Evening NEWS DIGEST
26 Oct. 2016: 24 Muharram 1438: Vol: 8, No:20
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Uniform Civil Code: Law Commission to heads of political parties
As the debate over uniform
civil code grows intense, Law Commission is widening its consultation on the
contentious issue and has written to all national and state political parties
asking them to share their views. In the
letter addressed to heads of all national and state political parties enrolled
with the Election Commission, the law commission has asked them to submit their
views by Nov.21 and also plans to invite their representatives for interaction
on the subject. Election Commission has
recognised 7 parties at the national level and 49 at the state level. 7national
parties are BJP, Congress, BSP, NCP, CPI, CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress. The
panel has sent a questionnaire on the subject to the parties and asked them to
send their views by Nov.21. Should the practice of triple talaq be abolished
and whether a uniform civil code should be optional, the Law Commission
questionnaire had on October 7 asked the people seeking their response on these
sensitive issues, broached perhaps for first time.“Commission, after several
rounds of deliberations, has formulated a questionnaire to understand what does
the general public feel about the uniform civil code.“Since political parties
are the backbone of any successful democracy, their opinion, not only with regard
to the questionnaire, but also any other input pertaining to this aspect, is
very important,” law panel chairman Justice (Retd) BS Chauhan has written to
heads of all political parties.In an effort to have maximum consultation on the
issue, he has asked them to communicate their views on the subject. Commission
has said that it would also invite representatives of political parties at a
later date to interact with them on the controversial subject.“Your cooperation
would go a long way in assisting the commission to bring out an impeccable
report on the uniform civil code,” he said in the letters to BJP’s Amit Shah,
Congress’ Sonia Gandhi, MIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi and others. india tv news
Law Commission invites view
on uniform civil code
Uniform Civil Code not
without consensus: Naidu
New Delhi:Uniform Civil
Code (UCC) will not be brought through the back door and without a consensus,
says I&B Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who rejects the charge that contentious
issues have been raked up by BJP to polarize elections, especially in UP
.Issues like triple talaq, civil code and Ram temple will not be used by BJP
for political mileage in the upcoming elections, says the Minister who asserts
that they will be fought on development agenda. Holding that such crucial
issues should not be looked through prism of electoral benefit, the Chief
Spokesperson of the govt also rejects
opposition criticism that surgical strikes were being politicized. “Govt does not consider it (triple talaq) as a
religious matter. It is a question of gender sensitivity. It is wrong to say
that we are interfering in Muslim issues. “The same Indian Parliament, the same
political system had brought Hindu Code Bill, Divorce Act, banning Hindu
Marriage Act, banning dowry and Sati practice, all these things are done by
Indian Parliament,” Naidu told PTI in an interview.Making it clear that broad
consensus will be required for bringing Uniform Civil Code, he said the
allegations that Triple Talaq is a backdoor entry for the UCC was
unjustified.“We are not discussing about the common civil code or uniform civil
code as of now. Law Commission has issued a questionnaire and asked people to
react.“You cannot have a uniform Civil Code without a broad consensus. You have
to work and move in that direction,” he said hoping that the Supreme Court will
come out with the right decision on the issue of triple talaq. Defending the
govt ffidavit in the Supreme Court on
triple talaq issue, he said nobody then said it (Sati) was a Hindu practice
that govt was interfering in that.PTI
Uniform Civil Code will not
be brought by back door:Naidu
Talaq issue politicised:
Engineer Saleem
The past month or so has
not been easy for Muslim bodies. Every now and then questions have been asked
about the validity of triple talaq —why the method of instant, irrevocable
divorce should be allowed in India after it has been cast aside in about a
dozen Muslim countries. There have been dissenting voices from among Muslim
women, too. All India Muslim Personal Law Board has argued that the govt has no role to play in religious matters and
that divine word is immutable. Various Muslim bodies recently came on a common
platform to decry any move aimed at adopting a uniform civil code, but they did
not react on the subject of triple talaq in the same unequivocal manner. While
arguing that the best method of divorce is the one prescribed by the Quran,
they stopped short of condemning the practice altogether. Some of them conceded
feebly that it is talaq-e-biddat, or divorce with innovation not backed by
Quran or the Shariah. Amidst the din, the cool-headed and articulate
secretary-general of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Mohammed Salim Engineer, cleared the
air on the subject. While admitting that there is a section within the
community that accepts triple talaq and quotes a decision of Caliph Umar in its
favour, he stated that talaq as such should be the last option if a marriage
failed. Islam, he emphasised, encouraged believers to explore all options of
reconciliation. The process for divorce is outlined by the Quran, he added.
Expressing concern that there is a trust deficit between the community and the
govt , Engineer reiterated that a small issue had been blown out of proportion with
ulterior motives. “And the media do not present the right picture,” he added.
He spoke to Frontline on the sensitive issues of triple talaq, halala,
jurisdiction of the courts, and interpretation of the scriptures. Engineer
Saleem said, "On the subject of triple talaq, we all consider the Quranic
procedure to be the right one, but there are some people who believe that
triple talaq at one go also dissolves marriage. They do quote from the ruling
of Caliph Umar, but those were exceptions rather than the norm. Having said
that, we must not forget that triple talaq in some cases can be beneficial for
a woman if she is trapped in a bad or violence-ridden marriage. We, and most
Muslim bodies, believe that on the subject of talaq intention is paramount. If a
person says talaq many times over but does not mean to end the marriage, then
it is considered single, revocable divorce. No remarriage is necessary in such
a case. The man and the woman concerned can go back to living as husband and
wife. However, the issue has been blown out of proportion in recent times.
There is complete politicisation of the issue, and people who know nothing on
the subject are calling for a ban." frontline
If there is common criminal
law then there cannot be 2 different civil laws: RSS
New Delhi:Taking strong
exception to imposing triple talaq across the country, the RSS on Wednesday
accused the opposition of pursuing a highly reactionary form of politics and
supporting the discourse which could take India back into the medieval age.“All
the laws you have common… only for the women you want a separate law. I think
this is endorsement of fundamentalism, endorsement to the reactionary politics.
The opposition is pursuing highly reactionary politics in the country and
supporting the discourse which is taking back India to the medieval age,” RSS
ideologue Rakesh Sinha told ANI. Dubbing the demand of triple talaq as an
attack on the dignity of women, Sinha called for equality between men and
women.if there is a common criminal law then there cannot be two different
civil laws. He further said if there is a common criminal law then there cannot
be two different civil laws.ANI
Hindu outfit launches
signature campaign for Uniform Civil
Code
Tirupur:K. Gopinath, a
lawyer-activist and founder president of Hindu Munnetra Kazhagam, has launched
a signature campaign in support of Uniform Civil Code and is to move the court
to get the Code enforced at the earliest. “Uniform Civil Code is imperative for
replacing personal laws based on customs of different major religious
communities in the country and thereby, ensure equality, secularism and
protection of women’s rights”, he told The Hindu. According to him,
implementation of the Code covering marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance
and adoption will be a significant milestone, as the current laws of certain
religions have been posing “problems” to women.“Even Islamic nations are doing
away with triple talaq. In these circumstances, Uniform Civil Code gains
greater significance in India”, he said. The signatures that he is collecting
would be sent to Law Commission and the President of India.On the legal steps
planned, he said that a writ petition would be filed in an appropriate court
within the next few days to expedite the process of constitutional ratification
of the Code.Meanwhile, organisations like Popular Front of India were involved
in collection of signatures in Tirupur city and its immediate suburbs against
the proposed implementation of the Code.“We have been following Islamic
canonical laws which need to be respected”, said Muslim outfit members.the
hindu
Don’t interfere with Muslim
personal law, govt warned: Bihar Muslim leaders
Biharsharif: Muslim
spiritual leaders and scholars has opposed any interference with the Muslim
personal law over the raging triple talaq and uniform civil code issues.
Participating in a meeting at Baradari near Jama Masjid, Imams of several
mosques across the district, spiritual leaders and scholars unanimously opposed
any move to 'abolish' the prevalent triple talaq and introduce a common civil
code for all.Qazi Wasiuddin Qasmi from Imarat-e-Sharia, Patna, called for an
open debate over the issue and said it was a conspiracy hatched by the RSS and
PM Modi to deprive Muslims of their constitutionally guaranteed practices
enshrined in Muslim Personal Law.Raees Ahmad Jafri and Dr Neyaz Ahmad said the
Modi govt has done what no Muslim
organization could do in 100 years for them — brought them together on one
platform. Noted Muslim scholars, including Maulana Nuruddin Asdaq, Maulana
Kafil Ahmad Nadvi, Maulana Mehtab Alam and several others spoke at the meeting
which was attended by many.TOI
AP:20 Muslim groups join
chorus against Uniform Code
Vijayawada: Upset over
Central govt’s proposal to implement Uniform Civil Code, representatives of
various Muslim organisations on Tuesday came together and declared that they
would protect the Sharia law at any cost.At a meeting organised in the city,
members of about 20 organisations under the banner of Andhra Pradesh Ahle
Sunnatul Jamat discussed the triple talaq issue.Andhra Pradesh Ahle Sunnat
Jamat Forum convener Mufti Abdul Khadeer Rizwi and co-convener M.Altaf Raza
said the Muslim personal law had been in existence in India since 1937 and all
Muslims of India follow the Sharia law to resolve their problems. the Hindu
Online petition
"Justice for Jashodaben" Modi's estranged wife accuses PM of
hypocrisy
Mumbai: Started what it
appears to counter Narendra Modi's assertions about "triple talaq"
and "Rights of Muslim women" made during a rally in UP on Monday, an online petition accused the
PM of hypocrisy, ruining the life of his
estranged wife Jashodaben and a "young girl from Ahmedabad" and asked
him to first "practice what he preaches".The online petition titled
"Justice for Jadhodaben" by Mission Possible for Justice & Rights
has received more than 1350 - 1373 to be specific, signatures in just few hours
of its launch on Tuesday. Online petition while quoting different newspaper
reports to cite PM Modi's speech during
the rally in UP on Monday accused him of
double standard, destroying the life of Jashodaben - his estranged wife and a
"young girl from Ahmedabad" and called upon him to stop
"shedding crocodile tears and stop patronizing Muslim women".
ummid.com
Why stop at triple talaq: Women
activists want PM to do more for women
New Delhi: Narendra
Modi coming out strongly against the practice of immediate divorce or triple
talaq in some Muslim communities had women’s rights activists asking why he had
not talked of wider concerns of equality.Ranjana Kumari, a women’s rights
activist and the director of the Centre for Social Research, said, while she
welcomed Mr. Modi’s opposition to triple talaq, issues of “real equality” had
not been touched upon.“Women’s rights movement has been asking for all personal
laws to be abolished.These laws are inherently patriarchal. Whether it is
Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Jain, personal laws discriminate against women,” she
said.the hindu
Triple talaq has no
sanction in Islamic law:Prof. Tahir Mahmood
Shayara Bano case in SC:
First understand all forms of separation under Muslim personal laws
UP Congress chief Raj
Babbar attacks PM on triple talaq
Uniform Civil Code: Antony
calls for consensus
OTHERS
Najeeb was naive, incapable
of attacking anyone, says missing JNU student's roommate
New Delhi:Missing JNU
student Najeeb Ahmed was "very mild-mannered and was always
studying", says his roommate Mohd.Qasim, who denies writing a letter to
the Warden asking that Najeeb be kept out of bounds of the hostel.Qasim told
IANS that he issued another letter since, on October 18, testifying that Najeeb
was of humble character.Qasim, who is studying Arabic in the School of
Languages, is also a member of Hostel Committee of Mahi-Mandvi where Najeeb was
beaten on the intervening night of Oct.14-15 and has been missing since.Qasim
told IANS that he did not write the first letter, but "only signed
it". The letter has been doing the rounds on social media.Qasim said the
first letter, was "signed in a hurry" during the tumultuous
atmosphere following the assault on Najeeb allegedly by ABVP members."The
first letter was written by a student of the same hostel, who was Election
Committee (EC) member during last month's elections. He wrote the letter while
I was trying to assuage the crowd inside the Warden's office that night. My
only priority was the safety of Najeeb as the mob was baying for his
blood," Qasim told IANS."It was only on October 17 while going to the
Proctor's office for my deposition that I was accosted by this person, who said
'Zyada uchchlo mat, ek baar apna letter jaake padhlo' (Don't fly so high and
read the letter which you have signed). I then read the letter which has so
many incongruities and is a far cry from the truth," he said.In the new
letter, Qasim has testified Najeeb's character as filled with
humility."Despite being older than me, he would always talk to me with
respect. He had no political affiliations at all. One day he even asked me what
AISA stood for," Qasim added.Qasim
expressed dismay over the "false news" disseminated by the electronic
media on the first letter without checking its authenticity or cross checking
facts. He cast doubts on the political affiliations of the student, who he
alleges wrote the first letter, and maintains that being an EC member he ought
to have been politically neutral.IANS
The mystery of the missing
Indian student: BBC
Protest for Najeeb at Jamia
Mumbai: IIT-B students
voice solidarity with missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed
In open letter, JNU faculty
members condemn JNU administration's “callous handling” of Najeeb’s case
Akhilesh meets Governor; is
UP CM ready for no-confidence motion?
Lucknow: Amid the ongoing turmoil
in ruling Samajwadi Party, UP CM Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday met Governor Ram
Naik. CM Akhilesh Yadav met Ram Naik as a courtesy call as the Governor will
leave for Mumbai shortly, reported ANI. However speculations are on rife
whether Akhilesh Yadav led govt has
majority in UP Assembly following war
between the CM and his uncle and brother
of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal Singh Yadav.BJP, that
is leaving no stone unturned to wrest power in UP, has been targeting Akhilesh
govt since the internal fight broke out
in Samajwadi Party. BJP has indicated that it may bring no-confidence motion in
UP Assembly asking Akhilesh to prove majority. Akhilesh may have met Governor
Ram Naik to inform him about the surprising developments within Samajwadi
Party. There was no official word from Raj Bhavan on the meeting and officials
said it was a routine meeting in which the CM
extended “advance greetings” for Diwali to Governor. A report of IANS
said during the meeting Akhilesh informed the Governor of the developments
within his party. The report further added that the CM handed over a letter of support from 205
legislators of his party and briefed Ram Naik about the legislature meeting of
his party MLAs. Akhilesh Yadav’s meeting
with Governor Ram Naik is being seen as an attempt by the CM ’s camp to
pre-empt any move by his uncle Shivpal Yadav and father Mulayam Singh Yadav or
opposition parties to upstage him at any point of time in near future. The
development came a day after SP supremo made it clear that Akhilesh Yadav will
continue as the CM . india.com
SP war: One more
CM-loyalist expelled, Akhilesh meets Governor
Condition in J&K will
soon become better: Yashwant Sinha after meeting separatists
New Delhi: Senior BJP
leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who led a delegation to meet
separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Syed Geelani,
on Wednesday said that condition in Jammu & Kashmir will soon become
better. “Today I can assure you that conditions in J&K will soon become
better. We have to look forward, not backward,” said Sinha.In a bid to break
the three- month impasse in Kashmir triggered by the killing of Burhan Wani,
Sinha on Tuesday led a five-member delegation of civil society members to meet
the separatist leaders, creating ripples in political circle. The other members
of the delegation were Wajahat Habibullah, ex bureaucrat and ex-chairman of
National Commission for Minorities, Kapil Kak, former Air Vice-Marshal,
journalist Bharat Bhushan and Sushoba Barve of Centre for Dialogue and
Reconciliation. indianexpress
India slams UNSC for
‘unimplementable’ peacekeeping mandates
UN:India has strongly
criticised a “fragmented” UN Security Council for coming up with “unwieldy” and
“unimplementable” peacekeeping mandates that put the credibility of the UN and
safety and security of peacekeepers at grave risk. Speaking at a General
Assembly debate on peacekeeping operations, India’s Deputy Permanent
Representative Tanmaya Lal said, “Peacekeeping, the signature activity of the
UN, is under tremendous stress today.”“Multiplicity of tasks and Christmas-tree
mandates; a departure from well-established principles of impartiality; an
avoidance of the primacy of politics; a focus on mere ‘band aid’ solutions
through peacekeeping, and a near absolute lack of effective consultations
amongst the Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs), Security Council and the
Secretariat are all part of the existential and philosophical dilemma facing
the peacekeeping today,” Lal said.PTI
India ranked at lowly 87 in
gender gap index
Geneva/new Delhi;India was
Wednesday ranked low at 87th place globally in terms of gender equality despite
a jump of 21 places from last year largely due to progress on the education
front while Iceland has topped the chart. India was ranked 108th on the annual
Global Gender Gap index compiled by Geneva-based World Economic Forum. India
has closed its gender gap by 2 % in a year and its gap now stands at 68 %
across the four pillars that WEF measures — economy, education, health and
political representation.PTI
MLA Amanatullah in fresh
trouble as Delhi Police register FIR on assault charges
New Delhi:In a fresh
trouble for Amanatullah Khan, Delhi Police on Wednesday registered an FIR
against the controversial AAP MLA and his supporters for allegedly threatening
a group of protesters who were staging a demonstration over civic problems in
his constituency, news agency ANI reported.In the FIR registered at Jamia Nagar
police station, the complainant accused the AAP MLA and his supporters of
attacking him on the intervening night of October 16-17th. Jamia Nagar police
have registered a non-cognizable report (NCR) against the legislator. indianexpress
Delhi HC stays Look out
Circular against Moin Qureshi
New Delhi:Delhi High Court
on Tuesday stayed till Nov. 16 the Lookout Circular issued against
controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi and asked him to appear before the
Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money laundering case lodged
against him. Justice A K Pathak, however, refused to grant any interim
protection from arrest and taking coercive action against Qureshi while asking
him to appear before ED on November 22. He had recently managed to go abroad
despite an LoC issued against him by the agency.PTI
Gujarat: Gulberg Society
convict gets 10-day bail
Ahmedabad: Gujarat High
Court on Tuesday granted 10-day interim bail to Jayesh Madanlal Jinger alias
Babbar. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the special court earlier this
year in the Gulberg Society massacre case. The court granted him relief on
health grounds. Jinger is said to be suffering from tuberculosis and being
treated at civil hospital in Ahmedabad. The court, however, rejected pleas of
four other convicts.On Monday, it rejected the petition of former VHP leader
Atul Vaidya, who wanted to extend this interim bail on the ground of his wife’s
treatment. The state govt had opposed
the petition, saying that out of 99 days since he was convicted, Vaidya was out
on temporary bail for 59 days. indianexpress
Jihadi communal violence
forcing Hindus to flee from certain states, claims RSS leader Bhaiyyaji: india
today
Hyderabad: 3 day Akhil
Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal of RSS came to an end today, with the special focus
being on the jihadi communal violence unleashed on Hindus that forced them to
flee not only in UP but in other states
like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Karnataka.Detailing about the brutal violence
unleashed in the states, Bhayyaji Joshi said,"These are not isolated
localized incidents but appear to be part of a nexus among the radicalized
elements in the southern states whose linkages are seen with international
terrorist organization like IS, as evident from recent arrest in Kerala and
Telangana."
NCM says 'no evidence' of
large-scale migration of any community from Kairana
New Delhi: In a report
based on a field visit last week, the National Commission for Minorities on
Tuesday affirmed that there is "no evidence" of large-scale migration
of communities from Kairana town in Shamli district of UP . It said that there
is "no unusual" tension among local Muslims and Hindus here.Citing
that rehabilitation of displaced communities was unsatisfactory, NCM has
recommended that the UP govt must carry
out a detailed survey of those displaced due to the communal violence of 2013
in Muzaffarnagar to assess their present status and living conditions. timesofindia
Indian security forces went
on a village-burning rampage, investigation finds: Washington Post
It may be a forgotten
atrocity in a forgotten war, but now, 5½ years later, the burning of the
village of Tarmetla, in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, by Indian security
forces is finally getting some of the recognition it deserves. The state police
had held on to their claim that guerrilla fighters had burned the village,
killing people and sexually assaulting women as they went. But a long-delayed
inquiry by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation found that the police had
done it themselves and, in a rare if not unprecedented move, named and charged
specific police personnel.In March 2011, the residents of Tarmetla, as well as
of the nearby villages of Morpalli and Timapuram, were chased from their homes
by heavily armed police and paramilitary soldiers who believed militants were
being harbored there.Heavily forested, remote region of India where the
incident occurred is home to a decades-old Maoist-inspired insurgency that has
taken root primarily among indigenous tribal populations known as
adivasis.According to CBI report, more than 400 soldiers belonging to Indian
paramilitary units in addition to local militias co-opted by the Indian state
to fight the guerrilla groups descended upon Tarmetla in the early morning. They
burned hundreds of abandoned homes and granaries. washingtonpost
Security forces burnt 160
homes in Chhattisgarh village in March 2011: CBI
No satisfactory material
found to declare Sanatan Sanstha a ‘terror outfit’: Centre to Bombay HC
Mumbai:Central govt on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court
that till date it has not found any satisfactory material to declare right wing
organisation Sanatan Sanstha as a “terror outfit” under UAPAand ban it. A
division bench of Justices NH Patil and P D Naik was hearing a petition filed
by one Vijay Rokade seeking a ban on the organisation, members of which are
alleged to have carried out terror activities in Panvel and Thane.PTI
2 Muslim men held for
inciting communal tension in MP's Dhar
Mhow: 2 accused were on
Tuesday arrested in connection with the clash between two communities in
Gandhwani town of Dhar district, police said.Dhar SP Rajesh Hingankar said that
acting on a tip off police have arrested the two accused Hammu alias Amjad Shah
and Golu Pathan while they were on the way to Ratlam.They were on the run for
past many days and search for another accused Aslam is on. Police have also
announced a reward of Rs 5,000 each on them to know about their
whereabouts.Police said, while investigating they came to know that Amjad Shah
participated in one of the akharas during Muharram procession and he was the
one who instigated the violence when the akhara and Durga procession passed on
the same time. timesofindia
No beard for Muslims in
Kerala police force
Muslim members of Kerala
Police would not have the freedom to sport a beard, the state govt made it unambiguously clear in the Assembly
on Tuesday.And despite the best efforts by TV Ibrahim, MLA, to impress upon the
govt to allow the Islamic personnel in
the state police to sport a beard, Minority Affairs Minister K T Jaleel was adamant that the demand was
not worth heeding.According to Jaleel, growing facial hair was in no way linked
to Islam. He sought to substantiate the claim by pointing out that none of the
18 IUML MLAs in the state Assembly, including T V Ibrahim sported beards.“If
growing beard had anything to do with religion, wouldn’t the IUML members have
sported beards?” he said.At this juncture, as if to place it on the record,
IUML Leader P K Kunhalikutty said it would be unfair on his part if he did not
say that there were several people, who linked sporting beard to their
religious faith. Nonetheless, he said whether or not to grow facial hair was
purely a matter of personal choice. newindianexpress
Tired of Persecution By
‘Gau Rakshaks’, Rajasthan’s Banjaras Are Raising Their Voice
More than 30 youths from
Kerala attended IS training camps in Afghanistan: NIA
New Delhi: NIA probe on the 21 missing persons from Kerala
has unearthed that more than 30 youths from the state had attended IS training
camps in Afghanistan and many had returned to the state to run the sleeper
cells.The investigations also revealed that many educated Muslim youths from
the state who were working in Gulf countries had strong links with IS terror
networks and were in close contact with the prophets of terror. And some of NRI
businessmen from Kerala funded their activities."The image of secular
Kerala is a vanity. The state has been a breeding ground of terror networks.
Many organisations and religious outfits were facilitating their
activities," a senior police official told India Today."It's not
limited to radical Muslim outfits. Even the so called religious groups which
claim secular credentials promoted the prophets of terror," the officials
added.india today
World
US-led coalition killed 300
civilians in just 11 air strikes in Mosul, Amnesty International report finds
At least 300 civilians have
been killed in just 11 air strikes by the US-led coalition, a report has found
amid concern for families trapped in Isis’ stronghold of Mosul.Amnesty
International urged the Pentagon and its allies to “come clean” about the full
extent of deaths in operations against the so-called Islamic State, with
official inquiries so far acknowledging only dozens of casualties. Assessing reports
from the ground, eyewitness interviews, satellite imagery,photos and video
footage, investigators said US Central Command (Centcom) may have “failed to
take necessary precautions to spare civilians and carried out unlawful attacks”
in Syria. The 11 coalition attacks
reviewed by Amnesty include strikes during operations to drive Isis out of
Manbij over the summer, when more than 100 civilians, including children, where
reportedly killed in villages of al-Tukhar, al-Hadhadh and al-Ghandoura in
their homes and at a market.Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at
Amnesty International’s Beirut office, said: “It’s high time the US authorities
came clean about the full extent of the civilian damage caused by coalition
attacks in Syria.“We fear US-led coalition is significantly underestimating the
harm caused to civilians in its operations in Syria.“Analysis of available
evidence suggests that in each of these cases, coalition forces failed to take
adequate precautions to minimise harm to civilians and damage to civilian
objects. “Some of these attacks may constitute disproportionate or otherwise
indiscriminate attacks.”She echoed concern raised by the UN and other groups
for more than 1 million civilians trapped in the Iraqi city of Mosul, Isis’
largest remaining stronghold in the country, as it is targeted by an
international ground and air advance.“It is even more pressing that Centcom be
fully transparent about the impact of their military actions on civilians,” Ms
Maalouf added.The Independent UK
US-led coalition killed 300
Syrian civilians in 11 probed strikes : Amnesty
UN concerned about
'collective punishment' of Arabs in Kirkuk: reuters
Iraqi soldiers abuse
children near Mosul
Aleppo: Russia under fire
at Human Rights Council
Russia's seat on UN Human
Rights Council is under threat due to its support of the Syrian govt 's air
campaign in Aleppo.Over 80 human rights and aid organisations, including Human
Rights Watch, CARE International and Refugees International, have urged UN
member states to drop Russia from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council over
its campaign in Syria.In a joint statement published, the organisations urged
UN member states to "question seriously whether Russia's role in Syria -
which includes supporting and undertaking military actions which have routinely
targeted civilians and civilian objects - renders it fit to serve on the UN's
premier inter-govt al human rights institution".aljazeera
Syria monitor: School
children among 22 dead in Idlib strikes
Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights said airstrikes killed at least 22 people in a village in Syria’s
opposition-held Idlib province today, seven of them children.Observatory, a
British-based war monitor, said warplanes struck several locations in the Haas
village, including an elementary and middle school, killing at least one
teacher as well as the children.A report on Syrian state TV quoted a military
source as saying a number of militants had been killed when their positions
were targeted in Haas, but did not mention a school.Syria’s civil war pits
President Bashar Al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Shia Muslim militias from
Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan against an array of mostly Sunni rebel groups
including some backed by Turkey, Gulf monarchies and the US. Middle east monitor
Assad forces suspected of
dropping barrel bombs on Turkey-backed opposition
UNESCO passes new resolution
on Jerusalem; Palestinians laud it
Ramallah:UNESCO voted on
Wednesday on a resolution reaffirming the status quo at Al Aqsa Mosque compound
as a Muslim holy site of worship.Palestinians applauded the UNESCO vote and
called on Israel to respect the status quo of the mosque compound and stop
provocative acts against it.The resolution, proposed by Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia,
used the Muslim term “Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif” to refer to the
compound located in Jerusalem’s Old City, a step that angered Israel which
wanted to include the Jewish term “Temple Mount” to it.The resolution also
deplored Israeli measures and policies in Jerusalem and particularly at the
mosque which jeopardized the right of Muslims to worship at their mosque.The
resolution further reaffirmed the necessity to respect and safeguard the
integrity, authenticity and cultural heritage of Al-Aqsa Mosque /Al-Haram
Al-Sharif, as reflected in the Status Quo, as a Muslim Holy Site of worship and
as an integral part of a World Cultural Heritage site.Ten member states
supported the resolution, while only two opposed it and eight countries
abstained. One member state representative was absent.The resolution said that
“safeguarding of the authenticity, integrity and cultural heritage of the Old
City of Jerusalem on both sides of its Walls, shall in any way affect the
relevant United Nations resolutions and decisions, in particular the relevant
Security Council resolutions on the legal status of Jerusalem.”WAFA
Unesco adopts controversial
resolution on Jerusalem holy sites: The Gaurdian
Despite defeat, Netanyahu
hails progress for Israel at UNESCO: Times of Israel
3,000 Jews storm Al-Aqsa in
October
Bangladesh police kill 2
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami men
Bangladeshi police have
shot dead two members of the country's Jamaat-e-Islami Party in gunfights amid
growing concern of extrajudicial killings by security forces across the Asian
country. Azbahar Ali Sheikh, a senior police officer, confirmed that a Jamaat
leader from the western district of Jhenaidah and a leader of its student wing
were killed during a raid early Tuesday."They fired from pistols and threw
3 (Molotov) cocktails at policemen when they challenged them at 3:45 am. We
fired back and two people were hit. Later we learnt their identities," media
outlets quoted Ali Sheikh as saying.A senior Jamaat official has vehemently
denied that the two party figures were killed in gun battles, saying both had
been picked up by plainclothesmen early last month."It is cooked up (by
police)," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that
another Jamaat member had also been killed in "fake gunfights."Nur
Khan Liton, a top human rights activist, called for a judicial probe into the
latest killings, saying, "We've serious questions about these deaths. We
think these are extrajudicial killings." He added that local newspapers
had earlier reported the two figures missing.press tv
Indonesia’s top court
weighs ban on sex outside marriage: Washington Post
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:25 PM)
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