yousaf’s
extensive family still dwells in Mian Channu, located some 250 kilometers (155
miles) from the provincial capital Lahore.
From
Mian Channu to Edinburgh
Hussain
who teaches arts subjects at a local government school said that Yousaf's
grandfather had first moved to Kuwait in 1960 along with Yousaf's father who
was barely 11 years old. The family later emigrated to Glasgow after a few
years.
His
ancestral home is located in the middle of a busy street known as "Rail
Bazaar," presenting a sorry state of affairs.
Once
a spacious place to live, the lower portion of the two-story building has been
converted into shops, whereas the upper portion has decayed.
Yousaf
visited his ancestral town only once – in 2009 – to attend the wedding of his
other uncle, a Scottish national but married to his relative from Mian Channu,
according to Hussain.
“Although
Yousaf has physically visited us only once, he still remains in touch with his
cousins and other family members both in the UK and Mian Channu,” he added.
Yousaf,
hailing from an ethnic Rajput community, stayed for 10 days at Hussain's Jinnah
Town residence in Mian Channu in 2009.
Recalling
Yousaf's visit, Hussain said that Scotland's new leader appeared to be
"curious and candid" towards his family roots and members.
"He,
at that time, was a parliament member and pursuing his political science
degree. He appeared to me an ambitious person, who had already set his
goal," he went on to say.
Rafi
Anwar Chohan, a cousin of Yousaf's father, recalled his "good sense of
humor."
"He
was witty and easy to mingle with. I found him as a thorough gentleman,"
he told Anadolu.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Saudi-Iran
deal could have ‘calming’ effect on Lebanon, region: Senior US diplomat
30
March ,2023
A
senior State Department official said Thursday that the Biden administration
remains focused on the Middle East and North Africa, adding that the recent Saudi-Iran
normalization deal could have “calming” effects on the region.
Assistant
Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf also voiced concern
over the instability in several countries, such as Lebanon and Tunisia.
“The
administration remains focused on our enduring interests in the Middle East and
North Africa,” Leaf said in a call with reporters.
Leaf
recently returned from a trip to the region, which included stops in Jordan,
Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Lebanon.
Asked
about the recent China-backed agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Leaf
said any efforts to de-escalate regional tensions were welcomed.
Leaf
cautioned that the agreement would be implemented first, and it remained to be
seen whether Iran would live up to its commitments in halting lethal aid and
training to militias in Yemen and others that continue to attack Saudi Arabia.
“I
don’t really see the Saudis fostering a proxy war in the region. I do see Iran
doing that, and if this [new deal] leads to a broader cessation of such activity
by Iran, I think it will surely have a calming and beneficial effect for
Lebanon as well as other countries in the region,” the top US diplomat for the
Middle East said.
Leaf
sounded the alarm over the deteriorating situation in Beirut and criticized
Lebanese leaders for lacking a sense of urgency to make decisions needed to
help the situation.
“Helping
the Lebanese people through their time of crises remains a priority for the US
as we urge Lebanese leaders to adopt a sense of urgency that they clearly have
lacked, and a sense of seriousness and making the critical decisions and taking
the critical steps that will put the country on the path out of the current
unprecedented crisis,” she said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
carries out more strikes near Damascus: Syria state media
31
March ,2023
Israel
carried out strikes near Damascus early Friday, Syria’s state news agency SANA
reported, the second round of aerial attacks in less than 24 hours.
During
more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes
on Syrian territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah
fighters, as well as Syrian army positions.
Two
Syrian soldiers had been injured in attacks early Thursday, according to the
country’s defense ministry.
“At
00:17 (21:17 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial attack by firing
several missiles from the occupied Syrian Golan and targeting one of the
positions in the vicinity of Damascus,” SANA reported Friday, citing a military
source.
The
source added that several missiles were intercepted by Syrian air defenses,
reporting material damage.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), a Britain-based war monitor, said
the strikes targeted positions of the Syrian military and pro-Iran groups in
southwest Damascus.
The
OSDH added that the missiles destroyed a weapons and ammunition depot, with no
casualties reported.
An
AFP correspondent in Damascus said he had been awakened by a loud bang.
While
Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has
repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to extend its footprint in
the war-torn country.
Last
month, an Israeli air strike killed 15 people in a Damascus district that
houses state security agencies, the Observatory said at the time.
Last
week, an Israeli missile strike destroyed a suspected arms depot used by
Iranian-backed militias at Syria’s Aleppo airport, the war monitor said.
On
March 7, three people were killed in an Israeli strike on the same airport,
putting it out of service. It reopened three days later.
The
Syrian war broke out in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful
anti-government protests and escalated to a deadly armed conflict that pulled
in foreign powers and global jihadists.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
King Salman, Crown Prince congratulate UAE president on recent appointments
30
March ,2023
Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday
congratulated United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
on recent high-level appointments in the neighboring Gulf state.
In
separate cables sent to the UAE president, both King Salman and the Crown
Prince extended their best wishes to Sheikh Mohamed and to the Emirati people,
according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
King
Salman wished the UAE more prosperity while underscoring the deep brotherly
bond and the bilateral ties between both countries.
For
his part, the Crown Prince “expressed his sincere congratulations, wishing all
the new appointees success in serving the UAE to achieve further progress and
prosperity,” SPA reported.
Sheikh
Mohamed on Wednesday named Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the
Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Court, as the
country’s vice president alongside current Vice President Mohammed Bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, who is also the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Qur’an
recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world
RASHID
HASSAN
March
31, 2023
RIYADH:
The Kingdom’s second Qur’an recitation and call to prayer competition, the
largest of its kind in the world, continues to inspire Muslims to participate
from across the world.
The
OtrElkalam or Perfumed Speech contest, has since last year been the goal of
Syria’s Mohammed Al-Jalab, an interior designer, who has been drawing strength
from the holy book because of the devastation in his country, according to
reports on the websites of the competition and the broadcaster MBC’s Shahid
digital platform.
Al-Jalab
completed the memorization of the holy Qur’an at 15. He also studied Tajwid,
the science of proper pronunciation, and mastered various maqamat, or melodic
modes, used during recitation.
The
second edition of OtrElkalam started on March 23, coinciding with the first day
of Ramadan.
During
Wednesday’s episode, Al-Jalab competed in the Qur’an recitation contest against
Morocco’s Zakaria Al-Zirik, who managed to qualify for the next stage of the
competition.
In
the adhan or call to prayer contest, Syrian contestant Ahmed Darwish, who
specializes in electronic production and publishing, competed against Lebanon’s
Raheef Al-Hajj, a teacher of maqamat and vocal performances and founder of a
specialized academy.
Al-Hajj
qualified for the next stage of the competition thanks to the diversity of his
maqamat, and his balance between vocal transitions, which dazzled members of
the jury.
OtrElkalam
is an initiative of the General Entertainment Authority. It was announced in
2019 offering a total prize pool of SR12 million ($3.2 million).
The
first version of the show was broadcast in Ramadan 2022 with the participation
of some of the best voices in the world. The competition is on MBC daily at
4:30 p.m., Riyadh time.
More
than 90,000 participants from more than 160 countries have now participated in
the first and current editions of the competition, in front of a specialized
jury.
Over
50,000 entrants were whittled down to 50 for the final stage this year in
Riyadh. Another selection process by the main jury left 32 contestants, 16 for
each section of the competition.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278621/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi
aid agency distributes 12 tons of food baskets in Bangladesh
March
31, 2023
DAMMAM,
Saudi Arabia: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center KSrelief
distributed 12 tons of food baskets in three regions in Bangladesh recently,
benefiting 3,000 individuals from 500 families.
The
center, meanwhile, continued the distribution of food baskets in Albania as
part of the aid project 2023 in the country.
The
center also distributed five tons and 600 kg of Ramadan food baskets in the
city of Malisheva, in Kosovo, benefiting 100 families from the neediest groups.
Meanwhile,
Ahmed Al-Bayez, assistant supervisor-general for operations and programs at
KSrelief, met with governor of Yemem’s Al-Jawf region, Maj. Gen. Hussein Al-Aji
Al-Awadhi.
During
the meeting, the two sides discussed issues of common interest related to
humanitarian and relief efforts and the development of the Saudi projects
implemented in Yemen.
Al-Awadhi
commended the relief and humanitarian aid provided by the Kingdom to needy
countries and communities, saying this aid contributed to alleviating the
suffering of the Yemeni people.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278661/saudi-arabia
--------
India
Muslim Man Leads Ram Navami Procession For 45th Time In Jharkhand's Ramgarh
since 1966
Mar
31, 2023
RAMGARH:
A Muslim family at Sukairgarha village under the Chitarpur block of the
district has set the standards of maintaining peace and communal harmony
between Hindus and Muslims since the 60s. The head of the Muslim family,
78-year-old Manjoor Khan got the permit for the 45th time this year to take out
a Ram Navami procession which he and his father, Ismail Khan, had been doing
since 1966. When Ismail passed away in 1978, Manjoor has been carrying out his
father's role. Hindu families in Lari and Sukarigarha villages, who held Khan
in high regard, helped him in getting the permit from the administration.
When
TOI visited his home, one kilometer away from the Ramgarh-Bokaro stretch of the
National Highway-320 around noon on Thursday, Manjoor, who was a former
Sarpanch, was busy preparing to lead the Ram Navami procession.
He
also displayed a few permits given by the administration to lead Durga Puja and
Ram Navami processions in the past.
Manjoor
was an intermediate and he said he has been taking part in the processions led
by his father right from his childhood.
"Our
family respects all religions, be it Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism or
Christianity," Manjoor said, adding, "After my father's passing in
1978, the villagers asked me to continue with my father's legacy."
Apart
from leading the procession, Manjoor also has the responsibility to maintain
peace and harmony both during and after the celebrations.
The
officer-in-charge of Rajrappa police station, Hari Nandan Singh, said the
permit to lead the Ram Navami has been issued to Manjoor this year, too,
following his application.
Later,
Manjoor, clad in a white traditional dhoti and kurta, led the procession with
the villagers of Lari and Sukarigarha, who armed themselves with traditional
weapons like kathie, bhalai and swords, shouting religious slogans.
Responding
to a query, Manjoor said he has full support from both Hindus and Muslims.
A
father of five sons, Manjoor, said he is getting old and wants to pass on his
responsibility to another villager as none of his sons has no interest to bear
his role.
Saraswati
Devi, the mukhiya of Lari panchayat, said people of her panchayat felt proud to
have Manjoor who with a big heart is spreading messages of peace and communal
harmony.
"We
wish that Manjoor continues to lead the procession," she said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hindu
Mahasabha Appeal On Shahi Idgah In A Mathura Court
Piyush
Srivastava | Lucknow
31.03.23
The
All India Hindu Mahasabha has moved an application in a Mathura court seeking
that its representatives be allowed to be present at the Shahi Idgah when it is
surveyed by the revenue department over claims of land ownership by the Hindu
side.
Dinesh
Sharma, treasurer of the Mahasabha, told reporters on Thursday: “We want to be
physically present at the Shahi Idgah when the Ameen (land surveyor) conducts a
survey there. We are sure there will be representatives from the Muslim side.
Obviously, members of the other side should also be there to ensure
impartiality and transparency.”
While
hearing a petition filed by the Hindu Sena, a fast-track court of a civil judge
senior division had asked the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday to depute
an Ameen to survey the area of the Shahi Idgah and submit a report on April 17.
Another local court had given a similar order on December 8, 2022, but the
Shahi Masjid Idgah Committee had objected to a survey. The fast-track court
upheld the survey order of the lower court.
Vishnu
Gupta, the president of the Hindu Sena, and Surjit Singh, its vice-president,
have stated in court that the Shahi Idgah, which is located beside the Krishna
Janmasthan temple, should be shifted from there as it was built during
Aurangzeb’s time by demolishing a part of the Hindu shrine in 1669-70. The
Hindu Sena had also claimed that while the Shahi Masjid Idgah Committee and the
Sri Krishna Janmasthan Sewa Sangh had entered into an agreement in 1968 to coexist,
the Sangh was not authorised to make any such promise.
The
Hindu Mahasabha is also a petitioner in the case.
Source:
TelegraphIndia
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/hindu-mahasabha-appeal-on-shahi-idgah/cid/1926219
--------
One Killed In Maharashtra Clashes; Violence In Bengal, Gujarat Too During Ram
Navami Procession
Mar
31, 2023
One
person died from an alleged bullet wound during clashes on Thursday in
Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Ram Navami and scores of others were
injured in skirmishes in Bengal's Howrah and Gujarat's Vadodara.
In
Sambhajinagar, 14 cops were wounded and 13 vehicles torched as two groups
indulged in stonepelting and arson. In Bengal, the trouble erupted in Howrah's
Shibpur during a Ram Navami procession, prompting cops to fire tear gas shells
and resort to lathicharge. In Gujarat's Vadodara, two Navami processions were
allegedly pelted with stones.
Violence
on Ram Navami kills one in Maha town
One
person died from an alleged bullet wound during clashes Thursday in
Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) on Ram Navami and scores
of others were injured in skirmishes in Bengal's Howrah and Gujarat's Vadodara.
In Sambhajinagar, 14 policemen were wounded and 13 vehicles - including those
of cops - torched as two groups indulged in stone pelting and arson during
clashes over an objectionable slogan in Kiradpura area of the city in the wee
hours of Thursday.
The
police had to fire 11 rounds, besides using tear gas and plastic bullets, to
quell the rioting mobs. Inspector Ashok Bhandare told TOI: "One of the
injured, who had sustained a bullet injury and had to be put on life support,
succumbed to his injury on Thursday evening." The son of the deceased said
he was shot near their apartment's gate while stepping out for prayers.
Over
500 people have been booked on charges of rioting, the police said.
Amid
a political blame game over the flare-up, Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra
Fadnavis said the situation "is under control". ADGP (Law and Order)
Kulwant Kumar Sarangal said an inquiry was on and warned that "the rioters
would not be spared".
In
Bengal, the trouble erupted Thursday afternoon in Howrah's Shibpur during a Ram
Navami procession, prompting cops to fire tear gas shells and resort to
lathi-charge to rein in the marchers. The rally members alleged that a
"bomb" and glass bottles were thrown at them.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
2
Groups Clash, Hurl Stones Over Ram Navami Procession In Front Of Lucknow Mosque
Abhishek
Mishra
Mar
31, 2023
A
clash broke out between two groups following a spat during a Ram Navami Shobha
Yatra that was taken out near Shahi Masjid in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s
Lucknow on Thursday. According to sources, the fight involved stone pelting and
physical assault.
The
incident took place in the Madiyav village under the Jankipuram police station
area at 1.30 pm.
Police
said an argument broke out between two groups after a man, identified as Sumit,
along with 10-15 other people, played music on a DJ while passing past a
mosque, which was objected to by another group.
In
the dispute, which reportedly lasted for about 10 minutes, both sides were
allegedly involved in stone pelting, physical assault, and destruction of
property. Amid the chaos, the DJ's cart was damaged, too.
On
being informed, the Assistant Commissioner of Police and other police officials
from the Jankipuram Police Station reached the spot and nabbed the miscreants.
DCP
Qasim Abidi said, "There wasn't any permission for the procession. Both groups
were detained and there was no disruption of peace in the area."
Notably,
the police took the CCTV footage in and around the mosque areas into their
consideration and further actions will be taken based on the footage gathered.
Though
the Hindu group claimed that they had taken permission to carry out the
procession, the councillor of the area, Chand Siddiqui, said nobody ever took
out a Shobha Yatra via that route and people tried to create unrest by taking
out the procession.
Siddiqui
spoke about a mutual agreement between the two sides in the matter, but the
Hindu group has accused the supporters of the mosque of pelting stones without
any reason.
The
Jankipuram police station has towed the damaged DJ cart and deployed police
officials. After the incident, a group of people from the Hindu community
staged a protest outside the police station.
Source:
IndiaToday
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
Trader Gives Water To Ram Devotees
AnimeshBisoee
31.03.23
A
Muslim trader teams up with a local masjid committee to distribute bottled
water and sherbat (sweetened drinks with syrups and ice cubes) to devotees
taking part in Ramnavami procession setting an example of harmony.
The
50-year-old Abdul Rafique, who runs an air conditioning repairing shop at
Kiriburu, which is a township of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) for
its iron ore mining units at Chiria and Meghahataburu, in West Singhbhum
district of Jharkhand is keeping roja (fast) for the Ramadan but still
distributed sherbat and bottled water for the participants of the Ramnavami
procession.
“Last
year, during the Ramnavami procession held in summer (in April) wecould see the
devotees thirsting for water due to the hot weather. I had then decided that
this year I would be distributing sweet water and bottled mineral water at my
own expense. I am happy that the masjid committee has also agreed to help me
out,” said Abdul Rafique.
The
Muslim trader had ordered for more than 500 mineral water bottles (each of one
litre capacity), ice cubes, milk and roohafza (flavoured syrup) for Thursday’s
Ramnavami procession.
“I
along with my three Muslim staff and my two sons were at the temporary stall
alongside the Meena Bazar to distribute mineral waters and those who want
sweetened cold drinks. Some masjid committee members have also helped me,” said
Rafique.
On
Wednesday, when asked if this disturbed his iftar schedules, Rafique said: “Our
iftar (breaking of fast) is scheduled at 6pm and the procession will be over by
5pm. It would not affect our schedule. It would be a bit tiring but we are
prepared to toil a bit extra for our Hindu Bhai.”
“Kiriburu
is still untouched by polarisation and both communities celebrate festivals
together and I hope and pray that we remain untouched from the frenzy happening
in other parts of the country in the name of politics,” added Rafique.
Kiriburu
Masjid Committee official Abrar Ahmed also agreed that there never has been any
communal flare-up in the township so far.
“We
stay and celebrate both festivals with peace and harmony. We will be helping
Abdul in his mission to serve the Ram bhakts during the procession.
“In
fact in several partsof Jharkhand we have Muslims making Ramnavami flags for
our Hindu brethren for several decades without any discord,” said Ahmad on
Wednesday.
Incidentally,
in several parts of Jharkhand, including Chatra and Ranchi, Ramnavami flags are
prepared by Muslims.
Source:TelegraphIndia
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/muslim-trader-gives-water-to-ram-devotees/cid/1926197
--------
Three
Anand wards to get extra hours of water supply for Ramadan
March
31, 2023
In
a “compassionate” move, the Water Works Committee of the BJP-run Anand
Municipality has decided to supply additional water for two hours in the
minority-dominated areas to resolve the water crisis during the ongoing holy
month of Ramadan. Committee chairperson Sumitra Padhiyar said the decision was
taken to “resolve the water crisis” in the fasting month as the areas are at an
elevation.
Padhiyar,
who has instructed to supply the additional water to the three wards of the
municipality until Ramadan, said, “There is a water problem in the areas under
Ward 3, 4, and 5. These are dominated by minority communities, especially
Muslims, who are observing Ramadan fast. This week, they made a representation
to the president of the municipality (Rupal Patel), seeking resolution to the
water crisis… It was decided (to supply additional water) on compassion as they
cited Ramadan.”
The
Water Works Committee has instructed that additional water be supplied to the
three wards from 2 pm to 4 pm during the Ramadan month, in addition to the
usual 5 am to 7 am and 5 pm to 6 pm. It has also recommended that the time for
the water supply in the evening be increased by an hour during the summer.
Padhiyar
said the general practice was to inject borewell water in great force into the
pipeline to push the water to the elevated areas. “The reason for the problem
in the area is that we have a water tank in the vicinity but a new borewell has
not been dug after a previous one failed… The wards are located on higher
ground and the water pressure is generally low. Generally, the bore water,
which has good pressure, pushes the tank water through but the bore has now
become dysfunctional.” she said.
The
minority community members in the area “happily” welcomed the decision. “We are
observing Ramadan. Water has always been an issue and even previously, the
municipality had supplied additional water when the pressure was low. We made
the same request citing Ramadan, especially since the usual time coincides with
our morning and evening rituals. By providing additional water, the
municipality has ensured that no one will go without water during the holy
month,” said Faridabano, a resident of Ward 3 that has a population of about
19,000.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Jharkhand:
Muslim man thrashed by Hindutva goons, rescued by Adivasis
30th
March 2023
A
42-year-old Muslim man was allegedly assaulted by Hindutva men in Balidih
village of Jharkhand on suspicion of cow theft.
Manzoor
Khan, who hails from Chichikala village of Jharkhand, is a welder by
profession. He was on his way to work when his motorcycle was stopped by a few
people.
In
a viral video that has surfaced on social media platforms, Manzoor recalled the
details of the incident.
“I
was surrounded by a few men who enquired about my name. Upon realising I am a
Muslim they accused me of stealing a cow from their locality,” Manzoor said.
Soon
a mob of about 40-50 men turned up and started beating him mercilessly.
“I
am a gate griller. They did not bother to listen to me and kept assaulting me
ruthlessly. I was rescued by a few Adivasis who took me to a nearby hospital,”
Manzoor said.
Manzoor
said he recognised one of his attackers. “A person called Vicky was also
present in the mob,” he said demanding FIR against his attackers.
Muslim
man assaulted in Khandwa
In
another similar incident, A Muslim young man was stabbed in Madhya Pradesh’s
Khandwa city.
According
to reports, the victim was wandering through a locality when he was suddenly
surrounded by a few Hindutva men who started questioning him.
Source:Siasat
Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/jharkhand-muslim-man-thrashed-by-hindutva-goons-rescued-by-adivasis-2558013/
--------
Jharkhand
cops rescue Muslim man from mob after beef found in house; 6 injured
30th
March 2023
Dhanbad:
The police on Thursday rescued a youth, a resident of Jharkhand’s Dhanbad
district, from a rampaging mob that claimed that beef was found in his house.
Six
people including three police personnel were injured and the force used batons
to disperse the attackers who also ransacked police vehicles and set on fire
some goods kept in front of the house of the accused.
Slaughter
of bovine animals and selling their meat are banned in Jharkhand.
The
situation is under control now, Nirsa Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO)
Pitamber Singh Kherwar said.
The
incident occurred at Bhurkunda locality under Nirsa police station, around 190
km from the state capital Ranchi, where some villagers reportedly found a
slaughtered cow and its meat in the house of a person identified as Nasruddin
Ansari.
Soon,
a mob assembled there and started throwing stones at the house. Some household
goods kept in front of it were torched.
Ansari
and his family members manage to flee but his son Sahabuddin was caught by the
mob and he was tied to a tree, police said.
The
situation came under control after Superintendent of Police (rural)
ReeshmaRameshan reached the spot and assured the villagers to take action against
the culprit.
Nirsa
MLA Aparna Sengupta also reached the village and tried to pacify the villagers.
Source:Siasat
Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Turkey's
parliament ratifies Finland's membership in NATO
Mar
31, 2023
ANKARA:
Turkey's parliament on Thursday ratified Finland's application to join NATO,
lifting the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic country's long-delayed
accession into the Western military alliance.
All
276 lawmakers present voted in favor of Finland's bid, days after Hungary's
parliament also endorsed Helsinki's accession.
"This
will make the whole NATO family stronger & safer," NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter in welcoming Turkey's action.
Alarmed
by Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland and Sweden abandoned their
decades-long policy of nonalignment and applied to join the alliance.
Full
unanimity is required to admit new members into the 30-member alliance, and
Turkey and Hungary were the last two NATO members to ratify Finland's
accession.
Sweden's
bid to join the alliance, meanwhile, has been left hanging, with both Turkey
and Hungary holding out on giving it the green light despite expressing support
for NATO's expansion.
Turkey's
government accuses Sweden of being too lenient toward groups it deems to be
terrorist organizations and security threats, including militant Kurdish groups
and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt.
More
recently, Turkey was angered by a series of demonstrations in Sweden, including
a protest by an anti-Islam activist who burned the Quran outside the Turkish
Embassy.
Hungary's
government contends some Swedish politicians have made derisive statements
about the condition of Hungary's democracy and played an active role in ensuring
that billions in European Union funds were frozen over alleged rule-of-law and
democracy violations.
Turkish
officials have said that unlike Sweden, Finland fulfilled its obligations under
a memorandum signed last year under which the two countries pledged to address
Turkey's security concerns.
"As
a NATO member, we naturally had some expectations and requests regarding the
security concerns of our country," Akif CagatayKilic, a legislator from
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's governing party, told parliament before the
vote. "I would like to underline the concrete steps and their
implementation by Finland, which supported and shaped the decision we are
taking here."
Kilic
added: "I'm aware that there is a large number of people watching us from
Finland. ... We can say to them: 'Welcome to NATO.'"
Some
opposition parties were critical of the Turkish government's position toward
the two Nordic countries.
"Unfortunately,
(Erdogan's ruling party) turned the right to veto Finland and Sweden's
membership bids into a tool for blackmail and threat. We do not approve of
it," said HisyarOzsoy, a legislator from the pro-Kurdish party. "We
find the bargaining process (to press for) the extradition of Kurdish dissident
writers, politicians and journalists ... to be ugly, wrong and unlawful."
Asked
earlier this week about Sweden's NATO membership, Erdogan told reporters:
"There are certain things we expect of them. They must be fulfilled
first."
Sweden,
which made constitutional changes to pass tougher anti-terrorism laws, has
expressed hope that it will be able to join before NATO's July summit in
Vilnius, Lithuania.
"Sweden
faces more significant obstacles in its bid," Hamish Kinnear, Middle East
and North Africa analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft,
wrote in emailed comments.
"Turkey
is unlikely to approve its acceptance into the alliance before the election in
May. The Quran burning incident sparked popular rage in Turkey and President
Tayyip Recep Erdogan won't want to risk angering his conservative base ahead of
the polls," Kinnear said.
The
accession of Finland, which has a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with
Russia, has geographic and political importance for NATO, said Mai'a Cross,
professor of political science at Northeastern University.
"Finland
is at a very important strategic location and having that kind of shift from
neutrality to respond to Russia's aggression is bolstering the demonstration of
the political will of NATO," she said.
Cross
added that the delay gave Finland more of a chance to prepare.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Elderly
Muslim man walking home from mosque attacked in UK
Mehmet
Solmaz
30.03.2023
BIRMINGHAM,
UK
A
73-year-old pensioner was attacked by three men as he was walking home from a
mosque in Birmingham’s Kings Heath neighborhood on Wednesday night.
The
victim was taken to hospital with a broken hand and cuts to his face. In the
videos circulated on social media, blood is seen streaming down from the man’s
face.
CCTV
camera footage showed the attackers were sitting in a black vehicle prior to
the assault. One kicked him hard in the back, causing him to fall and hit his
head on a display board. The group is then seen fleeing the scene immediately.
"This
was an appalling attack on a member of the public who was heading home. We'll
be taking a full statement from the victim, who remains in hospital today, and
we've already got officers in the area this morning recovering CCTV and
carrying out house-to-house inquiry. We are working hard to identify the
attackers and the car that they were in,” said Sergeant Chris Gallon of Moseley
and Kings Heath police.
The
attackers are described as two white men and one Black man, all aged between 18
and 30 who were wearing tracksuits.
West
Midlands police do not think there is any connection to an attack on another
elderly Muslim man who was set on fire while walking home from another
Birmingham mosque on March 20.
Birmingham,
a city with a population of 1.2 million, is home to more than 300,000 Muslims.
The minority group is said to be not only facing discrimination in their daily
lives, but also physical attacks.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/elderly-muslim-man-walking-home-from-mosque-attacked-in-uk/2859602
--------
British
Muslims welcome Humza Yousaf’s election as Scotland’s first minister
ALEX
WHITEMAN
March
30, 2023
LONDON:
Muslim community leaders and MPs have welcomed the election of Humza Yousaf as
leader of the Scottish National Party and Scotland’s first minister.
His
win adds to successes in Muslim representation within the UK’s political
establishment in recent years, including Sadiq Khan’s election as London mayor
in 2016 and re-election in 2021, the election of a record 18 Muslim MPs in the
2019 general election, and the SNP’s Anum Qaisar taking a by-election victory
two years later.
Sunder
Katwala, director of think tank British Future, which looks to foster diversity
and inclusion, singled out the “pressure” that built following 9/11 and the
London bombings of July 7, 2005, as a catalyst in this movement.
“In
that moment of pressure and scrutiny, there was something that seemed to
catalyze the determination among British Muslims to push toward greater
integration and inclusion, and push back against the negativity surrounding
Islam in the UK,” he told Arab News.
“If
you travel abroad, it couldn’t be clearer. Maybe Canada aside, Britain is alone
in its cross-party diversity.
“France
has candidates from minority backgrounds on the left but not on the right. It
has been normalized now (in Britain), rather than seen as exceptional, which
can only be good.”
In
Holyrood, Scotland’s Parliament, Yousaf — who in replacing Nicola Sturgeon
became the first Muslim leader of a major political party in Western Europe —
faces off against another Muslim at the despatch box, head of Scottish Labour
Anas Sarwar.
Afzal
Khan, elected as MP for Manchester Gorton in 2017, said “despite our political
differences it’s excellent news to see Humza win,” telling Arab News that each
minority success in politics is a “manifestation of change and improvement.”
Afzal
added: “Before becoming an MP, I was the youngest Lord Mayor of Manchester and
I became the UK’s first Muslim minister for the European Parliament by beating
the British National Party’s Nick Griffin, and I’m from a working-class
background.
“They
talk about Sadiq Khan being the son of a bus driver. I was a bus driver, and I
think this is very important.
“We’re
all from different backgrounds. Even when I look at (British Prime Minister) Rishi
Sunak, he’s not Muslim and he’s from incredible wealth, but his success sends a
powerful message.”
Katwala
said the participation of Muslim Britons in national life remains underexplored
despite there being more than a century’s worth of Muslims living in the
country, with the community largely ignored by wider society and the press
until the 1990s.
But
Noor Ahmed, general manager of the Citizens’ Archive of Pakistan, said the
“long and interlinked history” of the UK and South Asia detailed in the archives
she administers showed that there had always been involvement in political
life, if not representation.
“Involvement
was always there. It wasn’t as prominent as it is now, and it’s definitely new
to see these communities represented in the way they are now — it sort of gives
a formality to it,” Ahmed told Arab News.
“It’s
a rising trend that we’re certainly seeing play out, and the appointment of
Humza, whose family is of Pakistani heritage, to lead Scotland’s largest party
and the third-largest party in the UK was lauded in Pakistan and offers an
incredibly aspirational story.”
Yousaf,
37, narrowly won the leadership race on Monday after a bruising contest that
followed the surprise resignation last month of Sturgeon, who had dominated
Scottish politics for almost a decade.
As
much as his win, it is Yousaf’s willingness to not only discuss but show his
faith that offers Mustafa Field, director of the Faiths Forum for London, the
greatest encouragement that the UK is becoming increasingly accepting.
“It’s
really exciting having someone showing their cultural and religious sides
comfortably. There was something incredibly powerful about Yousaf tweeting a
picture of himself praying — that visual display of his comfort in showing his
faith,” Field told Arab News.
“There
are conservative voices asking how one can reconcile faith and politics, and we
saw this with the SNP election, but I think Yousaf shows the way you can
separate faith and duty, with the latter recognition of your constituency.
“Unlike
other politicians, Humza has been open about his faith. This is important, and
it’s why there has been a lot of celebration in the Muslim community over his
success, even from those who differ with him politically.”
Dr.
Rima Saini, senior lecturer in sociology at Middlesex University London, said
in recent years the Conservative Party had been “framed” as a political home
for aspirational ethnic minority politicians, “albeit upper-middle-class and
right-wing” ones.
But
she added that this appears to be shifting, with greater traction and
mainstream support for Muslims in senior political leadership outside of the
Conservatives, pointing to the numbers elected in both the Labour Party and the
SNP on “relatively progressive platforms.”
Saini
told Arab News: “This signals that these parties hold a home for minorities,
particularly those with a Muslim background who are — and this is important —
hyper-racialized and more socioeconomically diverse than the British Hindu and
Sikh diaspora, for example.
“Whether
these political appointments point to a general decline in racism and
Islamophobia is unclear, especially if we consider how strong xenophobic and
racist sentiment has been in the UK since Brexit, and the government’s ‘hostile
environment’ approach to immigration.
“Furthermore,
politics in all corners still lacks class inclusivity, particularly at the top.
At the risk of homogenizing a diverse sub-population, these are nonetheless
meaningful symbolic gains for British Muslims.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278391/world
--------
French
police under fire for tear gassing of Arab cameraman covering protests
AlaattinDoğru
31.03.2023
Police
in France have come under fire after footage emerged Thursday of an officer
spraying tear gas at an Arab cameraman who was covering protests against the
government’s controversial pension reform.
Loopsider,
a video social media news platform, shared footage of their cameraman Amar
Taoualit being blocked by riot police while filming anti-retirement reform
demonstrations in Paris on March 16.
According
to the footage, Taoualit filmed the police cornering a group of demonstrators
while officers pressured him to back off.
"I'm
working. I'm a journalist. Are you attacking journalists? I have a press card.
I'm recording right now. Be careful, this will be online," he says in the
footage.
"Go
home. Get lost," an officer responds while spraying tear gas directly in
his face.
Despite
showing his press card, the police insistently sprayed Taoualit for a second
time, preventing him from filming by removing him from the area.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Denmark’s
ruling coalition divided over repatriation of Danish women, children from
Syrian camp
Ebad
Ahmed
31.03.2023
COPENHAGEN
Divisions
have appeared within Denmark’s ruling coalition over the issue of the
repatriation of Danish citizens, women and children, from the Roj detention
camp in northeastern Syria.
A
junior coalition partner, the Moderate party, wants Danish children to be
repatriated even if it requires their mothers to be alongside them, while the
other two parties – the Social Democrats and Liberals – oppose the return of
the women to Denmark as they say they have been sympathizers or spouses of
Daesh/ISIS militants.
Reports
suggest that five children and three mothers with Danish backgrounds are in the
camp, where they are serving sentences for an undefined period. Meanwhile,
human rights organizations have expressed concern over the abysmal conditions
at the camp and have questioned Danish authorities over the lack of action to
repatriate children with Danish backgrounds.
The
current government policy does not mandate the authorities to evacuate children
from the camps without their guardians (mothers), while the mothers cannot be
brought back home due to the revocation of their Danish citizenship.
The
developments come against the backdrop of Norway repatriating two sisters from
Syria along with their three children on the grounds of the abysmal conditions
in the camp.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North
America
Xavier
Pelkey, 19-Year-Old, From Maine Who Allegedly Built Homemade Explosives Plans
To Plead Guilty In Plan To Attack Mosque
March
30, 2023
A
19-year-old from Maine who the FBI says built homemade explosives and plotted
to attack a mosque in the name of the Islamic State group will plead guilty to
providing material support to terrorists.
Xavier
Pelkey of Waterville faces a maximum of 15 years in prison under a plea
agreement in which a second charge will be dropped, according to court
documents filed Wednesday. The change-of-plea hearing is set for next week in
U.S. District Court.
Pelkey’s
attorney did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment on
Thursday.
Law
enforcement officials said Pelkey was in communication with two juveniles — one
in Canada, the other in Illinois — about conducting a mass shooting at a Shiite
mosque in the Chicago area and possibly other houses of worship. All three
alleged plotters believed in a radical form of Sunni Islam that views the
Shiite branch of Islam as nonbelievers, officials said.
Pelkey
was 18 when he was arrested last year by FBI agents who found three homemade
explosives in his residence. The devices were made of fireworks bundled together
with staples, pins and thumb tacks to create shrapnel, the FBI said.
Investigators
also found a handwritten document in Pelkey’s bedroom that appeared to be a
draft statement about the planned mosque attack, claiming it in the name of the
Islamic State group. In the statement, Pelkey claimed allegiance to the
extremist Sunni militant group, and an IS flag was painted on the wall of his
bedroom, investigators said.
Source:
FoxNews
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Blinken
affirms Israel ties, warns on peace after Netanyahu spat
31
March ,2023
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday pledged enduring ties with Israel
but warned against inflaming tensions with the Palestinians, following a rare
public spat between the allies.
President
Joe Biden, speaking to reporters Tuesday, called on Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to step back from a bid to weaken the judiciary that has set
off massive protests.
Netanyahu,
who at least temporarily froze the push faced with a general strike, responded
that he would not bow to foreign pressure but took a more conciliatory tone
when he participated in a democracy summit called by Biden.
In
the highest level contact since the exchange, Blinken called Foreign Minister
Eli Cohen and “reaffirmed the importance of the enduring US- Israel bilateral
relationship,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
Blinken
also discussed Iran, seen by Netanyahu as a paramount threat, and renewed US
support for a Palestinian state -- an idea rejected by much of Netanyahu’s
hard-right government.
The
top US diplomat “emphasized the importance of refraining from unilateral
actions that exacerbate tensions,” Patel said in a statement.
Biden,
who has known Netanyahu for decades, took office hoping to avoid a replay of
the public feuding with the Israeli leader seen when he was Barack Obama’s vice
president.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
retaliatory airstrikes in Syria killed 8 Iran-backed militants: Pentagon
30
March ,2023
The
US airstrikes in Syria that targeted Iran-backed fighters last week killed
eight militants, the Pentagon said for the first time on Thursday.
The
fighters killed were associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC) but were not Iranian, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told
reporters.
Another
six American troops were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) as a
result of the drone and rocket attacks, Ryder said.
A
series of tit-for-tat exchanges occurred between Iran-backed militias and US
forces last Thursday following an initial drone strike on a US base, which
killed an American contractor and wounded six other Americans.
CENTCOM
then said another three attacks targeted US and Coalition forces in Syria on
the evening of March 24th and March 25th. A main Syrian war monitoring group
said US strikes killed at least 19 fighters.
President
Joe Biden ordered the US military to hold off on a second round of attacks
against the Iran-backed militias late Friday, the Wall Street Journal cited a
senior US official as saying.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pentagon:
Several US troops suffer 'traumatic brain injuries' in Syria
30
March 2023
The
Pentagon has said several US troops suffered injuries during last week's
attacks in Syria, part of which they are occupying against international law,
violating the Arab country’s sovereignty.
Pentagon
spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said on Thursday four service members
suffered traumatic brain injuries near the Syrian city of Hasaka during a drone
attack on March 23, and two others suffered injuries at mission support site
Green Village during an attack on March 24.
"All
personnel in the vicinity of a blast are screened for traumatic brain injury.
So these additional injuries were identified during post-attack medical screenings,"
Ryder told a news briefing.
The
Pentagon's disclosure further raises the human toll among American occupation
forces from strikes and counter-strikes in Syria last week to a total of 12 US
troops injured. The attacks also killed a US mercenary and injured another.
As
a matter of policy, the US military does not openly acknowledges when it suffer
casualties in the occupied territories due to retaliatory attacks by resistance
fighters. It rather uses the term “brain
injuries” for fallen soldiers, according to local officials.
The
officials say the term “brain injuries” reflects the number of dead, which the
US hesitates to formally announce.
Last
week, the US military carried out multiple air strikes in the eastern parts of
the Arab country.
Pentagon
chief Lloyd Austin said the strikes in Syria against the positions of
resistance fighters were carried out at the direction of Biden and targeted
facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps.
However,
local sources pointed out that the target was not an Iran-aligned military post
as the US military claimed, but rather a rural development center and a grain
center in Hrabash neighborhood, near Dayr al-Zawr military airport. No Iranian
was killed in the act of aggression.
A
military source in Syria told Press TV that the resistance groups reserve their
right to respond to the American attack and will take reciprocal action.
Last
week, after the Pentagon carried out multiple airstrikes against Syrian troops,
a military base housing US forces in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr came
under a rocket attack.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
TTP
Militants Kill 4 Police Officers, Injure 6 in Northwest Pakistan
By
Fidel Rahmati
March
30, 2023
Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan, in a pair of attacks, killed four police officers by targeting a
police vehicle with a roadside bomb and wounded six in an attack on a police
station in northwest Pakistan early Thursday, police and the insurgents said.
The
bomb killed four officers in a police vehicle carrying reinforcements sent to
respond to the attack on a police station in LakkiMarwat, a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province bordering Afghanistan. Six officers were wounded in the attack at the
police station.
TTP
claimed responsibility for both attacks and said that one of the murdered
police officers, Iqbal Mohmand, was targeted because he was responsible for the
arrest and execution of some of its fighters.
Shahbaz
Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, denounced the attack and expressed
sorrow for the “martyrdom” of the cops who were attacked.
Since
the unilateral ending of the ceasefire with the government of Pakistan, the TTP
militants have intensified their attacks on Pakistani police officers, ordinary
people and foreign nationals.
In
January, the group took responsibility for the Peshawar mosque’s deadliest
attack in which more than 100 people were killed and several others were
wounded.
In
addition, the Police Chief office in Panjab in February took the lives of more
than nine people and injured several others.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/ttp-militants-kill-4-police-officers-injure-6-in-northwest-pakistan/
--------
Pakistan
initiates outsourcing of three major airports
Mar
30, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Thursday initiated a process to outsource operations at three major
airports as a public private partnership, a finance ministry statement said.
It
said Islamabad has engaged the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC)
as an advisor for the outsourcing process.
Pakistan
has been in talks with Qatar for the partnership to jointly run terminals at
Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore airports.
No
details of the partnership, or any agreement have been made official.
Islamabad
has been negotiating the deal with Doha for several months, that began as part
of an effort to find foreign investment for the cash-strapped nation of 220
million people.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
To
fight climate change, Islamic seminary in southern Pakistan turns to fruit
plantations
NAIMAT
KHAN
March
30, 2023
KARACHI:
A seminary in southern Pakistan has set a new trend for religious schools as it
cultivates large swathes of land to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Pakistan
contributes less than 1 percent of the global greenhouse gases that warm our
planet but its geography makes it one of the countries most vulnerable to
climate change.
Last
year, one-third of the country was submerged by unprecedented monsoon floods
that claimed the lives of more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $30
billion in damage.
Located
in Hala village in Sindh, a province that was one of the worst affected by the floods,
the Jamia-Tul-Uloom-il-Islamia boarding school also saw its orchards destroyed,
which made it even more determined in its tree-planting drive.
“What’s
happening due to climate change makes it essential for us to plant more and
more trees to stop its adverse effects,” Umar Farooq, who supervises the
institute’s agricultural land, told Arab News.
The
seminary, which is also a trailblazer in introducing science alongside
religious education, has been planting trees for the past four years.
It
now has 8,500 mango trees, 1,400 date palms and a lemon orchard.
“Seeing
the havoc that floods wreaked recently, we will have to plant more trees,”
Farooq said. “We have been expanding our orchards with the help of scientific
methods.”
When
it was established in the 1950s, the school received farmland to grow crops and
meet its administrative needs. The idea was unique as most Islamic boarding
schools in South Asia rely on external funding.
But
it was only with the tree-planting drive that this potential began to be
realized, as Jamia-Tul-Uloom-il-Islamia’s management observed that its orchards
could bear fruit that could be sold for income.
“We
have planted orchards in the surrounding fields, which will improve the weather
conditions and also increase the income and resources of our seminary,” Maulana
Muhammad Ahsan Bhutto, the seminary’s administrator, told Arab News.
The
management is aware of the worsening impacts of the changing climate and is
trying to engage students as well in efforts to mitigate it, at least to lessen
their contribution to global warming and raise awareness.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278396/world
--------
IHC
approached for criminal case against Gen Bajwa
Malik
Asad
March
31, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
A petition has been filed in Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking registration of
a criminal case against former army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa,
ex-director general Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed and two
journalists for making certain revelations in an interview of the ex-army
chief.
The
registrar office of the IHC, however, raised objections on the petition and
asked the petitioner to first approach the appropriate forum.
Atif
Ali in his petition contended that the interview of Gen Bajwa was conducted in
a “reckless” manner and the journalists, Javed Chaudhry and Shahid Maitla, did
not show any sense of responsibility in publishing them.
The
petition said the revelations made in the interview were a violation of the
Official Secret Act and tantamount to inciting mutiny and disharmony.
It
requested the court to issue directions to the director general of the Federal
Investigation Agency (FIA) to register an FIR against Gen Bajwa, Gen Faiz and
the two journalists.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1745020/ihc-approached-for-criminal-case-against-gen-bajwa
--------
Imran
only concerned with polls in 90 days
Abdul
Moiz Malik
March
31, 2023
KARACHI:
PTI Chairman Imran Khan said it would make no difference if a five-member
bench or a larger bench of the Supreme Court takes up his party’s petition
against delay in polls in Punjab as his only concern was whether or not
elections will be held in 90 days.
“Whether
it’s a 5 [member] SC bench or Full Bench, it makes no difference to us
[because] all we want to know is if elections will be held within the 90 days’
constitutional provision,” Mr Khan said in a series of tweets on Thursday.
“Before
we dissolved our two [provincial] assemblies, I consulted our top
constitutional lawyers, all of whom were absolutely clear that the 90-day
Constitutional provision on holding of elections was inviolable,” the PTI chief
tweeted.
He
said the incumbent government was “cherry picking” constitutional provisions
they want to implement and are ready to destroy the Constitutions to
“whitewash their leaders”.
The
“imported government, their handlers and a compromised ECP” were making a
“complete mockery of the Constitution” by delaying the polls, he continued.
The
PTI chief’s comments have come on the day when the bench hearing the case stood
dissolved after one of the judges, Justice Aminuddin Khan, recused himself from
hearing. Now a fresh Supreme Court bench will take up the case tomorrow
(Friday).
Lasting
nerve damage
Separately,
Mr Khan has claimed that his right leg suffered lasting nerve damage as a
result of the assassination attempt on his life in Wazirabad in November 2022.
In
an interview with UK paper The Independent, Mr Khan revealed that two bullet
wounds to his thigh have healed, while the third bullet shattered his shin bone
and damaged a nerve.
“I
have had more problems with the impact of the nerve damage than the bullet
wounds,” he said in the interview published on Thursday.
“I
still can’t walk properly, I still don’t have proper sensation in my right
foot. That’s a lasting effect, which the doctor says eventually with time will
heal, will go away.”
In
a wide-ranging interview, Mr Khan also talked about the government’s action,
his party’s elections campaign and foreign policy.
Talking
about the current political situation, Mr Khan said what’s happening today was
unprecedented and he had “never seen Pakistan sink to this level”.
He
added that he was put in jail for eight days for opposing the military
dictatorship of former president Pervez Musharraf but his time in jail was
“liberal compared to what is going on [now].”
Commenting
on the cases and police actions against him, Mr Khan claimed some of the
persecution he was facing was near “farcical”. He claimed the police beat up
his household staff and detained his cook during the raid at his house on March
18 when he went to appear in an Islamabad court.
“They
beat him up and took him away, put him in prison and asked him: ‘What does
Imran eat?’,” The Independent quoted Mr Khan as saying.
On
the disappearance of PTI activist AzharMashawani, Mr Khan told The Independent
that he has been targeted for being active on social media and propagating the
PTI’s message.
“They’ve
completely clamped down on the main media, they basically don’t allow me to be
seen in the national media,” he said. “Now they are clamping down on social
media, and the whole idea is that they should somehow completely black me out.”
Comparison
with Trump
When
asked about comparisons with former US president Donald Trump, Mr Khan said his
ideology was different from Mr Trump but they both had one thing in common:
they were outsiders in politics.
“My
ideology is completely different to what Donald Trump stood for. He said greed
is not a bad thing, I am the opposite. I feel that the world is being destroyed
by greed. I also saw the impact of climate change much before anyone else did,
and Donald Trump didn’t believe in that,” Mr Khan told The Independent.
On
the foreign policy front, Mr Khan was asked about his meeting with Russian
President Vladimir Putin on the day Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb 2022 and
whether he’d mend ties with Russia and buy cheap oil given Pakistan’s dire
economic situation if he returned to power.
The
former PM admitted the timing of his visit to Moscow was a “bad” and said going
to Russia at this moment would mean he was “endorsing what Russia has done” in
Ukraine.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1745112
--------
JUI-F
chief assures PM of coalition’s support
Syed
Irfan Raza
March
31, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who heads the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM),
called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday and assured him of “full
support” on behalf of all parties in the ruling coalition over the political,
judicial and economic impasse.
According
to the Prime Minister’s Office, Maulana Rehman congratulated Shehbaz Sharif
over passage of the suo motu powers bill by parliament this week.
The
two leaders discussed the political and economic situation, with emphasis on
elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.
The
two houses were dissolved by the PTI-led provincial governments in January to
pressure the federal government into bringing forward the date for holding the
general election, scheduled for October.
PM
felicitates UAE rulers
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended felicitations to Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed
Al Nahyan on his appointment as vice president of the United Arab Emirates.
“May
this new chapter be filled with success and prosperity for the UAE and its
people,” he said in a tweet.
The
prime minister also congratulated Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
on his appointment as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1745093/jui-f-chief-assures-pm-of-coalitions-support
--------
DSP
among 4 police officers martyred in LakkiMarwat blast
Zahid
Imdad | Tahir Khan
March
30, 2023
A
deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and three constables were martyred when
an improvised explosive device (IED) went off on the Pirwala Road in LakkiMarwat
on Thursday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said.
According
to the police, the blast occurred as the personnel were en route to the Saddar
police station, where policemen were fending off an attack under way.
"The
DSP, along with a heavy contingent, left for the police station after he
received information regarding a terrorist attack there.
"On
the way, near the Pirwala turn, an IED blast occurred in which DSP Iqbal Momand
and constables Ali Marjan, Waqar and Karamatullah were martyred," it
added.
LakkiMarwat
police spokesperson Shahid Hameed told Dawn.com that terrorists opened fire at
the Saddar police station in the early hours today. Resultantly, an exchange of
fire took place between the police and the terrorists.
During
the gunfight, six policemen were injured, he said. The wounded men, identified
as Head Constable Farooq Shah and constables Amanatullah, Asghar, Sardar Ali
and Arif have been moved to the Lakki City Hospital.
A
police statement also revealed that the militants were equipped with advanced
and heavy weaponry. “The police were on alert and the attackers had to flee
when the police returned fire."
The
terrorists fled while taking advantage of the darkness, it added.
Later,
funerals of the slain policemen were offered at the Police Line, which was
attended by senior police officers.
The
outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the attack in a statement.
Talking
to Dawn.com, former chief of the National Counter Terrorism Authority, Ihsan
Ghani, said that the police are a "soft target" for armed groups.
Ghani,
who has also served as chief of the KP police, said that police routinely come
under attack as they are on the streets and perform duties anywhere. “We are
now alone in the war on terrorism,” he added.
Condemning
the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the sacrifices of police
officers in the war against terrorism were unforgettable and prayed for the
speedy recovery of the injured persons.
In
a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, PM Shehbaz paid homage to
the martyred DSP and policemen in a statement issued by the prime minister's
office.
"Police
are performing magnificent duties against the terrorist as the first line of
defence. Elimination of terrorism is a must for Pakistan's survival and
development," PM Shehbaz said.
The
prime minister extended condolences to the bereaved families. He also said that
the police at Saddar station bravely countered the terrorist attack.
Surge
in terrorism
The
latest attack comes as terrorism in Pakistan has been rearing its head again.
Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country —
especially in KP and Balochistan has worsened — with terrorist groups executing
attacks with near impunity across the country.
Since
the talks with the TTP broke down in November, the militant group has
intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police in KP and areas
bordering Afghanistan. Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their
violent activities and formalised a nexus with the outlawed TTP.
In
Jan, a powerful suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines killed 84
people and injured many others.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1744973/dsp-among-4-police-officers-martyred-in-lakki-marwat-blast
--------
Southeast
Asia
Indonesian
Buddhists step out to support Muslims in Ramadan fast
SHEANY
YASUKO LAI
March
30, 2023
JAKARTA:
As millions of people in Muslim-majority Indonesia are observing the fasting
month of Ramadan, members of the Buddhist community have been extending their
support and preparing iftar meals for those breaking their fast at dusk.
Muslims
comprise nearly 90 percent of Indonesia’s 277 million population, but the
multifaith nation officially recognizes six religions, including Buddhism,
which has an estimated 2 million followers. Since Ramadan began last week, many
Buddhist temples across the country have been extending support to their Muslim
neighbors.
In
Cirebon, West Java province, members of the Dewi WelasAsih Temple congregation
have come together to prepare iftar meals throughout the fasting month.
They
hand out meal boxes around 4 p.m., right before sunset, hoping to reach the
people who need their support the most. Each box consists of rice, sauteed
vegetables, fried eggs and either chicken or beef, all home-cooked.
“It
doesn’t matter what religion you have, if there is one good moment to do good
deeds, all of us here at the Dewi WelasAsih Temple believe that it’s very wise,
right, and honorable to give back, even if it’s not on your own religious
holiday,” YuliaHiyanto, who has been organizing the temple’s iftar activities,
told Arab News.
“When
we are able to give back and it is accepted with a smile…my heart feels
something that can neither be described nor bought, and I hear this from other
friends too, this feeling of utmost happiness.”
In
a similar spirit, the youth of the Dhanagun Temple in Bogor, also in West Java,
are dedicating their Sundays throughout Ramadan month to reach out as many
people as they can across the city and hand out snacks commonly eaten in
Indonesia to break the fast.
“It
is our hope that our program can help people in need, especially Muslims in
Bogor, who are now fasting,” said Hansen, the temple’s youth leader.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278451/world
--------
In
police report, woman says Johor Islamic authorities harassing her over lawsuit
against unilateral conversion
By
Ida Lim
30
Mar 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 30 — A Johor woman has accused an Islamic body from Kota Tinggi
of harassment, alleging its officers visited to allegedly “scold” her for a
lawsuit seeking to challenge a Johor state law allowing the unilateral
conversion of children to Islam.
Malay
Mail has withheld the identity of the woman for her personal safety. In her
lawsuit filed earlier this month, she said she was converted to Islam as a
child in Johor by only one of her parents and without consent from the other
parent, but did not profess Islam and instead practised Hinduism.
In
a police report she lodged this morning, the woman said five officers from the
Kota Tinggi Islamic Religious Department came to her house yesterday afternoon
in a van, with the only uniformed officer introducing the group to be officers
of the department.
Alone
at her house with her three children, the woman said they had asked her to open
her door, and they had then entered her house and scolded her for filing a
lawsuit against the Johor state government. She is both a plaintiff and a
witness in that lawsuit.
In
the same police report, the woman said those officers had scolded her for not
wearing a tudung (Muslim headscarf) in her own home.
She
said the officers had breached her privacy by taking videos and photos of her,
her three young children and her house without her permission. She added that
she had lodged the police report out of fear and worry for the safety of
herself and her children.
On
March 3, this woman had along with 13 others filed a lawsuit against eight laws
enabling unilateral conversion to Islam in seven states and Kuala Lumpur,
Putrajaya and Labuan.
The
eight respondents in the lawsuit were named as the state governments of Perlis,
Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Johor and the government of the
federal territories of Malaysia.
This
afternoon, Arun Dorasamy — who is also one of the 14 plaintiffs who had filed
the lawsuit — described the Kota Tinggi Islamic religious body’s visit to the
woman’s house as “harassment”.
Arun,
otherwise known as Arumugam Dorasamy, was speaking on behalf of the legal unit
in non-governmental organisationPertubuhan Hindu Agamam Ani Malaysia. The
organisation, which deals with the Hindu community’s social welfare, is also
one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Arun
said any Islamic bodies should instead challenge the lawsuit in the courts,
instead of carrying out such harassment.
“They
were interviewing and scolding her why she filed a case in the KL High Court,
this is totally unacceptable. As a Malaysian, she has a right to file a case in
any court of her choice.
“And
all parties whether defendant or plaintiff must stand down and give due chance
to the court to decide on the matter. This type of harassment to our plaintiff
is uncalled for. It is illegal. It’s amounting to tampering with the witness.
She is a witness in this case. And also, this is utterly a contempt of court,”
he said in a press conference.
“And
on behalf of all these 14 plaintiffs, and also legal unit Agamam Ani, we ask
all the parties involved, Jabatan Agama Islam, we see you in court, whatever
you want to bring forward, bring forward in court, do not come and harass our
plaintiffs, this is not right,” he said.
“We
take this one very, very seriously because one of the biggest problems why this
issue has never been taken to court, because scared of harassment from the
related Jabatan, and that’s exactly what is happening today,” he added.
He
said efforts will be made to initiate contempt of court proceedings against
Johor’s Islamic body over the harassment to the woman.
According
to Arun, the Islamic body’s officers refused her request for them to speak to
her lawyers instead, and had questioned her on her choice of attire in her own
house besides also reprimanding her for not wearing the Muslim head covering
for women in her house.
Arun
said the Islamic body officers had also taken photos of the altar at the
woman’s house.
Arun
said the woman has been raised as a Hindu, always practisedHindusim, and was
married to a Hindu husband with all her children also practising Hinduism.
As
for the official records which state her religious status to be a Muslim, Arun
said the woman has that status because of her unilateral conversion and does
not know how she can rectify it, adding that it is not easy to renounce the
religion.
“And
when she comes out and wants to find a way out, she got harassed. So what’s the
mother to do?”
“She
doesn’t understand why they are there, never in her life she’s been visited by
any religious authority ever, questioning her faith, questioning her outlook,
why she is wearing this, why she is not wearing that, it is her right, and
she’s in her house. You coming to the house and scolding a person, I don’t know
how much that is allowed,” he said.
Arun
said the Islamic body’s officers had also separately interviewed the woman’s
three school-going children by asking them which school they go to and whether
they are taught about Islam in school, as well as asking them what religion
they practise.
Arun
said that children should be interviewed according to procedure, such as during
police interviews where the welfare department would be present, adding: “This
is uncalled for, this is totally harassment, totally wrong.”
“She’s
scared, she’s just worried about her children’s wellbeing if Jabatan Agama
Islam will take her children away — that kind of normal thing that a mother
would worry about,” he said.
Arun
said the woman is shaken up and has also asked him if she is safe.
Arun
said it is difficult for minorities in Malaysia to fight cases involving
unilateral conversion and the only choice for them to defend their religious
freedom is by going to court, adding that the rule of law is not being
respected when such harassment happens after a lawsuit is filed.
Source:
MalayMail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
I
Am On The Case, Zahid Assures 137 Orang Asli Seeking To Nullify Islam Status
Over Alleged Forced Conversion
By
Soo Wern Jun
28
Mar 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 28 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has
given his assurance that the religious status of 137 Orang Asli will be
resolved soon.
He
said there will be a detailed discussion with the Orang Asli Development
Department (Jakoa) and the matter will be brought to the Department of Islamic
Development (Jakim) for further action.
“I
will hold a detailed discussion with Jakoa director-general Sapiah Mohd Nor,
who is an Orang Asli, and Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor who
I have appointed as the secretariat chairman of the Orang Asli community
development committee.
“So
we will discuss this matter and bring it to Jakim’s attention to address the
problem and I will ensure a next course of action,” Zahid told reporters after
a Cabinet committee meeting on addressing dengue today.
He
was responding to a plea by 137 Orang Asli from the Bateq Mayan community that
they should be allowed to nullify their Islamic religious status following
their alleged unlawful mass conversion 30 years ago.
The
group have brought the matter to civil court, and through the law firm
FahriAzzat& Co, filed a writ of summons at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on
September 28 last year, Malaysiakini reported yesterday.
The
civil action named six defendants, namely Jakoa, its director and officer, the
Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Muip), the state
government, and the federal government.
According
to the statement of claim sighted by Malaysiakini, the plaintiffs alleged that
the wrongful and illegal conversion was carried out at their home in Kampung
BenchahKelubi, Merapoh, Kuala Lipis, Pahang, in April 1993.
The
plaintiffs claimed that two village leaders were asked by a Jakoa
representative to convert to Islam and also to get the other villagers to do
the same, Malaysiakini reported.
Source:
MalayMail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Malaysians
tighten belts during Ramadan as food prices continue to rise
Nadirah
H. Rodzi
KUALA
LUMPUR - For decades, MrAzmirIkmal and his family would break their fast with a
Ramadan buffet at a hotel. But as inflation creeps up, they have replaced the
spread with ala carte picks from the menu to be more prudent.
“This
tradition has been with us since I was a child, so we’re trying to keep it
alive for as long as we can, especially after my father’s death,” he told The
Straits Times. “But things are getting expensive – the Ramadan buffet at our
favourite hotel went up by 25 per cent to RM208 (S$62) a person.
“We
don’t think it’s a good idea to spend that much, so we restrategised without
having to stop going to our favourite place.”
Like
him, pharmacist Aliya Hashim is tightening her budget by preparing her own
Ramadan meals and Hari Raya cookies, after bakers raised prices.
“I
did some calculations. I can save more by doing this,” she said, joining
Malaysians who are now more conscious of their spending due to rising food
prices.
Consumer
price inflation remained elevated at 3.7 per cent in February, according to
Department of Statistics Malaysia data, with food and beverage items remaining
high at 7 per cent.
Chief
statistician Mohd UzirMahidin said continuous heavy rain in several states,
from the end of December 2022 to February 2023, has also led to increases in
food prices, especially for vegetables.
“As
a result of the transition of the monsoon, the inflation for the vegetable
sub-group has recorded a significant increase of 5.8 per cent as compared with
1 per cent in January,” he said.
With
high prices squeezing people’s purchasing power, economic experts say consumers
tend to be more cautious in spending, especially when there is no corresponding
rise in income.
Sunway
University economics professor Yeah Kim Leng told ST: “To reduce living
expenses, consumers could be having meals prepared at home and reducing
purchases at bazaars. Another possible factor could be the increase in the
number of stalls and vendors, offering consumers more choices. Vendors, on the
other hand, experience lower business volume due to greater competition.
“The
economy is slowing down, as reflected in the latest economic indicators.
Consumers tend to tighten their wallets when faced with increased uncertainties
over the economy. They could also have less to spend due to the expiry of the
various Covid-19 stimulus packages.”
During
the pandemic, Malaysia’s gross domestic product shrank by 5.6 per cent in 2020,
the biggest contraction since the 1998 Asian financial crisis.
Home-based
baker Mimi Zainal is feeling the pinch, saying the price of butter has risen by
30 per cent in the last few months, forcing her to increase prices.
“A
block of 250g butter that I use is now RM24.70 – that’s RM5.70 more. I can no
longer sell my cookies for RM35 per bottle, but after repricing them at RM3
more, sales are not really coming in,” she said.
“I
easily got orders for 100 bottles in the first week of Ramadan last year, but I
can barely get 45 now, and we’re already entering the second week of fasting.
I’m behind my sales target for this year.”
To
help cushion the burden, the Malaysian government on Monday launched the Rahmah
Ramadan bazaar, consisting of food trucks offering affordable meals below RM5
in 38 locations nationwide.
Source:
StraitsTimes
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PKNS
launches Ramadan Kasih initiative to help the less fortunate
30-03-
2023
SHAH
ALAM: The Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) today launched Ramadan
Kasih, its corporate social responsibility initiative aimed at helping the less
fortunate.
PKNS
Corporate Services senior general manager Sapna Turmidi said there were six activities
under the programme namely Gotong Royong Ramadan Kasih, Raga Ramadan Kasih,
Bekal Ramadan Kasih, buburlambuk distribution, Shopping Raya Ramadan Kasih and
breaking of fast event.
She
said all the activities provided an opportunity for PKNS to help the less
fortunate through the allocation of zakat wakalahtotalling RM54,000.
“Three
of these six activities have already taken place, namely the gotong royong
which was held at the welfare home under Pertubuhan Kebajikan Ehsan Ash-Shakur
(PEKEAS) in Rawang, donations to 100 homeless people in Jalan Tuanku Abdul
Rahman, Kuala Lumpur and daily necessities assistance to 50 asnaf (eligible to
receive tithe) families.
“In
conjunction with the launch of Ramadan Kasih today, PKNS also distributed
buburlambuk to 1,000 staff members as well as 500 visitors to the Shah Alam
PKNS Complex,“ she told the media after the Ramadan Kasih launching ceremony
officiated by PKNS chief financial officer Nor Azlina Amran here.
She
said another round of buburlambuk distribution will be held on April 4 at the
complex for 500 visitors.
According
to Sapna, the Raya shopping will be done this Sunday (April 2), meanwhile, the
breaking of the fast event will be held on April 7.
Source:TheSunDaily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Hamas
vows not to concede an inch of Palestinian land to Israel
30
March 2023
The
Gaza-based Hamas resistance movement has reiterated its goal of liberating the
Palestinian land from the Israeli occupation, saying it will never give up an
inch of the territory to the usurping regime.
In
a statement on Wednesday, Hamas also underscored its adherence to national
unity and comprehensive resistance as the only means to uphold the Palestinian
rights and free their homeland from the river to the sea.
The
statement was issued on the 47th anniversary of Land Day, an occasion which has
been commemorated every March 30 since 1976, when six Palestinians were killed
by Israeli forces during protests against the seizure of their land.
The
day is marked annually not only by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and
the Gaza Strip but also by Palestinians across the world.
“Our
people rose up on Land Day, in the Triangle, Galilee and Negev in our 1948
occupied territories, against the policy of settlement encroachment and the
policy of displacement and banishment,” the statement read.
Hamas
also emphasized that the Israeli schemes and crimes as well as its land theft
and settlement expansion policies would not succeed in changing the Arab
identity of the Palestinian land and the historical facts.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/03/30/700673/Hamas-vows-not-concede-inch-Palestinian-land-Israel
--------
Lawmakers
urge Biden to probe Israel’s use of US arms against Palestinians
30
March 2023
Two
American lawmakers are leading a push for the administration of President Joe
Biden to investigate if Israel is using US weapons to commit human rights
violations against Palestinians.
In
a letter drafted to Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Democratic
Representative Jamaal Bowman and Senator Bernie Sanders called on Washington to
determine whether there have been any breaches of the Arms Export Control Act
and the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibit American weapons from being used
for rights abuses.
The
Biden administration, they said, should ensure that US taxpayer funds are not
supporting “projects in illegal settlements” and that all future assistance to
Israel will not be used “in support of gross violations of human rights.”
They
also asked the Biden administration “to undertake a shift in US policy in
recognition of the worsening violence, further annexation of land, and denial
of Palestinian rights” by the Tel Aviv regime.
The
lawmakers expressed deep concerns regarding “the rapidly escalating violence in
the occupied Palestinian West Bank and the alarming actions of the new extreme
right-wing Israeli” administration.
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition includes “far-right,
anti-Palestinian individuals and parties,” who are “pushing repressive,
anti-democratic policies and escalating violence towards the Palestinian
population,” they added.
The
letter comes as Netanyahu is facing protests over his now-delayed plans to
overhaul Israel’s judiciary, which undermines the Supreme Court, weakens
judicial oversight over policymaking, and gives the party in power – currently
Likud – greater authority.
The
Israeli regime’s “anti-democratic mission to dismantle the rule of law is a
threat to Israelis and Palestinians alike. In addition to explicitly hateful,
anti-Palestinian policies, this government is attempting to destroy the
independent Israeli judiciary. This move would threaten the rights of all
citizens of Israel, enable more corruption by prime ministers, and open the
path towards further annexation of Palestinian lands,” it read.
The
Israeli regime’s “actions are in clear violation of international law and
commitments made to the US; its agenda will further devastate Palestinian
communities and heighten tension.”
The
letter has already been signed by eight other lawmakers and received the
support of over 70 progressive Jewish groups as well as more than 20 civil
society groups.
Jewish
Voice for Peace Action political director, Beth Miller, described the US
lawmakers’ letter as “an important call to action.”
“Over
80 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers just since the
beginning of 2023, and the Biden administration’s statements of ‘concern’ mean
nothing without action and accountability,” Miller said in a statement.
“Leaders
in Congress who join this letter are following the demands of a rapidly growing
number of Americans – including American Jews – who want to see the Israeli
government held accountable for its decades of oppression of Palestinians.”
Meanwhile,
Palestinian advocates said the letter could pave the way for a serious
examination of the US-Israel relationship.
“Until
the US holds Israel accountable for its human rights records, it will continue
to act with impunity. The US has huge leverage over Israel, it should start
using it. Most Americans would agree with this position (sadly, not our elected
officials). Kudos to Senator Sanders for leading the way in Congress on this
topic,” Nader Hashemi, associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics
at the University of Denver, told the Middle East Eye (MEE) news portal.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/03/30/700663/Biden-US-arms-Israel-
--------
Israel’s
relations with Arab world jeopardized by new government’s actions, experts say
RAY
HANANIA
March
31, 2023
CHICAGO:
Israeli journalists, former diplomats and government ministers agreed on
Thursday that escalating violence directed toward Palestinians under the rule
of the new coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is
undermining Israel’s relations with neighboring Arab countries, in particular
those that have signed the Abraham Accords or might have considered doing so.
During
a discussion hosted by the Middle East Institute, the panelists said the first
three months of the far-right government have been “chaotic” and its policies
are “racist” and “disconnected from reality.”
Since
it came to power in December, the ruling coalition has overseen the violent
suppression of Palestinian protests. Nearly 100 Palestinians have been killed
as Israeli and settler raids targeting activists have been stepped up
throughout the occupied West Bank.
One
of the most violent incidents was an assault on the Palestinian village of
Huwara on Feb. 27, which an Israeli panelist described as a “pogrom,” a word
used to describe an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group. Armed
settlers, who claimed to be avenging an attack on Israelis by Palestinians the
day before, led a violent, late-night rampage through the village in the
northern West Bank, killing one Palestinian and injuring more than 100. The
Israeli military, which has responded rapidly to increased tensions related to
Palestinian assaults, did nothing to intervene.
“The
fact is that this government, in its first three months, is totally
dysfunctional and chaotic, and almost any step it takes does not come out of
initiative but out of reaction to events,” said Barak Ravid, a veteran Middle
East and diplomatic correspondent for Israeli media outlets.
“This
is also a government that … is the most far-right government in Israel’s
history, with racist and Jewish-supremacist elements in it, in key positions
that have a lot of influence over foreign relations and national security, like
Itamir Ben Gvir, the minister of national security, or Mr. (Bezalel) Smotrich,
the minister of finance.”
Ravid
continued: “When Netanyahu came in, he said several things. Firstly, he said he
is going have his hands on the wheel when it comes to national security and
foreign policy. I think in the three months since this government was formed it
is obvious to everybody that this is not the case. He is not running anything,
everything is chaotic.
“And
secondly, he put forward a pretty ambitious foreign policy agenda, first
stressing he will focus on Iran and on countering its nuclear program. And
second, he said he will try to broaden the Abraham Accords and get a peace treaty
with Saudi Arabia. In the last three months, he has done nothing, not on the
first foreign policy goal and not on the second foreign policy goal.”
Ravid
said the unrelated issue of the government’s proposed reforms of Israel’s
judicial system, which have sparked widespread protests across Israel and
international concern, has contributed the problems because it has “hijacked
the government’s agenda.”
The
violence in the West Bank, the panelists agreed, has caused a spike in killings
of Palestinians and Israelis, and put the brakes on any more potential
normalization agreements, similar to the Abraham Accords deals with Morocco,
Bahrain and the UAE, in particular dashing hopes that there might be one with
Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu’s
coalition “knows very well that they are harming relations with the Arab World
but they don’t care,” said Nachman Shai, Israel’s former minister of diaspora
affairs.
“Don’t
tell me they don’t know, when they let Minister Ben Gvir on the Temple Mount
(Al-Aqsa Mosque) or other statements were made by coalition members and
government ministers. They know very well that they are harming relations with
the Arab world but they don’t care.”
Shai
described the “Huwara pogrom” as a “terrible event, a tragedy that disrupted
our relationship with the United States, with the Jewish community, and with
the world. And especially with our relations with the Arab World.”
He
said the new government’s policies have drawn anger from the administration of
US President Joe Biden, who has been a strong advocate for Israeli security and
democracy.
Elie
Podeh, a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University in
Jerusalem, said the biggest effect of the coalition’s actions has been to
undermine any possibility of normalized relations between Saudi Arabia and
Israel, which was “Netanyahu’s main target” for his foreign policy.
“Any
tension, and certainly an intifada and anything significant that happens
between Israel and the Palestinians, especially if Jerusalem is involved, is
going to hamper and is going to hurt any developments between the Israelis and
the Saudis,” Podeh said. “So, it is not on the horizon, at least the immediate
horizon.”
Maya
Sion Tzidkiyahu, director of Mitvim, the Israel-Europe Relations Program at the
Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, said the turmoil during the
first 100 days of Netanyahu’s government has not only soured support for Israel
among leaders of EU countries, but also the normalized relations with the UAE.
She said the Netanyahu government has not recognized the damage it is causing
to its efforts to improve relations with the Arab World.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278696/middle-east
--------
Blinken
speaks with his Israeli counterpart, welcomes efforts to deescalate tensions
with Palestinians
BetülYürük
31.03.2023
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed recent efforts to deescalate
tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in a phone call Thursday with his
Israeli counterpart.
Blinken
and Eli Cohen discussed shared challenges including Iran, efforts to advance
mutual interests and Israel’s further regional integration, according to the
State Department.
The
top US diplomat reiterated Washington’s continued commitment to a two-state
solution and welcomed recent efforts to deescalate tensions between Israelis
and Palestinians through meetings in Aqaba, Jordan and in Sharm el-Sheikh,
Egypt, said State Department principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hamas
condemns Israeli plan to form 'settler militia'
30
March 2023
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has condemned the Israeli regime’s plan
to create a "settler militia" to mount more pressure on the
Palestinians.
Hamas
spokesman Jihad Taha said on Wednesday that the "settler militia"
will be an extremist force in Tel Aviv's hands to further repress and massacre
the Palestinians.
Early
this week, media reports said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had
given the green light to his far-right extremist National Security Minister
Itamar Ben-Gvir to form a "settler militia".
The
new force is to be referred to as the National Guard and will be under
Ben-Gvir's direct control.
Ben-Gvir's
critics warned that the far-right leader aims to create his own private army to
carry out his sinister plans against the innocent Palestinian people.
"The
formation of a racist and extremist militia aiming to crack down even more on
our people in Palestine occupied in 1948 [Israel] is in alignment with previous
racist decisions which legalize settler outposts, increase armed raids at the
Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and give more power to Ben-Gvir to carry out more
massacres," Taha said.
Taha
said, however, that the move will not undermine the determination of the
Palestinian nation to defend al-Aqsa Mosque and al-Quds against the Israeli
occupiers.
He
urged the international community to stand up against the racist decisions that
aimed to target the Palestinian people.
In
the meantime, the Palestinian foreign ministry issued a statement, calling
Ben-Gvir a "fascist".
"Ben-Gvir
is widely regarded as a fascist, who has repeatedly made provocative moves
against Palestinians and the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque, and has frequently stoked
violence and terror with his inflammatory remarks, hateful threats, and
controversial actions,” the ministry said in a statement.
He
could only run a "militia of racial terror [that] will only serve to
target, kill, and torture the undefended Palestinian people, en masse," it
said.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/03/30/700694/Palestine-Israel-Settler-Militia-Hamas-Jihad-Taha
--------
FM
Reiterates Iran's Strong Opposition to Any Geopolitical Change in Region
2023-March-30
Amir
Abdollahian made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Russian
counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
"We
focused on the ongoing developments in the Caucasus region, noting that we do
not see the continuation of tension in the region as fruitful for any parties,
including Armenia and Azerbaijan, but Russia and Iran believe that security
would be beneficial for regional peace and stability," Amir Abdollahian
said after his meeting with Lavrov.
"Since
certain efforts to change the geopolitics of the region can complicate the
current circumstances more than ever, the 3+3 mechanism for resolving Caucasus
issues and other existing mechanisms should be applied away from resorting to
using force," he added.
The
next round of talks to pursue the 3+3 mechanism can be held in Tehran, the top
diplomat said, expressing hope that the result of the coming meeting and other
efforts result in resolving the issues peacefully.
On
economic and trade ties between Russia and Iran, Amir Abdollahian underscored
that the mutual trade exchanges improved over the past one and half years and
that the bilateral trade volume increased by more than 3.5 times.
He
also noted that the two foreign ministers discussed the accession of the
Islamic Republic to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, including the
approval of 49 documents by the Iranian Parliament for Iran’s membership in the
next SCO summit.
As
to the relationship between Turkiye and Syria, Amir Abdollahian said that he
discussed the issue in his latest trip to Ankara as well as during his today’s
meeting with FM Lavrov and that the deputy foreign ministers of Turkiye, Syria,
Russia, and Iran will hold a meeting next week to approach viewpoints of Ankara
and Damascus.
Reacting
to the United States' claims on recent clashes in Syria, the Iranian foreign
minister stated that the Americans always level unfounded accusations on
attacks by the so-called groups, which they claim, are affiliated to Iran, or
accuse the Islamic Republic of conducting drone strikes, but they do not
propose any document to prove their allegations.
Touching
upon the restoration of ties between Riyadh and Tehran, Amir Abdollahian noted
that he would meet with his Saudi counterpart in the near future, adding that
certain disagreements were natural, but the differences would not hinder the
restoration of the relationship as well as the re-opening of embassies of both
countries.
In
a relevant development on Wednesday, Amir Abdollahian in a meeting with Lavrov
in Moscow called for the finalization of the strategic cooperation agreement
with Russia in less than a month.
“Reviews
on the long-term strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries have
been finalized in Russia. Iran has also examined it. I hope that in less than a
month, the final revision of the agreement will be carried out by Iran’s
Foreign Ministry,” Amir Abdollahian said in his Wednesday meeting with Lavrov
in the Russian capital.
“High-ranking
Iranian and Russian delegations at different levels are exchanging views, and
the presidents of the two countries are in constant contact with each
other," he added.
Also
in his remarks, the top Iranian diplomat stressed that Iran-Russia ties are
advancing on the right track, hoping that bilateral cooperation in regional and
international organizations will properly go on.
Lavrov,
for his part, said that the talks between Iran and Russia in different areas
are actively advancing.
He
noted that Tehran-Moscow relations in political, commercial, investment and
economic fields, as well as the implementation of key projects have developed.
There
has been a steady growth in bilateral ties within the framework of the joint
economic commission, he said, highlighting close cooperation in international
and regional affairs.
In
2001, Tehran and Moscow signed a 10-year cooperation deal that was lengthened
to 20 years through two five-year extensions.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran's
Embassy Dismisses Israeli Regime's Claim
2023-March-30
"Iran
strongly rejects the rumors spread by Zionist sources and their baseless
accusations against Iran. It is obvious that their fabricated scenarios are
meant to divert the public's attention from their internal crisis," Iran's
embassy in Athens said in a statement.
According
to the Iranian diplomatic mission, the publication of such a fake report is a
clumsy scenario designed by the zionsit regime to divert public opinion and try
to cover up its internal developments.
The
Iranian ambassy's statement came one day after the Greek police reported that
it had busted a "terrorist network" with the help of the national
intelligence agency, EYP, arresting two Pakistanis on suspicion of plotting
attacks on a Jewish restaurant and a synagogue.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020110000158/Iran's-Embassy-Dismisses-Israeli-Regime's-Claim
--------
Israel
charges two Jewish settlers with ‘terror’ for attacking Palestinians
30
March ,2023
An
Israeli court on Thursday charged two Jewish settlers with “committing an act
of terror” for attacking Palestinians in a village of the occupied West Bank
this month, officials said.
The
rare indictment, normally reserved for Palestinians, came after a group of
settlers attacked a Palestinian family in their car in Huwara, where eight days
earlier two Israeli settlers had been shot dead amid a surge in violence in the
Palestinian territory.
The
fatal February 26 shootings sparked a rampage by dozens of Israeli settlers who
set homes and cars ablaze in Huwara, with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel
Smotrich saying he thought the village should be “wiped out” in remarks he
later retracted.
According
to the indictment filed at Israel’s central district court, the two young men were
among a group of eight to 10 settlers who on March 6, during the Jewish holiday
Purim, drove to the parking lot of a supermarket in Huwara.
Upon
seeing the settlers emerge from two vehicles armed with an axe, hammer, stones
and pepper spray, shoppers rushed into the supermarket and closed its metal
shutters to defend themselves.
A
Palestinian couple and their toddler daughter remained in their car as one of
settlers who was charged threw stones at the vehicle and the other used the axe
to break its windows and attack the father.
The
father suffered wounds to his shoulder and arm while the attackers doused the
car with pepper spray and the other accused vandalized two other cars parked
nearby.
The
family eventually managed to drive away as the settlers hurled rocks at them,
wounding the father in the head.
The
pair were charged with “a severe act of terror” and “racially motivated”
damage, which prosecutors alleged had “an ideological or nationalistic motive.”
According
to Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service, the accused -- arrested on
March 13 -- belong to “a violent group acting to harm Palestinians and
undermine the actions of security forces in dealing with Palestinian terror.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Palestinians
commemorate Land Day, remember sacrifices
HAZEM
BALOUSHA
March
30, 2023
GAZA
CITY: Thousands of Palestinians commemorated Land Day on the eastern borders of
the Gaza Strip and beyond, as political leaders urged unity and unswerving
support for the right of return of refugees.
A
main sit-in and festival was held on the border on Thursday, while other
activities took place within the enclave, in the Palestinian territories and in
Arab towns in Israel.
Young
men, carrying Palestinian flags, approached the fence separating the Gaza Strip
and Israel, while representatives of the factions delivered speeches. The
Israeli army fired tear gas canisters at the demonstrators.
Land
Day is a day of commemoration for Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians of
the events of March 30, 1976 in Israel. A general strike and marches were
organized in Arab towns in response to the Israeli government’s announcement of
a plan to expropriate thousands of dunams of land.
Six
unarmed Arab citizens were killed, 100 were wounded and hundreds of others were
arrested during clashes with Israeli forces.
Meanwhile,
the 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, dubbed the Great March of Return, were a
series of demonstrations held each Friday near the Gaza-Israel border from 30
March 2018 to Dec. 27, 2019, during which at least 217 people including 48
children were killed.
The
demonstrators demanded that Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to
ancestral land in what is now Israel. They also protested against Israel’s
blockade of the Gaza Strip and the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital
of Israel.
Khaled
Al-Batsh of Islamic Jihad’s political bureau said: “We have no choice but to
have unity in the face of confrontation, for a path to liberation that passes
through the barrels of rifles.”
Hamas
leader Ismail Radwan said: “We affirm our adherence to the right of return, and
we call for the pilgrimage to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the escalation at all points
of contact with the occupation.”
Mustafa
Ibrahim, a political analyst, said that this year’s Land Day protests were not
expected to take a violent turn.
“It
is not expected that we will return to daily or weekly protests on the border,
but the factions always like to put pressure on the occupation and remind it of
what could happen on the Gaza border again.
“The
protests were within a certain period and they achieved their goals, according
to the factions. I do not think that we will return to that model again in the
current period, and we cannot deny that the Palestinian losses were great.”
Delivering
a speech at the Gaza border, Mohsen Abu Ramadan, head of the National
Committee, said: “Land Day carries a lot of meaning. The anniversary of Land
Day comes this year under a fascist right-wing government, which constitutes an
opportunity to raise the Palestinian issue in the international arena.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278441/middle-east
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South
Asia
Afghan
Authorities React to SCO Concerns About Threats Emanating from Afghanistan
By
Fidel Rahmati
March
30, 2023
In
response to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s concerns about the major
threat from Afghanistan, the Taliban authorities said that Afghanistan’s soil
would not be used against any country.
The
de facto government’s spokesperson, Bilal Karimi, asserted that security had
been upheld throughout Afghanistan and that no one would be permitted to
interfere with security.
The
remarks came after the Russian Security Council Secretary expressed his
concerns about poses major security threats and risks from Afghanistan to the
SCO member countries.
The
Russian security envoy, Nikolay Partushev, said on Wednesday at the SCO meeting
in New Delhi that it is “Important to watch the situation in Afghanistan
closely as it remains tense and it is taking on protracted nature a year and a
half after the Taliban came to power.”
He
also stressed that threats posed by Afghanistan include “terrorism, illegal
arms and drug trafficking, illegal migration and the spread of extremist
ideology.”
He
also blamed Washington and its allies for the current economic devastation
after the irresponsible withdrawal from the country, as he said.
“We
believe that Washington and its allies, who are responsible for the critical
situation in the country after the withdrawal of the occupation forces, should
bear the bulk of the cost of restoring the Afghan economy in the wake of the
conflict,” Patrushev said.
The
SCO meeting took place in New Delhi on Wednesday, and the member states
expressed their concerns about the growing threats of ISIS and other militant
groups in the country.
This
comes two days after a suicide bomb attack close to the Foreign Ministry in
Kabul, killing 6 people and injuring several others.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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MoD
Chief of Staff Accuses US of Violating Afghan Airspace
By
Mohammad Farshad Daryosh
The
chief of staff of the Islamic Emirate, Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, criticized the
United States for violating Afghanistan’s airspace.
In
an interview with RTA, Fitrat noted that the current Afghan government will manage
the country's airspace in a better way in the future.
"Even
though it was a term in the agreement, it has been violated many times, and
even though the US side has been informed, it is violated many times,” Fitrat
noted.
"It
is very difficult for the Taliban government to defend the airspace of
Afghanistan because the planes and drones that fly in the airspace of
Afghanistan are from some very advanced countries,” said Asadullah Nadim, a
military expert.
The
chief of staff said that efforts will be made to make the forces of the
Ministry of Defense more professional.
Qari
Fasihuddin Fitrat further stated that the number of army troops will increase
from 150,000 to 200,000 in the future.
"We
have decided to increase the size of the army, God willing, in the following
year, from 150,000 to 170,000 and gradually increase the number of troops to
200,000,” Fitrat said.
“Afghanistan
should at least have an army in proportion to our neighbors and in proportion
to our population, an army that has an air force, artillery, ground troops, and
air defense forces,” said Sarwar Niazi, a military expert.
Source:
ToloNews
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-182747
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Attack
on Kabul Security Compound Kills Two, Injures Another
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
March
31, 2023
Afghanistan
Freedom Front (AFF) militant group on Thursday night claimed to have attacked
Kabul Security Command using a hand grenade, killing two security forces and
injuring a third one.
Reportedly,
the attack took place around 6:00 mp, but official sources have not yet
confirmed the incident and the casualties left from Thursday night’s attack.
The
incident took place a day after Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the Afghanistan
National Resistance Front (NRF) claimed to have carried out an operation on the
educational center and outpost of the Taliban special unit in the Pul-e-Charkhi
area of Kabul city.
On
Wednesday, NRF announced the beginning of the group’s “guerrilla attacks”,
which was welcomed by Afghanistan Freedom Front, and called for cooperation to
carry out joint attacks against the Taliban security forces.
The
Taliban have not yet reacted to NRF’s spring attacks, however, Qari Fasihuddin
Fitrat, Taliban’s Chief of Staff in an interview with Afghan state TV said
there will be no armed resistance by the former military and exiled Afghan
leaders against the Taliban.
Taliban
Chief of Staff described the exiled Afghan leaders’ claims as “boastful” and
threatened them with military repression.
Since
the return of the Taliban to power, security remains a major challenge for the
ruling regime. It is reported that the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) militants
have intensified their attacks in Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, and other parts of
Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/attack-on-kabul-security-compound-kills-two-injures-another/
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Afghanistan
Poses Major Threat to the Security of SCO Member States: Russia’s NSA
By
Fidel Rahmati
March
30, 2023
Russian
Security Council Secretary said that Afghanistan poses major security threats
and risks to member states of the Security of Shanghai Cooperation
Organization.
Russian
Security Chief, Nikolay Partushev, told members of SCO in India on Wednesday
that it is “Important to watch the situation in Afghanistan closely as it
remains tense and it is taking on protracted nature a year and a half after the
Taliban came to power,” reported by TASS News Agency.
He
warned the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at a meeting
in New Delhi that the threats posed by Afghanistan include “terrorism, illegal
arms, and drug trafficking, illegal migration and the spread of extremist
ideology.”
“We
believe that Washington and its allies, who are responsible for the critical
situation in the country after the withdrawal of the occupation forces, should
bear the bulk of the cost of restoring the Afghan economy in the wake of the
conflict,” Patrushev said.
He
added that Russia considers “the return of any US or NATO military
infrastructure facilities to the region, including to Afghanistan’s
neighbouring countries, in any form and on any pretext categorically
inadmissible.”
The
SCO meeting took place in New Delhi on Wednesday. National security Advisors of
SCO members discussed the situation of Afghanistan and the region, including
countering Terrorism and drug trafficking.
Meanwhile,
Pakistan and China attended virtually in the meeting.
The
Indian National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, said in his opening remarks,
“Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and its financing are amongst
the most serious threats to international peace and security. Any act of
Terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable.”
Meanwhile,
the SCO member states expressed their concerns about the growing threats of Islamic
States Khorasan Province (IS-KP) militants in the country.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Terrorism
Remains ‘Serious Threat’ To International Peace: NSA Doval
By
Fidel Rahmati
March
30, 2023
Terrorism
in all of its forms and its financing are amongst the most serious threats to
international peace and security, Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit
Doval said on Wednesday.
Doval
made the remarks at the 18th meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils
of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states, stressing that any act of
terrorism, regardless of its cause, is unjustifiable.
“Terrorism
in all its forms and manifestations and its financing are the most serious
threats to international peace and security. Any act of terrorism, regardless
of its motivation, is unjustifiable,” Doval said during his opening remarks at
the Shanghai Group Meeting.
He
also stressed the mutual respect for member states’ sovereignty and territorial
integrity.
“The
Charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty,
territorial integrity of states, non-use of force or threat of its use in
international relations, and seeking no unilateral military superiority in
areas,” he added.
Several
Indian political analysts believe the remarks indirectly referenced Pakistan,
also an SCO member.
India
has been facing terrorist threats since its independence. Indian planes were
hijacked, and India allegedly blamed Pakistan for supporting the terrorists.
The
Mumbai attack is another incident. Ten Pakistani terrorists linked to
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba stormed Mumbai skyscrapers, killing 164 people. One of the
shooters escaped the attacks, while nine of them were slain. According to CNN,
Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the only gunman still alive, was put to death in November
2012.
The
recent incident by Amritpal, a pro-Khalistan movement, has brought back
memories of 1980 and the Khalistan movement. Though, the attacks and fatalities
in India are at their lowest in the last four decades.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/terrorism-remains-serious-threat-to-international-peace-nsa-doval/
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Africa
AsariDokubo
dismisses allegations of Tinubu leading Jihad in Nigeria as president
March
30, 2023
By
Seun Opejobi
A
few months to the swearing-in of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, a former
Niger Delta militant and loyalist to the politician, AsariDokubo, has rubbished
claims that the incoming president would lead a Jihad in Nigeria.
Dokubo
wondered how Tinubu would lead a Jihad in Nigeria when he never did such as a
governor of Lagos State for eight years.
He
pointed out that Tinubu’s wife was a Christian; hence he could not carry out
such in Nigeria.
In
a Facebook Live, Dokubo said: “Tinubu’s wife is a Christian, and his children
are Christians. ‘He is going to lead Jihad’. He did not lead Jihad in Lagos for
eight years; it is now he is going to lead Jihad.
Source:
DailyPost Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Displaced
families in drought-hit Somalia struggle to celebrate Ramadan
Mohammed
Dhaysane
30.03.2023
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
As
Somalia grapples with its longest drought on record, many displaced families
are struggling to celebrate the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Ramadan
is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a
month of fasting.
Adan
Ibrahim, a 64-year-old father of 10 children, was displaced from a settlement
30 kilometers from Baidoa, the largest city in Somalia’s South West state.
He
told Anadolu that they have been struggling to celebrate this year’s Ramadan
because of the drought and rising food prices.
“We
lost everything because of the drought. The drought has forced us to migrate
from our settlements to the urban areas. We are here in this camp but life here
is different from the rural areas. This Ramadan has been very challenging
because we break fast with whatever food might be at hand,” he said.
Muhibo
Hassan Abdirahman, a 26-year-old mother of three, who lives at a camp for
internally displaced people on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu, said
that her husband died because of drought-related illnesses.
“In
my father’s household, we lost 80 goats, 15 camels and 20 cattle because of the
drought,” she added.
She
said that she could not be able to fast due to a lack of food. “I am not
feeling well in terms of health and I am also breastfeeding my little baby
girl.”
Longest
drought in Somalia’s history
Petroc
Wilton, the spokesperson for the World Food Program (WFP) Somalia, told Anadolu
that the drought is now being reported as the longest in Somalia’s history;
five rainy seasons have now failed to deliver adequate rainfall.
“This
is overlaid with persistent conflict and insecurity that continue to exacerbate
the impact of the drought. Somalia remains close to catastrophe unless our
humanitarian scale-up can be sustained,” he said.
According
to a recent UN report, 5 million people are already suffering crisis-level
hunger or worse.
“6.5
million people are projected to face Crisis-level or worse food insecurity …
between April and June 2023, with 223,000 people likely to face Catastrophic
hunger … if the next rainy season fails and humanitarian assistance cannot
reach those most in need,” according to the report.
According to the UN,
an estimated 43,000 people died due to the drought in 2022 alone – half of them
children under 5 years old.
Since
the start of the current drought, there have been over 1.5 million displacements.
WFP
said it has been “racing against time to avert a projected famine” since early
2022.
"WFP
scaled up life-saving food and nutrition relief to unprecedented levels through
the last months of 2022 and into 2023," Wilton said.
He
said although no famine is currently declared in Somalia, the situation on the
ground remains desperate amid the ongoing drought.
The
WFP spokesman said there is still a risk of famine in areas like Burhakaba and
Baidoa by mid-year if the current rains fail and humanitarian assistance cannot
be delivered to those most in need.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Burkina
Faso to resume diplomatic relations with North Korea
Aurore
Bonny
30.03.2023
DOUALA,
Cameroon
Burkina
Faso plans to resume diplomatic relations with North Korea, the country’s
Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday.
The
decision will allow the two countries "to maintain exemplary bilateral
cooperation in several areas," Foreign Affairs Minister Olivia Rouamba
said at the end of a Council of Ministers meeting.
The
West African nation suspended relations with North Korea in 2017 to conform to
UN Security Council sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
Rouamba
said the governments of Burkina Faso and North Korea will reportedly be
focusing on military equipment, mining, healthcare, agriculture and research
The
Burkinabe government has also approved the appointment of a North Korean
ambassador to Burkina Faso.
Chae
Hui Chol, has been approved as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Burkina Faso, with
residence in Dakar, Senegal, according to a statement from the Ministerial
Council.
In
the past, Burkina Faso has maintained "very good relations with this
country, which was a privileged partner during the period of the August 1983
Revolution," said Rouamba.
The
government officially cut off relations in 2017 using a provision recommended
by the United Nations to all its member states in its sanctions resolution
against Pyongyang.
Faced
with a security crisis fueled since 2015 by terrorist attacks, Burkina Faso,
under the leadership of Capt. Ibrahim Traore, the leader of the ruling junta,
decided to diversify its partnerships to strengthen the fight against
terrorism. In January, the transitional authorities broke a military agreement
with France, its former colonist.
This
is "a way of asserting its authority by contracting diplomatic relations
with countries unconsidered by France," Regis Hounkpe, a pan-African
expert in geostrategy, told Anadolu.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/burkina-faso-to-resume-diplomatic-relations-with-north-korea/2859013
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