BJP Claims “Bangladeshi Infiltrators, Rohingya Muslims” Marrying Adivasi Women To Grab Land In Jharkhand
New Age Islam News Bureau
26 Aug 2024
Chunki Marandi, a Santal Adivasi woman, is the mukhiya of Madhuapada. Her husband, Babu Soren, belongs to the same community. Photo: Nolina Minj
--------
· BJP Claims “Bangladeshi Infiltrators, Rohingya Muslims” Marrying Adivasi Women To Grab Land In Jharkhand
· 23 Travellers From Punjab Shot Dead In Balochistan After Identity Check: Official
· Shura Council Presidency Condemns Holy Qur'an Copies Burning By Zionists & Blesses Hezbollah’s First Operation
· ‘Shiites Have Declared War On Us, This Is The Last Procession They Will Carry Out In FCT’ – Police Commissioner Declares Angrily
India
· Fatehpur Court Orders Removal Of Encroachments From Govt Land ‘Illegally Occupied To Build Mosque’
· Thankful To Home Minister Shah For Talking About NC’s Manifesto: Omar Abdullah
· Will Extend Complete Support To Congress-NC Alliance If It Accepts PDP Agenda: Mehbooba Mufti
· Jammu and Kashmir: National Conference floats poll trial balloon on Omar Abdullah
· Ghulam Nabi Azad’s DPAP releases 1st list of 13 candidates for J&K assembly polls
-------
Pakistan
· Mpox Monitoring Body For Quarantine Facilities At Airports, Borders In Punjab
· Abducted cop freed amid reports of ‘deal’ with dacoits
· Capital to be barricaded again amid USC employees planned protests
· Armed clash in Karachi's Golimar leaves 2 dead, 9 wounded
· Punjab police rescue abducted cop from Katcha dacoits in RYK
· 34 dead in two Pakistan bus accidents: rescue officials
------
Mideast
· Millions Of Shia Muslim Pilgrims Gather In Iraq For Arbaeen (40th Day Of Mourning For The Martyrdom Of Imam Hussein)
· Islamic Republic children’s movie in disguise sneaks its way to Israeli theatres
· Rayma Governor inspects educational process at Secondary School for Islamic Sciences
· Imam Hussain’s battle with oppression never-ending: Leader
-------
Africa
· Nigerians’ Disobedience To Allah, Corruption Causing Food Prices To Rise: FOMWAN
· Two policemen killed during clash with Islamic group in FCT
· Plateau: JNI Kicks As Mutfwang Creates Portfolio For Indigenous Muslims
· Malawi beings screening for mpox at all points of entry
· Zimbabwean Bishop Arrested In Nigeria As Church Crisis Deepens
· Police Officers, Trader Killed As Shiites Protest In Abuja
· Disquiet In Nigeria’s Security Corridors Over Sudden Resignation Of NIA Boss, Abubakar
-------
North America
· Harris Faces Uphill Battle To Win Back Muslim Votes In Swing State Of Michigan
· Taliban urges Muslim nations to emulate its ‘Sharia-based system’
· Mexico lashes out at US over ‘meddling' comments by its ambassador
· North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees suicide drone tests
-------
South Asia
· Continued Backlash: Taliban’s New Law Seen As Contradiction To Beliefs Of Two Billion Muslims
· Youth Should Emulate Past Muslim Scholars Who Became Expert Reference For Ummah
· DAB Reaffirms Commitment to Islamic Banking Transition in Meeting with Afghanistan-U.S. Chamber of Commerce
· Hajj Minister Calls for Unity Among Islamic Nations in Meeting with Turkish Delegation
· Ban on Jamaat-Shibir may be lifted tomorrow: party lawyers
· UN Seeks to Support Alternative Crops and Infrastructure in Kandahar
------
Arab World
· Saudi, Iranian Foreign Ministers Discuss Developments In Gaza Strip
· Saudi-led project clears 456,664 mines, explosive devices in Yemen
· UAE, Mauritania enhance cooperation in Islamic affairs
· Crown prince awards winners of Esports World Cup in Riyadh
· Saudi FM receives Bosnian counterpart in Riyadh
-------
Europe
· Clayton Street Mosque's Community Event To Overcome Far-Right Hate
· Church Of England Covenant Prevents St John's Mosque Conversion
· Factbox-What is Islamic State, the group implicated in Germany stabbing?
· Soligen Stabbing Attack: Suspect Arrested Has ‘Links’ To The Islamic State
-------
Southeast Asia
· China's Islamic Culture Exhibition To Open In September In Malaysia
· Accused of being a ‘Kutty’ by Zahid, Dr Mahathir tells court: I’m a Malay and Muslim since birth, my parents are Malays too
· Follow legal process in any bid to secure pardon for Najib, Fahmi tells Umno delegates
· Over 1,600 policemen to ensure public order, safety at four locations on Merdeka eve
· Prime Minister to deliver special National Day address at PICC this Friday
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/bangladeshi-rohingya-muslims-marrying-jharkhand/d/133045
BJP Claims “Bangladeshi Infiltrators, Rohingya Muslims” Marrying Adivasi Women To Grab Land In Jharkhand
Nolina Minj
August 26, 2024
Chunki Marandi, a Santal Adivasi woman, is the mukhiya of Madhuapada. Her husband, Babu Soren, belongs to the same community. Photo: Nolina Minj
-------------
On a cloudy morning in August, fields of freshly sown paddy stretched out for acres near Mayurkola panchayat in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district. The village is on the border with West Bengal, and less than 35 km from Bangladesh.
Kapra Tudu, the Mukhiya, or chief, of Mayurkola, was playing with her three young children, when we stopped by her house, just off the main road.
She was not surprised to see us. Mayurkola has been in the news since July 28. Speaking to reporters that day, Asha Lakra, a Bharatiya Janata Party politician and member of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, listed it as one of the nine panchayats in Sahibganj where a total of ten Adivasi women elected representatives were married to “Bangladeshi infiltrators, Rohingya Muslims”.
While Lakra did not name any of the women, she did mention the posts they held – eight mukhiyas, including of Mayurkola, one panchayat samiti member and a zilla parishad chairperson.
Lakra was echoing what her party colleague and member of parliament, Nishikant Dubey, had said on the floor of the Lok Sabha. In his speech on July 25, Dubey had alleged that “Bangladeshi infiltrators” were marrying Adivasi women to grab their land and property, and to use them as proxies to gain power in the Santhal Pargana, the northeastern region of Jharkhand, traditionally home to the Santal Adivasi community. Dubey had claimed, without evidence, that 100 Adivasi women mukhiyas were married to Muslims. His claims, meanwhile, echoed what Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said at a meeting of the BJP’s Jharkhand unit on July 20. Shah alleged that “thousands of infiltrators” were marrying Adivasi women to “obtain certificates and buy land”. Labelling this as “love jihad and land jihad”, the home minister claimed this was leading to changes in the demographic of the state.
Scroll travelled to Sahibganj to investigate the claims emanating from the highest rungs of India’s ruling party. Since Lakra was the only BJP leader who had cited specific evidence in support of her contentions, we used her list of nine panchayats as a starting point.
Scroll found that in four of the 10 cases, Lakra’s claims of Adivasi women being married to Muslim men were outright false. Three of the women had Adivasi husbands. The fourth, Kapra Tudu, had married outside the Adivasi community, but her husband, Nitin Saha, is Hindu, not Muslim.
In six cases, where Adivasi women panchayat leaders were indeed married to Muslims, all of them told us they had married out of choice. “The Indian constitution gives us the freedom to marry whom we please,” one of them said.
Lakra’s claim that the men who married these women had done so to take over their land rings hollow in light of the fact that none of the women had inherited any familial land.
On matters of inheritance, Scheduled Tribes are governed by customary laws, rather than inheritance laws like the Hindu Succession Act. As per custom, Adivasi women in Jharkhand “do not hold inheritance rights over their father’s land, so the argument that non-Adivasi men are marrying women to capture their land is baseless”, social activist Priyasheela Besra said.
Underlining the absurdity of the BJP’s allegations, the husband of one of the Adivasi women mukhiyas said, “We have been married for over ten years. Why is this being made an issue now?”
The controversy is playing out as the state prepares to hold an assembly election in a few months. The BJP is seeking to dislodge the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha government, which came to power in 2019, in a coalition with the Congress.
Against this backdrop, some have sought to stoke communal sentiments over the matter of the women leaders’ husbands. An anonymous list that began to circulate on WhatsApp soon after Lakra’s press conference accused the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha of “appeasing its vote bank” – a veiled reference to Muslims – and in the process, endangering the state’s Adivasis.
The post went further than Lakra and listed the names of the ten Adivasi women. In three instances, including Kapra Tudu’s, the names on the list did not correspond to those who actually held the posts.
Here is what Scroll found when we visited the nine panchayats.
Mayurkola: Kapra Tudu
Kapra Tudu is in her mid-twenties and has been married for six years. Tudu said she had heard of the list being circulated online through her family members. While she had not married a Muslim man, she had still married outside the community.
Tudu, who is unlettered, said that her husband supported her in her work as the panchayat mukhiya.
Her father, the eldest son of his family, had died when she was a young child, leaving behind his wife and four daughters. Tudu’s mother remarried and went to live with her second husband. Tudu and her sisters were left to fend for themselves in their paternal home.
“The control of my father’s land went to my uncle,” she said. The uncle “wanted to give me some land, but his sons were against this”.
It was impossible for her husband to try to access this land, she explained, when she herself could make no claims to it.
The list circulating on WhatsApp erroneously names Sona Kisku as the mukhiya of Mayurkola. Tudu explained that Kisku lived in Bada Sonakar, and was the mukhiya of that panchayat. Scroll attempted to meet her twice, first at her home and then at her office, but was told on both occasions that she was unavailable.
Madhuapada: Chunki Marandi
The village of Madhuapada lies about 20 km from the Ganga river – one of its tributaries splits the village in two halves.
Madhuapada’s mukhiya is Chunki Marandi, a Santal Adivasi woman married to Babu Soren, who belongs to the same community. While Marandi has held the post previously as well, Soren has also served a term as mukhiya. Madhuapada’s mukhiya post is one that is reserved for Adivasis – since Marandi’s is the only Adivasi family in the village, they are in a prime position to win the seat.
Marandi and Soren had not heard of the list. Soren noted that they had nothing to do with Lakra’s list since they had married within the community. He said that their family had always had a harmonious relationship with other communities in the village, and that those who were spreading misinformation were doing so to create communal tension. Marandi said that the upmukhiya, or deputy chief, in Madhuapada was a Muslim woman and that they worked well together.
In the list circulated on social media, another Adivasi woman, named Marang Biti Hansda, is erroneously listed as the mukhiya of Madhuapada. Marandi said that Hansda was indeed married to a Muslim man, and that she lived in a village nearby. She noted that Hansda had contested the panchayat election but had lost.
Satgaachi: Aloka Soren
Aloka Soren, the mukhiya of Satgaachi, is married to Matal Tudu. Her husband, like her, is from the Santal Adivasi community and has also served as a mukhiya in the past.
On August 12, we met Soren outside her house. Tudu was away for some work. Soren was reluctant to speak, but said in Santali that she was unlettered and that her husband managed all her work as a mukhiya. This was the third time she was serving as a mukhiya.
She had not heard of the list.
As we spoke, her neighbours came by and joined the conversation. “We can’t stop people from marrying into other communities, they’re exercising their own rights,” said one elderly man. “But Adivasi land is protected under the SPT Act and nobody in our village has had their land captured by a non-Adivasi person.” He was referring to the Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act, which prevents the transfer of Adivasi land to non-Adivasis.
The list circulated on social media mistakenly named Martha Malto, an Adivasi woman from another village in the same panchayat, as the mukhiya of Satgaachi. Soren explained that Malto was indeed married to a Muslim man, and had contested panchayat elections in the past, but had never won.
Phoolbanga: Sunita Hansdak
Sunita Hansdak, committee member of Phoolbhanga panchayat, was extremely upset on finding her name on the social media list. Hansdak is not married to a Muslim man, but an Adivasi man from her own community named Dibyendu Marandi.
Hansdak said she had submitted a written complaint to the police station at Barhait to investigate the matter. She wanted to find out who had created the list and shared it online. Creating and circulating such lists was “disrespectful to women”, she said. So far, the police have told her it would be impossible to trace the origins of the list.
Barhait Santali Uttar: Selina Hansda
When we arrived at the house of Selina Hansda, the mukhiya of Barhait Santali Uttar panchayat, she immediately guessed the purpose of our visit. In early August, reporters from Zee News had arrived at her house and spoken at length with her and her husband about their marriage. Despite her clarifications that she was consensually and happily married to her husband Mohammed Azad, the video used her as an example of how Muslim men were entrapping Adivasi women in marriages. “I tried to talk about the real issues we face here, but they cut all of it out in the final video,” she said.
Hansda was angry about Zee News’ coverage and the list circulating on social media. “Why should outsiders interfere in my private affairs?” she said. “I have the right to choose my husband. The police station isn’t far from my house. If my husband was troubling me, couldn’t I go and complain to the police?”
Hansda said that the BJP was raising false allegations about Muslims to sway Adivasi voters before Jharkhand’s assembly election. She noted that the Santal Parganas was where the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha first began its politics. The BJP, “with their divisive politics want to attack JMM in its roots,” she said.
While inter-community marriages are traditionally not approved among Jharkhand’s Adivasi communities, according to custom, couples can redeem themselves by paying a fine to community leaders, or organising a meal for the community. Hansda said she and her husband had organised a meal and made things right with her community. “If people still have a problem, then they should make a law preventing women from intercaste marriages,” she said.
Hansda’s husband Azad said, “I fell in love with my wife and that’s why I married her.” He explained that he never had any aspirations to her family’s land or property, particularly since he was well-to-do himself. He argued that the BJP was making false allegations because it had no real “mudda”, or issue, that it could highlight for its campaign. “Muslims in Jharkhand are loyal to the JMM as voters,” he said. “That’s why this issue is being needlessly publicised to create communal conflict.”
Azad also said that there had been a significant population of Muslims living in the Santal Parganas for many generations, and that it was absurd to call them Bangladeshi. “Jharkhand doesn’t share a border with Bangladesh, and the Border Security Force is run by the central government,” he said. “If infiltration is occurring then it should be investigated properly.”
Gopaldih: Sunita Tudu
When we arrived at Sunita Tudu’s in Gopaldih village, she met us in the backyard of her house with the traditional Santal greeting, known as dobok’ johar – she placed a brass pot of water in front of us, and cupped her hands and raised them to her forehead before each of us.
Tuda, a former para teacher, a term for schoolteachers employed contractually by the government, is married to Shaimul Ansari, whose family has long been involved in local politics. They belong to the Julaha community, a major Muslim community in Jharkhand and neighbouring states, who were traditionally weavers. “They have lived with Adivasis for generations and adopted many of their customs,” said activist Emiliya Hansda. “It is wrong to call them infiltrators.”
Tudu and Ansari lived in the same village, and had fallen in love. When Sunita’s family began to talk of arranging her marriage to somebody else, the two decided to get married.
Tudu had also been visited by Zee News and was unhappy with their coverage. “I have married with my own consent,” she said. “There are four other inter-caste marriages in this village. Why isn’t anyone making that an issue?”
Her husband added, “We have been married for over ten years, why is this being made an issue now?This is an election issue. And when the elections get over, this issue will also get over.”
Tudu has no brothers and only one sister. Her father passed away many years ago, after which his property went into her uncle’s control.
Kadma: Elijence Hansda
It was time for the evening prayers at the local mosque in Kadma village when we arrived there on August 11. Elijence Hansda, the mukhiya of Kadma panchayat, was at home alone.
Hansda recounted that she had had a difficult childhood, with her family often struggling for money. She used to tutor children to earn some income. “I wanted to make something of myself,” she said. “I wanted to study and have a job.”
On reaching adulthood, she was eager to get married and start her own family. When her brother’s friend, Jaimul Ansari, showed an interest in her, she realised that she liked him too. But she told him she could only interact with him further if he married her – and so, he did.
Initially, Hansda’s family was against the marriage and even filed a case against the couple. But the two made peace with her family and paid the customary fine – the case was eventually quashed.
At present, she said, her natal family gets along well with her husband and children. “We celebrate all festivals together and my kids attend classes conducted by the church during Christmas,” she said.
After her marriage, Hansda continued to study and completed a BEd degree. She then worked as an aanganwadi sevika for years in her village before quitting to stand for panchayat elections in 2022. “I thought I would be able to serve people better as a mukhiya,” she said.
She first heard of the list a few weeks ago from her mother. “But I didn’t feel much tension,” she said. “I realised that they’re raising this issue for political fodder. But in this country, women have the right to marry who they want.”
Dakshin Begamganj: Lalita Tudu
Lalita Tudu is the mukhiya of Dakshin Begamganj panchayat, which lies in the Udhwa block of Sahibganj. When we visited her, the road to her house was flooded with rainwater, and so we had to cut through her neighbours’ yards to reach it.
Tudu said she had not heard of the list, but had seen a video of BJP leader Babulal Marandi talking about Adivasi women being trapped into marriages with Muslim men. “Nobody has forced me into this marriage,” she said. “I have a happy marriage. My husband is a good man who takes care of my family.”
Tudu was previously married to an Adivasi man from her community and had two children with her ex-husband. That marriage had been a difficult one. Tudu’s first child was born with a cleft lip, which prevented her from breast-feeding. Her ex-husband had responded by rejecting the child, and Tudu had to return to her natal family’s home for a few years. Her father had died soon after her first marriage, leaving her uncles with complete control of his land. Tudu alleged that her father’s extended family mistreated her and wanted her gone.
Rejected by her ex-husband and close relatives, Tudu struggled for years.
In 2017, at a wedding, she was introduced to her current husband Usman Sheikh. A year later, they had a court marriage.
There was no question of her husband going after her familial land, as Tudu herself could make no claims to it, according to custom.
The newly constructed house that she was living in was on land that her husband, a trader, had bought from a Hindu man. Tudu said that her husband had embraced not only her, but her family too. Her two children from her previous marriage and her elderly mother live with them.
“Adivasi women should be able to inherit their natal family’s land and property, then they won’t marry outside the community,” she said in a matter-of-fact way.
Lakhipur: Sohagini Soren
The mukhiya of Lakhipur panchayat in Rajmahal block is Sohagini Soren. Soren too had a failed marriage with an Adivasi man, after which she returned to her natal home. A few years later, she met Sanaool Sheikh and married him. When we visited, we learnt that Sheikh had passed away six months earlier from an illness.
Our visit was the first time Soren was hearing of the list. “This is being done by people who have a communal agenda,” she said. “They want to divide people in the name of religion.” Soren too, said that she had not inherited any land or property from her parents.
Zilla parishad chairperson: Monika Kisku
Monika Kisku is the chairperson of the Sahibganj district Zilla Parishad. When we visited her house, her family invited us in, but it was a while before we could speak to her. She had already been visited by other journalists and was now wary. She sent her family members to verify our identities before deciding to speak to us.
Kisku was married to Umed Ali Ansari, who died during the Covid-19 pandemic. She observed that media and political focus on who Adivasi women were marrying was taking away attention from pressing ground issues like electrification, health, and hunger.
She was adamant that the media or politicians have no business discussing her private matters. “The Indian constitution gives us the freedom to marry whom we please,” she said. “It’s not as if I work for just one community. As a chairperson I work for everybody, so I don’t see how this issue matters.”
Source:scroll.in
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://scroll.in/article/1072333/bjp-claims-muslims-are-marrying-adivasi-women-to-grab-land-in-jharkhand-the-claims-dont-add-up
--------
23 Travellers From Punjab Shot Dead In BalochistanAfter Identity Check: Official
Abdullah Zehri
August 26, 2024
Security personnel stand near the charred vehicles at the shooting site on the national highway in Musakhail district, Balochistan on August 26, 2024. — AFP
-----------
At least 23 people have been killed in Balochistan’s Musakhail district after armed men offloaded passengers from trucks and buses early Monday morning and shot at them after checking their identities, an official said.
According to Musakhail Assistant Commissioner Najeeb Kakar, armed men blocked the inter-provincial highway in the Rarasham area of the district and offloaded passengers from several buses.
“The dead are reportedly from Punjab,” he said.
AC Kakar further said the armed men also set fire to 10 vehicles.
Police and Levies officials reached the spot and began shifting the bodies to the hospital, he added.
In remarks made to AFP, the AC said three of the victims were from Balochistan and the rest from Punjab.
“Vehicles travelling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot,” Kakar added.
The Musakhail attack comes months nearly four months after a similar attack targeting people from Punjab. In April, nine passengers were offloaded from a bus near Noshki and shot dead after gunmen checked their ID cards.
In October last year, unidentified gunmen fatally shot six labourers hailing from Punjab in Turbat in Balochistan’s Kech district. According to the police, the killings were targeted. All victims belonged to different areas of southern Punjab, suggesting they had been chosen for their ethnic background.
A similar incident occurred in 2015 when gunmen killed 20 construction workers and injured three others in a pre-dawn attack on a labourers’ camp near Turbat. The victims belonged to Sindh and Punjab.
Condemnations
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack, Radio Pakistan reported.
Expressing grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the despicable incident, they prayed for the departed souls and condoled with the bereaved families.
President Zardari said the brutal killing of innocent people was the killing of the entire humanity and called for the culprits to be brought to justice.
PM Shehbaz directed the local administration to fully cooperate with the bereaved families and provide medical aid to the injured. He also directed the law enforcement agencies to immediately investigate the incident.
“The terrorists responsible for this incident will be severely punished,” the premier vowed, adding that any kind of terrorism was not acceptable in the country.
Both the president and the prime minister expressed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to eradicate the menace of terrorism.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti strongly condemned the incident of terrorism.
He expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of those who died in the cowardly act of terrorists, according to a statement issued from his office.
The terrorists and their facilitators will not be able to escape an exemplary end, he said, adding that the Balochistan government will pursue the terrorists.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar strongly condemned the brutality of the terrorists.
“The terrorists showed brutality by targeting innocent passengers near Musakhail,” he was quoted as saying in a statement on X posted by PML-N.
“The terrorists and their facilitators will not be able to escape an exemplary end,” he said.
Speaking to Geo News, Punjab government spokesperson Azma Bukhari said she was angry at this incident.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1854830/23-travellers-killed-in-balochistans-musakhel-official
---------
Shura Council Presidency condemns Holy Qur'an copies burning by Zionists & blesses Hezbollah’s first operation
25 Aug 2024
SANA'A August 25. 2024 (Saba) - The Shura Council Presidency condemned the crime of Holy Qur'an copies' burning by Zionist soldiers, and the desecration of mosques that were not destroyed by the Israeli occupation in Gaza.
The Council denounced in its regular meeting today, chaired by Council Chairman Mohammed Hussein Al-Eidaroos, the continued Arab and Islamic silence and failure towards the ongoing violations of Islamic sanctities in Palestine, the genocide war and the systematic starvation of the Palestinian Arab people in Gaza and the occupied territories.
The Council stressed that these extremist and criminal acts by the Zionist gang would not have occurred with such audacity had it not been for the humiliating official Arab and Islamic silence towards the Zionist arrogance with the support and American administration blessing .
The Authority assigned the General Secretariat and the Community Committee to prepare and arrange for the Prophet's birthday celebration in the Council in a manner befitting the sanctity and greatness of the occasion, and to prepare the executive plan for the field participation of Council members at the directorates and Provinces level .
The Authority urged positive interaction with the various activities of the occasion in a way that enhances the connection to the Great Messenger and introduces his jihad life life .
The Authority stressed the need to pay attention to the call and urge the activation of works of righteousness, charity, social solidarity, and interest in the martyrs families and care for the poor and needy.
The Authority stressed the continued Council members participation in community activities, solving community problems, continuing mobilization work, supporting fronts, enhancing steadfastness and resilience.
It stressed the need to take into account the absorption of all urgent developments in the arena and include them in the committees' programs and plans in the political, economic, military, financial, security, media, cultural, legal, service, and human rights fields.
It stressed the need to take into account the absorption of all urgent developments in the arena and include them in the committees programs and plans in the political, economic, military, financial, security, media, cultural, legal, service and human rights fields.
The Authority approved the Council's annual plan for the year 1446 AH, approved and submitted by the Council's committees.
The Authority reviewed and approved the minutes of its previous meeting, and the topics included in the agenda and approved them.
Source:saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3362736.htm
------
‘Shiites Have Declared War On Us, This Is The Last Procession They Will Carry Out In FCT’ – Police Commissioner Declares Angrily
25 August 2024
Oladipo Abiola
The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Benneth Igweh, has condemned the killing of some officers during a clash between Police operatives and some members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shiites.
Igweh, while lamenting the development, said the Shiite members have declared total war on security operatives by their actions.
He said the killing of police officers and the injury inflicted on others by the protesters won’t be taken lightly, and Sunday’s version would be the last time the Shiites would carry out any protest or procession in the FCT.
“You can see now that these people (Shiites) have killed my men. They even went ahead to injure two policewomen. In fact, they’ve even declared war on security operatives.
“We spoke to their lawyer, if you heard what he was saying, you would be shocked, you would know that these people have declared total war on us.
“I want assure you that we won’t take that lightly, this is the last protest or procession they will carry out in FCT,” the visibly angry Commissioner of Police told newsmen at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The reaction comes after a clash between police officers and members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, turned deadly at Wuse Market in Abuja on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of a trader and two police officers.
The incident occurred when the IMN members embarked on an Arbaeen procession, commemorating the 40th day after the Ashura anniversary.
The peaceful demonstration quickly escalated into violence as police officers attempted to disperse the protesters using tear gas and live ammunition.
As earlier reported by Naija News, at least a trader was shot dead, two police officers were killed in the clash between police and the group, and no fewer than three police vehicles were also set ablaze.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/25/shiites-have-declared-war-on-us-this-is-the-last-procession-they-will-carry-out-in-fct-police-commissioner-declares-angrily/
------
The Muslim American vote matters and it can no longer be taken for granted
Dalia Mogahed and Saher Selod
25 Aug 2024
Supporters of the campaign to vote "uncommitted" hold a rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza, ahead of Michigan's Democratic presidential primary election in Hamtramck, US on February 25, 2024 [File: Reuteres/Rebecca Cook]
------------
As the United States presidential election approaches, the race to attract voters has intensified. Among the different constituencies the Democrats and Republicans are battling over, there is one that stands out: the Muslim community.
Although Muslims constitute roughly 1 percent of the American population, they are an important voting bloc because they are concentrated in swing states, which are often narrowly won in elections.
In this election cycle, the Muslim community seems more united than ever over a single political issue: the war in Gaza. Any candidate hoping to win over large segments of Muslim voters would have to address community demands for an end to the bloodshed in Palestine.
This is according to a new study published by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) in partnership with Emgage and Change Research. It is based on a survey conducted in late June and early July focused on how Muslims in three swing states – Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan – intend to vote in the 2024 presidential election.
What we found is that President Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza has turned Muslims, who in 2020 were some of his biggest supporters, into his sharpest detractors.
In 2020, about 65 percent of Muslim voters in these states showed up to cast their ballots for Biden. This support was vital to his electoral victory because he won key swing states by small margins. He won Georgia by just 12,000 votes, a state where more than 61,000 Muslims voted, and Pennsylvania by 81,000 votes, where 125,000 Muslims voted.
By contrast, in our survey, conducted before Biden dropped out of the presidential race, only 12 percent of respondents said they would vote for him, marking a dramatic drop in support not seen among any other group studied. While this impacts the presidential race, it has also manifested in a broader disillusionment with the establishment of the Democratic Party.
The war on Gaza has unified Muslim voters in a way that no other issue has in recent memory. According to the 2020 American Muslim Poll conducted by ISPU, healthcare (19 percent), the economy (14 percent) and social justice (13 percent) were the top voting issues for Muslim voters.
Compare that with 2024: Across the partisan spectrum, the top priority of Muslim voters in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the war in Gaza (61 percent), followed by keeping the US out of foreign wars (22 percent).
Reduction of military aid to Israel also garnered the support of the vast majority of Muslim voters in our study, who, regardless of partisan sentiments, all overwhelmingly see this policy as a reason to vote for a candidate. While a war overseas may seem far from the daily concerns of American Muslim voters, many see the US role – providing unconditional aid and diplomatic cover to Israel – as complicity in the continued oppression of Palestinians.
The importance of the war in Gaza for Muslim voters was made clear months before we conducted our survey. The Muslim community played a leading role in the Uncommitted National Movement, which urged Democratic voters to vote “uncommitted” in presidential primaries in their states. The initiative managed to get more than 700,000 Democrats to do so, making clear their demand for a change in the Biden administration’s tone and policy on Israel and Palestine.
This dramatic Muslim migration away from Biden is not a wholesale leap to the other side of the aisle, however. Muslim support for Trump inched up from 18 percent in 2020 to 22 percent in 2024 in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Overwhelmingly, former Muslim supporters of Biden are moving to third parties or are still undecided. Our study found that nearly a third of Muslim voters will either vote a third-party candidate (27 percent) or write in a candidate (3 percent). About 17 percent of Muslims said they have yet to decide on a candidate compared with 6 percent of the general public.
This means there is still room and time for candidates to win over this vital constituency. And it seems they are trying.
Not only has Biden pulled out of the race, but Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has signalled she is distancing herself from his unflinching support for Israel’s war on Gaza. In July, the vice president did not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, said she will not be silent about the suffering in Gaza and made clear her support for a ceasefire.
In August, she picked as her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is widely regarded as more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than short-listed Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. This year, Walz praised uncommitted voters in Minnesota, calling them “civically engaged” and saying, “This issue is a humanitarian crisis. They have every right to be heard.”
And while Muslims were cautiously optimistic at best, the Harris campaign’s refusal to allow a Palestinian American to speak at the Democratic National Convention last week has soured this hope.
Third-party candidates Jill Stein and Cornel West have both been vocal in their support for the people of Gaza. West chose Melina Abdullah, a Black Muslim woman as his running mate. Stein chose Muslim activist and academic Rudolph “Butch” Ware.
Even Republican candidate Donald Trump’s campaign is reaching out to Arab American voters – a surprise given the anti-Muslim rhetoric he used when campaigning in 2016. People associated with his campaign have been trying to woo Arab voters in swing states. Trump’s youngest daughter, Tiffany, married the son of a Lebanese American businessman, Massad Boulous, who has been trying to persuade Arabs in Michigan to vote for the former president due to the current administration’s failed policy in Gaza.
The Muslim community’s mobilisation on Palestine has come at a heavy cost for many. The Council on American Islamic Relations reported an unprecedented spike in incidents of bias: a 56 percent increase in reports of Islamophobia in 2023. Anti-Palestinian racism has also skyrocketed, a worrying trend reflected in the shooting of three Palestinian students in Vermont who were wearing the keffiyeh scarf. Thousands – many of them Muslim students – were arrested at campus protests, and many were threatened with expulsion or faced criminal charges for their pro-Palestinian activism at colleges and universities across the US.
And yet even with the consequences of taking a public stance on Palestine, Muslim voters appear to be undeterred this time around. Solidarity with the people of Gaza has emerged as the single most important issue for American Muslim voters, a group no candidate can afford to ignore.
Source:aljazeera.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/8/25/the-muslim-american-vote-matters-and-it-can-no-longer-be-taken-for
---------
India
Fatehpur court orders removal of encroachments from govt land ‘illegally occupied to build mosque’
August 26, 2024
Manish Sahu
Sunni Madina Masjid, Fatehpur masjid, Revenue Department court, illegal encroachments at govt land, mosque in Bindki tehsil, Uttar Pradesh news, Fatehpur district, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Indian express newsThe tehsildar's court issued the order while hearing a petition against the alleged encroachments at Malwan village. (File Photo)
A Revenue Department court has ordered to remove “encroachments” from government land that has been allegedly occupied illegally to build a mosque in Bindki tehsil of Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district.
The tehsildar’s court issued the order while hearing a petition against the alleged encroachments at Malwan village.
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have been raising the issue, demanding to demolish the mosque built on government land. In July, they had even organised a Hindu panchayat over the issue.
An office-bearer of the Sunni Madina Masjid Committee, which manages the mosque, said they would decide whether to file an appeal against the order or not after holding consultations with their senior members.
“The mosque was built in the 1970s on the land allotted by the gram sabha and a fee was deposited at that time. Since then, regular renovations have been carried out but no new construction has taken place. False allegations are being made that we are extending the mosque by acquiring nearby areas. The district administration had previously conducted a survey following a complaint and confirmed that the land was indeed allotted for the mosque,” said Chhedi Ali, a mosque committee member.
He added, “Last month, we received a notice from the lekhpal’s court. We submitted a detailed reply stating that the land was allotted and that the mosque was registered with the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board in 2020. We will file an appeal against the order after consultations.”
Ali said the mosque serves the local community as well as residents from five neighboring villages. Malwan village has a predominantly Hindu population of 4,500.
Village pradhan Ramroop said, “The mosque was built over four decades ago and is located next to a pond. There are allegations that the mosque was extended after the pond was filled in. The district administration conducted a survey, but I am unaware of its findings. Members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal have been raising the issue, and last month they protested, demanding the demolition of the mosque.”
Fatehpur Lekhpal Sevak Lal said that the committee overseeing the mosque was formed in 2019, and it was only then that they became aware of the mosque. “We received a complaint alleging that the mosque was built on government land, which was forwarded to us by senior officers. An inquiry was conducted and it was found that the mosque was built on around 220 square metres of gram sabha land. We submitted the inquiry report in the court which issued an order to remove the encroachment from the land on which the mosque is built.”
The court directed the lekhpal to remove the encroachments with help from police and submit a report soon, it is learnt.
VHP’s district office-bearer Shailesh Singh said, “We have been raising the issue of the mosque being built on government land since 2006. We submitted petitions to the authorities to take action, but nothing was done. Eventually, we held a panchayat to draw attention to the matter, and later submitted a memorandum to senior authorities.”
Source:indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/fatehpur-court-orders-removal-of-encroachments-from-govt-land-illegally-occupied-to-build-mosque-9533184/
--------
Thankful to Home Minister Shah for talking about NC’s manifesto: Omar Abdullah
August 25, 2024
National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Sunday said he was thankful to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for noticing his party’s election manifesto.
People who were not ready to read it, have now been compelled to go through it now, Abdullah added.
“I am thankful to the home minister from the core of my heart for talking about our manifesto. For a small party, contesting an election in a far-flung area of the country, it is a huge thing that the country’s home minister has seen our manifesto,’ Abdullah told reporters here after a party function.
Shah on Friday slammed the Congress for its alliance with the NC for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, accusing the party of repeatedly risking the country’s unity and security in its “greed for power”.
The Congress has once again “exposed its ulterior motives by allying with the Abdullah family’s National Conference,” the BJP leader said on X and posted 10 questions for the national party and its leader Rahul Gandhi, while listing several of the manifesto promises of the NC.
However, Abdullah said he was thankful to Shah for taking notice of the NC’s manifesto, saying, “He forced those people who till now were not ready to read our manifesto.” “It is regretful that the Home Minister saw only one paragraph in our manifesto and he also talked about certain things which are not in our manifesto like name-changing. I re-read our manifesto after the home minister’s tweet to check whether I missed it, but it does not talk about that. But, still I am thankful to the home minister,” he added.
“Does the Congress want ‘Shankaracharya Hill’ to be known as ‘Takht-e-Suleiman’, and ‘Hari Hill’ as ‘Koh-e-Maran?” Shah had asked.
To a question about the reports of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leaders mulling to contest the polls independently, Abdullah said it was a welcome step.
“This is the beauty of democracy. I read in the media that JeI wanted the ban on it to be revoked so that they contest the polls. Unfortunately, the election bugle was sounded and the ban could not be revoked.
“Today, there are reports that they will contest as independent candidates. Bismillah. We wanted them to contest on their own symbol in JeI’s name, but let them contest even as independents. Let them plunge into the field, bring their manifesto and their promises. Then it is up to the people to decide whom they would like to vote,” Abdullah added.
Asked if he would contest the polls from Ganderbal, Abdullah, who represented the constituency in the erstwhile Assembly from 2009-14 when he was the chief minister, said the party will take a decision on that.
Source:indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/home-minister-amit-shah-nc-manifesto-omar-abdullah-9532362/
--------
Will extend complete support to Congress-NC alliance if it accepts PDP agenda: Mehbooba Mufti
August 25, 2024
The PDP will extend complete support to the Congress-NC alliance and leave all seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections to the coalition if it is ready to accept the party’s agenda, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday.
Mehbooba also ruled out an alliance with the BJP, with which the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier run a coalition government.
“Forget about alliance and seat-sharing, if the Congress and the National Conference (NC) are ready to accept our agenda — that resolution of the Kashmir issue is necessary and on opening of routes — we will tell them to contest on all the seats and we will follow you,” she said.
“Because, for me, the resolution of the Kashmir problem is much more important than anything else,” she added when asked if the Congress had approached the PDP for an alliance.
Mehbooba was talking to reporters following the release of the PDP’s manifesto for the assembly elections.
NC chief Farooq Abdullah has announced a pre-poll alliance with the Congress for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which is going to the polls for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Polls to the 90-member assembly will be held in three phases — September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 4.
Mehbooba, the PDP president, said the dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which “was being trampled on”, was important for her party.
“Whether you give me three or four seats, it does not mean anything to me. When we entered into an alliance with either the Congress or the BJP, it was on our agenda. The NC and the Congress have not entered into an alliance on any agenda but for seat-sharing and we will not talk of such an alliance, which only talks about seat-sharing,” she said.
“Our alliance should be based on an agenda and our agenda is to find the resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue… No doubt within the Constitution of this country but a resolution,” she added.
Asked if there could be a post-poll alliance between the PDP and the BJP, Mehbooba said, “There is nothing like that. We had joined hands with the BJP government and not the party and we had put a condition that they would not touch Article 370.” The PDP in its manifesto promised to pursue the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and advocate for diplomatic initiatives between India and Pakistan.
It also aims to establish full connectivity across the Line of Control for trade and social exchange.
The manifesto also talks about striving for the revocation of the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as well as its commitment to revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were last held in November 2014, resulting in the PDP and the BJP forming a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
His death in 2016 led to his daughter Mehbooba taking up the mantle of leadership as chief minister of the coalition government.
The BJP pulled out of the government in June 2018 and the state was put under governor’s rule.
On August 5, 2019, the BJP-led Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and reorganised the erstwhile state into two Union territories — Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Source:indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/complete-support-congress-nc-alliance-accepts-pdp-agenda-mehbooba-mufti-9531120/
--------
Jammu and Kashmir: National Conference floats poll trial balloon on Omar Abdullah
Muzaffar Raina
26.08.24
National Conference leaders on Sunday said they were trying to convince former chief minister Omar Abdullah to contest the upcoming Assembly elections, apparently floating a trial balloon to gauge public opinion before he chooses to break his vow.
Omar, the NC vice-president, and his rival, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, had vowed not to contest Assembly elections until statehood was restored to Jammu and Kashmir.
NC leaders Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, the Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, and Nasir Aslam Wani, the party’s Valley chief, on Sunday said they wanted Omar to contest.
They made the announcement at a public rally in Ganderbal in the presence of Omar and Anantnag Lok Sabha member Mian Altaf, who is from Ganderbal district.
Omar has not reacted to their announcement.
“We want, in fact Ganderbal wants, and I am the member Parliament, that Omar sahab should be our representative. Omar sahab says he won’t contest,” Ruhullah said.
Ganderbal is part of the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat and has been a family pocket borough of the Abdullahs for decades.
“Omar sahab has to be convinced that what you said (not to contest) is right. Your stand is right but it is our compulsion, not yours, that this state should tomorrow be in the hands of the one who will safeguard our dignity, in those hands who can fight tomorrow against these powers,” Ruhullah said.
“You don’t have to contest elections only but as chief minister of this state tomorrow, you will lead us, fight our war, fight for our rights.”
Ruhullah said the party would try to convince Omar for “our own good” and the question of where he would contest from was secondary.
Earlier, NC president Farooq Abdullah had said that since Omar was not contesting, he would.
Source:telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir-assembly-elections-national-conference-floats-poll-trial-balloon-on-omar-abdullah/cid/2043519
--------
Ghulam Nabi Azad’s DPAP releases 1st list of 13 candidates for J&K assembly polls
August 25, 2024
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Sunday released its first list of 13 candidates for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
This will be the maiden assembly elections for the party floated by the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J&K Ghulam Nabi Azad. The party’s general secretary (organisation) R S Chib released the list.
The party has decided to field former J&K minister Abdul Majeed Wani from the Doda East assembly constituency, former MLA Mohammad Amin Bhat from Devsar, former J&K advocate general Mohammad Aslam Goni from Bhaderwah, DDC member Saleem Parray from Dooru and Muneer Ahmed Mir from Lolab.
The DPAP said DDC member Bilal Ahmed Deva will be its candidate from Anantnag West, Ghulam Nabi Wani (Nellora) from Rajpora, Mir Altaf Hussain from Anantnag and Qaiser Sultan Ganai (Jin) from Ganderbal.
Further, it said Ghulam Nabi Bhat would contest from Eidgah, Amir Ahmed Bhat from Khanyar, Nisar Ahmed Lone from Gurez and Peer Bilal Ahmed from Hazratbal.
Source:indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ghulam-nabi-azads-dpap-list-candidates-jk-assembly-polls-9532739/
---------
Pakistan
Mpox monitoring body for quarantine facilities at airports, borders in Punjab
Asif Chaudhry
August 26, 2024
LAHORE: The Technical Working Group (TWG), Punjab, formed for the monitoring of the monkeypox (mpox) cases, has expressed its serious concern over the “non-cooperation” by the federal government in establishing the permanent quarantine facilities at the international airports and borders to check the disease spread.
The TWG has warned that Punjab was at a greater risk of outbreak of the disease due to its large population and poor facilities at the international airports and borders if any positive case surfaces with the patient having international travel history.
The group, a high-profile body, constituted recently, has strongly recommended an ‘aggressive strategy’ to check outbreak of the fast-transmitting mpox cases globally.
“We have recommended to the federal government to issue directions for the establishment of quarantine facilities at the international airports in Punjab, but no one bothered to take up this serious matter,” TWG Punjab chairman Prof Javed Akram told Dawn on Sunday.
He said that he was utterly disappointed by the “non-serious behaviour” of the federal authorities concerned supervising the international airports management.
“No one even bothered to attend the TWG meeting despite repeated requests, though Pakistan recently reported positive cases of mpox,” Prof Akram said.
He added that during the last meeting held a couple of days back, the TWG showed its serious concern over the absence of any Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official.
Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique was also present in the meeting who also endorsed the TWG recommendations, Prof Akram said.
He said the health minister told the TWG meeting participants that he would take up the matter with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to ensure coordination from the CAA and the authorities managing the international borders, particularly, Wagha border, as per the group’s recommendations.
As per the TWG, as the mpox has so far no local transmission, the monitoring of international flights and movement across borders had assumed greater significance, necessitating the establishment of quarantine facilities.
The recent mpox patients reported in Pakistan had traveled to Saudi Arabia, Prof Akram says. adding that keeping in view the findings of the investigations into the reported cases Punjab province alone can’t handle the virus that was spreading globally.
“In the last meeting, the TWG had proposed that a top floor of a hotel situated near the Lahore airport should be converted into a temporary quarantine facility, instead of transporting and shifting the patients to the crowded hospitals for isolation and treatment,” Prof Akram says.
Strategically, he said, the TWG members strongly opposed the decision to establish quarantine facilities at hospitals for the suspected or confirmed mpox patients as they would create a potential risk to the health and lives of doctors, nurses, paramedics and even other patients.
“The suspected or confirmed mpox patients should not be allowed to enter the city and must be quarantined at the international airports and the borders soon after their arrival,” the TWG chairman says.
Unfortunately, he said, most of the thermoscanners installed at the international airports to screen the passengers for mpox were not properly functioning.
He lamented that the country’s healthcare system continued to be neglected despite surfacing of several viral diseases/infections globally.
In the past, he said, the medical and public health experts had proposed to the higher authorities to develop quarantine facilities and other health infrastructure after dengue and the Covid had entered Pakistan through international airports and borders, but to no avail.
“We need permanent health infrastructure, including quarantine facilities, at the international airports and borders, keeping in view the reports that the outbreaks of infectious diseases are rising with intervals around the world,” Prof Akram says.
He said these permanent facilities would facilitate complete case investigations and treatment of the patients and check transmission of the infections in the densely populated cities.
Presently, the Punjab health department has only 200 PCR kits for the mpox cases and 25 of them have already been utilised, he said. So far, no confirmed case of mypox was reported in any part of Punjab, he added.
Recently, a suspected mpox case was reported in Bahawalpur where a teacher was isolated. However, the patents’ test reports showed he was suffering from chicken pox.
“The TWG has also recommended to the authorities to locally manufacture the anti-viral drugs for the treatment of mpox,” he said. He added the Punjab government is also considering a proposal to import the mpox vaccine.
To a question, Prof Javed Akram said that the TWG has launched a designated helpline, 1033, for the reporting of mpox cases across Punjab.
“We have also proposed creation of a permanent Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) to report any infection surfacing in Punjab”, he said.
When contacted, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique confirmed the lack of cooperation by the CAA, saying that he had taken up the issue with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, seeking his directions to the quarters concerned in this respect.
“I talked to Khawaja Asif, who issued directions [to the CAA] to extend cooperation to the TWG,” he said, adding that instructions have also been passed to establish quarantine facilities in the hotels near the international airports in Punjab and the international borders.
“We would not tolerate any mismanagement and negligence following the recommendations issues by the TWG to [take measures to] stop transmission of mpox infections,” the minister said, adding that he has assured Prof Akram of the implementation of the suggestions in letter and spirit.
Source:.dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1854690/mpox-monitoring-body-for-quarantine-facilities-at-airports-borders-in-punjab
-------
Abducted cop freed amid reports of ‘deal’ with dacoits
August 26, 2024
RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Punjab police on Sunday claimed to have successfully ‘rescued’ constable Ahmed Nawaz, who was held hostage by the Shar dacoit gang.
However, the kutcha area dacoits, in a video clip, have claimed that Nawaz has been freed as part of a ‘deal’ involving return of their accomplice, Jabbar Lolai, a member of the notorious Indhar dacoit gang.
Nawaz was kidnapped by the Shar dacoit gang in the kutcha area on Aug 22 during an assault on a police party. Twelve police personnel were martyred, and eight others injured in the attack in the Machka area of Rahim Yar Khan district.
According to a police spokesperson, Nawaz was kidnapped by dacoits on Aug 22. Rahim Yar Khan District Police Officer Rizwan Umar Gondal said that Nawaz’s recovery was a top priority and an achievement for the police.
Later in the day, Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar met Constable Nawaz’s family to congratulate them on the safe return of the police constable.
However, conflicting reports have emerged regarding the circumstances of Mr Nawaz’s release.
The katcha area dacoits claimed that he has been freed as part of a deal involving the return of their accomplice, Jabbar Lolai, a member of the notorious Indhar Gang.
A video circulated on social media showed the dacoits celebrating Lolai’s return at their hideout, including a conversation with Tanvir Indhar, who has a Rs10 million bounty for his arrest. The dacoits were seen firing guns in celebration.
In another viral video on social media, Shahid Lund, the ringleader of the Lund gang, accused some journalists of spreading false information at the behest of certain political figures.
He said the government has released a list of dacoits from Punjab and Sindh with head money on them.
He called the number given in the Punjab Home Department’s head money advertisement, saying that the real culprits behind the deaths of policemen in Machka have not been named in the list.
Lund also claimed that police officers, who were failing in their duties, were responsible for the deaths of policemen in the kutcha area.
He criticised the Machka SHO for ignoring requests for help from the trapped policemen for four hours. Lund advised the authorities to remove the list of ‘innocent people’ and prepare a new list of criminals.
When contacted, a police spokesperson denied any deal has been made with the dacoits for the release of Constable Nawaz. He said the police would continue their struggle to eliminate criminals in Kacha area until the end.
In a related development, a truck driver transporting stones for the reinforcement of a protective bund was kidnapped by the Lund dacoit gang near the Jamaldinwali area, 40km from Rahim Yar Khan, on Sunday morning.
Four trucks loaded with stones were going to the protective bund on the left bank of the Indus River when the Lund gang comprising six to eight dacoits intercepted them and abducted one of the drivers, identified as Ahad.
A local resident confirmed the kidnapping.
Source:.dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1854757/abducted-cop-freed-amid-reports-of-deal-with-dacoits
--------
Capital to be barricaded again amid USC employees planned protests
August 26, 2024
Mohammad Asghar
RAWALPINDI: Fearing protest by the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) employees in front of Parliament House on Monday (today), the capital administration has planned to block the “Red Zone” with 97 freight shipping containers along with a deployment of a large number of police personnel.
As employees of the USC staged protests in several parts of the country against proposed closure of stores, the government has dispelled the impression that the utility stores were to be shut down.
The USC employees have now planned to protest outside the Parliament House on Monday due to which the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has planned to block the Red Zone to prevent protesters from coming near the parliament building.
Sources revealed that a comprehensive security plan had been chalked out with 13 points being identified where roads to the Red Zone would be blocked with 97 shipping containers.
Out of 97 shipping containers, 92 have been seized by the ICT police while the remaining were already with them.
Of the 97 containers, 10 will be placed at ISI blockade (checkpoint), eight at Marriott Hotel, 26 at Express Chowk, two at Election Commission, eight at Nadra Chowk, one at Fata picket, eight at Serena Turn, 14 at Serena traffic signal Kashmir Highway and four at the Bari Imam T-cross.
Likewise, four containers will be placed at the road near Kohsar Block, two at Serena checkpoint, two at Globe Chowk while two will be placed at the Diplomatic Enclave gate.
The USC staff have warned of launching a larger movement if the government does not reverse its decision.
Source:.dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1854715/capital-to-be-barricaded-again-amid-usc-employees-planned-protests
---------
Armed clash in Karachi's Golimar leaves 2 dead, 9 wounded
By Raheel Salman & Tariq Moin Siddiqui
August 25, 2024
KARACHI: Two armed groups clashed in Karachi's Golimar area on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least two people and injuries to nine others, according to police personnel, as reported by Geo News.
The casualties ensued when two armed groups opened fire on each other, with some angry protesters setting various vehicles on fire and blocking both lanes of the main artery leading to Nazimabad from Lasbella.
Confirming the number of fatalities, Chief Police Surgeon Dr Sumaiyya Syed stated that one body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the other to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, while the injured were being treated at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
Taking notice of the matter, Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar has sought a report on the incident from the Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Additional Inspector General (AIG), directing law enforcement agencies to bring the situation under control immediately.
Saying that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands or disturb the law and order situation, Lanjar also instructed the authorities to arrest the perpetrators as soon as possible.
Later, Karachi AIG Javed Alam Odho stated that the situation in the affected area was under control and the Central Superintendent of Police (SSP) was on site.
Meanwhile, West DIG Irfan Baloch stated that the armed groups clashed over the movement of a procession.
Later, the flow of traffic resumed after the law enforcers opened the roads.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1223687-armed-clash-in-karachis-golimar-leaves-2-dead-9-wounded
--------
Punjab police rescue abducted cop from Katcha dacoits in RYK
By Our Correspondent & Sher Ali Khalti
August 26, 2024
RAHIM YAR KHAN/LAHORE: The Punjab Police successfully rescued Constable Ahmed Nawaz from the notorious katcha dacoits in Machka, a riverine area of District Rahim Yar Khan, police spokesperson reported on Sunday.
The rescue follows a deadly attack last Thursday when katcha bandits ambushed police in Machka, destroying two police vehicles with rockets, resulting in the martyrdom of 12 officers and injuries to six others. During the incident, Constable Nawaz was abducted by heavily armed robbers.
Rizwan Omar Gondal, District Police Officer (DPO), Rahim Yar Khan, reassured that police efforts in the region remain unwavering. “The police department is working with full strength in the riverine areas,” he said.
Following Nawaz’s release, Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar met with his family to confirm his safe return, stating that Nawaz’s recovery had been a top priority. He reiterated the force’s commitment to confronting criminals with full force. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz lauded the operation’s success, commending DPO Gondal and his team for their efforts. She expressed her relief at Nawaz’s recovery and extended her best wishes to his family.
Katcha bandits in riverine areas remain a longstanding challenge for law enforcement in both Sindh and Punjab, despite repeated operations aimed at dismantling these criminal networks.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1223873-punjab-police-rescue-abducted-cop-from-katcha-dacoits-in-ryk
--------
34 dead in two Pakistan bus accidents: rescue officials
Aug 25, 2024
At least 34 people were killed in two separate bus accidents in Pakistan today, including 12 pilgrims who had been trying to reach Iran, rescue officials said.
At least 22 people were killed when the bus they were travelling in plunged into a ravine near the town of Azad Pattan on the border between Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
"22 dead till now, including 15 men, six women and one child," said Farooq Ahmed, a spokesman for Rescue 1122 emergency services in Punjab.
In a separate incident, 12 men died when their bus crashed into a ravine on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan, after being prevented from crossing into Iran.
"This is a particularly treacherous tract of road, with many twists and turns. The driver was over speeding and the bus fell into a deep ravine," police official Aslam Bangulzai, who was at the scene, told AFP.
The accident occurred in a mountainous area, around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the nearest town of Uthal and 500 kilometres from the Iran border town of Pishin.
"The bus was carrying pilgrims on its way to Arbaeen (pilgrimage) but was turned back at the Iran border because their documents had some problems," said Hamood Ur Rehman, a senior government official in the nearby district of Gwadar.
Road accidents with high fatalities are common in Pakistan, where safety measures are lax, driver training is poor and transport infrastructure often decrepit.
On Saturday, the bodies of 28 pilgrims who died in a bus crash in Iran were returned to Pakistan.
The bus was carrying 51 Pakistani pilgrims who were passing through Iran to attend the Arbaeen commemoration in Iraq, one of the biggest events of the Shiite calendar, when it overturned and caught fire in front of a checkpoint in Yazd province on Tuesday night, Iranian state TV reported.
Source:thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/asia/south-asia/news/pakistan-blast-kills-two-children-injures-16-3685771
-------
Mideast
Millions Of Shia Muslim Pilgrims Gather In Iraq For Arbaeen (40th Day Of Mourning For The Martyrdom Of Imam Hussein)
25 Aug 2024
More than 21 million Shia Muslims took part in the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq this year, marking the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and a founding figure in Shia Islam.
The event peaked on Sunday, with attendees displaying their support for Gaza.
Arbaeen, which means 40 in Arabic, is one of the world’s biggest religious gatherings and a major event for Shia Muslims, who are the majority in Iraq and Iran.
Karbala, where Hussein and his brother Abbas are buried in two enormous mausoleums facing each other, is the centre of the Shia world during this time.
Pilgrims freely express their suffering, weeping and wailing in memory of Hussein, who was killed in 680 during a battle in Karbala with the Umayyad caliph Yazid.
This year, the events have included prominent displays of Palestinian flags by pilgrims amid the war in Gaza.
“The total number of Arbaeen pilgrims… reached 21,480,525,” the institution that manages the Abbas mausoleum and is responsible for the count said.
Among them were about 3.5 million Iranian pilgrims, according to official figures reported in Tehran.
Mohammed al-Tamimi, a 32-year-old pilgrim, told the AFP news agency that the Palestinian flags waving among the pilgrims were “in support of our brothers in Palestine and in response to the Zionists, saying that Muslims stand as one against the Zionist actions and against the crimes taking place in Gaza”.
Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October. An estimated 1,139 people were killed during a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Source:aljazeera.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/25/millions-of-shia-muslim-pilgrims-gather-in-iraq-for-arbaeen
-------
Islamic Republic children’s movie in disguise sneaks its way to Israeli theaters
By OHAD MERLIN
AUGUST 25, 2024
An Iranian children’s film approved by the Islamic Republic is being screened in Israel, so finds an exposé by Iran Expert and research fellow from the Ezri Center at Haifa University Dr. Thamar E. Gindin. Gindin’s exposé also revealed that the film has been marketed outside of Iran through a Malaysian company, which apparently masks the export of Iranian media, which is not subject to sanctions; as well as a pledge by the film’s creators to transfer revenues to Gaza.
According to Gindin, the film branded outside of Iran as Extinction and in Israel as Namer Mi Shemedaber is being screened as of now only in Iran and Israel, and is scheduled to be screened in Russia and Turkey as well. The original film was titled Bache-Zerang (Smart Kid), and is reportedly the most successful Iranian cartoon of all time. It was a joint production of Honar-Pooya studios and the Islamic Republic’s Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, a unit under the regime’s Ministry of Education.
“The film was shown for the first time at the Fajr Film Festival in January 2023, where it was nominated in a number of categories and won the award for best animated film,” commented Gindin, “though it should be noted that it was also the only animated film to participate in the festival.”
According to online information, the film was released at the end of September 2023, and has grossed almost $15 million. “In November the studios announced that 1% of all the film’s revenues would be donated to the children of Gaza,” Gindin elaborated. “One could translate this to ‘$140,000 transferred to Hamas authorities, who may or may not decide to share the revenue with Gazans.’”
THE MOVIE REVOLVES around Mohsen Rahmati, a boy who loves superhero movies, and who can talk to animals. Mohsen then befriends an endangered Mazandaranian (Iranian) Tiger and decides to help him, and at the end of the movie the hunters realize they made a mistake by hunting his kin.
However, in Israeli discussion groups online, many parents expressed distress over alleged scenes of violence and self-sacrifice, which even triggered thoughts of the October 7 massacre.
GINDIN DESCRIBED the movie as propagating religious Shi’ite motifs. “The keeper of the forest is a doe protected by a man who we see only as a silhouette with a radiant face, which is exactly how the saints of Islam are traditionally painted,” she explained. “Shia lore tells of Emam Reza, who could also speak the language of animals and saved a doe from a hunter, who repented of his intention to hunt it. This legend appears in the film twice: once told to the main character during the film, and once as the plot of the whole movie.”
Gindin continued: “Hamed Jafari, one of the film’s creators, also stressed in an interview that his aim in his films is to educate children on the sanctity of the Imams and Fatima, and he also commented that he does not rule out creating a film commemorating ‘hero Qasem Soleimani.’”
“It is important to understand that creators in Iran cannot release a film or any other artistic product without obtaining a license from the Ministry of Islamic Guidance,” commented Gindin, stressing that this means that a children’s film screened in Israel was actually approved by the Iranian extremist regime.
The film was produced in two versions: one version for distribution in Iran and one aimed for the rest of the world. The global version, called Extinction, is distributed by a Malaysian company. This is especially odd considering that Iranian films are presented all over the world, including Israel, without concealing their origin.
“Malaysia is one of the only countries in the world where Iranians do not need a visa,” explained Gindin. Magic Picture Films, the alleged Malaysian company, may actually belong to the Islamic Republic or operate on its behalf.
“This company only distributes Iranian films and cartoons despite being based in Malaysia, which raises further concern. The establishment of Iranian straw companies to avoid sanctions is a main modus operandi for government bodies, as a former government official currently not living in Iran had told me.
“The response of the Israeli distribution company of the film, Red Cape, indicates it was not aware of and still does not believe all the findings of this investigation, which started from a post by a concerned mother in a parents group.”
Red Cape, the official distributor of the film in Israel, replied to Gindin regarding her exposé, commenting, inter alia, that the film was purchased from a French company “specializing in children’s films”, which in turn brought it from Malaysia, and screened it at the Annecy festival where it met a warm response.
Red Cape also added that all revenues from ticket sales in Israel will stay in the country, stressing their contribution to evacuees from the North for whom they screen films free of charge, and further justifying screening the film by commenting that “it is not right to reject other cultures.”
“Our problem is not with Iranian movies, which are great and provide a fascinating glimpse into Iranian society,” added the Iran specialist. “The main problem lies in the fact that a Malaysian straw company distributes films with no due disclosure to its partners abroad, and then presents it as ‘Malaysian film.’ This allows for the promulgation of propaganda and the overriding of sanctions, unchecked.”
Red Cape has yet to respond to the Jerusalem Post’s comment request.
Source:jpost.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www. jpost.com /middle-east/iran-news/article-816259
--------
Rayma Governor inspects educational process at Secondary School for Islamic Sciences
25 Aug 2024
RAYMA August 25. 2024 (Saba) - Rayma Governor, Faris Al-Habari, inspected the educational process progress at the Secondary School for Islamic Sciences in the province center.
The Governor Al-Habari listened to the school’s administrators explaining the students’ turnout this year and the extent of their interaction and benefit from Islamic sciences that contribute to enlightening them culturally, scientifically and religiously.
Rayma Governor stressed the need to focus on teaching students Holy Qur'an and Qur'anic culture that protects them from false cultures and destructive ideas.
He urged students to be serious and persevere to achieve excellence , arm themselves with Qur'anic culture and faith identity.
Source:.saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3362828.htm
-------
Imam Hussain’s battle with oppression never-ending: Leader
August 25, 2024
TEHRAN– On Sunday, August 25, 2024, a solemn Arbaeen mourning ceremony, organized by students, took place at the Imam Khomeini (ra) Hussainiyah. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
The ceremony concluded with Ayatollah Khamenei leading the noon and afternoon prayers.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution delivered a brief speech between the two prayers, highlighting the themes of Ziyarat Ashura pertaining to the importance of friendship with the friends of Imam Hussain (PBUH) and enmity towards his enemies until the Day of Judgment. “The battle between the front of Imam Hussain (PBUH) and the front of people like Yazid [oppressors] is a never-ending, ongoing battle,” he stated.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the goal of Imam Hussain's (PBUH) uprising was to fight against oppression and injustice. “This war has taken place in various shapes and forms. It was carried out in one form in the era of swords and spears, and in another form in the age of atomic [technology], artificial intelligence, and so on. But it continues. In the era of propagation using poetry, odes, hadith, and spoken words, it was carried out in one way. And [now] in the era of quantum [physics], the internet, and the like, it is carried out in another way,” he remarked.
He pointed out that this duty manifests differently during one’s years as a university student compared to the period when a person assumes greater responsibility. “The fight of the Hussaini front against the Yazidi front does not always mean taking up arms; [rather,] It means thinking correctly, speaking properly, understanding things accurately, and hitting the target with precision,” he said.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution emphasized that pursuing this path would provide life with meaning and purpose. “Young people should appreciate the current era, in which the Islamic Revolution has opened a way before them. They need to act promptly with proper planning, study, and correct thinking, which requires familiarity with the Quran and pondering over it,” he stated.
Ayatollah Khamenei underscored that this timely action may sometimes find meaning within the university environment, at other times in social or political spheres, and at certain moments on the path of Karbala and Palestine, as well as the pursuit of lofty goals.
He concluded by asserting that the youth's use of this historical opportunity will signify success and salvation while failing to seize this opportunity and fulfill their responsibilities will lead to failure.
Source:tehrantimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/502908/Imam-Hussain-s-battle-with-oppression-never-ending-Leader
-------
Africa
Nigerians’ disobedience to Allah, corruption causing food prices to rise: FOMWAN
TOSIN AJUWON
• AUGUST 25, 2024
The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) has blamed the persistent rise in food prices in the country on Nigeria’s deviation away from the teachings of Allah (God).
The women expressed their concerns on Sunday in a communique issued at the end of their 39th annual national conference held in Akure, Ondo state capital.
“These challenges are as a result of our deviation from Allah’s injunction that when the community engages in corruption, Allah has promised that it would be visited with famine and insecurity,” an excerpt from the communique obtained by Peoples Gazette read in part.
In the copy of the communique jointly signed by its national Amirah, Rafiah Sani, and the national public relations officer, Maimuna Momodu, the group said Allah (God) is not happy with the situation amid the hunger in the land hence the famine currently bedevilling the country.
The association also attributed the situation, which has led to widespread hunger and eliciting discontent among the citizenry with protests in the major cities of the country, to corruption.
FOMWAN said it was concerned about the high cost of foods, services, and goods in the nation, stressing that women carry the bulk of the problems as prices of staples continue to rise in the country.
The group also expressed concerns over the rising spate of insecurity in the country, stressing that the challenges are enormous, saying it should have been everybody’s responsibility.
FOMWAN lamented the political patronage and other opportunities for women groups, noting that there are measures that could assist women in self-sustaining activities, which can facilitate family economic well-being.
It also urged women to key into female political education and participation to increase female access to development, funding for investment, and other facilities for the benefit of their family economy.
“FOMWAN to further collaborate closely with local, state, and federal government Institutions and other non-governmental organisations to facilitate active participation in agriculture and employment opportunities for women and girls.
“FOMWAN should intensify its collaborations with relevant organisations to establish safe space for women and girls.
“FOMWAN should ensure effective participation of women and girls in government interventions to help alleviate their worrisome poverty situation,” the communique further read.
The group charged the government at various levels to also enforce the law on criminals for women to have a safe environment to carry out their activities, which impacted their wellbeing.
Source:gazettengr.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://gazettengr.com/failure-of-nigerians-to-adhere-to-allahs-teachings-corruption-causes-of-rising-food-prices-fomwan/
-------
Two policemen killed during clash with Islamic group in FCT
August 26, 2024
Two policemen were killed and three others critically injured during a clash yesterday between security men and members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shi’ite, in Abuja.
The Islamic group, led by Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, frequently clashes with security men usually during processions held by the group to celebrate some events on their religious calendar, leading to violence and deaths.
After one such incident, the group was proscribed on July 26, 2019, by the Muhammadu Buhari Administration.
According to the police account, the Shi’ites in the procession were armed with various weapons with which they attacked a police checkpoint, burning three vans.
This resulted in exchanges between them and policemen at the popular Julius Berge junction of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
But the group contradicted the police, saying their men in the procession did not carry any ammunition and were peaceful.
FCT police commissioner, Benneth Igweh, said 52 members of the group were arrested after the violent confrontation, adding that they would be charged.
He promised that the police would not leave any stone unturned in curbing the activities of the Shi’ites.
The FCT Command spokesman, Josephine Adeh, a Superintendent of Police, gave an account of the attack in a statement.
“The situation is currently under control, and normalcy has been restored to the area.
“For now, the FCT Police Command remains on high alert, closely monitoring the situation to prevent any further outbreaks of violence.”
But the Shi’ite group gave a different picture of what happened.
Its spokesman, Sheikh Sidi Munir Mainasara Sokoto, said in a statement: “We wish to inform the public that police have attacked the ongoing Arba’een Symbolic Trek at Wuse District in Abuja and killed mourners.
“While trying to disperse the Arbaeen Trek, the police killed and injured numerous mourners.
“Presently, security agents are busy arresting the Arbaeen Trek mourners.
“Medical practitioners are attending to those critically injured, and details of those killed, injured, and arrested will be made available to members of the press in due course.
“Before the commencement of the trek, we searched all participants to ensure no infiltration, and the programme will end as scheduled.”
According to him, the Arbeen walk which was staged on Saturday at the Masaka and Zuba axis of the capital city, ended peacefully and successfully.
Source:thenationonlineng.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thenationonlineng.net/two-policemen-killed-during-clash-with-islamic-group-in-fct/#google_vignette
-------
Plateau: JNI Kicks As Mutfwang Creates Portfolio For Indigenous Muslims
25 Aug 2024
By Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos
The Plateau state chapter of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has kicked against the appointment of a Senior Special Assistant on indigenous Muslims by Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
Mutfwang, had on Thursday appointed Hajiya Jamila Pam as Senior Special Assistant on Indigenous Muslims.
This has generated heated controversy within and outside the state.
Our correspondent reports that soon after the appointment, social media was agog with comments on appropriateness or otherwise of the appointment.
Reacting to the development, the JNI and other Muslims in the state described it as an attempt to divide the Muslims along ethnicity in the state to achieve political gain, adding that such appointment should have been made without giving it religious undertone.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Secretary of the group, Dr. Salim Musa Umar, said “PLSG is at liberty to appoint whoever they deemed fit to occupy any position of responsibility in discharging its duties as a government. Such is its prerogative and we are not questioning this.
“However, we deem it necessary as a religious organization to draw the attention of the state government on some salient issues regarding this appointment. We consider this appointment of an SSA to ‘indigenous muslims’ as not well thought out, because in Islam, any social stratification that is not embedded in the teaching of Islam is frowned at.
“The position of Islam as a religion is very clear on this; *Surah Al-Hujurat* (Chapter 49 of the Quran) “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (Qur’an 49:13) Going by the above verse in the holy Quran, every Muslim is not going to be comfortable with this appointment.
“We are all Muslims irrespective of any consideration. It would have been an all encompassing appointment where an SSA is appointed on Islamic affairs, where all muslims will feel that sense of belonging. We call on the government to reconsider this appointment and accord it the necessary moral and religious approach to allow all muslims in plateau state that sense of belonging and inclusivity.”
Source:dailytrust.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://dailytrust.com/plateau-jni-kicks-as-mutfwang-creates-portfolio-for-indigenous-muslims/
-------
Malawi beings screening for mpox at all points of entry
By Rédaction Africanews
26 Aug 2024
Malawi has begun screening for mpox at all ports of entry in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus.
The move comes just days after the first two suspected cases were registered in the country and are currently awaiting laboratory test results.
This includes a 31-year-old male who is being treated in hospital and a 17-year-old boy who is receiving care at home.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the epicentre of a more deadly strain of the virus that emerged last year and has subsequently spread to more than 10 other African states.
Just over a week ago, the World Health Organization declared the spread of the new strain of mpox a public health emergency of international concern.
Africa’s top public health agency on Wednesday said some countries on the continent could start vaccinating against mpox within days.
While Malawi says it is planning for a worst-case scenario, not everyone will be vaccinated against the virus.
"It's not given to just everyone like we are doing with the Covid-19 vaccine or other vaccines, this is only reserved for those who are at a very high risk," says Adrian Chikumbe, spokesperson for the Malawi Ministry of Health.
The decision to screen visitors to the country is part of a raft of preventative measures which includes an awareness campaign, especially through community health networks.
It has also set up a mobile diagnostic unit at a hospital in the country's capital, Lilongwe.
"My advice to people is that, when you meet a person or see someone who has mpox, please avoid any contact with them and also avoid contact with any materials that people with mpox have used," says community health worker, Carol Luka.
Malawi is one of the few Southern African countries that have so far managed to avoid an a mpox outbreak.
Source:africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/08/25/malawi-beings-screening-for-mpox-at-all-points-of-entry/
--------
Zimbabwean Bishop Arrested In Nigeria As Church Crisis Deepens
25 August 2024
Justina Otio
A Zimbabwean bishop of the United Methodist Church, Eben K. Nhiwatiwa has been arrested In Nigeria.
Naija News understands that the clergyman had visited Nigeria to meet with the members of the church in order to kick start the process of electing a new bishop of the church in Nigeria after the resignation of the former bishop, John Wesley Yohanna.
However, he was arrested in Yola, Adamawa State and whisked to the Abuja headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
In a statement signed by pastor Salisu Waziri and made available to journalists in Jalingo, Taraba State on Sunday, the church expressed sadness at the arrest and urged relevant authorities to as a matter of urgency wade in by ensuring his immediate release.
Alleging that some members of the breakaway faction of the church are behind the arrest, Waziri said operatives of the NIS went ahead to detain the clergyman despite having all his required documents.
Report has indicated that the church, has been factionalized since the last international conference in the United States of America where some members supported same sex marriage.
At the time of filing this report, the Taraba State Government has closed all the branches of the church spread across the state.
The aim, according to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Charles Maijankai, is to prevent breakdown of law and order among the members who are struggling to take control of the church property.
It was alleged that there are plans to use security operatives to arrest more members of the church, including pastors.
“Bishop Nhiwatiwa arrived Yola Town, Adamawa State, venue for the first meeting with the members of the Southern Nigerian Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria but was on Friday 23 August 2024, whisked away at the venue of the meeting by Nigerian Immigration Service, Adamawa State Command, for questioning.
“After several hours of detention in the Yola Immigration office, Bishop Nhiwatiwa was later confined to his hotel with guards before being taken to Abuja on Saturday 24 August 2024 in company of an Immigration officer to the Immigration Headquarters in Abuja Nigeria’s capital where he is currently detained,” The statement added.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/25/zimbabwean-bishop-arrested-in-nigeria-as-church-crisis-deepens/
-------
Police Officers, Trader Killed As Shiites Protest In Abuja
25 August 2024
Enioluwa Adeniyi
A clash between police officers and members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, has turned deadly at Wuse Market in Abuja, resulting in the deaths of a trader and two police officers.
The incident occurred when the IMN members embarked on an Arbaeen procession, commemorating the 40th day after the Ashura anniversary.
The peaceful demonstration quickly escalated into violence as police officers attempted to disperse the protesters using tear gas and live ammunition.
According to Daily Trust, witnesses report that Amiru, a trader and bystander, was shot in the chest while trying to flee from the chaos.
He was rushed to Zone 3 hospital but succumbed to his injuries while being transferred to Maitama District Hospital.
According to eyewitnesses, the situation intensified when the protesters retaliated by pelting the police with stones and seizing their weapons.
The clash further escalated as the demonstrators overpowered the police and set fire to three police vehicles.
The police continued to fire tear gas and live rounds to disperse the protesters and control the situation.
However, bystanders and vendors were caught in the crossfire, adding to the panic and confusion in the area.
Reacting to the development, Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the police in Abuja, said, “The FCT police command wishes to confirm an unprovoked attack by the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as the ‘Shi’ite’ group, on some personnel of the Nigeria Police Force attached to FCT command at Wuse Junction by traffic light, where two (2) police personnel were killed, three left unconscious in the hospital, and three (3) Police patrol vehicles set ablaze.
“The proscribed organisation attacked the police checkpoint unprovoked, wielding machetes, improvised explosive devices (locally made bombs in bottles with kerosene), and knives.
“While several arrests have been effected, the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, Psc. mni. Condemns the unprovoked attack on Police officers. He promises to bring those involved to book. The situation is presently under control and normalcy restored.”
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/25/breaking-police-officers-trader-killed-as-shiites-protest-in-abuja/
------
North America
Harris faces uphill battle to win back Muslim votes in swing state of Michigan
By AFP and TOI STAFF
25 August 2024
In the key US swing state of Michigan, Democratic voters of Arab and Middle Eastern heritage say Kamala Harris is going to have to win them back after they were alienated by US President Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza.
The town of Dearborn, home to 110,000 people and a cultural hub for Arab Americans, could play a decisive role in deciding the fate of the battleground state in November’s US presidential election.
Members of the community interviewed by AFP said they were willing to hear what the vice president had to say and weigh their options — a marked change from the outright hostility toward Biden.
“We are in listening mode right now,” said Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News.
The Anti-Defamation League last Sunday condemned Harris campaign chief Julie Chavez Rodriguez for meeting with Siblani, who has expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
Accepting the Democratic presidential nomination at the party’s convention on Thursday, Harris pledged to get a Gaza ceasefire “done” and ensure Palestinians realize their right to “dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.” She also vowed to “always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself.”
But there was outrage among pro-Palestinian delegates that their request for a speaker spot at the convention was rejected. The group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said the decision sent a “terrible message” and announced it was disbanding and withdrawing its support from the campaign.
Harris, who has vowed “not to be silent” about the suffering of Palestinians, recently met with members of the national “Uncommitted” movement that led the charge against Biden during the Democratic primary process.
Although she made no firm promises, leaders said she impressed them with a show of empathy.
At the forefront of concerns are Israel’s 10 months of military operations in Gaza, which have devastated the Palestinian enclave since the war began in response to Hamas’s shock assault on October 7, when thousands of terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill around 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.
Michigan, home to the “big three” automakers — Ford, General Motors and Chrysler — has long been an essential stop for White House aspirants.
Economic downturns in the 1970s led many to leave the so-called “Rust Belt” state, just as unrest in the Middle East brought new waves of Lebanese, Iraqi, Yemeni and Palestinian immigrants.
“We’re a global city, where nearly 55 percent of our residents are of Arab background,” said Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud in a recent interview. “For many of us, when you talk about what’s happening in Gaza, these are our family and our friends.”
Famous as the birthplace of Henry Ford, Dearborn appears at first glance just like any small US city, with its wide thoroughfares and strip malls.
But it is also home to the Islamic Center of America — the largest mosque in the country — and countless Middle Eastern supermarkets, eateries and coffee shops.
When Siblani first started his newspaper in the mid-1980s, he remembers the then-mayor campaigned on a platform to address the “Arab problem.”
But as the community’s numbers grew, and the children of blue-collar factory workers took up positions as lawyers, doctors and businesspeople, so too did their political influence.
Historically socially conservative, Arab and Muslim Americans heavily favored George W. Bush in the 2000 election.
But they swung firmly to the Democratic camp after years of the US “War on Terror,” which saw fighting in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and Muslim American communities put under stricter law-enforcement scrutiny.
In 2018, southeast Michiganders elected Rashida Tlaib to the US House of Representatives, making her the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress — a milestone for the community.
Part of the far-left “Squad” of young progressive lawmakers often critical of Israel, Tlaib was preceded by two Republican congressmen of Palestinian ancestry: Justin Amash, also of Michigan, and John Sununu, who represented New Hampshire in both the House and the Senate.
Three Arab-American mayors have also recently been elected in Detroit suburbs known for historic racism towards non-whites.
Dearborn voters overwhelmingly backed Biden in 2020 — helping secure Michigan for the Democrats by a slim margin — after US President Donald Trump angered the community with his travel ban on Muslim countries and support for Jewish settlements in the West Bank, among other things.
Dearborn residents are tired, however, of being asked to vote for the “lesser of two evils.” They want candidates who will deliver on demands, such as a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the supply of weapons to Israel.
Harris, however, seems unlikely to make such a drastic pivot, saying during her speech accepting the nomination last week that “I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself,” a line met with thunderous applause.
“I think VP Harris has a window of opportunity,” said Faye Nemer, a community activist and CEO of the MENA American Chamber of Commerce. “She can either continue President Biden’s legacy or set her own agenda.”
Arab Americans in Dearborn have been impressed by Harris’s pick of Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Walz has taken a conciliatory approach to opponents of the war, unlike Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who took a hard line against college protesters, although the two men have adopted largely similar approaches to the ongoing war.
But demands from Muslim voters are hardening.
“We don’t want crumbs anymore,” declared Soujoud Hamade, a business lawyer and long-time Democrat, who vowed to vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein if Harris did not deliver on the campaign trail.
Source:timesofisrael.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.timesofisrael.com/harris-faces-uphill-battle-to-win-back-muslim-votes-in-swing-state-of-michigan/
--------
Taliban urges Muslim nations to emulate its ‘Sharia-based system’
Amu TV
26August 2024
Taliban’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has called on Muslim nations worldwide to “take inspiration from the Taliban’s system” and establish what he describes as “Sharia-based systems” in their own nations.
In a recent interview with a UK-based Islamic news organization, Mujahid dismissed the Taliban’s critics as ignorant, claiming that those who label the group as “oppressors and tyrants” lack a proper understanding of religion. “Muslims must first learn their religion,” Mujahid argued. “Once they understand, they will recognize the Islamic Emirate [Taliban] and no longer call us oppressors or tyrants.”
However, human rights defenders have pushed back against Mujahid’s remarks, accusing the Taliban of using religion to justify what they describe as three years of atrocities since the group’s takeover of Afghanistan. “The Taliban are trying to justify their recent three years of crimes under the name of implementing Sharia,” said Maryam Maroof Arwin, a human rights activist. Critics have also questioned where Islam endorses the Taliban’s strict policies, particularly those banning women and girls from work and education. “Knowledge is obligatory for both men and women,” one Kabul resident noted, challenging the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic principles.
Mujahid’s call for other Islamic countries to adopt a system similar to the Taliban’s comes despite the group’s lack of international recognition. Three years after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, no country has formally recognized its government. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other Islamic nations have consistently condemned the Taliban’s harsh restrictions on women and girls, as well as the group’s efforts to justify these measures on religious grounds.
The Taliban are seeking to expand conflict and insecurity under the pretext of religion beyond Afghanistan’s borders and to pressure Islamic countries that have not recognized the group’s self-proclaimed government,” Arwin added.
While the Taliban urges other nations to follow its model, it continues to face calls from the international community, including Islamic countries, to form an inclusive government and lift its bans on female education and employment. The Taliban, however, has dismissed these calls as interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
Source:amu.tv/
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https:// amu.tv/119431/
-------
Mexico lashes out at US over ‘meddling' comments by its ambassador
25 August 2024
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has criticized the US ambassador for "meddling" in his overhaul of the country's judicial system.
The US ambassador to Mexico had described the judicial overhaul proposed by the president as not only a “major risk” to Mexico's democracy, but also, a move that “threatens the historic commercial relationship” between the two neighboring countries.
On Friday, the Mexican president said Ken Salazar's comments were "disrespectful", undermining his country's national sovereignty
The Mexican government sent a diplomatic note to the US, protesting to its ambassador’s "unacceptable meddling" in the nation's affairs.
Salazar told reporters on Thursday the proposed overhaul would "help cartels and other bad actors take advantage of inexperienced judges with political motivations.”
Salazar said the plan would also “create turbulence” both economically and politically for years to come.
He later took back his words, claiming that he had made the disparaging comments in a "spirit of collaboration."
Last week, in protest to the proposals opposing judges, magistrates and federal court employees went on strike.
Also, financial institutions warned that the overhaul of the judicial system could have serious economic repercussions and risks scaring investors out of Mexico.
In response to the overhaul's critics, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum joined her political ally Lopez Obrador in defending the proposed judicial reforms which he says are meant to clean up corruption in the system.
“Investors shouldn’t be worried. On the contrary, we will have a better justice system in Mexico,” Sheinbaum told reporters on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the judicial overhaul proposed by the Mexican president must be approved by the country's newly elected congress which is scheduled to start its work on Sept. 1.
Source:presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/08/25/732045/Mexico-US-Lopez-Obrador-Ambassadors-Comments-On-Proposed-Judicial-Reform
-------
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees suicide drone tests
26 Aug 2024
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has supervised a test of domestically-developed attack drones, state media KCNA reported.
Photos published by North Korean media on Monday showed a white drone with X-shaped tails and wings crashing into and destroying a target resembling South Korea’s K-2 main battle tank.
Kim, who was pictured at a desk surrounded by advisers, has been modernising his country’s military and developing its weapons capabilities amid rising tensions with Washington and Seoul.
The North Korean leader supervised the test on a visit to the Drone Institute of North Korea’s Academy of Defense Science, KCNA said.
Kim said that global trends in military technologies and modern combat showed the importance of drones in war and that Pyongyang’s military should be equipped with them “as early as possible”.
He called for accelerated development and production of various systems, including exploding drones to be used by the infantry and special operations units, reconnaissance and multi-purpose attack drones, and underwater suicide attack drones, KCNA said.
Kim Jong Un sitting at a desk. There is a screen in front of him, showing a picture of a tank. There are two pairs of binoculars on the desk. Kim is wearing a white lab coat and a puffy light beige cap on his head. He is laughing. A group of older men are with him. They are also smiling. One is pointing.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea needed more drones to boost its war readiness [KCNA via Reuters]
Pyongyang has ramped up its tactical warfare capabilities involving short-range missiles and heavy artillery aimed at striking South Korea, after making dramatic advances in its longer-range ballistic missile and nuclear programmes in defiance of international sanctions.
The drone test comes as the United States and South Korean militaries conduct a large-scale exercise aimed at enhancing their combined capabilities to defend against the North Korean threat.
Source:aljazeera.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/26/north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-oversees-suicide-drone-tests
-------
South Asia
Continued backlash: Taliban’s new law seen as contradiction to beliefs of two billion Muslims
Amu TV
26August 2024
The Taliban’s recently enacted morality law has drawn further condemnation, with political figures and movements denouncing it as a contradiction to the beliefs of nearly two billion Muslims worldwide and likening its regulations to those of ISIS.
Ali Ahmad Jalali, former Interior Minister of Afghanistan, sharply criticized the law as “shameful,” asserting that it effectively imprisons women in their own country. “The new shameful Taliban repressive law that virtually imprisons women in their own country, confirms that ideologically there no difference between ISIS and the Taliban. The Ideology can radicalize youth into violent extremists in the region and beyond.,” Jalali wrote on X.
Rahmatullah Nabil, former Afghan intelligence chief, also weighed in, advocating for a healthy separation of religion from politics as a pathway to justice and stability in societies. In response to recent comments by Neda Mohammad Nadim, the Taliban’s acting Minister of Higher Education, Nabil cited examples from Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan, noting that “global experience has shown that after periods of extremism and ideological dominance, societies have moved towards new paths where the roles of religion and politics are defined more equitably and with respect for both domains.”
The Taliban’s law, ratified by their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, spans 114 pages and includes 35 articles that impose severe new restrictions on the rights and freedoms of Afghan citizens, particularly women. The law grants broad powers to the Taliban’s morality enforcers, who are authorized to arrest, punish, and imprison individuals, including women.
The National Resistance Front condemned the law as a reflection of the “tribal and primitive mindset of this misogynistic group,” stating that it starkly contrasts with the faith and practices of nearly two billion Muslims worldwide. The Resistance Front described the law as another act of “oppression” against the people of Afghanistan, particularly women, criticizing the Taliban for focusing on collective punishment rather than addressing the country’s widespread poverty and suffering.
The Resistance Front also warned that the law is designed as a tool for the systemic suppression of women, laying the groundwork for a “structure of collective punishment.”
Other prominent figures, including former Foreign Minister and National Security Advisor Haneef Atmar, have also condemned the Taliban’s new law.
International reactions have been equally strong. Actress Angelina Jolie expressed her outrage on Instagram, stating, “A regime that criminalizes a woman’s gaze, voice, and power is cowardly and oppressive.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock labeled the Taliban’s “Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice” as nearly 100 pages of “hatred towards women,” describing it as a manifesto of misogyny. Baerbock added that these “inhumane rules” would strip Afghan women of their dignity, rights, and voices, effectively silencing half of the country’s citizens.
The law classifies a woman’s voice as forbidden and prohibits women from speaking in public places where men are present.
Source:amu.tv
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://amu.tv/119525/
-------
Youth should emulate past Muslim scholars who became expert reference for Ummah
August 26, 2024
Today’s youth have enormous potential in achieving the first goal in Brunei Vision 2035 which is ‘Educated, Highly Skilled and Accomplished People’, Faculty of Islamic Economics and Finance (FEIF) assistant lecturer at Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) Muhammad Fuad bin Matahir said.
He said this in a religious talk at Pehin Khatib Abdullah Mosque in Kampong Kulapis during Munajat on Saturday night.
“Today’s youth need to emulate the companions, tabiin and tabi’ tabiin, many of whom became expert references for Muslims at a young age,” he said. “Therefore, it is important for the youth to continue to study to improve, practise and spread their knowledge.”
The Ministry of Religious Affairs organised the weekly religious event was for the 148th time and invited President of Students Council Representative at UNISSA Mohammad Shafiq Hisyamuddin bin Rosli, who is also second year student at FEIF. He led the reading of Sayyidul Istighfar and Surah Al-Fatihah from Pehin Khatib Abdullah Mosque.
Students and teachers at Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah; mosque takmir committee members and congregants at Pehin Khatib Abdullah Mosque in Kampong Kulapis, Kampong Sungai Besar Mosque, Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit Mosque in Mukim Kilanas, Kampong Menunggol Mosque and Kampong Kapok Mosque as well as nearly 70 mosques, suraus and religious halls nationwide also attended.
Congregants also recited Surah Al-Mulk, Doa Munajat, and Selawat Tafrijiyyah.
The event ended with Doa Peliharakan Sultan dan Negara Brunei Darussalam.
The Munajat night invites the public to jointly improve spiritual practices, seek forgiveness from Allah the Almighty, read and appreciate the meaning of Al-Quran as well as supplicate simultaneously en masse for the safety of the Sultanate and its people. – Azlan Othman
Source:borneobulletin.com.bn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://borneobulletin.com.bn/youth-should-emulate-past-muslim-scholars-who-became-expert-reference-for-ummah/
-------
DAB Reaffirms Commitment to Islamic Banking Transition in Meeting with Afghanistan-U.S. Chamber of Commerce
2024-08-25
KABUL(BNA): The First Deputy Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) has reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to gradually transitioning the country’s banking sector to Islamic banking during a meeting with the Head of the Afghanistan-U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
According to a press release issued by DAB, the First Deputy Governor Sediqullah Khalid met with Jeff Greico, the President of the Afghanistan-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, at his office.
The discussion focused on strengthening Afghanistan’s private sector, expanding trade, reinforcing the banking sector, and various other related topics.
Sediqullah Khalid highlighted the crucial role of the private and banking sectors in the country’s economy, emphasizing that DAB is committed to supporting economic growth without hesitation.
The Deputy Governor also assured that DAB is dedicated to enhancing anti-money laundering regimes, mechanizing the money exchange sector, regulating money service providers, and controlling inflation, all in accordance with the bank’s laws, regulations, policies, and international standards. He noted that over the past three years, DAB has successfully restored the Afghan banking sector and maintained the stability of the Afghan currency.
Khalid further emphasized the central bank’s commitment to developing Islamic banking in the country, stating that DAB is determined to gradually transition the banking sector to Islamic banking practices.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/dab-reaffirms-commitment-to-islamic-banking-transition-in-meeting-with-afghanistan-u-s-chamber-of-commerce/
-------
Hajj Minister Calls for Unity Among Islamic Nations in Meeting with Turkish Delegation
2024-08-25
KABUL(BNA): The Acting Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, Sheikh al-Hadith Dr. Noor Mohammad Saqib, called on Islamic countries to work together for unity and to address Muslim issues. He made this appeal during a meeting with Professor Salim Ergun, Deputy Head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate, and his delegation.
Additionally, Minister Saqib highlighted the strong ties between Turkey and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, noting Turkey’s significant role in the Islamic world, as evidenced by the recent consultative conference of Islamic scholars in Istanbul. He urged Islamic nations, especially Turkey, to deepen their relations with the Islamic Emirate.
In response, Professor Ergun commended the Islamic Emirate’s recent progress and stressed the religious, cultural, and spiritual similarities between the two nations. He also emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation between Islamic countries and the Islamic Emirate.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/hajj-minister-calls-for-unity-among-islamic-nations-in-meeting-with-turkish-delegation/
--------
Ban on Jamaat-Shibir may be lifted tomorrow: party lawyers
Aug 26, 2024
The interim government may issue a circular tomorrow to withdraw an order of the Awami League government banning Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir on August 1, Jamaat lawyers said today.
"As this is a legal issue, Jamaat-appointed lawyers held a series of discussion with the high-ups of the concerned department of the government and advisers. At one stage, we requested the home ministry and talked about the legal steps that can be taken to solve the issue."
"Following the request, they told us that all the administrative works have been done … the order of banning Jamaat-Shibir will be withdrawn within the quickest possible time, or even by tomorrow," Shishir Manir, a lawyer of Jamaat-e-Islami, told reporters on the Supreme Court premises today.
Asked on which ground they demanded withdrawal of the ban; the lawyer said the Awami League government banned Jamaat-Shibir on the ground that the parties are involved in terrorist activities. But they did not specify or give any explanation about the criminal activities.
The Awami League took the steps on August 1 to divert the issue of the mass student protest, he said.
"We even asked the present government to show such activities, if they find any."
Asked why Jamaat chose an executive order instead of going to court for it, Manir said Section 19 of the Anti-Terrorism Act-2009 mentions that the authorities concerned or the government can take steps in this regard.
"As the Jamaat-Shibir was banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act-2009, we have to take all the steps as per Section 19," he added.
Manir said they will start the legal procedure regarding the registration of Jamaat and its symbol after the ban is withdrawn.
On August 1, the Awami League government banned Jamaat-e-Islami, its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir and all of its front organisations as political parties and entities under the Anti-Terrorism Act-2009.
On August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country in the face of a mass uprising against her AL government.
Source:thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/ban-jamaat-shibir-may-be-lifted-tomorrow-party-lawyers-3686841
--------
UN Seeks to Support Alternative Crops and Infrastructure in Kandahar
2024-08-26
KANDAHAR(BNA): In a meeting between Roza Otunbayeva, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and Mullah Mohammad Sadiq Inquilabi, the deputy governor of Kandahar, the two sides discussed plans the UN can assist the province.
Otunbayeva stated that UNAMA is interested in assisting farmers in Kandahar shift away from poppy cultivation towards alternative crops. “We want to work with the local government to provide farmers in Kandahar with the resources and support they need to transition to legal, sustainable crops,” she said.
The deputy governor, Mullah Mohammad Sediq Qnqalabi, welcomed UNAMA’s plan and also called for the organization to cooperate on implementing infrastructure projects and providing treatment for drug addicts in the province.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/un-seeks-to-support-alternative-crops-and-infrastructure-in-kandahar/
------
Arab World
Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers discuss developments in Gaza Strip
August 25, 2024
RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran discussed developments in the Gaza Strip on Sunday during a telephone call, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his newly appointed counterpart Abbas Araghchi also discussed relations between their countries and ways to enhance them in various fields.
They also highlighted the importance of continuing coordination and consultation between the Kingdom and Iran.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568783/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi-led project clears 456,664 mines, explosive devices in Yemen
August 25, 2024
RIYADH: A Saudi-led humanitarian initiative in Yemen has seen a milestone 456,664 land mines and unexploded ordnance cleared since the start of the project in 2018, according to a recent report.
These include 296,954 items of unexploded ordnance, 145,016 anti-tank mines, 8,120 improvised explosive devices and 6,574 anti-personnel mines, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.
Overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, Project Masam continues to remove deadly devices laid in the war-torn country by the Houthis.
Last week, the project’s special teams destroyed 771 items of unexploded ordnance, 59 anti-tank mines, five improvised explosive devices and two anti-personnel mines.
The explosives, which were planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen, posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.
Masam teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568773/saudi-arabia
--------
UAE, Mauritania enhance cooperation in Islamic affairs
August 26 2024
Dr. Omar Habtoor Al Darei, Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, and Zakat, discussed aspects of cooperation between the UAE and the Republic of Mauritania in the field of Islamic affairs with senior Mauritanian officials.
They also explored ways to enhance communication and coordination to achieve common goals.
This took place during Dr. Al Darei's visit to the Republic of Mauritania, where he met with Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay and Sidi Yahya Ould Cheikhna Ould Lemrabet, Minister of Islamic Affairs and Original Education.
Source:gulftoday.ae
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/08/25/uae-mauritania-enhance-cooperation-in-islamic-affairs
--------
Crown prince awards winners of Esports World Cup in Riyadh
August 25, 2024
RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday crowned the Saudi Falcons team as champions of the Esports World Cup on the closing day of the 8-week tournament.
Prince Mohammed was in attendance at the closing ceremony of the event in Riyadh.
The Falcons clinched the title after collecting 5,665 points, beating out their rivals the Dutch Liquid team, who came in second with 2,545 points, and the Swiss BDS team who came in third with 2,000 points.
Riyadh also hosted the New Global Sports Conference this weekend, which showcased Saudi Arabia’s potential as an esports hub.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568817/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi FM receives Bosnian counterpart in Riyadh
August 25, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konakovic in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, the ministers discussed ways to enhance relations between their countries and intensifying joint coordination on issues of mutual interest.
Prince Faisal and Konakovic also reviewed international developments efforts made in this regard.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568785/saudi-arabia
-------
Europe
Clayton StreetMosque's Community Event To Overcome Far-Right Hate
By Jack Stott
Ghausia Masjid Mosque, on Clayton Street, will host the event run by Dockray Events and Management which hopes to bring all communities in Pendle together to reflect on recent unrest and strengthen the community.
The open day, on Sunday, September 8, will give a tour of the Masjid where attendees can meet the volunteers and teachers and attendees can learn more about the religion.
Ali Ahmed, who is running the event, was inspired to put on the event after being shocked by the number of arrests from Lancashire in relation to the riots.
He said: “The statistics are very frightening and the question for me is why these under 18s have gone to these far-right views.
“The biggest thing for me is the 50 per cent Asian minority in Pendle, these isolated attacks have triggered disturbances which we don’t want in our towns and city.”
Speeches will be given by Imam Qari Khalid Mehmood as well as other local officials and dignitaries.
Food will be served at 12.30pm and will include a selection of Halal meats and vegetarian options.
Ali added: “We need to be extra vigilant and as a community to come together and that is why I invited all faiths, and they will arise to a non-faith group.
“It is more to bring the community together and say we don’t want any of this.
“We want to work with other communities. It is coming to the mosque have a look around and the work they do.”
And Ali is encouraging people of all faiths and world views to come and discuss Islam with the Muslim community and the Imam.
He said: “I think it is important that having engagement and working with groups from different communities and faith groups to help us move forward.
“Come and talk to us whether you agree or don’t agree. Come in and talk about it and move your differences out of the way.”
Ali has worked in the community all his life acting as a town councillor alongside working with children with special educational needs.
Nationally, more than 1,000 have been arrested and nearly 600 charged in connection with the far-right riots that erupted following the stabbing of three children in Southport.
East Lancashire avoided most of the trouble but major incidents in Blackpool and Bolton sent shockwaves through the county.
Source:lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24539216.nelson-mosques-community-event-overcome-far-right-hate/
-------
Church of England covenant prevents St John's mosque conversion
Philip Corrigan
, 26 AUG 2024
The Church of England says plans to turn a listed former church into a mosque cannot go ahead - due to a covenant on the building. A planning application to change the use of St John's Church in Hanley back to a place of worship was approved by Stoke-on-Trent City Council last week.
But the CofE says a restrictive covenant on the grade II-listed building prevents it from being used a place of worship for any other religion - regardless of any planning consent. The Zamir Foundation submitted plans to turn the Town Road church into a mosque and community centre last year, after the building was purchased for £140,000.
During the planning process, the CofE contacted the council and explained the situation with the covenant. Council officers then relayed this information to the applicants, saying they would need to secure a deed of variation from the CofE in order to lawfully use the building as a mosque.
But the CofE says it would not agree to such a variation to the covenant. Legal action could be taken to enforce the covenant.
A spokesperson for the Church Commissioners for England said: "The Church Commissioners is aware that planning permission has been granted for changes to St John's Hanley. We support former churches being used for community purposes, but a restrictive covenant prohibits the use of the building as a place of worship other than as a church, and the Commissioners has explained this to the owner."
St John's, which dates back to 1788, has not been used as a church since the 1980s. After it closed due to concerns over the building's structure, its graveyard was exhumed to make way for the neighbouring Potteries Shopping Centre.
In 2009, the Diocese of Lichfield sold the derelict building to Church Converts, which had plans to convert it into a restaurant. While these proposals never materialised, the restrictive covenant dating back to the sale still applies. It is understood that similar covenants are applied whenever the CofE sells a former church.
St John's was later turned into an antiques centre and cafe, but the business closed in 2020 and up until now the building has remained out of lawful use.
The Zamir Foundation has plans to use St John's for a number of community services, including a museum, a multi-faith library and a women's only gym, in addition to it being used as a mosque. But plans for internal alterations, including partition walls, have been dropped after the council told the applicants that this work would require listed building consent.
The Zamir Foundation has been approached for a comment on the covenant issue but has not responded.
Source:lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/church-england-says-covenant-prevents-9503817
--------
Factbox-What is Islamic State, the group implicated in Germany stabbing?
Michael Georgy
August 25, 2024
DUBAI (Reuters) - Islamic State has described the 26-year-old Syrian man taken into custody after a stabbing rampage in the western German city of Solingen as a "soldier" of the group.
Though largely crushed by a U.S.-led coalition several years ago, IS has managed some major attacks while seeking to rebuild.
They include an assault on a Russian concert hall in March that killed at least 143 people and two explosions in the Iranian city of Kerman in January that killed nearly 100 people.
The Sunni militant group also claimed responsibility for an assault by suicide attackers on a mosque in Oman in July that killed at least nine people, raising fears the group may be attempting a comeback in new territory.
In August, authorities said a 19-year-old Austrian suspected of masterminding a planned attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna had vowed allegiance to the leader of Islamic State.
Following are facts about the movement.
HISTORY
At the height of its power from 2014-2017, IS's "caliphate" held sway over a wide area of Syria and Iraq, imposing death and torture on opponents of its radical brand of Islam. Its fighters repeatedly defeated both countries' armies and carried out or inspired attacks in dozens of cities around the world.
Its then leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, killed in 2019 by U.S. special forces in northwestern Syria, rose from obscurity to lead the ultra-hardline group and declare himself "caliph" of all Muslims.
The caliphate collapsed in Iraq, where it once had a base only a 30-minute drive from Baghdad, and in Syria, after a sustained military campaign by a U.S.-led coalition.
The new leader, known by a pseudonym Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, remains shrouded in secrecy, almost a year after he was named to the role.
NEW TACTICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
IS has switched tactics since the collapse of its caliphate and a string of other setbacks in the Middle East.
Once based in the Syrian city of Raqqa and the Iraqi city of Mosul, from which it sought to rule like a centralised government, the group took refuge in the hinterlands of the two fractured countries.
Its fighters are scattered in autonomous cells, its leadership is clandestine and its overall size is hard to quantify. The U.N. estimates it at 10,000 in its heartlands.
The movement went underground with sleeper cells that launch hit-and-run attacks, according to an Iraqi government security adviser who helps track IS.
All key foreign fighters fled Iraq for countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Pakistan. Most have joined Islamic State's Khorasan branch (ISIS-K), named after an old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
It is active along Iran's borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sanaullah Ghafari, the 29-year-old leader of the Afghan branch of IS, has overseen its transformation into one of the most fearsome branches of the global Islamist network, capable of operations far from its bases in the borderlands of Afghanistan.
Islamic State - often called ISIS, ISIL, or the pejorative Daesh - has also made its mark in parts of Africa.
In Uganda, militants from IS-connected rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), staged a series of attacks in recent months including a massacre at a boarding school, the murder of a honeymooning couple and, last month, a raid on a village that killed at least three people.
The group, which started as an uprising in Uganda, has largely moved its operations to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo where it has staged multiple attacks.
Several other groups have pledged allegiance to IS in West Africa and across the Sahel. Affiliates have control of large areas of rural Mali, Niger and northern Burkina Faso and into North Africa.
In January 2023, the U.S. military carried out an operation that killed a senior IS leader in northern Somalia. The U.N. fears militant groups could exploit the political instability in Sudan, which is gripped by a civil war.
OVERALL STRENGTH
The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center has said the threat posed by IS and another militant group al Qaeda "is at a low point with the suppression of the most dangerous elements".
But it went on to warn that half of IS's branches are now active in insurgencies across Africa and "may be poised for further expansion".
It said the group had lost three overall leaders and at least 13 other senior operatives in Iraq and Syria since early 2022 "contributing to a loss of expertise and a decline in ISIS attacks in the Middle East".
(Reporting by Michael Georgy; Additional reporting by Catherine Cartier; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Kirsten Donovan)
Source:yahoo.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://ca.news. yahoo.com /german-stabbing-suspect-26-old-041539710.html
------
Soligen stabbing attack: Suspect arrested has ‘links’ to the Islamic State
August 25, 2024
A 26-year-old suspect arrested, over the stabbing attack at a festival in the western German city of Solingen, is believed to be a member of the Islamic State. The suspect had turned himself in and confessed to the mass knife attack.
In a joint statement, Düsseldorf police and prosecutors confirmed that the suspect in custody was a 26-year-old Syrian man.
A spokesperson for German federal prosecutors, who have taken over the investigation, also said the man was “suspected of being a member of Islamic State.”
ALSO READ | Germany: Solingen knife attack leaves 3 dead, police detains a 15-year-old suspect
The Islamic State on Saturday claimed the responsibility for the attack without providing any evidence. Three people died and eight got injured in the attack.
The extremist group on its news site said that the attacker targeted Christians and that the perpetrator carried out the assaults Friday night to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.
"The involvement of this person is currently under intensive investigation," said the statement.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s interior minister, Herbert Reul said that earlier two arrests were made by the police that were unlikely to be the attacker. "The real suspect is the one that we've arrested now," he said.
A 15-year-old was arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident. Later it was found that he was not involved in the attack.
Meanwhile, police found at least one weapon that may have been used for the assault. The forensics team is analysing the weapon for DNA traces. However, the police said there were no indication of any security threat at the festival.
Paying tribute to the victims, people started leaving flower bouquets and candles in the centre of the Solingen city.
Also, authorities had set up a website for people to send in footage or any information about the alleged attack. Police also urged the witnesses not to post videos directly to social media.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack and said it "shocked" him greatly. "The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me greatly. An attacker has brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen's mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and stand by their families,” said Scholz.
Source:theweek.in
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2024/08/25/soligen-stabbing-attack-suspect-arrested-has-links-to-the-islamic-state.html
--------
Southeast Asia
China's islamic culture exhibition to open in September in Malaysia
August 26, 2024
Vice President of China Islamic Association Jin Rubin (L) shakes hand with Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association president Taufiq Yap Yun Hin after a joint press conference on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Aug. 25, 2024. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)
To mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia, the Chinese Islamic Culture Exhibition 2024 will be held in September in Malaysia, the organizers of the exhibition said on Sunday.
Themed "Mutual Learning between Civilizations for Joint Prosperity," the event will be held on Sept. 10-12.
The event will feature picture exhibition, photography exhibition, Chinese and Arabic calligraphy work exhibition, painting and papercut art exhibition, as well as artistic performance to share cultural experiences while building people-to-people ties.
The picture exhibition will reveal the past and present of Islam in China, as well as history of friendly exchanges between Muslims in China and Malaysia, Vice President of China Islamic Association Jin Rubin said.
Source:china.org.cn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2024-08/26/content_117387415.htm
------
Accused of being a ‘Kutty’ by Zahid, Dr Mahathir tells court: I’m a Malay and Muslim since birth, my parents are Malays too
26 Aug 2024
By Ida Lim
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today told the High Court that he has been a Malay since he was born, rather than of being Indian descent as accused.
Testifying as the first witness in his defamation lawsuit against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the latter’s remarks, Dr Mahathir sought to fend off any allegation that he was born “Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty” or the son of one “Iskandar Kutty”.
“My name is Mahathir bin Mohamad and I am a Malay and Muslim since birth and this is clear based on my identification card and evidence of my old and new birth certificate.
“My father’s name is Mohamad bin Iskandar and my mother is Wan Tempawan binti Wan Hanapi,” he said in a written witness statement filed in the hearing before High Court judicial commissioner Gan Techiong.
Dr Mahathir, who is 99 this year, also asserted that:
His father was from Penang, and was a Malay
His paternal ancestors have their bloodline traceable to Kerala in southern India
His mother was from Kedah
His ancestors were of genuine Malay lineage
Dr Mahathir said Zahid had on July 30, 2017 at the Kelana Jaya Umno’s division meeting made false and defamatory accusations against him, including mentioning “Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty” and implying that was his original name and that he had used the Malays.
In his lawsuit filed on July 20, 2022 at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Mahathir is seeking compensation from Zahid for hurting his reputation and causing society to lose trust and confidence in him and his leadership.
He is also seeking a court order for Zahid to publish an unconditional apology — in both written and verbal form — over the defamatory statements.
Dr Mahathir is also seeking an injunction or court order to stop Zahid or his agents or assistants or anyone from communicating, giving comments, repeating or causing the publication of the defamatory statements.
Source:malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/26/accused-of-being-a-kutty-by-zahid-dr-mahathir-tells-court-im-a-malay-and-muslim-since-birth-my-parents-are-malays-too/148222#google_vignette
--------
Follow legal process in any bid to secure pardon for Najib, Fahmi tells Umno delegates
By Muhammad Yusry
26 Aug 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil today asserted that the legal process must be adhered to when it comes to pardoning a convict.
Following renewed calls from Umno delegates to free and pardon disgraced ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Fahmi said that the process must be their focus for now.
“In general, any case involving pardoning, there is a process, and we obey and follow the process. So, our focus now is the process,” he said after attending a National Month 2024 celebration programme at Bangsar South here.
In this year’s Umno general assembly, the Malay nationalist party campaign for a full pardon and prison release of their former leader Najib.
Umno Secretary-General Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said efforts to obtain a full pardon for Najib remained among the party’s top agenda at this year’s assembly and urged delegates to use their “most powerful weapon”, prayer, to secure his freedom.
This was affirmed by Najib’s successor, Zahid, who said the party is committed to his release even if it has to run the gauntlet of criticism from its current allies in the unity government.
Many delegates were visibly supportive of this affirmation, showing they still view Najib as a great leader despite his corruption conviction for the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd, and the ongoing 1MDB trial, which has resulted in the devastating loss of billions of ringgit from Malaysia.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Salleh asserted in a press conference at the end of the assembly that more young Malaysians will back his party if Najib walks because the latter “is indeed a leader who can truly serve”.
Mohd Iskandar Jaafar, a delegate from Terengganu where Umno was wholly wiped out in the last state election, went as far as to assert that Najib’s release from prison would benefit its former adversary-turned-friendly coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH).
The Setiu Umno deputy chief later told Malay Mail when contacted that PH will be able to shore up its voter base because Umno members will be so grateful if the government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from PKR supports his party’s campaign for Najib to walk free.
Source:malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/26/follow-legal-process-in-any-bid-to-secure-pardon-for-najib-fahmi-tells-umno-delegates/148219
-------
Over 1,600 policemen to ensure public order, safety at four locations on Merdeka eve
BERNAMA
26-08- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 1,656 policemen from the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent will be assigned to ensure public order and safety at four celebration hotspots on the eve of National Day (Ambang Merdeka) this Friday.
The four hotspots are the Merdeka Square, Bukit Bintang, Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) areas.
City Police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said of the total, 116 traffic policemen would also be assigned to ensure smooth traffic flow in the city and to carry out anti-illegal street racing operations.
“Our objective is to ensure that everyone who comes to these locations to celebrate Ambang Merdeka will be able to join in the celebration happily and safely without any untoward incident.”
He said this when featured in Bernama TV’s Apa Khabar Malaysia programme today.
Meanwhile, Rusdi also advised road users to obey traffic laws, including in parking their vehicles in permitted areas, when attending the National Day celebration at Putrajaya Square in Putrajaya this Saturday.
Better still, he said members of the public are highly encouraged to use public transport services provided by the organisers, including six water taxis and three cruise boats, as well as 80 shuttle buses, which will operate from 4 am to 2 pm on Aug 31 to facilitate the movement of the public to the celebration venue thus reducing traffic congestion.
“Road users are reminded not to park their vehicles at their whims and fancy because this will turn the two-lane road into one lane and cause traffic congestion.
“Traffic summonses may be issued in the most extreme circumstances, such as for drivers who clearly blocked the traffic. If necessary, we may prepare a tow truck to tow their vehicles,” he added.
Source:thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/over-1600-policemen-to-ensure-public-order-safety-at-four-locations-on-merdeka-eve-NK12908588#google_vignette
-------
Prime Minister to deliver special National Day address at PICC this Friday
BERNAMA
26-08- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: In conjunction with this year’s 67th National Day celebration, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will deliver a special address at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) this Friday.
National Unity Ministry division secretary (Community Development) Zaimy Shaari said the event, expected to start at 4.30 pm, aims to inspire enthusiasm and foster a deeper appreciation of independence among Malaysians, particularly the new generation.
“This year’s event builds on the Prime Minister’s speech from last year, which emphasised the importance of cultivating independent thinking. As a generation born after independence, we haven’t experienced the moment of gaining freedom firsthand, so how exactly should we celebrate it?
“This year, we are striving to ensure that the spirit of independence is collectively understood by all of us. This is the message we aim to convey at the event—how we, as Malaysians of diverse races, religions, and regions, can work together to fulfil the independence agenda in the context of the current generation,” he said.
He said this when appearing as a guest on the Bernama TV Apa Khabar Malaysia programme here today.
Regarding the event last year, Zaimy said that the public was also invited to enliven the ceremony and listen to the prime minister’s message for this year’s National Day.
For those who do not have the opportunity to attend the event, he said, they can follow it through live broadcasts on local television stations and also on social media.
“There will also be several events as interludes, which will start after the Friday prayer, to strengthen the love for the country.
“There will also be booths showing our diversity and campaigns such as Fly the Jalur Gemilang, and stories about our unsung heroes,” he said.
According to Zaimy, the Kibaran Jiwa Merdeka campaign was introduced by the National Unity Department recently to enhance the patriotic spirit and love of the country among the people.
Through the campaign, Malaysians are encouraged to upload videos and photos of flying the Jalur Gemilang on Aug 31 and Sept 16 on social media platforms with the hashtag #KibaranJiwaMerdeka.
Now is the digital age, so we created this campaign where we call on Malaysians to fly the Jalur Gemilang creatively and respectfully,” he said.
Source:thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/prime-minister-to-deliver-special-national-day-address-at-picc-this-friday-NK12908445
--------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/bangladeshi-rohingya-muslims-marrying-jharkhand/d/133045