Evening NEWS
DIGEST
09
May 2017: 12 Shaban 1438: Vol: 8, No:186
INDIA:Muslim
Personal Law
Basic rights of women cannot be violated in the name of personal law; marriages
are contracts, can’t be ended by husband alone: Allahabad HC observation on
triple talaq
New Delhi:Amid the raging debate over triple talaq in the country, the
Allahabad High Court on Tuesday observed that basic human rights of women
cannot be violated in the name of personal law, according to ANI. In its
judgment, the High Court termed triple talaq as violation of the right of
equality and that Muslim men cannot give divorce in this way, it is against the
right of equality. Personal law can only be implemented under the Constitution,
the court said. “No fatwa can be contrary to someone’s rights,” the court said
according to ANI. The court also said the practice of triple talaq among
Muslims is “unsustainable” and “bad in law because Muslim marriages are
contracts that cannot be unilaterally rescinded by the husband”, according to a
HT report.The observation of the court came while hearing a petition filed by a
man whose wife filed a criminal case against him for allegedly torturing her
for dowry and then divorcing her in this manner when she refused to give in to
the demand for dowry. The hearing in the case was held on April 19; the details
of the judgment were made public today. The judgment saw the court dismissing
the man’s plea to scrap criminal
proceedings against him. indianexpress
Manner of divorce questions ‘equality’, says Allahabad HC on Triple
Talaq
The practice of triple talaq puts a question mark on equal rights,
observes Allahabad High Court
Muslim marriages are contracts, can’t be ended by husband alone:
Allahabad HC
Triple talaq unconstitutional and violates basic rights of Muslim women,
says Allahabad High Court
HC is right. A Muslim man does not enjoy arbitrary power to impose
triple talaq, says Vijaya Singh, SC advocate
Clerics question right of govt to
make changes in sharia laws: Jamaat concluding meet on Muslim Law campaign
New Delhi: This was the question clerics participating in the concluding
meeting of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind's nationwide Muslim personal law awareness
campaign raised yesterday, according to a statement issued by the
organisation.When Prophet Muhammad himself did not have the right to make
changes to the divine shariat, how come Muslims allow any Govt or court to do
so? This was the question clerics participating in the concluding meeting of
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind's nationwide Muslim personal law awareness campaign raised
yesterday, according to a statement issued by the organisation. "India's
top Muslim clerics have unequivocally asserted that shariat (personal laws) is
divine and hence, no Govt or court has
the right to make any changes in it," the statement reads. The clerics
observed that Muslim disputes over family matters are reaching courts because
of "ignorance or deliberate" misuse of shariat provisions and so the
personal laws cannot be held responsible for it."Instead, there is a
strong need to educate Muslim masses about shariat to impress upon them to
follow it honestly and to open counselling centres and shariat panchayats to
resolve any dispute over family matters," the statement added. JIH's president
Syed Jalaluddin Umari, All India Muslim Personal Law Board secretaries Khalid
Saifullah Rahmani and Maulana Fazlurrehman Mujaddidi and Islamic scholar
Zafarul Islam Khan and others took part in the meeting.Mujaddidi said the
recent "hue and cry" over the practices of 'triple talaq' and
polygamy were "part of a global conspiracy" to target social and
family system of Islam, the statement said.The meeting was culmination of JIH's
awareness campaign held between April 23 and May 7. PTI /DNA
No govt or court has right to change Shariat, say top Indian Muslim
clerics: Rising Kashmir
Muslims question right of govt to make changes in sharia laws: India Today/ PTI
Govt, Court have no right to make changes in Shariat, say: Muslim
clerics: theindianawaaz
No govt or court has right to effect changes in Shariat:The Milli
Gazette Online
Govt will not interfere in our lives, if we remain firm on Shariah, says
AIMPLB : Twocircles
Triple talaq is a sin, says Jamaat-e-Islami Hind at meet
Nagpur: The issue of triple talaq is being politicized in India which is
unwarranted. Islam considers triple talaq to be a sin and provides better
alternatives like Talaq-ul-Ahsan (single utterance) which is the most approved,
natural and flexible method and has a scope for reconciliation, said Mohd
Saleem, general secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Delhi. Saleem was
speaking at a public meeting organized by JIH to mark the conclusion of a
fortnight-long nationwide awareness campaign on Muslim personal law in Jafar
Nagar, on Sunday. Shariat is a way of life and cannot be rewritten in the name
of social reforms, he said. "Some people assume Muslim personal law to be
different from Shariat whereas the former is a part of the latter, exclusively
dealing with personal issues like marriage, divorce and inheritance," he
said.People amended their religious rules over a period of time as they were
man-made and required corrections. But Shariat is flawless and applicable to
all eras as it is bestowed by the Almighty himself. People who portray
Shariat's image as a weapon to exploit women are far from quranic literacy and
need to be educated, Saleem added.Explaining the subtle method, Mufti Sabir,
Ahbab Colony's Imam, said if marital dispute is not resolved after the intervention
of elders from both parties, the husband can utter talaq once and wait for a
grace period of three months. Man and wife have a chance to reconcile within
this period, post which they need to marry again for staying together. They can
reunite anytime in life, he added.Abdul Wahab Parekh, member of All India
Muslim Personal Law Board said pronouncing triple talaq in one sitting ruptures
the relationship with no scope for reconciliation. He exhorted people to not
resort to this 'evil practice'. Of all the rules that an Indian Muslim follows,
95% are constitutional and merely 5% are personal laws, said Parekh.Convener of
the campaign Azhar Warsi said in India the ratio of divorce is the least among
the Muslims even when the process is verbal. timesofindia
Give time to SC, Muslim Board, clerics to arrive at a consensus over
triple talaq issue: Maulana Arshad Madani
Varanasi:Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani said on
Monday that the Supreme Court, Muslim Personal Law Board and clerics should be
given sufficient time to arrive at a consensus on the issue of triple
talaq.Speaking to the press at Nadesar, Madani also condemned a section of
media for giving hype to the issue and also "the people debating the issue
on TV channels by posing as Muslim scholars".He said Islam does not
sanction triple talaq in one sitting. By meeting Muslim families, one can find
that triple talaq is not such a big issue as it is being projected, especially
on some news channels. More shocking is to see that anyone sporting a long
beard and a skull cap is being presented on TV channels as a Muslim scholar. In
reality, they do not have sufficient knowledge of Islam. This section of media
paints a picture that all women are suffering due to triple talaq.Instead, he
said, people should be patient and allow the SC, Muslim Personal Law Board and
clerics to find out an amicable solution. Madani termed the action of CM Aditya Nath Yogi and his Govt on illegally operating slaughterhouses as
correct. Shariat also not allow illegal practices, he said. "If your work
hurts anyone or any section of society it should be stopped," said the
cleric adding, "people associated with this work should opt for some other
work to earn livelihood if they are in crisis." He said that the Yogi Govt
should be given 4-5 months more before
assessing its performance. He said the Govt 's slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka
Vikas' would prove correct only when the motive of communal elements to spread
disharmony failed.
Madani lashed out at Triple Talaq propaganda: TCN
Darul Uloom says yes for nikah through video calling
Meerut: Shamli’s 370 years old Jama Masjid on Monday witnessed a wedding
through video calling.Clerics of the city mosque had to take permission from
Darul Uloom, Deoband to perform the nikah.25-year-old Abid Ahmad Qureshi’s
marriage was fixed with Nahid Anjum of Shamli. The nikah was to be performed on
Monday.However, Qureshi, who works in Saudi Arabia, could not make it to the
city as his travel documents were not complete.“We were disappointed and unsure
about the fate of the marriage. Invitation cards had been distributed and all
arrangements were in place. We could not have postponed the wedding at this
hour,” said Ilahi Qureshi, the father of the bride.Eventually, both the
families sought the intervention of Imam of Jama Masjid, who in turn took the
matter to Darul Uloom, Deoband.“We made an online request to Darul Uloom and it
solved our problem. It said that though the nikah is not done this way, but at
the same time, problem is genuine and Islam is a flexible religion. So we
decided to perform the nikah through video calling with ‘qazis’ sitting on both
the sides,” said Imam Maulana Shaukeen.TOI
OTHERS
India’s ties with Israel should not be at cost of Palestinian, says
Mahmoud Abbas aid ahead of his India visit
Ramallah: India has the right to build relations with Israel but it
should not come at the "expense" of New Delhis firm support for the
Palestinian cause, a close aide of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said
today.Ahead of Abbas visit to India next week, Dr Majdi Khaldi, a senior
Palestinian official, described Indias relations with Palestine as
"historic" and "steady" and asserted that the Palestinians
want to strengthen their ties with India and seek support for their
"struggle"."India has the right to have relations with Israel
and any other country but what we care about is that it should not be at the
expense of its relations with Palestine and its principled stand supporting the
Palestinian cause that we should have our state within the 1967 borders with
east Jerusalem as its capital," Khaldi, a senior diplomatic adviser of
Abbas, told PTI in an interview.Responding to a question about PM Narendra Modi only visiting Israel later this
year, skipping Palestine, Khaldi said, "it is his decision"."It
is up to the Indian PM to decide when
and where to visit. It is his decision. President (Abbas) was invited by the PM
(Modi) to visit India which he is
doing," the aide to the Palestinian president said.Several MoUs will be
signed between India and Palestine during Abbas visit to New Delhi from May 14
to 17 with special emphasis on cooperation in the fields of health,
agriculture, sports and youth affairs, the official said."We are looking
forward to the exchange between our president and the Indian president and also
with PM Modi. The president met PM Modi in New York and Paris. This is an
important visit which will help relations to flourish in many areas and also
renew relations in several others", the senior diplomatic advisor
said."We are interested in strengthening our relations with India and to
continue getting its political support for our cause and this is the most
important thing for us, irrespective of Indias relations with Israel. The most
important thing is that it should not be at the expense of our relations, the
good relations between India and Palestine," he asserted. Abbas will be
visiting India following his recent meetings in Cairo, Amman and with US
President Donald Trump in Washington. He is likely to meet Russian President
Vladimir Putin in Moscow from where he would fly out to New Delhi.PTI
‘India can play great role in peace efforts’
Ahead of Modi's visit, Israel invites Congress leaders too
New Delhi: Ahead of PM Narendra
Modi’s visit to Israel in July, Tel Aviv is trying to achieve a political
consensus on Indo-Israeli ties by inviting Congress leader Manish Tewari for
three days beginning Monday to attend conferences on security issues. The meet
will also be attended by Shaurya Doval, director of India Foundation. The
delegation, which also includes Jaiveer Shergill, a Congress functionary from
Punjab, has been invited by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)
in Tel Aviv, NSA Administration and Centre for Global Security Research. The
members of the Indian delegation will speak on security and economic issues
facing South Asia and West Asian region. The delegation also comprises
individuals who have expertise on security issues. economictimes
Israel wants India to adopt its innovative technologies
25 yrs of Indo-Israeli diplomatic relations:TOI
Delhi Assembly passes resolution for use of paper ballots, VVPAT after AAP
demonstrates how EVMs can be ‘manipulated’
AAP on Tuesday staged in the Delhi Assembly a “live demonstration of EVM
manipulation.” AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that anyone knowing a “secret
code” can tamper with the EVMs and the code can be fed into a machine while
casting vote. Election Commission of India has time and again rubbished
allegations that EVMs can be programmed to favour any particular party. Before
Bhardwaj’s “demonstration”, Kejriwal tweeted, “Saurabh Bhardwaj will reveal the
truth behind a big conspiracy in the country. Satyameva Jayate”. Bhardwaj, who
represents the Greater Kailash constituency, claimed that in his capacity as an
engineer, he had extensively worked in this area and was aware of how the
machines can be fiddled with.Earlier in the day, sacked Minister Kapil Mishra
has knocked the CBI doors to file bribery complaints against Kejriwal and his Cabinet
colleagues.Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia attacks the BJP, saying, “You
[the BJP] didn't win U.P. polls or in Delhi. This [EVM] did. “Saurabh Bhardwaj
deserves a standing ovation for his demonstration.” The hindu
AAP accepts Election Commission’s challenge to ‘rig an actual EVM at
hackathon, instead of a dummy’
New Delhi: Following the EVMs hack demonstration by AAP, the Election Commission
refuted all claims of the party saying that the machine used in the
demonstration was a mere replica and not the actual EVM used in polls. After
dismissing the AAP’s demonstration, Election Commission of India challenged
them to rig the EVMs at the hackathon in a few weeks. As per latest reports,
AAP has accepted the challenge and said they will prove their claims at the
hackathon as well.Election Commission also stated that since a prototype was
used in the demonstration at today’s special Delhi assembly session, they said
anyone can assemble such a sample machine. The Election Commission emphasised
the fact that the machine which was used was just a ‘look-alike’ and not the
actual machine which is used in polls. They also seemed quite confident when
they challenged the AAP and other hackers at the special open challenge to
tamper with EVM session which they have scheduled for this month. With this the
Election Commission kept their stand and said that the EVMs used in the polls
are tamper proof.
EVM tampering: This is how AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed any
candidate can be made to win
Live updates: AAP demonstrates how EVMs can be ‘manipulated’ in Delhi
Assembly
After EC questions Delhi Assembly EVM hacking demo, AAP dares: Give us a
real machine
'My Brother-in-law is No More', Tweets Kejriwal's Wife After Mishra’s
Allegations
New Delhi: Delhi CM ’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, on Monday, slammed expelled
water minister Kapil Mishra and accused him of reading out a “written
script”.The news came as a surprise to many, who until Sunday had no idea about
Surender Kumar Bansal’s whereabouts.Sources told News18 that Bansal died on
Sunday at a private hospital in Gurgaon. According to reports, Bansal’s sugar
level had shot up to fatal levels.Earlier today, in keeping up with his salvos
against Kejriwal, expelled Delhi minister alleged that the CM had helped his brother-in-law
“settle” a land deal worth crores of rupees.“Satyendar Jain told me, in a
private conversation, that he had settled a land deal worth Rs 50 crore for
Kejriwal’s brother-in-law Surender Kumar Bansal,” Mishra alleged.This brought
the spotlight back on Bansal, who in January was under the radar for alleged
irregularities in dealing with the construction of a drain on GT Karnal
Road.News18.com
'Clashes involving Dalits new flashpoint in Western UP?'
Meerut: In the past fifteen days, Saharanpur has witnessed two major
clashes involving Dalits. When clashes broke out between a group of Hindus and
Muslims on April 20 in Sadak Dudhali village over an Ambedkar Jayanti
procession – which was curiously taken out a week after BR Ambedkar’s birth
anniversary on April 14 and with no participation from the local Dalit
population, Dalits from the village claimed that it was “engineered” and the
“BJP wanted to misuse Ambedkar’s name to organise a riot.” Dalits claimed that
they too had been targeted. The incident between Dalits and Thakurs on Friday
also started when Dalits objected to a Maharana Pratap Jayanti procession being
taken out with loud DJ. In the ensuing clashes, one person was killed, 16
others injured while seven Dalit houses were torched in Shabbirpur village. The
village continues to be tense and has been turned into a virtual fortress by
the police. Dalit scholars say that clashes between Dalits and upper castes
could be the new flashpoint of violence in Western UP as upper castes grow
increasingly emboldened and interpret the pro-BJP mandate in UP, as an
anti-Dalit and anti-Muslim mandate.Dalit thinker and writer Chandra Bhan Prasad
said, “BJP’s victory in UP assembly elections is being seen by their supporters
as not just an anti-Muslim mandate but also an anti-Dalit mandate. BSP managed
to maintain a vote share of 22.3%, which means that the Dalits stayed with the
BSP, despite the BJP’s many assertions to the contrary. The fact that Dalits
stayed with the BSP has irked the BJP supporters. That is the core reason
behind these incidents. As upper caste assertion and aggressiveness is growing,
these kinds of incidents are bound to rise. And as some Dalits are economically
sufficient, especially in the Saharanpur region, there is bound to be a
reaction.”Badri Narayan, professor of social history and cultural anthropology
at GB Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad, said, “There is a delicate
social balance which exists in our society and it has to be managed very
carefully and tactfully. Unfortunately, what happens is that the followers of
the political party which is in charge, get aggressive and tend to do things
which disturb the social balance. And this happens with every political party.
All political parties need to ensure that a clear message is sent out from the
top to their cadres that all persons belonging to any religion or caste must be
treated equally. That is what all political parties must do, and the Govt also must do. That doesn’t happen as much as
it should.”Many Dalit youths from the Sadak Dudhali village where the April 20
violence occurred have claimed that the local BJP leaders wanted to pit Dalits
against Muslims for their political gain. timesofindia
Modi is best PM, caste, untouchability result of Arab, Mughal invasions:
New ICSSR chief
New Delhi: Narendra Modi is the best PM and the worst victim of intolerance; caste in
its present form and untouchability are a result of Arab, Turk and Mughal
invasions; Macaulayism and the dominance of Marxists led to India’s
intellectual decline; and, the Opposition’s support to JNU students hurt
nationalistic sentiments. These are the views of BB Kumar,newly-appointed
chairman of the Indian Council Of Social Science Research (ICSSR), which were
published in the form of signed editorials in Dialogue, an English quarterly
journal he edits, over the last 2 years.
Kumar, an anthropologist by training, was appointed on May 2 by the HRD
Ministry as the head of ICSSR, the apex body for promoting research in social
sciences. He joined office on May 5.76-year-old was shortlisted by a panel with
Ashok Modak, National Research Professor and former BJP MLC from Maharashtra,
and historian Satish Mittal, president of the RSS-backed Akhil Bharathiya
Itihaas Sankalan Yojana, as members.In an editorial published in the Jan-March
issue of 2016, Kumar wrote:“Aggressive anti-Hindu agenda of conversion of the
Muslim rulers, their capture and sale of Hindus as slaves, etc., led lakhs of
Hindus to run away to the forests for saving themselves; many started taking
pig’s flesh to avoid becoming Muslims; they, eventually, become Scheduled
Tribes and Scheduled Castes… A point, needing emphasis, is that caste in the
present form, untouchability and intra-Hindu societal exploitation are entirely
non-Hindu factors. Dominant JNU type scholarship in the field of Social
Sciences has neither the tendency nor the will and understanding to put the
discourse in proper perspective.”The Indian Express
Kerala mosque opens door for NEET aspirants, waiting parents
New Delhi: CBSE NEET 2017 exam concluded on May 7 and along with it the
accounts of harrowing experience students had to go through began surfacing
online. Amidst all the stories of humiliation, injustice and paper leak
allegation stories, a story of human compassion has emerged from Aluva, Kerala.
In an heartwarming incident of kindness parents of wards who had gone inside
the centre to give exam were given space to rest, provided with food items and
water till their children finished the exam. On Sunday morning, when Muhammad
Navas, Secretary of Vadi Huda Trust and his friends came out of the Mosque
after offering the morning prayer, they saw a huge crowd along with vehicles in
front of the mosque. After enquiring to some families who were present there,
the people from the trust, which operates the Mosque opposite the Sivagiri
School, got to know that the people came there from distant places to write the
NEET exam.
Education scenario in Goa degrading: SIO
Panaji: Blaming the selective implementation of RTE for the failure of
the no detention policy, president of the student Islamic organisation (SIO)
Nahas Mala said that the failure has increased the dropout rate across the
country. Speaking to media persons about the importance of RTE, Mala discarded
the premise that children are not studying as they are not afraid of failing
grades."The reason behind the inclusion of 'no detention policy' in RTE
was to reduce the number of dropout students. Students from the marginalized
community never came back to school when they were detained in the same class.
To overcome the situation, this policy was envisaged, targeting the backward
communities," Mala said, adding that contrary to the plans, the dropout rate
has increased due to poor implementation.Mala supported his claims by stating
that the failure rate at class nine in Goa stood at 34%. timesofindia
Madhu Kishwar named to JNU council as School of Arts expert, Dean
objects: indian express
New Delhi: JNU V-C M Jagadesh Kumar has nominated scholar-activist Madhu
Kishwar to the university’s Academic Council (AC) to represent the School of
Arts & Aesthetics (SAA) as an outside expert for 2 years.As an AC member,
Kishwar will have the power to decide on matters related to JNU’s academic
policies.When contacted, SAA Dean Bishnupriya Dutt said: “We were given a
letter asking us to suggest names of experts pertaining to the discipline. We
sent 6 names of people who are prominent in the field of arts. Her (Kishwar’s)
name wasn’t part of the list because she has nothing to do with the study of
the arts.”“We are very confused and bewildered why these names were rejected
and somebody who has no connection with our discipline was selected. It has
never happened before in 17 years of this school’s existence. Until date, one
of the names — and usually the first name on the list — is the one that has
been selected by V-C.” Dutt said.
Assam: SC defers hearing on citizenship issue
New Delhi: The hearing of the petitions challenging Section 6A of the Citizenship
Act has been deferred by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court and it is
likely to be held after vacation as some of the petitioners have sought time to
file additional affidavits. Constitution Bench comprising Justice Madan B
Lokur, Justice RK Agarwal, Justice Prafulla C Pant, Justice DY Chandrachud and
Justice Ashok Bhushan today heard the counsels representing the petitioners
before deciding to defer it for the time being. The Central Govt ’s counsel
also pleaded that they needed time to make submissions.The matter would now be
referred to Chief Justice of India, Justice JS Khehar, who will fix a fresh
schedule. Bench is also likely to be reconstituted as Justice Prafulla CPant is
scheduled to retire.The petitioners included Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam
Minority Students Union, Asom Sanmilita Mahasangha, Assam Public Works, Asam
Sahitya Sabha, Joint Action Committee for Bengali Refugees, Dipak Kumar Nath,
Purbottar Hindustani Sammelan, Sadou Asom Ahom Sanstha, Pranab Kumar Mazumdar
and Swajan among others. Meanwhile, All Assam Students Union adviser Samujjal
Bhattacharya said that they are defending the Assam Accord with its cut-off
date of March 25, 1971. assamtribune
SC lauds efforts of Haji Ali in removing encroachments
New Delhi:Supreme Court asked Mumbai's Haji Ali Dargah Trust to remove
encroachments in a 500 square metre area in the historic shrine within four
weeks, while lauding its efforts in this regard so far.The apex court said if
the encroachers failed to comply with the order to remove the encroachments by
June 6, then the JTF set up by the Bombay High Court will come into picture and
begin the work of removing them from June 10 and complete the task by June
30.PTI
No action against a single BJP leader despite multiple reports by
minority commission since 2014
New Delhi:Ever since Modi Govt has taken over Delhi, the National Commission
for Minorities (NCM) at various intervals from 2014 have raised serious doubts
and concerns over the statements of various BJP leaders including their MPs and
MLAs.A team of NCM officials visited Saharanpur in UP and parts of Maharashtra from July 2014. Based
on their visits, NCM chairperson wrote a letter to MHA Rajnath Singh on 18th
September 2014 and raised concerns over hate speeches and inflammatory remarks
made by public representatives. NCM termed their actions as an attempt to
disturb communal harmony and peace. The letters also added that such incidents
were increasing day by day.Interestingly, the letter pointed to 3 very specific
incidents with regards to the matter of subject: BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj strongly
associating terrorism with Madarsa and Muslims.Derogatory comments by BJP MLA
Usha Thakur of Madhya Pradesh about Muslims with regards to Garba celebrations.
She demanded a ban on Muslims in Garba pandals.A statement made by Yogi
Adityanath on Love Jihad (the statement on which the NCM raised concerns is when
Yogi was not UP CM)The letter sought action against these three inflammatory
and offensive remarks, saying they can create a lot of tension between the two
communities.After the Trilokpuri riots incident in India's capital Delhi, a
letter was written by NCM to the then Lieutenant general of Delhi Najeeb Jung.
After communal tension in Faridabad, where Muslims were stopped from building
mosques in the area, a team of NCM visited the place in May 2015. india today
Now, Beijing deletes envoy’s suggestion to rename China-Pak corridor
Beijing: An embarrassed China has expunged its India envoy’s suggestion
that Beijing could think renaming the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to allay
New Delhi’s concerns. India has reservation about the ambitious project as it
passes through Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, which New Delhi says challenges its
sovereignty by lending legitimacy to Pakistan’s claim over the territory.The
suggestion made by Luo Zhaohui has been removed from the version of his speech
published on the Chinese embassy’s website.With Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif expected in Beijing next week for
the high-profile belt and road forum (BRF), it would have be awkward for
Beijing to be seen tweaking the name of the expensive and prestigious project
to be showcased at the BRF.And, that too on behalf of India, which has firmly
refused to be part of President Xi Jinping’s multi-billion dollar One Road, One
Belt (OBOR) initiative that aims to build a new Silk route.Speaking at the
United Service Institution (USI) in New Delhi on Friday, Luo said China could
think about renaming CPEC, referring to India’s concerns over the corridor
passing through PoK.HT
To allay India’s fears, Chinese ambassador to New Delhi offers to rename
China-Pak economic corridor
Sohail Mahmood to be Pakistan’s new envoy to India as Abdul Basit
completes tenure
Sohail Mahmood, one of Pakistan’s senior-most diplomats, will be the
country’s new High Commissioner to India, diplomatic sources said on
Monday.Mahmood, 55, currently Pakistan’s ambassador in Turkey, was granted a
visa by India on Friday, sources in Indian High Commission said.He will replace
Abdul Basit who has already completed his tenure in New Delhi.PTI
Kashmir: Civilians allege army going door-to-door to collect their
details, claim privacy breach
Srinagar: Residents of south Kashmir’s Bijbehara area, ancestral base of
CM Mehbooba Mufti, alleged that soldiers
from a Rashtriya Rifles unit were visiting households and collecting details of
the people living there, including toddlers and infants.The soldiers put a sign
on the door of the house after gathering the information.The people are not
happy with the door-to-door survey, saying the exercise was intimidating and
breached their privacy.“Soldiers have been coming and asking minute details
such as the number of family members, their names, occupation, age, gender and
all other things, village after village in the area,” said a resident of
Bijbehara in Anantnag district.Security agencies are known to conduct such
drives in civilian areas close to their camps. In March, Rashtriya Rifles
troopers deployed in an area in north Kashmir’s Sopore apparently did a similar
exercise, offending the locals.An army officer defended such exercises as “routine”
and conducted occasionally by army units to know their neighbours.Local
newspaper Rising Kashmir quoted residents of New Colony in Bijbehara town as
saying that the soldiers told them the survey was conducted on behalf of the
revenue department. The alleged drive in Bijbehara follows last Thursday’s
anti-insurgency door-to-door search with around 4,000 troops, helicopters and
drones in south Kashmir’s Shopian district — the biggest combing mission
against militants for more than a decade.HT
Kashmir struggle indigenous, not like IS and Al-Qaeda, say separatists
Srinagar: The joint separatist leadership in Kashmir Monday distanced
itself from global jihadi outfits like ISIS and Al Qaeda, saying their “freedom
struggle” “is indigenous”.“The ongoing freedom struggle is indigenous.
Terrorism and the freedom movement are poles apart,” the joint leadership of
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said in a
statement.“The Indian agencies are desperate to malign the movement and under a
well thought out plan they were drafting policies to bring a bad name to the
freedom struggle of Kashmir”, they said.“Our movement has nothing to do with
these world-level groups and practically they are nonexistent in the state.
There is no role for these groups in our movement,” they said.“Authorities in
Delhi have now started to play a vicious game under the garb and label of ‘holy
war’. It is a ploy to create a wedge between people and bravehearts
(militants).” indianexpress
Mirwaiz, Geelani condemn ban on TV channels, social media
Shakeel Saifi announces Rs 5 crore reward for those beheading Pak
soldiers
A little-known Muslim organisation has announced a cash reward of Rs 5
crore for those who behead Pakistani soldiers and hand over the heads to
India.Mohammad Shakeel Saifi, the Chairman of Muslim Yuva Atankwad Virodhi
Samiti, said he would collect the amount from his volunteers and public and
give it to the one who brings heads of Pakistani soldiers who mutilated bodies
of 2 Indian soldiers at the LoC recently. HT
Armymen favour political intervention in Kashmir
New Delhi: Without changing the aggressive security posture taken in
Kashmir, the Union Govt needs to
immediately intervene politically if the level of violence has to come down
anytime soon, a significant number of military officers say. Among military
officers dealing with Kashmir, there is almost unanimity about the need for
urgent political intervention if the situation has to improve. thehindu
Delhi: Rohingyas in capital dread coming months
It has been 5 years since over 1,00,000 Rohingyas, a Muslim community
from Rakhine in Myanmar, had to flee persecution in their country and take
refuge in other South Asian countries. This wave of exodus brought 48 Rohingya
families to Delhi, who now live in a small, makeshift settlement, named Darul
Hijrat camp, near the Kalindi Kunj bridge in extremely poor conditions. Last
year, another calamity befell these families. As many as 50 people contracted
dengue or chikungunya in the camp. Most residents work as daily wagers and earn
Rs 150-200 per day. With little help from the Govt or the UNHCR, the added expenditure of
medicines broke the back of many a families.The mere memory of that time is
enough to make the camp residents dread the coming months — the disease season
of the year."Women and children were most affected as they spend more time
in the camp, while men go out to work," said Ali Johar, a Rohingya, who works
as a UNHCR health volunteer. "Every day, from 6 pm till next morning, you
cannot even stand outside because of the mosquitoes. There are several open
drains nearby, making the area a hotbed for mosquitoes and flies,"he
further said.Of the total 226 people living in the camp, 95 are kids, with 50
of them are below five years of age. These children are much more prone to
these vector-borne diseases as they spend their entire time in the camp and are
also quite undernourished. dnaindia
BJP asks backward Muslims to embrace Modi's policies
New Delhi: BJP's Muslim leaders today urged backward sections of the
community to embrace PM Narendra Modi's
"pro-poor" policies at a meeting organised here following his call to
the party to reach out to them.Making a distinction between backwards and
others among Muslims, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the
poor Muslims have been unable to take advantage of the welfare schemes for
minorities and claimed that Modi's "pro- poor" policies will uplift
them.Modi had asked leaders at the party's national executive meeting in
Bhubaneswar to reach out to the backward Muslims, saying they will also benefit
from his Govt 's bill that seeks constitutional status for the OBC Commission
but was stalled by opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha.PTI
RSS Muslim wing wants PoK, Kailash Mansarovar merged with India, to
build Ram temple in Ayodhya
New Delhi: Muslim arm of the RSS has passed a resolution for merger of
PoK and Kailash Mansarovar with India.Kailash Mansarovar, a pilgrimage site for
Hindus, is in Tibet.Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) at its 2-day national
executive meeting that concluded over the weekend in Uttarakhand’s Roorkee
resolved to push the Centre for the unification of the two Kashmirs to bring
peace in the Valley and in the region.Both resolutions expected to stoke a
controversy are in line with the Sangh’s position on Kashmir and China. MRM’s
national convenor Mohd Afzal told HT that the organisation will push for the
merger of PoK with India using “diplomatic means or through the use of
force”.“This is the only way to end the Kashmir problem; to ensure peace along
the border and an end to stone-pelting and violence in the Valley,” Afzal
said.He said the Govt must also ensure
that India should get Kailash Mansarovar, a holy place for Hindus.MRM passed 4
more resolutions to support education and skill development of the Muslim
community, ending the practice of triple talaq, making beef consumption illegal
and construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Another contentious issue that the
MRM has agreed to back is the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“Starting May 12 in Meerut, over 3,000 meetings will be held across the country
to create awareness about the 5 resolutions that were passed and to gather
support,” Afzal told HT. HT
After Ramzan, Ilyasi led Imam group to meet in Delhi to find amicable
solution to Ram Temple issue, urges Govt to declare cow national animal
Allahabad: President of All-India Imam Organisation Imam Umer Ahmed
Ilyasi on Saturday said Muslim clerics from all over the country would meet in
New Delhi after Ramzan to find an amicable solution to the Ram Temple issue.“I
welcome the stand of the Supreme Court on the issue and believe that the
dispute should be amicably settled by the Imams and Hindu saints through
dialogue held in a cordial environment,” Ilyasi said while talking to a section
of media.The cleric was on a day-long visit to Allahabad as part of the Bharat
Ekta Yatra aimed at strengthening communal harmony recently.“We will try to
arrive at a consensus for peaceful settlement to the issue which is acceptable
to both Hindus and Muslims,” Ilyasi said.“All parties can sit together and
solve the dispute. In the proposed meet, the clerics will discuss the Ayodhya
dispute. Based on the outcome of the meet, we will later hold talks with temple
priests and saints,” he said.Coming down heavily on Pakistan for mutilation of
the bodies of army men, Ilyasi urged the PM and the home minister to give a befitting
reply to Pakistan.“Enough is enough. So many times dialogue has taken place
between the two countries. Indians will no longer tolerance such incidents,” he
added.Ilyasi said Kashmiri children and youth, who should be having pens in their
hands, were getting influenced by separatist leaders and pelting security
forces with stones. “I believe these separatist leaders should go to Pakistan
if they so desire. But staying in India and speaking the language that they are
using is unacceptable,” he added.Ilyasi urged the central Govt to declare cow the national animal of India
but recommended that legal slaughterhouses should be allowed to function
without any harassment.He said triple talaq was being used as a tool of
injustice against Muslim women. Expressed happiness over Muslims, especially
women, were practicing yoga. hindustantimes
Demonetisation did not impede future black money flows: UN report
Indian Govt ’s demonetisation measures did not impede future black money
flows in new denominations, a UN report said. According to UN Economic and
Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2017, complementary measures to
demonetisation would be required to target all forms of undeclared wealth and
assets.“Broader structural reforms which could also contribute to enhanced
transparency include: the implementation of a goods and services tax; voluntary
disclosure of income scheme; and tracking of high-value transactions through
taxpayer identification numbers,” it said.“Other measures, such as reforming
the real estate registration process to ensure transparency, are being
discussed.”IANS
RSS using even children to plot murders in Kerala: CM
Hitting out at RSS, CM Pinarayi Vijayan alleged the organisation used
even children to plot murders in the State. Replying to questions in the
Assembly about RSS’ activities in the state, Pinarayi said when a child joined
the RSS, neither his/her humanity nor cultural consciousness got enhanced. “Biggest
allegation is it drains out the child’s humanity,” said Pinarayi who accused
the RSS leadership of training its cadre for organising and conducting various
attacks.He also alleged the intention behind murdering the madrassa teacher in
Kasargod was to unleash communal riots. newindianexpress
No confirmation on death of 2 Keralities who joined terror outfits: Kerala CM
Govt has no confirmation on the death of two Keralites who allegedly
joined terror groups last year, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said today. "We have
reports about the death of 2 persons from Kerala who went missing, but no
confirmation on it," Vijayan told the state assembly during question hour.
He said it has come to the notice of the Govt functioning of banned outfits like IS and
Maoists in the state.PTI
Hindutva responsible for BJP success, shocking they declared India
secular in UN: Shiv Sena
Mumbai:Shiv Sena – an ally in the Centre and Maharashtra Govt – on Monday slammed the Centre over its stand
in the United Nations that India is a secular country with no state religion. Sena
in an editorial in party’s mouthpiece Saamana said it expected the Modi Govt to make the country a “Hindu Rashtra” .Last
week, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who led the Indian delegation to the UN
Human Rights Council, said, “India is a secular state with no state religion.” hindustantimes
SC sentences Justice Karnan to 6 months in jail for contempt of court
New Delhi:The Supreme Court created history on Tuesday by holding
sitting Calcutta HC judge C S Karnan guilty of contempt of court and punishing
him with six month jail.Karnan, who was to retire on June 11, will spend the
last month of his tenure as judge and five months thereafter in jail.A
seven-judge bench headed by CJI JS Khehar said Justice Karnan is guilty of
contempt of SC, judiciary and judicial process. timesofindia
SC bars media from publishing Karnan’s statements
WORLD
Egypt issues life sentence for Muslim Brotherhood chief
An Egyptian court has sentenced the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme guide
Mohammed Badie and two prominent leaders of the group to life in prison for
"planning violent attacks", judicial officials and a lawyer said.
Badie and 37 others connected to the "Rabaa operations room" case are
accused of conspiring to stir unrest during protests that followed the July
2013 military-led overthrow of Egypt's former president Mohamed Morsi, who
hailed from the Brotherhood. Public Prosecutor's Office charged the accused with
"preparing an operations room to confront the state and create chaos in
the country following the dismantling of the Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in" and
"planning to burn public property and churches".On August 14, 2013,
security forces stormed a large protest gathering at Rabaa in the capital Cairo
and allegedly shot hundreds of unarmed demonstrators.Giza criminal court
sentenced Badie to a life term, along with Mahmoud Ghozlan, a Brotherhood
spokesman, and Hossam Abubakr, a member of its guidance bureau, the officials
and defence lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud said.US-Egyptian citizen Mohammed
Sultan, his father Salah Sultan, and Ahmed Aref, another spokesman for the
group, were among other defendants sentenced to serve five years behind
bars.Egyptian authorities deported Mohammed Sultan to the US in May 2015, while
his father remains in custody.Other sentencees include two journalists from the
Rassd news network, Abdullah al-Fakharany and Samy Mostafa, and a presenter of
the Islamist Amgad channel, Mosaad al-Barbary. 21 others were acquitted on
Monday, including Gehad Haddad, an international spokesman for the
Brotherhood.The retrial came after Egypt's Court of Cassation scrapped a 2015
ruling under which Badie and 13 others were condemned to death, and 34 defendants
given life terms."We will appeal for everyone who was convicted,"
Abdel Maksoud told AFP. The Court of Cassation would have to issue a final
ruling in such an appeal. Aljazeera
Egyptian forces kill Brotherhood men in shootout:Reuters
Egyptian security forces killed 8 militants they identified as members
of the Muslim Brotherhood in a shootout in the country's south, the interior
ministry said on Monday.President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has launched the
toughest crackdown on Islamists in Egypt's modern history after toppling
President Mursi in 2013. Brotherhood maintains that its activities are peaceful
and had no immediate comment. An interior ministry statement said those killed
included Helmi Saad Masri, whom it described as a prominent Brotherhood leader. dnaindia
Rights group: 30 civilians killed in Sinai in April
30 civilians were killed in northern Sinai in April at the hands of the
Egyptian army and armed groups, the Sinai Organisation for Human Rights has
revealed.According to the Palestinian news agency Safa, the Geneva-based
organisation said that at least 30 civilians were killed, including seven
children and three women. middleeastmonitor
Meshaal denies plans to head international Brotherhood
Outgoing head of Hamas’ political bureau, Khaled Meshaal has denied
reports that he has received an offer to head the international organisation of
the Muslim Brotherhood group, according to Quds Press.Speaking to the news
agency Meshaal said he couldn’t receive such an offer because “Hamas is a Palestinian movement” that limits
its work within the framework of the Palestinian cause.Last week, Hamas’ Shura
Council elected Ismail Haniyah, the former Palestinian PM and longtime Hamas senior member, to replace
Meshaal as political bureau chief.Meshaal told Quds Press that Hamas does not
intervene in the affairs of other countries or movements and groups, adding
that the Palestinian movement is “independent” from any other group. middleeastmonitor
1,600 cases of enforced disappearance cases among Palestinians in Syria
Task Group for Sake of Palestinian Refugees in Syria documented 1,600
cases of enforced disappearance among Palestinian refugees in Syrian regime
prisons since 2011, the Anadolu reported. Task Group said that the real number
of enforced disappearance cases is much larger but there are no official
statistics issued by the Syrian regime.It added that it could not get the real
number of cases because many families are afraid to report that their relatives
are missing. Task Group called for Syrian regime to reveal information about
hundreds of such cases and other Palestinian detainees whose fate remains
unknown. middleeastmonitor
Qatar FM: No substitute for Bashar al-Assad's departure
The implementation of de-escalation zones should not be used to delay a
solution to the Syrian conflict and the question of political transition,
Qatar's foreign minister has said. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said
President Bashar al-Assad ought to leave office in any final peace agreement.He
said the de-escalation zones "are a step towards reaching a solution and
not the solution itself"."There should be a clear message that
political transition is based on the Geneva I declaration, which ends with Bashar
al-Assad and his regime leaving power and the establishment of a transitional
authority." Al Thani's remarks came as the office of Staffan de Mistura, UN
special envoy to Syria, announced that talks between the Syrian Govt and the
opposition on ending the war will reconvene in Geneva on May 16. aljazeera
Palestinian relatives of arson victims sue Israel
Relatives of a Palestinian family burned alive have filed a lawsuit
against Israel demanding it be held responsible and pay damages over the 2015
attack blamed on Jewish groups in the occupied West Bank.Eighteen-month-old Ali
Dawabsheh died along with his parents when their house was firebombed in July
2015.His brother Ahmed, now six, was the sole survivor but was left with severe
burns. aljazeera
Israel accused of 'killing children with impunity'
West Bank:At the Hjeiji family home in the occupied West Bank village of
Qarawat Bani Zeid, classmates, friends and relatives of Fatima Hjeiji lined up
to pay their respects.One by one, the women and girls hugged Fatima's mother
Dareen and offered sympathetic words."She was such a lovely girl.
Everybody at school loved her," said Nadin Imad, 17, who attended the
girls' school in the village with Fatima."I was in class with her since
the first grade. She had a very strong character and was not afraid to say
whatever she wanted."The previous afternoon had begun like any other afternoon
in the Hjeiji household. Fatima, 16, had returned home from school around
1.30pm and updated her mother on the morning's events."It was a normal
day, nothing unusual," said Dareen Hjeiji. aljazeera
Erdogan calls Israel policy on Palestinians 'racist'
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has compared Israel's policies against
the Palestinians to the racism of the early days of the US and the
apartheid-era in South Africa. aljazeera
Nearly 90,000 Afghans displaced in 2017, says UN
The ongoing conflict in Afghanistan has forced 88481 people to leave
their homes since the beginning of 2017, according to a United Nations
report.Displacements occurred in 29 of the country's 34 provinces, stated the
report on Tuesday. It noted that the security situation across all regions had
grown more volatile as clashes continue in a number of provinces.North-eastern
Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces have been witnessing especially fierce fighting
as Taliban forces captured two districts within a week after the announcement
of their spring offensive.Since January, 34,881 individuals have been displaced
in that region: "just under 40 % of the total population displaced
countrywide," says the report.In Kunduz, the UN estimates that,
additionally, more than 30,000 individuals have been displaced by fighting in
the district of Qala-e Zal, as well by fighting along the Kunduz-Khanabad
highway in the past days alone.In 2016, more than 660,600 civilians fled their
villages and homes. ongoing
57% increase in anti-Muslim bias incidents in US:group
Boston: When the Al-Kareem mosque in Providence, Rhode Island, received
a threatening letter in November calling Muslims a “vile and filthy people”,
its members were frightened enough that they asked for and got extra police
protection.The 42-year-old mosque was far from alone. The letter it received
was one of 2,213 anti-Muslim bias incidents in the US last year, according to a
report released on Tuesday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.The
report found a 57% increase in the number of incidents in 2016, up from 1,409
in 2015. Incidents increased 5% from 2014 to 2015.While the group had been
seeing a rise in anti-Muslim incidents prior to Donald Trump’s stunning rise in
last year’s presidential primaries and Nov election victory, it said the
acceleration in bias incidents was due in part to Trump’s focus on militant
Islamist groups and anti-immigrant rhetoric.Rhode Island’s oldest mosque was
only threatened, while others in Florida and Texas were set ablaze in cases
ruled arson. But knowledge of how common threats had become was far from
comforting for Faissal Elansari, a member of the mosque’s board.“Hearing about
it is not the same thing as when you receive it, it was definitely a weird
feeling,” Elansari said. CAIR officials decided in Sept.to start what they
intend to be quarterly reports after noticing a pickup in complaints beginning
in 2014, following the rise of Islamic State killings in the Middle East and
attacks inspired by the group in Europe and the US.Reuters
Trump admin insists travel ban not anti-Muslim
Did Donald Trump’s contested travel ban deliberately single out Muslims?
US administration fiercely denied it during an appeals court hearing Monday --
despite the president’s campaign call for a blanket Muslim ban.The hearing came
as Trump seeks to bounce back from a series of stinging judicial defeats over
his controversial effort to bar travelers from half a dozen mainly Muslim
countries.The question of intention is key since the US Constitution forbids
religious discrimination. Trump’s detractors say it is beyond doubt that
Muslims were the ban’s intended target, but the administration says it is
motivated strictly by national security concerns, an area where US presidents
have wide powers. AFP
Myanmar urged to reopen 2 Muslim schools
YANGON, Myanmar: An international rights group on Monday urged the Govt of Myanmar to reopen two Muslim religious
schools that were shut down late April following the demands of a mob led by
ultra-nationalist monks.Local authorities -- following negotiations with local
Muslim leaders -- closed two madrasahs in Tharkayta Township of the country’s
largest city, Yangon, on April 28 after more than 100 people led by
ultra-nationalist Buddhist monks demanded the immediate closure of religious
schools in the area which they claimed were being operated as mosques.New
York-based Human Rights Watch on Monday said the closure was "the latest Govt
failure to protect country’s religious
minorities".
Jakarta governor Ahok found guilty of blasphemy
An Indonesian court has found Jakarta's outgoing Christian governor
guilty of blasphemy against Islam.Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok,
was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday in a south Jakarta courtroom
over comments he made regarding what he believed to be the misinterpretation of
certain verses of the Quran.As hundreds of protesters gathered outside calling
for the maximum penalty to be given, Dwiarso Budi Santiarto, the presiding
judge, told the court that Purnama was "convincingly guilty of committing
blasphemy". aljazeera
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:16 PM)
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