Muslim World League Chief Leads Friday Prayers At Jama Masjid In Delhi: First Person From Outside Of India In 400 Years
New Age Islam News Bureau
15 July 20123
Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa delivers 'Khutbah' at Jama Masjid in Delhi. (Supplied)
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India
• Islamic State–Khorasan Province Module: NIA Books 4 J&K Men, Gujarat Woman
• Asaduddin Owaisi Lambasts Himanta Biswa Sarma For Muslim Vegetable Vendors Comment
• Kerala Muslim outfit raises doubts over CPM's anti-UCC stand
• Jalgaon: Based on Right-Wing Activist's Complaint, Collector Bans Namaz at 800-Year-Old Mosque
• Varanasi court reserves order for July 21 on plea seeking scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque
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Europe
• Major Change At Birmingham Mosque 'Moved Parents To Tears'
• Spencer Shia: Republicans should not be afraid to use civil rights law to protect conservatives
• Inside Ayr's new £1.5m police station with Muslim wash facilities and gym
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North America
• Nizar Trabelsi, A Former Tunisian Soccer Star Accused Of Planning Terror Attack With Osama Bin Laden Found Not Guilty
• US Man MirsadKandic, High-Ranking Member of Islamic State, Sentenced to LifeFor Helping The Extremist Group
• A. Asad Imam Selected as Inaugural Recipient of Lathrop GPM LLP 1L Diversity Opportunity Award
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Arab World
• Saudi Hawks performance stuns audiences at RIAT 2023 in UK
• Red Sea International Film Festival launches first workshop in Los Angeles
• Saudi minister meets Istanbul governor and Turkish business leaders
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Pakistan
• LHC sets aside orders to put TLP member’s name in Fourth Schedule
• SC to hear Musharraf’s 2013 poll plea on July 17, five months after his death
• Judges should try to understand needs of society, says CJP
• Armed forces deplore TTP havens across western border
• Planned only peaceful protests, Imran tells May 9 JIT
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Mideast
• Iranian Sunni Cleric, MolaviAbdulhamid, Says Politics Should Be Left to Politicians
• Sheikh AfifNaboulsi Dies after Long Battle with Illness: Hezbollah Mourns Loss of Islam, Resistance Scholar
• IRGC Chief: The Islamic Republic Goes through its “Most Sensitive Time Ever"
• Raisi condoles with Hezbollah leader over demise of Muslim scholar
• Turkey detains yet another family member of Islamic scholar Gülen
• Heatwave: How this Saudi city, Islam’s second holiest site, is beating the summer heat
• Egyptian Imam dies while delivering Friday sermon
• Iranian films line up for Kazan International Muslim Film Festival
• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque attracts 3.3 million visitors in first half of year
• Wall Street Journal: Biden treats Netanyahu worse than the mullahs in Iran
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Africa
• UNHCR, Islamic Group Partner To Support Over 3.3m Internally Displaced Persons
• Muslim group warns skit makers against making insensitive content
• Police Arrest Couple Who Disguised as New Converts to Steal from Chief Imam in Yobe
• Egungun Festival: Osun Masqueraders, Muslims Reach Peace Accord
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South Asia
• USIP Report Calls For Continuation of Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
• Bringing perpetrators involved in Shahidul Islam death to book demanded
• Bangladesh-US relationship improving: Salman
• Turkey Supports Vocational Training Courses For Disabled People in Afghanistan
• Nearly 150,000 Youths Currently Working in Mining Sector in Afghanistan: Official
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Southeast Asia
• Labelling Them ‘Malayan Extremists’, Tuaran MP Accuses Dr Mahathir, Hadi Awang, And Sanusi Of Trying To Revert Malaysia To Tanah Melayu
• In Japan’s Adventure Tourism Mecca, The Rush Comes With Risk
• Apology won’t absolve criminal offence, Azalina warns after Sanusi says sorry for alleged insult to Selangor Sultan
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/mwl-issa-jama-masjid-friday-prayers/d/130219
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Muslim World League Chief Leads Friday Prayers At Jama Masjid In Delhi First Person From Outside Of India In 400 Years
Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa delivers 'Khutbah' at Jama Masjid in Delhi. (Supplied)
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July 14, 2023
NEW DELHI: Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, made history in India on Friday.
Al-Issa became the first person from outside of India to lead the prayers at Jama Masjid in Delhi in 400 years. He was invited to take the pulpit by the imam and preacher of the mosque, and received a warm welcome from the worshippers.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2337986/saudi-arabia
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Swedish Police Now Permitting Burning of Bible, Torah After Quran Was Torched
A representative image (Image: ABC News)
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Friday, July 14, 2023
In an inversion of a famous Supreme Court argument, Swedes seem to ignore the dangers of an actual fire in a crowded theatre: Like Muslims last month after a Quran burning at Stockholm, world Jews are irate over a Swedish police decision to allow a Saturday protest centred on a burning of sacred scriptures in front of the Israeli embassy at the Swedish capital.
The planned burning of a Torah and a bible at the embassy was included in a request by a Swedish man who in applying for a police permit for his act claimed he wants to protect free speech. In his petition, the man reportedly argued his protest is a response to the burning of Quran in front of a Stockholm mosque on the Muslim holiday of Eid el Fitr.
Jews are indignant. “I condemned the burning of the Quran, sacred to Muslims world over, and I am now heartbroken that the same fate awaits a Jewish Bible,” President Herzog of Israel said in a statement. “Permitting the defacement of sacred texts is not an exercise in freedom of expression, it is blatant incitement and an act of pure hate.”
Similar outrage was heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Jerusalem officials, as well as leaders of Jewish communities in Sweden, other European countries, and America. While Stockholm may consider Jewish protest a small price to pay for protecting what it considers free speech, the response to the Quran burning may have been more serious and could prove harmful to Sweden’s national interests.
Since the June 28 Quran burning, Arab and Muslim countries from Pakistan to Morocco have summoned Swedish ambassadors for dressings down and the United Nations Human Rights Council condemned it. Most damaging, Turkey used the incident to bolster its objection to Sweden’s request to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
While President Erdogan later reversed his resistance to Sweden’s NATO candidacy, the parliament at Ankara is yet to ratify the accession. The Quran burning is sure to be used by Turkish legislators who oppose the decision. No wonder the Swedish premier, Ulf Kristersson, went out of his way to denounce the provocative burning, saying, “Everything that’s legal is not appropriate.”
What, then, is the legal status of burning of scriptures? “The police do not issue permits to burn various religious texts, the police issue permits to hold a public gathering and express an opinion” a Swedish police spokeswoman, Carina Skagerlind, said, adding it was “an important distinction.”
Many Muslims, though, have low tolerance for such distinctions — or for Western notions of free speech altogether. In 2015 two French Muslim men famously opened fire with assault rifles at the offices of Charlie Hebdo after the magazine published a cartoon contest ridiculing Muhammad. Decades after Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, an attacker stabbed and nearly killed the author.
In 1997 Israeli police arrested at Hebron a 26-year-old cartoon artist and member of Rabbi Meir Kahane’s outlawed Kach party, Tatyana Suskin. Her offense: hanging posters depicting Muhammad as a pig — an animal banned in Islam — at the center of the West Bank’s most devout Muslim city. A Jerusalem court later convicted Suskin for acts of racism and offending religious sensibilities, both of which are illegal in Israeli law.
Stopping Suskin’s provocation may have been sensible, as her act could have launched deadly riots in an already sensitive area. Yet, would America’s courts, with the First Amendment in mind, be as tough on her as Israel was at the time? Indeed, would our judicial system allow for the burning of Qurans or Torahs in front of houses of worship and embassies?
“That would probably cross the line,” a criminal defense and civil liberties lawyer and writer, Harvey Silverglate, tells the Sun. Restrictions on free speech based on what is known in law as time, place, and manner are “one of the few things the Supreme Court has consistently kept for decades,” he says. “You cannot have a political speech using loudspeakers at 3 a.m. in a residential area.”
Mr. Silverglate, who co-wrote a strong defense of free speech in academia — “The Shadow University: The Betrayal of Liberty on America’s Campuses” — says therefore that while the high court may permit a Quran burning at New York’s Central Park, it is unlikely to allow a similar act in front of a mosque, as in Sweden.
In 1977 the Supreme Court refused to bar the Nazi party’s demand to march among Holocaust survivors at Skokie, Illinois. Yet, it has placed restrictions on speech for many decades in accordance with the observation, often ascribed to President Lincoln, that “the Constitution is not a suicide pact.”
“The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic,” Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote in a celebrated 1919 case, Shenck v the United States. Setting fires to sacred texts in front of the most sensitive sites shows that a failure to predict the damage ignited by such cases may be just as harmful as falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater.
Benny Avni is a columnist who has published in the New York Post, WSJOpinion, The Daily Beast, Newsweek, Israel Radio, Ha’Aretz, and others. Once New York Sun, always New York Sun.
Source:nysun.com
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https://www.nysun.com/article/swedish-police-now-permitting-burning-of-bible-torah-after-Quran-was-torched
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Olympia City Council Proclaims July 2023 As Muslim Heritage Month Appreciating The Contributions Of The Muslim American Community
Photo credit: The Jolt News Organization
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14/07/2023
The Olympia City Council has officially designated July 2023 as Muslim Heritage Month in a move aimed at recognizing and appreciating the valuable contributions of the Muslim American community, as reported by the JOLT News. The proclamation, announced during a recent city council meeting, serves to promote understanding and cultivate a sense of appreciation for the positive impact that Muslims have had on American society. Dr. Amna Qazi, who represented the Islamic Centre of Olympia, expressed gratitude for the council's acknowledgement and highlighted the universal values of Islam, emphasizing its principles of tolerance, peace, and respect for all individuals.
During her address, Dr. Qazi also raised concerns regarding the growing prevalence of Islamophobia and the perpetuation of anti-Muslim sentiments, thereby emphasizing the critical need for a collaborative approach between the community and civic authorities in addressing these pressing challenges. The city council's proclamation reflects their commitment to opposing hate and injustice, particularly combatting anti-Muslim rhetoric. To this end, the council has outlined a comprehensive strategy encompassing heightened awareness initiatives, educational endeavours, proactive community engagement, and tangible actions to nurture inclusivity and foster unity.
Seemab Husseini, an influential representative from the Council on American Islamic Relations in Washington State (CAIRS), commended the city's recognition of the Muslim American community. Husseini highlighted the cultural enrichment brought by immigrants and praised Olympia's dedication to inclusivity and empowerment for all residents. The proclamation acknowledges the charitable contributions, social activism, and community support provided by Muslims, highlighting their significant role in building a stronger and more cohesive society.
Source:yenisafak.com
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https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/olympia-city-council-proclaims-july-2023-as-muslim-heritage-month-3666676
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Saudi Survey Says: Nearly Half Back “Moderate Islam”; Few Support Internal Protests or War with Iran
Jul 14, 2023
“Moderate” Islam Holds Its Appeal, Though Some Opposition Also Remains
By March/April 2023, nearly half (43%) of Saudis agreed with this assertion: “We should listen to those among us who are trying to interpret Islam in a more moderate, tolerant, and modern direction.” This proportion is now about double the figure recorded just six years ago, and it has remained fairly stable over the past three years.
Open imageiconSpring 2023 Saudi Moderate Islam Chart
On this key question, a highly counter-intuitive yet confirmed finding over all these recent years of surveys is the similarly split view among older and younger Saudi adults. Those under 30 are no more and no less supportive of “moderate” Islam than their elders. In this latest poll, almost exactly one-quarter of each generation “strongly” agrees with this new interpretation, with another quarter of each voicing agreement “to some extent.” On most other questions, too, the expected generational differences simply do not emerge as statistically very significant in these findings.
Corruption Still Troubles Around Half the Public, But Protests Are Unpopular
Saudi opinions regarding the lack of anti-corruption demonstrations in the Kingdom have also reached a majority plateau. As of March/April 2023, 78% of Saudis agreed with this judgment: “It’s a good thing we don’t have mass street protests against corruption, as they do in some other Arab countries.” This figure has inched up since 2020, when only 48% agreed at least somewhat that “it's a good thing we aren't having big street demonstrations here now.”
In previous surveys, around half of Saudis (54%) in late 2022 believed the Kingdom was “doing too little” in “reducing corruption in economics and politics.” Results from a poll from November 2018 had discovered that a somewhat larger majority of Saudis (63%) felt this way, showing a modest positive shift in Saudi attitudes regarding this issue. In that four-year period, slightly more Saudis, from 13% up to 21%, have even come to believe that the country was “doing too much” in combating corruption.
Saudis Still Say Ties with Iran Are of Low Importance, But Severity of That View Has Declined
Iran is one of the few issues on which notable attitudinal differences emerge between the Sunni majority (around 90%) of Saudi citizens and the small (around 10%) Shia minority, mostly concentrated in the country’s Eastern Province. For instance, while 60% of Saudi Sunnis identify Iran as “an enemy,” just 39% of Saudi Shia concur.
Similarly, two-thirds (68%) of Saudi Sunnis—but just half (54%) of Saudi Shia—say that “the restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran” will have negative effects on the region. These responses are also important as an example of private popular disagreement with official policy, adding credibility to the overall findings from the survey.
On a related question asked in previous polls, the trends over time appear mildly moderate. The overwhelming majority of Saudis (88%) viewed relations with Iran as of little importance in 2017, and most continued to hold this view in 2022, nearing 80%. However, fewer Saudis in 2022 (44%) than in 2017 (58%) said relations with Iran were “not important at all.”
Such a change in sentiment could indicate less general Saudi hostility toward Iran as a threat to Saudi Arabia’s existence. Surprisingly, a remarkable 85% of Saudis agree with this assertion: “A major American or Israeli military strike against Iran would be too dangerous, and a bad idea for our country.” That figure includes nearly half (48%) of Saudis who feel “strongly” that way. Conversely, and almost equally unexpected, somewhat fewer than half (43%) of Saudis voice agreement with this purposely provocative proposition: “Since Iran is now getting so close to having a nuclear bomb, it’s time for an Arab country to get one too.”
Open imageiconSpring 2023 Saudi Iran Strike Chart
Relations with China and Russia are viewed with increasing importance, but U.S. still valued
The United States is now seen by most Saudis as mainly either a “friend” (17%), a “security partner” (32%), or an “economic partner” (33%). China today garners even more positive reviews, though mostly in the economic realm: “friend” (17%); “security partner” (11%); or “economic partner” (62%).
More striking still are the very favorable, across the board results for Russia: “friend” (20%); “security partner” (34%); or “economic partner” (41%). Moreover, in line with this prevailing appraisal, a stunning three-quarters (74%) of Saudis, as of March/April 2023, agreed at least “somewhat” with this deliberately controversial claim: “In the war going on now between Russia and Ukraine, the best outcome would be a Russian victory, including the annexation of significant Ukrainian territory to Russia.”
Trends Over Time: United States, Russia, China
A majority of Saudis (56%), when asked “How important is it to have good relations with the United States?” in November 2022, believed they were of little or no importance. But this was a slight improvement from the 60% of Saudis who had taken this position five years earlier in October 2017.
Between 2017 and 2022, Saudis have indicated increased importance of the Saudi Arabia-Russia relationship. October 2017’s poll saw 62% of Saudis viewing the Kingdom’s relations with Russia with some degree of unimportance. However, these proportions were roughly reversed: “unimportant” dropped to 44% in November 2022, with a majority of Saudis (53%) viewing Saudi-Russian relations with some degree of importance.
Saudis attitudes towards the importance and unimportance of relations with China in 2017 were relatively equal at 46% and 50%, respectively. Five years later, however, Saudis had become less critical of relations with China, when nearly 60% of them view these relations with some degree of importance.
The increased sense of importance of Saudi-Chinese and Saudi-Russian relations corresponds with increased sentiment that the United States is unreliable. In November 2021, sentiment about Saudi Arabia’s not being able to “count on the United States these days” and instead “look[ing] more to Russia and China as partners” was equally split between Saudis who believed the United States was reliable (49%), and Saudis who believed the opposite (49%). One year later, a majority of Saudis (61%) believed that it would be better for their country to look more to Russia and China instead.
Open imageiconSpring 2023 Saudi US Reliability Chart
Methodological Note
This analysis is based on findings from personal interview surveys conducted among nationally representative samples of 1,000 Saudi citizens from October 2017 to March/April 2023. Sample selections followed standard geographic probability procedures, yielding a statistical margin of error of approximately 3 percent. These surveys were conducted by a highly qualified, experienced, and completely apolitical regional commercial firm, and strict quality controls and assurances of confidentiality were provided throughout. Additional methodological information, including full questionnaires and data sets with demographic breakdown, is available on our interactive polling platform.
Source:washingtoninstitute.org
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https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/saudi-survey-says-nearly-half-back-moderate-islam-few-support-internal-protests-or
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Pakistan Warns of Strikes on Militants Hideouts in Afghanistan
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
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July 15, 2023
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif criticized the Taliban administration for disregarding crucial commitments made in the Doha agreements, including its commitment to prevent the use of Afghanistan territory for terrorist activities.
The Defence Minister lashed out at the Taliban authorities, saying that the country was neither upholding its obligation as a neighbour nor safeguarding the peace agreement, he tweeted on Saturday.
On Friday, the Army expressed its concerns, saying Afghanistan has long been perceived as a safe haven for the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) organization.
“The involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan is another important concern that needs to be addressed,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
“Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit an effective response from the security forces of Pakistan.”
Meanwhile, earlier, the foreign ministry of Pakistan urged Taliban authorities to keep their word and prevent the use of their territory for terrorist activities in Pakistan.
The ministry asked Afghan authorities to accept their responsibility to ensure their soil is not exploited against Pakistan.
The remarks came after the deadly attack by the militants on the Pakistani soldiers on Wednesday, killing at least 12 soldiers and one civilian in the Balochistan province of the country.
Asif also said that for 40 to 50 years, Pakistan has given 5 to 6 million Afghans asylum while maintaining all their legal rights.
“On the country, the terrorists who shed the blood of Pakistanis find refuge on Afghan soil. The ongoing situation can no longer continue. Pakistan would employ all possible resources and measures with the guidance of Allah to safeguard its territory and citizens.”
The Taliban authorities have yet to be commented on the matter. Meanwhile, the Taliban said they have not allowed anyone to use Afghanistan territory against Pakistan.
Over the past few months, extremist attacks have drastically increased in Baluchistan and the northwesterly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, which borders Afghanistan. Since 2023 began with suicide bombings and other attacks, more than 400 people—mostly members of the security forces—have perished due to the bloodshed.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-warns-of-strikes-on-militants-hideouts-in-afghanistan/
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India
Islamic State–Khorasan Province Module: NIA Books 4 J&K Men, Gujarat Woman
JULY 15, 202
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case against five residents of Jammu and Kashmir including a woman in a case linked to a module of Islamic State–Khorasan Province (ISKP), a proscribed terrorist organisation, operating from Porbandar city in Gujarat. According to the FIR, the accused have been identified as Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawal, Mohammad Hajim Shah, Sumera Banu, and Zubair Ahmad. Sumera, based in Gujarat, was allegedly helping the other Srinagar residents facing allegations of running a terror module.
“The Central Government has received information regarding registration of FIR at Police Station ATS, Ahmedabad under section of 120B of IPC and sections 38 539 of UAPA relating to the busting of a secret module of Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), a proscribed terrorist organisation, operating from Porbandar Gujarat,", the FIR says.
All the accused are allegedly active members of ISKP and were planning, along with their co-conspirator Zubair Ahmad, to go illegally go from Porbandar and through Iran to Afghanistan to carry out terrorist acts there. Four mobile phones, incriminating literature related to ISKP, and sharp weapons, such as knives, have been recovered from them by ATS Ahmedabad, the NIA says in its FIR.
“Since the offence has been committed and having regard to the grave security ramifications and its national & international linkages, it is required to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008," a case document says.
Earlier, an ATS investigation had revealed that all the five were radicalised by their handler Abu Hamza. The ATS managed to access a cloud storage account of the accused persons and found a video in which they can be seen pledging allegiance to ISKP while flashing sharp weapons, a media release of the ATS has said.
Allegedly as directed by Abu Hamza, the three men—Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawal, and Mohammad Hajim Shah—had reached Porbandar to work as fishermen on boats. They planned to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and reach Afghanistan via Iran and join ISKP, the ATS said, adding that it found mobile phones, tablets and sharp weapons in the bags of the accused. Their handler had planned to release their pre-recorded videos and photographs after their “sacrifice" in Afghanistan, said the release issued by ATS Gujarat.
Source:news18.com
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https://www.news18.com/india/nia-books-4-jk-men-gujarat-woman-in-case-linked-to-islamic-state-khorasan-province-module-8339371.html
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Asaduddin Owaisi Lambasts Himanta Biswa Sarma For Muslim Vegetable Vendors Comment
15 JUL 2023
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday night taunted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for blaming the soaring prices of vegetables on Muslim vendors.
He said perhaps they blame their personal failures on "Miya bhai" as well.
Sarma stirred a huge controversy earlier on Friday by claiming Muslim vegetable sellers are jacking up vegetable prices, and if "Assamese people" sold vegetables, they would've never charged "their Assamese people" more.
"Who are the people who have increased the price of vegetables so much? They are Miya traders, who are selling vegetables at a higher price," Sarma reportedly said.
'Miya', in local parlance, refers to Bengali-speaking Muslims who live in Assam but are believed to have originally migrated from Bangladesh.
The Assam Chief Minister has often chastised the Miya community for being "very communal".
He has even suggested they are 'outsiders', accusing them of trying to distort Assamese culture and language.
"Miya traders are charging high prices for vegetables from Assamese people in Guwahati, while the price of vegetables is low in the villages. If Assamese traders were selling vegetables today, they would never have charged more from their Assamese people," he added, according to a BBC report.
Owaisi, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), hit back with a sharp retort.
"There is such a mandali (group) in the country who will blame Miya ji even when the buffalo does not give milk or the hen does not lay eggs in their house. Perhaps they blame their 'personal' failures on Miya bhai as well," he said, as per NDTV report.
The AIMIM chief also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying there's deep friendship going on between the PM and foreign Muslims.
Source:outlookindia.com
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https://www.outlookindia.com/national/asaduddin-owaisi-himanta-biswa-sarma-muslim-vegetable-vendors-news-302991
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Kerala Muslim outfit raises doubts over CPM's anti-UCC stand
JUL 15 2023As the CPM in Kerala is organising a seminar against Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Saturday with the participation of various Muslim outfits, one group has expressed doubts over the anti-UCC stand of the CPM.
The Samastha Kerala Sunni Mahallu Federation (SKSMF) has expressed doubts citing the earlier stand of CPM on personal laws.
SKSMF leader AbdusamadPookotoor said that the CPM's policy was to reform personal laws. CPM leaders like E M S Namboodiripad had also stated it earlier. Hence the CPM's present stand against UCC is quite doubtful unless the party openly states that ...
SKSMF also issued a statement in this regard. SKSMF is affiliated to the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a key Muslim scholar's body in Kerala.
The Congress was already alleging that the present anti-UCC stand of CPM was a political ploy to woo Muslim outfits by unleashing a communal campaign over the move of the BJP government at the centre to bring in UCC.
Even as the CPM invited Congress's coalition partner Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to the seminar to be held in Kozhikode on Saturday, IUML decided to keep off expressing displeasure over not inviting Congress to the event.
Meanwhile, there were reports that a leader of NDA's coalition partner Bharath Dharma Jana Sena is likely to participate in the CPM's seminar as a representative of the Sree Narayana Dharma ParipalanaYogam (SNDP), which is an outfit of the Hindu - E...
CPM general secretary SitaramYechuri is scheduled to inaugurate CPM's seminar to be held at Kozhikode on Saturday. Leaders of various socio-religious outfits would be participating in the seminar.
Source:deccanherald.com
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https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/kerala-muslim-outfit-raises-doubts-over-cpms-anti-ucc-stand-1237121.html
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Jalgaon: Based on Right-Wing Activist's Complaint, Collector Bans Namaz at 800-Year-Old Mosque
SukanyaShantha
Mumbai: For as long as Aslam recalls, men from the Muslim community have been congregating inside the Jumma Masjid in Jalgaon’sErandol Taluka five times a day to offer namaz. The 800-year-old structure is an important place of worship in northern Maharashtra and a property registered under the Waqf Board.
But it has suddenly become inaccessible to the community after the district collector passed an interim restraining order while hearing a complaint filed by a right-wing organisation. The collector issued an order under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, immediately banning prayers on the premises. In the order, the collector also directed police deployment in the area. The collector asked the tahsildar to take charge of the mosque, which he described as “disputed”.
While the collector’s interim restraining order and his power to pass it have been challenged before the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court, Aslam, a member of the Jumma Masjid Trust, fears that the unprecedented order marks the beginning of the communalisation of a centuries-old mosque in the state.
The complaint
The centuries-old mosque suddenly became a site of controversy because of a complaint filed by an unregistered organisation called “Pandavwada Sangharsh Samiti”. The complainant, Prasad Madhusudan Dandawate, moved a petition before the Jalgaon district collector Aman Mittal in mid-May. Dandawate, according to his Facebook profile, is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. In his complaint, Dandawate claimed that the mosque was built over a Hindu place of worship and is illegal and should be taken over by the state authorities. The complainant also claims that the Jumma Masjid Trust has “illegally” encroached over the space.
The Jumma Masjid Trust members told The Wire that they were unaware of the claims made until they received a notice end of June. “By then, the collector had already been conducting hearings. In a restricted time, we were asked to defend our case. And on July 11, the collector simply passed a restraining order,” Aslam, one of the ad-hoc members of the trust committee, said.
Along with the mosque’s trust committee, the Waqf Board and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) too were issued notice by the collector. The ASI has supported the trust’s claims that it is an ancient structure. It said that since the time the ASI was involved in 1986, prayers have been offered inside the mosque premises. The ASI stated that the mosque has been an open and accessible space for the Muslim community for time immemorial.
The Waqf Board, citing the Waqf law, challenged the collector’s power to preside over the hearing of the complaint.
In its response, signed by Junaid Sayyad, the deputy chief executive officer (CEO) of the Waqf Board, the board points to the relevant sections of the law that bars any department other than the Waqf from looking at disputes arising out of titles and related property issues of those registered under the board.
‘Outside collector’s mandate’
Moin Tahsildar, the CEO of the board, told The Wire that the collector’s decision to issue a restraining order was clearly outside his mandate and it infringed on the legal jurisdiction of the Waqf tribunal. “The collector can interfere to the extent of handling the law-and-order aspects here; everything else is the Waqf board’s responsibility. The property has been registered with the board since 2009 and there is no ambiguity in that aspect,” Tahsildar clarified. He further added that the board, in its response to the collector, had clearly spelt out the legal position. “Yet, it was overlooked while issuing the restraining order,” Tahsildar added.
This, Tahsildar says, is not the first time that an arm of the state has interfered with the functioning and legal jurisdiction of the Waqf. More so when the complainant belongs to the Hindu community, he points out. “We have challenged the interim order,” Tahsildar added. The hearing in the matter was scheduled for July 13 but later the collector deferred the hearing to July 18. The interim restraining order will continue until the next hearing date.
The Masjid Trust, meanwhile, has moved the high court with documents that are from pre-independence times – including court orders from time to time and those passed by the British Indian government. After the 1960s too, there has been periodic updation of documents and the mosque has been earmarked as an ancient monument, the petition mentions. The petitioners have also complained about the collector’s unwillingness to give them a fair hearing. “The learned Collector was not in a mood to hear anything from the petitioner and without giving any opportunity to the petitioner on 11.07.2023 the learned Collector, Jalgaon, passed an order under Section 144 and 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” the petition alleges.
Source:thewire.in
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https://thewire.in/rights/jalgaon-right-wing-activist-complaint-juma-masjid-namaz-ban
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Varanasi court reserves order for July 21 on plea seeking scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque
14th July 2023
VARANASI: A court here on Friday reserved its order for July 21 on a petition seeking a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The petition filed by the Hindu side of the case had sought a direction from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the entire Gyanvapi mosque complex.
"We had put before the court the demand for an archaeological and scientific investigation of the entire Gyanvapi complex except for the 'vajukhana'. After hearing both sides, the court reserved the verdict for July 21," said Vishnu Shankar Jain, the counsel for the Hindu side.
Jain said he argued that the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque dispute can be resolved only by an archaeological investigation of the entire mosque complex.
Source:newindianexpress.com
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Europe
Major change at Birmingham mosque 'moved parents to tears'
15 JUL 2023
A Birmingham Imam revealed parents are moved to tears bringing their autistic children to the Mosque for the first time. He argues this is due to hostile reactions kids get during standard Mosque visits, where worshippers are not aware of their complex needs.
Wanting to fill the gap for neuro-diverse children who need a calmer atmosphere he introduced Autism Hour at Birmingham Central Mosque. The goal was to allow autistic children a space of calm with sensory activities and non-judgmental people.
Imam Mohammad Asad, 50, is the Lead Imam at Birmingham Central Mosque and argues more should be done to accommodate children with various needs. He calls for more autistic friendly spaces in Mosques, arguing some children have never stepped foot inside one their entire life.
Imam Mohammed said: "All sorts of children have different needs and the Muslim community needs to do more to accommodate them. This was the initiative to open Autism Hour and we were the first Mosque to do this.
"Families were interested and brought a lot of ideas. Kids were able to run around and parents had tears in their eyes as they could never bring their children before.
"It was the first time their children had ever step foot inside a Mosque. Normally the kids get shouted at by people who don't realise they are autistic."
Every three months the Mosque hosts Autism Hour, where families can bring neuro-diverse kids to enjoy sensory areas, arts and crafts, quiet time and work with volunteer teachers. Each event has an Islamic theme such as Ramadan or Hajj. The sessions have been running since 2019 but very few people know they exist, and Imam Mohammed hopes other Mosques might also pick up the idea.
He continues: "It is a chance for kids to feel welcomed and where parents can connect and share advice, resources and practice. What better place than the house of Allah?
"Parents felt valued and acknowledged, it is a magical feeling for them. Some are experienced with autistic kids and some are just beginners.
"They are scared to open up because of the stigma, they get put down by other people who think they don't know anything about autism.
"These are not naughty children as there could be 100 reasons for their behaviour, it could be autism. We need to educate the community and other Mosques should look into it.
"Some have done it but there is no open door access. We have plans to get better and upscale with more activities."
Recently, Muslim mother Kathryn Irrgang shared her experience of raising her autistic teenage daughter. She revealed the many challenges they face such as changing prayer times and different routines for Eid.
Kathryn, 49, previously said: "She cannot go to the Mosque when it's busy which affects us, because we cannot all go together. So someone stays with her and the rest go to the Mosque.
"Mosques need to create a safe space for autistic people. Most don't have one and I would like to campaign for that.
"I think it would be great if more Mosques did that otherwise autistic people will continue to feel excluded, a lot of Mosques don't have space."
Source:birminghammail.co.uk
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https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/major-change-birmingham-mosque-moved-27313095
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Spencer Shia: Republicans should not be afraid to use civil rights law to protect conservatives
July 14, 2023
In the wake of the 2020 US Supreme Court decision Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s protections against employment discrimination “because of sex” extended to LGBT individuals, some conservatives were apoplectic.
Josh Hawley, a senator, took to the floor of the Senate to argue that if such a result could be achieved, it “represents the end of the conservative legal movement”. In the following months Ted Cruz, his Senate colleague, indicated that he expressed concern to the White House about nominating Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in Bostock.
Underlying these comments is a conservative scepticism of expanding civil rights law. There are many, likeHawley, who do not want to create new protected categories in equality legislation, or apply civil rights law to novel circumstances.
Scepticism about the over-extension of civil rights law, which could lead to intrusive social engineering or the state-sponsored imposition of woke policies on civil society is healthy.
Nonetheless, in today’s political environment, civil rights law can also be a useful tool to achieve conservative ends, and to stymie the left’s weaponization of private institutions.
Such law requires both government and private actors to not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits government funding to private organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, colour, or national origin; Title VII applies the same to employers and extends a further protection on the basis of sex; Title II prevents discrimination in public accommodations, whether they be privately owned or not.
In the current age, conservatives and conservative values are being threatened in private institutions. Consider the examples of social media and affirmative action.
Large social media platforms have been censoring conservatives. Following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, files were released indicating that Twitter artificially limited the reach of conservative users on the basis of their views. Recent litigation revealed that the Biden Administration pressured social media platforms to remove conservative views on the COVID-19 pandemic, including the now mainstream view that the virus originated in a Wuhan research lab.
Civil rights law offers the building blocks to stymie the left’s weaponization of social media against conservatives. In fact, it already has: the states of Florida and Texas have, in the spirit of Title II of the Civil Rights Act, passed legislation requiring large social media platforms to not engage in viewpoint discrimination while undertaking content moderation.
In this age, where a greater share of communications takes place online, such laws will ensure that conservatives have the means to communicate and share their views.
The left, meanwhile, has made clear their intention to use social media to censor conservatives, be that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez chastising Facebook for running ads without “fact checks” and so-called experts calling the social media censorship of Donald Trump “too little, too late”.
An amendment to Title II, identifying large social media platforms as public accommodations and adding political ideology and viewpoints as protected categories, would go a long way toward protecting conservative speech by opening up the federal courts to lawsuits against private actors that try to discriminate against conservatives.
Then there’s affirmative action. Until the recent Supreme Court decisions, universities discriminated against asian and white applicants to artificially increase the number of black and Hispanic students.
Race was used to deselect candidates from the final shortlist for admission to Harvard College, and admissions offices artificially deflating the “personality” scores of Asian applicants – despite the fact that the interviewers who actually met the applicants gave asians about the same personality scores as applicants of other races.
Although higher education has been in the spotlight, similar diversity-hiring initiatives take place in woke corporations too.
The recent Supreme Court decision, which bans the independent consideration of race, was doubtless an improvement. However, it still allows universities to indirectly consider race in their discussion of race in admissions essays, if it reveals non-racial qualities of an applicant, such as their “courage” or “determination”.
Thus while the ruling prevents the most egregious forms of affirmative action, such as deflating the personality scores of asian applicants or considering race when deselecting applicants from a shortlist for final admission, a muted form may yet survive by indirect means.
Harvard University mentioned the Supreme Court’s qualification in their statement expressing disappointment at the decision before stating that they will “follow the ruling”, implying that they will seek to indirectly consider race; Asha Rangappa, an admissions officer at Yale University’s Jackson School, tweeted that the Supreme Court decision may allow for more diversity-oriented admissions policies.
Here, no legislation is needed. Litigation and the application of the precedents of the Civil Rights Act is enough. Neil Gorsuch noted, in his concurrence in the consolidated Affirmative Action cases SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC, that the Supreme Court has applied a plain, textualist interpretation of the Civil Rights Act.
What he means by that is that, for example, the aforementioned Bostock case saw the Supreme Court applying a near-literal interpretation of Title VII’s phrase “because of sex” to extend its protections to LGBT individuals, as biological sex plays a role in the identities and behaviours of LGBT individuals.
Thus, the logic goes, firing of an LGBT person would not have transpired had the LGBT person been of a different sex. Hence, even the indirect consideration of protected categories is prohibited by the Supreme Court’s precedents on the Civil Rights Act.
Title VI, another provision in the Civil Rights Act, lays similar prohibitions on federally-funded institutions, such as most universities. As Gorsuch writes, applying past precedents on the Civil Rights Act on Title VI and Affirmative Action will yield a simple result: that it prevents “racial discrimination to any degree or for any purpose.”
The implications for this are straightforward: if “any degree” of racial discrimination is unlawful, including indirect discrimination, then the indirect consideration of race, such as the muted form of affirmative action advocated by the aforementioned institutions and figures, is also unlawful.
Using this theory, conservatives could and should sue universities and corporations who continue to engage in affirmative action – not abstain from these tools because they associate them with the other side.
Like any tool, civil rights law and be used for good or ill. Parts of the left are committed to wielding it as a sword; conservative should be prepared, as Kemi Badenoch said of the UK’s Equality Act, to use it as a shield.
Source:conservativehome.com
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https://conservativehome.com/2023/07/14/spencer-shia-republicans-should-not-be-afraid-to-use-civil-rights-law-to-protect-conservatives/
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Inside Ayr's new £1.5m police station with Muslim wash facilities and gym
14 JUL 2023
Ayr’s new £1.5 million police station was officially opened today, sporting a number of ‘firsts’ for Scotland’s police force.
Some 200 officers made the move from the crumbling King Street building to nearby Newton House, on Green Street Lane, in May, leaving behind their base of almost 50 years.
Now their ‘new home’, as Ayrshire’s top cop, Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain, hails it, boasts ‘first class’ facilities, that embody modern-day policing.
The repurposed Newton House, which originally operated as a school and most recently as council offices, hosts a number of ‘firsts’ for Police Scotland including a multi-faith room with Wudu wash facilities for Muslim officers and a bespoke mothering room.
Upgraded office spaces, a brand-new gym, wellbeing rooms, and an LGBT+ changing room also feature in the revamped space - all costing £1.5 million compared to the £1.6 million it would’ve cost just to repair the leaking roof at King Street.
Also making the move from King Street is the Ayrshire Police War Memorial, which now takes pride of place near the entrance of Newton House, reminding police and public alike to never forget Ayrshire’s war hero cops.
Chief superintendent Faroque Hussain said he is “indebted” to those involved in transforming the building, including Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone QPM, Deputy Chief Officer David Page, responsible for finance and procurement, and South Ayrshire Council, all of whom helped Ayrshire Police Division secure a new premises.
He said: “The old police building wasn’t exactly the condition we would’ve liked it to have been in.
“We were determined to move out and find a location that we could be really proud of.
“Even though we moved out of a building that was built in 1975 into a building that was built in 1846, when you wander around you will see the first class condition that our colleagues have transformed this into.
“This building demonstrates a number of first for ourselves- this is the first operational police building that allows Muslim colleagues to actually do their prayers in terms of having Wudu facilities that allows them to wash.
“Although there are mothering rooms elsewhere within the organisation, they tend to be merged with other uses but here we’ve got a bespoke mothering room; alongside a number of wellbeing rooms, an outstanding gym for our colleagues and then for our LGBTI colleagues we have a gender neutral changing facility that allows individuals to use those facilities if they so desire.
“So in terms of a modern workforce and the way that we engage with our workforce, this building symbolises that- and that’s all happened because of [Superintendent] Derek Frew and the leadership that he’s shown.
“I’m indebted to you Derek for making exactly what policing together is about and bringing that to life, and this building very much does that.”
Joining CS Hussain in attendance at the official opening were Ayr MP Allan Dorans - himself a former Metropolitan Police constable, sergeant and inspector - Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran Sheriff Iona McDonald OBE, and CC Sir Livingstone QPM and South Ayrshire Provost Iain Campbell, who together unveiled a plaque to officially open the premises.
CC Sir Livingstone QPM hailed the space as a ‘fantastic building’ that will bring a welcoming boost to Ayrshire officers’ wellbeing.
He said: “If we’re not looking after each other, not looking after ourselves, what chance have we to go and look after our fellow citizens?
“This building, the work that’s been done, really gets to the essence, for me, of the values of Police Scotland and what Police Scotland is about.”
CS Hussain echoed CC Sir Livingstone’s views, adding: “These facilities for our people allow them to operate at their very best and create an environment that allows them to flourish.
“When you speak to our colleagues who work out of here, there’s a real spring in their step.”
Provost Iain Campbell, whose two brothers served in Strathclyde Police including one stationed at King Street, said: “I’m actually old enough to remember when this really was a school!
“The council work closely with the police on many initiatives so when they said they were looking for a new premises we were only too happy to help.
“Newton House was not widely utilised by the council at that point so it became the perfect fit.
“This has been transformed into a fabulous building and is future proof for policing well into the next few decades. Most importantly it keeps police within the heart of Ayr and within easy reach of the rural communities and villages.”
Source:dailyrecord.co.uk
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https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrshire/inside-ayrs-new-15m-police-30469846
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North America
Nizar Trabelsi, A Former Tunisian Soccer Star Accused Of Planning Terror Attack With Osama Bin Laden Found Not Guilty
July 14, 2023
A Tunisian national who was accused of plotting a terrorist attack against Americans in Europe in 2001 with Osama bin Laden was found not guilty by a Washington, D.C., jury.
Nizar Trabelsi, a former Tunisian soccer star, was detained in 2001 and convicted in a Belgian court in 2003. He was extradited to the United States in 2013 after serving a 10-year sentence in Belgium. He was accused in an indictment of having traveled to Afghanistan to plan a suicide bomb attack with bin Laden on the KleineBrogel Air Base in Belgium, where U.S. personnel are stationed.
U.S. authorities claimed that he had collected chemicals made to produce a 1,000-kilogram bomb and had scouted out the base with others prior.
However, his lawyers argued that the statements Trabelsi made to Belgian authorities that resulted in his original conviction were provably false, contained several contradictions, and were made under duress.
“We all agree that he was born in Tunisia, he is a good soccer player, and he is an incessant talker who made statement after statement after statement to Belgian authorities,” his lawyer, Sabrina Shroff, said, according to Courthouse News. “Most of his statements, if not all, could not be objectively corroborated.”
She also argued that Trabelsi was a victim of hysteria surrounding the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
A Justice Department official told NBC News that Trabelsi will be sent back to Belgium, and until then, will remain in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Source:washingtonexaminer.com
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/tunisian-national-terror-attack-laden-not-guilty
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US Man MirsadKandic, High-Ranking Member of Islamic State, Sentenced to LifeFor Helping The Extremist Group
JULY 15, 2023
AKosovo-born US man who helped supply “thousands" of recruits to the Islamic State group was sentenced to life in prison Friday for helping the extremist group, the Justice Department announced.
MirsadKandic, 40, was a high-ranking member of the jihadist group between 2013 and 2017, when it controlled large swathes of Iraq and Syria, the Justice Department said.
In 2013 he left his home in New York and travelled to Syria where he joined IS, becoming a fighter in Haritan outside of Aleppo.
Then he was directed to move to Turkey to help smuggle foreign fighters and weapons for the group into Syria, it said.
He was also an emir for IS media, the department said, disseminating the group’s propaganda and recruitment messages online, including via more than 120 Twitter accounts.
As a recruiter, “he sent thousands of radicalized ISIS volunteer fighters from Western countries into ISIS-controlled territories in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East," the Justice Department said, using another acronym for IS.
One recruited volunteer was a fellow New Yorker, RuslanAsainov, who became a sniper for the Islamic State group and was convicted in February of providing material support to a designated terror group.
Another was Australian teen Jake Bilardi, who was lured into the Islamic State group in 2014 before killing himself and more than 30 Iraqi soldiers in a March 2015 suicide bomb attack.
By early 2017, Kandic was hiding in Bosnia under a pseudonym. He was arrested in July 2017 in Sarajevo, and extradited to the United States three months later.
He was convicted in a jury trial in May 2022 of conspiracy and five counts of providing support to IS.
Source:news18.com
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https://www.news18.com/world/mirsad-kandic-high-ranking-member-of-islamic-state-sentenced-to-life-8339965.html
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A. Asad Imam Selected as Inaugural Recipient of Lathrop GPM LLP 1L Diversity Opportunity Award
JULY 14, 2023
Lathrop GPM LLP is pleased to announce that A. Asad Imam, CFE, is the inaugural recipient of the firm’s 1L Diversity Opportunity Program award. Imam expects to graduate in 2025 from The American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. He currently serves as a 1L Summer Associate with Lathrop GPM in the Kansas City, Missouri office working primarily with the firm’s Franchise & Distribution Practice Group on litigation and transactional matters.
Imam also works as a Paralegal II for Marriott International where he handles franchise hotel development contracts and corporate transactions. Imam’s lifelong involvement with youth empowerment and education including his work with at-risk youth in Los Angeles, franchise consulting at Mathnasium – The Math Learning Center, and his recent involvement with the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University exemplifies his dedication to guiding and supporting students in establishing meaningful connections with diverse professionals and industry leaders. Working at Marriott International, and previously at Mathnasium – The Math Learning Center has inspired Imam to pursue a career in franchise law after graduation. In addition, Imam has provided pro bono legal support for veterans via the Veterans Consortium and Afghan asylum applicants via Lathrop GPM.
"I am truly humbled to receive this award, and I consider it a profound honor,” said Imam. “This recognition reinforces my commitment to fostering inclusivity and providing guidance to fellow diverse professionals within the legal and business realms. I am excited to pay it forward by creating avenues of access and offering valuable advice, empowering others to succeed in their respective fields.”
Imam will gain invaluable legal experience during a seven-week engagement at Lathrop GPM. Additionally, he will have the privilege of immersing himself in the dynamics of an in-house legal team through a three-week legal clerkship with Hallmark Cards, providing him with comprehensive insights into different legal perspectives and practices.
A graduate of University of Southern California, Imam received his B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Business Law in 2016. Imam is also a member of the International Franchise Association.
About Lathrop GPM LLP
Lathrop GPM is a full-service, Am Law 200 law firm with more than 325 attorneys in 12 offices. Our attorneys provide a full spectrum of corporate legal services: business transactions, litigation, intellectual property and trusts & estates. We help businesses, organizations and individuals grow and succeed, anticipate trends, plan for challenges and bring their visions to life. Clients recognize Lathrop GPM for our commitment to client service, legal project management and innovative pricing capabilities. The firm is nationally recognized for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, with a Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification Plus status and Top Performer and Compass Award Winner recognitions by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. A Multilaw and Employment Law Alliance affiliate, we have the resources of more than 90 independent law firms in 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.lathropgpm.com.
Source:prweb.com
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Arab World
Saudi Hawks performance stuns audiences at RIAT 2023 in UK
July 14, 2023
LONDON: The Saudi Hawks aerobatic team representing the Royal Saudi Air Force on Friday performed a stunning aerial display at the opening ceremony of the Royal International Air Tattoo 2023 exhibition.
The display was widely welcomed and enjoyed by crowds at the event, which is being hosted at the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire and also saw the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children in attendance.
The global tattoo is the largest military air show in the world and runs from Friday to Sunday, with the participation of more than 250 aircraft from 58 countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The event was well attended, with a wide range of aircraft on display, from the large B-52 bomber to impressive airshows by fighter jets, bombers, helicopters and transport airplanes.
The theme of this year’s exhibition is “Skytanker23,” which focuses on the vital role of air-to-air refueling in modern military aviation and the Royal Saudi Air Force participated by bringing one of its A330 MRTT tankers.
The exhibition aims to present a historical journey through the great developments of air refueling technology, from its early beginnings in 1923 until now.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2337971/saudi-arabia
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Red Sea International Film Festival launches first workshop in Los Angeles
July 14, 2023
RIYADH: The SeriesLab — a Red Sea International Film Festival initiative — recently launched its first training workshop in Los Angeles.
Saudi trainees, professional writers and emerging talents were selected by the Red Sea Lodge to participate in the workshop, which, according to the RSIFF “aims to prepare participants to write compelling stories, pitch their pilot to major television networks, create a platform of series and episode writers, and give them the right tools and guidance to create the next must-watch television sensation.”
The workshop was presented by a group of professional writers, producers and industry experts, including award-winning producer David Janollari, former chairman of NBC Entertainment Bob Greenblatt, and writer Marc Cherry — creator of “Desperate Housewives.” It also included an improvization session with director Jamie Muir and a tour of the Writers Guild of America.
The workshop aligns with the RSIFF’s objectives of promoting professional and talented writers and honing their skills in an effort to support the artistic and cultural community in the Kingdom.
The SeriesLab is a professional creative-writing program that allows writers to develop a pilot for a TV series. It selects projects for full development and mentorship and consists of group workshops and one-on-one meetings. The workshops will take place in both the US and Saudi Arabia.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2337851/saudi-arabia
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Saudi minister meets Istanbul governor and Turkish business leaders
July 14, 2023
RIYADH: Majid Al-Hogail, Saudi Arabia’s minister of municipal and rural affairs and housing, met Turkish officials and business leaders during his official visit to Turkiye this week, including Istanbul’s governor, Davut Gul.
During their meeting, Al-Hogail and Gul reviewed the relationship between their countries and ways in which it might be enhanced, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
They discussed Istanbul’s experience in balancing efforts to preserve its culture and heritage with the need for urban development in the city, and the challenges it faces. Al-Hogail invited Gul to visit the Kingdom and attend the Cityscape Global real estate exhibition in September.
The Saudi minister then held several meetings in Istanbul municipality with executives from Turkish companies that specialize in urban operations. They reviewed their experiences and expertise in managing issues such as public parking, waste recycling and smart city development, and the methods the companies have devised to improve the operation of public utilities, the main problems they have encountered, and the solutions they have developed in light of the challenges facing urban developers in Istanbul.
Al-Hogail told them the Kingdom offers many promising investment opportunities in a qualitative environment that attracts investment in a variety of economic and development sectors across the Kingdom, including the municipal and housing sectors.
He added that he looks forward to strengthening cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, particularly in the fields of real estate development, infrastructure projects and smart cities.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2337511/saudi-arabia
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Pakistan
LHC sets aside orders to put TLP member’s name in Fourth Schedule
July 15, 2023
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has set aside orders to keep a Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) member’s name in the Fourth Schedule, it said in a written verdict issued on Saturday.
The Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 (ATA) is a list of individuals placed under observation by the government on suspicion of their involvement in terrorism or sectarianism.
Today, the LHC issued the written order of a hearing conducted on July 13 on a plea filed by TLP member Ghulam Abbas against two orders — a 2021 order wherein his name was included in the Fourth Schedule list and a 2022 order wherein his review petition against the former was rejected.
Abbas frequently represents the TLP in the party’s negotiations with the government. He was among members who signed a 12-point agreement last month with the government on assorted issues, including speedy trials of blasphemy accused and easing restrictions on the religio-political party.
Today’s verdict, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was issued by LHC Justices Ali Baqar Najafi and Muhammad Amjad Rafiq. In it, the court ruled that “there exist no such grounds which could justify enlisting” of the petitioner in the Fourth Schedule.
It observed that by enlisting the person as proscribed, there are “strict implications […] by which practically the life and living of such person is massively curtailed as even for medical and educational expenses he needs approval from the federal government”.
The order recalled that the court asked specific questions from the law officer and asked if he could show any material “by which it could be seen or heard that appellant was engaged in any objectionable activities but no such material could be produced or shown to the court”.
It further observed that the law officer also did not have information about the fate of a criminal case, under which he said Abbas had been enlisted in the Fourth Schedule.
The LHC noted that “simply the involvement of the appellant in any criminal case is hardly a ground to deprive any citizen of his fundamental right of life and liberty”.
The order noted the court was “mindful of the consequences” of enlisting a person in the list and that subsequent sanctions were against fundamental human rights, which is why such a move “must not be an exercise in vacuum or routinely venture based on whims, wishes or conjectures of the authority”.
“It is in common experience that after imposition of such sanctions, person becomes handicapped to run his life honourably and smoothly; for subsistence and spending his life, he becomes dependent upon the discretion of the federal government.”
The verdict went on to observe that an enlisted person was “required to execute a bond for certain restriction upon his freedom of movement, right to reside at a particular place” along with “deprivation from entertainment and amusement”.
It stated that the government could arrest and detain such a person under Section 11-EEE (powers to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the ATA “as and when the government desires”.
The order went on to list numerous channels through which information could be collected amounting to reasonable grounds, including social media accounts, text messages, posters, photographs, newspapers, pamphlets, speeches on any forum and surveillance reports among others.
Defining what “reasonable grounds” for proscribing a person meant, the verdict cited a Supreme Court order from 2020 that explained the same.
The court observed that before enlisting any person in the Fourth Schedule, the authority concerned “must ensure that information be available in more than one forms as highlighted above so as to make it credible and be more than a suspicion”.
It also highlighted that “it must be ensured that the person, once involved in such activities, is still alive and in touch with same state of affairs in order to avoid any deprivation of an individual from his fundamental rights”.
Recalling Section 11-EE of the ATA, the order noted: “State must demonstrate that the person sought to be notified as such, was involved in cases under Sections 6 and 7 of the ATA,1997 or was an office-bearer, activist or associate with an organisation notified in terms of Section 11-B for proscription of organisation by federal government or was member of such organisation which was under observation in terms of Section 11-D of ATA, 1997 or was involved in terrorism or sectarianism.”
Stating that the information to arrive at the above conclusion “may be gathered from any credible source whether domestic or foreign”, the LHC observed that there “must be some reasonable grounds before enlisting a person in Fourth Schedule and of course, reasonable grounds stand apart from reasonable suspicion”.
In the plea, Abbas’ counsel had argued that his client’s case does not qualify to be treated under section 11-EE (proscription of person) of the ATA because “no such material is available against him”.
According to Section 11-EE of the ATA, the government may list a person as a proscribed person in the Fourth Schedule if the person is “concerned in terrorism”, “an activist, office bearer or an associate of an organisation kept under observation” or is concerned or suspected to be concerned with any organisation suspected to be involved in terrorism or sectarianism.
If listed in the Fourth Schedule, the government may require such a person to execute a bond with one or more sureties for “this good behaviour and not involve in any act of terrorism” for a period not exceeding three years.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1764887/lhc-sets-aside-orders-to-put-tlp-members-name-in-fourth-schedule
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SC to hear Musharraf’s 2013 poll plea on July 17, five months after his death
July 15, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Five months after the death of former president Pervez Musharraf, the Supreme Court has fixed Monday (July 17) for hearing his plea he had filed against the rejection of his nomination papers for a National Assembly seat of Kasur in the 2013 general elections.
A three-judge Supreme Court bench consisting of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ayesha A. Malik and Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi will take up the matter.
In 2013, the nomination papers of former president and retired general Pervez Musharraf were rejected for the National Assembly constituency NA-139, Kasur, by the returning officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after his opponent Advocate Javed Kasuri objected the former president’s nomination papers on six different grounds.
One of the objections stated that the candidate did not meet the criteria as enunciated under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution which deal with qualifications and disqualifications of a candidate to become a member of the National Assembly.
Consequently, the returning officer had declared the former army chief ineligible to contest the elections from NA-139 seat.
Then the ECP had debarred him from the polls in Kasur in view of different court cases filed against him for violating the country’s Constitution several times.
Mr Musharraf had approached the Supreme Court and challenged the rejection of his nomination papers by RO in the Supreme Court.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1764843/sc-to-hear-musharrafs-2013-poll-plea-on-july-17-five-months-after-his-death
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Judges should try to understand needs of society, says CJP
July 15, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said on Friday that judges should interact with both common people, as well as intellectuals, to understand the society’s grievances, aspirations and needs.
“Ultimately as a judge, we are not just concerned with looking for just right and wrong, though in most of the cases it may be something which we will be looking at,” the CJP observed.
“What we need to understand, in the context of human rights, is what rights need protection and how they should be protected.”
He was speaking at the opening of a two-day conference on “Resilient Pakistan: Calibrating Population and Resources” at the Supreme Court Auditorium.
The event is designed to share experiences, best practices and evolving strategies to address the population challenge by bringing together speakers from home and abroad.
Justice Bandial calls on people to come forward with solutions, as not everything can be left to the state
The CJP expressed the hope that the conference would come up with solutions on how to protect fundamental rights, adding that he was glad to learn that the focus of the conference was on ways to make population productive so that people could earn their livelihood and contribute to society.
The CJP began his speech with a selection of Quranic verses to highlight the importance of bringing happiness to families. He said it was regrettable that today “we think only about ourselves”.
“Most of us remember that only a generation ago our elders either supported, or were supported, by their relatives to get educated,” the CJP observed.
“What I am trying to emphasise is that when we bring in people into the matrix that will be interacting with society by giving them skills-based education, we see fruits in the form of well-managed families, spacing, choices being exercised and women being respected.
“The people of Pakistan should come forward and offer solutions to the state,” the CJP said.
“We just cannot leave everything to the state as it’s already preoccupied with other priorities.”
Chief Justice Bandial said Islam requires its adherents to have a thought for the poor. “Islam strengthens the bond that families provide us.”
The CJP recalled that Pakistan had virtually no money in 1947, but wealthy individuals stepped in to prop up the fledgling economy.
The country overcame its teething problems and was able to “give loans to Germany four years later and, unbelievingly, even to China in 1971”, the CJP said. He recalled the nation valued simplicity and thrift in the past, but “today we take pride in extravagance and our elite lead us in that direction”.
The first step towards contributing to a cause is to become simple yourself since one’s simplicity generates a surplus to contribute to that cause, the CJP emphasised.
The CJP lamented that for one job there were thousands of applicants these days and petitions over allocation of quotas and related matters went right up to the Supreme Court.
“We have to surmount this problem by creating more job opportunities and
for this we need to groom talented individuals so that they match the employers’ criteria.”
Justice Bandial disagreed with the notion that a rapidly growing population was a strain on resources. He recalled that an initiative was taken during the 1970s to export manpower to the Middle East. That initiative paid off handsomely and the nation is reaping its rewards to this day, he added.
The CJP expressed the hope that experts would enlighten the participants about the success of Muslim countries like Iran and Bangladesh.
The conference was also attended by judges of the Supreme Court and high courts, as well as superior courts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, eminent national and international experts, members from academia, population and public policy professionals, and legal fraternity.
Dr LuayShabneh, the country representative for UNFPA, described the event as an opportunity to share ideas about ways to bring about a radical change in population control strategy and to make politicians realise the need for placing it at the top of every government’s agenda.
Source:dawn.com
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Armed forces deplore TTP havens across western border
July 15, 2023
ISLAMABAD / QUETTA: The military has deplored the convenience and freedom with which militants have been launching attacks in Pakistan from Afghanistan and said it expected Afghan rulers to take action. It has also highlighted the involvement of Afghan nationals in “acts of terrorism” in Pakistan.
“Armed Forces of Pakistan have serious concerns on the safe havens and liberty of action available to TTP [Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan] in Afghanistan,” the military’s media wing ISPR said in a statement on Friday, two days after 12 soldiers lost their lives in militant attacks in Zhob and Sui districts of Balochistan.
“It is expected that interim Afghan government would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in Doha Agreement,” it said, referring to the US-Taliban deal signed in the Qatari capital in 2020 to bring an end to the 2001-2021 war in Afghanistan.
The peace agreement ultimately led to the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in August 2021.
The ISPR’s statement came after Chief of the Army Staff Gen Asim Munir on Friday visited Quetta Garrison, where he was briefed on the attack on a military installation in Zhob cantonment.
Nine soldiers were martyred on Wednesday at the base which the militants stormed into armed with guns, hand grenades and rockets. The army said all five militants who stormed the base in the early hours were killed in retaliatory fire.
On the same day, militants also attacked security forces in Sui. Three soldiers were martyred in the exchange of fire, whereas two militants were killed.
The combined deaths of 12 soldiers from attacks is the military’s highest single-day death toll from militant attacks reported this year.
The army chief also visited the soldiers injured in the attack at the Combined Military Hospital and appreciated their services and resolve. He also paid tribute to the martyrs, the military said.
Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants for cross-border terrorism. The ISPR also pointed to the involvement of Afghan nationals in such incidents.
“The involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan is another important concern that needs to be addressed. Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit an effective response from the security forces of Pakistan,” it said.
“Operations against terrorists would continue unabated and the armed forces shall not rest till the menace of terrorism is rooted out from the country,” it said.
Meanwhile, funeral prayers of all the fallen soldiers were offered in their native towns on Friday with full military honours, the ISPR said.
The burials were attended by serving and retired officers, soldiers, relatives and several people from different segments of society.
Rise in militant attacks
Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the outlawed TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.
According to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the number of militant attacks surged 80 per cent to 271 in the first half of this year, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injuring 656 individuals.
KP took the brunt with 174 attacks, which claimed 266 lives and injured 463. Balochistan reported 75 terrorism incidents, resulting in 100 deaths and 163 injuries.
Sindh reported 13 attacks with 19 deaths and 19 injuries. Punjab reported eight attacks, resulting in six deaths and 10 injuries.
According to a report on the National Counter Terrorism Authority’s (Nacta) website, several forces were supporting terrorism in Balochistan, exploiting factors like lack of education, poor infrastructure, low business activity and a sense of political deprivation, especially in the youth.
Sophisticated weapons
A security official told Dawn on condition of anonymity that Balochistan had always remained subject to security challenges due to different geography and improper infrastructure development.
However, the official said the inability of the interim Afghan government to restrain the TTP was the main reason for the latest wave of unrest in Balochistan and KP.
He said the TTP continued to enjoy havens in Afghanistan and had managed to get sophisticated weapons and was operating freely in Afghanistan.
The official pointed out that the militants who claimed the recent attacks in Balochistan were carrying M16 rifles, used by the US military.
The militants were also wearing the US army’s uniforms, he said, adding that they got hold of the arms and ammunition left by the US forces during their 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Moreover, Indian interference could not be ruled out either, the official said.
To prevent such incidents in future, he said, the army would increase counterterrorism operations in certain areas and would hunt down the terrorists and restrict their entry to Pakistan.
According to him, the Pakistani government would be asked to take up this issue with the interim government of Afghanistan. The Iranian authorities would also be contacted to rein in the terrorist groups.
Afghan Taliban reaction
When asked to comment on the military’s statement, Taliban spokesperson in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, told Dawn that Kabul was committed not to allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against any other country.
“We have made it clear time and again that we are committed not to allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against any other country because stability in the region and in Afghanistan is essential as we are intending to make Afghanistan hub of regional trade and prosperity. It is only possible when the region enjoy peace and stability,” he said.
Source:dawn.com
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Planned only peaceful protests, Imran tells May 9 JIT
July 15, 2023
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Friday appeared before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the May 9 violence and told it that his party had a plan to lodge peaceful protests in the cantonment areas.
He, however, blamed the PDM government for attacks on military installations, saying it had ‘manipulated’ the situation on May 9 just to defame the PTI and use force against him, his party leaders and workers.
An official privy to the development said the JIT grilled the PTI chairman for about 50 minutes at the DIG Investigation headquarters.
The team members put 35 questions regarding Mr Khan’s role/involvement in managing the alleged attacks on the Corps Commander House and other military installations in Lahore.
He said the question that irritated the former prime minister the most was why the timing, targets, and modus operandi was the same when the PTI workers carried out attacks on military installations throughout the country.
In response to the question, Imran Khan repeated his stance that “all was done by the state machinery to defame and malign me and my party’s men,” the official source said.
Answering a question about the involvement of PTI’s first-tier leadership in the May 9 attacks, the former prime minister claimed that the government had already planned to arrest them and it did so as per its ‘previous strategy’.
The official source further said that during investigation the former prime minister told the JIT members (in a warning tone) that his party (PTI) would come to power in coming elections.
He said Imran Khan probably wanted to alert the JIT officers to be ‘neutral or be careful’ while questioning or investigating him and his party leaders and workers in terrorism cases.
The official said JIT also questioned PTI’s two senior leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar separately.
They had also been summoned by the team in the wake of the May 9 cases registered against them in Lahore, the source said, adding that the JIT let Imran Khan and others leave after they recorded their statements.
Headed by Lahore Investigation DIG Kamran Adil, the JIT had issued summons to the former prime minister to appear before it at 4pm on Friday.
“Imran Khan is required to attend the office of the DIG Investigation to join the investigation proceedings entrusted to the JIT formed by the Punjab government,” read the summon notice issued by the Lahore DIG (investigation).
The official said Kamran Adil had proceeded abroad to attend a course and SSP Imran Kishwar headed the JIT on Friday to investigate Mr Khan, Mr Qureshi and Mr Umar.
Imran Khan has been accused of instigating the attackers who vandalised and torched the Corps Commander House and other installations while he was under arrest.
He was nominated in 10 cases registered at various police stations of Lahore in the wake of the May 9 attacks. Later, Mr Umar confirmed to the media that Imran Khan had recorded his statement at the DIG investigation headquarters office on Friday.
Source:dawn.com
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Mideast
Iranian Sunni Cleric, MolaviAbdulhamid, Says Politics Should Be Left to Politicians
JULY 14, 2023
Iran’s most prominent Sunni cleric has urged the country’s Shia clerical establishment and armed forces to leave politics, as residents of the south-eastern city of Zahedan took to the streets for their 41st consecutive Friday of protests against the Islamic Republic.
"We believe that the military can be successful in their own domain, but politics and policies are meant for politicians," MolaviAbdulhamid, the outspoken Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, said in his sermon on July 14.
"Let the scholars and clerics focus on teaching, issuing fatwas and other matters attributed to them," he added.
The 75-year-old Sunni cleric also condemned a recent armed attack on the Zahedan police station, saying that “the spirit of people does not condone violence and criminal activities."
On July 8, armed individuals attacked the police station near Grand Makki Mosque, where Molavi delivers his sermons. All four attackers and two police officers were killed in the assault.
The Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that the police station was "one of the main causes of Bloody Friday."
It referred to September 30 when security forces killed nearly 100 people during protests in Zahedan, the deadliest incident in the nationwide demonstrations sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.
The city has since been rocked by weekly protest rallies after Friday prayers.
On July 14, hundreds of Zahedan residents marched through the streets in silence amid internet disruptions and heavy security presence.
Internet monitor NetBlocks reported a “significant disruption to internet connectivity” in the city, saying that “the incident continues the weekly pattern of regional internet shutdowns targeting anti-government protests at Friday prayers.”
Molavi has been a key dissenting voice inside Iran since the eruption of the widespread protests in September 2022, using his sermons to call for fundamental economic, social and political changes in the country.
Zahedan is the capital of Sistan and Baluchistan province, which is home to Iran's Sunni Baluch minority of up to 2 million people
Source:iranwire.com
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https://iranwire.com/en/politics/118500-iranian-sunni-cleric-says-politics-should-be-left-to-politicians/
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Sheikh AfifNaboulsi Dies after Long Battle with Illness: Hezbollah Mourns Loss of Islam, Resistance Scholar
July 14, 2023
The Muslim scholar Sheikh Afif Al-Nabulsi passed away after 82 years of serving Islam and Islam the resistance in face of the Israeli occupation.
The late cleric, the father of Head of Hezbollah Media Relations Department Hajj Mohammad Afif, passed away on Friday, July 14, 2023 after a long battle with illness and a prosperous age of education, charity and jihad.
A crowded funeral, attended by Hezbollah command delegation, clerics, and ambassadors, was held in Sidon to mourn Sheikh Naboulsi.
Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution in Iran Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei addressed Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah on the death of Sheikh Naboulsi, offering condolences to the later cleric’s family and all the mujahideen in Lebanon and Palestine and asking Holy God to grant Him Mercy and Forgiveness.
Hezbollah Mourns Grave Loss
Hezbollah issued a statement to mourn the loss of Sheikh Naboulsi, stressing that his eminence spent his life in calling for worshipping Holy God and supporting the Resistance against the Israeli occupation despite all costs.
The statement indicated that the late cleric established an Islamic seminary at Sayyeda Al-Zahraa complex in Sidon city and contributed to the classification of the Islamic books.
Hezbollah offered condolences to Sheikh Naboulsi’s family and pupils as well as the Islamic seminaries, asking Holy God to grant the late cleric His Wide Mercy.
The Higher Islamic Shiite Council issued a statement to mourn Sheikh Naboulsi, stressing that his eminence spent his honorable lifetime in preaching on the Islamic values and supporting the Palestinian cause.
The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mujtaba Amani, mourned Sheikh Naboulsi, underlining his eminence loyalty to Islam, the Palestinian cause and the Resistance.
The Lebanese politician and thinker MaanBashour indicated that the late cleric was one of the prominent resistance fighters in southern Lebanon, adding that he was the companion of Martyr Sheikh Ragheb Harb and cooperated with Hezbollah Secretary General Martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi.
Source:english.almanar.com.lb
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https://english.almanar.com.lb/1870662
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IRGC Chief: The Islamic Republic Goes through its “Most Sensitive Time Ever"
JULY 14, 2023
The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said his forces would take decisive action against those who pose a national security threat, as the Islamic Republic is going through its "most sensitive time ever."
Hossein Salami made the comments on July 13 amid growing concerns among senior Iranian officials regarding the potential resurgence of protests after months of anti-government demonstrations last year posed the biggest challenge to the islamic Republic’s leadership in decades.
Addressing a group of commanders and officials in the southern city of Ahvaz, Salami indirectly acknowledged the opposition of many young Iranians to the country’s clerical establishment.
"Our battle with the enemy revolves around recruiting young people; we must provide support and protect them from the perils of the enemy's fire," he said.
"We have to fight against the Western enemies, we fight against those who are at war with us, but we have to save those who are infected.”
The IRGC chief also called for "fortifying the IRGC and safeguarding all citizens, irrespective of their religious or ideological affiliations."
Source:iranwire.com
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Raisi condoles with Hezbollah leader over demise of Muslim scholar
In his message on Friday, President Raisi also sympathized with the families of Sheikh Al-Nabulsi.
Sheikh Afif Al-Nabulsi, a well-known scholar in Lebanon who was a prominent supporter of the Islamic Resistance passed away on Friday (July 14) after suffering from a long-term disease.
In a related development, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian extended a message of condolences to the Hezbollah leader, Palestinian nation and the bereaved families over the passing of the scholar.
In his message, the top diplomat hailed Sheikh Al Nabulsi for sacrificing his life for unity in the World of Islam and supporting Lebanese and Palestinian resistance against the Zionist regime of Israel.
Earlier, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei had condoled with Lebanon and Hezbollah leader over the passing of Al Nabulsi.
Source:ilna.ir
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Turkey detains yet another family member of Islamic scholar Gülen
July 14, 2023
Turkish police have detained one of the nephews of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen along with his wife and his wife’s parents in İstanbul as part of an ongoing crackdown on followers of the faith-based Gülen movement, according to a statement from the İstanbul Police Department.
Gülen’s nephew, Selman Gülen, his wife Nur and his in-laws Mine and BekirÖztürk were detained in an operation in Sancaktepe jointly conducted by the İstanbul police and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT).
The statement said the detainees had been hiding for a year and had links to leading figures from the movement and had served at Gülen-linked organizations, while Selman Gülen is involved in financial activities within the movement.
During the operation, police seized $14,000, 560 Estonian kroon and two passports belonging to other people.
The Turkish government accuses the Gülen-inspired movement of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016, although it strongly denies any involvement.
Many other of Gülen’s family members including one of his brothers, nephews and nieces have also been arrested since a failed coup attempt on July 15.
Although Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, called for an international investigation into the coup attempt, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.
Source:turkishminute.com
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Heatwave: How this Saudi city, Islam’s second holiest site, is beating the summer heat
July 14, 2023
Cairo: As several parts of the world are sweltering in record temperatures, thousands of Muslims flocking to Islam’s second holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina need not to worry.
A state agency in charge of the Prophet’s Mosque has stepped up efforts to ensure temperatures at the site, that draws large numbers of worshippers and visitors from around the world, are kept under control.
More than 700,000 pilgrims are expected in Medina after they completed the annual Hajj pilgrimage in and around the Mecca late last month. Over 383,000 of them arrived in Medina until Thursday, according to official figures.
As part of a multi-way mechanism to protect worshippers from the summer heat, an efficient cooling system is operated at the Prophet’s Mosque, using a central air-conditioning station set up on an area of 70,000 square metres.
The system is switched on according to the air temperatures in a way that ensures balanced cooling in the place.
Spray fans
Moreover, 250 large umbrellas, installed in the mosque’s courtyards, are automatically operated to protect worshippers from the direct sunlight.
The courtyards are also fitted with 436 spray fans to cool temperatures and constantly sterilised to ensure the quality of the sprayed water and it is bacteria-free. To the same end, the mosque’s courtyards and corridors are coated with heat-reflecting marble.
The Agency for Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque provides around 20,00 Zamzam water containers across the site, increased to 22,000 during peak times, in addition to cold water bottles distributed to worshippers, the Saudi news agency SPA reported.
The stepped-up efforts come as the Saudi National Centre for Meteorology has warned that a heatwave will hit Medina region, with temperatures expected to reach 48 degrees Celsius.
The heat will mostly be felt from 11am to 5pm. It is not clear yet how long the heatwave will persist.
Medina is famed for the Prophet’s Mosque, which houses Al Rawda Al Sharifa where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon him) is located.
Last month, the city saw the arrival of thousands of Muslims from abroad en route to Mecca ahead of Hajj.
Source:gulfnews.com
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Egyptian Imam dies while delivering Friday sermon
Mahmoud Ads, Gulf Today
An Imam of a mosque in Egypt passed away while he was on the Minbar to deliver the Friday sermon (Khutbah) to worshippers.
He fell unconscious, so he was immediately taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead due to a heart attack. It was sai that he was in his forties.
The people of Al Heish village, Qassaseen city, Ismailia Governorate, attended the funeral procession of Sheikh Mohammed AbdoAntili, preacher and Imam of the Quba’a Mosque in the village.
The deceased's neighbour said that the Sheikh had been suffering from heart disease during the past few years and was constantly visiting some doctors because he complained more than once about the heart disorder and exposure to health crises.
It was also that he was delivering the “Khutba” minutes before his death, about the virtues of seeking forgiveness.
Source:gulftoday.ae
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Iranian films line up for Kazan International Muslim Film Festival
July 14, 2023
TEHRAN –Four Iranian films will go on screen in different sections of the 19t edition of the Kazan International Muslim Film Festival, which will be held in the Russian town of Kazan from September 5 to 9.
“No Prior Appointment”, the winner of the Golden Saint George for best film at the 2022 Moscow International Film Festival, will be screened at the main section of the festival.
The acclaimed drama tells the story of an Iranian emigrant who, after 30 years, is compelled to return to her home country upon learning of her estranged father’s death. She hastily takes leave from her work as a doctor in Germany, bringing her young autistic son with her.
Director BehruzShoeibi explores the ideas of return, leftover threads of memory of a land, and the sense of self that was once left behind. With nuanced grace, the film explores the longing for homeland, the questions of belonging, and the strange sense of homecoming upon returning to the country of your childhood.
The film will be competing with “Ada” by Stanislav Svetlov from Russia, “Our Home” by RomiMeitel from India, “The Last Postmen” by Saad Al-Essamy from Iraq and “Collapsed Walls” by Hakim Belabbes from Morocco.
“The 823rd Kilometer” co-directed by Irek Khafizof and Amir Galiaskarof from Russia and Tatarstan, “Cage Between Two Battles” by CenkIzgoren from Turkey and “Dignity” by Dimitris Katsimiris from Greece will also be screened in this section.
“Isatis” by Iranian filmmaker AlirezaDehqan will go on screen at the documentary section of the festival.
The film is about one man’s journey to the desert in central Iran. Isatis is the first adobe city and the second historical city in the world. Water, wind, soil and fire narrate the story of this thousands-year-old city. The water story is described by the people who built aqueducts in Isatis, a town in the heart of the desert. The story of the wind is told by the city of wind catchers from the people who conquered the wind to survive in a hot and dry city.
The story of the soil is narrated by people who constructed the world’s oldest adobe city. The story of the sacred fire is related from Zoroastrian masters to huge factories. The story of the kind dialogue between religions and the scent of faith is also told. The secret to perfection and peaceful permanence can be found only in harmony with nature.
The festival will also screen Iranian shorts “Witness” by Aida Tebianain, “Water, Wind, Dust and Bread” by Mehdi ZamanpurKiasari.
A jury of well-known professionals, including filmmakers, cameramen and film critics from all over the world will judge the movies at the festival, which is organized with the motto “To the dialogue of cultures through the culture of dialogue.”
The festival aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences among workers in the cultural and arts sectors of Russia and Muslim countries from nearby and distant lands. It also seeks to showcase the creative accomplishments of Muslim filmmakers and representatives of other religious backgrounds, who produce films that promote human, spiritual, and moral values, as well as cultural traditions. Moreover, it aims to foster a more accurate understanding of Muslims and Islam within the global community and Russian society.
Source:tehrantimes.com
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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque attracts 3.3 million visitors in first half of year
Jul 14, 2023
More than 3 million tourists and residents visited Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi during the first six months of the year – a 127 per cent in increase on last year.
From January to the end of June, a total of 3,337,757 people travelled to the mosque, including 914,195 worshippers.
Tourists made up the majority of the footfall at around 2,388,437, of which 1,684,409 visited the mosque and 704,028 guests visited the visitor centre and market in the complex.
The mosque's library welcomed 1,104 visitors, while the total number of vehicles transporting visitors to the mosque totalled 757,026.
Visitors from India lead the rankings in terms of international visits, followed by Russia and China.
Cultural specialists at the mosque provided 2,637 tours in Arabic, English, Spanish and Korean to 37,402 visitors from all over the world.
In addition, 32,125 people used the jogging trail that surrounds the outside of the holy site.
There were also visits from 10 heads of states, three deputy heads of state and two prime ministers, as well as 87 visits from official foreign delegations.
In April, the mosque received the highest number of worshippers recorded in a single day – 63,919 – performing prayers.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque highlights the legacy of the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and commemorates his values, memory, qualities and contributions to humanity.
The mosque has attracted some famous visitors over the years.
In 2007, the UK's Prince Charles, who is now King Charles III, and his wife Camilla, now the British queen, toured the site and in 2010, the late Queen Elizabeth II visited and paid her respects at the tomb of Sheikh Zayed. Prince Charles made the trip again in 2016.
The rich experience starts in the visitors' centre, which has exhibition halls, an auditorium and a library, and ends at Souq Al Jami, which includes an assortment of shops, entertainment areas and restaurants.
Cultural tours offered by Emirati guides at the centre in Arabic and English are among the most popular experiences at the mosque. They are also available in sign language.
The centre is working on training its guides to provide tours in Mandarin, Russian, Hebrew, Turkish and French.
Source:thenationalnews.com
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https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2023/07/14/sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-attracts-33-million-visitors-in-first-half-of-year/
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Wall Street Journal: Biden treats Netanyahu worse than the mullahs in Iran
The Wall Street Journal, in an editorial published Friday morning, sharply criticized U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration for their critical stance toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the fact that Biden has so far refrained from inviting the Israeli leader for the traditional visit to the White House.
“Why does President Biden go out of his way to snub, criticize and give marching orders to the government of Israel? At least rhetorically, the President and his Administration treat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his governing coalition worse than they do the ruling mullahs in Iran,” the editorial opens.
The Wall Street Journal is known as a politically right-leaning newspaper, and it often criticizes Biden and his administration. The editorial comes just days after a column by Thomas Friedman, a senior commentator for the New York Times - a newspaper that tends to lean left politically - in which he assessed that the Biden administration is now "reassessing" its policy toward Israel, although the White House denied this.
The Wall Street Journal editorial mentioned Biden's recent criticism of Netanyahu's coalition partners, although it did not mention his claim that it is the “most extreme government” he has seen, nor the critical statements made by outgoing U.S. Ambassador Tom Nides. "Each gibe makes headlines in Israel," the newspaper notes, and highlights that Biden has remained critical of Netanyahu even when he announced a halt to judicial reform legislation in March following massive street protests.
The article argues that the criticism from Washington is causing Israelis to feel that the United States is siding with the opposition in Israel. “This is no way to treat a democratic ally and no way to pursue U.S. interests while Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud Party is in power, as it has been for most of the past 25 years.”
Regarding the judicial revolution itself, the article states: “Whether Israel’s proposed reforms would rein in its high court’s unusual powers, in the absence of a constitution, or tip the balance too far toward British-style parliamentary supremacy, is for Israelis to debate. Which they do, noisily, without Mr. Biden’s commentary.”
Furthermore, the author contends that Biden's policy undermines the goal of restraining Iran. “While Mr. Biden undermines the Netanyahu government, Hamas and other Iranian proxies are gaining power in the West Bank, activating another front against Israel. The new wave of terrorism against Jewish civilians will set back the Palestinian cause but advance Iran’s.”
The newspaper also expresses disappointment with the lack of progress regarding normalization efforts with Saudi Arabia, although some may argue that this is due to the right-wing government of Netanyahu facing difficulties.
According to the article, the reason is Biden's critical policy toward Saudi Arabia. The editorial asserts that his "hostility" toward Riyadh has "driven" it to sign the agreement, facilitated by China, to renew relations with Iran, in an effort to minimize the perceived threat from Iran. “Normalization with Israel may have to wait for a U.S. President interested in rallying a coalition to contain Tehran.”
Source:ynetnews.com
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https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1l522ak2
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Africa
UNHCR, Islamic Group Partner To Support Over 3.3m Internally Displaced Persons
JULY 15, 2023
In an effort to reduce the sufferings of the over 3.3 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in all parts of the Nigeria, the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, a faith-based organisation in Nigeria, are in partnership to support the IDPs live better lives.
Currently, over 3.3 million people are internally displaced in Nigeria.
This partnership between UNHCR and the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society intends to mobilise support from Nigeria’s Muslim community and galvanise the spirit of Islamic philanthropy as a tool to support some of the most vulnerable populations amongst us.
The partnership will last till June 2024.
As part of the partnership, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society will organise fundraising activities in order to raise the needed resources to suppport IDPs in Nigeria live decent lives.
According to Imam FuadAdeyemi, National Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah: “This partnership with UNHCR is an expansion of the work Al-Habibiyyah is doing to support the less privileged in society.
“In Ramadan, we feed at least 2,000 people every day with our food bank program in Abuja. Moreover, we have over 20 years of experience in fundraising as evident in our annual distribution of Zakat.”
A statement by Al-Habibiyyah explained that the over 3.3 million IDPs in Nigeria cut across different regions of northeast, northwest, and northcentral.
The perennial farmers-herders clashes in the northcentral as well as the banditry and kidnappings in the northwest have added to the displacement emergency in the northeast caused by non-state-armed groups.
These displaced communities are in dire need of support for basic amenities such as shelter, health, education, access to clean water, and protection from sexual violence.
UNHCR has been at the forefront, responding to the needs of these IDPs, but the increasing number of displaced persons in Nigeria has exacerbated resources.
As a faith-based organisationi, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society’ mandate include the propagation of Islam in Nigeria and beyond, Islamic & secular education, inter-religious dialogue, provision of social services such as health care, education & welfare assistance to people in need as well as the advancement of Islamic culture in all facets of human activities.
Al-Habibbiyyah collaborates with fellow Muslims, Islamic organizations, and other reputable impact-making organizations whose vision & mandate matches theirs to deliver interventions that promote the well-being of the people and human dignity.
Source:authorityngr.com
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https://authorityngr.com/2023/07/15/unhcr-islamic-group-partner-to-support-over-3-3m-idps/
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Muslim group warns skit makers against making insensitive content
14th July 2023
By
Makua Ubanagu
The Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative has cautioned skit makers against playing pranks on innocent citizens, passers-by, aged and ailing people.
In a statement signed and released to the PUNCH on Friday by the Director General THURIST-Nigeria, SulaymonTadese, the group also cautioned skit makers against deriding Islamic ethics and values.
The statement reads; “The rate at which morality and dignity of humans is being dragged in the mud in the name of skit making is alarming and needs to be properly and promptly addressed to forestall any unwarranted consequences that may arise therefrom.
“Skit makers have now made anyone a cast in shooting skit to gain netizens’ attention at the expense of the inconvenience of innocent citizens, passers-by, unsuspecting job seekers, aged and ailing people anywhere and at any time.
“It is important to state that the recent threat to the life of a veiled woman in a recent viral video is one of the many threats and dangers skit makers expose innocent citizens to in the name of Skit making.“How do you explain a sane person pranking a woman dressed in a dignified religious garb as in the case of Niqob lady in the viral video and her attending reaction in the name of skit making? Isn’t that an indication that there are no regulations governing the act of skit-making in this country?
THURIST further urges the public, skit makers, and aspiring skit makers to refrain from pranking or creating skits that target innocent citizens, particularly women who wear veils. They state that these individuals should be treated with respect due to their distinguished and exceptional appearance.
The group also called on the government to regulate social media and skit-making to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
It noted that the unconfirmed reports that the man in the viral video has been arrested should serve as a warning to other skit makers.
Source:punchng.com
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https://punchng.com/muslim-group-warns-skit-makers-against-making-insensitive-content/
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Police Arrest Couple Who Disguised as New Converts to Steal from Chief Imam in Yobe
July 14, 2023
Damatura, Yobe State - A couple, 21-year-old Abdullahi Ibrahim and 20-year-old Khadija Ali, have been arrested by the police for disguising themselves as new converts to steal a motorcycle belonging to a Muslim cleric in Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State.
According to PM News, the state police spokesman, DSP DungusAbdulkarim, disclosed this in a statement in Damaturu.
Abdulkarim explained that on June 4, the couple approached the cleric with the claim that they wanted to convert to Islam. How the couple executed the robbery The police spokesman said Ibrahim and his wife robbed the Imam’s son of his motorcycle and fled to collect ashes from a thunderstrike spot. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
How the police arrested the couple The robbery was reported to the Fika Divisional Police Headquarters. On July 1, information got to the police division that the couple were about to perpetrate a similar act in Biu LGA of Borno State.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that a suspect, MeshackSinuphro, who stole a Mercedes Benz GLB 250 worth N55 million during a test drive in the Garki area of Abuja, has been arrested by the police. The Delta State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Bright Edafe, disclosed this on Thursday, July 6, via his Twitter handle @Brightgoldenboy. Suspected gunmen kidnap 67-year-old Chief Imam in Ondo, Southwest Nigeria A report has confirmed that Ibrahim Bodunde-Oyinlade, a 67-year-old Chief Imam in the Uso community of Owo local government area of Ondo State, has been kidnapped by suspected gunmen. It confirmed that Bodunde-Oyinlade was abducted on Saturday, June 17, while working on his farm in the Asolo camp area of the Uso community.
Source:legit.ng
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https://www.legit.ng/nigeria/1544086-yobe-couple-disguised-converts-steal-chief-imam/
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Egungun Festival: Osun Masqueraders, Muslims Reach Peace Accord
July 14, 2023
Ahead of the annual Egungun Festival in Osun state, the Muslim community and traditional worshippers have found a common ground.
The Osun state’s Commissioner of Police (CP), KehindeLonge, brokered a peace accord between the Chief Imam of the Kamaudeen Mosque, Osogbo, AlhajiKasimYunis, and the custodian of a masquerade, Chief KayodeEsuleke.
A statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, YemisiOpalola, disclosed that the two men agreed to allow peace to reign during the festival.
Members of the Kamaudeen Mosque and the followers of Esuleke masquerade are known for their dangerous clashes in the town, the last one being the bloody fight of Sunday, June 27, 2021, which led to the death of a Muslim while nine others were injured.
To prevent such bloodletting, Longe, who harped on the need to embrace peace at the meeting, also issued a warning that the command would not condone any act that could lead to a breach of public peace.
Source:politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/egungun-festival-osun-masqueraders-muslims-reach-peace-accord/
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South Asia
USIP Report Calls For Continuation of Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
July 14, 2023
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) urged for the continuation of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in a recent report titled “Afghanistan’s Dire Humanitarian Situation”, released Thursday.
According to the report, since the Taliban took control of the country, the Afghan economy and financial system have largely collapsed, and the international community has decided unanimously not to recognize the Taliban. Donors also have difficulty providing for the population’s needs in these dire circumstances.
“In the two years since the Taliban takeover, the Afghan economy has crumbled, the financial system has largely collapsed, and the international community has opted for unified no recognition of the Taliban,” the report said.
It added, “Donors and NGOs now face the immense challenge of meeting the needs of the Afghan people under these dire conditions.”
These organizations have had to navigate cautious engagement with an unrecognized administration while continuing to offer crucial aid and services, given that most Afghans live in extreme poverty.
According to the United Nations estimation, nearly 29 million people in the country need urgent humanitarian aid amid a shortage of funding.
The report also revealed that Since the Taliban tightened its restrictions on Afghan women working for NGOs, the humanitarian situation has only worsened.
The report emphasized the clear and effective response to the country’s dire humanitarian crisis.
Antonio Guterres, the secretary general of the UN, told reporters after hosting a discussion on the Afghan situation in Doha that six million Afghans are “one step away” from starvation conditions and that financing is “evaporating”, and that 28 million people will need humanitarian assistance to survive this year.
Guterres also said that only $294 million, or 6.4 per cent of the $4.6 billion total requested for the humanitarian response plan, had been received.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/usip-report-calls-for-continuation-of-humanitarian-aid-to-afghanistan/
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Bringing perpetrators involved in Shahidul Islam death to book demanded
14 Jul 2023
DHAKA, July 14, 2023 (BSS) - Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Industrial Bangladesh Council (IBC) urged the government to bring the perpetrators involved in the death incident of MdShahidul Islam to book through thorough investigation.
In a joint statement, they urged the government to ensure exemplary punishment as per the law, said a press release today.
A meeting was held recently between leaders of BGMEA and IBC at BGMEA Complex in Uttara in the city,
At the meeting, a condolence motion was adopted over the death of Md. Shahidul Islam, the President of the Gazipur District unit of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, which took place in the TangiBaganbar area on 25th June.
Strong condemnation was expressed by BGMEA over the death incident. They also prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep condolences to the bereaved family.
It was stated in the meeting that the role of Shahidul Islam in upholding the rights of the garment workers would always be remembered.
Source:bssnews.net
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The President of BGMEA assured the deceased's family of providing financial assistance.
https://www.bssnews.net/news/136372
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Bangladesh-US relationship improving: Salman
14 Jul 2023
DHAKA, July 14, 2023 (BSS) - Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman has said relationship between Bangladesh and the United States (US) has improved due to bilateral meetings among senior officials of both friendly nations.
"There were some misunderstandings between Bangladesh and the United States. Sometimes misunderstandings arise among friends. The distance with the US has reduced," he said.
Salman said this while addressing journalists after a meeting with the US delegation led by its Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya at his Gulshan residence on Thursday night.
Salman said the meeting discussed boosting bilateral trade with the US, the upcoming general election, and labour rights situation in Bangladesh.
"They did not discuss the electoral system, interim government, or the caretaker government. They did not give any new conditions. They talked about making elections free and fair. We also talked about free fair and peaceful elections," he added.
He mentioned that the US delegation appreciated the peaceful rallies of the two parties on Wednesday and the role of the police during the events.
Meanwhile, at the meeting, Salman informed that Bangladesh called on the US to provide duty-free facilities to Bangladeshi readymade garment products made using cotton imported from the Western country.
The meeting also discussed increasing US investment in Bangladesh, he added.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs MdShahriar Alam also spoke at the press conference.
Shahriar Alam said many people had hyped up the possibility of Uzra Zeya's visit increasing pressure on the government.
"It is part of their regular visit, not a special visit. They have not come here with a special agenda for the Bangladesh elections. They talked about universal human rights. ...seeking clarification on some specific issues," he added.
He said, "Many are waiting for something abnormal to happen. But I reiterate again, the election will be held under the rule of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to the constitution and the rules and decisions of the Election Commission."
Source:bssnews.net
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https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/136286
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Turkey Supports Vocational Training Courses For Disabled People in Afghanistan
July 14, 2023
The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) on Friday provided financial support for vocational training courses for people with disabilities in the northern province of Jawzjan, Afghanistan.
The Afghan Disabled Protection Association and the TIKA branch in Mazar-i-Sharif worked together to carry out the project, AA reported.
It will offer training in producing solid and liquid soap for women, as well as shoe manufacturing and repair, carpentry, and metal structure welding for men, with a duration of six months for each course, each with 50 participants.
Mazar-i-Sharif, TIKA The coordinator, MikailTasdemir, noted that when students obtain professional skills from the courses, the time it takes to find employment will be shortened.
In the meantime, TIKA trained personnel from the Afghanistan Central Bank and Ministry of Finance on participation in bank infrastructure.
Earlier, TIKA provided equipment support to the vocational training courses organized for disabled people in the province.
The provided equipment included carpet weaving, electronic device repairing, leather crafting, and needlework courses organized for disabled people and martyrs’ families.
The primary aim of the training is to provide employment, especially for disabled men and women and contribution to their household income.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/turkey-supports-vocational-training-courses-for-disabled-people-in-afghanistan/
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Nearly 150,000 Youths Currently Working in Mining Sector in Afghanistan: Official
July 14, 2023
150,000 youths are currently working in the country’s mining sector, according to Zabihullah Mujahid, senior spokesperson of the de facto administration, who was speaking during a meeting with several youths in the western province of Herat, Afghanistan.
The event allowed the youths to voice their concerns and aspirations, highlighting their crucial role in the country’s advancement. Meanwhile, the sessions sought to advance awareness and deal with the significant issues about the youths, ensuring that their voices are heard and their needs are recognized.
Qari ZubirRahimi, the head of the Herat youth traders’ market, voiced several issues and requests during the meeting on behalf of the youth. He also asked the official to add World Youth Day to the calendar as an official day to engage youth and realize their potential.
The youth also demanded the creation of an investment town to aid young firms, a permanent exhibition and market for budding entrepreneurs, and an advisory board to address Herat’s youth’s needs.
Sayed Farooq Sadat, a representative of Roshan Telecommunications Company in the country’s western region, suggested that the government use young people’s ideas and collaborate with them to promote progress and prosperity.
Meanwhile, at this meeting, the youth of Herat asked the de facto authorities to establish a special commission to prevent the fleeing of the youth from the country and to facilitate the return of the youths to the country.
For his part, Mujahid called the youth the pillars of progress in the country and said that without youth, it is impossible to experience progress.
Since the Taliban took control of the country, the youth population left due to a lack of job opportunities, poor economic conditions, security issues and prosecution.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/nearly-150000-youths-currently-working-in-mining-sector-in-afghanistan-official/
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Southeast Asia
Labelling them ‘Malayan extremists’, Tuaran MP accuses Dr Mahathir, Hadi Awang, and Sanusi of trying to revert Malaysia to Tanah Melayu
By Julia Chan
Friday, 14 Jul 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — A Sabahan leader has today labelled Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Datuk Muhammad SanusiMd Nor as “Malayan extremists” who are trying to revert Malaysia back to the mono-ethnic, pre-colonial Tanah Melayu.
In a statement, Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred MadiusTangau accused the trio of wishing that the country has none of its modern Federal Constitution and common laws, in addition to the non-existence of Penang as a state.
“The multiethnic and multifaith Malaysia has been here since 1963 but also constantly eroded since 1963. The mono-ethnic and mono-faith Tanah Melayu Dr Mahathir, Hadi and Sanusiaspire to is still a political aspiration but will be a reality if enough of us give up on Malaysia,” he said.
In 1963, the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah (then North Borneo) and Sarawak came together to form the Federation of Malaysia. Singapore separated from the federation two years later in 1965.
In the scathing statement, Tangau attacked former prime minister Dr Mahathir for treating Malaysia as an “expansion of Tanah Melayu”, and Sabah and Sarawak as just “colonial possessions” to be transferred from London to Kuala Lumpur.
He also said that Sabah and Sarawak would not be spared from them as they would milk the resource-rich Bornean states and apply divide-and-rule tactics like Dr Mahathir had allegedly used in the past two decades.
Tangau also accused Abdul Hadi, who is the president of Islamist party PAS, of attacking the fundamental idea of Malaysia; while Kedah PAS chief and caretaker menteribesarSanusi was accused of disrespecting the state border between his state and Penang.
“Malaysia is a multi-ethnic postcolonial country. The single most important commonality between Sabah and Perlis, or Sarawak and Kelantan, is our colonial legacy. We were ruled by the British and we inherited their political and legal systems,” he wrote.
“Independence, for most Malaysians, is that we now live as the master of our destiny in this land. Maintaining those British colonial legacies we consider positive — from constitutional monarchy, a liberal constitution, parliamentary democracy, common law, bureaucracy, to English literacy — for our own benefit does not make us colonised.”
Tangau urged Sabahans and Sarawakians to not be bystanders amid the stoking of racial and religious sentiments in Peninsular Malaysia, but instead ally themselves with those who do not wish for a mono-ethnic country.
“Together, all of us are still the majority that can keep Malaysia inclusive and moderate,” he added, saying Malaysians must continue to keep the country secular, free and fair.
“To keep Kota Kinabalu and Kuching free, we must keep Putrajaya out of reach from Malayan colonialists and imperialists like Dr Mahathir, Hadi and Sanusi,” he said.
“We Borneans must bury Borneo exceptionalism and isolationism. Instead, we must actively and passionately protect and reshape Malaysia, to bring to life the original multiethnic, multifaith and liberal federation our foreparents signed up to in 1963,” he said.
Dr Mahathir, Abdul Hadi and Sanusi were among the politicians currently being investigated for stoking racial flames with their remarks ahead of the six state elections next month.
Among others, Dr Mahathir has insisted that Malaysia is inherently Malay rather than multi-ethnic, Abdul Hadi has insisted on Malay political supremacy, while Sanusi has denied the legitimacy of Penang.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/07/14/labelling-them-malayan-extremists-tuaran-mp-accuses-dr-mahathir-hadi-awang-and-sanusi-of-trying-to-revert-malaysia-to-tanah-melayu/79769
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In Japan’s adventure tourism mecca, the rush comes with risk
Jul 15, 2023
MINAKAMI, GUNMA PREF. – Mike Harris stands out as he strolls along the streets of Minakami, Gunma Prefecture. He’s 182 centimeters tall, has ginger dreadlocks and speaks in a thick New Zealand accent — but he’s also fluent in Japanese and has made Minakami his second home.
Harris is one of many New Zealanders who first came to Japan chasing snow but ended up staying for good. He also founded Canyons, Japan’s first canyoning company, back in 2000 — a time when Minakami relied solely on its winter and onsen (hot spring) tourism season.
Only two to three hours by shinkansen from Tokyo, Minakami is a thrill-seeker’s paradise. Here, you can raft down roaring rapids, jump from 10-meter-tall cliffs, bike through beech forests or paraglide from soaring peaks.
But it was all just getting started when Harris first arrived in 1995.
“Back at the start, it wasn’t just being a foreigner in small-town Japan — it was being an outsider in general,” he recalls. “Even Japanese people moving to the area found it difficult. There was pushback and a lack of understanding from locals.
“We even had rocks thrown at us by fishermen,” Harris claims.
Almost three decades later, Minakami is home to around 35 adventure tourism companies, including 14 canyoning companies and 14 rafting outfits. Approximately 240 staff, made up of both Japanese and non-Japanese workers, serve an estimated 2 million-plus visitors (primarily domestic travelers) each year.
Harris believes Minakami’s transformation into an all-season adventure town can serve as a prime example for other rural areas searching for economic lifelines.
“Now, we’re an integral part of the Minakami community,” he says “I’d even say we’re one of the pillars of the Japanese tourism industry.”
Adrenaline rush
Adventure tourism is the flavor of the month at the Japan National Tourism Organization. While visitor spending in 2022 amounted to ¥18.7 trillion (about 30% less than recorded in pre-pandemic years), the goal is to attract 60 million international tourists — including high-value, adventure-seeking travelers — to Japan by 2030.
“Everyone’s trying to jump on the adventure tourism bandwagon, especially with the aim to revitalize rural areas,” says Harris.
However, adventure tourism is a relatively fresh industry in Japan, and the country lacks any solid laws, regulations or even guidelines to lead it. For example, there’s no health and safety legislation that requires operators to keep up to date with industry best practices and operators are not required to undergo yearly safety audits.
“There’s really nothing at the national level governing adventure tourism activities like rafting or canyoning,” Harris says. “There are no official laws to say you need to have this specific license or follow this auditing or have a specific level of safety to run a business.”
Harris claims there are companies running in Japan with people who essentially bought a raft and started selling rafting trips the next day. There are no standard operating procedures specific to the adventure activity such as the safety equipment rafts need to carry, lifejacket conditions or rescue protocols.
In May, a 19-year-old university student drowned in a rafting incident on Minakami’s Tone River. The boat he was aboard had capsized, and though he was wearing a lifejacket when he entered the water, his body was found the following day without one, raising questions about the safety of individual pieces of equipment.
Coming from New Zealand, Harris finds the lack of safety regulations “very bizarre.”
New Zealand is a world leader in adventure tourism. For the past 15 years, it’s placed within the top five of the Adventure Tourism Development Index, which ranks countries in 10 categories including safety and security, natural resources and sustainability. In the most recent rankings, New Zealand sits at No 3, behind Iceland and Switzerland, respectively at No. 1 and 2. Japan sits at No. 16 — just ahead of Luxembourg but behind the Netherlands.
From 2008 to 2009, New Zealand saw a series of accidents that led to a major overhaul of its adventure tourism industry. Three people died while participating in adventure activities in 2008, including British traveler Emily Jordan who was trapped underwater for 20 minutes while on a riverboarding tour. Just four months later, another tourist died after her quad bike fell 30 meters down a gully on New Zealand’s North Island. Another three lives were lost during different activities the following year.
As a result of those fatal accidents, New Zealand implemented requirements for adventure tourism operators to have safety plans, undergo yearly audits and hold certificates of compliance. All employed guides must have relevant qualifications and first-aid certifications.
This is not the case in Japan, where lax regulations leave many details on safety up to individual tour operators.
“(Regulation) is a touchy subject because no one in government wants to take responsibility for something seen as a high-risk industry,” Harris says. “If they made the standard, signed it off and then an accident happened, it could be their head on the chopping block. But the inverse argument is: If no one takes responsibility, the problem isn’t going to go away and unnecessary accidents will continue to happen.”
Harris has worked with the Minakami Outdoor Association to create a lighter version of standards it expects members to follow. For example, safety checks are conducted along the Tone River five times a year, and each rafting operator must be certified in white-water rescue and first aid. If an operator does not comply with Association regulations, they can lose their membership and would be unable to use related resources such as lake access and put-in points on the river.
Several years ago, Harris and four other tourism professionals met with Prime Minister YoshihideSuga and his Cabinet ministers, where he shared his views on the state of the Japanese adventure tourism industry.
“I said, ‘If you want to increase (the number of) international tourists and push adventure tourism, you need to create proper safety standards,’” Harris recalls, adding that many inbound tourists are surprised to learn Japan often has fewer safety precautions in place than their home countries. “Regulations would be best, but at least create guidelines and best practices.”
The audience with Suga led to changes within Japan’s scuba diving industry, including the creation of new scuba and snorkeling safety guidelines. Companies that do not follow the new guidelines were asked to be removed from online travel agents.
The COVID-19 pandemic put further discussions on the back burner, but Harris and others hope the conversation will spark up again.
“With adventure tourism being promoted all over Japan, I think we need a unified safety standard as a country,” says Yukie Fujino of the Minakami Tourism Association. “I do not wish to see mere regulation or for it to be rushed. I would like to see the public and private sectors come together to discuss these issues.”
Long road ahead
While protecting clients lies at the heart of any would-be safety regulations, Minakami’s natural beauty would also benefit from a more stringent approach.
“We believe that paragliding and adventure tourism alone is not enough to improve local economic activities,” says Susumu Kobayashi, manager at Minakami-based paragliding tour operator Grand Volee. “We are only part of it. In particular, adventure sports must consider the burden on the environment.”
Harris has seen a rapid influx of business degrade Minakami’s environment before. At its peak in 2010, the area landmark commonly referred to as “Fox Canyon” had seven companies and often 400 people a day touring through it — far more than the natural environment could sustain.
“It would be no small feat to act,” Harris says. “But if the government sees the revenue potential and the opportunity to revitalize smaller towns and do it sustainably for the long-term, they really need to put proper processes in place.”
Minakami has come a long way since the early days of adventure tourism in Japan. But if the Japanese government wants to expand the adventure tourism industry and ensure it lasts well into the future, steps must be taken soon to shore up the benefits Canyons and other companies bring — both for international visitors and locals alike.
“Our whole product experience is about getting into nature,” Harris says, “and in 100 years, we still want to be around offering those experiences, but that’s only going to happen if the environment we work in is also looked after.”
Source:japantimes.co.jp
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https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/07/15/travel/gunma-minakami-adventure-tourism/
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Apology won’t absolve criminal offence, Azalina warns after Sanusi says sorry for alleged insult to Selangor Sultan
Saturday, 15 Jul 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — Playing up issues that create disunity, disrupting public order and insulting the royal institution are offences under the law, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
She said although freedom of speech is a constitutional right of every Malaysian citizen under Article 10(1)(a) of the FC, that freedom is subject to Article 10(2) of the FC in maintaining peace and order.
“I wish to draw attention to the political speech by caretaker Kedah MenteriBesar Datuk Seri Muhammad SanusiMd Nor in which he questioned the wisdom of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on the appointment of the Selangor MenteriBesar recently.
“Anyone playing up issues that create disunity, disturb the peace and disrespect the royal institution should remember that these are against the law,” she said through her Twitter page today.
Azalina said politicians or any person with authority should be aware that they have the power to influence people through their speeches especially during the election season.
Yesterday, five members of the Selangor Royal Council lodged a police report against Muhammad Sanusi for allegedly questioning the authority of the Selangor royal institution in the appointment of the state’s menteribesar.
The five, Tan Sri AmbrinBuang, Tan Sri MohdZawawiSalleh, Datuk Mohammed KhusrinMunawi, Datuk Mohamad AdzibMohd Isa and Datuk EmranKadir also demanded that Muhammad Sanusi make a public apology over the issue as soon as possible.
Azalina, in her tweet said that actions that violate the law will not be resolved by just issuing an apology.
She said seeking forgiveness is not a legal defence in criminal law.
Azalina also urged that the police be given the freedom to investigate anyone who plays up the 3R issues (race, religion and royal institution) that violates any law, without the intervention of any party.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Sanusi who is also PerikatanNasional (PN) election director through a Facebook post, said he has sent a letter to the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah to seek an apology over his previous statement.
“I was informed by a Selangor Palace official that His Royal Highness has received and read my letter on Friday, July 14,” he said.
Sanusi said he had also given his statement to investigating officers from Bukit Aman at 2am yesterday (July 14) to complete their investigation into the report made against him.
The media had earlier reported that Muhammad Sanusi in a series of talks organised by PN allegedly issued statements that were said to insult the Selangor Ruler.
In a video which has gone viral, Muhammad Sanusi is claimed to have belittled Amirudin’s appointment as MenteriBesar. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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