Uttar Pradesh: Six Muslims arrested for protesting ‘Namaz arrest’ at IIMT University
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 March 2025
Muslim students are offering namaz on the campus at IIMT University in Uttar Pradesh.
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· Uttar Pradesh: Six Muslims arrested for protesting ‘Namaz arrest’ at IIMT University
· Israel restarts Gaza ground operations, issues ‘last warning’ to Palestinians
· War on terror must be won at all costs, says Zardari in Balochistan
· Saudi crown prince, UK PM discuss developments in Gaza, Ukraine during call
· ‘Christchurch again please’: Vile online threat to second Sydney mosque
· Hoax alerts: No proof Trump supporters repeatedly attacked Muslim students at Indiana U.
· DBKL to facilitate relocation of Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple
· Time to lift unjust sanctions, unfreeze Afghanistan assets
· Ladoja, APC leaders attend Alao’s Ramadan lecture in Ibadan
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India
· Delhi Court Discharges 11 Muslim Men Accused Of Murder During 2020 Delhi Riots Due To Lack Of Evidence
· Siddaramaiah govt’s 4% Muslim quota bill kicks off another reservation row in Karnataka
· Nagpur: Local Muslims allege arbitrary detention, police participation in violence
· Tripura governor urged to act against BJP minister who linked Opposition to ‘Islamic terrorists’
· Scrap-quota trial balloon on Muslims: BJP MPs accuse Opposition of vote-bank politics
· ‘Muslims, who fought British rulers, being targeted in India now’
· Muslim inmates protest for fruits to break fast in Kalaburgi jail
· MP: Youth arrested for sharing objectionable content on Muslims in Burhanpur
· Chhattisgarh: BJP MLAs corner govt on religious conversions
· Eight Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal members surrender to police in Nagpur violence case
· Was OBC quota abused for Muslims? West Bengal says will conduct fresh survey | Explained
· How Hindutva’s politics of renaming burdens Indian Muslims with imaginary historical guilt
· Aurangzeb not relevant: RSS leader Sunil Ambekar offers belated wisdom
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Mideast
· US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’
· Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem
· Israel launches a ground operation to retake part of a key corridor in northern Gaza
· UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building
· Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting
· Lebanese army begins securing border with Syria, closes illegal crossings
· Trump threatens Houthis that they’ll be ‘completely annihilated’ as US airstrikes pound Yemen
· UN genocide advisers urge immediate action to deescalate violence in Gaza amid deadly airstrikes
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Pakistan
· Depriving women of their inheritance is ‘un-Islamic’, Shariat Court rules
· PM arrives in Jeddah for talks with Saudi crown prince
· UK includes Hasan Nawaz in ‘deliberate tax defaulters’ list
· SC establishes 24/7 anti-graft hotline
· Gandapur criticises NA security moot as ‘more of a presentation’
· JUI-F leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed dies after protracted illness
· Policy for uniform standards of ‘green projects’ round the corner
· National policy must address health challenges, says minister
· Life returns to Torkham after border reopens for trade
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Arab World
· Saudi crown prince, Pakistan PM discuss relations
· Saudi crown prince, French president discuss regional developments
· Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs organizes iftar banquets in 61 countries, benefiting thousands
· Egyptian child with parasitic twin arrives in Saudi Arabia for possible separation surgery
· Diriyah program to empower, upskill local community
· Saudi Arabia gears up for dazzling Eid Al-Fitr celebrations
· Saudi Arabia’s AgriServ receives 8 ISO certifications for quality in agriculture
· Thunderstorms expected across Saudi Arabia until Sunday
· Saudi Arabia cracks down on foreign truck violations
· KSrelief delivers food aid to thousands in need
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Europe
· Islamic Relief sign in Aberdeen vandalised in 'hate crime'
· Bradford martial arts academy host unique Ramadan tournament
· Milton Keynes Islamic group impresses MPs in House of Commons with its art and culture
· A Sharia-Compliant Alternative to Residential Mortgages: FCA Approves Offa HPPs
· Azerbaijan's Sugovushan village unveils modern mosque with increased capacity
· New mosque in Sugovushan can accommodate nearly 100 worhsippers
· Protests erupt in Turkey after Erdogan rival arrested
· Colombian police arrest Italian fugitive accused of being mafia boss
· Hungary bans LGBTQ+ Pride marches
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North America
· Muslim NYers on celebrating Ramadan during times of constitutional crisis
· South Bay community calls out Islamophobia after alleged assault of elderly Muslim person
· Hollywood director charged with defrauding $11m from Netflix
· Trump suggests US could run Ukraine's power plants
· Trump administration withdraws from Russian war crime investigations
· Greenpeace ordered to pay more than $660m for defaming oil firm in protests
· White House says it's halting funds to US university over transgender athletes
· Four key takeaways from newly released JFK files
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Southeast Asia
· YAPEIM allocates RM1.2 million to help 7,700 needy students during Ramadan
· Welcoming demolition pause, century-old Hindu temple in Masjid India seeks amicable outcome with DBKL and landowner Jakel
· National Unity Minister urges action against Facebook user over alleged insult to Prophet Muhammad
· YAPEIM allocates RM1.2 million to help 7,700 needy students during Ramadan
· Melaka govt committed to enhancing citizens’ welfare, especially during Ramadan - Ab Rauf
· Elderly man claims trial to fresh charge of slapping non-Muslim for eating in public during
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South Asia
· Tarique warns of extremists, fascists waiting to pounce
· 24 Afghan Refugees detained in two separate Operations in Turkey
· 10 injured in BNP factional clashes in Ctg
· The three stages of the month of Ramadan
· Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu removed from office
· Eid vacation: DGHS issues 16 directives for health services
· Nowruz: Celebrating Nature’s Renewal Across 10 Countries , Including Afghanistan
· Islamic banks witness deposit shift
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Africa
· M23 rebels push further east attacking another town ignoring calls for ceasefire
· Rivers: Ex-Agitators Warned Against Destroying Oil, Gas Assets
· Accept Or Reject: Tension Grips National Assembly As Lawmakers Must Decide On Rivers’ Emergency Rule Today
· NGF Remain Silent On Rivers’ Emergency Rule As PDP Governors Head To Court
· Cause Of Abuja’s Explosion Revealed As Victims Fill National Hospital, Asokoro Hospital
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/uttar-pradesh-muslims-arrested-namaz-protesting/d/134933
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Uttar Pradesh: Six Muslims arrested for protesting ‘Namaz arrest’ at IIMT University
March 19, 2025
Muslim students are offering namaz on the campus at IIMT University in Uttar Pradesh.
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Six Muslim students were arrested for staging a protest at IIMT University in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, over the imprisonment of a fellow student, Khalid Pradhan, who had been detained for offering namaz on campus. The protest, which saw around 400 students participating in a silent demonstration, called for Khalid’s release.
However, the protest was met with police intervention, with officers using lathis to disperse the crowd, despite the demonstration being peaceful.
One student involved in the protest expressed frustration, pointing out that the university also celebrates Hindu pujas, questioning why Muslims fasting during Ramadan faced such harsh treatment. The authorities, however, labeled the protest as illegal, citing the lack of prior permission for the gathering.
Shan Mohammad, a student leader at the protest, accused the police of misconduct, alleging that they had invited the demonstrators to the police station for talks but instead detained several of them. The catalyst for the protest was a viral Instagram video that showed students offering namaz on the university campus. This video sparked both online and offline hate campaigns against Muslims.
Khalid, 22, was arrested after the video went viral, showing around 50 students praying on March 13, just a day before the Hindu festival of Holi. Hindutva groups called for legal action, alleging that the video was intended to provoke communal tensions. In response, the university administration suspended Khalid along with three security personnel and urged authorities to take action against him.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rakesh Kumar Mishra stated that the release of the video around the time of Holi raised concerns about potential communal discord. Circle Officer Sadar Dehat Shiv Pratap Singh confirmed that Khalid was arrested for circulating the video of the namaz and later sent to jail. On Friday, an FIR was filed against both the university administration and Khalid based on a complaint by a local named Kartik Hindu.
The case, lodged at Ganga Nagar police station, was registered under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which addresses malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, along with provisions of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008.
IIMT Group’s media in-charge, Sunil Sharma, confirmed that an internal investigation had found that the namaz was performed in an open space and that the video’s distribution had the potential to disturb communal harmony.
Superintendent Mishra defended the police action, stating that the students were charged for unlawful assembly as they had not sought permission for the protest and had refused to engage in negotiations with the authorities.
Source:muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/uttar-pradesh-six-muslims-arrested-for-protesting-namaz-arrest-at-iimt-university/
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Israel restarts Gaza ground operations, issues ‘last warning’ to Palestinians
March 20, 2025
Palestinians mourn near the bodies of the victims of Israeli overnight airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip, at the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, on March 20, 2025. (AFP)
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GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Israel bombarded Gaza and pressed its ground operations on Thursday after issuing what it called a “last warning” for Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power.
The renewed offensive shattered a relative calm that had pervaded since truce took hold mid-January.
Heavy air strikes began strafing Gaza early Tuesday, killing more than 400 people, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
Gaza rescuers said at least 10 more people were killed in a pre-dawn bombing near Khan Yunis Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced it had resumed ground operations “in the central and southern Gaza Strip to expand the security perimeter and create a partial buffer between the north and south.”
As Israel defied calls from foreign governments to preserve the ceasefire, Gazans were left to once again comb through rubble to find the bodies of their loved ones.
“We’re digging with our bare hands,” said a man trying to dislodge a child’s body from a heap of concrete in Gaza City.
After Israel urged civilians to leave areas it described as “combat zones,” families with young children filled the roads leading out of northern Gaza.
Fred Oola, senior medical officer at the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah, said the renewed strikes shattered the relative calm of the past two months.
“Now, we can feel the panic in the air... and we can see the pain and devastation in the faces of those we are helping,” he said.
Addressing the “residents of Gaza” – governed by Hamas since 2007 – Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video: “This is the last warning.”
“Take the advice of the president of the United States. Return the hostages and remove Hamas, and other options will open up for you – including the possibility of leaving for other places in the world for those who want to.”
He was referring to a warning earlier this month by US President Donald Trump, who said: “To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”
Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, 58 are still held by Gaza militants, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Hamas says it is willing to negotiate and has called on the international community to act to bring the war to an end.
An official from the group rejected, however, Israeli demands to renegotiate the three-stage deal agreed with Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators.
“Hamas has not closed the door on negotiations but we insist there is no need for new agreements,” Taher Al-Nunu said.
Talks have stalled over how to proceed with the ceasefire, after the first phase expired in early March.
Israel and the United States have sought to change the terms of the deal by extending phase one.
Hamas wants negotiations for phase two, meant to establish a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza while the remaining hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.
“Moving to the second phase seems to be a non-option for Israel,” said Ghassan Khatib, a political analyst and former Palestinian Authority minister.
“They don’t like the second phase because it involves ending the war without necessarily achieving their objective of ending Hamas.”
Israel and Washington have portrayed Hamas’s rejection of a phase one extension as a refusal to release more hostages.
The renewed Israeli bombardment sent a stream of new casualties to the few hospitals still functioning in Gaza.
A UN Office for Project Services employee was killed and at least five other people wounded when a UN building in the central city of Deir El-Balah was hit by “explosive ordnance,” the agency said.
“This was not an accident,” UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva said, adding that “attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law.”
At least 280 UN employees have been killed since the start of the war, according to the UN chief.
UK foreign minister David Lammy said on X he was “appalled” by the incident, which the NGO Mines Advisory Group said injured a British aid worker.
The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory blamed Israel, which denied striking the compound and later said the circumstances were being investigated.
Thousands of Israeli protesters massed in Jerusalem, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of resuming strikes on Gaza without regard for the safety of the remaining hostages.
“We want him to know that the most important issue is to get the hostages back,” said 67-year-old Nehama Krysler.
The war began with Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.
The Gaza civil defense agency’s spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Wednesday that at least 470 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed large-scale air strikes overnight from Monday to Tuesday.
The agency reported 14 members of the same family killed in an Israeli strike in the north.
As of Monday, before the intense strikes resumed, the overall death toll in Gaza since the start of the war stood at more than 48,570, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2594206/middle-east
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War on terror must be won at all costs, says Zardari in Balochistan
March 19, 2025
President Asif Ali Zardari chairs a high-level meeting to review Balochistan's law and order situation in Quetta on Wednesday. —APP
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With Balochistan facing growing security threats, President Asif Ali Zardari vowed to win the “war against terrorism” at all costs, stressing the need for decisive action during his visit to Quetta.
The visit comes amid rising terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Chairing a meeting on the law and order situation in Balochistan, the president underscored the threat posed by terrorists seeking to divide the nation.
The meeting was attended by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Acting Governor of Balochistan Captain (retd) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan, Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari, and other senior officials.
Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti briefed the meeting on the province’s law and order situation.
“The situation is clear — the state will continue to exist, and we must win the war against terrorism,” the president remarked.
Announcing that the government would equip the anti-terrorism wing with the latest weapons, President Zardari reaffirmed that Balochistan was close to their hearts and emphasised the commitment to its development and lasting peace.
The president said the government aimed to ensure every child in Balochistan was enrolled in school. “It is imperative to make children aware of modern technology,” President Zardari added.
Last week, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants sabotaged train tracks and hijacked the Jaffar Express, holding over 440 passengers hostage for a day-long standoff with security forces in Bolan’s remote mountains.
The military, after clearing the train and rescuing hostages, said it killed 33 attackers. Before the operation began, terrorists had martyred 26 passengers, while four security personnel were martyred during the operation.
The martyred train passengers included 18 security personnel from the army and the FC, three officials from Pakistan Railways and other departments and five civilians.
And on Sunday, at least five paramilitaries were martyred in a vehicle-borne suicide attack. The assaults were claimed by the BLA, one of a number of separatist groups operating in Balochistan near the borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
'A war for the existence of future generations'
A day earlier, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir emphasised the need for better governance and transforming Pakistan into a "hard state," questioning for how long the nation would continue to make innumerable sacrifices in the name of a "soft state."
Addressing an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, the army chief said that the ongoing struggle was a war for the existence of present and future generations.
The committee meeting, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, members of the parliamentary committee, political leaders, the Army Chief, director generals of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), key federal ministers and senior officials from the military and intelligence agencies.
Notably, the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Akhtar Mengal opted to stay away from the meeting, which was convened on the prime minister’s advice following the terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express.
General Asim Munir called for all elements of national strength to act in complete harmony for the country’s stability, stating that no agenda, movement or personality was more important than national security.
“There is no agenda, movement or personality bigger and more important than national security. All elements of national strength must act with complete harmony for the country’s lasting stability,” the COAS said.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1293358-war-on-terror-must-be-won-at-all-costs-says-zardari-in-balochistan
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Saudi crown prince, UK PM discuss developments in Gaza, Ukraine during call
March 20, 2025
The call discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and their security and political repercussions. (File/SPA/AFP)
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RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received on Wednesday a phone call from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Saudi Press Agency said.
They discussed during the call developments in the Gaza Strip and their security and political repercussions.
Starmer praised the Kingdom's pivotal role in hosting the US-Russia dialogue in Jeddah.
The pair reviewed efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
They also discussed ways of enhancing cooperation.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2594202/saudi-arabia
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‘Christchurch again please’: Vile online threat to second Sydney mosque
Sally Rawsthorne
March 20, 2025
Lakemba Mosque called for “stronger laws to recognise and criminalise anti-Muslim hate”.CREDIT:CHRISTOPHER HARRIS
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NSW Police are investigating and community leaders are calling for “stronger laws to criminalise anti-Muslim hate” after a TikTok user called for “Christchurch again please” on a video of Lakemba mosque during Ramadan.
The official Lakemba Mosque account posted a time-lapse video of worshippers leaving during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. A TikTok user named wello commented on the video saying “Christchurch again please”, an apparent reference to Brenton Tarrant’s massacre of 51 Muslims at prayer in the New Zealand city in 2019.
Later in the comments, he claimed he lived in Silverwater prison.
NSW Police have launched an investigation into the online threat.
“The NSW Police Force takes hate crimes seriously and encourages anyone who is the victim of a hate crime or witnesses a hate crime to report the matter to police. It is important that the community and police continue to work together to make NSW a safer place for everyone.”
The incident comes a fortnight after a teenager from Western Australia, who cannot be identified because he is underage, was charged over alleged violent threats to another Sydney mosque. The 16-year-old allegedly posted on Instagram that he would “christ church 2.0” the newly opened Australian Islamic House Masjid in Edmondson Park.
He remains before the courts.
In a statement, Lakemba Mosque demanded “stronger laws to recognise and criminalise anti-Muslim hate” and for the community to take a stand against Islamaphobia.
“Lakemba Mosque has been directly threatened, with vile references to the Christchurch attack. Hate speech, threats, and Islamophobia are on the rise,” it said on Thursday.
“Places of worship and education should be safe spaces. Yet, our community continues to face attacks simply for practicing our faith and educating our children.”
Premier Chris Minns labelled the threat “truly disgusting” in a statement on Thursday.
“The NSW Police Force have launched an urgent investigation into this threat and those responsible will face the full force of the law.
“Every single person in our state deserves to be able to practice their faith free from threats and this racism and Islamophobia has absolutely no place in NSW.”
Source:theage.com.au
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https://www.theage.com.au/national/christchurch-again-please-vile-online-threat-to-second-sydney-mosque-20250320-p5ll7b.html
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Hoax alerts: No proof Trump supporters repeatedly attacked Muslim students at Indiana U.
MARCH 20, 2025
Muslim students also accused driver of trying to hit them in crosswalk – he said he didn’t see them
At least four accusations of anti-Muslim bias at Indiana University have fallen apart upon closer examination, according to a College Fix review of bias reports, police documents, and other public records.
Furthermore, a law firm hired by the university noted school officials did not inform the campus community that two accusations had proven to be inconclusive.
Other reports of harassment and violence lacked corresponding police reports.
“A student reported that a group of students wearing Israeli flags and a Trump flag hit them on the back of their head with a water bottle,” one bias report, obtained by The Fix via a public records request, alleged.
The students “verbally harassed them with several comments including ‘fag’, ‘looked like a low [testosterone] male’ and ‘if you go to gaza they’ll kill you’, and physically assaulted them, when they were standing in Dunn Meadow.”
This incident likely occurred last spring during a high profile pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. The Fix obtained bias reports via a public records request covering the 2023-24 school year. There are no police reports for this attack.
Neither the Indiana University nor Bloomington Police Department were able to find police reports or any record regarding these incidents.
Cedric Harris, IU’s assistant dean for student support and bias education, did not respond to multiple requests for information via email and by phone in the past month. The Fix asked about the evidence and resolution of the incidents described in the bias report.
“We would not have taken a report that occurred in Dunn Meadow as that would have been taken by the IU Police Department, as that is not in our jurisdiction,” a Bloomington Police Department public records manager told The Fix via email. “I also did a search near that area and did not find anything either that our agency was dispatched to.”
Likewise, campus police have no corresponding police report for the claim that “two white male students wearing Israeli flags and Jewish student organization hoodies” yelled “terrorist bitch,” “towel head,” and “go back to where you came from” at a Muslim female student. This also likely occurred last spring.
A local mosque initially said it knew the students involved in all four incidents when asked by The Fix. However, the Islamic Center of Bloomington ultimately did not provide contact information for the alleged victims.
The university does not typically inform students when claimed bias incidents appear to lack evidence.
A lengthy report, commissioned by the university to review its actions surrounding last spring’s encampment and related issues, reported on two other incidents.
“A number of students described to us an incident of a car attempting to run over two IU students wearing hijabs off-campus,” the report by Cooley LLP stated. “Students reported different versions of the events and at least one student had heard that it was later disproven.”
The report detailed an incident where “a female student wearing a hijab was waiting at a bus stop on campus when a truck pulled up and threatened to tear off her hijab.”
A screenshot of pg. 25 of a report compiled by Cooley LLP for Indiana University.
Campus police “investigated and reviewed video footage from around the time of the incident, but was unable to identify the vehicle or the driver.” The university has yet to respond to a College Fix police report request for this incident and another one that occurred in December.
Another complaint alleged that a car had advanced towards two female Muslim students in an attempt to intimidate them. This complaint was brought to the Bloomington PD. The official police report, obtained by The Fix via a public records request, stated that after review of the video surveillance and interviews with the two female victims, law enforcement determined that no crime had occurred.
“BPD investigated the incident but did not bring charges. The driver denied seeing the women in the crosswalk,” the law firm found. “The administration did not make a statement about either incident or communicate the ultimate investigative findings of the police to the community.”
The law firm said it reviewed “hundreds of hours of video footage” and “more than 10,000 documents” along with conducting on-campus interviews. The Fix asked attorney Rebekah Donaleski, who wrote the report, and IU media reps Mark Bode and Vic Ryckaert for further comment. The Fix asked if they saw any proof for the two allegations in the bias reports in their review. None responded to emails and phone calls in the past month.
The Fix also asked the university why it did not inform the campus about these two other allegations described in the law firm’s report being closed.
Neither the IU Divestment Coalition nor the Palestine Solidarity Committee responded to multiple requests for comment via email. The Fix inquired about who the victims of the alleged hate crimes might be and whether they had any more information.
Source:thecollegefix.com
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https://www.thecollegefix.com/hoax-alerts-no-proof-trump-supporters-repeatedly-attacked-muslim-students-at-indiana-u/
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DBKL to facilitate relocation of Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple
Bernama
20-03- 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is playing a facilitating role in ensuring that the relocation of the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple from the private land in the busy Jalan Masjid India to a new location can be resolved smoothly.
Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif said that as a party entrusted by the government, DBKL has taken proactive steps to come forward to help find the best solution for all parties involved.
“DBKL assures that every step that is being and will be taken is in line with the principle of freedom of religion as enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” she told reporters after visiting the temple here today.
Maimunah said that the temple’s relocation process would be carried out transparently and fairly, involving discussions with the stakeholders to ensure its smooth implementation.
“DBKL has identified a new suitable spot for the temple where Hindu devotees can continue to carry out their religious activities comfortably and harmoniously,” she said.
Maimunah said DBKL had also taken note of the proposal to build a mosque on land owned by a private company in Jalan Masjid India, the same location where a small part of the temple is located.
She explained that the project was proposed by the private company as the legal owner of the land and not by the government.
As such, the mayor called on all parties to continue to maintain harmony and respect the diversity of religions in this country.
Meanwhile, Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple Chairman K Barthiban said they were ready to cooperate in discussions with DBKL regarding the relocation process of the house of worship.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/dbkl-to-facilitate-relocation-of-dewi-sri-pathrakaliamman-temple-HI13825266
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Time to lift unjust sanctions, unfreeze Afghanistan assets
March 20, 202
The Islamic Emirate called on the UN mission to make all necessary efforts
towards lifting unjust sanctions on the Afghan nation and unfreezing the country’s
assets.
The United Nations Security Council has announced the extension of the mission of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The UNSC decision reflects the ongoing international commitment to supporting Afghanistan during challenging times. The Security Council issued a message on X, stating that the resolution to extend the UNAMA mission was unanimously approved for another year. All 15 members of the council cast affirmative votes, signaling collective international support for the mission. Although the UNAMA mission in Afghanistan has not been effective as it has not made necessary efforts towards lifting all sanctions on Afghanistan and unfreezing the country’s assets in the past over three years, it is crucial for the mission to remain engaged and make further efforts towards lifting sanctions on Afghanistan and unfreezing the country’s assets. The continued extension of UNAMA’s mission underscores the global community’s commitment to Afghanistan’s stability and deTime to lift unjust sanctions, unfreeze Afghanistan assets velopment. The Islamic Emirate has also reacted to the decision by the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of the UNAMA mission in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate called on the UN mission to make all necessary efforts towards lifting unjust sanctions on the Afghan nation and unfreezing the country’s assets. “We request that UNAMA focus, as is necessary, on strengthening the relationship between Afghanistan, the United Nations, and other nations,” said the Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. “This should include a proper reflection of Afghanistan’s security, economic, and social advancements, the protection of the international rights of the Afghan people, the removal of unjust sanctions, the cessation of financial embezzlement, and the restoration of Afghanistan’s rightful representation within the United Nations to the Afghan people,” he added. Urging the world body’s mission to make “all necessary efforts toward these critical objectives,” Mujahid said: “UNAMA should avoid generating undue concerns, as seen in the past, and refrain from exploiting one or two issues to engage in propaganda against Afghanistan or becoming a tool for the benefit of partisan or malicious agendas.” The economic sanctions that have been imposed by Western countries on Afghanistan are not just economic pressures but are part of a larger international effort aimed at weakening the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and questioning the country’s independence. Western countries, especially the United States, want to use these sanctions to force Afghans to rely solely on international aid to run their economy. The main goal behind the Western economic sanctions is to crush the hopes of the Afghans and to use them as a method of mental domination. The sanctions, which focus on blocking banking, international trade relations, and resources, make it difficult for Afghans to meet their daily needs, but the main goal of the Western countries’ policy is to not only put economic pressure on the Islamic Emirate but also to negatively affect the moral of the entire nation. It is the time for the international community, particularly the UNAMA mission that has been extended for another year, to make efforts and take all necessary steps towards lifting all sanctions on the people of Afghanistan and unfreezing the country’s assets. It is also the time for all Afghans to work to strengthen the country’s economy, use their internal strength, create investment opportunities, and expand trade based on their interests. Sayed Sharif
Source:thekabultimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thekabultimes.com/time-to-lift-unjust-sanctions-unfreeze-afghanistan-assets/
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Ladoja, APC leaders attend Alao’s Ramadan lecture in Ibadan
March 19, 2025
by Segun Showunmi, Ibadan
The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Rasheed Ladoja, alongside other notable figures, attended this year’s Ramadan lecture organized by APC chieftain, Engr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao, in Oyo State.
Among the dignitaries present were the Alajia of Ajia, Oba Nureni Adegbenro; Senator Yunus Akintunde; Oyo APC Chairman, Olaide Abas; former lawmaker, Hon. Adepeju Esan; and Prof. K. K. Oloso. Others in attendance included the Oyo APC Woman Leader, Alhaja Tinuade Adigun; Prince Gbade Lana; Mogaji Abass Oloko; Architect Ganiyu Lawal; and Hon. Remi Sodiq.
Delivering a lecture titled “Mirror of life and the aftermath,” renowned cleric Shaykh Sulaimon Amubieya emphasised that destiny predates the world and that each person is a reflection of themselves.
He urged the faithful to trust in God, as divine blessings cannot be altered by human efforts.
In his remarks, Chief Ladoja, who chaired the event, praised the guest lecturer for his thought-provoking sermon.
He described Islam as a religion of peace and advised people to be mindful of their actions to avoid being the architects of their misfortune.
Alao expressed gratitude to Ladoja for chairing the occasion, commending his leadership across all societal divides.
He also thanked Alajia, the guest lecturer, and other attendees for making the event spiritually uplifting.
Source:thenationonlineng.net
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India
Delhi Court Discharges 11 Muslim Men Accused Of Murder During 2020 Delhi Riots Due To Lack Of Evidence
20 March 2025
The Karkardooma court in Delhi has dismissed the charges against 11 Muslim men who had been accused for being involved in the murder of a man called Babbu, during the 2002 Delhi riots. After five years of the case in court, the Delhi court dismissed the charges against these men due to a "lack of evidence."
As per Live Law, murder charges are now being drawn up against eight men belonging to a mob of the Hindu community.
In February 2020, a resident of Khajuri Khas, Babbu, was coming from work in his auto when he was attacked by a Hindu mob that beat him.
The video of this incident went viral and a mob was seen beating Babbu and another man wearing a skullcap. While the other man managed to flee, Babbu was left on the road and later succumbed to his injuries at GTB hospital.
Delhi Police arrested 19 people in relation to Babbu's murder, including 11 Muslim men. As per police, these men were "in the video" and all those identified had admitted their role in the mob.
However, the Karkardooma court observed that there was no evidence against these 11 men.
The counsel appearing for these men told the media that the men had been falsely accused. The court observed that the mob of the Muslim community had no role to play in the deceased’s beating, as they were sympathisers.
In February 2020, violent clashes broke out in North East Delhi. The wave of bloodshed, violence and vandalism lasted for four days. As per reports, the riots were brought about due to communal tensions when Hindu mobs attacked Muslims in the area.
Another key instigator of the riots was the CAA Bill. As per reports, clashes between anti and pro-CAA protestors turned into clashes which trigged a wave of violence for the next few days.
Forty-two people, including a policeman and an IB personnel, were killed due to the violence.
Source:outlookindia.com
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https://www.outlookindia.com/national/delhi-court-discharges-11-muslim-men-accused-of-murder-during-2020-delhi-riots-due-to-lack-of-evidence
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Siddaramaiah govt’s 4% Muslim quota bill kicks off another reservation row in Karnataka
SHARAN POOVANNA
20 March, 2025
Bengaluru: The Siddaramaiah-led government’s proposal to allocate four percent reservation for Muslims in public contracts in Karnataka is “incentivising religious conversion into Islam”, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya said Wednesday.
Posting a clip of himself speaking on the issue in Lok Sabha, he wrote on X, “The ulterior motive of the reservation by the INC (Indian National Congress) is to provide opportunities for banned anti-social elements from PFI (Popular Front of India) and KFD (Karnataka Forum for Dignity) to secure govt contracts.”
Surya’s remarks came a day after the state government tabled in the assembly the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill 2025, which proposes, among other things, a four percent reservation for Muslims under 2-B category of the State Backward Classes list for government contracts below Rs 2 crore, and procurement of goods and services below Rs 1 crore through various public departments.
In its statement of objectives, the government said that the provisions to include Muslims was to “overcome the unemployment problem” and “encourage their participation” in various public contract works, attracting barbs from the Opposition benches in the ongoing budget session of the Karnataka assembly.
“The BJP is unable to digest anything. That’s why they are jealous and there is no medicine for it. That is why they (BJP) are calling it a minority budget,” Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru Tuesday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and its regional ally, Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S), have called the proposal “sarkari jihad”, saying that four percent today will turn into a 100 percent tomorrow.
National-level leaders of the BJP have also slammed the Congress in Karnataka, and the party’s high command, for its alleged patronage of Muslims, saying that religion-based reservation is not permissible under the Constitution.
Karnataka Backward Classes list
Currently, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are given 24 percent reservation in civil works contracts and for procurement of goods and services. Four percent quota is reserved for Category-1 of State Backward Classes list, and 15 percent for category 2-A.
The new bill proposes to increase the limit of construction works to be reserved for SC/ST to Rs 2 crore from Rs 1 crore, along with four percent reservation each for category 1 and 2-B (Muslims), and 15 percent for 2-A, which includes several small groups, including Buddhists.
The BJP argues that Muslims are a religious minority and cannot be included in the Backward Classes list. In March 2023, the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government had used the same argument to remove Muslims from the list, where they had four percent reservation under category 2-B. He then tried to redistribute the four percent equally between the dominant Lingayats and Vokkaligas-led 3-A & 3-B categories to assuage growing calls for better representation.
“We reversed this decision and the matter is now under review by the Supreme Court. Despite knowing this, the Congress government is misleading people by claiming that they are providing reservations to backward classes, while actually giving four percent reservation to minorities, which is unconstitutional and illegal,” Bommai, now the MP from Gadag-Haveri, told reporters in Delhi Tuesday.
The Muslim community was included in the Backward Classes list in 1994. While Buddhists come under category 2-A of the list, Christians and Jains are classified into 3-B.
In 1994, then chief minister Veerappa Moily had implemented the provision of a four percent quota for Muslims under 2-B category based on the Justice Chinnappa Reddy commission’s recommendations.
C.S. Dwarkanath, advocate and former chairman of Karnataka Backward Classes Commission, said that multiple commissions in the state, including L.G. Havanur, Justice Miller, Justice Chinnappa Reddy and others, have considered Muslims a part of Backward Classes. “When the Havanur commission submitted its report, it was challenged in the Karnataka High Court. But the court observed that the criteria of socially and educationally backwardness were considered and religion was not in question,” Dwarkanath, now a Congress leader, told ThePrint.
‘Bill hurting SC/ST’s’
The Congress’s defence that the bill is for all religious minorities, including Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and not just Muslims, has been unable to quell the growing clamour arising not just from the Opposition, but also a section of its core support base.
In Karnataka, the ruling party’s support base includes minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits. The BJP is broadly supported by Lingayats, and the Vokkaligas—an agrarian land-owning community—is seen to back H.D. Deve Gowda-led JD(S).
Now, representatives of SC/ST contractors have urged the Siddaramaiah-led government to separate their quota in government contracts, and not club them with provisions for religious minorities.
“We have asked that the government introduce another bill for reservation in government contracts for minorities and OBCs, and not add them as a clause with the existing provisions for SCs & STs. BJP leaders and others have threatened to file cases against the new bill, and we don’t want any complications with the provisions extended to us,” N. Mahadevaswamy, president of Karnataka State SC/ST Contractors Association, told ThePrint.
In the association’s letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mahadevaswamy has also asked that the government limit the participation of religious minorities and OBCs to certain tenders, and reserving 17.15 percent and 6.95 percent (proportional to SC & ST population in Karnataka) of tenders for procurements below Rs 1 crore, among other concerns. The association has also threatened to move the court if their demands are not met.
Source:theprint.in
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https://theprint.in/politics/siddaramaiah-govts-4-muslim-quota-bill-kicks-off-another-reservation-row-in-karnataka/2555264/
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Nagpur: Local Muslims allege arbitrary detention, police participation in violence
19 Mar 2025
Amid the arrest of a local Muslim politician, whom the police has accused of instigating the Nagpur communal violence, Muslim residents of the area, according to a report, hint at police complicity in the riots.
The Maktoob Media, citing local Muslim residents, claimed that the police refused to take action and sided with the Hindutva groups such as Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal whose members burned a Dargah chadar inscribed with Quranic verses during a protest demanding the demolition of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb's tomb on Monday.
In response to the police's inaction despite a complaint being lodged by local Muslim residents, a group of Muslim men staged a protest in front of the Shivaji statue in Nagpur’s Mahal area.
"By 7 PM, VHP and Bajrang Dal members marched through Muslim-majority areas of the city, chanting slogans. This provocation led to clashes between the two communities. The police were initially absent and arrived only after tensions had escalated, " the report said citing the local people.
According to an eyewitness cited by the report, police actively participated in the riots alongside members of the Hindu right-wing groups.
The local Muslims also accused the police of arbitrarily detaining innocent civilians.
“At around 2 AM, the police randomly entered the homes of Muslims in areas like Mominpura, Bhaldarpura, and Mahal, taking them away. Many of those detained had no involvement in the protest,” 52-year-old Shafiq Ahmed was quoted as saying by the report.
An FIR filed at the Ganesh Peth Police Station on March 18 names 52 men, all from the Muslim community. As many as six FIRs have been registered so far against several people including the local leader of the Minorities Democratic Party (MDP) Fahim Shamim Khan.
Calls for the demolition of seventeenth-century ruler Aurangzeb's tomb, following the release of a controversial Bollywood film Chhaava, has rocked the state with the BJP-led state government backing the demand.
"Who is Aurangzeb? Is he a saint? Has he done any good work? One should read the history of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and watch Chhava movies. They tortured Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj for 40 days. Aurangzeb was a traitor. Aurangzeb's grave is a blot on Maharashtra. The protestors are protesting for the pride of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj," Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said following the violence.
Source:newindianexpress.com
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Tripura governor urged to act against BJP minister who linked Opposition to ‘Islamic terrorists’
y Debraj Deb
March 19, 2025
Nearly a week after Tripura minister Sudhangshu Das linked the Samajwadi Party, Congress and Left to “sinful ideologies equivalent to that of Islamic terrorists”, Opposition Leader Jitendra Chaudhury sought Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu’s intervention stating that the BJP leader’s “abominable remarks” show his “habitually unconstitutional and criminal mindset”.
Attaching screenshots of the scheduled caste welfare minister’s social media posts, the CPM leader wrote to the governor on Tuesday: “Sudhangshu Das has made some remarks in one of his Facebook posts, a few days back, on his official Facebook page, which were not only highly derogatory and seriously objectionable to certain national-level and regional political parties of this country, but also severely hurt the sense of communal harmony among different sections of society, particularly regarding the feeling of safety and security among the religious minority community of the state and the country.
“Such types of extremely divisive and inciting communal remarks to divide and push society towards communal instability, particularly when attempted by a responsible person like a member of the state cabinet, who has taken an oath to obey, safeguard, and uphold the holy constitution and constitutional spirits, values, and mandates, including secularism as one of the basic salient features of the same, do not only amount to his or her unconstitutional, unethical, and unjust activity, but it also obviously and undoubtedly amounts to an activity of criminal nature.”
Chaudhury wrote that the minister had made similar comments in the past, reflecting his “habitually unconstitutional and criminal mindset”.
“Any element with such a nasty and criminal mindset should not be allowed to continue as part and parcel of any democratic government in India or in any of its provincial governments, set up under the framework of the secular constitution of the country,” he wrote.
Sudhangshu Das controversial post: | Uproar in Tripura Assembly as Opposition seeks minister’s apology
“I am requesting your kind and prompt intervention into the matter, so that elements of such unconstitutional and criminal mindset may not burden your good government, and the people of all caste, creed, religion, language and communities of Tripura may feel themselves safe and secure in the good hands of your government,” the CPM leader wrote to the governor.
On March 12, Das wrote: “Aurangzeb had demolished hundreds of Hindu temples, mercilessly murdered hundreds of Hindus, Marathas and Sikhs, ninth Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj for not accepting Islam. India’s Opposition Samajwadi Party, Congress and Left parties are associated with sinful ideologies equivalent to that of Islamic terrorists, dacoits, thieves, barbaric animals, just for the sake of getting the fundamentalist jihadi votes. Democratic citizens should understand the truth that they are so dangerous for the country.”
The Tripura Insaf Parishad, a Muslim organisation, has lodged a case against Sudhangshu Das at the Irani police station in Kailashahar, accusing him of fomenting communal hatred through social media and seeking legal action against him.
The TIPRA Motha, a ruling ally of the BJP, has criticised the minister’s comments. “Someone who is swearing on the constitution of India should refrain from making such statements. I am indeed shocked and condemn such language by anyone, let alone those who hold responsible positions in the government,” the party’s founder, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, two days ago.
Veteran Congress MLA Birajit Sinha also protested against the comments. “…This is an effort to disturb peace and solidarity in the state and inciting tension by referring to whatever happened during the Mughal empire. Prior to this, he made similar comments on Facebook hurting Hindu-Muslim relations. He ought to focus on maintaining peace in the state as a responsible minister. The stuff he is speaking about on Facebook is highly sensitive. I feel these comments should be deleted from social media at any cost,” he said three days ago.
Sudhangshu Das had hit the headlines several times for his comments on social media.
In September last year, Das said Hindus should not worship their deities unless their “blood boils” at the incidents of attacks on Hindu idols in neighbouring Bangladesh, adding that a community that cannot save its deities and temples from “infidel jihadis (bidhormi jihadi)” should not be worshipping deities anymore.
This post was deleted afterwards but took the Assembly by storm as Opposition MLAs demanded he seek an apology in the House.
On November 21 last year, he trained guns at Chaudhury, alleging that Leftists under his leadership were trying to misguide people by bringing “trained salesmen” from Murshidabad in order to survive.
“The Leftists who were against India’s freedom, who were against democracy, those who insulted Rabindranath Tagore by calling him a bourgeois poet, insulted Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, those who taunted Swami Vivekananda by calling him mad/insane, those who were against Ram Mandir, those who were against Hindu sanatan heritage and culture. As I speak in favour of sanatan dharma, it’s natural that the Leftists, with their distorted mentality, will speak against me,” he wrote on Facebook.
On November 3 last year, he wrote that if Muslims have a Waqf Board, Hindus should be entitled to have a sanatan board and that other communities like Christians and Sikhs should have their boards as well. Otherwise all such boards should be disbanded, he added.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tripura-governor-bjp-minister-opposition-islamic-terrorists-9895302/
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Scrap-quota trial balloon on Muslims: BJP MPs accuse Opposition of vote-bank politics
J.P. Yadav
20.03.25
BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday alleged in the Lok Sabha that Opposition-ruled states were indulging in vote-bank politics by granting reservation to Muslims and demanded a central law prohibiting such a practice.
In a rare gesture, junior law (independent charge) and parliamentary affairs minister Arjun Ram Meghwal promptly rose and told the House that he would communicate the “feelings” of the MPs to the ministry concerned, which he himself heads. Ministers rarely respond in the House to matters raised during Zero Hour.
The Congress members staged a brief protest in the Well of the House, alleging preferential treatment to the BJP MPs to raise political matters during Zero Hour.
“For vote-bank politics, all the Opposition parties want to give reservation to Muslims and destroy the social fabric of the country…. I want to urge the central government to frame a law against the Opposition’s vote-bank politics and stop the back-door entry of Muslims,” Dubey, the MP from Godda in Jharkhand, told the Lok Sabha.
Dubey said the Karnataka government’s recent decision to grant 4 per cent reservation to Muslim contractors in civil work tenders was unconstitutional.
“He has raised a very serious and important issue. We will communicate his feelings to the ministry concerned,” Meghwal said.
Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya raised the same issue and demanded a rollback of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill.
“Through the 4 per cent reservation for minorities in government tenders, the Congress government in Karnataka is incentivising religious conversion into Islam. A secular government cannot do this… this should be rolled back and the government should bring a law against it,” Surya told the House.
Congress MPs rose in protest as Surya was allowed to raise the same issue after Dubey. They alleged that while their Zero Hour notices were pending, the two ruling party MPs were allowed to launch political attacks.
The two MPs later took to X to amplify the issue, thanking Meghwal for taking note. “The Indian government is concerned about the plans of the Opposition parties, including the Congress, to divide the country on the pretext of Muslim reservation. Today, Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal expressed his concern in the Lok Sabha…,” Dubey posted on X.
“Grateful to the union law minister for taking note of this dangerous precedent…,” Surya posted.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/scrap-quota-trial-balloon-on-muslims-bjp-mps-accuse-opposition-of-vote-bank-politics-prnt/cid/2089741
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‘Muslims, who fought British rulers, being targeted in India now’
March 19, 2025
The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) hosted the Iftar party in Palayamkottai on Wednesday.
On behalf of the MDMK, the party’s Tirunelveli central district secretary K. M. A. Nizam organised the Iftar party.
Addressing the party organised at Mazjid-Ur-Rahim mosque, MDMK treasurer M. Senthilathibhan, said the Muslim community, vehemently resisted the British rulers as they entered the country. They also actively participated in the freedom struggle. However, they were being targeted in the northern parts of the country.
After the Hindu outfits demanded the removal of the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, violence erupted in Nagpur, which was in flames.
However, Tamil Nadu, the birth place of Dravidian movement, has been a land of peace as Muslims and the people from other faiths are living like brothers and sisters. This much-needed communal harmony will continue for centuries to come as the Dravidian movement has nurtured everyone in such a fashion,” Mr. Senthilathibhan said.
Deputy general secretary of MDMK T.M. Rajendran and party spokesman ‘Minnal’ Mohammed Ali participated in the Iftar party.
Source:thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/muslims-who-fought-british-rulers-being-targeted-in-india-now/article69349632.ece
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Muslim inmates protest for fruits to break fast in Kalaburgi jail
March 19, 2025
Muslim inmates at Karnataka ‘s Kalaburgi Central Jail staged a protest demanding authorities to give them fruits to break their fasts on Monday.
Speaking to the media, the inmates said that every year the authorities provided them fruits. However, this year they received fruits for only ten days.
The prisoners also accused the jail security staff of showing objection over fruits being served to them. They alleged that due to their objections, the authorities stopped providing them fruits.
Following the protest, the jail superintendent assured the protesters that their demands will be met and that they do not need to worry about it as the authorities will provide fruits for the rest of the month.
Source:muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/muslim-inmates-protest-for-fruits-to-break-fast-in-kalaburgi-jail/
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MP: Youth arrested for sharing objectionable content on Muslims in Burhanpur
March 19, 2025
A youth was arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district for posting derogatory content against Muslims after Muslims staged a protest demanding his arrest.
Several Muslims had gathered at the Kotwali police station on Tuesday night after offering prayers demanding stricter action against a 21-year old, Davesh Dalal who had published objectionable content on Muslims.
Davesh had shared the content via Instagram. Protesters argued that the content was highly objectionable and hurt religious sentiments.
Analysing the urgency of the situation, the Superintendent of Police Devendra Patidar and District Magistrate Harsh Singh reached the police station.
Police in its swift action, registered an FIR around 10 p.m and arrested the accused. Heavy police force was also stationed in Burhanpur town to maintain peace between both communities. Police also took out a flag march as a safety precaution.
Speaking to the reporters, police confirmed that the situation is now under control and an investigation is underway. Patidar said, “The police acted swiftly, calmed the crowd who had gathered to protest and solved the issue at hand promptly. We urge people to abstain from sharing any kind of objectionable content.”
Source:muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/mpyouth-arrested-for-sharing-objectionable-content-on-muslims-in-burhanpur/
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Chhattisgarh: BJP MLAs corner govt on religious conversions
20 Mar 2025
Ejaz KaiserRAIPUR: The BJP-ruled government in Chhattisgarh faced tough questions from its own legislators during the budget session of the House over cases of religious conversion allegedly taking place in the state. BJP MLAs claimed that several such incidents had been reported in the state, noting that the situation is particularly grim in Bastar division.
The saffron party’s MLAs claim that the “prohibited practice” is still prevalent in parts of the state. “When the demography changes (owing to religious conversions), the situation will turn worrisome for Chhattisgarh if the strict rules to prevent religious conversions are not executed,” said BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar.
Another BJP leader, Sushant Shukla, expressed, “The state home minister, Vijay Sharma, has no knowledge about the activities of Joshua Project (an evangelical Christian organisation) in the state.” Shukla alleged that the organisation has been carrying out religious conversions with the help of missionary organisations as the authorities look the other way.
Sharma responded by assuring, “Action is being taken against religious conversions in accordance with the provisions of the old existing rules.” Reaffirming the state government’s commitment to addressing the issue, he added, “Soon, we will bring in tougher anti-conversion laws and frame new regulations to check such unlawful activities.”
The Chhattisgarh Christian Forum expressed its dismay, stating that the community is being targeted and maligned. “We are moving the Supreme Court to seek a clear definition of ‘dharmantran’ (religious conversion). The apex court should issue a set of guidelines that can help determine when the need for government intervention arises in such cases,” shared Arun Pannalal, president of the forum.
The Congress maintains that propagating one’s faith or religion is not a crime.
Tougher law soon
Party MLAs assert the “prohibited practice” is still prevalent
State HM Vijay Sharma says action is being taken against religious conversions in line with existing norms
Soon, the state will get tougher anti-conversion laws and new regulations to check such unlawful activities, the HM says
Chhattisgarh Christian Forum moves SC seeking a clear definition of ‘dharmantran’
Source:newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Mar/20/bjp-mlas-corner-govt-on-religious-conversions
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Eight Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal members surrender to police in Nagpur violence case
19 Mar 2025
Eight members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal voluntarily surrendered to the Kotwali police on Wednesday in connection with the Nagpur violence case.
The Nagpur police had previously filed FIRs against them for allegedly offending religious sentiments.
These arrests were linked to their involvement in a protest calling for the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb in Sambhajinagar, formerly known as Aurangabad.
Following their surrender, the police took the accused into custody and presented them before the court.
Earlier in the day, police arrested a Minorities Democratic Party' leader Fahim Shamim Khan for his alleged involvement in the violence. He was remanded to custody until March 21.
He had been arrested for allegedly leading a protest outside a Nagpur police station on Monday after VHP workers staged an agitation for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, which triggered violence.
Khan's name is mentioned along with that of 50 others in one of six FIRs registered so far in connection with the violent clashes that left several police personnel injured.
Police are investigating whether Khan played any role in instigating the riots, an official said on Wednesday.
Violence had erupted in central Nagpur's Chitnis Park in the Mahal area on Monday, with stones hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
As many as 34 police personnel were injured in the violence.
Source:newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Mar/19/eight-vishwa-hindu-parishad-bajrang-dal-members-surrender-to-police-in-nagpur-violence-case
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Was OBC quota abused for Muslims? West Bengal says will conduct fresh survey | Explained
Mar 20, 2025
The West Bengal government informed the Supreme Court that it would be conducting a fresh survey to identify the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state, and finish the exercise in three weeks. Inclusion of several Muslim communities in the state's revised list of OBCs has sparked controversy, with even the High Court agreeing that "religion indeed appears to be the sole criterion" for their inclusion in the list. Here is what the row is all about and what the Mamata Banerjee-led government proposes to do next.
The case has its origins in the West Bengal government's move to add 77 communities, 75 of which were Muslim, between 2010 and 2012 to its list of OBCs. The additions sparked allegations of political appeasement of the minority community and the matter reached the Calcutta High Court, which in 2024 struck down the additions.
For starters, several Muslim communities feature in the OBC lists of centres and states.
Going by West Bengal's submission in 2024, it said it followed a three-tier procedure to include the castes but completed the exercise in less than 24 hours in the case of certain Muslim communities, according to a report in The Times of India from last year.
Here's the entire story in five points to explain its significance and the controversy.
1. WHAT WEST BENGAL TOLD THE SC ON OBC LIST
The West Bengal government on March 18 told the Supreme Court that it would be conducting a fresh exercise to determine which communities will be included in its OBC list. It said the exercise would be completed in three months. A two-judge bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih allowed Bengal the time and posted the matter for July.
The Bengal government brought the matter to the Supreme Court after the High Court ordered the scrapping of all certificates issued in the state since 2010.
Hearing Bengal’s appeal in December 2024, the Supreme Court remarked “reservation cannot be on the basis of religion”.
2. WHY CALCUTTA HIGH COURT SCRAPPED OBC CERTIFICATES
In May 2024, the Calcutta High Court, while hearing a PIL, termed the new OBC list "illegal". It has scrapped all OBC certificates issued in Bengal since 2010, when the 77 communities were added.
The court directed that a fresh list be prepared by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes.
The HC, however, clarified that its order wouldn't affect those from the ejected classes who had already benefitted by the reservation process. It also added that the order didn't interfere with the state's executive orders, classifying 66 classes of OBCs before 2010.
3. POLITICS OVER COURT DECISION ON BENGAL OBC LIST
Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief, alleged political motivation for the HC ruling.
“We do not accept the order that scrapped OBC certificates. We will contest at a higher court after the summer vacation," Mamata said at a rally, two days after the verdict.
It was the time of the 2024 general election.
“I respect the courts, but a few judges are only following the diktats of the BJP and the CPI(M),” she added.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the high court verdict and said that Mamata Banerjee wants to rob the reservation of backward classes for her vote bank and give that reservation to Muslim castes.
"Mamata Banerjee gave OBC reservation to 118 Muslim castes without any survey. Mamata Banerjee wants to rob the reservation of backward classes for her vote bank and give that reservation to Muslim castes," Amit Shah told news agency ANI, "welcoming" the HC order.
The BJP has alleged that the Mamata-led government was using the quota system for vote-bank politics.
4. HOW COMMUNITIES ARE ADDED TO THE OBC LIST
In August 2024, the Supreme Court asked the West Bengal government to explain the process of how it selected the 77 communities to be added to the state's list for OBC reservations.
The process has been explained by Abhijit Mukherjee, additional secretary and ex-officio joint commissioner of reservation at backward classes welfare department, in an affidavit filed with the Supreme Court.
The three-tier process includes two surveys and a hearing by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes.
The process starts as individuals apply to be included in the OBC list, wherein details like the name of class, size of its population, and economic data are provided, according to a report in The Times of India.
The application is followed by field surveys during which public notice is issued on the application as well as objections to the claim. At the hearing, the commission examines the survey material, and decides whether to accept or reject the application. If the plea is accepted, the report says, the matter is taken up by the state Cabinet, which approves it.
5. WHAT IS THE ISSUE OF BENGAL'S OBC ADDITIONS?
Earlier in March, BJP General Secretary Jagannath Chatterjee said the benchmark sample survey would benefit Muslim OBCs at the expense of Hindu OBCs.
"The TMC government is conducting a benchmark sample survey on backward classes with the intention of diverting resources towards Muslim OBCs. This is a clear attempt at appeasement under the guise of welfare," he said.
The allegations stem from the fact that earlier, between 2010 and 2012, 75 of the 77 additions were from Muslim communities. That it was done on the basis of religion was what the HC ruled. The SC then said that reservation benefits couldn't be granted on the basis of religion.
What actually came out of the response filed by the Bengal government was a rush job in adding some of the Muslim communities in the list.
"The Khotta Muslim community made an application on November 13, 2009, and on the same day, the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes recommended its inclusion in the OBC list," according to a TOI report from 2024 based on the state's affidavit.
The affidavit revealed that recommendations to include Gayen (Muslim) and Bhatia Muslim communities were also given in a day, while it took less than a month for about a dozen other Muslim communities.
The question is, if the three-tier process of two surveys and a hearing was followed, how did the community make it to the list in a day?
Now, the Bengal government has proposed in the Supreme Court to complete a fresh survey within three months. It will be clear how many communities, and especially those added to the OBC list since 2010, actually make the cut.
Source:indiatoday.in
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How Hindutva’s politics of renaming burdens Indian Muslims with imaginary historical guilt
Fahad Zuberi
20 March 2025
Maharashtra has been enflamed in recent weeks by deeply concerning rhetoric about the 17th century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. On Monday night, violence was reported in Nagpur over demands that Aurangzeb’s grave should be demolished.
The attempts to obliterate the memory of the Mughal emperor are not new. In 2023, after a campaign that lasted decades, the city of Aurangabad was renamed after the Maratha ruler Sambhaji.
The Nagpur incident brings back into focus a Bombay High Court judgement last year and the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene in a petition against it that could have been the opportunity to judicially resist the violent politics of renaming in India. Also lost was the chance to protect Muslims from being criminalised as historical perpetrators of violence.
On August 2, 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea challenging the renaming of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad Dharashiv.
The renaming had been proposed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government and upheld by the Bombay High Court in a judgement in May 2024. This High Court judgement created an unusual line of reasoning around renaming of towns and cities in India, couching the polarising politics of renaming in the polite confines of judicial interpretation.
The judgement began with Shakespeare’s famous quote where Juliet, emphasising the irrelevance of a rose’s name to its fragrance asks, “What’s in a name?”
Acknowledging the lack of statutory provisions for renaming Indian cities, the judgement was based on two arguments. Firstly, legal provisions allow for state governments to alter the limits of, or abolish and name “revenue areas”. Secondly, if a government has the power to abolish an existing area or name a new one, it can rename existing areas also.
This dispassionate line of reasoning has shown itself to be very dangerous. With no mention or reference to the politics of renaming in India, the judgement completely ignored the socio-political context of renaming towns and cities.
Towns and cities can be renamed for a multitude of purposes. In the case of Chennai, formerly Madras, it was to acknowledge local tradition. In the case of St Petersburg, the changes reflected changing political realities. During World War I, the Russian city was renamed Petrograd because St Petersburg was deemed ‘‘too German”. In 1924, it was rechristening Leningrad after the leader of the Bolshevik Revolution. In 1991, after the collapse of communism, it reverted to its old name.
In contemporary India, however, renaming follows a more divisive and dangerous agenda. It premises itself on the false narrative of history where Muslims are claimed to have invaded the “Hindu” subcontinent, destroyed its glorious ancient culture and then ruled India for a thousand years as fanatical despots.
This version of history first paints today’s Indian Muslims as descendants of these medieval Muslim “invaders” and presents Hindus as their victims. The changes in the names of cities and streets areprojected as an act of reclamation – a Hindu conquest over destructive Muslims.
This variety of politics burdens Indian Muslims with imagined historical guilt. It also positions Hindus against Muslim citizens of India and uses distorted histories to fan communal sentiment.
Therefore, the act of renaming, as procedurally sound as it might be, is a direct attack on the constitutional principle of fraternity and a violation of Article 51A(e) of the Constitution that calls for the promotion of “…harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious diversities”.
Besides, with its interpretation of urban areas as legal entities with revenue-based boundaries, the High Court judgement treated cities and towns as mere units of governance. It reduces the inhabitants of cities to being mere subjects who are governed. This is grossly incomplete.
Cities are not just units of administration. For their citizens, cities are places of birth, places of memory, of lived histories, identities and of familial connections.
When the name of a city is changed from its “Muslim-sounding” one to a “Hindu” one, it sends a clear message that Muslim inhabitants of the city cannot count themselves among the “original” members of its community. They are either descendants of the invaders who conquered the city and changed its name or are converts to Islam who got polluted and are an aberration to the true nature of the town.
Hence, Aurangzeb – after whom Aurangabad was named – despite being born in Gujarat and dying in Maharashtra is viewed as a foreigner who must be erased. On the other hand, Sambhaji – after whom the town got its new name and who also lived and died in the subcontinent – is viewed as an Indian and must be revered.
The message of the renaming is that regardless of your place of birth, your religion decides whether you are the primary or a secondary citizen of Aurangabad – and India. Muslimness is treated as more important than Indian-ness.
In March 2023, the Supreme Court had itself rejected a plea that sought the establishment of a renaming commission to maintain a list of “original names” that were changed by “foreign barbaric invaders”.
The Supreme Court had criticised the petition, noting that “…history cannot haunt its current and future generations...” Recognising the insidiousness of renaming, it demanded to know if the petitioner wanted to “…keep the country on boil?”
The Bombay High Court acknowledged this precedent but ignored it, concluding that renaming cannot be judicially regulated unless the name proposed is “atrocious”. Sadly, the courts ignored the fact that the act of renaming itself is harmful – as the Supreme Court had said, even if the new name is glorious.
It is best if Juliet’s beliefs are kept limited to personal gifts like Romeo’s rose. Cities, however, are places of citizenship and mnemonic associations. The current campaign to give Indian cities named after Muslim figures Hindu names establishes that Muslims do not belong in India the way Hindus do. These ghosts have come back to haunt Maharashtra.
Fahad Zuberi is a Doctoral Scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Source:scroll.in
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Aurangzeb not relevant: RSS leader Sunil Ambekar offers belated wisdom
J.P. Yadav
20.03.25
A key RSS leader on Wednesday said Aurangzeb was “not relevant” today as he condemned the clashes in Nagpur following a demonstration by Hindutva groups demanding the demolition of the Mughal emperor’s tombin Maharashtra.
“Any type of violence is not good for the society and I think police have taken cognisance of it and so they will get into the details,” RSS chief spokesperson Sunil Ambekar said at a media interaction in Bengaluru.
Replying to a journalist’s question on whether Aurangzeb was relevant today and whether his tomb should be removed, Ambekar said: “I think, not relevant.” He parried the question about the tomb’s removal.
The RSS headquarters is located in Nagpur.
Ambekar was addressing the media ahead of the RSS’s three-day meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha in Bengaluru from March 21. Delegates from all the Sangh-affiliated organisations, including the BJP, participate in the annual meeting to take stock of their work and decide on the future course.
A communal flare-up gripped parts of Nagpur on Monday after Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal cadres led demonstrations across Maharashtra demanding the demolition of Aurangzeb’s tomb — a centrally protected monument at Khuldabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
The riot broke out over rumours of an act of sacrilege during the anti-Aurangzeb protests.
On Wednesday, the police claimed the mastermind of the violence, Fahim Shamim Khan, a leader of the Minorities Democratic Party, had been arrested.
The controversy around the Mughal emperor’s tomb started brewing after the release of the film Chhaava, which showcases the history of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and how he was executed by Aurangzeb.
Though Ambekar tried to steer clear of the controversy by skipping the question on the demand for the demolition of the tomb, the fact remains that the agitations were led by the VHP, a Sangh affiliate.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, an RSS favourite, has backed the demand for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb and claimed that the violence in Nagpur was “pre-planned”.
Taking a cue from Fadnavis’s comments, VHP chief Alok Kumar claimed that their protest was peaceful. “Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the violence was planned.... Petrol bombs cannot be obtained immediately, they were prepared in advance. It did not happen due to any provocation. Our protest was peaceful,” Kumar said.
Hindutva and RSS affiliates have maintained their strident positions despite messages of harmony from the Sangh. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had last year disapproved of efforts by Hindutva groups to “look for Shivlings under every mosque” and followed it up with a message of harmony, appearing critical of the post-Ayodhya mosque-temple controversies.
Bhagwat’s message, however, met with disapproval not only from Hindutva groups but also from Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who belligerently identified Sanatan Dharma as the “national religion” and justified the drive against a Mughal-era mosque in Sambhal. This created a widespread perception that the RSS’s liberal positioning was only for optics.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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Mideast
US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’
March 19, 2025
WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Wednesday there was still a bridge proposal that would extend the ceasefire” in Gaza but the opportunity for it was “closing fast.”
A State Department spokesperson said the proposal would also “see the release of five live hostages, including American Edan Alexander. It would also see the release of a substantial number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.”
“The opportunity is still there, but it’s closing fast.”
The Israeli military said on Wednesday its forces have resumed ground operations in Gaza as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 48 Palestinians, according to local health workers. A day earlier, more than 400 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.
This shattered nearly two months of relative calm since a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza.
The State Department spokesperson said the proposal was “compelling” and that Washington stood with Israel.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli allies.
Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed over 49,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while also triggering accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The assault has internally displaced nearly Gaza’s entire 2.3 million population and caused a hunger crisis.
Source:arabnews.com
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Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem
March 19, 2025
JERUSALEM: Thousands of protesters massed in Jerusalem on Wednesday, chanting slogans against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who they accuse of undermining democracy and resuming Gaza strikes without regard for hostages.
Protesters shouted “You are the head, and you’re to blame” as well as “The blood is on your hands” at the demonstration near parliament, the largest to take place in Jerusalem for months.
The demonstration was organized by anti-Netanyahu opposition groups protesting the premier’s move to sack Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet internal security agency.
Following Netanyahu’s announcement to dismiss Bar, which threatened to trigger political crisis, Israel launched a wave of overnight strikes on Gaza, by far the deadliest since the start of a fragile ceasefire in January.
Relatives of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza joined the rally outside the parliament in Jerusalem.
“We hope all people from Israel will join this movement and we will not stop until we restore democracy and freedom for the hostages,” said Zeev Berar, 68, from Tel Aviv.
“At this rate we won’t have a country left, not a democratic one. It will be a dictatorship,” student Roni Sharon, 18, told AFP.
Some in the crowd brandished banners reading: “We are all hostages.”
Relatives of the hostages in the Gaza Strip have said the decision to resume strikes could “sacrifice” their loved ones.
Of the 251 hostages seized during the unprecedented October 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
The demonstrators in Jerusalem also accuse Netanyahu of using the war against Hamas to distract from domestic political concerns.
The prime minister has so far refused to set up a national commission of inquiry into Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, while his bid to dismiss Bar threatened to plunge Israel back into deep political crisis.
Netanyahu’s government recently also moved to oust Israel’s attorney general and government judiciary adviser, Gali Baharav-Miara, a fierce defendant of the judiciary’s independence.
A 2023 judicial reform project aimed at curbing the supreme court’s powers fractured the country and sparked major protests — before coming to an abrupt halt with Hamas’s October 7 attack.
“The last two years have been a nightmare for us,” said Yael Baron, 55, from the city of Modiin.
“I feel as though we are in the 99th minute and time is running out to save the country, the oxygen is running out for us, like democracy is running out.”
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Israel launches a ground operation to retake part of a key corridor in northern Gaza
March 19, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH: Israel said Wednesday it launched a “limited ground operation” in northern Gaza to retake part of a corridor that bisects the territory, and the country’s defense minister warned that the army plans to step up the attacks that shattered a two-month ceasefire “with an intensity that you have not seen.”
The military said it had retaken part of the Netzarim corridor, which bisects northern Gaza from the south and from where it had withdrawn as part of the ceasefire with Hamas that began in January.
Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Palestinians in Gaza that the army would again order evacuations from combat zones soon, and that its attacks against Hamas would become more fierce if dozens of hostages held for more than 17 months weren’t freed.
The move appeared to deepen a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza, which shattered a ceasefire with Hamas.
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 436 people, including 183 children and 94 women, have been killed since Israel launched the strikes early Tuesday. It said another 678 people have been wounded.
The military says it only strikes militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas. Gaza’s Health Ministry records do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The military said in a statement that as part of the new offensive, it struck dozens of militants and militant sites on Wednesday, including the command center of a Hamas battalion.
The war in Gaza, which was paused in January by an internationally-mediated ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, has been among the deadliest conflicts ever for humanitarian workers, according to the UN.
The resumption of fighting launched by Israel early Tuesday risks plunging the region back into all-out war. It came weeks after the end of the first phase of the ceasefire, during which Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages for prisoners and were set to negotiate an extension to the truce that was meant to bring about an eventual end to the war.
But those negotiations never got off the ground. Hamas has demanded that Israel stick to the terms of the initial ceasefire deal, including a full withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel, which has vowed to defeat Hamas, has put forward a new proposal that would extend the truce and free more hostages held by Hamas, without a commitment to end the war.
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UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building
March 20, 2025
LONDON: Britain’s foreign minister David Lammy on Wednesday called for a transparent investigation into an Israeli air strike on a UN building in Gaza.
“Appalled a UN compound in Gaza was hit this morning,” Lammy wrote on X. “This incident must be investigated transparently and those responsible held to account.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting
March 19, 2025
TEL AVIV: When a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began two months ago, Herut Nimrodi knew it would take time before her son was released from captivity in Gaza. The 20-year-old soldier was meant to be part of the second phase of the deal winding down the war.
But with Israel’s surprise bombardment of Gaza, she fears he might not come home at all.
“I really wanted to believe that there is still a chance to reach a second stage without renewing this war. But it feels like my building of hope has collapsed, and I have no idea what to do next,” Nimrodi said.
Nearly 60 families have relatives still held in Gaza. About two dozen hostages are believed to be alive.
During the ceasefire’s first phase, which began in January, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. But since that phase ended early this month, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward.
Israel’s renewed airstrikes threaten to end the fragile deal.
Nimrodi’s son, Tamir, was abducted from his army base when Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage. She’s had no sign of life. He hasn’t been declared dead by Israel.
“It’s so sad that this is the only solution that they could find,” she said, lamenting the government’s decision.
The strikes have Tuesday killed hundreds and shattered a relative calm — along with hopes of ending the war that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians.
The return to fighting could deepen the painful debate in Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages.
Netanyahu and his hard-line governing partners believe renewing the war will put pressure on Hamas to free them and move Israel closer to its goal of destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.
But most hostage families, and large parts of the Israeli public, believe such goals are unrealistic. They say time is running out, particularly after the recent releases of emaciated-looking hostages who later described harsh conditions in captivity.
Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire and exposing the hostages “to an unknown fate.”
Families of hostages called on supporters to protest with them outside Israel’s parliament.
Some families who already know their relatives in Gaza are dead called the government’s decision unacceptable.
“This is not only a disaster in every way, shape or form on how the hostages keep suffering, being chained to walls, starved, abused, but also the death toll that keeps rising on the Gazan side,” Udi Goren said.
His cousin Tal Haimi was killed on Oct. 7 and his body was taken into Gaza. Goren said the international community must pressure Hamas, Israel and the mediators — the US, Egypt and Qatar — to end the war.
“Returning to fighting? Did you listen to a word of what we, the returnees released in the last deal, have been saying to you?” former hostage Omer Wenkert wrote on Instagram.
Romi Gonen, among the first hostages to be freed in the ceasefire’s first phase, said she would never forget what it felt like in captivity to hear the bombs after previous ceasefire talks collapsed and realize she wouldn’t be freed any time soon.
“I beg you, the people of Israel, we must continue to fight for them,” she said on Instagram.
Sylvia Cunio, whose two sons are held hostage, accused Israel’s leaders of not having a heart.
“It isn’t right to continue the fighting. I want my children back home already. If he wants to kill me, the prime minister, let him do that already because I won’t get through this,” she said on local radio.
Nimrodi said she’s worried the airstrikes might not only harm her son and the other hostages but also make their living conditions worse.
The last time she saw Tamir, he was a funny teenager who rode horses and loved learning about geology and astronomy, she said. The two had a similar humor and used to talk about everything.
While she’s terrified of what’s to come, she said she won’t stop fighting to see him again.
“Please, keep strong, survive,” she said, addressing him. “So there’s a chance for us to meet once more.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Lebanese army begins securing border with Syria, closes illegal crossings
NAJIA HOUSSARI
March 19, 2025
BEIRUT: The Lebanese army on Wednesday entered the town of Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali, on Lebanon’s eastern border with the Syrian Arab Republic.
Its vehicles reached the town’s administrative border as established in official Lebanese state maps.
According to these maps, the town is divided into two: one part in Syrian territory, inhabited by Lebanese citizens; and the other in Lebanese territory.
The development follows communications between the Syrian and Lebanese sides to halt armed clashes that began last Sunday as a result of disputes among smugglers in an area teeming with illegal crossings.
The conflict escalated on Monday after the killing of three Syrian gunmen, and evolved into a broader confrontation between Lebanese tribes and armed members of the new Syrian authorities.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the clashes and killings resulted in “the death of seven Lebanese citizens and the injury of 52 others.”
Additionally, property and buildings suffered heavy damage in the exchange of shelling between Syrian forces and Lebanese tribes.
Forces affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense entered the Syrian part of the Lebanese town on Monday night.
Negotiations between the Lebanese and Syrian sides over deployment zones, based on border maps between the two countries, delayed the Lebanese army’s deployment for several hours, when a Lebanese army convoy of 60 vehicles arrived on the outskirts of Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali.
An official source in the area said the Lebanese army’s deployment “was not smooth, as it faced protests related to the confiscation of weapons belonging to local clans. However, the situation soon returned to normal, allowing the army to continue its mission.
The Lebanese army command announced that its units “commenced implementing security measures in the Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali area of Hermel, including the deployment of patrols, to maintain security and ensure stability in the border region.”
It said the army has taken measures “to close illegal crossings between Lebanon and Syria,” adding: “As part of the efforts to monitor and secure the borders in light of the current situation, and to prevent infiltration and smuggling activities, a unit of the army has closed the illegal crossings, which include Al-Matlaba in the Qasr-Hermel area, as well as Al-Fatha, Al-Maarawiya, and Shahit Al-Hujairi in the Mashari’ Al-Qaa-Baalbek region.”
President Joseph Aoun monitored the security developments along the northeastern border through a series of communications with army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haikal.
According to the presidency, Haikal briefed the president on “the measures being implemented by the army to restore calm and stability to the area.”
Aoun underlined “the importance of consolidating the ceasefire, halting aggression, and controlling the borders adjacent to the villages.”
On Monday he said that the situation on the eastern and northeastern borders cannot persist and that “the army will not allow the chaos to continue.” He then ordered the Lebanese army to respond to the sources of fire.
Subsequently, communications between Lebanon and Syria intensified, including talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers to find solutions to the escalation in border incidents.
These efforts led to a ceasefire agreement between the intelligence services of the two countries after a call between Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra.
Syrian media outlets on Tuesday night reported that “Syrian forces seized a Hezbollah operations room in Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali, which contained large quantities of weapons, ammunition, drugs and equipment used to manufacture counterfeit tobacco.”
After the army’s deployment, displaced families from Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali on Wednesday started preparing to return to their homes.
Hezbollah has firmly denied any involvement in the border clashes with Syria.
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Trump threatens Houthis that they’ll be ‘completely annihilated’ as US airstrikes pound Yemen
March 19, 2025
DUBAI: US President Donald Trump threatened Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Wednesday that they’ll be “completely annihilated” as American airstrikes pounded locations under their control, while further pressuring the group’s main benefactor Iran.
Strikes hit Sanaa, Yemen’s Houthi-held capital, as well as their stronghold of Saada in the country’s northwest on Wednesday night, the Houthi’s Al-Masirah satellite news channel reported. It aired footage showing firefighters battling a blaze in Sanaa and damaged at what it described as a sheep farm in Al-Jawf.
It also said strikes happened overnight Tuesday, though the US military has not offered a breakdown of places targeted since the airstrikes campaign began. The first strikes this weekend killed at least 53 people, including children, and wounded others.
Three residents said that the strikes had hit the Al-Jarraf district of Sanaa, close to the city’s airport.
As the strikes hit, Trump wrote on his Truth Social website that “tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians.”
“Watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be,” Trump added. “They will be completely annihilated!”
Meanwhile, Trump again warned Iran not to arm the Houthis, claiming without offering evidence that Tehran “has lessened its intensity on Military Equipment and General Support to the Houthis.”
“Iran must stop the sending of these Supplies IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote.
Iran has long armed the Houthis, who are members of the Shiite Zaydi sect that ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962. Tehran routinely denies arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons to Iran. The United Nations has an existing arms embargo on the Houthis.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency acknowledged Trump’s comments and cited remarks previously made by Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, that said Trump made “baseless accusations.”
Unfazed by the US strikes and threats, the Houthis have said they will escalate their attacks, including on Israel, in response to the US campaign.
On Tuesday the Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile toward Israel and that they would expand their range of targets in that country in the coming days in retaliation for renewed Israeli airstrikes in Gaza after weeks of relative calm.
The Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on shipping since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians.
The attacks have disrupted global commerce and set the US military off on a costly campaign to intercept missiles.
Meanwhile Thursday, the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency acknowledged the Houthi forces had been taking food aid out of a World Food Program warehouse without permission. It said it took about 20 percent of the aid on hand out.
The UN in February suspended its operations in Saada over security concerns following the detentions of dozens of UN workers and others. One WFP staffer died while imprisoned by the Houthis.
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UN genocide advisers urge immediate action to deescalate violence in Gaza amid deadly airstrikes
March 19, 2025
NEW YORK: Two senior UN advisers have sounded the alarm over renewed violence in Gaza following a series of deadly Israeli airstrikes, warning the escalation could have “irreversible consequences.”
UN Acting Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Virginia Gamba, and Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, Mo Bleeker, called on all parties involved to prioritize the protection of civilians and immediately deescalate tensions to prevent further loss of life.
The airstrikes, which began on March 18, are the first major military action since a ceasefire was brokered two months ago.
Hundreds of people are believed to have died in the strikes, with many more injured.
In a joint statement, Gamba and Bleeker said: “These developments signal a troubling and dramatic escalation of violence with irreversible consequences. It is essential that the mutual imperatives of peace process, integrating aspects of prevention and protection, are prioritized urgently.”
In addition to the violence, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. The two advisers expressed concern over Israel’s decision on March 2 to suspend the entry of aid into Gaza, exacerbating the already dire conditions.
Humanitarian organizations, the UN, and several member states have condemned the move, stressing that any further delays in the delivery of essential aid could lead to starvation and further suffering for Gaza’s civilian population.
Gamba and Bleeker also reiterated the need for a comprehensive political solution to the conflict.
“In line with the prevention of genocide and the responsibility to protect frameworks, we urge all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians and take immediate steps to deescalate tensions, prevent further loss of life, and engage in a solid political solution,” said the advisers.
They also echoed the UN secretary-general’s statement of “profound shock at these developments” and his urgent calls “for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian access to be restored, and for the unconditional release of all remaining hostages.”
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Pakistan
Depriving women of their inheritance is ‘un-Islamic’, Shariat Court rules
Nasir Iqbal
March 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: In a landmark ruling, the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Wednesday declared all or any custom, by virtue of which any female member of a family is being or has been denied or deprived of her right of inheritance, have no legal force whatsoever.
The 21-page judgement, authored by Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwar of the four-member bench that also comprised Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman, Justice Khadim Hussain M. Sheikh and Justice Ameer Mohammad Khan, came on a petition moved against the custom of ‘Chaddar’ or ‘Parchi’ — prevalent in parts of Bannu district — that either deprived women of inheritance right granted by the Holy Quran and Sunnah, or forced them to accept a share of less value than their inheritance through jirgas.
The Shariat Court declared the practice un-Islamic and illegal, having no legal force, subject such criminal actions to punishment.
In her petition, Syeda Fouzia Jalaal Shah not only highlighted the practices prevailing in Bannu, but also sought relief for her mother, Syeda Iftikhar Bibi, who was allegedly deprived of a share in her father’s and husband’s inheritances due to the local custom.
The FSC, however, partially accepted the plea whereby the petitioner was seeking relief to declare the local custom as un-Islamic. As such, actions by the relevant authorities of the state falls within the scope of “Amr bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munkar,” which is an important duty of the State under the Act X of 1991 (Enforcement of Shari’ah Act, 1991).
The petitioner also relied upon Verses 7, 11, 12 and 14 of Surah Nisa, wherein the issue of inheritance of women has been discussed and Muslims were directed to give the due share of inheritance to every eligible legal heir of a deceased as prescribed in these verses. The judgement explained that it was clear from the statistics available and reports submitted by different parties that such criminal practice, whereby women were deprived of their right of inheritance was quite common.
In this regard, generally a core illegal practice commonly known as ‘Haq Bakhshwai’, or ‘Haq Bakhshwana’, was in vogue in the country in different forms, whereby the perpetrators or usurpers try to give a kind of legal cover to their illegal and criminal actions either forcibly or by emotionally blackmailing female family members to relinquish their right of inheritance in favour of male members.
As most of the respondent departments have also acknowledged the need of the use of the penal law under PPC as amended, to eradicate this social evil from society, the FSC said the relevant provincial departments, which were responsible for rectifying this social evil and protecting the property rights of women granted to them by the Holy Quran and Sunnah, may also initiate criminal case against the perpetrator of the crime of serious and grave cases under Section 498-A of PPC, which was introduced in the Pakistan Penal Code vide the Criminal Law (Third Amendment) Act, 2011, as it was the object and reason of this amendment in the PPC.
In this regard they may also publicise their collective actions and decisions taken against the perpetrators to promote Islamic virtues on the principle of Amr-bil-Maroof, in line with Section 13 of the Act X of 1991 (Enforcement of Shari’ah Act, 1991), which is an important substantial law of the state.
Source:dawn.com
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PM arrives in Jeddah for talks with Saudi crown prince
Syed Irfan Raza
March 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday for a four-day official visit to engage in talks with the Saudi leadership on strengthening cooperation in various economic sectors.
Deputy Governor of Makkah Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received the prime minister upon his arrival at the airport, according to a press release issued by the PM Office.
The high-level delegation accompanying the PM includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, federal ministers and senior officials.
During the March 19-22 visit, the prime minister will meet Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). They will discuss and deliberate upon ways to boost trade, enhance partnership in key sectors and facilitate greater economic collaboration.
The objective of the visit is to strengthen bilateral ties, enhance economic cooperation and promote investment between the two countries, according to the press release.
Tree plantation drive
Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz launched the 2025 spring tree plantation drive with a target to plant around 41.7 million saplings across the country, urging the nation to participate in the drive to avert climate change impacts and address many diseases.
The prime minister, who launched the campaign by planting a Chir Pine sapling on the lawn of the PM House, said the plantation would be made across the country.
Under the campaign, 12.870 million saplings will be planted in Punjab, 10m in Sindh, 2.633m in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2.062m in Balochistan, 10.147m in Azad Kashmir and 4m in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The main species to be planted include Kikar, Jand, Amaltas, Shisham, Sukh Chain, Phulai, Chir, Kail, Deodar, Peepal, Neem, Beri, Jaman, Imli and Chilgoza.
The plantation will be carried out through around 2047 events to be held across the country to plant 41.7m saplings.
The prime minister said that considering the benefits of the plantation drive in all aspects, the entire nation, especially the youth and farmers, should play their part.
It will significantly contribute to the betterment of the environment and can help effectively address various diseases, he said.
He said that impacts of climate change in recent years have also necessitated huge efforts for tree plantation in the country.
Referring to the worst climate change-induced floods of 2022 which caused widespread destruction in the country, he said Pakistan was among 10 countries in the danger zone facing severe impacts of the climate change.
PM Shehbaz said Pakistan is facing the grave climate change impacts despite its minimal contribution to greenhouse gases.
According to official data, the PC-1 of the Revised Upscaling of Green Pakistan Programme (2024-28) is in progress which features the plantation of 945m new plants and maintain 2,221m existing plants besides improving species and ensuring sustainable forest management, data collection, and scientific forest management.
During the 2019-25 Green Pakistan Programme, the plantation was made over an area of 720.916 hectares.
Source:dawn.com
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UK includes Hasan Nawaz in ‘deliberate tax defaulters’ list
Atika Rehman
March 20, 2025
LONDON: Almost a year after he was declared bankrupt by a UK court, Hasan Nawaz, the son of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was included on a list of “deliberate tax defaulters” by the UK government.
The list, which was published on Tuesday, features the names of scores of individuals and companies that the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued penalties to for either making deliberate errors in their tax returns or then deliberately failing to comply with their tax obligations.
Hasan Nawaz’s name is the second in the list, which appears to be organised in descending order of penalties and tax owed to the UK government. It identifies Hasan Nawaz as a property developer, with listed addresses at Avenfield House as well as 1 Hyde Park Place — the property at the centre of the National Crime Agency’s 2019 landmark £190 million settlement with property tycoon Malik Riaz. Land records show Hasan Nawaz bought the property for £42m in 2016, with family sources saying it was sold the same year.
The period of default for Hasan Nawaz is identified as April 6, 2015 to April 5, 2016. He owes £9.3m in taxes, with a penalty of £5.2m.
The UK government’s policy of ‘publishing details of deliberate defaulters’ (PDDD) is aimed at reducing the incidence of deliberate defaulting. An individual’s name is included on the publication list if their amount of tax default exceeds £25,000.
In a 2018 report, the HRMC noted, “We believe that the possibility of having their details published will deter people from becoming deliberate defaulters. We also believe that it will encourage deliberate defaulters to come forward and put their tax affairs in order. By coming forward, deliberate defaulters may be able to avoid having their details published.”
Interestingly at the time, the report also said that due to a very limited awareness of publication, PDDD was “not seen as an effective deterrent against defaulting on tax obligations”.
“In terms of perceived impact, it was not expected to have any adverse effect on individuals. Some felt it may affect the willingness of people to deal with businesses whose details have been published, if the list and its purpose was more widely publicised,” it said.
In April 2024, Hasan Nawaz was declared bankrupt by the High Court of Justice. According to official records, the bankruptcy petition was filed on Aug 25, 2023, by the HMRC over unpaid liabilities. The bankruptcy order was issued on April 29, 2024, following a creditor’s petition.
The HMRC, which frequently files such petitions, initiated the action through its Contracts Management Team in Liverpool.
Source:dawn.com
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SC establishes 24/7 anti-graft hotline
Nasir Iqbal
March 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday established a dedicated anti-corruption hotline, providing a confidential platform to complainants to report incidents of graft, favouritism, or any form of corrupt practices, without fear of retaliation.
The initiative was made in line with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi’s determination to foster an environment free of corruption and guided by the principles of accountability and fairness, says an official handout.
The statement said the whistle blower’s identity will be protected and the choice of remaining anonymous will be fully respected.
The hotline is accessible through multiple channels, including phone, online portal, email, and text messages, and supports communication in Urdu and English. It operates 24/7, allowing citizens to report incidents at any time, ensuring inclusivity and ease of access.
All complaints submitted will be overseen independently by an impartial official reporting directly to the CJP, maintaining transparency and objectivity throughout the process.
Each complaint will be thoroughly tracked and investigated with resolutions provided within a time frame — 30 days for simple cases and up to 60 days for complex cases. Additionally, the complainants will be kept informed about the status of their complaints.
This initiative reflects CJP’s endeavour in strengthening the public confidence in the institution. Citizens have been urged to utilise this platform to contribute to eliminating bad practices and ensuring transparency and merit. For details, readers are advised to visit SC’s website.
In a message, CJP Afridi said the justice system, especially the Supreme Court, was his top priority in providing speedy justice. In the last five months, SC decided 11,779 cases as against 7,633 new cases filed.
After the arrival of new judges, the decisions on cases would be further expedited, he said, reassuring people that the SC would decide cases early and on merit.
CJP Afridi asked people to inform the court immediately if any official or non-official person asks them for a bribe for fixing a case, obtaining a copy or for any work related to the SC.
“I am following a zero-tolerance policy regarding bribery and recommendation,” he assured, adding that such complaint would be heard immediately, and the complainant’s name would be kept confidential. People are requested to register complaints on the following WhatsApp number 03264442444.
Source:dawn.com
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Gandapur criticises NA security moot as ‘more of a presentation’
March 20, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur criticised the top civil-military huddle that resolved to fight terrorism, arguing that merely holding a meeting cannot resolve the issue.
In an interview with a local TV channel, the KP chief minister said that if terrorism could be eliminated merely by issuing a communiqué or giving a presentation, it would have been over — by now.
He suggested that a small committee be constituted to formulate a strategy to eradicate terrorism from the country.
His statement came a day after the PCNS stressed the need for unity and political commitment to defeat the menace of terrorism with the full might of the state.
The committee meeting, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, members of the parliamentary committee, political leaders, the army chief, director generals of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), key federal ministers and senior officials from the military and intelligence agencies.
Notably, the leadership of PTI, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Akhtar Mengal opted to stay away from the meeting, which was convened on the prime minister’s advice following the terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express.
Addressing the huddle, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir emphasised the need for better governance and transforming Pakistan into a ‘hard state’, questioning how long the nation would continue to make innumerable sacrifices in the name of a ‘soft state.’
Speaking about the surge in terror incidents in Balochistan and KP in today’s interview, CM Gandapur said the PTI-led government would not allow any operation in the province, come what may.
"Operations have been conducted before, but they have not been beneficial; instead, they have caused harm," the KP CM added.
However, he said intelligence-based operations (IBO) could be conducted in any city and they have been carried out.
"Merely killing terrorists is not the solution; we must also engage with the country providing them sanctuary," said Gandapur.
‘Cordial relation with COAS’
Addressing PML-N leaders Talal Chaudhry and Khawaja Asif, Gandapur asked, “Is there anything wrong with maintaining ties with the army?”
“My father was a soldier, it hurts when someone criticises the army,” Gandapur said adding that he was bound to follow the orders of PTI founder Imran Khan and not of any vlogger.
Without naming anyone, he said some people were spreading false narratives as if he was not a well-wisher of the PTI or Pakistan.
Responding to a question, the KP CM said his relations with Army Chief General Asim Munir were cordial. “However, we disagree with raids on people's homes, torture, and disappearances,” he added.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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JUI-F leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed dies after protracted illness
By Salman Ashraf
March 19, 2025
Former lawmaker and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) senior leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed died on Wednesday, his son Munir Ahmed confirmed.
Ahmed was suffering from kidney disease for a long time, he said
His son said announcement regarding the JUI-F leader’s funeral prayer and burial will be made later.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expresses grief over the death of senior politician Hafiz Hussain Ahmed.
“A chapter of beautiful memories has ended with the death of Hafiz Hussain,” he added.
He described the late leader as wise, and ideological parliamentary leader.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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Policy for uniform standards of ‘green projects’ round the corner
Abdul Moiz Malik
March 20, 2025
KARACHI: Pakistan is set to launch its set of guidelines that would define the standards to classify sustainable economic activities based on their impact on climate adaptation and mitigation goals and fund them.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, held at the State Bank on Wednesday, was told that a draft of the ‘National Green Taxonomy’ would be launched by next month.
The European Union, one of the few regions in the world to have a taxonomy, explains it as a classification system that “defines criteria for economic activities” that are aligned with national goals of cutting carbon emissions and other environmental goals.
Simply put, it will be a checklist of requirements that a company must meet to secure climate funding. For example, a steel manufacturer will have to curb emissions from factories, prove ethical sourcing of raw material and have a plan to produce metal from recycled steel to qualify as a sustainable economic activity with minimal impact on climate.
While briefing the committee, State Bank (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad said the taxonomy will allow financial and non-financial companies to share a common definition of economic activities that can be considered environmentally sustainable.
He said much work on the project has been completed with technical assistance from the World Bank. It will be finalised within the next four months.
SBP Deputy Governor Saleemullah said the taxonomy would increase investment in green activity and facilitate transparency in the financial sector.
It will help regulators, financial institutions, investors and the government make “informed decisions” on funding and scaling sustainable economic activities.
The meeting was informed that Pakistan will be only the third country after Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to have a national taxonomy.
The final draft of the guidelines will be available by the first week of April, Mr Saleemullah said.
Last month, an initial draft was published on the websites of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and SBP for feedback from stakeholders and the public.
While explaining the classification of sectors and economic activities in the taxonomy, Mr Saleemullah said the assessment would be done based on the sector’s contribution to the GDP, its greenhouse gas emissions and the readiness to meet the national mitigation and adaptation goal.
Based on these benchmarks, the priority sectors identified in the taxonomy are agriculture, manufacturing, transport, energy, construction, water and waste, IT, and tourism.
Senator Sherry Rehman, the chairperson of the Senate committee, suggested the involvement of provinces and local governments as the policy would require “structural changes” in the economic sector, which can’t be implemented without the support of provincial governments.
She recommended presenting the taxonomy before the Council of Common Interests, which includes chief ministers of all the four provinces.
Ms Rehman, who has previously served as the federal minister for climate change, stressed clearly defined adaptation plans by businesses to secure green funding.
Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, a committee member, urged the government to take ownership of the taxonomy for its effective implementation.
Senator Quratulain Marri asked the SBP governor to focus on communication, especially with farmers in their regional languages, to ensure they are aligned with national priorities on climate change.
The meeting was also attended by the representatives of the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Pakistan Business Council and private sector.
They said the taxonomy must target small and medium enterprises and the informal sector to have a tangible impact.
Source:dawn.com
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National policy must address health challenges, says minister
Ikram Junaidi
March 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad on Wednesday emphasised that the National Health and Population Policy (NHPP) 2025-34 must address the country’s evolving health challenges and align with global health standards besides ensuring these policies are integrated both at national and provincial levels for greater efficiency.
Presiding over a meeting to discuss the policy, the state minister outlined key priorities for the policy’s development and suggested IT systems, including electronic medical records (EMR), for improving surveillance, accountability and health data management in the country, particularly at union council level.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the World Bank, UNFPA, the population wing of health ministry and other key stakeholders.
Dr Ahmad called for an increase in health spending from 1.2pc of GDP to 2pc, with an emphasis on resource mobilisation and prioritised spending for better healthcare delivery.
He advocated for ensuring Basic Health Units and Rural Health Centers provided essential health services such as medicines, MNCH services and health technology besides identifying high-risk populations for targeted interventions. He stressed the need for an implementation plan and a monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure the effective delivery of the NHPP 2025-34.
He also highlighted the importance of empowering lady health workers to improve family planning outreach and ensure that contraceptives are readily available to the people.
Source:dawn.com
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Life returns to Torkham after border reopens for trade
Ibrahim Shinwari
March 20, 2025
• Crossing opened for trucks, critical patients; pedestrian crossings to resume this week
• Pakistan, Afghan jirga members stress need to keep crossing open permanently
• Local traders believe Pakistan lost $40.5m in possible profits due to extended closure
KHYBER: After ten days of hectic shuttle diplomacy spearheaded by tribal elders from both sides, the Torkham border reopened on Wednesday for trade and medical emergencies following an almost month-long closure due to a border dispute between Islamabad and Kabul.
The delegates from both sides met at zero point in the afternoon for a brief reopening ceremony, lasting about half an hour.
The meeting was followed by the stranded vehicles crossing over to both sides of the border.
Ambulances were also parked close to the crossing at the time of the opening ceremony in order to shift the seriously ill Afghan patients to Pakistan, while traffic police hastened to regulate the heavy traffic as frustrated transporters tried to overtake each other in their bids to cross the border before sunset.
Sources in the Pakistani delegation told Dawn that the Afghan representatives first came to the Pakistani side of the border, and later the Pakistani side also stepped on Afghan soil for a brief stay as a gesture of goodwill.
Younas Momand of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Shah Khalid Shinwari, tehsil chairman of Landi Kotal from the Pakistan side, made brief speeches in which they emphasised the need for keeping the border permanently open and resolving all border issues through consultations.
While thanking the security officials and the jirga members for their untiring efforts to resolve the issue, they also called for abiding by all the written and verbal agreements and commitments made by the officials and delegates during the last ten days while urging both sides to desist from any negative propaganda.
The jirga members then offered collective prayers and hugged each other while also sharing bouquets. Subsequently, one vehicle loaded with coal from Afghanistan entered Pakistan, while another loaded with cement crossed over into Afghanistan.
The border reopening ceremony was preceded by a Wednesday morning meeting between border security officials at Torkham, during which they agreed to abstain from new constructions till the issue is permanently resolved.
It was agreed on Wednesday morning that initially the border would be reopened for vehicular traffic and most serious patients, while regular pedestrian movement would be restored in a couple of days.
It was also learnt through reliable sources that backdoor diplomatic channels between Peshawar and Jalalabad (capital of Nangarhar) were instrumental in the opening of the border, besides two rounds of talks between the jirga members. The first session was held at Torkham on March 7.
On Tuesday night, the authorities sent instructions to the customs, immigration and National Logistic Cell officials to operationalise their systems in anticipation of the border reopening.
The Torkham border crossing, considered one of the main and busiest trade routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, was abruptly closed on the night of Feb 20 over differences between the border security forces regarding the construction of a security check post by Afghans near the zero point.
The tensions boiled over, and both sides engaged in a gun battle for three days, starting March 3. A 57-member jirga was then constituted by Pakistan on March 7 when senior members of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries expressed their desire to settle the issue through negotiations.
The number of jirga members was later reduced to 36.
It was during the second session of the jirga held on March 17 at the Afghan Gumruk (customs offices) that both countries agreed to end their differences with the immediate reopening of the border and resolving the border issue.
Local traders believed that the border closure deprived Pakistan of a cumulative profit of $40.5 million in revenue earnings, while another Rs545m was lost daily due to the ban on imports from Afghanistan during the said period.
They argued that the bilateral trade volume with Afghanistan via Torkham jumped from 350 loaded export and import vehicles to almost 800 vehicles per day prior to the closure of the border on Feb 21.
Source:dawn.com
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Arab World
Saudi crown prince, Pakistan PM discuss relations
March 20, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting in Jeddah on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The pair discussed bilateral relations, ways to boost cooperation in various fields, and the latest regional and international developments.
Saudi and Pakistani senior officials attended the meeting.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi crown prince, French president discuss regional developments
March 20, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received on Wednesday a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They discussed resumption of Israeli strikes on Gaza, in addition to efforts to halt attacks and protect civilians.
Macron commended the Kingdom's role in the US-Russian dialogue and the talks to resolve the crisis in Ukraine.
The pair also tackled issues of mutual interest.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs organizes iftar banquets in 61 countries, benefiting thousands
March 19, 2025
RIYADH: Daily iftar banquets organized by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call, and Guidance during the first half of Ramadan have benefited thousands in 61 countries, including Sudan, Tanzania, the Philippines, and Argentina.
In Sudan, the ministry’s initiative has served iftar meals to 15,000 people across Sudan’s cities and regions and will reach 30,000 people by the end of Ramadan, which concludes in late March.
These banquets are part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Iftar Program, which is being carried out in 61 countries worldwide during Ramadan.
The program endorses unity and compassion among Muslim societies, while strengthening brotherhood and solidarity during Ramadan, a month of worship when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.
In Tanzania, 2,000 people have benefited from the iftar program during the first half of Ramadan, with the number expected to reach 4,500 next week, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The ministry organized iftar banquets in South America, where more than 7,500 people in mosques and centers across Argentina benefited from the program.
This week, the religious attache at the Saudi Embassy in the Philippines organized an iftar meal in Manila, which was attended by several heads of Islamic associations in the country.
Source:arabnews.com
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Egyptian child with parasitic twin arrives in Saudi Arabia for possible separation surgery
March 19, 2025
RIYADH: Mohammed Abdulrahman Juma, a child from Egypt with a parasitic twin, flew with his family to Riyadh on Wednesday for examination by a Saudi medical team to assess whether separation surgery is possible.
It followed directives from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the Kingdom help care for the child.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the head of the medical team at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital, and also an advisor to the Royal Court and Saudi aid agency KSrelief, thanked the Kingdom’s leaders for their support of this humanitarian case. He also acknowledged their backing of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which provides assistance to critical cases worldwide.
Mohammed’s parents said they deeply appreciated the help provided by the program and the Saudi leaders, and the care and attention they have received, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
A parasitic twin, also known as vestigial twin, is an identical twin that stopped developing during gestation but is physically attached to the fully developed twin. Because it is not fully developed, it cannot survive on its own and often dies in the womb or during birth.
Source:arabnews.com
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Diriyah program to empower, upskill local community
March 19, 2025
RIYADH: The fifth Diriyah Graduate Development Program has been launched to equip local talent with essential skills and knowledge to assist in the transformation of the location and the Kingdom.
As a part of its efforts to empower and upskill the Diriyah community, the program focuses on personal and professional development while fostering a connection to the operating firm’s values, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Launched by Diriyah Co., the program offers graduates an educational experience enhanced through collaboration with experts, consultants, and management institutes. It is designed for bachelor’s and master’s graduates with up to one year of experience.
Aligned with the goals of Vision 2030, participants will build both behavioral and technical skills, paving the way for strong career prospects in a dynamic work environment, the SPA reported.
The program includes competitive monthly stipends, housing and transportation allowances, health insurance, and social insurance registration.
Participants will also have opportunities for secondments with leading consulting firms, international training at renowned educational institutions, and paid annual leave.
Since its launch, the program has benefited 101 graduates, with nearly 30,000 applications received across four editions, the SPA reported.
Participants gain hands-on experience by rotating through key departments including finance, marketing, human resources, legal affairs, and governance.
They also receive specialized training in fields including data management, cybersecurity, and risk management.
Registration for the program is now open and will remain available until April 13.
Through this initiative, Diriyah Co. continues to invest in its community, nurturing the next generation of leaders and supporting the Kingdom’s progress, the SPA reported.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia gears up for dazzling Eid Al-Fitr celebrations
March 19, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority has issued Eid Al-Fitr Events 2025 details, featuring a wide range of activities to mark the occasion.
GEA has unveiled a nationwide celebration featuring concerts, theatrical performances, fireworks, and a variety of activities across the Kingdom's entertainment zones, offering unforgettable experiences for residents and visitors, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Musical concerts will take place in Riyadh, Shaqra, Abha, Qassim, Jeddah, and Eastern Region cities, while theatrical productions will take center stage in Riyadh (April 1-19), Jeddah (April 1-6), and Dammam (April 1-3).
Fireworks will illuminate the night sky at 9 p.m. in key locations, including Boulevard World in Riyadh, Jeddah Art Promenade, Alkhobar Corniche, and Arruddaf Park in Taif.
Eid celebrations will kick off on day one at Riyadh's Boulevard City, Boulevard World, VIA Riyadh, and Jeddah Art Promenade, with City Hub in Alkhobar hosting festivities on day two, providing diverse and family-friendly entertainment.
The events underscore GEA's dedication to celebrating Eid and advancing the Kingdom's entertainment sector.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia’s AgriServ receives 8 ISO certifications for quality in agriculture
March 19, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Company for Agricultural Services was awarded certifications from the International Organization for Standardization on Wednesday.
AgriServ, which provides services to farmers, breeders and agricultural enterprises, received eight ISO certifications for achieving quality standards and meeting international specifications of safety and efficiency.
Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, minister of environment, water and agriculture, and chairman of AgriServ, was present at the award ceremony.
The company obtained certifications in eight categories: anti-bribery, compliance, information security, quality, energy, environment, occupational health and safety, and customer satisfaction, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Omar Al-Suhaibani, CEO of AgriServ, said that the achievement was a result of the company’s efforts to enhance internal procedures and implement the highest quality standards.
He highlighted AgriServ’s commitment to international standards in its regulations, policies and procedures, the SPA added.
Source:arabnews.com
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Thunderstorms expected across Saudi Arabia until Sunday
March 19, 2025
RIYADH: Thunderstorms are expected to continue across most regions of the Kingdom until Sunday, leading the General Directorate of Civil Defense to urge the public to exercise caution, stay in safe areas, avoid flood-prone valleys and watercourses, and refrain from swimming in them.
It emphasized the importance of following official instructions issued through media outlets and social media platforms, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, the Makkah region will experience moderate to heavy rainfall, leading to flash floods, hail and winds, causing dust and sandstorms.
Similar conditions are expected in the Riyadh region.
The directorate indicated that the regions of Madinah, Baha, Asir, Jazan, Qassim, and the Eastern Province will also experience moderate to heavy rainfall. Moderate rain is expected in the Najran region while the Hail region will have light showers.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia cracks down on foreign truck violations
March 19, 2025
RIYADH: The Transport General Authority is stepping up inspections on foreign trucks in Saudi Arabia to enforce land transport regulations.
Inspection teams have seized 25 trucks illegally transporting goods in cities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Each offense resulted in a SR10,000 ($2,666) fine and immediate impoundment of the vehicle, the SPA added.
In Riyadh, 86 inspections revealed 24 offenses and impoundments, while in Jeddah, one offense and impoundment were recorded from eight inspections.
The authority reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy, which results in a SR10,000 fine and a 15-day impoundment for first-time offenders.
Repeat offenses result in escalating penalties: SR20,000 and 30 days for the second offense; SR40,000 and 60 days for the third; SR80,000 and 60 days for the fourth; and SR160,000 and 60 days for the fifth. Persistent offenders face having their vehicles confiscated.
These nationwide campaigns enhance transport oversight, ensure fair competition, and support the national carrier, the SPA reported.
In collaboration with relevant bodies, the authority has set four key regulations for foreign truck operations: obtaining an electronic transport document via “bayan.logisti.sa,” limiting transport to return journeys, complying with local carrier rules, and settling offenses before entry or exit.
Source:arabnews.com
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KSrelief delivers food aid to thousands in need
March 19, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food baskets to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In Somalia’s Bay region, 1,200 packages were distributed to families in need as part of the Etaam Ramadan food project.
In Jhenaidah district, Bangladesh, 200 packages were distributed, while 685 baskets were given to needy families in Lebanon.
In Syria, KSrelief distributed food baskets to 600 families in Daraa governorate.
Now in its fourth phase, the Etaam project aims to distribute more than 390,000 food parcels in 27 countries during Ramadan, benefiting 2.3 million people at a cost of more than SR67 million ($17.8 million).
KSrelief also distributed 1,100 baskets in Khartoum, Sudan. The project will distribute 30,000 parcels to displaced people returning to their homes.
Source:arabnews.com
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Europe
Islamic Relief sign in Aberdeen vandalised in 'hate crime'
19TH MARCH
An Islamic Relief billboard has been vandalised in Aberdeen in what has been labelled a ‘hate crime’.
The charity advert on the city’s Kittybrewster Roundabout reads “Trust in Allah. Give Zakat”, and appears to have been both torn and splashed with white paint.
In a separate incident on Saturday evening, white paint was splashed on the AMIC Spital Mosque and a rock was thrown through a window while congregants gathered inside.
Scottish Labour councillor Nurul Hoque Ali told The Herald he fears the vandalism is a symptom of a troubling trend.
He said: “Though this could be seen as anti-social behaviour rather than a 'hate crime', given the substance of the advert, I am concerned this is part of the rise of Islamophobia in society.”
“I believe this is because hate crimes and discrimination are increasing and becoming widespread. Both here, and abroad, we're seeing the rise of far-right extremism and Islamophobic rhetoric from politicians and media.
“All of these types of incidents will add to the feelings of Muslims who are already feeling concerned and worried for the future. Muslims are specifically concerned for the most vulnerable, like women out alone or children.”
‘Zakat’ is the obligatory giving of alms in Islam, in which financially capable Muslims are to donate 2.5% of their wealth to charity. Zakat donations typically increase during the month of Ramadan.
Other members of Aberdeen’s Muslim community have spoken out.
Ayah Mbarki, who runs the University of Aberdeen’s Palestine Solidarity Society, said she was “deeply saddened” by the graffiti.
She added: “The vandalism of a billboard promoting Islamic Relief, a charity that delivers aid across the globe, is not just damage to a sign—it is an attack on our faith and our commitment to helping others.
“I have been an active member of Islamic Relief for four years, and I have seen firsthand the vital jobs" target="_blank">work this charity does for people in crisis. It is disheartening that even humanitarian efforts are being targeted by hate. Islamophobia is on the rise, and this incident is yet another reminder that our community continues to face discrimination simply for existing.
“I stand in full solidarity with my fellow Muslim students. We will not be silenced or intimidated. I urge the university and local authorities to take Islamophobia seriously—our community deserves to live, give, and practice our faith without fear, especially during our holy month of Ramadan.”
Approximately 3% of Aberdeen's 224,000 residents are Muslim, and the city is home to the largest mosque in the North East of Scotland.
Racist and anti-Semitic pamphlets were discovered at city bus stops in 2023 and 2024, leading to widespread condemnation.
A Green MSP says she has reported the incident to Aberdeen City Council. Maggie Chapman, who represents North East Scotland in Holyrood, said: “It is appalling, but unfortunately not a shock, that this advertisement would be defaced. We’ve seen an increase in hateful stickers and graffiti in Aberdeen, which even when it targets a marginalised group, threatens everyone’s sense of safety.
“We want this to be a city where people feel safe – no one should be subjected to abusive images when they’re just trying to get from A to B.
“To vandalise this advert, particularly given the charitable, kind nature of Zakat, is nothing but blatant Islamophobia. I have reported this to Aberdeen Council and have written a letter to them asking whether they prioritise the removal of hateful graffiti.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for NGO Islamic Relief, who paid for the advertisement, noted:
“The disturbing rise in Islamophobia across the UK is now also resulting in Islamic Relief billboard posters being targeted. Misinformation and ignorance about Islam and Islamic organisations are fuelling the Islamophobic rhetoric that is putting the Muslim community at risk.
“In 2024, the Home Office reported that nearly 40 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes were targeting Muslim communities. Islamic Relief is very concerned about this deeply worrying trend.
In March 2025, an Islamic Relief billboard asking for charitable donations during the holy month of Ramadan was vandalised in Aberdeen, in a wave of other similar incidents across the UK. This comes at the same time as an increase in Islamophobic social media posts directed at our accounts.
The spokesperson added: “Targeting a charity in this malicious way, whose sole purpose it to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of people of all faiths and none, suffering from hunger, lack of shelter, clean water and medical help, is offensive, upsetting and irresponsible.
“Islamic Relief is also working across the UK, including in places such as Aberdeen to help people of all backgrounds hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis with food packs to help families put food on the table.
“This is a worrying sign of the worsening tide of Islamophobia, and much more must be done to tackle this and all forms of hatred and discrimination.”
Source:asianimage.co.uk
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https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/25019336.islamic-relief-sign-aberdeen-vandalised-hate-crime/
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Bradford martial arts academy host unique Ramadan tournament
March 20, 2025
BRADFORD Martial Arts Academy held a Taekwondo tournament last weekend during the holy month of Ramadan.
This was an opportunity for students to challenge themselves and take part in a Taekwondo competition during Ramadan where many of the students would be fasting.
Zaheer Nazir, event organizer, said: “Ramadan is a special month where people go without food from sunrise to sunset and is both a challenging and rewarding month.
“I think this month brings out the best in people as going without food makes you appreciate the basic necessities in life.
“The tournament I was hoping would bring the best from those students that took part, especially those that would be fasting.”
Coach Zamoord Sabar, European Taekwondo Champion, said: “I use to attend tournaments during Ramadan and my first was at the English Championships in Bristol.
“At the time I was fasting, which was exciting but also quite a nervy feeling, and I remember not telling anyone that I was fasting.
“During my sparring bouts I felt razor sharp and relaxed, and I managed to win gold. My instructor at the time was quite astonished when he found out that I was fasting.
“Later, reflecting on the tournament, I came to the conclusion that fasting had helped and not hindered my chances of winning gold, be it a mental, physical or spiritual thing. The bottom line is that the less food in your stomach, then the more energetic you actually feel.”
The Ramadan tournament was a huge success with many students participating in the event.
Zainab Zamoord, aged 9, from Westminster Primary School took the honours winning best fighter on the day after winning Gold in Junior Patterns and Silver in the Sparring Green belt division.
Zaynab trains Taekwondo at Carlton Bolling Sports Centre.
The Bradford Martial Arts Academy have restarted the classes at Carlton Bolling Sports Centre after a break of ten years as the school closed the Sports Centre during their reconstruction of the school.
So, if you are interested in wanting more information about the academy or Martial Arts you can contact Zam on 07786589706 or email bradfordmartialartsacademy@yahoo.com.
Source:thetelegraphandargus.co.uk
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Milton Keynes Islamic group impresses MPs in House of Commons with its art and culture
By Sally Murrer
March 19, 2025
Members of the Milton Keynes Islamic Arts & Culture group have presented a showcase of their work to MPs in the House of Commons.
The members explained their STEM(A) exhibitions to numerous parliamentarians, including the Deputy Speaker of the House and the group’s patron, Countess Elizabeth Howe.
The exhibition was a key feature of MK’s City of Codes and Light Festival, co-produced by young people in collaboration with MKIAC, enriching lives through the fusion of arts and culture.
MKIAC has established a benchmark digital programme in Milton Keynes by integrating AI with art.
The organisation recently received the STEAM Award for EDI, sponsored by FCDO Services, in recognition of its work highlighting the contributions of Islamic civilisation—particularly in mathematics, a foundational element of Islamic arts and culture.
Last year MKIAC created "Theatre in the sky" using 4oo drones producing amazing art display, attend over 18000 people from diverse commuities.
A spokesperson said: “As a city of innovation, Milton Keynes is home to dynamic technology sectors that have the potential to lead the way in merging arts and creativity with cutting-edge advancements. This ensures that emerging pioneers continue to thrive in an environment where technology and artistic expression go hand in hand.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our partners and sponsors, including Arts Council England, MK City Council, and our MP Emily Darlington, for her invaluable support.”
For further information and to get involved with MKIAC through volunteering, programming opportunities or supporting at events, please contact mkiac@mkcollege.ac.uk and visit www.mkiac.org.
Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture is a national award-winning charity and Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
The spokesperson said: “ We are dedicated to enriching communities through the exploration and celebration of Islamic arts, heritage, and culture. Established in the wake of 9/11, MKIAC’s mission is to create spaces for understanding, promote cultural exchange, and foster unity across diverse communities by using the transformative power of arts and education.
Source:miltonkeynes.co.uk
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https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/people/milton-keynes-islamic-group-impresses-mps-in-house-of-commons-with-its-art-and-culture-5040793
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A Sharia-Compliant Alternative to Residential Mortgages: FCA Approves Offa HPPs
March 19, 2025
Since charging interest is forbidden in Islamic finance, a HPP involves the Islamic finance principles of co-ownership-with-leasing where customers acquire the property in partnership with Offa and make monthly payments to increase their share, over time owning it.
This is the first HPP licence the FCA has approved for a newly-authorised entity in more than seven year, and will allow Offa to become the third active provider of HPPs in the market. Offa has seen great success lately, rapidly expanding its staff hires and product launches, as well as growing its acquisitions.
For example, the company recently acquired Bank of Ireland’s Alburaq Sharia-compliant home finance portfolio in a landmark deal utilising a unique funding structure, including more than 350 home purchase plans.
This is just one achievement in many that has enabled the firm to improve its Sharia-compliant offering and build on the success of past products, like its Sharia-compliant buy-to-let (BTL) product. This BTL is based on the same principle as its HPPs except that those customers make payments from received rental profits.
Adhering to regulations
Sultan Choudhury OBE, executive chairman at Offa, said: “This is a significant and hard-won milestone for us at Offa. The real winners of course will be our customers, who will now gain greater access to our fast and easy Islamic home finance services thanks to our modern, tech-driven and paperless systems.
“By combining our teams’ decades of industry experience with the latest technology, we are bringing Islamic finance into the 21st century, leaving behind the onerous paperwork and cumbersome systems that many customers have typically had to suffer in the past. Gaining this important authorisation is another step toward achieving that.”
Riaz Husain, chairman of Offa Money Ltd, added: “Receiving this authorisation from the FCA will provide reassurance to our customers that Offa is adhering strictly to regulations as we provide high quality, faith-based Islamic home finance products to aspiring property investors and landlords across the country.”
Source:thefintechtimes.com
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Azerbaijan's Sugovushan village unveils modern mosque with increased capacity
Aslan Mammadli
19TH MARCH
BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 19. A new mosque has opened in Sugovushan village, located in Azerbaijan's Aghdara district, with the capacity to accommodate around 100 people for simultaneous religious services, Afet Telmangizi, head of the public relations department of the Service for Reconstruction, Construction, and Management in Khankendi, Aghdara, and Khojaly districts, told reporters, Trend reports
"Along with this, the first floor of the mosque is designated for men, and the second floor is designated for women. The mosque’s courtyard has been landscaped, and special decorative elements have been used in the interior design," said Telmangizi.
President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the mosque in March 2022.
The construction of this mosque reaffirms that the preservation and development of our spiritual values remain a top priority for President Ilham Aliyev. By the president’s initiative and under his directive, dozens of mosques, religious temples, historical monuments, and places of worship have been built or extensively renovated in Baku and across the regions of the country.
During the occupation, Armenia destroyed 65 out of 67 mosques, while the remaining two mosques were seriously damaged. The construction of new mosques on the territories liberated from occupation plays a significant role in the ongoing efforts to restore our national and spiritual values. The mosque in Sugovushan is a testament to the continued work in preserving and developing Azerbaijan's cultural and spiritual heritage.
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Source:trend.az
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https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/society/4020773.html
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New mosque in Sugovushan can accommodate nearly 100 worhsippers
19 March 2025
The mosque, which newly opened in Aghdara's Sugovushan village, is capable of accommodating approximately 100 worshippers at once.
Afat Telmangizi, head of the public relations department of the Restoration, Construction, and Management Service for the Khankendi, Aghdara, and Khojaly districts, shared details about the mosque’s design and facilities during a press briefing, Caliber.Az reports via local media.
The mosque’s foundation was laid in March 2022, with the project symbolizing the region’s ongoing efforts to rebuild and revitalize local communities.
To recall, the inauguration took place on March 18, 2025, with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, marking the culmination of a significant community project.
Source:caliber.az
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https://caliber.az/en/post/new-mosque-in-sugovushan-can-accommodate-nearly-100-worhsippers
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Protests erupt in Turkey after Erdogan rival arrested
20 March 2025
Protests have erupted in Turkey after authorities detained the mayor of Istanbul, just days before he was due to be selected as a presidential candidate.
Ekrem Imamoglu, from the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), is seen as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strongest political rivals.
Prosecutors accused him of corruption and aiding a terrorist group, calling him a "criminal organisation leader suspect".
Police detained 100 people - including other politicians, journalists and businessmen - as part of the investigation, and the Istanbul governor's office has imposed four days of restrictions in the city.
Imamoglu said online "the will of the people cannot be silenced".
Protesters have taken to the streets and university campuses, and in underground stations, with crowds chanting anti-government slogans. It is a display of public anger not seen in years.
There were reports of clashes between protesters and police in Turkey's largest city. Footage from Reuters news agency shows police using pepper spray to disperse crowds outside Istanbul University.
Thousands of people rallied in the cold in front of the city hall, shouting: "Erdogan, dictator!" and "Imamoglu, you are not alone!"
The government has banned public gatherings in Istanbul as part of the four days of restrictions. But more protests are anticipated nationwide as opposition leaders, including Imamoglu's wife, urge people to "raise their voices".
Many streets in Istanbul have also been closed to traffic, while some metro lines have also cancelled their services.
In a social media video Imamoglu said he filmed while police were outside his home, he vowed to "stand resolute" for the people of Turkey "and all who uphold democracy and justice worldwide".
And in a handwritten note posted on his X account after his arrest, he said the people of Turkey would respond to "the lies, the conspiracies and the traps" against him.
UK-based internet watchdog Netblocks said on Wednesday Turkey had severely restricted access to social media sites like X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
'A coup against our next president'
The arrest comes as part of a major crackdown nationwide in recent months, targeting opposition politicians, municipalities, journalists and figures in the entertainment industry.
Following the Istanbul mayor's arrest, concerns over Turkey's shift toward autocracy were expressed on social media, with some calling for an opposition boycott of the upcoming presidential elections, arguing that a fair and democratic vote is no longer possible.
Imamoglu's party, the CHP, even condemned the arrests as "a coup against our next president", a sentiment widely echoed by pro-opposition voices.
But Turkey's justice minister criticised those who linked Erdogan to the arrests.
Yilmaz Tunc said it was "extremely dangerous and wrong" to suggest this was a political move, insisting that nobody was above the law in Turkey.
Erdogan and his party have also denied the claims, insisting that Turkey's judiciary is independent. He has been in power for 22 years.
Last year, Imamoglu won a second term as Istanbul's mayor, when his CHP party swept local elections there and in Ankara.
It was the first time since Erdogan came to power that his party was defeated across the country at the ballot box.
The elections were also a personal blow to the president, who grew up in and became mayor of Istanbul on his rise to power.
Dozens of police officers were involved in the early-morning raid on Imamoglu's house in Istanbul.
The CHP's presidential candidate selection, in which Imamoglu is the only person running, is set to take place on Sunday.
Imamoglu's arrest came a day after Istanbul University annulled his degree due to alleged irregularities - a decision which, if upheld, would prevent him from running in presidential elections.
According to the Turkish constitution, presidents must have completed higher education to hold office.
Imamoglu called that move "legally baseless", adding that universities "must remain independent, free from political interference and dedicated to knowledge".
Presidential elections are currently scheduled for 2028. Erdogan cannot currently run for office again, as he is in his second term and previously served as prime minister before that.
The only way Erdogan could contest another election would be to change the constitution, or call an early election before his term ends.
As well as being accused of extortion and fraud, Imamoglu is also alleged to have aided the PKK.
The PKK - or Kurdistan Workers' Party - has waged an insurgency since 1984, and is proscribed as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, UK and US.
Earlier this month the group announced its decision to lay down arms, following a call from its imprisoned leader, who had engaged in talks with Turkish officials.
International reaction to the arrest has been negative, with EU, French and German officials all condemning the arrests.
A Council of Europe statement said the detention of Imamoglu "bears all the hallmarks of the pressure on a political figure considered as one of the main candidates in forthcoming presidential elections."
The Turkish lira, meanwhile, briefly crashed to an all-time low against the US dollar, as markets reacted poorly to the political uncertainty.
While many were shocked to wake up to the news of Imamoglu's arrest, legal pressure on the popular opposition leader is far from new.
He has faced multiple investigations and was handed a political ban in December 2022 over allegations of insulting Turkey's electoral board in 2019 - a verdict he appealed, with the final ruling still pending.
Additionally, he has been the subject of cases related to alleged tender irregularities during his tenure as mayor of Istanbul's Beylikduzu district.
More recently, on 20 January, a new case was filed against him over his criticism of a prosecutor.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yren8mxp8o
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Colombian police arrest Italian fugitive accused of being mafia boss
20 March 2025
An Italian fugitive accused of having coordinated the shipment of large cocaine cargoes from Latin America to Europe has been arrested in Colombia.
Colombia's national police chief described Emanuele Gregorini, who is also known as "Dollarino", as "the head of the Italian mafia Latin America".
He said Gregorini had been tracked down to an apartment in the seaside city of Cartagena in a multinational operation which included Italian, British and Colombian investigators.
He had been on the run since 2023, when prosecutors accused him of being a key figure in the "Lombardy mafia system", which they described as an alliance between the Camorra, Cosa Nostra, and 'Ndrangheta mafia groups.
Police accuse Gregorini of having a key role in organising cocaine shipments from the Colombian port cities of Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta to Europe.
Colombian Police Chief Carlos Triana said Gregorini's arrest was "a severe blow" to transnational crime syndicates.
He also described him as an "invisible narco", who did not draw attention to himself.
Surveillance footage published by the Colombian authorities showed him going to the gym and visiting local restaurants in the upscale neighbourhood where he had rented an apartment, apparently without fear of being recognised.
Prosecutors say his arrest in Colombia points to an increased presence of the Italian mafia in Latin America.
According to Insight Crime, a think tank specialising in organised crime, European criminal networks have been establishing their own drug smuggling routes in South America rather than relying on middlemen.
Italian mafia groups in particular have expanded their presence in Colombia and Brazil in recent years, the think tank says.
In October, Luigi Belvedere, one of Italy's most wanted men, was detained in the city of Medellín, where he had posed beside the grave of the late Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr72xrr9vrno
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Hungary bans LGBTQ+ Pride marches
20 March 2025
Hungary has passed a law banning Pride marches held by the LGBTQ+ community, sparking outrage in and out of the country.
Parliament voted for the measure just a day after the bill was submitted on Monday, in a process fast-tracked by the ruling right-wing Fidesz party under Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Orban praised the legislation, which bans the event on alleged grounds it is harmful to children, saying: "We won't let woke ideology endanger our kids."
Pride marches had been held for the past 30 years in Hungary. Opposition lawmakers lit flares during the voting session on Tuesday, while demonstrators blocked a bridge in central Budapest. Human rights groups have also condemned the move.
It is the latest measure from Orban's government targeting Hungary's LGBTQ+ community.
In 2020, the country abolished its legal recognition of transgender people, and in 2021, politicians passed a law banning the depiction of homosexuality to under-18s.
Under the terms of the new law, it is now "forbidden to hold an assembly in violation" of that 2021 legislation.
Anyone who does faces fines of up to 500 euros ($545; £420). That could include attendees and march organisers. Police are also allowed to use facial recognition technology to identify possible offenders.
MPs also amended Hungary's right of assembly in parliament on Tuesday.
The law now says that only events "respecting the right of children to proper physical, mental and moral development" may take place.
Opponents of Hungary's Pride marches, and of the country's LGBTQ+ community in general, have regularly, and without evidence, accused such demonstrations of being dangerous for minors.
'This is not child protection, this is fascism'
Protesters outside the parliament on Tuesday chanted:"Assembly is a fundamental right". They blocked off central Budapest's Margaret Bridge while staring down a police cordon.
The EU's equality commissioner Hadja Lahbib condemned the move. "Everyone should be able to be who they are, live & love freely," she wrote on X.
"The right to gather peacefully is a fundamental right to be championed across the European Union. We stand with the LGBTQI community - in Hungary & in all Member States."
The organisers of Budapest Pride criticised the decision on social media. "This is not child protection, this is fascism," they wrote.
"A democratic leader would never think of restricting the fundamental rights of those who disagree with him."
Organisers vowed to continue to hold their planned 30th Pride march in Budapest on 28 June.
In recent months Orban has launched increasing attacks on his critics and announced plans for more conservative law changes, vowing last year to "occupy Brussels" to protect Hungary's freedom.
His Fidesz party has been in office since 2010. But polls suggest that the new centre-right party Tisza is in the lead nationally ahead of next year's parliamentary election.
Tisza, which wants a more constructive relationship with the EU, shot up in popularity after Peter Magyar, a one-time Fidesz politician, broke with the ruling party in February 2024 over what he said was its poor running of Hungary.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y0zrg9kpno
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North America
Muslim NYers on celebrating Ramadan during times of constitutional crisis
by Ariama C. Long
March 20, 2025
Despite political unrest sowing seeds of fear in New York City and overseas, Muslim communities are determined to continue observing their holiest month of Ramadan.
This year’s Ramadan, a month-long period where participants fast from dawn to sunset, and Eid al-Fitr –– a grand holiday celebrated on the Islamic lunar calendar at the close of the fasting month –– will fall on March 29-30.
“This is a time to pray and fast for peace and understanding. In principle, we all have to be hopeful for clarity and safety, Muslim or not Muslim alike,” said Harlem Senator Cordell Cleare. “We know that our communities respect this period of spiritual upliftment.”
In the last two years, the city’s vastly diverse Muslim community had been struggling to accommodate an influx of migrants and asylum seekers. Newly arrived Muslims from north east and west regions in Africa were finding it hard to access Halal food, especially those living in shelters, and observe Ramadan properly.
“I knew growing up it was tough for me because in my community I was part of that first generation of young West African Americans in that neighborhood,” said Husein Yatabarry, executive director of the Muslim Community Network (MCN), who is a Bronx native of Gambian descent. “I don’t even think that they really understood what Eid was. I think there is a lot more acknowledgement and understanding [now].”
Yataberry said that despite the growing commercialism in relation to Ramadan and Eid, with decorations and toy distributions in schools and at mosques, there’s definitely still difficulty in providing Halal meals to Muslim communities in need. MCN recently partnered with City Comptroller Brad Lander, a mayoral candidate this year, Islamic Relief USA, and five local organizations to distribute over 12,000 boxed dinners for “Iftar” during Ramadan. Places the city can’t get to, nonprofits fill the gap, said Yataberry.
“It’s still difficult to access [Halal meals] in shelters,” said Akinde Kodjo-Sanogo, assistant director of organizing and advocacy for African Communities Together (ACT). “We have limited funds, but we do our best with food distribution, ordering food and water for Masjids as much as we can.”
Franchisee Kamal Raza owns two International House of Pancakes (IHOPs) that are open 24 hours in Laurelton, Queens and on East 149th Street in the Bronx. He offers a special Ramadan menu that’s available all day and is usually slammed with customers in the wee hours of the morning that come for “suhoor meals.”
At present, Raza purchases Halal meats and goods retail from local sellers at a more expensive price point since he can’t buy in bulk. He said the reason more fast-casual chains don’t commit to providing Halal meals is because of an issue with guaranteeing consistency and quality. He created separate grills and uses different utensils for cooking and preparation to ensure that there’s no contamination. “I’ve been in New York City since 1987. I used to live in Long Island and drive all the way to Jackson Heights just to buy Halal meat,” said Raza. “Now we can at least go to Restaurant Depot.”
Luckily, there’s an outpour in demand from the Muslim community in the city regardless of the anxiety over the political climate, said Raza, who identifies as a Democrat.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Israel/Palestine war in Gaza had stirred many Muslim New Yorkers to political action. They took to the streets, protesting the city and federal administrations for not taking a definitive stance against the war. Bloody conflicts between Israel and Palestine stretch back decades. This recent round of fighting began on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas, a quasi-governmental terrorist organization, attacked and kidnapped Israeli citizens. Fighting lasted for 17 months before leaders were able to broker a ceasefire in favor of a prisoner exchange for the last two months. Israel launched fresh strikes on Hamas forces in Gaza on Tuesday morning, March 18, 2025. Concurrently, U.S. forces commenced airstrikes in Yemen targeting Houthi rebels.
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Action, a national Muslim political advocacy organization, denounced the strikes against Gaza and Yemen. “This destructive alliance and militaristic approach severely compromise America’s global credibility, security, and moral leadership,” said CAIR Action Executive Director Basim Elkarra. “These policies are not ‘America First’—they directly undermine our nation’s interests, fueling resentment and violence worldwide. It’s time for American lawmakers to end this complicity, halt funding for aggressive military actions, and prioritize peace and justice.”
In New York City, college campuses, such as Columbia University, had become a hotbed of political outrage as students loudly protested the war and treatment of Palestinian citizens. Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian-American graduate student at Columbia until last year, led several protest efforts on campus. He was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 8 inside his university-owned apartment “without a warrant” despite being a green card holder. He’s been transferred and detained in Louisiana with no charges as of yet, reported the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump has vowed to revoke Khalil’s green card and deport him, in an effort to silence student protests on campuses nationwide. In a recent open letter, Khalil called himself a “political prisoner” and said he’s been targeted because of his use of free speech –– a guarantee in the U.S Constitution’s First Amendment.
Khalil has become a central figure in the city’s mayoral race in conversations about immigration and Trump’s deportation agenda, while Mayor Eric Adams has been slammed for his refusal to comment because of his agreement not to criticize Trump.
Khalil’s arrest has shaken Muslim New Yorkers of all backgrounds.
MCN has discussed Khalil’s arrest with Columbia students and many that have their visas or green cards or are already naturalized citizens expressed a sense of deep fear. Yataberry knows of students that were placed on a “list” at Columbia and “doxxed” in the last year and a half. At least two students that he knows of are scared about being on a federal list of some sort.
MCN turned to ‘Know Your Rights’ sessions in shelters, mosques, and schools to educate the community on their rights last year. But it feels a bit futile now when the federal administration disregards the city’s laws and relies on outdated alien sedition acts to detain people without warrants or due process, said Yataberry. He wholeheartedly advocates for having lawyers on retainer for migrants and asylum seekers, and is pushing for the governor to pass the Access to Representation Act (ARA) S.141/A.270. He said that it’s currently in the state legislature’s budget, so he’s hopeful it will go through this year.
Many also fear they may be blanketly targeted as “terrorists.” Yataberry spoke about a similar issue after the 9/11 terrorist attacks caused a spike in Islamophobia throughout the city. He said Imams and mosque leaders, who experienced that trauma and surveillance in the early 2000s, are opting to no longer speak about politics in their establishments.
He said that it’s certainly an uneasy time to observe Ramadan, but hopes that people prevail. “I think the spirit of Ramadan is to persevere during tough times. Physically, you’re going through adversity without drinking water or food during the time the sunlight is out. I think internally it’s to keep your thoughts at bay and put your faith in God,” said Yataberry.
“We are believers. It’s not easy for people to live in fear but they are hopeful,” said Kodjo-Sanogo. “Some have stopped going out to work or coming to the masjid to pray because they fear they’ll be recorded.”
Sanogo added that ACT serves a large group of Sudanese and Muslim immigrants as well. Though it’s less spoken about in international headlines, Sudan’s Khartoum is also gripped in the midst of a civil war that broke out during Ramadan in April of 2023.
“To me, personally, I’m against war. This is not the solution. They should be able to sit down and talk and come to a compromise without weapons,” said Kodjo-Sanogo. “They make assumptions about Muslims. Muslim doesn’t equal violence.”
Source:amsterdamnews.com
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https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2025/03/20/muslim-nyers-speak-on-celebrating-ramadan/
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South Bay community calls out Islamophobia after alleged assault of elderly Muslim person
March 20, 2025
ByZach Fuentes
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (KGO) -- An alleged hate crime targeting an elderly Muslim community member has local leaders and allies calling for an end to Islamophobia. They gathered Wednesday at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center.
"We are observing the month of Ramadan," said Zahra Billo, executive director of CAIR San Francisco Bay Area. "It is a holy month for Muslims, during which we fast from sun up to sundown, and we gather every night for congregational prayers."
Ramadan is being celebrated across the Bay Area. March 7 was the celebration at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center.
"We had a beautiful prayer service," said Noshaba Afzal, a member of South Valley Islamic Community.
The local Council on American-Islamic Relations said it received calls about an assault that happened as community members ended that time of prayer.
"As they exited the building, they were confronted by a man who verbally assaulted several of them and then battered an elderly member. In doing so, he expressed his hate for Muslims and Palestinians," Billo said.
Afzal, a member of South Valley Islamic community said she went outside moments after seeing the victims and police gathered together and spoke with the elderly man's daughter.
"Just letting her know it's not acceptable. It's not something that anyone should ever have to endure," Afzal said.
ABC7 reached out to the Morgan Hill Police Department, which confirmed that it responded to the area to investigate an in-progress disturbance.
The department said the case is still actively being investigated to the fullest extent of the law, an investigation they said could include hate crime violations.
Community leaders like Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas and Morgan Hill City Councilmember Yvonne Martinez-Beltran helped coordinate the Wednesday gathering of Muslim community members and allies all to call for an end to Islamophobia.
"Our Muslim community needs to feel the love and support that they deserve, because they were really feeling overlooked and isolated," Arenas said.
A resolution to reaffirm supporting protected classes and the immigrant community was passed by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and a similar one is under consideration by the Morgan Hill City Council.
Right now, community members like Afzal say the show of support on Wednesday brings hope.
"If we come together and say there is no tolerance for any hate against any group, it'll leave the world a better place," Afzal said.
Some of the community members at the press conference said they were not happy because they hadn't heard from Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner since the reports of that March 7 assault.
Turner reached out to ABC7 saying he was not notified of the press conference until late the night before and was out of town.
In a statement, he said in part, "I'm anxiously awaiting the outcome of the investigation which will allow me to speak from a more knowledgeable position. With that being said, I oppose and stand against hate crimes as well as those who fan the flames of racial division and fear within vulnerable communities."
Source:abc7news.com
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https://abc7news.com/post/alleged-assault-elderly-muslim-person-morgan-hill-ramadan-prayer-has-community-members-calling-islamophobia/16053473/
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Hollywood director charged with defrauding $11m from Netflix
March 20, 2025
A Hollywood director has been arrested and accused of using studio funds intended to complete a sci-fi series to buy luxury cars, cryptocurrency and fancy bedding for himself.
Carl Erik Rinsch, 47, is charged with federal fraud and money laundering related to $11m (£8.5m) he was given by Netflix to create a series called White Horse.
Mr Rinsch, who is best known for the 2013 film 47 Ronin, declined to enter a plea when appearing in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday.
The indictment does not name Netflix, referring to a "subscription video on-demand streaming service", but Mr Rinsch's long-running dispute with Netflix over the failed series has been previously publicised in US media reports.
Netflix has declined to comment on his arrest.
Between 2018 to 2019, the streaming giant gave Mr Rinsch an initial budget of $44m to film the show, which depicts artificial human clones, but he allegedly never completed a single episode.
In March 2020, Netflix sent him another $11m after he argued that the initial budget was "not sufficient", according to prosecutors.
But instead of using the funds for the series, he allegedly transferred them to his personal bank accounts and used it to invest in several risky financial ventures, the US Justice Department said.
"Carl Erik Rinsch orchestrated a scheme to steal millions by soliciting a large investment from a video streaming service, claiming that money would be used to finance a television show that he was creating," prosecutor Matthew Podolsky said in a statement on Tuesday.
"But that was fiction."
Only two months after receiving the $11m, about half of it had already been spent, the indictment says.
While he "was in the process of losing" the money, Mr Rinsch allegedly informed Netflix that the show was "awesome and moving forward really well", according to the indictment.
He allegedly used the remaining funds to speculate on cryptocurrency, and on personal expenses and luxury items for himself, including a fleet of Rolls-Royces and a Ferrari, court documents state.
The spending spree also included $1.8m for credit card bills, $3.7m on furniture and antiques and $933,000 on mattresses and luxury bedding, the Justice Department states.
The indictment also alleges that $1m of the cash was sent to lawyers to sue Netflix in hopes of receiving more funds, and for a divorce.
A profile of the dispute published by the New York Times in 2023 reported that friends and colleagues had described Mr Rinsch of growing increasingly erratic shortly after he signed the Netflix deal.
The newspaper reports that he believed he could predict lightning strikes and volcanic eruptions and knew about a "secret transmission mechanism" for Covid-19.
According to the Associated Press, Mr Rinsch made an initial court appearance on Tuesday. When asked by the judge whether he had read the 12-page indictment, he reportedly responded, "Not cover to cover".
He was released on a $100,000 bail, and he is expected to attend trial in New York at a later date. If found guilty, he faces 20 years in prison.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0545w7xw1o
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Trump suggests US could run Ukraine's power plants
March 20, 2025
US President Donald Trump has held what he described as a "very good" hour-long phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, a day after speaking to Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky said afterwards that he believed that "lasting peace can be achieved this year" under Trump's leadership.
Possible US ownership of Ukraine's nuclear power plants was also discussed, the White House said, although Zelensky later stated this was only about the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia facility.
The tone of the call seems to be in contrast to Zelensky's visit to the White House last month, in which the two leaders - along with US Vice-President JD Vance - were involved in a tense exchange.
Wednesday marked the first time the two men have spoken since the meeting in the Oval Office - although since then, their teams have met in Saudi Arabia and negotiated a proposed 30-day ceasefire.
While it is backed by Ukraine and the US, Putin rejected the proposal for a widespread pause in the conflict during his phone call with the US president on Tuesday.
During his conversation with Trump, Zelensky said he was open to a partial ceasefire involving a halt on strikes on energy infrastructure, rail and port facilities that could be established quickly - but the Ukrainian president warned his country would retaliate if Moscow violated the terms of the ceasefire.
"I understand that until we agree [with Russia], until there is a corresponding document on even a partial ceasefire, I think that everything will fly," he said, referring to drones and missiles.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the call was aimed at aligning Ukraine and Russia "in terms of their requests and needs", adding that ceasefire efforts were on track.
Later, in a more detailed statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had agreed to help Ukraine source additional air defence systems, particularly in Europe.
The two leaders "agreed to share information closely between their defence staffs as the battlefield situation evolved", he said.
Rubio's statement also said Trump and Zelensky had discussed "Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants" with Trump saying "the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise".
"American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure," Rubio's statement added.
Zelensky said the topic of power plants had been raised, but that they had only mentioned the Zaporizhzhia facility.
The developments will come as a relief for Zelensky, who described his conversation with Trump as "positive", "frank", and "very substantive", during an online briefing to journalists on Wednesday.
"We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year," he wrote on X.
During the video call with reporters, Zelensky said he believed Putin would not agree to a full ceasefire while Ukrainian troops remained in Russia's western Kursk region, after Kyiv launched a surprise attack on the region in August last year.
While both Zelensky and Putin have said they would agree to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. However, both have since accused each other of continued attacks.
Trump said Wednesday's call with Zelensky lasted about an hour.
"Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs," he wrote on Truth Social.
Technical teams from Ukraine and the US are expected to now meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.
In the White House last month, Trump told Zelensky he was not thankful enough for US military and political support, and that he was "gambling with World War Three".
The US temporarily then suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but diplomats were able to improve relations and on 11 March the two sides agreed on a ceasefire.
During his call with Trump on Tuesday, Putin agreed to halt Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
But he said a full ceasefire would only work if Ukraine's supporters stopped giving military assistance - a condition Kyiv's European allies have previously rejected.
Hours later both Ukraine and Russia launched attacks, with Kyiv saying hospitals had been targeted.
Officials in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar said that a Ukrainian drone attack sparked a small fire at an oil depot.
Despite the strikes, Kyiv and Moscow carried out an exchange of prisoners on Wednesday. Each side released 175 POWs.
Zelensky described the swap as "one of the largest", adding that Russia included an extra 22 "severely wounded" soldiers.
Source:bbc.com
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Trump administration withdraws from Russian war crime investigations
March 20, 2025
The US government has defunded one programme and left another that both document alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
The Trump administration cut funding for Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), which had detailed the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
It has also withdrawn from a multinational group meant to investigate the leaders responsible for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including President Vladimir Putin.
These moves come after Trump spoke with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine, breaking with the previous US administration's approach to try and hold Putin responsible for the Russian invasion.
The Humanitarian Research Lab said in a statement that they had been notified "that government funding for their work on the war in Ukraine has been discontinued".
A bipartisan group of 17 members of Congress pushed back on the funding cut for the HRL, saying their work is a "vital resource" in preserving evidence of children abducted from Ukraine.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the lawmakers said the HRL has compiled data on 30,000 children abducted from Ukraine and is "absolutely crucial" to ensuring that they are returned home.
It said these abductions were taking place amid a "concerning reduction in American leadership in countering these crimes".
It added that the HRL's work can be credited with being the basis for the International Criminal Court's indictment of Putin over the abduction of Ukrainian children.
The US State Department responded to the letter saying it has not deleted any of the data collected by the HRL.
On Wednesday, Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to claims that the US government had cut funding to the HRL, saying the White House had nothing to do with them.
She added that Trump spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky about the abducted children, and promised to "work closely" with both the Russian and Ukrainian sides to ensure those children are returned home.
But the US has also withdrawn from the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA).
In a statement, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation - the ICPA's parent organisation - confirmed to the BBC that it had been informed by US authorities that they were leaving the programme.
The ICPA was created to hold Russian leaders accountable for the "crime of aggression" in Ukraine, according to their website, and to preserve evidence and prepare cases for their trials in the future.
In addition to these, Reuters reported that several US national security agencies have stopped work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian cyberattacks and disinformation.
Source:bbc.com
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Greenpeace ordered to pay more than $660m for defaming oil firm in protests
March 20, 2025
A North Dakota jury has found Greenpeace liable for defamation, ordering it to pay more than $660m (£507m) in damages to an oil company for the environmental group's role in one of the largest anti-fossil fuel protests in US history.
Texas-based Energy Transfer also accused Greenpeace of trespass, nuisance and civil conspiracy over the demonstrations nearly a decade ago against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The lawsuit, filed in state court, argued that Greenpeace was behind an "unlawful and violent scheme to cause financial harm to Energy Transfer".
Greenpeace, which vowed to appeal, said last month it could be forced into bankruptcy because of the case, ending over 50 years of activism.
Protests against the pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation drew thousands, but Greenpeace argued it did not lead the demonstration and that the lawsuit threatened free speech. Instead, it said the protests were led by local indigenous leaders who were opposed to the pipeline.
The nine-person jury reached a verdict on Wednesday after about two days of deliberating.
The case was heard at a court in Mandan, about 100 miles (160km) north of where the protests took place.
Trey Cox, a lawyer for Energy Transfer, said during closing arguments that Greenpeace's actions caused between $265m to $340m in damages. He asked the jury to award the company that amount, plus additional damages.
Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline gained international attention during President Donald Trump's first term, as Native American groups set up an encampment trying to block it from passing near Standing Rock.
The protests, which saw acts of violence and vandalism, started in April 2016 and ended in February 2017, when the National Guard and police cleared away the demonstrators.
At the peak, over 10,000 protesters were on site. The group included more than 200 Native American tribes, hundreds of US military veterans, actors and political leaders - including current US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr.
The 1,172-mile pipeline has been operating since 2017. However, it still lacks a key permit to operate under Lake Oahe in South Dakota, and local tribes have pushed for an extensive environmental review of the project.
During the three-week trial, jurors heard from Energy Transfer's co-founder and board chairman Kelcy Warren, who said in a video deposition that protesters had created "a total false narrative" about his company.
"It was time to fight back," he said.
Energy Transfer's lawyer Mr Cox told the court that Greenpeace had exploited the Dakota Access Pipeline to "promote its own selfish agenda".
Attorneys for Greenpeace argued that the group did not lead the protests, but merely helped support "nonviolent, direct-action training".
In response to the verdict, Greenpeace International's general counsel Kristin Casper said "Energy Transfer hasn't heard the last of us in this fight".
"We will not back down, we will not be silenced," she said.
Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia, said he believes "the verdict's magnitude will have a chilling effect on environmental and other public interest litigation".
"It may encourage litigants in other states to file similar lawsuits," he told the BBC.
Energy Transfer's legal action named Greenpeace USA, as well as its Washington DC-based funding arm Greenpeace Fund Inc and its Amsterdam-based parent group Greenpeace International.
Greenpeace has counter-sued Energy Transfer in Dutch court, claiming the oil firm is attempting to unfairly use the legal system to silence critics.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this month, seeks to recover all damages and costs.
Source:bbc.com
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White House says it's halting funds to US university over transgender athletes
March 20, 2025
The Trump administration said it was suspending $175m (£135m) in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania over the school's policy regarding transgender athletes.
The move relates to a transgender woman who won the highest US national college swimming title in 2022 while competing for the Ivy League university, which is based in Philadelphia.
A statement from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) on Wednesday said it was "aware of media reports suggesting" that the funds have been suspended but that it has "not yet received any official notification or any details".
It comes as Trump aims to crack down on transgender athletes participating in sports and to cut federal spending.
"UPenn infamously permitted a male to compete on its women's swimming team, overturning multiple records hard-earned by women, and granting the fully intact male access to the locker room," an unnamed Trump official said in an email sent to reporters on Wednesday.
The funding was being provided by the US Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services, the official said.
The university said in its statement that it has always followed the rules published by the NCAA, which governs university sports.
Last month, the NCAA changed its policy to say that only "student-athletes assigned female at birth" will be allowed to take part in collegiate competitions.
The policy change came a day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order preventing transgender women from competing in female categories of sports.
The same order guided the federal education department to investigate schools that did not comply and that were possibly in violation of Title IX, the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools.
Soon after, the department announced an investigation into schools, including UPenn "for suspected Title IX violations". The funding freeze is separate from this investigation, however.
The freeze, which was announced on a White House social media account, comes years after transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who competed on the UPenn men's team for three seasons before starting hormone replacement therapy in spring 2019.
Competing on the women's swim team in 2022, she shattered school swim records, posting the fastest times of any female swimmer. She has since graduated and no longer competes for the university.
Ms Thomas has not commented about the funding cut. She previously has defended transgender women in sports and said it did not "threaten women's sports as a whole".
She also has noted the transgender population of college athletes is "very small". The NCAA has said it amounted to about 10 athletes.
"The biggest misconception, I think, is the reason I transitioned," Thomas told ABC and ESPN in 2022. "People will say, 'Oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win.' I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself."
Last month, three former UPenn swimmers filed a lawsuit seeking to nullify her records.
Trump also made the decision earlier this month to block $400m in federal funding to Columbia University, over claims that it has tolerated antisemitism on campus. The school has been home to Gaza protests over the war between Israel and Hamas.
The White House has also moved to pull funding from the University of Maine after alleging that it violated federal law by permitted transgender students to compete on women's sports teams.
UPenn receives more than $1bn in federal funding each year, according to the Daily Pennsylvanian student newspaper.
Source:bbc.com
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Trump is himself a UPenn alum, having graduated from its Wharton business school in 1968.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8712p5y48do
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Four key takeaways from newly released JFK files
March 20, 2025
More than 2,000 newly released documents related to the investigation into President John F Kennedy's assassination are notable not just for what they contain - but for what is omitted.
As many experts expected, this latest release by the Trump administration does not answer all lingering questions about one of America's historic turning points - the 1963 killing of Kennedy in Dallas.
But the latest batch does include documents that are now mostly or fully unredacted - original material is included instead of blacked-out words or blank space.
A US government investigation concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a drifter and former US Marine who at one point defected to the then-Soviet Union, acted alone when he shot at Kennedy's motorcade from a nearby building.
However, the case still prompts questions, along with wild conspiracy theories, more than 60 years later - and the latest release is unlikely to change that. Here are some key takeaways.
More on Oswald - but no bombshells
Several experts praised the release as a step forward for transparency. In the past, hundreds of thousands of documents were made available but were partially redacted. Others were held back, with officials citing national security concerns.
Many of the new documents have been released before - but now more complete versions are available. Although experts are still combing through, no earth-shattering stories have surfaced.
Still, Jefferson Morley, a former Washington Post reporter and editor of the JFK Facts blog, calls it "the most exciting news around JFK records since the 1990s".
"Several very important documents have come into public view," he said.
The documents further shed light on the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) strong surveillance of Oswald, said Morley, the extent of which has only become clear in the last few years.
"He's a subject of deep interest to the CIA" long before the assassination, he said.
Philip Shenon, who wrote a 2013 book about the assassination, told the Associated Press that previously released documents described a trip Oswald took to Mexico City in September 1963, months before the assassination.
The CIA was monitoring him at that time, he said, according to the AP. "There's reason to believe he talked openly about killing Kennedy in Mexico City and that people overheard him say that."
In a previously released April 1975 memo, the CIA downplayed what it knew about Oswald's trip to Mexico City, the AP reported. The CIA recorded three phone calls between Oswald and a guard at the Soviet embassy, it said, but Oswald only identified himself in one.
Intelligence methods revealed
A number of the documents shed light on Kennedy's relationship with the CIA before his death and on intelligence-gathering techniques - giving a window into Cold War operations.
A newly unredacted memo reveals a more complete version of a note written by Kennedy aide Arthur Schlesinger.
Critical of the CIA and its role in shaping foreign policy, the note shows the agency's huge presence in US embassies, even in allied countries such as France.
In it, Schlesinger warns Kennedy about the agency's influence on American foreign policy. Though not directly related to the assassination, the memo details the rocky relationship between the president and intelligence agencies.
The CIA is traditionally opposed to releasing operational or budget information, said David Barrett, a Villanova University professor and expert on the CIA and presidential power.
"It's a very good thing for the government to release these documents even if there still may be some redactions," he said.
One document details the use of fluoroscopic scanning - using X-rays to show images of the inside of an object.
The technique was developed to detect hidden microphones possibly used to bug CIA offices.
In another document, the CIA describes a system to secretly tag and identify public phone boxes that are tapped, using a paint only visible under ultraviolent light.
The memo is also notable for one of the names in it - James McCord, who would later gain infamy as one of the men who burgled the Watergate complex. The break-in kicked off the unravelling of the scandal that toppled President Richard Nixon.
Old theories resurrected
Some well-known online accounts claimed that the recent documents reveal new details about long-alleged plots against Kennedy - even though some of the supposed revelations have been public for years.
They includes several viral posts about Gary Underhill - a World War Two military intelligence agent.
Mr Underhill reportedly claimed that a cabal of CIA agents was behind the assassination, a theory openly published in Ramparts, a left-wing magazine, in 1967. Mr Underhill's death in 1964 was ruled a suicide, but the magazine cast doubt on that as well.
Photos of a seven-page memo regarding Mr Underhill went viral on Tuesday - but the bulk of it is not new. His story has long been discussed online and the CIA memo mentioning it was first released in 2017.
Just a few sentences on one page of the memo were newly unredacted in the latest release.
And crucially the theory is based on a second-hand account published after Mr Underhill's death and includes no hard evidence.
However, the story was just one of a number of unsubstantiated theories circulating following the release of the files.
Are the files completely unredacted?
A 1992 law required all of the documents related to the assassination to be released within 25 years - but that law also included national security exceptions.
The push for greater transparency has led to more releases over time - both President Trump in his first term and President Biden, as recently as 2023, released batches of documents.
Ahead of the new release, President Trump said that he asked his staff "not to redact anything" from them.
That doesn't appear to be entirely the case - the new documents still have some redactions. However, experts were largely in agreement that the latest release was a step forward for transparency.
JFK Files journalist Morley said there are further documents in the National Archives yet to be released, and others held by the CIA and FBI that have not yet been accounted for.
Even though there could be more releases to come - as well as promised drops about the killings of Robert F Kennedy Sr and Martin Luther King Jr - the questions around the JFK assassination will almost certainly continue.
"Whenever there is an assassination there will be debates and to some degree there will be conspiracy theories," said Barrett, the Villanova historian. "That's not going to change because of these or any other documents."
Source:bbc.com
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Southeast Asia
YAPEIM allocates RM1.2 million to help 7,700 needy students during Ramadan
Bernama
20-03- 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YAPEIM) has set aside RM1.2 million for its MADANI Ramadan programme to provide assistance to 7,700 underprivileged students across more than 20 locations nationwide.Malaysian cuisine recipes
YAPEIM chief executive officer and director-general Ameer Ali Vali Mohamed said the beneficiaries include students from higher learning institutions, primary and secondary schools from hardcore poor and B40 families.
Some of these students had previously benefited from the Didik MADANI YAPEIM initiative held late last year.
“The Ramadan MADANI YAPEIM programme is hosted by 10 universities, five polytechnics, and three educational institutes,“ Ameer Ali said in a statement today.
Among the participating institutions are International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), and Balik Pulau Polytechnic Institute, Penang.Malaysian cuisine recipes
Ameer Ali added that the programme aims to provide financial aid to lessen the burden of these students as they prepare for Aidilfitri, ensuring they can celebrate the festive season with more ease.
Source:thesun.my
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Welcoming demolition pause, century-old Hindu temple in Masjid India seeks amicable outcome with DBKL and landowner Jakel
By Kenneth Tee
20 Mar 2025
PETALING JAYA, March 20 — A pre-independence Hindu temple, the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple along Jalan Munshi Abdullah near Masjid India, has welcomed Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) decision to not demolish its structure pending relocation talks.
Representing the temple, lawyer N Surendran said the proposed demolition and relocation of the 132-year-old temple to make way for a mosque would disregard the historical development of house of worships, and it’s deep roots to the local community of Masjid India.
“The temple has clearly stated they would prefer to stay where they are and co-exist with other proposed construction in the area.
“We are glad that today at the eleventh hour, they has given a public commitment not to demolish the temple until this matter is satisfactorily resolved,” he said in a press conference here, referring to DBKL.
Earlier, DBKL said the relocation plan is due to a proposal by landowner Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd to build a mosque on its land.
The company has since said it has agreed to bear the costs of its relocation, and confirmed ongoing discussions with the temple committee for over a decade regarding the move.
Explaining the chronology of the event, Surendran said the temple had only been informed they were residing on a privately-owned land in 2016 after the land was sold to a developer two years earlier.
He said the temple along with the original temple artifacts and relics had moved to its current site after being ordered by DBKL to do so back in 2008.
He therefore said DBKL — an extension of the federal government itself — has a duty and responsibility because of the land deal it facilitated almost a decade ago.
Surendran also said parties were unable to reach an agreement over a new relocation site for the temple near the National Heart Institute a few kilometres away, citing distance, land size and flood risk.
Since then, he claimed the temple has been pressured to relocate and empty the land it resided following a Development Order issued to the landowner in 2020.
“This is the action of the then government and DBKL, and not the case of a temple building on someone else’s land,” he said.
With demolition now paused, lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said the temple committee has since come up with a counter suggestion to the ongoing predicament it faced.
She also expressed gratitude to DBKL for recognising the freedom of religion as enshrined under the Federal Constitution by allowing the temple to remain pending negotiations.
However, she said instituting legal action would be a last resort, as the temple remaining at its current site would be the most ideal outcome.
Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek proposed that an open-air parking lot adjacent to the temple, owned by the same developer, could be used for development instead.
“If we were to demolish the temple, we would be disregarding the area’s identity, of which the temple has been part of. The easiest solution doesn’t require the temple’s demolition, as the proposed construction of a mosque can be done in the parking lot beside it.
“It is not good for a mosque to start out on a previously demolished house of worship,” he said.
Source:malaymail.com
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National Unity Minister urges action against Facebook user over alleged insult to Prophet Muhammad
20 Mar 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) have been urged to investigate and take action against a Facebook user for allegedly making remarks that insulted Prophet Muhammad on the platform.
Issuing a stern warning, National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said any statement or action touching the sensitivities of other religions would result in firm action.
“I want to remind everyone that there is no place for any form of religious hatred or provocation in our country,” he said in a Facebook posting yesterday.
“The government will take stern action against anyone attempting to create division or tension between different races and religions,” he added.
Aaron said Malaysia is rich in religious and cultural diversity and therefore, everyone must respect and be mindful of religious sensitivities.
He said insulting any religion undermines national harmony and unity principles as well as leads to serious consequences involving public peace and security.
“Every Malaysian citizen must understand, respect, and accept our diversity. Let us all live in an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding to safeguard the peace and harmony of our beloved country,” he said. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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YAPEIM allocates RM1.2 million to help 7,700 needy students during Ramadan
Bernama
20-03- 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YAPEIM) has set aside RM1.2 million for its MADANI Ramadan programme to provide assistance to 7,700 underprivileged students across more than 20 locations nationwide.
YAPEIM chief executive officer and director-general Ameer Ali Vali Mohamed said the beneficiaries include students from higher learning institutions, primary and secondary schools from hardcore poor and B40 families.
Some of these students had previously benefited from the Didik MADANI YAPEIM initiative held late last year.
“The Ramadan MADANI YAPEIM programme is hosted by 10 universities, five polytechnics, and three educational institutes,“ Ameer Ali said in a statement today.
Among the participating institutions are International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), and Balik Pulau Polytechnic Institute, Penang.
Ameer Ali added that the programme aims to provide financial aid to lessen the burden of these students as they prepare for Aidilfitri, ensuring they can celebrate the festive season with more ease.
Source:thesun.my
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Melaka govt committed to enhancing citizens’ welfare, especially during Ramadan - Ab Rauf
Bernama
20-03- 2025
MELAKA: The Melaka government remains deeply committed to the welfare of its citizens, with a special focus on providing support during the holy month of Ramadan, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
The government’s continuous assistance and donations during this period reflect its dedication to ensuring that no one is left behind.
Ab Rauf was speaking at the Ramadan Aid and Iftar event for the Kota Melaka parliamentary constituency, which was also attended by the state’s Tourism, Heritage, Arts and Culture Committee chairman, Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman, at the Al Aziz Mosque in Pernu.
He cited the event as an example, where 150 recipients from five constituencies, namely Telok Mas, Banda Hilir, Duyong, Kesidang and Kota Laksamana, received a total of RM15,000 along with Ramadan kits.
Additionally, the Melaka Islamic Religious Council (MAIM) has allocated RM378,000 for Ihya’ Ramadan initiatives and utility support for 24 mosques and 102 surau within the Kota Melaka constituency.
Ab Rauf also noted that the aid package includes one-off contributions to mosque committees, female funeral service staff and gravediggers.
Imams, bilals and mosque caretakers in the constituency will receive a one-off RM500 each, amounting to RM48,000 through a federal government allocation, he added.
“I hope these contributions help ease the financial burden of our citizens during Ramadan and assist in preparations for Aidilfitri,“ he said.
Source:thesun.my
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Elderly man claims trial to fresh charge of slapping non-Muslim for eating in public during Ramadan, after DNAA over earlier guilty plea
By Ben Tan
19 Mar 2025
JOHOR BARU, March 19 — An elderly man has claimed trial to a fresh charge of slapping a non-Muslim man for eating in public during Ramadan.
The accused, Abdul Razak Ismail, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out in the Magistrates’ Court here today.
Earlier, the 65-year-old retiree was released after the Magistrate’s Court granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA). He had already pleaded guilty then.
He was charged with slapping a non-Muslim man at a convenience store in a shopping mall here last Sunday.
The amended charge under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntary causing hurt was read out before Magistrate A. Shaarmini.
Abdul Razak was charged with intentionally causing injury to a young man at Lot L1 14 and 15, Level 1 of a shopping mall in Tampoi at 6.15pm on March 17.
If convicted, the offence carries a maximum jail sentence of one year or a fine of up to RM2,000 or both.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Nor Afiqah Musa and Nur Fatihah Mohd Nizam offered a bail amount of RM8,000 for the accused.
Lawyer Mohd Salleh Togimin, who represented Abdul Razak as counsel, argued that the bail amount was too high.
He explained that the accused, who is also a government pensioner, has to support three children, including one who is still studying at a higher learning institution.
“The RM8,000 bail is too high and seems to be an early sentence against my client, when he has not been found guilty,” said Mohd Salleh.
After deliberation by both parties, the court set bail at RM2,000 with one surety. The case is scheduled for mention on April 29 for the submission of documents.
In a separate proceeding this morning, the Magistrate’s Court here granted Abdul Razak a DNAA after the Deputy Public Prosecutor announced that the case would be referred back to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) in Putrajaya.
Earlier, Abdul Razak, who initially pleaded guilty, later disputed the case facts read out to the court. He was then ordered to enter his defence before the DNAA was announced.
This caused surprise and some confusion among those present.
In a statement, Attorney General Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said there were technical issues regarding the charges filed against the individual involved during the proceedings at the Johor Baru Magistrate’s Court.
He said that the technical issues involving the charges have been resolved and the individuals involved will be charged again at the Johor Baru Magistrate’s Court this afternoon.
Last Sunday, a video on the X (formerly Twitter) social media platform was widely shared showing a non-Muslim man being reprimanded by an elderly man for allegedly eating openly during Ramadan at the Angsana Shopping Mall in Tampoi here.
Tensions arose during the footage when the senior citizen asked the man to show his MyKad identity card as prove that he was not a Muslim.
The man, who refused to show his identity card, later claimed to have been scolded by the elderly man, who then slapped him several times.
Source:malaymail.com
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South Asia
Tarique warns of extremists, fascists waiting to pounce
Mar 20, 2025
Warning that extremists and fascists could again bury democracy in Bangladesh, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday said his party, along with other democratic parties, will prioritise maintaining the country's secular character and strengthening democracy.
"We would like to draw the attention of the interim government that if it fails to control the evil activities of religious extremists and their radicalism, extremist groups and defeated fascist forces will once again bury democracy in the country," he told at an iftar party via videoconference.
If that were to happen, Bangladesh could have an image crisis, Tarique said while addressing the iftar party at the Ladies Club organised to honour political leaders.
"To uphold the country's secular character, the democratic forces will pursue a political settlement that strengthens Bangladesh's democratic system. This includes bringing the fleeing mafia clique, responsible for massacres, to justice at any cost, while resolutely opposing extremism and religious fundamentalism," said Tarique.
Tarique also urged the government to provide the public with a clear understanding of its action plan to maintain confidence among people. "If the outline of the interim government's activities or action plan were made clearer and more specific to the people, all doubts and hesitations in their minds would be removed."
The BNP leader said it is true that the Awami League government was not overthrown merely to arrange a national election. "But it is even truer that the mafia regime collapsed due to the failure to hold a fair election. So, there is no room to consider any election simply as a matter of whether a political party can come to power or not," he said.
Tarique also expressed concern about some advisers of the government and even one or two political parties speaking in a slightly different tone regarding the next election.
"We believe that if secondary issues are prioritised under the guise of a new political settlement, instead of honouring public expectations, it will send the wrong message to the people. Such a situation will ultimately pave the way for the resurgence of fugitive mafia regime associates."
Tarique expressed the public expectation that the interim government will give the highest priority to elections, paving the way for the formation of a "democratic government".
He reiterated that if BNP is entrusted with the responsibility of governing the country in the upcoming national elections, the party will form a national government, consisting of representatives from pro-democratic political parties and elected public representatives.
Tarique expressed concern over the alarming increase in incidents of violence against women, children, and rape.
Noting that women make up half of the country's population, he said that without ensuring their safety, it is impossible to move the country forward.
"There is a need to deeply consider whether the security of our mothers, sisters, and daughters is in danger due to the government, administration, and law enforcement agencies being overly focused on creating new political settlements or any other tasks," the BNP leader said.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said although the country has been freed from fascism, democracy is still elusive. "A democratic Bangladesh remains the main aspiration of the people."
Emphasising the need for unity, he said that it is crucial to resolve issues relating to reforms through dialogue.
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam urged political parties to reach a political consensus so that there would be no room for "Mujibbadi" politics in the election and politics of future Bangladesh.
He said there are political parties to make the next election inclusive. "We believe that we bear the spirit of the struggle and the mass uprising that took place against Mujibbad [Mujibism]," he said.
Nahid hoped that a political unity would be there.
Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher said he on behalf of his party requested all to forge a national unity on four points -- the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh, a sustainable democracy, a fair election and a corruption-free Bangladesh.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/tarique-warns-extremists-fascists-waiting-pounce-3852836
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24 Afghan Refugees detained in two separate Operations in Turkey
By Fidel Rahmati
March 19, 2025
Turkish police have detained 24 Afghan refugees in two separate operations across different cities, transferring them to deportation centers for further processing and eventual return to Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, the police in Balikesir announced the detention of 14 Afghan refugees who had illegally entered Turkey. The refugees were taken to the Foreigners’ Deportation Center.
In a separate operation, the police in Bitlis reported the arrest of 10 Afghan refugees in the city. These two operations resulted in a total of 24 Afghan refugees being detained and transferred to deportation centers.
Turkish authorities confirmed that after completing administrative procedures, the detained refugees will be deported back to Afghanistan. The process of identifying, arresting, and deporting Afghan refugees in various Turkish cities has accelerated recently.
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, as of February, 139,251 Afghan nationals live in Turkey, making them the second-largest foreign population in the country after Iraqis. However, the exact number of Afghan refugees in Turkey is not fully available, as the statistics are based on the address registration system.
The Turkish government’s crackdown on illegal Afghan refugees highlights the growing concerns surrounding migration. As the number of Afghan nationals in Turkey continues to rise, the need for more structured refugee management and international cooperation is becoming increasingly urgent.
The rising tension between host countries and refugees further underscores the challenges of managing migration flows, especially with ongoing political instability in Afghanistan.
Source:khaama.com
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10 injured in BNP factional clashes in Ctg
Mar 20, 2025
At least 10 BNP men were injured in a series of clashes between two factions of the party in Raozan upazila of Chattogram last night.
Several motorbikes were set on fire during the violence.
According to police and local sources, the clashes erupted in multiple areas, including Noazishpur Union's Adud Chowdhury Eidgah ground, Yusuf Dighi Par, and Gahira Choumuhani.
The conflict involved supporters of Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury and Chattogram district (north) BNP Convener Golam Akbar Khondokar.
Witnesses said the tension began when the Golam Akbar group organised an iftar party at Adud Chowdhury Eidgah, attended by local BNP leaders and activists.
Around 5:00pm, a group of 10 to 20 motorbike riders arrived and demanded that the event be stopped, leading to an argument.
The situation quickly escalated into a violent clash, injuring one person.
Locals said they have heard gun shots during the clash.
Upon receiving information, police rushed to the scene, dispersing the groups.
The leaders and activists broke their fast at a nearby mosque. However, after the Maghrib prayer, clashes reignited, and at least five motorbikes were torched at Yusuf Dighi Par.
Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Raozan Police Station, told The Daily Star, "Before iftar, police dispersed both groups, but they clashed repeatedly after iftar. Our initial investigation suggests that the Golam Akbar group organised the iftar mahfil, but their rivals attempted to stop it, triggering the violence. We have no reports of gunfire."
He added, "If anyone files a complaint, legal action will be taken accordingly."
The bullet-injured victim is Abdul Kaiyum, 28, a supporter of Golam Akbar, locals said.
The other injured individuals were taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for treatment.
As of the filing of this report, tensions remained high in Raozan upazila, according to police.
Source:thedailystar.net
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The three stages of the month of Ramadan
March 20, 2025
Ramadan is a month of fasting, reflection, devotion, generosity, and sacrifice observed by Muslims around the world. Over the centuries, Ramadan has retained its passionate spiritual meaning. The word “Ramadan” comes from the Arabic word for “Parched Thirst” and “Sun-Baked Ground.” It is meaningful of the hunger and thirst felt by those who spend the month in fasting and get the benefits from fasting. Ramadan is, by nature, a time of sacrifice. The month of Ramadan lasts 29 to 30 days, depending on moon sighting, and according to narration, Allah Almighty divides the Holy month of Ramadan into three Stages that are known as the ‘Ashra’ of Ramadan. Ashra of Ramadan: The first part reflects the mercy of Allah (Rehmah), the second part reflects the forgiveness of Allah (Maghfirah), and the third part reflects safety from hell (Nijat). The Holy Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: Ramadan is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire (of hell). No The three stages of the month of Ramadan doubt, the month of Ramadan is full of blessings, mercy, and forgiveness. It’s the best opportunity for all Muslims to collect more blessings from Allah, pray for their forgiveness, and to be saved from the torment on the day of judgment. First Ashra of Ramadan – Mercy: The first ten days of Ramadan are the days of Mercy and blessing and every Muslim must seek the Mercy and Blessings of Almighty Allah. Dua for the first Ashra is: “O! My Lord forgives and have Mercy and You are the Best of Merciful” (Quran 23:118) Second Ashra of Ramadan – Forgiveness: The second ten days of Ramadan, day 11th to day 20th, consist of the Ashra of forgiveness. Muslims must seek the forgiveness of Allah Almighty and regret for all their mistakes. Dua for the second Ashra is: “I ask forgiveness of my sins from Allah who is my Lord, and I turn towards Him.” Third Ashra of Ramadan – Safety: The third Ashra starts on the 21st of Ramadan and ends 29th or 30th of Ramadan, according to the moon. Third Ashra is known as Safety from Hell (Nijat). Every Muslim must pray to be safe from Hellfire. The Last Ashra is very important and superior. In this Ashra, the Night of Power (Lailatul Qadar) also falls, and many Muslims also practice Aitkaf (seclusion for prayers) in this Ashra and try to maximize their prayers. As stated in Quran: “We sent it (Quran) down on a blessed Night. Verily, We are ever warning. Therein (in that Night) is decreed every matter of ordainment. Amran (i.e. a command or this Quran or His Decree of every matter) from Us. Verily, We are ever sending (the Messenger) (As) a Mercy from your Lord.” (Quran 44:3-6). Dua of the third Ashra is: “O Allah, save me from the fire of Hell.” It is worth mentioning that each year Muslims spend the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observing a community-wide fast. The fast of the month of Ramadan is considered one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims who are physically able are required to fast each day of the entire month from dawn to sunset. Fida Mohammad
Source:thekabultimes.com
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Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu removed from office
Mar 20, 2025
Justice Khizir Hayat, one of the 12 High Court judges who were barred from judicial proceedings since October 20 last year, has been removed from the office.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin removed Justice Khizir Hayat under article 96(6) of the constitution on Tuesday, according to a notification issued by the law ministry yesterday.
The bar was imposed after mass protests on the SC premises on October 16, where hundreds of demonstrators, mostly students, demanded the removal of "pro-Awami League fascist judges".
The other judges barred from judicial duty are Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan, Justice Naima Haider, Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif, Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar, Justice Ashish Ranjan Das, Justice Khizir Hayat, Justice SM Maniruzzaman, Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman, Justice Md Akhtaruzzaman, Justice Shahed Nuruddin, Justice Md Aminul Islam, and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon
Among them, Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das have already retired upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 67.
Justice Shahed Nuruddin resigned from the office in February citing personal difficulties.
Justice Md Aminul Islam and Justice Masud Hossain Dolon are not in the service as they were not confirmed as High Court judges.
The Supreme Judicial Council led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has been conducting inquiries about the remaining other six judges of the 12 ones, SC Spokesman Muajjem Hussain told The Daily Star today.
Justice Khizir Hayat was the junior judge of a division bench of the HC that on June 5 last year restored the much talked about 30 percent quota system for the freedom fighters' children in the government service.
The verdict has sparked the anti-discrimination student movement which led the fall of Sheikh Hasina government on August 5.
Justice Shahed Nuruddin, while he was the judge of Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka, on October 10, 2018 had delivered verdict in the cases filed for grenade attack on an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on August 21, 2004.
In the verdict, the tribunal sentenced former BNP state minister Lutfozzaman Babar and 18 others to death and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and 18 others to life imprisonment, saying that the incident of August 21 grenade attack was a well-orchestrated plan, executed through abuse of state power.
However, the HC on December 1, last year, in its verdict acquitted all the accused from the charges of the cases.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Eid vacation: DGHS issues 16 directives for health services
Mar 20, 2025
The Director General of Health Services on Tuesday issued a 16-point directive to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services across the country during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
According to the directives, the presence of doctors must be ensured round the clock in the emergency department. The emergency department, labour room, emergency operation theatre, and labouratory must remain operational at all times.
To ensure adequate manpower and medical services at the workplace, staffers may be granted leave in phases before and after Eid through proper coordination, it said.
The head of the institution will grant leave, prioritising uninterrupted emergency medical services and public interest, it added.
The heads of the hospital's indoor units must monitor their departmental activities daily. Emergency labs and x-ray services must be operational round the clock at medical college hospitals, specialised hospitals, district hospitals, and upazila health complexes, the directives read.
On-call services for specialist doctors at the upazila level must be ensured, it said.
Before the holiday begins, there must be an adequate stock and immediate supply of medicines, IV fluids, chemical reagents, and surgical supplies.
The storekeeper or the on-duty staff during the holiday must remain in their respective districts and upazilas. Ambulance services must be operational round the clock, it said.
The local administration and law enforcement agencies must be informed in advance to ensure hospital security during the holidays.
All private clinics and hospitals must keep their emergency and maternity departments open under the supervision of registered doctors and before referring any patient, necessary primary treatment and medical arrangements for the journey must be ensured.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/health/news/eid-vacation-dghs-issues-16-directives-health-services-3852426
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Nowruz: Celebrating Nature’s Renewal Across 10 Countries , Including Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
March 19, 2025
The ancient festival of Nowruz is celebrated in over 10 countries, including Afghanistan, as a symbol of nature’s renewal. It is a longstanding tradition, deeply rooted in the history and culture of the region, marking the arrival of spring and transformation in nature.
For those who observe it, Nowruz offers an opportunity for renewal, joy, and hope for a better future. With deep roots in Persian culture and ancient civilizations, it holds significant cultural value not only in Afghanistan but across many countries with shared cultural ties.
The way Nowruz is celebrated varies across Afghanistan. In Mazar-e-Sharif, the “Jahenda Bala” ceremony and the Gul Surkh festival are popular, while in Herat, people often visit nature reserves and gardens. In Kabul, making ‘Samanak’ and preparing ‘Haft Mewa’ are notable traditions. Despite these regional differences, visiting friends, exchanging new year greetings, and wishing for health and happiness are common practices.
However, due to the rise of the Taliban regime, the tradition of celebrating Nowruz has faced severe limitations. Last year, the “Jahenda” ceremony in Mazar-e-Sharif was not held due to restrictions. The Taliban has now banned public celebrations of Nowruz, labeling it an “un-Islamic” celebration.
The historical roots of Nowruz in Afghanistan date back thousands of years, even before the arrival of Islam. Celebrations date back to the Achaemenid era, with the festival marked as a formal event in Persian territories, which included present-day Afghanistan. It persisted through various empires, including the Kushans, Ghaznavids, and Timurids, and continued through the 20th century as an official national holiday.
Despite efforts to limit Nowruz celebrations under the Taliban’s first rule, it was revived after their fall in 2001 and continued until August 2021. Nowruz was once again celebrated with enthusiasm under Ashraf Ghani’s presidency, with notable public ceremonies.
UNESCO recognized Nowruz as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016, highlighting its significance as a cultural bridge between tradition and modernity. It’s not only celebrated in Afghanistan but also in over 12 countries, including Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and others.
Nowruz is regarded as a time for peace and solidarity globally, with the United Nations declaring March 21 as the “International Day of Nowruz.” Yet, despite its wide-reaching significance, the Taliban’s return to power has led to a suppression of this once-thriving tradition in Afghanistan.
The economic hardship brought about by the Taliban’s rule has further complicated the celebration of Nowruz. Families, already struggling with severe poverty and joblessness, lack the means to partake in traditional customs such as buying new clothes or preparing the symbolic foods associated with the holiday.
This year, as Nowruz coincides with the month of Ramadan, the enthusiasm surrounding the celebration has waned in cities like Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-e-Sharif. The markets that once bustled with preparations for the holiday now remain eerily quiet, reflecting the difficult reality facing many Afghan families.
The celebration of Nowruz in Afghanistan has transformed from a widespread cultural practice to a restricted and subdued event. While the festival continues to hold deep cultural significance, the political and economic challenges under the Taliban have made it increasingly difficult for Afghans to celebrate this ancient tradition with the same joy and vibrancy as before.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/nowruz-celebrating-natures-renewal-across-10-countries-including-afghanistan/
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Islamic banks witness deposit shift
Mar 20, 2025
Islamic wings of conventional banks have become the preferred choice for religiously inclined depositors as many full-fledged Shariah-based banks struggle with a crisis of trust.
This shift has emerged after controversies and financial scandals involving Shariah-based banks, many of which were controlled by the controversial conglomerate S Alam Group during the previous regime.
Although the boards of these banks were reshuffled after the political changeover in August last year, industry insiders say rebuilding public trust will take time.
At the end of 2024, deposit growth in the banking sector slowed to 7.47 percent. However, 18 banks experienced deposit surges exceeding 26 percent, with some Islamic wings of conventional banks registering increases of more than 100 percent.
A senior central bank official told The Daily Star that certain conventional banks and their Islamic wings successfully drew in large deposits that had been withdrawn from about half a dozen struggling lenders.
As financial irregularities at commercial banks linked to S Alam Group came under scrutiny, savers moved their funds to banks with stronger financial standing and reputations, he added.
In 2024, deposits at National Credit and Commerce (NCC) Bank rose by only 13.04 percent to Tk 25,410 crore. However, deposits in its Islamic wing soared by a record 110 percent, the highest in the banking sector.
"Public confidence in some banks was severely shaken last year, which contributed to our strong deposit growth," said M Shamsul Arefin, managing director of NCC Bank.
He told The Daily Star that as customers of certain Shariah-based banks struggled to withdraw their savings, many sought alternative Shariah-compliant options. This trend significantly benefited the Islamic banking units of conventional banks.
"NCC Bank is financially sound and is expanding its Islamic banking operations to cater to the rising demand for Shariah-based financial services," Arefin added.
Similarly, at the end of last year, Pubali Bank's total deposits stood at Tk 70,637 crore. While the bank recorded a 21 percent deposit growth overall, its Islamic wing saw a 91.18 percent rise.
"Many depositors lost trust in full-fledged Islamic banks, prompting them to turn to the Islamic wings of established conventional banks," said Mohammad Ali, managing director of Pubali Bank.
"Our Shariah compliance is very high, which has helped strengthen confidence in our Islamic banking operations," he added.
Another example is Prime Bank, which saw total deposits grow by 12.74 percent last year while deposits with its Islamic wing ballooned by 61.34 percent.
Along that same vein, the Islamic wing of Mutual Trust Bank saw deposit growth of 66.34 percent and One Bank's Islamic wing recorded a 54 percent increase, according to central bank data.
Hassan O Rashid, managing director of Prime Bank, said that the expansion of Islamic banking deposits in Bangladesh is driven by high demand, supportive policies and unique sectoral features such as risk-sharing, financial inclusivity and asset-backed transactions.
"These attributes align with religious principles and provide financial security," said Rashid.
Prime Bank was the first conventional bank in Bangladesh to introduce Islamic banking, launching such services through five dedicated branches in 1995.
"Our 30 years of expertise in Islamic banking, coupled with Prime Bank's financial strength, digital banking approach, timely deposit offerings and well-trained branch officials, have contributed to this growth," Rashid added.
Jamuna Bank recorded a 26.31 percent overall deposit growth last year, with deposits with its Islamic wing growing by 27.17 percent.
"Full-fledged Shariah-based banks are experiencing a temporary crisis of confidence, leading to the strong deposit growth in Islamic wings within conventional banks," said Mirza Elias Uddin Ahmed, managing director of Jamuna Bank.
He added that profit rates in the Islamic wings of conventional banks tend to be higher than those of Shariah-based banks, which has also contributed to the influx of depositors.
"This strong deposit growth has significantly improved our liquidity position," Ahmed said.
Midland Bank recorded an overall deposit increase of 29.77 percent last year, while its Islamic wing recorded a 33.37 percent deposit growth.
Ahsan-Uz Zaman, managing director and CEO of Midland Bank, told The Daily Star that public trust in the bank is growing because it tailors financial products to client needs.
"People now feel more secure entrusting their savings to Midland Bank, which has contributed to our deposit growth," he said.
Last year, deposit growth in the Islamic banking wings of other banks included Sonali Bank at 34.15 percent, Mercantile Bank at 29.15 percent, SBAC Bank at 28.69 percent, Trust Bank at 35 percent, City Bank at 20.40 percent, Meghna Bank at 72 percent, and UCB at 27 percent, according to central bank data.
In contrast, weak and troubled banks, including several Shariah-based ones, saw deposit declines last year. BASIC Bank, Janata Bank, AB Bank, Bangladesh Commerce Bank, EXIM Bank, First Security Islami Bank, ICB Islamic Bank, National Bank, Padma Bank, and Social Islami Bank all reported negative deposit growth.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/islamic-banks-witness-deposit-shift-3852716
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Africa
M23 rebels push further east attacking another town ignoring calls for ceasefire
20 March 2025
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pushed further into eastern Congo on Wednesday, advancing into the outskirts of Walikale just one day after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda called for an immediate ceasefire.
Residents reported hearing gunfire near Walikale's Nyabangi neighborhood. Some locals described the sounds of conflict, while an anonymous military source confirmed that the rebels were engaged in combat with both Congolese soldiers and pro-government militias after launching a surprise attack on an army position just outside the town.
Walikale, a town with a population of around 15,000 and located in a mineral-rich region, marks the furthest westward point the M23 rebels have reached during their rapid offensive this year.
Situated about 125 km (80 miles) northwest of Goma, Congo's largest eastern city, which fell to the rebels in January, Walikale places the M23 fighters within 400 km of Kisangani, the country’s fourth-largest city.
The attack took place even as the presidents of Congo and neighboring Rwanda met Tuesday in Qatar for their first direct talks calling for an immediate ceasefire in the restive region.
M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced.
According to U.N. experts, the rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda and have at times vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the east.
The U.N. Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing akin to “summary executions” by both sides.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2025/03/20/m23-rebels-push-further-east-attacking-another-town-ignoring-calls-for-ceasefire/
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Rivers: Ex-Agitators Warned Against Destroying Oil, Gas Assets
By Bassey Willie, Yenagoa
20 Mar 2025
The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has cautioned ex-agitators in the Niger Delta against engaging in the destruction of oil, gas, or other government assets in response to the constitutional crisis in Rivers State.
Chief Dennis Brutu Otuaro, the PAP Administrator, issued the warning on Wednesday, urging all ex-agitators and beneficiaries of the amnesty programme to conduct themselves responsibly.
“I appeal to you not to engage in violent activities or allow yourselves to be used for actions that could plunge the Niger Delta into chaos,” he said.
He reminded ex-agitators of their role as peace ambassadors and urged them to resist attempts by individuals seeking to exploit the situation in Rivers State for political gain.
“The Niger Delta has already suffered enough over the years. It is essential to ensure that the region does not experience further destabilisation due to the current developments in Rivers State,” he added.
Otuaro urged the ex-agitators to safeguard the region’s peace and stability for the benefit of its people and their livelihoods.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, citing a prolonged political crisis that has crippled governance and threatened peace and security in the state.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were suspended for an initial period of six months. Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas was appointed as the administrator to oversee the state’s affairs during this period.
Source:dailytrust.com
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https://dailytrust.com/rivers-ex-agitators-warned-against-destroying-oil-gas-assets/
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Accept Or Reject: Tension Grips National Assembly As Lawmakers Must Decide On Rivers’ Emergency Rule Today
20 March 2025
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
The Senate and House of Representatives are expected to have tense sessions today ( Thursday) as they discuss President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Naija News reports that the issue was initially scheduled for debate on Wednesday, but tensions flared in the House, leading to a postponement of the discussion until Thursday.
Similarly, while the matter was listed on the Senate’s Order Paper, it was not debated. Sensing the difficulty in securing the necessary two-thirds majority for approval, the Senate rescheduled the discussion for 3 p.m. on Thursday.
According to the constitution, both chambers of the National Assembly have 48 hours to either approve or reject the emergency declaration by a two-thirds majority in each chamber. The deadline for approval expires at midnight today (Thursday).
The sessions on Wednesday in both chambers were affected by low attendance, with many lawmakers having traveled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (lesser hajj).
Western Post reports that some National Assembly members were overheard calling on their colleagues observing Umrah to return for the critical session.
President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the escalation of the state’s leadership crisis.
In his national address, the President suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months, appointing former Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (Rtd.) as the new state administrator.
On Wednesday, President Tinubu officially inaugurated Ibas to assume his new role.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/03/20/accept-or-reject-tension-grips-national-assembly-as-lawmakers-must-decide-on-rivers-emergency-rule-today/
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NGF Remain Silent On Rivers’ Emergency Rule As PDP Governors Head To Court
20 March 2025
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has yet to comment on the recent developments regarding the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Ngozi Odu.
Naija News reports that the chairman of the Forum, Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman of Kwara State is yet to issues any statement on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Efforts by Daily Trust to reach NGF’s Director-General, Lateef Shittu, for comment have been unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or a WhatsApp message sent by a reporter seeking his views on the matter.
Meanwhile, governors elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have pledged to challenge the suspension of their colleague in court.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in his response, stated that he would confront the situation with “wisdom, patience, and unwavering faith in the democratic process.”
In a statement issued on behalf of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who also chairs the forum, expressed strong disapproval of Tinubu’s decision to suspend Fubara. The forum called on President Tinubu to acknowledge his mistake and reverse the decision.
The PDP governors criticized President Tinubu for siding with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, who they claimed played an active role in the political impasse in Rivers State.
“We stand in solidarity with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the good people of Rivers State at this very difficult and trying moment of the state’s political history. There is no other time that our philosophy of ‘TOUCH ONE, TOUCH ALL’ is more apt than now,” the statement read.
The forum accused President Tinubu of failing to address the involvement of Minister Wike in the crisis, labeling the president’s silence as “golden and enabling.”
The PDP governors further condemned the decision as “unstatesmanlike, biased, and divisive,” stating that the move represents a significant threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
The governors argued that the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State would exacerbate existing crises, deepen mistrust, elevate security threats, and destabilize the economy and national cohesion.
In alignment with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the PDP governors called for a judicial review of Section 305(3) of the Constitution and rejected the action as authoritarian.
They urged President Tinubu to reconsider his decision and reverse it before further harm is done.
“Mr. President is therefore called upon to listen to wise counsel and the voice of reason, as well as accept that he made grievous mistakes and acted in haste, and reverse this atrocious and retrograde decision before it is too late,” the PDP Governors’ Forum concluded.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/03/20/ngf-remain-silent-on-rivers-emergency-rule-as-pdp-governors-head-to-court/
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Cause Of Abuja’s Explosion Revealed As Victims Fill National Hospital, Asokoro Hospital
20 March 2025
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
Victims of the gas explosion that occurred on Karu Bridge in Abuja on Wednesday night are currently being treated at the National Hospital and Asokoro Hospital.
The blast, which occurred around 7:14 pm, involved a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) truck and several vehicles, leaving many feared dead and multiple vehicles trapped in the aftermath.
Naija News had earlier reported that the explosion caused significant destruction, with emergency services working quickly to rescue victims and manage the situation.
The explosion was triggered when the driver of the CNG truck reportedly lost control of the bridge, colliding with other vehicles and setting off the devastating blast.
The Head of the Forecasting Response and Mitigation Division at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mark Nyam, confirmed the accident’s details in a statement released on Wednesday, stating that the incident occurred when the CNG truck veered out of control and struck other vehicles on the bridge.
“The driver of the CNG truck lost control, which resulted in the explosion. Our teams, along with the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, Nigeria Police Force, and NEMA, are on the ground to rescue those affected,” Nyam explained.
Some of the injured victims were immediately taken to the State House Clinic for treatment, while others were rushed to National and Asokoro Hospitals for more intensive care.
The Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNG) issued a statement expressing sadness over the incident and promising a thorough investigation to determine its cause.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this devastating incident.
“While initial reports suggest the involvement of a Bi-Fueled Petrol Tanker, we urge the public to await the outcome of a thorough investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident,” the statement read
The PCNG Initiative further mentioned that preliminary reports indicated a possible brake system failure leading to the explosion of the petrol storage tank, but they cautioned against speculation until all facts were confirmed.
The initiative reiterated its commitment to ensuring safety standards in the use of CNG as a cleaner energy alternative.
The PCNG also commended the swift response of emergency responders. “We commend the swift response of FEMA, the Nigeria Police Force, and NEMA, who are working tirelessly to rescue victims and manage the situation,” the statement concluded.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2025/03/20/cause-of-abujas-explosion-revealed-as-victims-fill-national-hospital-asokoro-hospital/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/uttar-pradesh-muslims-arrested-namaz-protesting/d/134933