Imam Forced To Chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ At Gunpoint In Uttar Pradesh, Complaint Filed When Senior Officers Intervened

New Age Islam News Bureau

21 July 20123

 

Baghpat was one of the worst affected districts when communal violence broke out in adjoining Muzaffarnagar in 2013.

Representational picture

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India

• Bring 109-Yr-Old Record On Qutub Minar, Mughal Mosque, Delhi High Court Directs ASI

• NIA Arrests Aligarh Muslim University Student, Faizan Ansari, Working As ISIS Operative

• Homes Of Three Muslims Partially Razed For Allegedly Spitting Water At Religious Procession In MP

• Gyanvapi Case: Varanasi Court Verdict On Plea Seeking ASI Survey Of Mosque Premises Likely Today

• Muslim Population In 2023 Estimated To Be 20 Crore: Lok Sabha

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Europe

• EU Sanctions Three Taliban Leaders Under Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime

• Five men guilty of killing ‘much-loved father’ in mass knife brawl outside mosque

• Muslim groups condemn RiikkaPurra's "black sacks" blog comment

• Pope Tawadros praises Egypt's vision to build mosques and churches in new residential areas

• News Anchor Uses Bizarre Bin Laden Analogy To Describe Whales Attacking Boats

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North America

• Fargo Muslims Condemn 'Evil' Gunman, Mohamad Barakat, Refuse To Help Bury Him

• Shia Muslims to Hold Saturday ‘Peace Walk’ in Carteret

• Mom of Colorado teen accused of trying to join Islamic State blames FBI ‘encouragement’

• Washington Appears Out of Its Depth as Tensions Rise Between Secular Europe and Muslim Lands

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Africa

• DHQ activates ‘war mode’ against terror, as military kills 23

• Palliatives: Buhari’s social register lacks credibility — NEC

• Subsidy removal: Labour accuses FG of jettisoning Presidential C’ttee on palliative

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Arab World

• Saudi students win 6 medals at Asia-Pacific Mathematical Olympiad

• Minister of Islamic Affairs Visits Islamic Sheikhdom headquarters in Montenegro

• Saudi and Cameroonian defense ministers hold bilateral talks

• Qatar Chamber to host Islamic Chamber’s General Assembly in December

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Southeast Asia

• Johor Islamic Religious Dept, MCMC To Curb Spread Of Suhaini Muhammad Known As Sihulk Deviant Teachings, Says State Exco

• PM Anwar applauds UNHRC resolution against Quran burning in Sweden

• Nik Omar, son of Nik Aziz, opts to sit out state polls contest after moving to Selangor

• Anti-Sexual Harassment Act: Minister says tribunal appointment to be finalised by year end

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Mideast

• Iraq Expels Sweden Envoy Over Quran Desecration in Stockholm

• Nasrallah calls on Muslim states to expel Swedish ambassadors

• Iran summons Swedish envoy over sacrilege of Holy Qur'an

• Yazidi victims of Islamic State heal wounds, grow independent in Germany

• Iraq will break Swedish ties during Quran burnings

• Türkiye condemns “attack” on the Quran in Stockholm

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Pakistan

• Imran Khan Summoned To SC In Senior Lawyer's Murder Case On July 24

• Trial Of Civilians In Military Courts: SC Resumes Hearing Petitions Challenging Govt's Decision

• As Pakistan heads to polls, US says it supports upholding fundamental democratic principles

• Ukraine refutes reports on arms supply deal with Pakistan

• PM Shehbaz, son acquitted in money laundering case

• Death toll in Khyber suicide bombing reaches four

• KP hit with 4 terrorist attacks in 48 hours

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South Asia

• Tobias Ellwood, UK Parliamentarian, Faced No-Confidence Motion For Praising Taliban

• Afghan Soil Will Not Be Used Against Another Country: Taliban Govt

• Tajikistan’s President Calls for Inclusive Government in Afghanistan

• EU Announces €7.6 Million in Humanitarian Aid for Afghanistan

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:    https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/imam-forced-chant-jai-shri-ram-up/d/130271

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Imam Forced To Chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ At Gunpoint In Uttar Pradesh, Complaint Filed When Senior Officers Intervened

 

Baghpat was one of the worst affected districts when communal violence broke out in adjoining Muzaffarnagar in 2013.

Representational picture

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21.07.23

Piyush Srivastava

An imam in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat has filed a police complaint against three persons for allegedly forcing him to chant Jai Shri Ram at gunpoint and assaulting him when he refused.

The alleged attack on Imam Mujib-ur-Rahman took place on Tuesday, but the police allegedly registered a case a day later when senior officers intervened. Two of the accused were arrested on Wednesday evening.

“The imam had filed a case with the police that some people thrashed him and tried to force him to chant Jai Shri Ram. We have arrested two of the accused and are looking for the third,” said Manish Mishra, additional superintendent of police.

The officer claimed that the police took action as soon as the complaint was filed.

Mujib-ur-Rahman, son of Sheher-e-Kazi Habib-ur-Rahman, told reporters: “I was returning home after offering evening prayers at a mosque when three youths stopped me, put a saffron scarf around my neck, assaulted me and asked me to chant Jai Shri Ram and Hindustan Zindabad. They punched and kicked me when I refused to say Jai Shri Ram. We met the superintendent of police on Wednesday when the Kotwali police delayed in taking action against the accused persons, who had run away when some people gathered there.”

ArpitVijayvargiya, the police chief of Baghpat, said: “The accused were identified with the help of CCTV footage. Two of the accused — Rahul Kumar and Jitendra Kumar of Baghpat town — have been arrested.”

The police didn’t reveal the name of the third accused.

Baghpat has a substantial Muslim population. A fortnight ago, some unidentified men had painted a mausoleum there saffron.

Baghpat was one of the worst affected districts when communal violence broke out in adjoining Muzaffarnagar in 2013. Over 50 people, including a dozen from Baghpat, had been killed.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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UK Government Pledges £24m To Protect Mosques And Muslim Schools

 

Men perform morning prayers at East London Mosque. Getty

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Soraya Ebrahimi

Jul 21, 2023

Places of worship will receive £28 million ($36 million) in funding to help keep them and their faithful safe, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said.

The funding is part of the government’s commitment to ensure that religious communities in England and Wales are protected from the threat of hate crime and terror attacks, and can practise their faith freely and without fear.

The money is for physical protective security, such as CCTV, intruder alarms and secure fencing, to help protect mosques, churches, temples, gurdwaras and other places of worship.

In 2021-2022, 42 per cent of religious hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales were against Muslims.

This year, up to £24.5 million will again be available to protect mosques and Muslim faith schools.

This protection will be through a new scheme called the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and a programme for Muslim schools launched directly to teachers of eligible schools earlier in the year.

"Freedom of religious belief and the freedom to worship are fundamental," Mr Tugendhat said.

"We will defend against any form of hatred targeting our communities and are committed to protecting all faiths.

"I encourage any place of worship that feels they would need assistance to apply under the schemes."

Another £3.5 million funding will also be available for all other (non-Muslim and non-Jewish) faiths through the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme.

The Jewish community continues to receive funding for schools, synagogues and other community sites through a separate scheme called the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which was increased by £1 million this year.

Source: thenationalnews.com

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Ontario Teacher Allegedly Scolded Muslim Students for Not Attending Pride Day

 

Pride flag/ Courtesy CBC

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Tara MacIsaac

By Tara MacIsaac

July 20, 2023

A teacher at an elementary school in Windsor, Ont., allegedly told her Muslim students she was “disgusted” with their absence on Pride Day and that it was “an incredible show of hatred.”

“I do not want to be part of this school. I am so disgusted with what happened,” she was heard saying on a 15-minute recording posted online by True North journalist ÉlieCantin-Nantel.

The teacher went on to tell the students that the school’s entire staff feels the same as her, as does the school board.

“It’s not that we’re hating on it, it’s just that we don’t want to support it,” a student replied. Some students said following their faith is important to them.

“You have all voiced to me that you cannot change your religion in order to support LGBTQ, and that is wrong,” the teacher said.

Many schools across Canada held celebrations or raised pride flags on June 1 for the beginning of Pride Month. Many students stayed home that day, with Christian and Muslim groups especially expressing concern over gender and sexuality discussions as part of the Pride Month events.

The recording is said to be of a teacher at Northwood Public School in Windsor. The school and school board did not reply to inquiries from The Epoch Times as of publication time.

Mr. Cantin-Nantel published a letter said to be from the school’s principal, Dustin O’Neil, in response to the incident.

“Dear Northwood families, We have become aware of some inappropriate comments that have been made following Pride Day,” says the letter, dated June 20. “I want to emphasize that the views expressed do not reflect the values of acceptance, inclusion and belonging that make Northwood such an incredible school and community.”

Mr. O’Neil apologized, saying he will personally speak with the impacted students. “We are addressing the situation,” he said.

Edmonton Teacher Scolds Muslim Students

An Edmonton teacher also allegedly rebuked Muslim students last month for avoiding school pride events.

“We believe in freedom, we believe that people can marry whoever they want. That is in the law, and if you don’t think that should be in the law, you can’t be Canadian. You don’t belong here and I mean it,” the Londonderry Junior High School teacher is heard saying in an audio recording circulated online.

“You are out to lunch if you think it’s acceptable to not show up because you think there’s some pride activities going on at school,” the teacher said, adding that the school celebrated Ramadan and “it goes two ways.”

The Edmonton Public School Board told The Epoch Times on June 7 it was aware of the recording.

“The school and Division are taking steps to address the situation,” the board said in an emailed statement, adding that it could not provide further information due to privacy legislation.

Prime Minister’s Comments

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a filmed conversation with a Muslim parent at Baitun Nur Mosque in Calgary on July 14 that “misinformation and disinformation on social media, particularly fueled by the American right wing” is to blame for Muslim parents’ resistance to LGBT matters in schools.

“There is not what is being said out there about aggressive teaching or conversion of kids to being LGBT,” he said.

In June, parents told The Epoch Times about some pride events at their children’s schools that they were concerned about. They included a pride fair where books on LGBT issues were available, a temporary pride tattoo booth, and the screening of a video called “Love Has No Labels,” which shows a variety of couples kissing, including same-sex couples.

A Pride Month display in the hallway of an Ontario high school told students they could choose from dozens of identities and sexual orientations, including poly-sexual and demi-girl. A photo of the display was posted on Twitter by former Ontario teacher Chanel Pfahl, who is a vocal opponent of what she calls gender “indoctrination” in schools.

The school, Stephen Lewis Secondary School in Thornhill, did not reply to an Epoch Times inquiry made on June 7.

The Epoch Times asked the Windsor Islamic Association for comment on the incident at the Windsor school, but did not receive a reply as of publication.

In London, Ont., the Council of Imams issued a statement on May 31 saying “modesty” is key to their faith. It expressed gratitude to the Thames Valley District School Board for its policy allowing parents to exempt their children from pride activities for religious reasons “without being portrayed as discriminatory or hateful.”

David Haskell, an associate professor in the faculty of Liberal Arts at the Wilfrid Laurier University, commented on the incident.

“For those holding traditional religious values, teachers in Canadian Public Schools will call you & your children (their students) ‘disgusting,'” he said on Twitter on July 20. “Remember, these students being berated bullied no one. They simply chose not to participate in an event against their conscience.”

Source: theepochtimes.com

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 Tears, Complaints Trail Nigeria’s N304 Billion Capital Flight To Mecca for Haj

 

For Representative purpose

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By ShakirahAdunola

21 July 2023

This year’s pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca is one of the most expensive in recent times. Yet, also one of the most disappointing for several faithful. And from the sob stories of pilgrims, it was a logistic nightmare from start to finish. But beyond the Saudi authorities’ pledge to refund as compensation, stakeholders are unanimous that the entire value-chain of preparation, pilgrimaging and return-to-base is due for regulatory overhaul, SHAKIRAH ADUNOLA reports.

Year 2023 Hajj exercise will linger in the minds of all pilgrims for a long time to come. But for several, it would be for the raw deal.

Besides scores that were left behind after weeks of arduous preparation at various Hajj camps nationwide, it was also not an epic joy ride for a section that made it to the holy city, in fulfilment of one of the major pillars of Islam.

The ordeal began with paying exorbitant fees that have increased by an average of 200 per cent (compared to 2019/2020) benchmark. Apparently out of desperation, quite a number of intending pilgrims got swindled by scammers masquerading as agents.

For those lucky, then came the routine near dead-end delays by operating airlines, especially those ferrying pilgrims of the private operators. It didn’t end there; some state contingents got to Mecca to find that there was no adequate provision for menu and other upkeeps. And perhaps for the underestimated large turnout of over two million pilgrims in Mecca this year, the Saudi authorities also fell short in adequate care and comfort for visitors.

Both the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and its licensed operators agreed that there is a lot more to be done for stress-free religious tourism generally and getting value for money.

Pilgrims on protest

Friday, June 23, was an unsettling eyesore at the entry gates of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Scores of elderly citizens, all cladded in ankara apparels, were seated on bare floors – waiting for their flight to Mecca!

In their midst were seething confusion and uncertainty of making it to Saudi Arabia, just days to the deadline. None was sure the operating carrier would show up. And as the sun hit its summit above, tempers began to flare.

The Guardian learnt that they had been stranded in Lagos for days, waiting for Arik Air that was designated to airlift 10,000 pilgrims of the private operators in Lagos, Kano and Abuja.

Unknown to the pilgrims, the airline suspended its Hajj special flights due to funding challenges and unpaid “mobilisation fee” by NAHCON. NAHCON on its part was battling the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the disbursement of the funds due to the airlines. In the mix, the pilgrims suffered endlessly.

For about a week, the pilgrims, both male and female, completely took over the Central Mosque near the international wing of the airport.

“Many of the women cried and wailed after days of waiting for their airlift despite paying millions of naira, doubling what those under the government quota through the various state pilgrims’ boards,” one of the stranded pilgrims said.

Among the stranded were over 10 intending pilgrims, who travelled to Nigeria from the United Kingdom and U.S. to participate in the exercise with Nigerian agents only to be disappointed.

One of the intending pilgrims, a female, said she arrived in Lagos from Ilorin after paying N6 million for the exercise. She was a victim of a similar delay and cancellation last year. This time, she changed her agent but without much relief.

She said: “I just don’t understand how these people manage to promise so much and fail to keep any. I was meant to travel the following day but here we are on the seventh day. In the process, I have finished all the money I was meant to spend in Saudi Arabia.

“It is not a peculiar case. Just go inside the mosque and see how we have been living for the past seven days. There is even no partition for males and females. We were practically sleeping in the open after paying N6 million.

“I paid double of what others who travelled through the state pilgrims’ welfare boards paid. I am aware that the Hajj Commission has completed their airlift and yet those of us who made our private arrangement are still here. Why?”

Another intending pilgrim, AdemolaAdediran, had flown in from the United Kingdom to be a part of the Nigerian contingent to Hajj. Adediran soon regretted the route taken. He said his experience has been horrible.

Adediran said: “The plan was to come home and from here, go to Hajj. But I cannot tell you the stress that we have gone through because of wanting to be patriotic enough to do things in Nigeria.

“I have been here at a hotel close to the airport waiting endlessly. I don’t even know whether we will be able to make it or not.”

Adediran said it was unfortunate that Nigeria is yet to perfect the Hajj system, noting the same problem had continued to rear its ugly head.

All pilgrims are not equal

For some that made it on schedule, the exercise in Saudi Arabia was also not as seamless.

The contingent from Osun state protested the poor quality of food they were served by the State Pilgrims Welfare Board. In a video clip that went viral, the pilgrims were seen dumping food packs given to them in front of room 211, said to be occupied by the state Amirul Hajj, Dr. Maroof Ishola.

According to sources, pilgrims have been complaining about the poor quality of food they were being served by the caterers hired by the Board since they arrived in Saudi Arabia. It was also learnt that the rising tension about the welfare of the pilgrims became aggravated when some of them visited Lagos camp and discovered those in the camp were getting better food.

Similarly, going on Arafat presented its own challenges. Recall that quite symbolic was Mount Arafat during the pilgrimage. It is a day so significant the Prophet Muhammad stated, “Hajj IS Arafat”. Muslims believe that any prayer a pilgrim makes with utmost sincerity at Arafat will be accepted. And forgiveness, that desperately sought-after grant from Allah, Al-Ghafoor – “The most forgiving”, awaits a pilgrim at Arafat.

So, all pilgrims looked forward to the bus drive from the tent city of Mina to Arafat, where pilgrims spend the daylight hours at the plains surrounding Mount Arafat, before moving on.

While most of the other pilgrims were safely in their tents, some entitled to “special services” tents with high quality air-conditioning, free soft drinks and meals and the relative comfort of fewer pilgrims per tent – those on the streets clearly had nowhere to stay despite the blistering heat.

A Nigerian pilgrim, Saheed Adetu, said they were abandoned to their fate. “We were treated like illegal squatters, had no tent and slept under the bridge near the dustbin. It was that bad. I paid N4.5 million for this exercise and was assured of a total package. It was at the point of departing that the story started changing.”

The scarcity of tents left a lot of pilgrims stranded under the bridge, adding to their already challenging pilgrimage experience.

The Guardian observed an acute shortage of makeshift tents at Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina, Adamawa camps. Similarly, cases of food shortage were noticeable at several camps, especially at Muna, as pilgrims rationed the available portion.

In the video with the caption “Nigeria pilgrims stranded under the bridge over shortage of tents in Saudi”, a significant number of pilgrims can be seen lying on the ground, their only barrier against the elements being the hard concrete beneath them. The scenes depict the grim reality faced by these individuals, who embarked on a spiritual journey only to find themselves in desperate circumstances.

Yusuf Akinsola, who just returned from Mecca, confirmed that the experience was not different from others of the past.

“Hajj or Umrah has always been a stressful adventure and a lot of efforts have been made to improve the experience. What is most annoying here is that the more expensive the journey becomes, the more unpleasant it gets. Beside the spiritual satisfaction, the service should also be commensurate with the cost,” Akinsola said.

An expensive ride

Nigeria had 95,000 pilgrims in Mecca this year, spread across three categories of federal, state and private operators. The category determines the fee paid by each pilgrim. Comparatively, this year’s pilgrimage turns out to be the most expensive across the board.

A cursory look at the price variation, since 2014 to date, showed a steady spike, partly due to the foreign exchange surge against the naira.

According to the records of NAHCON, the cost of going to Hajj, which was N700,000 in 2015, has spiked to N2.9 million in 2023. The 2016 cost was N800, 000, which almost doubled (N1.5 million) in 2019. Following the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 break, Hajj resumed in 2022 at the cost of N2.5 million per pilgrim.

The cost takes care of airfare, accommodation, logistics, BTA and sacrificial lamb.

In the State-operated category, the cost is marginally subsidised. In 2015, the cost was pegged at N650, 000 per pilgrim. A year later, it rose to N720, 000, and N960, 000 in 2017. By 2018, it was already a million naira, and N1.2 million in 2019. The cost was N2.65 million and N3.2 million in 2022 and 2023, in that order.

The private tour operators are not for the faint-hearted. In 2020, the licensed operators ferried pilgrims at the cost of the average of N2.2 million, N2.5 million in 2021, N3 million in 2022 and an average of N4 million for the just concluded pilgrimage.

Cumulatively, and at the average of N3.2 million (charged by states), the 95,000-pilgrim quota allotted to Nigeria did cost N304 billion in capital flight.

The Vice President, Association of Hajj and Umrah Organisations in Nigeria (AHUON), Southwest, Alhaji Qasim Alabi, told The Guardian, that logistics and poor treatment of pilgrims were the major challenges that impeded the operations of tour operators at the just-concluded Hajj rites.

Alabi, who is also the Managing Director of Habdat Xpress, noted that during the phases of the challenges, NAHCON made a spirited effort to arrest the challenges.

On the logistic bottleneck on the 2023 Hajj exercise, he said, regarding the airlift of pilgrims of tour operators, “the Hajj commission is not in charge, they only came to our rescue and they were able to provide us with another aircraft and about 99 per cent of pilgrims of tour operators, who fully paid to tour operators in Nigeria, were airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the holy exercise.”

“The fact about the logistic bottleneck is that tour operators who are able to book scheduled flights had no issue as regards airlifting their passengers from Nigeria.

Operators, who book flights with Qatar Airlines, Egypt Airlines, Ethiopia Airlines and Turkish Airlines had no issue whatsoever on airlifting their passengers from Nigeria.

Those that have issues are tour operators who book flights with Arik Air.

“Basically, Arik was chosen to airlift pilgrims of private tour operators, this was in conjunction with NAHCON even though the flight in question is basically for tour operators, the Hajj commission only came in to regulate the process in case there is any issue.

“As Allah will have it, when we started operation the first Arik plane came, though it did not come at the time, they said it would come. It came very much later, so when it did, we were able to airlift about 264 passengers or there about. After that, we waited for the second flight all to no avail.  Arik claims that they couldn’t come because of some issue that has to do with finance among others. Nevertheless, NAHCON came to our rescue,” he said.

As regards fake operators swindling intending pilgrims, he said this has been going on for a long time now and AHOUN always tried to ensure that they did not scam people. But unfortunately, a lot of people still fall into the trap.

He advised pilgrims to do a lot of due diligence on any operator of choice. “There have been instances of people who paid money to scammers, and they couldn’t travel eventually. You can verify from AHOUN and NAHCON to ascertain that the company you want to pay to is licensed with the Hajj Commission.

“Of course, there are some good companies too who are not licensed but are partnering with licensed tour operators. They will tell you, ‘I don’t have a license, but I am partnering with a licensed tour operator’. That is understandable; you already know that you are paying the right person.

“Everybody knows that there used to be logistic problems in Mecca, most especially from Mecca to Mina, but this particular year, it is a different ball game entirely.

“In the past tour operators would be allotted their own tents at Mina. A tent per tour operator. But this particular year, they put like six or seven tour operators in one tent; no distinction whatsoever, and they couldn’t operate at all. There was no space to even pray; no chance to give a sermon. The toilet facility was nothing to write home about. It was so bad, and it was by Allah’s grace that we survived at Mina.

“For your information, we equally had some people who couldn’t travel from Mecca to Mina. Because, at the time we got to Mina, the place was full. Other people that were left behind in Mecca were transported to Arafah the second day. When they arrived in Mina, many of them eventually stayed under a bridge. No accommodation whatsoever, it was like maybe the Saudi government was biting more than it can chew.

“Eventually, NAHCON came to rescue pilgrims after Arafah. They were able to move pilgrims to a Turkish tent and to a bit of relief. It was not palatable at all; it was a terrible experience, even in VIP tent A where people paid a huge amount of money, there was a scarcity of beds in those places as well,” he said.

It was still a success despite glitches – NAHCON  

NAHCON, the agency responsible for the coordination of Hajj exercises in the country, acknowledged some of the challenges recorded, without obscuring its success.

The Hajj mission insisted the success so far attained in 2023 operation would stand the test of time, especially in the areas of “timely completion” of pilgrims’ airlift, accommodation of pilgrims at five stars hotel in Medinah and feeding exercise.

NAHCON Chairman, ZikrullahKunle Hassan, said airlift of 73,000 pilgrims across the 35 states, FCT, Armed forces as well as officials of the commission were completed in record time.

Hassan added that NAHCON has also ensured quick rescue of non-conventional pilgrims from private tour agencies, who shared over 20,000 slots, to ensure that pilgrims were not stranded.   He, however, debunked allegations of any stranded pilgrims.

A private tour operator reckoned that NAHCON was able to fulfil its promises and obligation to Nigeria pilgrims this year.

“Though, there are dubious people out there who are trying to sabotage the effort. They paraded as Hajj operators, yet they have no connection with the exercise. There is no big deal to be a racketeer; they can connect with those who are licensed tour operators so that their pilgrims can follow through the right channel, and they get a good percentage of profit. Among them are the ones giving everybody a bad name.

“The regulator also needs to be firm in enforcing its rules to have a seamless operation. We have too many loose ends, though not peculiar to Nigeria, but also in Saudi. We need to learn from the past mistakes and improve on the system going forward,” he said.

In response to the issues raised concerning logistics and poor treatment of pilgrims at the holy land, NAHCON Deputy Director, Information and Publication, Mousa Ubandawaki, said NAHCON is not in charge of the logistics for tour operators: they organise their airlift operation through either scheduled or chartered flight.”

“Many times, due to lateness in securing visas for their pilgrims, they lose or forfeit their ticket through No Show. On the issue of illegal tour operators, the commission has in place machinery to weed them out,” he said.

He said NAHCON has set up an eight-man committee to review the services offered to Nigerian pilgrims at the Masha’ir during the 2023 hajj and develop a recommendation and position paper.

“The decision was part of the resolution adopted at the end of a meeting between NAHCON, State Muslim pilgrims’ welfare boards and Tour Operators, which was held at the Commission Ummul-Judd office in Makkah and was attended by the Executive Secretaries/Chairmen or Amirul Hajj of the 36 states, FCT, the Armed forces and members of AHOUN,” he said.

Source: guardian.ng

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https://guardian.ng/features/tears-complaints-trail-nigerias-n304-billion-capital-flight-to-mecca/

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Saudi Arabia To Showcase Defence, Security Capabilities And Technologies At Istanbul Military Fair

 

General Authority for Military Industries

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July 21, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries will showcase the nation’s military and security capabilities, and related investment opportunities, during the International Defence Industry Fair 2023 in Turkiye this month, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The authority, the Kingdom’s defence regulator, will join government agencies, national institutions, and businesses operating in the military, defence and security industries, in the Saudi pavilion at the event, which runs from July 25 to 28 at the Tuyap Fair Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul.

The authority said its aims at the fair include highlighting high-quality investment opportunities in the sector and encouraging international cooperation with major regional and global companies, and enabling Saudi companies in the defense and security industries to forge strategic partnerships. It will also promote local capabilities and advanced technologies capable of meeting the global needs of forces around the world.

Its participation at the fair reflects the support of the Kingdom’s leadership for the military and security industries sector and their desire to boost the country’s strategic independence, develop its national military-industrial capabilities, and localize the vital sector, with a target of ensuring more than 50 percent of military expenditure on equipment and services is domestic by 2030, the authority said.

These initiatives are intended to position the sector as an essential contributor to the Kingdom’s economy, by supporting local investors, attracting investments, encouraging the transfer and localization of technology, and providing employment opportunities for Saudis, officials said.

Other organizations and businesses represented in the Saudi pavilion at the fair will include Saudi Arabian Military Industries, the National Company for Mechanical Systems, the Saudi Chemical Company, Intra Defense Technologies, ERAF Industrial Company, and the World Defense Show.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2341426/saudi-arabia

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 India

Bring 109-Yr-Old Record On Qutub Minar, Mughal Mosque, Delhi High Court Directs ASI

The court asked the ASI to clarify its policy on whether “in all protected monuments all over the country no worship is permitted”. The ASI's counsel said that “he will seek instructions”.

July 21, 2023

Delhi high court, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Qutub Minar, Mughal Mosque, Delhi news, New Delhi, Indian Express, current affairs “It is made clear that learned counsel for the parties have all submitted that the mosque in question is different from the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque in the Qutub Minar complex which is the subject matter of a civil suit before district court Saket," the HC noted while directing the parties to file their written submissions in the matter.

The Delhi High Court Thursday asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to produce any records available with respect to a January 1914 notification pertaining to the Mughal Mosque situated near Qutub Minar.

A single judge bench of Justice Prateek Jalan said, “The ASI is also directed to produce any records available with it with regard to the issuance of the notification dated January 24, 1914.”

The HC was hearing a plea moved by the managing committee of *Mughal Mosque seeking * an order restraining the respondents, including the Centre and ASI, from obstructing the offering of namaz (prayers).

The court asked the ASI to clarify its policy on whether “in all protected monuments all over the country no worship is permitted”. The ASI’s counsel said that “he will seek instructions”.

Justice Jalan also observed that the issue to be considered is whether the mosque in question is “included under the protected area notification of 1914”, and if so, whether the “consequence” of this is that “permissibility of worship at the mosque is to be prohibited”.

The matter is next listed on October 13.

“It is made clear that learned counsel for the parties have all submitted that the mosque in question is different from the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque in the Qutub Minar complex which is the subject matter of a civil suit before district court Saket,” the HC noted while directing the parties to file their written submissions in the matter.

Appearing for the petitioner-managing committee, advocate M Sufian Siddiqui said that the mosque does not fall within the protected monument notified by the ASI through its notification dated January 24, 1914. He contended that namaaz was being offered at the mosque in question from its establishment until May 13, 2022, when it was stopped by the ASI. He further said that “no notice” was issued even to the managing committee of the mosque in this regard.

Advocate Wajeeh Shafique appearing for the Delhi Waqf Board said that as per the statutory scheme if “a place of worship is declared as an ancient monument the practices that were there will continue”.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/bring-109-yr-old-record-on-mosque-near-qutub-minar-hc-directs-asi-8851512/

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NIA Arrests Aligarh Muslim University Student, Faizan Ansari, Working As ISIS Operative

Jul 20, 2023

New Delhi [India], July 20 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (/topic/national-investigation-agency) (NIA) on Thursday arrested a 19- year-old student of Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh Muslim University

The accused, Faizan Ansari (/topic/faizan-ansari) alias Faiz, was arrested after searches at his house and rented accommodation in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh as part of NIA's crackdown against modules of ISIS operating in the country, said the NIA.

Faizan has been taken into custody in a case registered by the NIA on July 19 under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The agency will be progressing with its investigations to unravel all the facets of the international conspiracy.

The searches at the house of the accused in Lohardaga district of Jharkhand and a rented room in Aligarh  in  Uttar  Pradesh  were conducted on July 16 and 17 and several electronic devices and incriminating materials and documents were seized, said the anti-terror agency.

As per the NIA, Faizan had hatched a criminal conspiracy along with his associates and other unknown individuals  through  social  media platforms to support ISIS activities in India and disseminate the outfit’s propaganda over various social media platforms.

"The conspiracy was aimed at carrying out violent terror attacks in India on behalf of ISIS," the NIA said.

Investigations have revealed that Faizan and his associates had pledged their allegiance to the Islamic State, stated the agency, adding "The accused was also actively in the process of radicalizing neo-converts and attracting them to the terrorist fold for enriching the cadre base of the ISIS in India."

Faizan was in contact with foreign-based ISIS handlers who were guiding him on recruitment to the banned outfit, said the NIA. "Along with other members of the ISIS, he was planning violent actions and was contemplating doing ‘hijrat’ to an ISIS conflict theatre abroad." (ANI)

Source: aninews.in

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https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/nia-arrests-aligarh-muslim-university-student-working-as-isis-operative20230720201200/

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Homes of three Muslims partially razed for allegedly spitting water at religious procession in MP

The Ujjain administration in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday demolished alleged illegal constructions at homes of three Muslims accused of spitting water at a religious procession, PTI reported, citing the police.

The authorities also called in drummers when the houses were being razed.

The police had registered a case against the three persons on charges of disturbing communal harmony after a purported video of them spitting water at a Hindu religious procession, called Baba MahakalSawari, went viral on social media.

Two of the accused persons were minors who have been sent to a juvenile home. The third accused has been remanded to judicial custody, the police said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Bhuria told reporters that officials had informed the Municipal Corporation and the Revenue Department about the accused persons, following which the purported encroachments were removed, The Indian Express reported.

On being asked about the drummers, Bhuriya said, “It is in the rules to bring drummers and announce in public that illegal construction is being removed. We followed these rules.”

There are no provisions under the Indian law to demolish the home of anyone accused of a crime. However, this practice has been regularly observed in several Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states.

Source: scroll.in

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https://scroll.in/latest/1052964/homes-of-three-muslims-partially-razed-for-allegedly-spitting-water-at-religious-procession-in-mp

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Gyanvapi case: Varanasi court verdict on plea seeking ASI survey of mosque premises likely today

July 21, 2023

A Varanasi court is likely to pronounce on Friday its verdict in the plea filed by four Hindu women worshippers seeking a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises by the Archaeological Survey of India to ascertain whether the premises was built on a pre-existing structure of the Hindu temple.

The order is likely to be pronounced by a court of district judge AK Vishwesha today.

The application, filed in May this year, is part of a broader suit filed by four Hindu worshippers seeking all-year-round worshipping rights in the Gyanvapi Mosque compound. The case is pending before the Varanasi district court.

The verdict in the application likely today assumes significance because of its contents. The application states that the ‘Swayambhu Jyotirlinga’ existed at the site in question (Gyanvapi Mosque Premises) for lakhs of years, but “was destroyed/damaged several times by Muslim Invaders who had hatred against infidels and idol worshippers beginning with the attack of Mahmud Ghazni in 1017 AD”.

The plea further contends that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb issued a directive in 1669 to demolish the Lord Adivisheshwar temple at the site. Later on, a new temple in the name of Kashi Vishwanath was built in 1777-1780 by Rani AhilyabaiHolkar, the queen of Indore, adjacent to the demolished structure.

The application claims that the Gyanvapi mosque premises, currently in a dilapidated condition, is not a mosque but the remains of an old Hindu temple. The plea further points out that the survey in May 2022 had “found a Shiva Linga” on the first floor of the building, which was eventually sealed on the orders of the Supreme Court.

It further points to the findings cited in the report of the Advocate Commissioners, elaborating how the entire mosque premises has numerous artefacts and signs of a Hindu temple.

Citing these findings and their own beliefs, the Hindu women worshippers have prayed to the court to direct a survey by the ASI of the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises so that the assumptions can be proved through scientific methods.

Source: financialexpress.com

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https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/gyanvapi-case-verdict-varanasi-court-asi-survey-mosque-premises/3180746/

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Muslim population in 2023 estimated to be 20 crore: Lok Sabha

Jul 21, 2023

NEW DELHI: The population of Muslims in 2023 is estimated to be 19.7 crore, the government informed Parliament on Thursday.

In her written reply to a set of questions in Lok Sabha by Mala Roy of Trinamool Congress, minority affairs minister Smriti Irani said Muslims accounted for 14.2% of the total population as per Census 2011 and their population share in 2023 was projected going by the same proportion.

She said as per Census 2011, the Muslim population was 17.2 crore. According to the report of the technical group on population projections in July 2020, the country’s projected population in 2023 was 138.8 crore.

“Accordingly, applying the same proportion of 14.2%, as was there in Census 2011, projected population of Muslims in 2023 would stand at 19.7 crore,” Irani said.

The minister also gave information on literacy rate, labour force participation and access to basic facilities like water, toilets and housing. However, the reply was silent on queries on population data related to Pasmanda Muslims.

Roy had asked three questions — whether there was any countrywide data on Muslim population as on May 30, whether there was any population data on Pasmanda Muslim with the government, and details of the socio-economic status of Pasmanda Muslims in the country.

Irani further said as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2021-22 conducted by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI), the literacy rate of Muslims aged seven years and above stood at 77.7% and the labour force participation rate for all ages stood at 35.1%.

The minister informed Parliament that as per the multiple indicator survey 2020-21 conducted by the MoSPI to collect data on select sustainable development goals indicators, percentage of Muslims reported to have improved source of drinking water stood at 94.9%, those reported to have access to improved toilet stood at 97.2% and Muslim households which had purchased/constructed new house or flat for the first time after March 31, 2014 stood at 50.2%.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/muslim-population-in-2023-estimated-to-be-20-crore-lok-sabha/articleshow/101996898.cms

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Europe

 

EU Sanctions Three Taliban Leaders Under Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime

July 21, 2023

Following the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, the European Council on Thursday imposed restrictive measures against 18 people and five entities because of their involvement in grave human rights abuses and violations in several countries, including Afghanistan.

Six people were listed “over various forms of sexual and gender-based violence,” according to a statement from the council, three of whom are senior Taliban leaders in positions of authority.

The Sanctioned individuals include acting Taliban Ministers of Education and Justice and the acting Taliban Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan, the statement said.

The statement also added that these Taliban leaders had a “role in depriving Afghan girls and women of their rights to education, access to justice and equal treatment between men and women.”

The Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime of the EU imposes restrictions on individuals and organizations, including asset freezing, travel bans, and entry prohibitions.

The three Taliban officials named on Thursday by the EU are the acting minister of education for the Taliban, Mawlawi Habibullah Agha, the acting chief justice of the Afghan Supreme Court, Mawlawi Abdul Hakim Haqqani, and the acting minister of justice for the Taliban, Abdul-Hakim Sharei.

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, they have issued over 50 decrees restricting women’s rights, including the freedom to attend secondary high schools and public spaces.

Amid the country’s severe humanitarian crisis and starvation, the Taliban has prohibited women from working for humanitarian organizations.

International groups, social activists, and human rights advocates sharply criticized the Taliban’s recent restrictions on women’s beauty salons.

On Wednesday, dozens of women protested against the beauty salon ban after the Taliban ordered their closure across the country.

However, the Taliban authorities have increased their restrictions on women’s activities, including education, working despite massive criticism by national and international human rights activists.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/eu-sanctions-three-taliban-leaders-under-global-human-rights-sanctions-regime/

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Five men guilty of killing ‘much-loved father’ in mass knife brawl outside mosque

Kirsten Robertson

Thursday 20 Jul 2023

Five men have been found guilty of murdering a ‘humble loving family man’ who was stabbed to death during a mass knife brawl outside a mosque.

Haji Choudhary Rab Nawaz, 52, was knifed when violence erupted following a funeral he had attended with his brother in Coventry.

As mourners left the Jamiah Masjid & Institute on Durbar Avenue at 9pm on October 2 last year, a gang armed with weapons attacked the brothers in their car.

Both suffered stab wounds before scrambling out of the car and back into the mosque for help.

Mr Nawaz was rushed to hospital with serious chest wounds but died a short time later while his brother survived the violent attack.

The killers targeted the brothers after seeing them at the funeral and detectives discovered there had been a feud between two families.

Faisal Mohammed, who knifed Mr Nawaz, and four other men, Adam Razaaq, HasnianRazaaq, HashamRazaaq and Jenaid Mahmood, fled around the UK following the murder.

They were arrested nine days later after detectives used CCTV, mobile phone records and forensics to link them to the killing.

All five were found guilty of murder, attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon following a seven-week trial at Warwick Crown Court.

Mohammed, 30, and Mahmood, 19, both of Birmingham, along with Adam Razaaq, 21, HasnianRazaaq, 24, and HashamRazaaq, 23, all of Halesowen, were remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Inspector Nick Barnes, from West Midlands Police, said: ‘This was excessive violence which tragically led to the death of a much-loved father.

‘These five men acted together and it seems to have stemmed from an ongoing feud between two families.

‘It is yet another example of the awful consequences of carrying knives in public places.

‘I am grateful to the jury who spent several weeks paying close attention to the evidence, and were clearly unconvinced by the web of lies from those defendants who decided to give evidence.

‘Although nothing can sadly ever bring Mr Nawaz back, we hope these convictions will bring some sense of justice for those who knew him.’

Mr Nawaz was described by his family as a ‘dependable shining light of good’.

Paying tribute to him, they said: ‘We thank the emergency services for their tireless effort for trying to save our father.

‘They have extinguished a dependable shining light of good, an innocent humble loving family man, our father, our brother, our friend, Haji Choudhary Rab Nawaz.’

Source: metro.co.uk

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https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/20/five-men-guilty-of-killing-much-loved-father-in-knife-brawl-outside-mosque-19165420/

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Muslim groups condemn RiikkaPurra's "black sacks" blog comment

A total of 26 Muslim groups and organisations in Finland have issued a joint statement condemning a blog comment written in 2019 by the country's finance minister, RiikkaPurra (Finns).

Purra's comment, in Finnish but translated here in English, stated: "There are unidentifiable black sacks walking around the capital region who can only be identified as people because they are usually dragging small people behind them."

Presumably, the 'black sacks' comment referred to burqas, the full-covering garments worn by some Muslim women.

One of the signatories of the joint statement was Sharmarke Said Aw-Musse, Imam at the Al-Salaam Mosque in Vantaa.

He said the Islamic groups condemned the minister's language and characterised the comment as very racist.

"In 2019, RiikkaPurra was an MP and the vice-chair of the [Finns] party. She is a politician, and words like these, which referred to Muslim women as 'black sacks', are racist to us," Aw-Musse told Yle.

Purra posted the blog entry in question on the website riikkapurra.net in March 2019. She was elected to parliament about a month later, in April.

The blog remains online, with the most recent entry dated on 10 July. It dealt with the political scandal entanglement in which she and other Finns Party members had found themselves.

The members of Finland's Muslim community who signed the statement about Purra said would like to receive a report from each political party about their respective stances on racism and Islamophobia.

"We need to take concrete action here. Mere words are not enough — concrete action," Aw-Musse said.

"They should say how they're promoting anti-racism and how they deal with Islamophobia. What they think about racist language," he continued, adding that Muslims in Finland are disturbed by the lack of an apology from Purra for the "black sacks" comment.

However, the Imam would not take a stance on whether he thinks Purra should resign or not.

"The people have elected this government. We only oppose racism and hope that those kinds of written statements are not permitted," he said.

Aw-Musse added he hopes that Finland's Muslims — which now number around 130,000 — would start to be considered a part of Finnish society.

"We are part of this country. The Finnish Tatars took part in the Winter War. Why should you pay attention to how someone voluntarily dresses?"

He said criticism and discussion are not off the table, adding that people should be able to express their opinions but they should do it without using racist words.

"Five million people live in Finland. Finland is a small country. For this country to be so deeply divided disrupts the peace we need in these dark times," Aw-Musse said.

Source: yle.fi

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https://yle.fi/a/74-20041860

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Pope Tawadros praises Egypt's vision to build mosques and churches in new residential areas

20 Jul 2023

The sermon was held at the recently established Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, the Martyr Abi Sven, and Saint AnbaKaras in a new residential area in west Alexandria.

“My first visit to this church was in 2020 when President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated it,” the Pope affirmed.

He added that the president established this church, along with a mosque and three schools, in one courtyard to allow students to see the mosque’s minaret and the church’s dome together.

Tawadros asserted that youths who see mosques and churches side by side will learn to respect the other and affirm Egypt's unity. 

“This is why I take pride in this church,” he concluded.

In 2020, the pope consecrated the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, the Martyr Abi Sven, and Saint AnbaKaras in Alexandria, and in 2021 led the Palm Sunday mass at the cathedral with limited attendance.

Source: english.ahram.org.eg

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https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/505128.aspx

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News anchor uses bizarre Bin Laden analogy to describe whales attacking boats

A Newsmax anchor is going viral following his bizarre analogy of whales attacking boats off the Iberian Peninsula - by comparing them to Osama Bin Laden.

The reference was dropped as the host whimsically tried to explain how one killer whale was attacked by a boat, so the rest of the whales allegedly ganged up to take revenge.

"You know the big black and white killer whales that are in movies and stuff?", he begins.

"They have like union leaders...it's like I don't know, the Osama Bin Laden of orcas has organised to get together and attack boats."

Source: indy100.com

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https://www.indy100.com/news/whales-boats-newsmax-bin-laden

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North America

 

Fargo Muslims Condemn 'Evil' Gunman, Mohamad Barakat,Refuse To Help Bury Him

By C.S. Hagen

July 20, 2023

FARGO — In a show of solidarity with the Fargo Police Department, a group of about 10 Muslim refugees and immigrant leaders placed flowers at the memorial for slain officer Jake Wallin on 25th Street South this week.

Along with bringing Somali food to Fargo police headquarters on Thursday, July 20, the gestures were to show respect for law enforcement, but also to condemn the attack by gunman Mohamad Barakat who killed Wallin, seriously wounded two other officers and injured a bystander.

The Forum spoke with more than a dozen members of the local Muslim community who all said they did not know 37-year-old Barakat.

Despite his first name, which is common among Muslims, area leaders in the Islamic faith rejected any affiliation with Barakat, who they said did not attend the Fargo mosque or the one in Moorhead.

In fact, a family member's request made to local mosque leaders to handle Barakat's funeral arrangements has been refused, said SajitGhauri, an adviser to the Moorhead mosque, known as the Moorhead Fargo Islamic Center.

"We have no clue whether he was even Muslim because his action doesn't show that. So with that being said ... we refused to do a funeral or burial in this area," Ghauri said. "Even if he's a member, he can't mess with our community like that."

On July 14, Barakat armed himself with a homemade grenade, gasoline, explosives, a .223 caliber long rifle, 1,800 rounds of ammunition, four other handguns and additional rifles, tactical vests and double stacked large capacity magazines, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said during a press conference on Wednesday, July 19.

Stopping short of calling the shooting an act of terrorism, Wrigley did say that Fargo Police Officer Zachary Robinson was the "last man standing for what was coming next and what this assailant was armed for."

Mayor Tim Mahoney agreed with Wrigley during the press conference saying Barakat's attack was not finished.

"It is clear to us our officers were ambushed in this attack. Had Zach not neutralized the shooter we would have many more casualties. He was planning on war and mayhem in our community," Mahoney said.

Ahmed Makaran, executive director of ESHARA, or the Ethnic Self Help Alliance for Refugee Assistance, came to the makeshift memorial for Wallin on Tuesday . Makaran has been meeting with city leaders and the Fargo Police Department to offer help in any way he can, he said.

No one in the local Muslim community knew Barakat, or had even heard his name, Makaran said.

"We have a lot of Mohamads and Ahmeds here, but we have not even seen his picture. And that is an unknown fear. People see the name and think it is like every other Muslim. But with good communication we can make this unknown fear go away," Makaran said.

Other Muslim leaders said connecting Barakat's name to the religion of Islam makes as much sense as linking the name John to Christianity.

Ghauri said he talked to about 50 Muslim people in the area and so far has not found anyone who knew Barakat.

“You cannot attach this to any religion. That person has what looks like a Muslim name, but his actions were not Muslim," Ghauri said.

At the memorial on Tuesday, Ghauri made a statement on behalf of the Moorhead Fargo Islamic Center, saying that his nephew, Jonathon Larson, from Minnesota, served with Wallin in Afghanistan.

"Islam is a peaceful religion that condemns the use of violence against innocents, including police officers, firefighters and other first responders performing their duties. Further, it is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement and protect the lives of all civilians," Ghauri said.

Cani Adan of the Afro American Development Association and FowziaAdde, executive director of the Immigrant Development Center in Moorhead, said they’re also searching for information on who Barakat was and how he came to the Fargo area.

Adan and Adde condemned the violent act, which also injured officers Andrew Dotas, Tyler Hawes and bystander Karlee Koswick. Officer Zachary Robinson shot and killed Barakat at the scene.

After the shooting, The Forum spoke with neighbours of Barakat at two apartment complexes where he used to live, and all said they did not know him.

“Within us there is one bad apple. We have to throw away the bad apple, but don’t destroy everyone else,” said Adde, who is a Muslim originally from Somalia.

“This is not good for the Muslim community. It is a sad time in our community because we’ve been trying to work hard to fit in, you know, to melt in the pot. We have been working so hard to prove to the community that we are ordinary people," she added.

Adde said the Muslim community is "thankful for the Fargo police as they’ve been changing for the better."

"They’re trying to reform, trying to hire minorities. I am not against them,” Adde said.

Adde and others are concerned about how the wider Fargo-Moorhead community will react to Friday's violence.

Already, a newly-placed poster found Monday along 10th Street South advertised the Patriot Front, saying “Reclaim America.”

High up on a wall behind the stage in Broadway Square a similar message was also spray painted.

The Patriot Front is a white nationalist hate group that formed after the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, according to the Southern Poverty Law Centre, a civil rights non-profit that tracks hate groups.

In 2022, there were at least three instances of vandalism with the words Patriot Front on businesses and tunnels in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Terry Hogan, director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the city of Fargo, condemned all forms of hate while he, too, visited the memorial for Wallin on Tuesday.

"Hate is not warranted here in the city of Fargo. We have good law-abiding citizens and they should not be subjected to this stuff," Hogan said of the Patriot Front signs.

Ghauri and Adde both questioned whether Barakat was mentally stable.

“I’m not making excuses for this evil person, but at the same time the refugee community goes through a lot of trauma, particularly those who have gone through war. When we arrive we don’t get the proper mental care. And that’s something that needs to be evaluated. When a refugee arrives they go through a health screen. I wish the same health screen would include a mental health screen, too,” Adde said.

Makaran said the only answer now is for the community to come together to help each other heal.

"If one member of our community gets sick, it affects all of us. This person damaged us, but we can come together to help the family who was hurt," Makaran said.

"The question we should be asking is what can we do for the family now? This is what we should think, all of us: Take care of the family, that is our goal," Ghauri said.

Source: jamestownsun.com

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https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/north-dakota/fargo-muslims-condemn-evil-gunman-refuse-to-help-bury-him

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Shia Muslims to Hold Saturday ‘Peace Walk’ in Carteret

July 20, 2023

CARTERET, NJ — Shia Muslims from this and many other New Jersey communities will hold a “peace walk” here Saturday to honor martyr Imam Hussain, who valiantly defended Islam against an Iraqi army nearly 1,400 years ago.

The march, from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, July 22, is an annual worldwide tribute for Shia Muslims to mark the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD near the Euphrates River in what is now Iraq.

There, Imam Hussain, grandson of Islamic prophet Muhammad, and 72 followers stood against a 30,000-strong army from vengeful ruler Yazid ibn Muawiyah, who disregarded Islamic law and Muslim traditions.

Battle accounts from women in Imam Hussain’s caravan detailed Yazid’s injustices and led to his historic disgrace, ending his reign.

“Every year on the 10th of Muharram – the first month of the Islamic calendar – Shia Muslims throughout the world observe the day of martyrdom of Imam Hussain,” said Mayor Daniel J. Reiman, noting that Carteret's march is “a show of solidarity, truth and justice.”

“Imam Hussain and his supporters sacrificed their lives rather than submit to religious oppression,” said Reiman.

The mayor said he is proud that Carteret will be the venue for this spiritual event, important to so many Shia Muslims throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Saturday’s march – from the Carteret Park Pavilion on Carteret Avenue to the Municipal Building on Cooke Ave – is part of the Shia Muslim community’s “Stand with Dignity” effort to raise awareness about Imam Hussain, said co-organizer Syed Z. Bukhari, a borough resident.

A borough proclamation will be read on the steps of Borough Hall when marchers arrive.

Carteret is home to two mosques: Masjid Al-Islam on Roosevelt Avenue and Masjid Quba'a on Essex Street. Neither are Shia.

Source: tapinto.net

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https://www.tapinto.net/towns/newark/sections/religions-and-spirituality/articles/shia-muslims-to-hold-saturday-peace-walk-in-carteret

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Mom of Colorado teen accused of trying to join Islamic State blames FBI ‘encouragement’

DENVER (AP) — The mother of an 18-year-old who is accused of trying to become a fighter for the Islamic State group says her son has never had the motivation to follow through with things.

Deanna Meyer testified Thursday that she does not think her son, Devin Meyer, would have taken action to travel to the Middle East were it not for the support of people he recently met who shared his views. That included FBI informants posing as Islamic State facilitators.

“I bet my life he would never do that without that encouragement,” Deanna Meyer said in federal court in an unsuccessful attempt to convince a judge to allow her son to stay with her while he is being prosecuted. He was arrested Friday as he tried to board a plane to Turkey and has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Deanna Meyer was responding to a question from Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter about whether her son, who has autism, understood the gravity of the situation, given his condition.

She reached out to law enforcement last year about Devin when he was 17 because she was concerned about the escalation of his “radical Islamic beliefs” and openly expressing violent intentions, according to court documents. The FBI was later notified, it said.

While authorities said Devin Meyer had threatened to kill his mother, she told Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter that he had stopped making threats in September, about two months before he turned 18.

Partly because of the previous threats, Neureiter said he could not allow him to live with her, ordering him instead to remain in custody.

“It’s not a risk I’m prepared to take,” Neureiter said.

Soon after Meyer turned 18, he began communicating online with the first paid informant, whom he believed was an Islamic State facilitator, his arrest affidavit said. Later that informant introduced Meyer to a second informant, who presented themselves as an ISIS travel facilitator, it said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman argued that Devin Meyer was committed to radical Islam by the time he started talking to them and was determined to become a fighter for the Islamic State. She said he had done his own research on his plan and kept up with news about the Islamic State, including knowing when one leader of the group was killed and knowing that he needed to then declare his allegiance to the new leader. While expressing some anxiety about going ahead with his plan, he did anyway, she said.

“He tried to board the plane thinking ISIS would be greeting him with open arms on the other end,” Hindman said.

She said Meyer also communicated with others besides the informants — a man in the United Kingdom who supports ISIS who had been previously convicted and sentenced and then recently rearrested for supporting terrorism but did not identify him.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on his identity.

Source: apnews.com

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https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-colorado-arrest-mother-4c600c9189469c3e61f613ba9e41d42a

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Washington Appears Out of Its Depth as Tensions Rise Between Secular Europe and Muslim Lands

Some Iraqis believe the Islamic Republic of Iran is driving events in Sweden and Iraq that are sharpening a clash between champions of free speech and devout Muslims.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Sweden, whose embassy at Baghdad was set on fire early this morning, is discovering that the breadth of its freedoms risks placing the peace-preaching Nordic country at the forefront of the clash of civilizations.

The Biden administration condemned the embassy torching, but it may be out of its depth when it comes to the new tensions. Some Iraqis believe the Islamic Republic of Iran is driving events in Sweden and Iraq, stoking  a clash between champions of free speech and devout Muslims.  

Just last month, a Swedish court allowed protesters to burn a Quran in front of a Mosque in Stockholm. After a Swedish court allowed a second recent desecration of the Korean, two men on Thursday kicked at copies of the holy Islamic scripture and stomped on the Iraqi flag. At Baghdad at the same time, a crowd set the Swedish embassy on fire and the Iraqi government expelled the Swedish ambassador and severed diplomatic ties with Stockholm.

The man who burned a Quran in front of a Stockholm mosque last month on the Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha, Salwan Momika, was at it again Thursday. An Iraqi native and a Christian, Mr. Momika claimed he wanted to demonstrate that Muslims care more about burning “pieces of paper” than burning people in their own lands. He seemed to kick up a storm. 

“The whole thing smells of Iran,” the president of the Washington-based Future Organization, Iraqi-born EntifadhQanbar, tells the Sun. He notes that prior to moving to Sweden, Mr. Momika “was a leader of an Iraqi Christian militia — the Spirit of Jesus Brigades — which was formed by the IRGC,” as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are known.    

In that light, Mr. Momika’s repeated provocations may have been designed to create a clash between secular Europe and Muslim lands. Yet even if the Swedish authorities didn’t light the fire, they certainly failed to do their utmost to extinguish it.

Last week the Swedish police authorized a demonstration, including the burning of a Torah, in front of the Israeli embassy, a protest that was hailed as a counter-protest to the Quran torching. After Jewish leaders quietly pleaded with the protester, Syrian-born Ahmad Alush, he claimed he never actually intended to set a book on fire, as to do so “is against the Quran.”

Sweden’s eagerness to defend provocative acts led to a delay of its accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which President Erdogan of Turkey has been blocking for months. Mr. Erdogan eventually relented, in exchange for President Biden’s promise to sell Turkey F-16 fighter jets.

Although Mr. Erdogan keeps a tight grip over the country’s institutions, he insists that the Ankara parliament needs to ratify his decision. Thursday’s second Quran desecration could further complicate the NATO deal. Other Muslim governments, from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, have downgraded their diplomatic relations with Sweden and protested diplomatically.

Yet, nowhere was the anger more pronounced than in Mr. Momika’s homeland, Iraq. During his protest at Stockholm, Mr. Momika stomped with his feet on an image of a firebrand Shia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr. Mr. al-Sadr called on supporters to protest the Quran desecration at the Baghdad Swedish embassy.

The leader of the Sadrist movement, a major force in Iraq’s complex politics of competing interests, Mr. al-Sadr is a fierce nationalist. Of late he has been a vocal critic of Tehran’s malign influence over the country. Some of his supporters now claim that while the vast majority of protesters in front of the Swedish embassy on Thursday were Sadrists, they were not the ones who set it on fire.

“In my opinion the burning of the embassy is a result of an internal Shia versus Shia struggle,” Mr. Qanbar tells the Sun. “My sources say that Muqtada’s instructions were clear, asking protesters not to enter the embassy. Yet, Iran pushed a few to enter and burn the embassy in order to embarrass Muqtada.”

Other sources say that Mr. al-Sadr’s passionate pronouncement against Sweden and his call to protest at the embassy could have easily led an avid follower to take things further than what the leader said he intended them to be.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government of Prime Minister al-Sudani, which is heavily influenced by Tehran, has further deepened the crisis by expelling the Swedish ambassador at Baghdad and recalling its charge d’affaires from Stockholm.

“It is unacceptable that Iraqi Security Forces did not act to prevent protestors from breaching the Swedish Embassy compound for a second time and damaging it,” the American Department of State’s spokesman, Matt Miller, said in a statement. He also called on Baghdad “to honor its international obligations to protect all diplomatic missions in Iraq.”

Washington has for months eased sanctions against Tehran by releasing Iranian funds held in Iraq. Yet, on Thursday the Department of the  Treasury banned 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar-based transactions after they illegally siphoned American currency to Iran. The action is bound to further diminish America’s already weakened influence over Baghdad.

As it strives to keep out of Mideast affairs, America seems increasingly ill-equipped to lower tensions between Islam and the West — even as Quran burnings and other provocations threaten to ignite them.

Source: nysun.com

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Africa

 

DHQ activates ‘war mode’ against terror, as military kills 23

July 21, 2023

•Rescues 37 kidnapped civilians

•Arrests 72 terrorists’ collaborators, logistics suppliers, economic saboteurs

•Recovers N3.525m cash, 125,000 CFA, 60 GHA Cedis

•Destroys 22 illegal refinery sites

By Kingsley Omonobi&NdahiMarama

Defence Headquarters said, yesterday, that the current leadership of the Armed Forces has activated troops into ‘war mode’, with a view to countering the threats of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and economic sabotage being perpetrated against Nigerians.

Consequently, in the last one week, troops neutralised 23 terrorists, bandits and IPoB militants, rescued 17 kidnapped civilians and arrested 32 criminal elements, including terrorists’ collaborators, logistics suppliers, oil vandals and IPoB militants.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja, said N3.525 million cash, 125,000 CFA and 60 GHA Cedis were also recovered from the criminal elements, after operations by troops, adding that they were handed over to appropriate authorities for investigation.

Shedding more light on the operations, Buba said: “In the North East, troops of ‘Operation Hadin Kai’ recovered seven AK 47 rifles, two FN rifles, one 36 hand grenade, 100 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammo, two mobile phones, and two cows.

”Others include food stuffs, condiment, one cart and N2.1 million only. Troops equally neutralised six terrorists and arrested eight suspected terrorists’ collaborators.

“The air component of Operation Hadin Kai conducted air reconnaissance and intelligence at terrorist’ hideouts at Hyawa in Borno State. The location was active with terrorist’s activities, acquired and subsequently attacked with bombs.

”After the operation, action review revealed that many of the terrorists were neutralized and their structures destroyed.

“In the North Central, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke neutralized nine bandits and arrested 10 suspects while rescuing nine kidnapped civilians.

”Troops recovered one AK47 rifle, one fabricated pistol, one locally made pistol, one pump action ammo, 14 rounds of 7.62mm special, one motorcycle, cartridge, one mobile phone, machete, axe, fake Nigerian Police ID card and N35,000.00 only.

“In the North West, following a tip off, troops at FOB Danjigba arrested one suspected terrorists’ collaborator tasked by a notorious terrorist kingpin, NagalaJabbi, to move livestock from Magami general area to Danjibga Cattle Market in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

”Troops recovered N104,000 only. The air component of Operation HadarinDaji, acting on confirmatory ISR that a terrorists enclave was uncovered, conducted air interdiction at Babban Gida in Kankara and Sola in Jibia Local Government Areas.

” The targets were acquired and successfully engaged with rockets dislodging the terrorists.

“Simiarly,troops of operation Whirl Punch neutralized nine terrorists and recovered one AK47 rifle loaded with three rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, one Dane gun, five motorcycles, two phones and 322 livestock. Troops also arrested 15 suspected criminals and rescued 20 kidnapped civilians.”

Continuing, Gen Buba said: “In the Niger Delta, troops of Operation Delta Safe discovered and destroyed 23 illegal refining sites, 15 wooden boats, 34 storage tanks, 96 ovens and 16 dugout pits.

“Troops equally recovered 367,200 litres of crude oil, 27,150 litres of automotive gas oil, 220 assorted rounds of ammunition, six calibers of weapons, three vehicles and 10 motorcycles.

“They also arrested 25 suspected economic saboteurs, while a total of 60 suspected criminals were apprehended within the period. An estimated sum of N202.8 million worth of stolen crude oil products was denied oil thieves.”

On the intercepted oil vessel, MT Tura II, he said: “Troops destroyed the vessel involved in the crude oil theft in accordance with the extant law for operations against oil theft. The vessel, reportedly owned by Holab Maritime Services Limited, has a tank capacity of 800,000 litres. The vessel was previously named Ali Rita Bey.

“Close inspection of the vessel revealed that only two compartments were partially filled with about 150 metric tonnes, which is approximately 178,000 litres.

”This quantity is less than a quarter of the vessel. The vessel upon arrest, was moved to Oporoza in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

“The voyage of the vessel revealed that it originated from Lagos and was heading to Republic of Cameroon as its destination. The vessel Captain admitted to having been engaged in same illegal activities for over four years.

“On July 11, 23, the vessel was destroyed in accordance with extant operating procedure that stipulates instant destruction of any vehicle, vessel or equipment linked with crude oil theft.

“The air component of Operation Delta Safe also conducted air interdiction missions at Samkri and Elem Kalabari, respectively. Overhead the locations, the active illegal refining sites were engaged with rockets and some equipment were destroyed.

“In the course of operations, troops recovered 367,200 litres of crude oil, 27,150 litres of automotive gas oil, 550 assorted rounds of ammunition, 12 calibers of weapons, seven empty magazines, 17 cutlasses, three vehicles, 19 motorcycles and one dagger.

“In the South East, troops of Operation Udoka neutralized one criminal and apprehended 12 suspects. They also recovered one AK47 rifle, four pump action gun, Dane gun, 86 live cartridges.

”The troops also arrested suspects and rescued abducted civilians who have been handed over to the relevant authorities for further action.”

Source: vanguardngr.com

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Subsidy removal: Labour accuses FG of jettisoning Presidential C’ttee on palliative

July 21, 2023

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Organised Labour yesterday accused the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government of jettisoning the Presidential Steering Committee it set up to work out the palliatives among others, to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal that has worsened the socio-economic well-being of Nigerians, especially workers.

Speaking through the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, Organised Labour, however, called on the government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity as well as address the transportation difficulties facing workers and other Nigerians in the midst of the rising high cost of essentials services following the removal of subsidy on petrol.

President of ASCSN and a member of the sub-committee of the Presidential Steering Committee on Cost of Governance, Dr Tommy Okon, who spoke during interaction with journalists in Lagos, expressed disappointment at the manner President Bola Tinubu-led administration was handling the planned palliatives to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal, on Nigerians, describing it as dictatorial while jettisoning the committee the government set up in the wake of the subsidy removal and organized Labour threat to go on strike and mass protest.

He said “The policy of cash transfer by the federal government is not the best for the economy.

President Tinubu should have allowed the fuel subsidy committee to submit its report before taking actions on palliatives. Why were we (organized Labour) invited to be part of the subsidy removal palliative committee when our opinion will not be considered? I am a member of the sub-committee on cost of governance. I can tell you for free that we have not even met once. We are not happy at all.

“The cash transfer policy is an International Monetary Fund, IMF, and World Bank idea. In fact, it was N5, 000 the IMF and World gave the government as template. When the government brought it to our meeting with them, we rejected it. Even if it N20, 000 or more, it can’t solve anything. How can the IMF and the World Bank be borrowing us money and also telling us how to spend it, not even in the productive sector of the economy, but to share to some people based on the IMF and World Bank’s template.

On the recently declaration of emergency on Food, he argued that the declaration of a state of emergency on food by the government would have little or no impact until the worsening insecurity in the country was checkmated.

He said “Mr. President has declared a state of emergency on food. But that would not guarantee food security because farmers are being chased away from their farms. In some parts of Niger State, for example, farmers are being made to pay terrorists to access their farms. Labour will also want to see a palliative that addresses the transportation difficulty faced by Nigerians as a result of the hike in petrol pump prices which has triggered unprecedented increases in transportation fares across the country. So, if the government focuses on mass transportation, such move will have a positive spillover effect that will cushion the challenges associated with the removal of fuel subsidy.

“The major challenge we are having now is on transportation, because once it is taken care of, it will reduce the cost of goods and services. Alternatively, the government can also cluster those in the informal sector, who are into productive venture, and then pump in money into them; that will have a turn-over effect that will make them employers of labour, which can also checkmate and reduce unemployment. It can also give them the capital they need and economic strength, which is money.”

Source: vanguardngr.com

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Arab World

 

 

Saudi students win 6 medals at Asia-Pacific Mathematical Olympiad

July 20, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s mathematics Olympiad team won six medals and two honorable mentions at the 35th Asia-Pacific Mathematical Olympiad, which was held online.

The Saudi team of 10 students, represented by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, known as Mawhiba, and the Ministry of Education, ranked 19 among 35 participating countries that sent 345 students to the event.

Last year, Saudi Arabia received three silver and four bronze medals and was ranked 13 among 35 participating countries.

Student Hadi Al-Aythan, from the Al-Ahsa Education Department, received a silver medal, while his colleagues Ali Al-Ramadan, Mahdi Al-Beik, Moaz Al-Qahtani, Iyad Al-Qatari, from the Eastern Province Education Department, received bronze medals. Mohammed Hafez from the Madinah Education Department received a bronze medal.

Secretary-General of Mawhiba Dr. Amal Al-Hazaa congratulated the students for their achievements and extended her gratitude to Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan for his continuous support to Mawhiba, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Hazaa said that the students in the Mawhiba International Olympiads program undergo intensive training for more than 1,000 hours per year.

Badr Al-Majrathi, Mawhiba’s competitions department manager, told Arab News that prior to the contest, students enroll in the annual Mawhoob science event.

He said they could pick from mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, or science, and for a Mawhiba student to represent Saudi Arabia they must undertake three years of training.

“For the student to go from one level to the next, which is representing the country internationally, it requires at least three years of preparation. Students receive 800 to 1,000 hours of training per year,” he added.

Mawhiba’s aim was to create an environment for friendly competition and connect students with individuals from other nations who have similar interests.

Al-Majrathi said: “Students are given two tests that have a five-hour duration with four difficult questions per test. Therefore, students have this time to complete the tests that aim to raise competition.

“Its purpose is to link students who are passionate about a particular specialty with each other and introduce them to students from other countries who share the same interest.”

The training sessions are conducted throughout the year at the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Prince Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University and King Saud University.

Mawhiba, in partnership with the Saudi Education Ministry and other bodies, trains gifted public school students in mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry and informatics.

International and local experts train Saudi students every year ahead of their involvement in the APMO.

Started in 1989, the APMO is an international competition that aims to support talented mathematics students in all countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2341391/saudi-arabia

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Minister of Islamic Affairs Visits Islamic Sheikhdom headquarters in Montenegro

20 Jul, 2023

The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Al Al-Sheikh yesterday visited the Islamic Sheikhdom of Montenegro at its headquarters in Podgorica.

Al Al-Sheikh was received by the President of the Islamic Sheikhdom and Grand Mufti of Montenegro, RifaatVizic and several senior officials, and was briefed on the history of the sheikhdom and its most prominent works to serve the Muslims of Montenegro.

The minister visited some of the famous and historical mosques in Podgorica and concluded his visit program by overseeing the endowment project of an Islamic centre to be launched in Podgorica.

Source: alriyadhdaily.com

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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/9a4f7be4586d4ce5a921b20a6505a884

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Saudi and Cameroonian defense ministers hold bilateral talks

July 21, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman met with his Cameroonian counterpart Joseph BetiAssomo at his office in the capital, Riyadh, state-run news agency SPA reported on Thursday.

During the meeting, they reviewed aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries, and ways to enhance cooperation in the military and defense field, in addition to discussing a number of regional and international issues of common concern.

“We reviewed bilateral military and defense cooperation between our two friendly countries and explored ways to strengthen it,” Prince Khalid said in a tweet following the meeting. “We also discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.”

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, Assistant Minister of Defense for Executive Affairs Dr. Khaled bin Hussein Al-Bayari, and the Director General of the Office of the Minister of Defense Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif.

The Cameroonian ambassador to the Kingdom, Aya Tijani and a number of defense officials also attended the meeting.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2341386/saudi-arabia

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Qatar Chamber to host Islamic Chamber’s General Assembly in December

JULY 20, 2023

Qatar Chamber will host the meeting of the General Assembly of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, scheduled to be held this December in Doha.

This was announced by Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, who led the chamber’s delegation, which participated in the 35th meeting of the Islamic Chamber Board of Directors held recently in Azerbaijan.

The chamber’s delegation included board member Dr Mohamed bin Jawhar al-Mohamed and Ali Bu Sherbak al-Mansouri, the chamber’s assistant director general for Government Relations and Committees Affairs.

Sheikh Khalifa underscored the role of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in raising the level of trade co-operation among member states, stressing Qatar Chamber’s full support for the initiatives and efforts undertaken by the Islamic Chamber with the aim of supporting co-operation between the business sector in the member states and achieving economic integration and economic and social development.

During the meeting, it was decided to change the name of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture to ‘Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development’.

Also, opportunities and potentials for co-operation to promote economic growth and development were reviewed. On the sidelines of the meeting, a number of memorandums of understanding were signed to support the growth of small and medium enterprises and digital transformation.

The meeting also included an exhibition of traditional crafts in Azerbaijan, a presentation on the role of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce in microfinance and community development, as well as bilateral meetings between entrepreneurs, members of the Islamic Chamber Board of Directors, and several officials in Azerbaijan.

Source: gulf-times.com

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https://www.gulf-times.com/article/664846/business/qatar-chamber-to-host-islamic-chambers-general-assembly-in-december

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Southeast Asia

 

Johor Islamic Religious Dept, MCMC To Curb Spread Of Suhaini Muhammad Known As Sihulk Deviant Teachings, Says State Exco

Thursday, 20 Jul 2023

JOHOR BARU, July 20 — The Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) will work with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to curb the spread of the deviant teachings founded by Suhaini Muhammad or known as SiHulk.

State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said the decision was reached in a meeting today and further action would be taken soon following several videos showing individuals claiming to be Suhaini’s followers that had gone viral on social media recently.

He said the individuals were believed to be in New Zealand, thus making it difficult for the authorities to take action against them.

“... if they (the videos) are distributed and uploaded abroad, it is outside the jurisdiction of the state government and we cannot take legal action against them.

“If they cannot be arrested in reality, we will do so through the media by working with MCMC, including preventing their involvement on social media and most importantly, the people need to provide information to JAINJ and we will channel it to MCMC for further action,” he said at a press conference at the Iskandar Johor Islamic Centre, here today.

Mohd Fared said a fatwa was issued on July 22, 2021, against the teachings which were found to be in conflict with the Islamic teachings, hence all activities related to the group are prohibited.

“The group’s founder and followers are all cowards as they only dared to issue statements when they are not in the country. When the teachings are strange and illogical, it is better to stay away.

“The public should not be involved with any of the individuals or activities conducted by the group, directly or indirectly,” he said, adding that arrests can be made following existing laws if they return to the country.

On the group’s business activities involving SiHulk drinking water, Mohd Fared said the factories in Johor, Selangor and Indonesia had been closed after the authorities revoked their halal certification on June 3, 2021, for not complying with the prescribed standards. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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PM Anwar applauds UNHRC resolution against Quran burning in Sweden

Friday, 21 Jul 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 ― Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today applauded the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution last week following the Quran-burning incident outside of Stockholm’s central mosque during Aidiladha celebration.

The UNHRC adopted the resolution on ‘countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence’ on July 12 and amongst the 47 council members, 28 member states voted in favour of the resolution including Malaysia, 12 against while seven abstained.

However, Anwar said it was unfortunate that for every progressive step taken against Islamophobia, a fire of hatred ignites among those who hide their heinous acts behind the masks of free speech and expression, as demonstrated by the dissenting member states.

“While the UNHRC has valiantly stood against this hate, I hope that the dissenters reflect on their choice, doing all in their power to ensure their actions and words do not commit a disservice, an injustice, against the noble body they serve or the human rights they defend,” he said in a statement today.

He said the disgraceful use of free speech as a shield leaves it vulnerable to abuse in order to justify hate and cruelty rather than opposing tyranny.

“In as much as we reject the extremes of totalitarianism, an extremist notion of freedom is equally detrimental to society, which could lead to further infringements upon other’s rights to life and safety,” he said.

Meanwhile, Anwar congratulated the Swedish government for taking a firm stand against Islamophobia and was looking forward to seeing the Swedish police echo this stance as they carry out their investigation.

“The harm and pain caused by the acts of a few can only be balanced by the rest of us, standing together, and choosing to respect one another, to care and show compassion, and to seek out understanding,” he said.

The prime minister said Islamophobia is a poison that threatens Western nations as much as it threatens Muslims in whatever country they reside.

“It is a contradiction, alongside all illogical hatreds and xenophobia, to the very aims of our shared human society.

“We cannot resolve these issues by burning and desecrating each other’s books, but by reading them and engaging in dialogue,” he said. ― Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Nik Omar, son of Nik Aziz, opts to sit out state polls contest after moving to Selangor

By ShahrinAizatNoorshahrizam

Friday, 21 Jul 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — Amanah’s Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz does not plan to contest in next month’s six state elections after losing twice in Kelantan.

The older political son of the late PAS spiritual adviser Tan Sri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who joined the PakatanHarapan (PH) component party in 2018, said he had just moved to Selangor and would prefer that others have the chance to run for public office this year, Utusan Malaysia reported today.

“I just moved to Selangor. Second, we give space to others. We will see how the next election will be.

“If Amanah or PH say there’s no list, that is true,” he was quoted as saying after a book launch in Ipoh, Perak last night.

Nik Omar was previously reported to be a potential candidate in Kelantan but his name was subsequently absent in the list.

He said the decision was up to the coalition leadership but added that he is ready to assist in the election campaign.

The 58-year-old was also reported saying the PH-BarisanNasional alliance has a chance to wrest Kedah from the PerikatanNasional coalition besides gaining more seats in Kelantan and Terengganu.

Nik Omar was fielded as a PH candidate in the Kelantan state seat of Chempaka in GE14, and in the PasirSalak parliamentary constituency in GE15 last November, but lost both times.

His younger brother, Nik Mohammad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, remains a PAS member.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/07/21/nik-omar-son-of-nik-aziz-opts-to-sit-out-state-polls-contest-after-moving-to-selangor/80906

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Anti-Sexual Harassment Act: Minister says tribunal appointment to be finalised by year end

Friday, 21 Jul 2023

KUCHING, July 21 ― The appointment of tribunal members related to the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) will be finalised before the end of this year.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the process of appointing the tribunal members is currently ongoing.

She said the tribunal will also be responsible for determining the way the cases are to be handled under the act.

“This tribunal will also hear cases and determine the process and procedure of a case. The tribunal has the power under the law and they will be the one passing the judgment,” she said after attending the JerayawaraKasih@ Anti-Sexual Harassment Advocacy Programme here today.

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) was gazetted on October 18 last year after receiving the consent of the Yang di-PertuanAgong on October 8.

Earlier in her speech, Nancy said that according to statistics from Bukit Aman, the number of sexual harassment cases reported increased to 506 cases in 2021 from 378 cases in 2020.

She said the cases involved both men and women.

“In Sarawak alone, in 2022, there were 16 cases of which 15 or 94 per cent involved sexual harassment against women,” she said. ― Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Mideast

 

Iraq Expels Sweden Envoy Over Quran Desecration in Stockholm

JULY 20, 2023

Iraq on Thursday expelled Sweden’s ambassador after a man stomped on a copy of the Quran at a Stockholm demonstration just hours after the Swedish embassy in Baghdad was torched over the planned protest.

Sweden-based Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, 37, stomped and kicked the Quran but left the protest without burning it, just weeks after he set fire to pages of the book outside Stockholm’s main mosque.

Sweden and other European countries have previously seen protests where far-right and other activists, citing free speech protections, damage or destroy religious symbols or books, commonly sparking protests and heightening diplomatic tensions.

Around the time of Thursday’s protest in Stockholm, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani “instructed the Swedish ambassador in Baghdad to leave Iraqi territory", according to a statement by his office.

It said the decision was “prompted by the Swedish government’s repeated permission for the burning of the holy Quran, insulting Islamic sanctities and the burning of the Iraqi flag".

Overnight protesters had breached and set fires within the compound of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and clashed with riot police, prompting an emergency meeting with the prime minister.

The Iraqi government strongly condemned the embassy attack but also issued a warning to Sweden if it allowed the second Quran burning protest to go forward.

Baghdad had informed Stockholm “that any recurrence of the incident involving the burning of the Holy Quran on Swedish soil would necessitate severing diplomatic relations," according to a statement from Sudani’s office.

- Protecting the right to protest -

Swedish police had granted a permit for the protest in line with Swedish legislation on the rights to freedom of assembly and speech.

“The constitution states that a lot is needed to deny a person a permit for a public gathering so the day before yesterday we granted a permit for a private individual to protest," Ola Osterling with the Stockholm police told AFP.

On June 28, Salwan Momika also burnt pages of the Quran, outside a Stockholm mosque, sparking a wave of indignation and anger across the Muslim world.

Hundreds massed at the Baghdad embassy, as they had done in response to the previous Stockholm protest, scaled the walls and torched parts of it.

Rock-throwing protesters then clashed with Iraqi riot police who used electric batons and water cannon to disperse them.

One protester, Hassan Ahmed, told AFP that “we mobilised today to denounce the burning of the Quran, which is all about love and faith".

Some raised the Quran in the air, others held up portraits of Sadr and of his late father, Mohamed al-Sadr, a revered cleric in the majority Shiite country.

Calm has returned by morning, when police blocked the road leading to the embassy, and the full extent of the fire damage was not yet clear.

Sweden’s foreign ministry told AFP that all of its employees in Baghdad were “safe" during the unrest.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom later said Iraq’s charge d’affaires would be summoned.

“What has happened is completely unacceptable and the government condemns these attacks in the strongest terms," he said in a statement.

“Iraqi authorities have an unequivocal obligation to protect diplomatic missions and personnel under the Vienna Convention."

- ‘Serious security breach’ -

Sudani “strongly condemned burning the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, viewing it as a serious security breach requiring immediate action", the Iraqi government statement said.

“Those accountable for security must be held responsible," it added, as an Iraqi security source told AFP about 20 protesters had been taken into custody.

Iraq also said it “reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the security and protection of all diplomatic missions, vowing to confront any attacks targeted at them".

Momika staged his previous Quran burning in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque during Eid al-Adha, a holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world.

That incident prompted followers of Sadr to briefly storm the Swedish embassy in Baghdad the following day.

The powerful cleric has repeatedly mobilised thousands of demonstrators.

In the summer of 2022, during a dispute over the appointment of a new prime minister, Sadr supporters invaded Baghdad’s parliament building and staged a sit-in that lasted several weeks.

Source: news18.com

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https://www.news18.com/world/iraq-expels-sweden-envoy-over-Quran-desecration-in-stockholm-8386597.html

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Nasrallah calls on Muslim states to expel Swedish ambassadors

Jul 21, 2023

Reacting to the most recent act of desecration against the Quran in Sweden following the approval of Swedish authorities, Sayyed Nasrallah on Thursday night called on people to organize protests and sit-ins in all mosques while brandishing copies of the Quran to call on their state to take a stance in regard to Sweden, Al Mayadeen reported.

Sayyed Nasrallah further commended the Iraq's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Sweden and expel the Swedish ambassador.

"All Arab and Islamic countries must do what Iraq did if we want the desecration of the Holy Qur'an to not be repeated," he added. 

"What is required of the Arab and Islamic peoples is to put pressure on their countries to expel the Swedish ambassadors from their countries, and to recall their ambassadors from Sweden."

Sayyed Nasrallah also called on the Lebanese state to recall their ambassador or their charge d'affaires from Sweden and to expel the Swedish ambassador from Lebanon.

The next step is to sever relations with Sweden if the desecration is repeated, he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Swedish authorities approved the burning of a copy of the Quran and an Iraqi flag.  According to Swedish media, an Iraqi refugee in Sweden Salwan Momika, organised the event in Stockholm. Momika was responsible for the earlier Quran-burning incident during the Islamic Eid Al-Adha celebrations, which led to a worldwide uproar against Sweden.

In anticipation of this new incident, Sweden's embassy in Iraq was set on fire by protesters.

After the storming of the embassy, Iraq warned Sweden that it would sever diplomatic relations if the Quran was burned again.

The Iraqi government swiftly condemned the burning of the Swedish embassy, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani saying in a statement that the action was a security breach while vowing to provide the needed protection for diplomatic missions.

Source: en.mehrnews.com

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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/203514/Nasrallah-calls-on-Muslim-states-to-expel-Swedish-ambassadors

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Iran summons Swedish envoy over sacrilege of Holy Qur'an

Jul 21, 2023

The Swedish ambassador in Tehran was summoned by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kan’ani, and the the Islamic Republic's strong protest was conveyed to him over the sacrilege of the Holy Qur'an in the European country.

"We strongly condemn the repeated desecration of the Holy Qur'an and Islamic sanctities in Sweden, and we hold the Swedish government fully responsible for the consequences of inciting the feelings of Muslims around the world," Kan’ani said.

"Continuing to desecrate Islamic holy places and spreading hatred in this way is considered a perfect example of organized violence and a hostile action against the world's two billion Muslim population, God-believing people and followers of the heavenly religions," he added.

On June 28, an Iraqi man living in Sweden burned a copy of the holy Qur’an in front of Stockholm's largest mosque during Eid al-Adha. That caused uproar among Muslims around the world.

Media reports said that the same man has also got permission for another act of desecration against Qur’an, Muslims’ holy book. 

Source: en.mehrnews.com

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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/203513/Iran-summons-Swedish-envoy-over-sacrilege-of-Holy-Qur-an

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Yazidi victims of Islamic State heal wounds, grow independent in Germany

July 20, 2023

STUTTGART, Germany — Yasmin, a Yazidi woman who survived rape and torture at the hands of the Islamic State (IS), made international headlines seven years ago after dousing herself in kerosene and lighting a match. The flames melted her nose, eyelids, ears, lips and chin and fused her fingers into an unusable mass. Today, some 160 surgeries later, Yasmin, 24, is a poignant symbol of the resilience of hundreds of Yazidi women who were offered sanctuary in Germany where they are shattering the boundaries of their patriarchal Middle Eastern culture and seizing control of their own lives.

“I want to study law, to become a lawyer,” Yasmin said in fluent German over coffee in Stuttgart’s main square. Clad in a black jersey top, a matching chiffon skirt and a rhinestone-studded belt, Yasmin has recovered her facial features crafted from her own skin and ribs. Her fingers are functional, her nails varnished in a coral color. Yasmin flashes an engaging smile, saying she is very excited as she will soon be getting new ears.

Yasmin’s self-immolation at a displacement camp in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Dahuk province was triggered by a flashback. She heard voices outside her tent and believed IS militants had come back to torment her. She decided at that moment that death was a better fate. “The path to recovery is hard but these girls are incredibly brave. Knowing what they have been through, it’s miraculous,” observed Jan Kizilhan, an ethnic Yazidi trauma psychotherapist who is treating the victims. When he first encountered Yasmin, she was lying on a mattress in blazing temperatures at an unfinished construction site in Dahuk. “She looked at me, smiled and offered me tea.”

Kizilhan was in Iraqi Kurdistan as part of Operation Sonderkontingent, or “special contingency,” a $106 million scheme involving the transfer of 1,100 Yazidi women and child victims of IS to Germany in 2015 and 2016. Their stories continue to haunt him.

One case stuck with him more than any. It's that of a young woman, Tulay, whose year-and-a-half-old daughter was stuffed by her captors into a tin can and suspended from a rope strung across the balcony of the apartment where they were being held. The sun shone directly on the can, literally baking the child inside it. Her tormentors gave her just enough water to keep her alive, then finally thrust the child into icy cold water, causing her eyeballs to pop and her skin to burst. When she didn’t die, they broke her spine and then dumped her on her mother’s lap — “punishment” for Tulay’s failure to “properly” recite the Quran.

Tulay and her surviving son and daughter were brought to Germany as part of the group. Tulay works in a restaurant and has found a new balance. Kizilhan recently checked in on the family. “The children were laughing and drawing pictures for me,” Kizilhan said. “I felt pure joy.”

The majority of the Yazidis were ferried to Baden Wurttemberg, a wealthy state in southwestern Germany where a government that is still led by Winfried Kretschmann of the Green Party embraced the idea of rescuing them. The operation was conducted in top secrecy as IS continued to unleash terror attacks across the European continent. “At first we flew them via Istanbul. We then realized this was adding to their trauma as they were exposed to men and women who looked and dressed like their captors, so we chartered special flights and flew them directly here,” recalled Michael Blume, the state official who oversaw the operation and is currently leading efforts to combat antisemitism. Yasmin was transported in an air ambulance.

“Our program has been a huge success. Most of these people will give back to Germany what Germany gave to them,” Blume said in an interview at a sprawling mansion in the hills above the city center, which is the seat of the local government. Married to a Muslim Turk, Blume exudes pride as he describes how fast his former wards have adapted. “Just two attempted suicides, that’s it. Nobody has killed themselves here in these eight years,” Blume said, whereas back in the camps in Iraq, an untold number of Yazidis succumbing to depression have taken their own lives.

Child interrupted

In Stuttgart, the “Sonderkontingent Yazidis" have learned German, obtained high school diplomas, enrolled in university and found jobs. They typically experience less of the racism endured by other migrants. This is because “the German taxpayer understands that their situation is unique, that they have truly suffered” and therefore takes pride in offering them a haven, Blume explained. The fact that the majority are women and children is an added bonus. For a nation stained by the Holocaust, embracing the Yazidis feels good.

Nobel laureate Nadia Mourad was the first to tell the world of the horrors she and fellow Yazidi women captives lived through, searingly chronicled in her bestselling memoir, “Last Girl.” A growing number are coming forward with their own stories. Farhad Alsilo, 21, is one of them.

Farhad was 12 years old when he saw his father executed by black-swathed IS militants and four of his sisters taken away in his native Tell Azer in the Sinjar district of Iraq. Also known as Shingal, the area is where the bulk of Iraq’s Yazidis resided until IS embarked on its killing spree across the region in August 2014 that left 7,000 Yazidis, mostly men and boys, dead in the course of a few days. Thousands remain unaccounted for. Some 2,700 are women.

Farhad has just graduated from high school and goes from one local classroom to the other to tell his story. “Students ask me a lot of questions. They are interested because unlike their teachers I am describing something I lived through myself.”

He has written a book called “The Day My Childhood Ended” and has 20,000 followers on Instagram. During a recent afternoon at Kizilhan’s apartment, Farhad sat around the kitchen table with one of his sisters, Khaleda. “This is my country. I came here at a young age. Germany offered me great opportunities,” he said in flawless, unaccented German. Khaleda, who was held by the jihadis for five months, nodded in agreement. She fell in love with and married a fellow Yazidi in Stuttgart and has a baby girl. “I am happy here,” she said. Khaleda plans to resume work soon as a cashier. Farhad has applied to college to become a mechanical engineer.

Yasmin says she will seek an apprenticeship in a lawyer's chamber once her medical treatment is completed. She has a further 50 surgical procedures to go. Unlike Farhad though, she says she lacks the mental strength to lobby on behalf of her people. “I often feel angry and sad,” she said. People have called her “a monster” and a “freak.” An Arab bypasser said she looked like a monkey, not realizing that she understood. What hurts her the most is when children become frightened by her appearance. “Beauty lies within us,” she said.

Others are wracked by what Kizilhan terms “survivors’ guilt.” Another issue is split families. Only 30 men were granted permission to come under Operation Sonderkontingent. Germany’s immigration laws are toughening amid a backlash against former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door policy that saw over a million Syrians granted asylum. Reunification is increasingly out of reach.

Not without my child

With an estimated 200,000 Yazidis, Germany is home to the largest community of this ancient ethno-religious sect outside their traditional homeland in the Levant, where for centuries they have faced enslavement, ethnic cleansing and ostracism as “devil worshippers.” Many came as part of the first wave of guest workers in the 1970s. A further wave fleeing repression in Turkey and Iraq in the ’80s and ’90s ensued.

Germany is the first country to have tried IS members — with Amal Clooney serving as the victims’ counsel and the sole one to have convicted any for war crimes against the Yazidis. In January, Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, voted to join 18 other governments and international bodies — including the United Nations — that formally label the mass slaughter of thousands of Yazidis by IS a genocide. The tragedy is commemorated worldwide on Aug. 3.

With more than 200,000 languishing in camps in Iraq in dire conditions, Baden Wurttemberg has tentative plans to bring over more Yazidi women. The government wants in particular to salvage those who bore children by IS fighters. But in doing so, it has stepped into something of a minefield. While the Yazidis’ top religious authority, the Spiritual Council, has welcomed back so-called “sex slaves,” it has rejected children fathered by their Muslim captors.

Thus, rather than abandon their children, an unknown number have stayed behind in internment camps in northeast Syria where the families of IS militants are being held. And since Iraqi law requires fathers to authorize passports for minors, this leaves such children in legal wilderness and unable to travel.

“The politics have changed. Now you need the consent of Baghdad to take out Yazidis,” Blume observed. Previously, that of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) sufficed.

Germany’s first woman foreign minister, Angela Baerbock, a Green who has vowed to introduce “a feminist foreign policy,” railed at the rules during a recent trip to Iraq that included a visit to a Yazidi camp. “Like all children in this world, these children have human rights,” the top diplomat said. “That also means the right to their own surname.”

A new kind of hell

Such rebukes do not sit well with Yazidi leaders who deeply oppose their flock’s efforts to leave Iraq. However, the alternative — returning to their ancestral Sinjar — seems virtually impossible. Sinjar remains in political limbo with a patchwork of Iran-backed Shiites and militias controlling the region that is strategically wedged between Turkey and Syria. Turkey periodically carries out airstrikes on the grounds that outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party militants are active in Sinjar. Civilians have been killed together with the alleged fighters.

There is no mayor, functioning administration or adequate health care. “Even the most basic and mandatory bureaucratic procedure, that of acquiring a national identity card, has become a new kind of hell,” said Mirza Dinnayi, an award-winning Yazidi activist who took a leading role in Operation Sonderkontingent.

“The problem,” Dinnayi noted, is that “the central government in Baghdad has no national plan to repatriate these people.”

A deal struck between Baghdad and the KRG in 2020 was meant to have led to the disbandment of all armed groups and the return of displaced Yazidis. But it failed mainly because the community itself was not properly consulted. “With political will, this can be redressed [and] the agreement amended,” Dinnayi said. “But there appears to be none.”

Transitional justice in Iraq “is simply not working.” A government scheme to compensate victims of the genocide is steeped in controversy. Women are expected to go before a judge in a packed courtroom and describe their ordeal in minute detail in order to qualify, forcing them to relive their trauma. The judiciary is filled with religious conservatives who take offense at the women’s claims. Many are, therefore, reluctant to go.

In 2016, Kizilhan founded the Institute for Psychology and Psychotraumatology at the University of Dahuk to train new therapists, the first of its kind in Iraq. Yet the lack of mental health workers equipped to treat victims remains a big challenge. Dinnayi recalls an instance when a Yazidi woman who was raped 17 times nearly came to blows with her male therapist. He “forgot his competence and accused her of ‘attacking my religion’” as she began “insulting Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.” “I was shocked by both,” Dinnayi said.

Against this grim backdrop, Dinnayi, Kizilhan and Blume agree that survivors are better off in Germany. “But we need to hurry,” Minnayi cautioned. “The welcoming atmosphere of 2015 is no longer there.”

Source: al-monitor.com

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Iraq will break Swedish ties during Quran burnings

(CN) – Hundreds of Iraqi protesters besieged, vandalized and set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad early Thursday morning, in response to a planned Quran burning in Stockholm and fueled a diplomatic crisis between the nations.

Protesters were reacting to a call by Muqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi Shiite cleric and politician, to his followers to challenge a Quran burning that had been given the green light by Swedish police, according to various Nordic media.

Later Thursday, the Iraqi government expelled the Swedish ambassador and recalled its top diplomat in Stockholm, according to a Swedish TV station. SVT. It is a response to “the Swedish government’s repeated permission to burn the Holy Quran, insult Islamic sanctities and burn the Iraqi flag,” said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani.

Iraq will also ban business with Swedish companies, Communications Minister Hayam al-Yasiri told the Iraqi news agency. Telecom giant Ericsson will have its work permit revoked, the Iraqi government has announced.

The incident is the latest of several protests in the Muslim world, calling on Swedish authorities to stop allowing local protesters to burn what is considered a holy book with God’s own words in Islam.

For months, various anti-Islam protesters have burned the holy book near the embassies of Muslim countries in Stockholm, damaging Sweden’s diplomatic relations and reputation as a multicultural, tolerant nation. Just weeks before promising Swedish NATO accessionTurkish President Recep Erdoğan had denied the country’s membership bid until the Quran-burning stopped.

Swedish officials have spoken out against the protests.

“What has happened is completely unacceptable and the government strongly condemns these attacks,” writes Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström in a press release. press release published on Thursday.

“The Iraqi authorities have an unequivocal obligation to protect diplomatic missions and diplomatic personnel under the Vienna Convention. It is clear that the Iraqi authorities have seriously breached this responsibility,” he wrote, adding that the staff at the Swedish embassy are safe.

The Vienna Convention is an international treaty that contains rules on diplomatic relations and the conditions surrounding personnel at diplomatic missions.

In response to the incident, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry also released a statement condemning the attack and promising to identify the perpetrators, according to The Guardian.

“The Iraqi government has instructed the competent security authorities to conduct an urgent investigation and take the necessary security measures to reveal the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify the perpetrators of this act and hold them accountable according to the law,” the statement said. .

Swedish top officials have previously condemned Quran burnings in the capital, calling them an “Islamophobic” act that does not reflect the views of the government. Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a press release that authorities cannot intervene as the country has a “constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration”.

The argument has not impressed political leaders in Muslim countries, including those in Iraq, who have threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Sweden if the country continues to allow the burning of the holy book.

In Stockholm on Thursday, the protester repeatedly stomped on the holy book in front of a crowd that called on him to stop. He did not burn the Quran on this occasion. It was reported earlier on Thursday that Swedish police are reviewing “the entire context” of the planned burning after the events in Baghdad.

Sweden’s second instance has judged the police’s efforts to ban Quran burning earlier this year as incorrect. The police claim that the burnings would endanger public safety, but two Swedish courts concluded that the requirement was not sufficient to prevent the act, according to TT.

Source: nord.news

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https://nord.news/2023/07/20/iraq-will-break-swedish-ties-during-Quran-burnings/

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Türkiye condemns “attack” on the Quran in Stockholm

ANKARA, July 20 (Xinhua) — Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned an “attack” on the Quran in Stockholm on Thursday, while urging Sweden to take action against such types of “hate crimes.”

“We condemn in the strongest possible way the heinous attack on our holy book, the Holy Quran, in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm today,” the ministry said in a statement.

It was a response to the incident that took place on Thursday in the Swedish capital Stockholm, where one of the protesters stepped on the Quran.

The UN Human Rights Council resolution, adopted on July 12 after a Quran was burned in front of a mosque in Stockholm on June 28, defined attacks on the Quran as “religious hatred,” it said.

“We expect Sweden to take deterrent measures to prevent this hate crime against the religion of Islam and its billions of people, within the framework of its international responsibilities, especially its obligations within the UN, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Council of Europe,” it said.

The incident occurred not long after the Turkish government gave the green light to Sweden’s NATO bid. The Turkish parliament is to vote on the Nordic country’s NATO membership in October.

Source: nord.news

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Pakistan

 

Imran Khan summoned to SC in senior lawyer's murder case on July 24

July 20, 2023

ISLAMABAD: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) Thursday directed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to appear before it on July 24 for the hearing of his plea against the case related to the murder of a senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta.

The former prime minister had filed a plea in the SC seeking the quashing of the FIR that nominated him in the murder case of Advocate Shar, who was shot dead in Quetta on June 6.

A first information report (FIR) had been registered against Khan and others on the complaint of the slain lawyer’s son, advocate Siraj Ahmed, in Quetta, under the charges of murder, Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other provisions.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Ataullah Tarar held the PTI chairman “directly responsible” for the murder, claiming that the targeted killing was related to a treason case against Imran under Article 6 of the Constitution, which Shar was pleading.

A three-member bench comprising Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mussarat Hilali heard Khan's plea.

"The petitioner has to surrender before the court to get relief," Justice Afridi remarked during the hearing.

The justice told Khan's lawyer to tell the PTI chief to appear before the court in a personal capacity.

Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi inquired if the former premier could appear today.

At this, lawyer Latif Khosa informed the court that Khan would appear in the SC in an hour.

Meanwhile, Justice Afridi remarked that it would be better if the government's lawyer submitted their reply first.

The lawyers representing complainants of the case said that the case was about the PTI chief's appearance before the joint investigation team (JIT) of the murder case.

Khan's lawyer responded to the argument by saying that the defence does not acknowledge the JIT in a murder case.

At this, Justice Naqvi told the lawyer to take the matter seriously, saying that the petitioner is supposed to appear in person to acquire bail or orders for quashing the FIR.

Later, the court adjourned the hearing till July 24, ordering PTI chief to appear at 10:30am.

The former prime minister, who is embroiled in a slew of cases, had moved the apex court against his nomination in the case related to Shar's shooting in Quetta in June.

Besides bail in the case, he also requested to set aside the Balochistan High Court’s (BHC) decision to reject a similar petition.

However, the two-member bench of the SC comprising Justice IjazulAhsen and Justice Ayesha A Malik rejected Khan's bail plea and refused to suspend the BHC's order without hearing other parties in the matter.

The court held that a two-member bench of the apex court could not suspend the order passed by the learned high court’s two-member bench, directing the PTI chief to approach the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) for fixation of the case before a three-member bench.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1092355-imran-khan-summoned-to-sc-in-senior-lawyers-murder-case-on-july-24

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Trial of civilians in military courts: SC resumes hearing petitions challenging govt's decision

July 21, 2023

ISLAMABAD: A six-member bench on Friday resumed hearing the identical petitions challenging the government's decision to conduct trials of civilians in military courts.

The bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial  —comprises Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice SayyedMazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik.

In the violent riots and protests that erupted across the country on May 9 — "Black Day" — several military installations and buildings were attacked and vandalised.

The government announced that those found guilty of attacking military infrastructure would be tried in military courts.

The move was challenged in the top court by several people, all seeking that the move be declared "unconstitutional" or illegal.

In the previous hearing, CJP Umar Ata Bandial observed that the Pakistan Army Act 1952 does not apply to all but to a "specific class".

Petitions

Following the arrests made in connection with the violent riots that erupted across the country on May 9, the government announced its decision to hold military court trials of those found guilty of damaging and attacking military instalments — a move both the government and the army considered a low blow.

In light of this decision, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, former chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja, legal expert Aitzaz Ahsan, and five civil society members, including Piler Executive Director Karamat Ali, requested the apex court to declare the military trials "unconstitutional".

In this petition filed through his lawyer, the former CJP pleaded that Section 2(1)(d)(i) and (ii) of the Pakistan Army Act were inconsistent with the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution and should be struck down.

Moreover, five members of civil society from different cities — represented by Faisal Siddiqi — appealed to the apex court to declare illegal the trial of civilians in the military courts.

Similarly, Ahsan's petition challenged the government's decision to try civilians in military courts.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1092673-trial-of-civilians-in-military-courts-sc-resumes-hearing-petitions-challenging-govts-decision

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As Pakistan heads to polls, US says it supports upholding fundamental democratic principles

July 21, 2023

The United States said Thursday it "supports the peaceful upholding of fundamental democratic principles such as free media, free speech, freedom assembly" not just in Pakistan but across the world.

The comment from Matthew Miller, State Department’s spokesperson, came on Thursday during a regular briefing when his attention was drawn towards elections expected later this year.

“The stakes are very high for the coming election, and experts believe that the elections in Pakistan [are] unlikely to be free and fair. How does the United States promote and support the principles of free and fair elections in Pakistan?” he was asked.

In response, Miller said: “I will make clear that we support the peaceful upholding of fundamental democratic principles such as free media, free speech, freedom assembly. We champion the rule of law, not just in Pakistan but around the world. These principles are the foundations for democratic elections.”

The government has hinted at dissolving the assemblies before the end of the constitutional term, August 12, with consultations of coalition partners underway on the caretaker government.

Election Commission of Pakistan’s Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal has said that if the National Assembly is dissolved as per the competition of its tenure, then the ECP will hold the polls before October 11.

Terrorism

About terrorist incidents in Pakistan and the role of the Taliban government in stopping Afghan soil from being used by the militants, Miller said the Kabul rulers would be held accountable for their commitments made to the international community.

“But as we have said before, we remain – we retain the ability to conduct our own operations in the region to ensure that, regardless of any promises that the Taliban makes and regardless of their relative ability or willingness to uphold them, that we retain the right to protect American interests,” he added.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following Afghan Taliban's return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists, including the TTP, responsible for cross-border attacks.

Terror activities in the country have soared by 79% during the first half of 2023, a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed.

In two days — from July 18 to 20 — four terrorist attacks rocked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with six law enforcers embracing martyrdom and several others sustaining injuries.

In light of the rising militancy, Pakistan's government has warned Afghanistan against providing safe havens to the banned TTP — a terrorist organisation targeting security forces.

The top brass of the Pakistan Army has recently said that sanctuaries and liberty of action available to terrorists of proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in Afghanistan is one of the major reasons impacting the security of Pakistan.

Minorities’ rights

To a question about minorities’ rights in Pakistan, the US official stated that they “support the free exercise of religion anywhere in the world and oppose any attempts or uses of violence to suppress that right of people to exercise their freedom of religion.”

The journalist asking the question referred to reports that a 150-year-old Hindu temple had been demolished in the city of lights, Karachi.

Local authorities have denied the reports, with Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab saying that "no such demolition of the mandir has taken place &mandir is still intact".

However, attacks on Hindu temples are a very grim reality in Pakistan.

A gang of robbers fired mortar shells recently at Gulshan Dera Baba Sanwal Shah, the temple of Baghariji minority community, near Ghouspur in district Kashmore.

GiyanchandEssrani, Sindh minister for minorities affairs, then urged dacoits in the province's riverine belt not to harm its Hindu community that has been peacefully residing in the region for the past several centuries.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1092674-as-pakistan-heads-to-polls-us-says-it-supports-upholding-fundamental-democratic-principles

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Ukraine refutes reports on arms supply deal with Pakistan

July 20, 2023

Ukrainian Foreign Minister DmytroKuleba on Thursday rejected media reports regarding the Islamabad-Kyiv arms supply deal during his two-day official visit to Pakistan.

The media reports had claimed that Pakistan was helping Ukraine in its conflict with Russia by supplying munitions.

The Ukrainian FM also expressed interest in boosting trade and economic ties saying that the country is looking forward to hold the inaugural meeting of a Pakistan-Ukraine commission on economic cooperation.

He also thanked Pakistan for supporting Ukraine’s stance on its sovereignty and security.

Ukraine considers Pakistan a good partner and is ready to work in the area of food security, he added.

Ukraine’s top diplomat also praised Pakistan's humanitarian assistance to the people of the conflict-hit country.

He also assured of solving problems being faced by Pakistani students studying in Ukraine.

Speaking on the occasion, FM Bilawal emphasised the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts through dialogue and engagements, saying Pakistan is ready to support peace initiatives for lasting stability in the region.

Bilawal said as the Ukraine war has also brought difficulties for developing countries in the global arena, particularly in terms of fuel, food, and fertiliser shortages with Pakistan is no exception.

He said Pakistan has a great interest in promoting peace and reconciliation as well as peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

FM Bilawal appreciated the Ukrainian government’s principled stance in supporting the resolution on countering religious hatred, consistent incitements to discrimination, hostilities and violence at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

He expressed confidence that joint efforts to strengthen bilateral relationships will be beneficial for the people of both countries.

Bilawal said Pakistan aspire to build a mutually beneficial relationship that contributes to the "prosperity and wellbeing of our nations".

"We agreed on the importance of regular dialogue and engagement to further strengthen our bilateral ties."

Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, FM Bilawal expressed deep concern and offered Islamabad's condolences on the loss of precious lives and immense human suffering.

He said despite "our own economic challenges, Pakistan has sent humanitarian assistance as a gesture of solidarity with the people of Ukraine".

Pakistan, he further said, believes that prolonged conflict brings immense hardships and sufferings to the civilian population.

The foreign minister hoped that peace will prevail so that the people of Ukraine and Russia can enjoy peace dividends.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1092414-ukraine-rules-out-reports-on-arms-supply-deal-with-pakistan

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PM Shehbaz, son acquitted in money laundering case

July 20, 2023

LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore Thursday acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, in the money laundering reference case registered against them in 2020.

Moreover, the court also acquitted Nusrat Shehbaz (PM's wife), Javeria Ali (PM's daughter), Muhammad Usman, Masroor Anwar, Shoaib Qamar, Qasim Qayyum, Rashid Karamat, Ali Ahmed and Nisar Ahmed.

However, the court issued a perpetual arrest warrant for PM Shehbaz's daughter Rabia Imran.

The accused had filed petitions seeking acquittal, basing their argument on NAB's inability to present any evidence against them.

The NAB investigators also confirmed that no evidence was found.

While announcing the verdict reserved earlier this month, the court said that it had no other choice except to acquit the accused, as NAB has said that it did not have anything against them.

The anti-graft watchdog had filed the reference for the inquiry underway since 2018, in August 2020, when PM Shehbaz served as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.

He was arrested by NAB after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail in the case on September 29.

An accountability court indicted the prime minister, Hamza, and others accused after over a month on November 11, 2020.

However, he was released on bail in April 2021. Meanwhile, Hamza was released in February 2021.

The anti-graft watchdog had filed the reference for the inquiry underway since 2018, in August 2020, when PM Shehbaz served as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.

He was arrested by NAB after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail in the case on September 29.

An accountability court indicted the prime minister, Hamza, and others accused after over a month on November 11, 2020.

However, PM Shehbaz was released in April 2021.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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Death toll in Khyber suicide bombing reaches four

July 20, 2023

KHYBER: Three cops wounded in the suicide bombing in the Bara Bazar area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) Khyber district succumbed to their injuries, pushing the death toll from the attack to four, police said on Thursday.

The suicide attack in the tehsil compound — which houses the Bara Police Station, government offices, and a cell of the counter-terrorism department (CTD) — also injured eight other policemen.

Initially, one cop was reportedly martyred in the attack with several others injured.

The latest attack on the law enforcers came when a terrorist blew himself up on being intercepted by the police while entering the compound.

KP Inspector General Akhtar Hayat confirmed the suicide attack was led by two terrorists who entered the compound from the main and rear gates. Both of the terrorists were killed in the attack.

Sharing updates on the matter, police said that a section of the CTD's cell caved in after the explosion. Rescue and search operation was underway while the bomb disposal squad and CTD teams were present at the crime scene.

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 officials said that 10 injured policemen had been shifted to different hospitals for treatment.

Earlier, the Hayatabad Medical Complex administration said that a body and four injured — including three cops — were brought to the medical facility.

Some of the injured were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Dogra Khyber Agency as well.

Initially, the police said that smoke was seen rising from the site of the explosion. They said that heavy firing was also reported after the explosion.

The KP police suffered another attack last night when two cops were martyred, and two others were injured in a firing incident in the Regi area of Peshawar.

Police said that unidentified armed men opened fire on the cops at the entry checkpoint near Regi Model Town Police Station and fled. The injured cops were shifted to Khyber Teaching Hospital for treatment.

The martyred were identified as Head Constable Wajid and driver Farman.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following Afghan Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists including the TTP responsible for cross-border attacks.

Terror activities in the country have soared by 79% during the first half of 2023, a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed.

Pakistani security forces have also stepped up their response against terrorism and killed at least 236 militants across the country while 295 suspected militants were also arrested during the first six months of 2023.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1092357-blast-outside-police-station-injures-eight-in-kps-khyber-district

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KP hit with 4 terrorist attacks in 48 hours

July 21, 2023

PESHAWAR: A fourth terror incident occurred in the last 48 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as militants attempted to attack a checkpost in Peshawar on Thursday, but security forces thwarted it.

The province has seen a surge in terrorist attacks — from improvised explosive device blasts to suicide bombings — since late last year when the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) ended its ceasefire with Islamabad.

In the latest attack, which took place late at night, eight terrorists were sent running for their lives when police personnel fought back as the militants tried to attack the Riaz Shaheed Police Post in Peshawar's Sarband area.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Cantt Waqas Rafiq said as a result of police remaining "high alert," the cops could thwart the attack as terrorists tried to target the checkpost at night.

It wasn't the only attempt that militants had made. The checkpost came under attack on June 7.

The latest attack came hours after suicide bombers targeted a compound in Bara Bazar in Khyber District, martyring four cops and 10 others — including police officers and civilians.

Police officials said cops intercepted two suicide attackers at the police station adjacent to Bara bazaar and the entrance of the tehsil headquarters complex — which houses Bara Police Station, government offices, and a counter-terrorism department (CTD) cell.

The KP police suffered another attack before the Bara ambush, when two cops were martyred, and two others were injured in a firing incident in the Regi area of Peshawar.

Police said that unidentified armed men opened fire on the cops at the entry checkpoint near Regi Model Town Police Station and fled. The martyred were identified as Head Constable Wajid and driver Farman.

Before that, on July 18, a suicide blast took place near security forces' vehicle in Peshawar's Hayatabad area. At least 10 people, including seven law enforcers, sustained injuries in the blast.

In light of the rising militancy, Pakistan's government has warned Afghanistan against providing safe havens to the banned TTP — a terrorist organisation targeting security forces.

The top brass of the Pakistan Army has recently said that sanctuaries and liberty of action available to terrorists of proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in Afghanistan is one of the major reasons impacting the security of Pakistan.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following Afghan Taliban's return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists, including the TTP, responsible for cross-border attacks.

Terror activities in the country have soared by 79% during the first half of 2023, a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed.

KP interim Information Minister Feroz Jamal said on Geo News' morning show the police are equipped to deal with the rising terrorist activities but also noted that the Afghan government's actions could help curb militancy.

"If there is peace in Afghanistan, there will be peace in Pakistan. Anyone involved in cross-border terrorism should be dealt with [in Afghanistan]," the information minister said.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1092672-kp-hit-with-4-terrorist-attacks-in-48-hours

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South Asia

 

Tobias Ellwood, UK Parliamentarian, Faced No-Confidence Motion For Praising Taliban

July 21, 2023

Ellwood tried to end the controversy by apologizing for his “poor communication” after his actions infuriated members of his party and veterans.

Ellwood referred to Afghanistan in a tweet and accompanying video as a “country transformed” and talked up the group that seized power in August 2021, claiming “security has vastly improved, corruption is down, and the opium trade has all but disappeared,” as the Guardian cited.

Four members of the defence select committee submitted a no-confidence motion a few days later to have him removed from the crucial position.

According to the meeting’s minutes, the proposal was supported by two Tories, Mark Francois and Richard Drax, and two Labour MPs, Derek Twigg and Kevan Jones.

Ellwood admitted after the criticism that “the last couple of days have probably been the most miserable as a member of parliament” and that “I got it wrong.”

However, Ellwood frequently apologized in TV interviews and said the video “could have been much better done.” “It’s important to put your hand up and acknowledge errors, however well-intentioned,” the Bournemouth East MP and former army captain told TalkTV.

“I stand up; I speak my mind. I try and find solutions, especially on the international stage, and I’m very sorry that my reflection of my visit could have been much better worded and taken out of context.”

However, his apology has not stopped the Commons defence committee members from trying to remove him from his position as chairman.

Asked why he supported a vote on the former Army captain’s chairmanship, Jones told the PA news agency: “I support this motion because it is not the first time the chairman has made comments at odds with the committee. His latest video is a step too far.” Ellwood has yet to respond to the publication of the motion.

He referred to the controversy as a Twitter “storm”. He defended his critiques of Britain’s lack of interaction with the country’s new government following the disorganized withdrawal of Western armed forces from Kabul almost two years ago.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/tobias-ellwood-faced-no-confidence-motion-for-praising-taliban/

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Afghan soil will not be used against another country: Taliban govt

July 20, 2023

The Afghan Taliban assured Pakistan once again that Afghanistan's soil will not be used against another country.

The assurance was made by the Taliban government’s top diplomat in a meeting with Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Durrani in Kabul, a statement issued by the Afghan foreign ministry said.

The bilateral huddle was held on Wednesday and the Pakistani side is yet to issue an official statement on the meeting.

In the meeting, Muttaqi congratulated Durrani for assuming office and hoped that with his appointment the “political and economic relations between the two countries will develop further”. He added that “with ensured security in Afghanistan, a good opportunity has come up to strengthen the economy of the two countries, commence major projects, and increase trade”.

“Afghans will never harm anyone; we will allow none to use our soil against another country; and our efforts will always be directed at working for regional security and stability,” the Afghan foreign ministry quoted Muttaqi.

On the other hand, the Afghan foreign ministry said that the Pakistani envoy congratulated the Afghan Taliban “for the overall stability and security following a four-decade war and problems”.

“My efforts will be aimed at enhancing relations between the two countries; our countries have progress in the field of business that is appreciable; regional security is to everyone's benefit; and we will cooperate in the security sector,” Durrani was quoted as saying.

The envoy also assured Muttaqi that Pakistan is “ready to develop bilateral political, economic, and other mechanisms”.

“We will pay serious attention to completing the remaining work of Torkham-Jalalabad road; and that visa facility will be provided for Afghans, particularly for medical patients,” Durrani added.

Earlier this week, the United States also reiterated that the Afghan Taliban must ensure that their country isn't used for terror attacks as Pakistan blames the neighbouring nation for harbouring banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

"[The] Taliban have the responsibility to prevent [...] Afghanistan from being used as a safe haven for launching terrorist attacks," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press briefing.

The development came after the top brass of the Pakistan Army said that sanctuaries and liberty of action available to terrorists of the TTP and other groups of that ilk in Afghanistan is one of the major reasons impacting the security of Islamabad.

At the 258th Corps Commanders Conference (CCC) under the chairmanship of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, the army noted that the proscribed TTP had obtained access to the latest weaponry due to their sanctuaries in Afghanistan.

The terror attacks in Pakistan have spiked since November last year when the TTP ended its ceasefire agreement with Islamabad, with the armed forces also ramping up efforts against militants.

Terror activities in the country have soared by 79% during the first half of 2023, a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1092455-afghan-soil-will-not-be-used-against-another-country-taliban-govt

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Tajikistan’s President Calls for Inclusive Government in Afghanistan

July 21, 2023

Rahmon emphasized that the Taliban should recognize the freedom and rights of all ethnic groups and women in Afghanistan.

“We support the formation of an all-inclusive government that represents all ethnic, political, and social groups to guarantee the rights and freedoms of people, especially women,” he said.

The country always supported a peaceful resolution to the Afghanistan conflict and that an inclusive government will serve as the cornerstone for such peace.

Additionally, he urged Central Asian countries and leaders of the Arab world to work together to combat international crime and drug trafficking.

The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and five Central Asian countries, namely Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, met for the first time on Wednesday in Jeddah.

At the summit, the president of Kyrgyzstan stated that the situation in Afghanistan is quite alarming.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/tajikistans-president-calls-for-inclusive-government-in-afghanistan/

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EU Announces €7.6 Million in Humanitarian Aid for Afghanistan

July 20, 2023

The European Union has announced € 7.6 million to address the profoundly concerning levels of food insecurity affecting vulnerable communities through support to farmers and their needs, the improvement of food production, and the restoration of unirrigated land to six provinces of the country.

To address food insecurity among vulnerable communities, the EU financial contribution of € 7.6 million will allow Afghanaid and its partners to provide a comprehensive support programme to secure the necessities of rural Afghans, provide income generation opportunities, and support communities to apply climate-smart agriculture techniques and restore agricultural land for food production.

The project will implement in six provinces of the country, including Badakhshan, Dykundi, Ghor, Jawzjan, Samangan and Takhar, a statement said.

Food insecurity is widespread in Afghanistan, and women, youth and households with disabled household members are particularly affected. 17.2 million Afghans experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in April 2023. The statement added that Afghanistan is also particularly vulnerable to climate change and ranks among the countries most affected by ecological threats, including droughts, floods, and increasing temperatures.

“We are committed to helping the people of Afghanistan, especially the most vulnerable people in local communities, such as families headed by women that cannot meet their basic needs. We welcome this partnership with Afghanaid, a long-standing actor engaged in Afghanistan,” RaffaellaIodice, EU Chargéed’Affaires, said.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of Afghanaid, Charles Davy, said, “At a time when so many Afghans do not have enough to eat, more must be done to enable vulnerable households to grow more food and strengthen and diversify their incomes.”

He continued, “This is especially crucial for people with disabilities, disproportionately affected by the present crisis. Afghanaid is committed to making a real and sustainable change to the lives of the people it is supporting”.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/eu-announces-e7-6-million-in-humanitarian-aid-for-afghanistan/

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