Evening NEWS DIGEST
04 Sept. 2016: 01 Dzil Hajja 37: Vol:7, No:153
‘Media should play active
role in promoting ‘communal harmony’: Journos
New Delhi: Criticizing role
of some TV news channels and newspapers for spreading hate and ill will in the
society,several senior journalists on Saturday underlined the need of media
playing an important role in creating and promoting social harmony in the
country.They denounced attempts by some TV news channels and newspapers to
standardize on thought on issues in the name of nationalism. Most of them
agreed that there should a self-regulation in the media and nothing should be
imposed from outside, they advocated that media should care about its social
obligations also.“In the current station of the country, there is a dire need
that media should play an important role for maintaining social and communal
harmony. But a section of the media has strayed from their principles,” said
veteran journalist and the Editorial Director of The New Indian Express Prabhu
Chawla while speaking at a symposium on “Role of Media in Promoting Social
Harmony” organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.“The first principle of journalism
is to present through media what you have seen and heard in front of the
public. But in this electronic age, a section of the media shows and publishes
news on the basis of their views instead of presenting reality, which is a
serious threat to communal harmony and national unity,” Chawla added.“On some
issues, there are strong attempts to create one opinion. There are attempts to
standardize one thought on issues like Pakistan and Kashmir,” said veteran
journalist and Political Editor of Hindustan Times Vinod Sharma. “Media persons
handling real-time information are not trained to deal with such situation.
Real-time information has to be treated with utmost care. There is a need for a
certain degree of debate within the media about its role vis a vis society,”
said Sharma. He was also critical of the media for relying on police version
during communal violence. “During communal riots, media generally relies on
police version which is not always 24-carat gold. It is a mixed item. Media
should be true to its responsibilities, should care about its language and
social obligations,” he said.Hartosh Singh Bal, Political Editor of Caravan
magazine, said a section of media is dividing the society, rather than uniting
it. “Of late, a section of media has started dividing the society, rather than
uniting it. We have seen it in JNU case, Pakistan issue and during communal
riots. It provoked people and riot. Media should speak truth howsoever hard it
is,” said Hartosh. Speaking at the program organized by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind at
the conclusion of its 15-day “Peace & Humanity Campaign,” Rajya Sabha TV
Anchor Amrita Rai said media is not giving much space to the deprived classes.
“Media does not give space to depressed classes. Media is suffering with
ideological lobbying. People of the other lobby are projected as ones against
development and nationalism,” she said. However, she praised media for its
positive role in the Kairana and Una cases. “Media played positive role in the
Kairana case when news flashed on social media about alleged migration of
Hindus from the Muslim-dominated district of UP. Media went there on the ground
and exposed the lies. It played a positive role in Una case also,” she said.
“But when it comes to Muslim youths, Kashmir or triple talaq, media has not
played positive role. In cases of Kashmir or Muslim youths, we get swayed with
nationalism and patriotism,” she said. Representing the Urdu press, SQR Ilyas, Editor,
Afkar-e Milli Urdu monthly stressed defining the role of media. He said a
section of media is promoting hate speakers.”Some forces want to promote
division in the society on the basis of religion, language and caste. Some
political parties also want polarization and they don’t care for the loss of
the society. A section of media is also promoting such forces that want to
demolish peace and communal harmony. Sensational things and clashes are being
given much space in the media,” said Ilyas. “There is a need to define the role
of media; in fact, media should set its own role and responsibility for the
society,” he added.In his presidential remarks, Salim Engineer, Secretary
General of Jamaat said that readers of newspapers and viewers of TV channels
also have a role and responsibility to keep the media on track.”Our role is to
keep media on track. We should provide correct information to the media, we
should develop relations with them. Many wrong reporting are due to wrong
information but we assume such things are being deliberately propagated,” he
said.“There are indeed good people in the media and we have to reach out to
them. To promote social harmony, there could be important role of media and we
should execute our duties vis a vis media. We can improve the situation with
the support of media. We should also make correct use of social media,” he
said. Other eminent journalists and personalities who spoke included NK Singh,
Secretary General Editor Guild and Anil Chamadia, Editor of Mass Media and Jan
Media journals, SS Sarda, Supreme Court lawyer and radio Jockey Naved of radio
mirchi. theindianawaaz
Media need to be sensitized
for social harmony: Veteran journalists
Top journos express concern
on media's 'divisive role'at Jamaat-e-Islami Hind symposium: The Statesman
Triple talaq against Quran:
Zafar Sareshwala
Mumbai: Citing instances
from the Quran and life of the Holy Prophet (sunnah),Dr Zeenat Shaukat Ali and
Zafar Sareshwala said the excuse given by AIMPLB in its affidavit filed in the
Supreme Court to uphold triple talaq not only shows Muslims in bad light but
also leads to bidat (innovation in religion) which is not desirable. Zafar
Sareshwala, chancellor of Maulana Azad Urdu University, said that while Quran
had explicitly mentioned the procedure for talaq, AIMPLB had entirely bypassed
it by promoting arbitrary divorce. “There is no mention of triple talaq, which
means that one practising it is committing a grave sin. After the demise of the
Holy Prophet, persons who practiced triple talaq were punished with 100 lashes.
AIMPLB seems to be citing the Sharia selectively thus going against the
principles of Quran,”said Sareshwala. asianage
Triple talaq is sin but
Shariat permits it; If live-in is legal, why isn’t polygamy so?: AIMPLB
New Delhi: A man who
pronounced triple talaq upon his wife approached Caliph Umar, one of the most
powerful and influential Muslim Caliphs in history, for punishment. The Caliph
ordered the man to be whipped. But he also ensured the separation of the
couple.This anecdote is quoted by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB) in an affidavit to explain that though triple talaq is a “sin” and the
“least appreciated form of ending a marriage”, Shariat (Muslim personal law)
permits it. Polygamy, it said, is “not even desirable”. Quran does not make it
mandatory. “Yet, since polygamy is endorsed by primary Islamic sources, it
cannot be dubbed as something prohibited,” the AIMPLB told the Supreme Court.The
powerful Muslim body was replying to the court’s decision to examine whether
Islamic personal laws discriminate against Muslim women.Board compared the
religion’s tolerance to triple talaq to the situation of a sinner being
appointed as a judge. “In Islamic jurisprudence, many times an irregular or
improper nature of an act does not affect the legal consequences of the act.
For instance, it is not lawful to appoint a sinner as a judge. However, if the
State appoints a sinner as a judge and he passes a judgment, that judgment will
be effective, provided it is within the limits of Sharia,” it explained. However,
the Muslim body said, any “uncontrolled use of divorce without regard to the
restrictions established by the Shariat is a sin”. “To divorce the wife without
reason and only to harm her, or revengefully due to the non-fulfilment of his
unlawful demands by the wife or her guardians, and to divorce her in violation
of the procedure prescribed by the Shariat, is irregular and undesirable,” it
explained.The AIMPLB argued that the Shariat permits triple talaq in the
interest of both the man and woman as a means to keep their dignity and privacy
intact. The intention is to save the family from delayed justice in
conventional courts and to avoid mud-slinging in public. The Shariat intends
triple talaq to help the estranged couple to “move on” with their lives and get
over the bitterness and hatred they had felt for each other, the AIMPLB said.“To
presume that each triple talaq is arbitrary and unreasonable is a fallacy of
reason...it is misconception that triple talaq is always a result of haste and
is a power which is freely misused by a Muslim male,” it said.In fact, over the
years, triple talaq is resorted to only if intervention by families to
reconcile the couple has failed and the couple wants “instant dissolution”.
“There are innumerable instances where a Muslim wife seeks dissolution of
marriage and approaches her husband for immediate dissolution by triple
talaq,”the Board said. “If Indian laws can protect women having a living-in
relationship with married men, why should polygamy be frowned upon,” AIMPLB
asked the Supreme Court. Muslim body said the Protection of Women from Domestic
Violence Act, 2005, protects women who were in live-in relationships with men,
even if the latter were married, bachelors or widowers.This shows that the
“promiscuous relationship” of a woman with a married man is no longer immoral.
So why should a formalised polygamous marriage be considered immoral, it asked.The
board said “illicit sex had raised its head” in countries where polygamy is
banned. “Women should appreciate the point that if the ratio of women is
higher, would they prefer wedlock for fellow women, or let them be illicit
mistresses of men, without any of the rights which a wife gets,” it asked the
Supreme Court. Thehindu
AIMPLB questions media hype
on ‘Talaq’ while ignoring women security
Zakir Naik’s NGO
Red-Flagged; Renewal of License in Peril
IRF, set up by Zakir Naik
is due for licence renewal this year, and is among almost 150 NGOs against whom
security agencies issued adverse reports in July, according to The Hindu. Naik
came under the authorities’ scanner when two of the Holey Artisan Bakery
attackers in Dhaka claimed they were ‘inspired’ by him.Despite the IRF
featuring on the list, its FCRA licence was renewed on 19 August automatically
through the online system. An FCRA licence is a mandatory requirement for an
NGO to receive foreign funds; the licence is renewed every five years. The
first complaint against the IRF had come in 2012. Action against it was not
taken till a year later by the Home Ministry, when the complainant sent a
letter to the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. thequint
Kashmir all-party
delegation, led by Rajnath Singh, arrives in Srinagar: Indian Express
New Delhi: Home Minister
Rajnath Singh has arrived in Srinagar along with the all-party delegation for a
2-day visit to the state where it is expected to meet a cross-section of people
and various representatives. All-party delegation of 30 members from 20 parties
aims to find a solution to the Kashmir’s current cycle of violence that was
triggered by the death of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. Close to 74
people have lost their lives and thousands have been injured in the protests that
followed encounter.Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said
that they were hopeful of having a fruitful meeting with representatives of
various political parties in Kashmir and find a solution to the current crisis.
Azad, however said, that it was govt’s work to identify various stakeholders in
the current situation and keep the doors open for all talks.He also reiterated
his party’s stand, denouncing the usage of pellet guns in Kashmir.Adding that it
won’t be possible to take any decision immediately, he said,
Srinagar: As all-party
delegation arrives, many pellet injured patients discharged from hospital
Srinagar: Ahead of the
all-party delegation visit to Kashmir, Srinagar’s top hospital, where patients
with eye injuries were admitted, has discharged a large number of injured
people. APD is likely to visit the hospital to meet the injured.On Saturday, ophthalmology
dept. of the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital discharged 24 injured who were hit by
pellets in their eyes – this is highest number of discharges in a day. Number of
discharges had touched 50 in last 2 days. Indian express
Over hundred injured in
Kashmir as police, paramilitary try to foil rallies: Indian Express
Srinagar: On a day when the
all-party delegation is on a visit to Valley, over a hundred people have been
injured during protests in south Kashmir on Sunday. In Shopian district, people
have set on fire the Mini Secretariat that houses the office of Deputy
Commissioner.The protests broke out early Sunday morning in Shopian and
Anantnag where police foiled 2 different “freedom” rallies and used force to
disperse the people. More than 100 people were injured in Shopian’s Pinjoora
village when police and paramilitary forces used tear smoke shells and pellets
on the protestors.
Targets for first time in
Valley’s unrest, policemen walk faultlines in Kashmir: Indian express
Kashmir’s all-party
delegation has not spelled out mandate: separatist leaders
Srinagar:A day after J&K
CM Mehbooba Mufti invited them to meet the all-party delegation, the separatist
leaders on Sunday said it cannot be an alternative to a transparent,
agenda-based dialogue to address the “core” issue. One “fails to understand”
what hope to attach with a delegation which has not “spelled out its mandate
for any engagement on a clear agenda”, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said in a joint statement issued in
Srinagar.These methods of “crisis management through Parliamentary Delegations
and Track-2… can’t take the place of a genuine transparent agenda-based
dialogue to address the core issue…,”they said.“That has been our consistent
stand and has been spelled out recently as well in our letters to various
international and global fora,” they said. Separatist leaders also lashed out
at Mehbooba, alleging that she was playing the “role of obfuscation”. They said
given this situation, it is “not surprising that even now her (Mehbooba’s)
dominant concern, as expressed in her letter, is to ‘lend credence and
credibility’ to Indian Parliamentary Delegation visiting Kashmir avowedly to
ascertain wishes of the people”.PTI
Mehbooba Mufti should have
released Hurriyat leaders, says Omar Abdullah
CM Mehbooba Mufti should
have released Hurriyat leaders if she was serious about talks but she “was not
clear in her own head” about the way forward, NC leader Omar Abdullah said
after she invited the separatists to meet all-party delegationPTI
Amnesty report on Kashmir:
An attempt to uncover a narrative of denied justice
Hijbul Mujahideen chief Salahuddin
vows to turn Kashmir Valley into graveyard for armed forces
New Delhi:Ahead of
the all-party meet in Kashmir headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Hizbul
Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin has said he will turn entire Kashmir into a
“graveyard” for Indian armed forces. Salahuddin, disregarding the all-party
meet, said talks would be futile and the only answer to the issue of Kashmir
was militancy.“Kashmiri leadership, people and mujahideen should know there is
no formal, peaceful way,”TOI quoted him as saying. While the all-party meet is
an attempt to assuage the situation in the Valley, Salahuddin has warned of his
“might”, threatening to “take the entire region into [militancy’s] fold”. TOI
Sisi,Modi agree to stepup
efforts for deradicalisation programmes but Egypt silent on Kashmir
New Delhi:India and Egypt have
committed to deepening cooperation against terrorism, a common threat both
nations face, but officials said Cairo remained unwilling to break from the
position of the broader Islamic world critical of Delhi over Kashmir. 2
countries have in recent months quietly stepped up intelligence cooperation,
with unannounced visits to India by Egypt's NSA for meetings with his Indian
counterpart Ajit Doval. But Friday's declaration of intent came from PM
Narendra Modi and visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi after talks
between them."President and I are of one view that growing radicalisation,
increasing violence and spread of terror pose a real threat not just to our 2
countries," Modi said, pausing,"but, also to nations and communities
across regions."Modi and Sisi agreed to expand defence trade, training and
capacity building, and enhance information and operational exchanges to combat
terrorism. 2 countries also decided to step up efforts at developing
de-radicalisation programmes to shield their youth from the propaganda of
terror groups like the IS. Modi and the Indian delegation tried today to
convince Sisi that terrorism lay at the heart of the Kashmir dispute between
Delhi and Islamabad. Ahead of Sisi's visit, Indian officials said several OIC
countries had in private distanced themselves from the group's postures, and
that India would try and convince Egypt to publicly articulate its dissonance
with OIC view.But in talks, Sisi did not appear willing to break with the OIC
consensus, officials said. In his comments after meeting with Modi too, Sisi
was quiet about Kashmir. Telegraphindia
India, Egypt to step up
defence, anti-terror cooperation
India, Egypt join hands to
tackle terrorism
Modi to host Afghan President,
may extend more defence aid
New Delhi: India is likely
to host Afghan President Ashraf Ghani this month eyeing to step up engagements
with Kabul amid fast deteriorating relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan
over alleged Pak-based terror attacks in the landlocked country. It has been
learnt that the Modi government could extend additional defence support to
Kabul during Ghani's trip besides the four attack helicopters that were
supplied to fight Taliban. Sources have told ET that a detailed, updated
weapons list, which includes a request for additional choppers, heavy vehicles
and spares support, has been shared with New Delhi. India has already assured
Kabul that a significant part of the requests would be met. ET
Modi's religion diplomacy
spreads wings in Vietnam
New Delhi:In sync with PM
Narendra Modi govt’s religion diplomacy, which plays a pivotal role in its
foreign policy, India has offered help to Vietnam to restore a Hindu temple in
the country belonging the Champ civilisation. The diplomacy comes at a time
when Modi is visiting Vietnam capital Hanoi. Myson temple has a striking
resemblance to Indian temples built during the same period. Ex envoy to Vietnam
and present Secretary East in MEA Preeti Saran said: “Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) has already surveyed the temple located in the Quang Nam Province
and would take care of the reconstruction work.” newindianexpress
Review request of
'non-visionary' new education policy: Students' Islamic Organisation
Http://Timesofindia.Indiatimes.Com/City/Aurangabad/Review-Request-Of-Non-Visionary-New-Education-Policy/Articleshow/54002192.Cms
Aurangabad: Students'
Islamic Organisation (SIO) has in its feedback on the draft education policy
recommended extension in no detention policy up to std VIII and facilitating
provision for producing educational content in regional languages for the
students' benefits.Terming the proposed policy as a "non-visionary
document", the national-level organization also observed that its draft
"has given a complete miss to the national curriculum framework network
2005". SIO recently convened a meeting involving academicians, senior
teachers and students as well. The draft of the national educational policy was
discussed and deliberated during the meet, which concluded that the draft has
some "serious shortcomings".The proposed policy has some positive
provisions also, but we feel that negatives ones should be revived in the
largest interest of the stakeholders, the SIO South Maharashtra wing has said.
Before the meet, the SIO had also conducted 19 meetings on the issue at various
cities.Highlighting some of its recommendations, the SIO said the limit of no
detention policy proposed in the draft of the national education policy should
be extended. Detention policy proposed, currently limited up to ClassV only, it
should be extended up to standard VIII. Incorporating such change would be
complimentary to enabling provisions of RTE Act, it said. Educational experts
across the globe unanimously agree that mother tongue serves as best medium of
education. Despite this universal fact, the proposed policy has failed to give
emphasis on the need of producing educational content in regional languages to
improve teaching-learning process. Social thinker Ram Ram Puniyani,
academicians Badrul Islam, MA Baseer and Najmoddin, along with Layeequrrahman
Khan, Ilyas Khan Falahi and Shaikh Naser Johri among other activists, and
experts were part of generating feedback on the policy. TOI
No Burqa in campus,
Hindutva group protest against Muslim girls, lecturer
Mangaluru: In a bizzare
protest to exert pressure on the Principal to impose ban on Muslim girl’s Hijab
inside college, about 50 boys have started coming to college with saffron
shawl. Interestingly, DrK Shivaram Karanth Government First Grade College and
Post Graduation Centre has about 492 students of which only 15 are Muslim girls
and 4 Muslim boys.When the Principal called and questioned the protest, the
anti-hijab agitators of the college, who vow loyalty to hard-line Hindutva
groups said that this was a “protest” against a college lecturer and some
Muslim girls wearing hijab.They are also motivating all Hindu male students to
wear saffron shawls but most of the them is not willing to join the saffron
agitation. “Their demand was to stop the Muslim girls wearing scarf,” sources
in the college said.College principal Chandrashekar Kantamangala in its report
to Deccan Chronicle said,“Some girls are wearing the black shawl of the uniform
on their head and few of them wear it like hijab. However, photos of saffron
clad students are going viral on Facebook and WhatsApp and has set off a debate
on social media. Some lend their support to Hindutva group agitators, while
others have criticized them.“Hijab is a religious obligation to Muslims. Muslim
girls hesitate to show any part of their body except hands and face. Demanding
ban on hijab is an act of intolerance,” commented one Sindhu on FB. “Interestingly,
only a few male students with poor academic record are raising voice against
those girls who cover their body fully. Their attitude clearly shows that they
lack manners and common sense,” said Firdous, ex-student of the college on
WhatsApp. “Their intention is to insult Muslim girls. But, they are insulting
Sita Mata and mother Mary too because, they also used to cover their body fully
unlike western women,” another Muslim girl said that some of ABVP activists
keep taunting Muslim girls in college for wearing hijab. siasat
Kerala preacher under
scanner for alleged hate speech: the hindu report
Kannur: Shamsudheen Fareed,
a preacher associated with a Salafi mosque on the outskirts of this town, has
been widely discussed in the social media over the past few days. Police
sources said his controversial speech at Karaparamba in Kozhikode, now
available on YouTube, was being examined.Fareed’s speech on YouTube is based on
a book authored by Saudi scholar Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan on cultivation of
emotional attachment among fellow Muslims and on showing aversion to
non-Muslims. When contacted, Fareed told The Hindu that his speech was
misquoted to propagate a falsehood. “It is part of my religious faith how a
Muslim should conduct his life and as such I have the right to say that Muslims
should not practice ‘shirk’ (idolatry, polytheism),” he said adding that
imposing one’s faith on others is wrong. He said that in his speech he stressed
that Muslims should show justice to non-Muslims.
Akhlaq killing unfortunate
but law and order govt’s responsibility, not public’s: UP BJP chief Maurya
In April, the BJP sprung a
surprise by picking Keshav Prasad Maurya, first-time MP from Phulpur in Allahabad,
as president of the party unit in UP, a state which is headed to polls in 2017
and where the party has high stakes. Maurya, 46, an old RSS hand, is known to
be vocal on issues such as cow protection and nationalism. With the party not declaring
a CM candidate, Maurya will have to play caste combinations carefully as he
manages the election campaign. indianexpress
Muzaffarnagar: Dalit couple
attacked for refusing to work in fields
Muzaffarnagar:A Dalit
couple was allegedly assaulted by some land owners when they refused to do
manual labour in their sugarcane fields in Pipalhera village.Raju was beaten up
by Inam Singh and 3 of his family members on Saturday when he refused to work
in their sugarcane fields. His wife Mantesh was also beaten up and misbehaved
with when she tried to rescue her husband, police said.Meanwhile, members of
Dalits community gheraoed Khatoli police station and protested over the
incident. A complaint has been filed and police is investigating the case.In
another incident, 2 Dalits Rajbir and Vipin Kumar were injured in an alleged
attack by people belonging to another caste at Sherpur village under Purkazi
police station in the district.PTI
Jamaat confers award on
environmentalist, seer
Belagavi: Social worker and
environmentalist Shivaji Kaganikar and Siddaram Swami of Naganur Rudrakshi Mutt
were honoured with Sadbhavana Award by Jamaat-e-IslamHind , which is carrying out a peace and
humanitarian campaign nationwide. The awards were conferred to both dignitaries
during a symposium on 'Peace and humanitarian values - the need of the hour'
organized by JIH at Mahatma Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday. Speaking after
receiving the award, Siddaram Swami appreciated the efforts of JIH in promoting
peace in the society. He called upon people to rise above caste, community,
religion and language to support JIH in this noble cause.Mohamaed Kunni, MD of
Shanti Prakashan,Mangaluru, said an atmosphere of fear and insecurity exists
between different communities in the country today, and JIH's efforts are
slowly bringing trust among people.TOI
WORLD
5th high-profile
Bangladesh Jamaat leader Qasim executed
Bangladesh has executed a
wealthy tycoon and top financial backer of its largest opposition party after
his family paid him a final visit. Mir Quasem Ali, a key leader of the Bangladesh
Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged on Saturday after being convicted by a
controversial war crimes tribunal for offences committed during the 1971
independence conflict with Pakistan."The execution took place at 10:35 pm,"
said Anisul Huq, law and justice minister.Ali had been imprisoned at the
Kashimpur high security jail in Gazipur.After the Supreme Court rejected his
final appeal against the penalty on Tuesday, Ali declined to seek a
presidential pardon, which would require an admission of guilt. Past
convictions and executions of high-profile Jamaat leaders have triggered
violence in Bangladesh, which is polarised along political lines.Talha Anmad, a
commentator and lawyer on Bangladeshi affairs, told Al Jazeera that Ali was
different than other Jamaat leaders. "He was celebrated philanthropist, very
successful businessman and somebody who has done tremendous amount of work to
create free media and to work with vulnerable people, especially
refugees," Anmad said. "He was one of the rare breed of Jamaat politicians
who was able to reach out to the wider society. It seems govt goes after
anybody who is capable of mounting an intellectual and practical challenge to
the them. The govt has become so authoritarian recently that they don't let any
opposition activism at all whether it is Jamaat or any other party."5
opposition leaders have been executed for war crimes since 2013. Ali was the
last prominent leader of Jamaat to face execution. war crimes tribunal set up
by the govt has divided the country,with supporters of Jamaat and the main
opposition BNP branding it a sham aimed at eliminating their leaders. His son
Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, who was part of his legal defence team, was allegedly
abducted by security forces earlier in August, which critics say was an attempt
to sow fear and prevent protests against the execution. Al Jazeera
Key Bangladesh Jamaat Islami
leader hanged: Reuters
Pakistan condemns
Bangladesh's hanging of Mir Quasem; slams flawed trial
Pakistan Saturday condemned
the “flawed” judicial process and hanging execution of Mir Quasem Ali, a top
leader of Jamaat-e-Islami of Bangladesh. “The act of suppressing the
[Bangladeshi] Opposition, through flawed trials, is completely against the
spirit of democracy”, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Ever
since the beginning of the trials [of Mir Quasem Ali], several international
organizations, human rights groups, and international legal figures have raised
objections to the court proceedings, especially regarding fairness and transparency,
as well as harassment of lawyers and witnesses representing the accused.” Govt of
Bangladesh should uphold its commitment, as per the Tripartite Agreement of
1974, wherein it "decided not to proceed with the trials as an act of
clemency," the statement added. “Recriminations for political gains are
counterproductive”. Pakistan believes that matters should be addressed with a
forward-looking approach in the spirit of reconciliation, said the statement,
also offering deepest condolences to Mir Quasem’s bereaved family members. Jamaat-e-Islami
Pakistan also condemned the execution, accusing Bangladesh’s PM Haseena Wajed
of eliminating her political rivals in the guise of justice for so-called war
crimes.Siraj ul Haq, the Pakistan group’s head, also offered condolences to
Quasem’s family, calling the hanging on the basis of false accusations a
travesty of justice. He accused the government of Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif of
not raising the issue on international forums.Adding to the criticism, Human
Rights Network, Karachi-based rights group, declared the execution of Mir “politically
motivated”.World Bulletin
Pakistan 'saddened' by Bang
Jamaat leader's execution, slams 'flawed' trial
Islam Karimov: Ex-Soviet, tyrant
who kept a stranglehold on Uzbekistan for 25 years
Moscow: Lambasted for
brutally crushing dissent, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov kept a
stranglehold on power for over 25 years — even at the expense of his own
daughter.Islam, 78, who died on Friday, several days after suffering a stroke,
played Russia, China and the West off against one other to avoid total
isolation as he steered his strategic state out of the collapse of the Soviet
Union."Karimov has been the state for over quarter of a century, ruling
with an iron fist,"Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher for Human
Rights Watch said. "Last 25 years have been known largely for repression —
that's his legacy." Karimov's authoritarian rule came under fire over
accusations of heinous rights abuses, most prominently over bloodshed in the
city of Andijan in 2005, but the most serious threats to his reign came from
far closer to home. AFP
US forces hit Islamic State
targets in Syria: US envoy
US forces hit
Islamic State targets overnight near Turkey's border with Syria using a newly
deployed mobile rocket system, a senior diplomat said on Saturday. "US
forces struck ISIL targets near Turkey's border in Syria last night via newly
deployed HIMARS system," Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for
the coalition to counter Islamic State, said on his official Twitter
account.HIMARS refers to a "High Mobility Artillery Rocket System".
It was not immediately clear when the system was deployed at Turkey's border. Reuters
China's Xi condemns FETO
coup bid ahead of G20 summit
Hangzhou, China:Chinese
President Xi Jinping condemned the July 15 defeated coup in Turkey in a meeting
with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, according to
Turkish presidential sources.Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due
to restriction on speaking to the media, said Xi also expressed his solidarity
with the Turkish government during talks ahead of the G20 summit in eastern
China.The two leaders also underlined the importance of cooperation in
combatting terrorism, with Xi expressing China’s support for Turkey in its
fight against the Fetullah Terrorist Group (FETO), which is accused of
fomenting the July 15 failed coup that left 240 people martyred and nearly
2,200 injured.Anadolu agency
China and Turkey Pledge to
Deepen Counter-Terrorism Cooperation
Putin tells Erdogan glad to
see normalization in Turkey
Hangzhou: Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Saturday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin,
who expressed gladness over the normalization process experienced in Turkey
after the July 15 coup attempt.Ahead of the G20 summit in China, the two leaders
held a two-hour closed meeting at the Shangri-La Hotel in the coastal Chinese
city of Hangzhou -- their first since ties between Moscow and Ankara entered a
new phase following an Aug. 9 meeting in St. Petersburg. Relations between the 2
countries soured last November after the downing of the Russian jet, which had
violated Turkish airspace along the Syrian border. issue seemed largely
resolved June29 through a letter and subsequent telephone calls between the
countries’ leaders.AA
‘No doubt that Gülen was
behind coup attempt,’ says former Swedish PM
Sweden’s former Prime
Minister Carl Bildt believes that there is no doubt that Fethullah Gülen and
his movement were behind the failed coup attempt in Turkey, Anadolu reported on
Friday. He made his comments during a visit to Ankara by a delegation from the
European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). “When I saw the coup attempt on
television,” said Bildt, “the first suspect that came to my mind was Gülen.”
Subsequent developments, he claimed, have revealed “clearly” that Gülen and the
organisation he leads were at the centre of the coup.Bildt and the ECFR delegation
met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and told him that the
several Turkish and international experts that he has met all have no doubt
that Gülen was responsible for the coup. “In my talks both in Turkey and with
foreign experts following Turkey, I saw that nobody has any doubt that Gülen
was at the centre of the coup attempt,” stressed the former PM. middleeastmonitor
Thousands of Jewish
settlers storm Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron
Thousands of Jewish
settlers stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron
on Friday in order to perform “Talmudic rituals” therein, Felesteen newspaper
has reported. Several other reports have been made about what is described as
the extremists’ “desecration” of the Islamic site.According to Israeli Channel
7 TV, the settlers “visited the Tomb of the Patriarch in Hebron and wandered
around its yards under heavy protection of the Israeli army.” Both Muslims and
Jews believe that Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) is buried in the mosque, which is
an ancient religious site in Hebron’s Old City. Although extremist Jews claim
that it is a “Jewish place”, prior to Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West
Bank, there was no Jewish presence in Hebron. middleeastmonitor
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