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INDIA: Muslim Personal Law
If court quashes triple talaq then you will make law but why govt did
not make law for last 60 years: SC to Centre
New Delhi:Triple talaq is neither integral to Islam nor a "majority
versus minority" issue but rather an "intra-community tussle"
between Muslim men and deprived women, the Centre today told the Supreme Court.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, in his rebuttal to the arguments favouring the
1,400 year-old practice of triple talaq, made a strong pitch for judicial
scrutiny on grounds including violation of fundamental rights like right to
equality and gender justice and said that the apex court cannot shy away. A
5-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, asked the Centre
as to why it did not legislate to regulate marriages and divorce among Muslims.
"You (Centre) said if court quashes triple talaq then you will make a law
but why the govt did not make a law for last 60 years?" the bench, also
comprising justices Kurian Joseph, RF Nariman, UU Lalit and Abdul Nazeer,
asked. Rohatgi replied that the hallmark of a secular court was to reform
without waiting for a legislation, when such matters come to it. "I will
do what I have to do but the question is what will you (court) do? I have given
statement on instruction. I speak for the government and can't speak for
parliament," he said reiterating that the top court was guardian of
fundamental rights and has to see whether there was any violation of such
rights. Earlier during the day, the bench asked AIMPLB whether a woman can be
given an option of saying 'no' to triple talaq at time of execution of
'nikahnama' (marriage contract). "Can it be made possible to give an
option to a wife that she can say that she was agreeable to or not agreeable to
it (triple talaq)? "Is it possible
to pass a resolution to all 'qazis' to include this condition (giving right to
woman to say 'no' to triple talaq) in 'nikahnama'? Give an option to wife to
say 'no' to triple talaq," the bench said. Ex-Union minister and senior
lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing the AIMPLB, said that he will respond to after
talking to all the board members. Rohatgi, responding to Sibal and a battery of
senior lawyers favouring triple talaq, said even the core of religion has to be
tested on touchstone of fundamental rights. Referring to the responses of AIMPLB,
he said that even they say that triple talaq was "undesirable",
"sinful" but yet valid and wondered "then how it can be said to
be integral to religion". He further said this time, Muslim women have
questioned centuries-old "hegemony suffered by them at the hands of their
male counterparts" of the community."Prism through which you see the
case is not like majority versus minority but this is a case where it is an
intra-community tussle between Muslim men and women. "This time Muslim
women have questioned centuries-old hegemony suffered by them at the hands of
their male counterparts," Rohatgi said, adding that the practice of triple
talaq is a tussle between the "haves and have-nots" inside the
community. He said this fight is between men of Muslim community,who are more
powerful, empowered and educated and women, not so powerful, not empowered and
uneducated. The court can fill up the void by judicial pronouncements if there
is no law on a particular issue, Rohatgi said, adding the guidelines on sexual
harassment at work place were framed by it in the Vishakha case. Rohatgi
referred to practises 'sati', infanticide, 'devdasi' and untouchability among
Hindus and said that they have been done away with. "Did courts do it? These were abolished
by legislations," the bench asked. "Then why do the court goes into
issues like Vishaka. The court can't say that it is helpless and it cannot step
in. It is the guardian of fundamental right," Rohatgi replied. He said
that India is "secular country with a secular constitution" which has
kept core of all religions intact but they are subject to fundamental rights. "We
had several religions after Partition. There were people from over 600 princely
states and tribes practising different faiths and religions. The core of every
religion was kept but they were made subject to fundamental rights," he
said. Comparing practices in Islamic countries, Rohatgi said that in 25
nations, religion continued to strive even after abolishing triple talaq and
hence, this cannot be termed as "integral part of Islam". "What
is optional cannot be under Article 25 and it cannot be considered as an
essential part of religion. If it had been integral part of religion then the
religion will not remain religion in its original form but if it is optional then
even if it is taken out, the religion will remain the same," he said.
Sibal, who started arguments today, referred to a Delhi High Court judgement
and said that it was wrong in holding that all schools of thought termed
'triple talaq' as "sinful". The Supreme Court cannot be called upon
to decide as to what was wrong or right with the practice and belief, he said.
Referring to a judgement, he went to the extent of saying that the personal law
is a legitimate basis of discrimination. AIMPLB also said that the court should
not venture into the issue on its own as no one has approached it. "Some
persons have come to this court," the bench said. Sibal said challenging
the constitutional validity of triple talaq, being practised by a small portion
of community, may revive the practice which is dying. He said if a secular
court like the Supreme Court decides to undertake suo motu (on its own)
scrutiny of the issue with the Centre seeking a ban then, the community may
take a tough stand. The Muslim community is like small birds on which golden
eagle preys, he said, adding "the community's nests must have the Supreme
Court protection." Sibal said it is that faith with which the community is
before the court today seeking protection of its personal law customs and practices. "Our faith in this court for last 67
years is fundamental and with that faith we have come here," he said.
Today was the fifth day of the hearing on a clutch of petitions challenging
triple talaq, polygamy and 'nikah halala' which is going on before a bench
comprising members of different religious communities including Sikh, Christian,
Parsi, Hindu and Muslim. Advocate Raju Ramachandran, appearing for Jamiat Ulama
Maharashtra, said that issues raised in the petition were matters of legislative
policy and ought not to be addressed by the court. He referred to the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) and said India had made an express reservation with regard to its
policy of non-interference in the personal affairs of any community without its
initiative and consent. "The
constitutional validity of personal law in our country cannot be tested on the
oasis of enacted legislation of other countries," he said in his written
submissions while questioning the arguments of the Centre and petitioners that
triple talaq has been abolished in Islamic countries. He said practice of
triple talaq is considered a valid form of divorce by four out of the five
Sunni schools. "Even if this practice is undesirable, my school tells me
to do this," Ramachandran said. During the hearing, the bench asked
Ramachandran, "By registering a marriage under the Special Marriage Act, a
Muslim man opts out of polygamy. Is that not un-Islamic?" Responding to
the query, he said, "To opt out of polygamy is not un-Islamic. It
(polygamy) is only an option which is available. This is not compulsory".
Senior advocate V Giri, representing Jamiat-ulama-I-Hind, said that Shariat was
the law applicable to Muslims prior to the enactment of the Shariat Act. "Shariat
has not been subsumed by the statute nor has the Shariat Act codified the
Muslim personal law. The Shariat Act has only statutorily declared that the
Muslim personal law as a set of rules would govern the Muslims in India and
that it is the Muslim personal law that would have overriding effect over any
usage or custom to the contrary," he said in his written submission. Giri,
however, said that rights and duties of Muslims in India continue to be
governed by the Muslim personal law and the Shariat Act has not substituted it
nor has it provided for a different set of rights and obligations. "The
right under Article 25(1) to freely profess practice and propagate religion is
a universal right that is guaranteed to every citizen to act in affirmation of
his own faith. This is the core of the secular nature of the Indian
Constitution," he said. The senior counsel also said it his written
submission that it was "fallacious" for the petitioners to say or
suggest that Talaq-i-Biddat does not have sanction of the holy Quran.
Meanwhile, one of the counsel opposing the practice of triple talaq said the
matter pending before the court was about women rights and to ensure gender
justice. The counsel said that consequential aspect of divorce also relates to
the economic right of women and the court would have the consider it also.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the
bench that there were no Sharia courts in India as it is a secular country. PTI
Declaring triple talaq illegal won’t alter Islam, Centre to SC
When Centre urges SC to take step when there is no legislation on divorce;
court asks Govt to bring law
Triple Talaq related to women empowerment, human dignity ASG Anand
Triple talaq is Muslim woman vs man issue, not that of majority vs
minority: Centre
Triple Talaq dying practice, banning may revive it: AIMPLB
Can women be given option of saying ‘no’ to triple talaq at the time of
‘nikahnama’, SC asks AIMPLB
Ready to submit its opinion on triple talaq if SC asks: NCW
National Commission for Women on Wednesday said it was ready to submit
its opinion on abolition of triple talaq if the Supreme Court asked for it. “As
such NCW is against triple talaq… It should go and it should be abolished,” NCW
member Rekha Sharma told reporters here to a question whether it (NCW) will
offer its opinion on the issue if the apex court asked. Rekha said many women
had suffered and continued to suffer due to this practice and that is why NCW
wanted it to be done away with.Moreover, NCW chairperson questioned the absence
of a woman on the Supreme Court bench hearing the triple talaq issue, Rekha,
who is here for a two-day public hearing on women-related cases, said.PTI
Incidents of triple talaq 'almost does not exist': Survey
A study by the New Delhi-based Centre for Research and Debates in
Development Policy (CRDDP) has found that incidents of Triple Talaq constitutes
less than 1 in 100 cases of divorce among Muslims. Indian Express reported
today that the CRDDP came to this conclusion after conducting an online survey
with 20,671 people between March and May. Just about a quarter of 331 divorces
reported by the respondents were done by religious institutions, and there was
only one case of instant divorce, which works out to 0.3 percent, the newspaper
reported.The practice of triple talaq, which is being subjected to widespread
criticism, involves a Muslim man divorcing his wife by uttering the word
"talaq" thrice in succession. Some men even resort to divorcing their
wives over Whatsapp and SMS.The survey was led by Abu Saleh Shariff, the
chairperson of the CRDDP, who is best known as the Member Secretary of the
Sachar Committee, The Indian Express reported. "This (triple talaq) is an
evil and a bad practice, but its incidents are minuscule, it almost does not
exist," Shariff told the newspaper. huffingtonpost
Wonder How Many Divorces Happen Through Triple Talaq Among Muslims? This
Survey Says 1%
Triple talaq exception rather than rule: Survey
Congress 'embarrassed' by Kapil Sibal’s defence of triple talaq in SC
New Delhi: Congress leadership is unhappy with Kapil Sibal’s decision to
defend triple talaq on behalf of the AIMPLB in the Supreme Court, top party
sources told News18.The senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP defended
triple talaq on the grounds that ‘it is an age-old tradition and could not be
considered unconstitutional’, leading to criticism on social media and other
platforms. Highly placed sources in the party told News18 that the top brass
was upset with Sibal for defending AIMPLB, which was in stark contrast to the
party’s stand on the issue. Sources said Sibal’s stand was an ‘embarrassment’
to Congress, which came at a time when the party was trying hard to shed its
‘appeasement’ tag and come across as a progressive unit.“Congress has always
said that the issue of triple talaq was about the basic rights of women. Sibal
countering that taints Congress’s image. The party high command has not
approached Sibal to withdraw from the case yet. But, it is worried what his
defence might do to the party’s image,” a source told News18.CNN-News18
OTHERS
Kulbhushan Jadhav case: After India-Pakistan clash, International Court
of Justice verdict tomorrow at 3.30 pm
International Court of Justice (ICJ) will pronounce its verdict in the
Kulbhushan Jadhav case on Thursday. PTI quoted Govt sources as saying that the order will be
announced at 3.30 pm. Both India and Pakistan had clashed at the ICJ over
Kulbhushan Jadhav on Monday.India, represented by senior lawyer Harish Salve,
argued in the International Court of Justice to annul the execution of
Kulbhushan Jadhav. Pakistan, on the other hand, argued that India had no right
to invoke the jurisdiction of the court because the Vienna Convention does not
provide for matters relating to spies, terrorists and those who indulge in
espionage.IndiaToday
Indian citizen group report seeks withdrawal of army and other security
forces from civilian areas in Kashmir
New Delhi: A citizen’s fact-finding report on Kashmir protests called
for the withdrawal of the army and other paramilitary forces including CRPF, BSF
and Indo Tibetan Border Police from civilian areas of J&K.report compiled
by representatives of diverse peoples’ movements, trade unions and other
organisations, titled “Why Are People
Protesting in Kashmir” which was released on May 11 looks into ‘violation’ of
democratic rights in the Kashmir Valley in 2016.The report is divided into 8
heads and looks into the issue of targeted killings, use of PSA, destruction of
local economy, extortion and examines many other issues.The report says that in
every case the killing were targeted and
took place at a time when there were no protest demonstrations.“In more
than one instance, the killing appeared to be a knee-jerk reaction of the state
armed forces to protests that had taken place in the area on a preceding date,
and in some cases the previous day,” reads the report.TwoCircles
J&K govt's social media ban
fails in tech-savvy Valley
Srinagar: The month-long ban imposed by the J&K Govt on
social media applications and internet sites has become something of a joke
after the discovery of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) by the people. The ban
was imposed in order to curb the violence in the Valley. "Use of VPNs has
helped in accessing most of the banned sites ... these applications and sites
have become the communication lifeline not only in Kashmir but across the
world," Umar Bhat, a businessman, said."In the interest of
maintenance of public order, the Govt hereby directs all internet service providers
that any message or class of messages to or from a person or a class of persons
relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the following social
networking sites shall not be transmitted in Kashmir Valley with immediate
effect for a period of one month or till further orders, whichever is
earlier," Principal Secretary, Home Department R K Goyal had stated
earlier. Times now
Search operation called off in J&K after protests
Srinagar: A cordon and search
operation in J&K 's Shopian district on Wednesday was called off to avoid a
face-off with the civilian protestors.Police said the cordon and search
operation started in two villages of Heff and Shirmaal was called off in order
to avoid civilian casualties or injuries.Over 1,000 security men including the
Army, the paramilitary and state police had surrounded the villages following
information that militants were hiding there.As the security forces tightened
the cordon, a mob started intense stone pelting to disrupt the search.Tear
smoke shells were used to quell the protesters, but the operation was finally
called off, sources said.IANS
Just abrogating Article 370 will not solve Kashmir problem, India will
ultimately prevail in Valley: Amit Shah
New Delhi: BJP-led NDA Govt is
handling the Kashmir issue "diplomatically" and India will ultimately
"prevail" there, BJP president Amit Shah today said adding that
merely abrogating Article 370 will not solve the problem in the valley.Shah
said the PM is keeping a "keen
eye" on Kashmir and the security agencies are doing a "fine job"
there."I believe that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and security agencies'
intervention, India will ultimately prevail in Kashmir," he said appearing
in the "Samvaad" conclave organised by India TV. Shah also declined
to ascribe the recent violence in Kashmir as a reaction against the PDP-BJP
alliance Govt in the state. "I do
not think so. Such incidents are a reaction to the steps taken by the Govt and action by the security agencies. Whatever
lacunae are there will be removed. The alliance is still going on".Shah
replied to a vast range of questions during the conclave covering Article 370
and the Kashmir issue, Ram temple, performance of the Modi Govt after three years, farmers' suicides and
triple talaq. He said that the Kashmir "problem" cannot be solved by
merely abrogating the Article 370 in the Constitution that provides for special
provisions to J&K . "There are several issues and just abrogating the
Article 370 will not solve the problem. BJP cannot do it all alone, we will
discuss it at an opportune time with others," he said.PTI
Punjab police ‘force eviction’ of 3 youths from Kashmir
Chandigarh: 3 Kashmiri youths have been “thrown out” of their rented
accommodation in Punjab’s Zirakpur after police allegedly asked them to leave
the place. The three were evicted hours after about a dozen policemen came to
their house to verify their credentials on Sunday.“Policemen asked if we are
Kashmiri and told us ‘yahan kuch karne aate ho aur wahan kuch aur karte ho’ and
then asked us if we had any weapons,” said Tajamul Imran, 25, who recently completed
his MBA. “The police first said that it is a usual verification but then they
searched everything. They opened our bags, turned our bed… scattered our books.
I do not know what they were looking for but it was more than torture.”Imran
said that the police called the broker, who had helped them get accommodation,
to remove them. His classmates, Mudasir and Asif, had shifted to Zirakpur from
Mohali on April 24.indianexpress
India ‘shifts’ stance, asks Madhesis to drop demand for changes in
constitution
New Delhi: Indian diplomats in Kathmandu have told Nepal’s Tarai leadership
to drop the demand of changes in constitution and participate in the second
phase of local elections scheduled next month, a move being seen as a dramatic
U-turn on a policy crafted over two years.Delhi insists its old policy of
broader constitutional accommodation is intact, but top Tarai political
leaders, who expressed dismay and shock at what they said was a betrayal, told
HT the “advice” came from the “highest levels” of the Indian embassy in
Kathmandu.HT
HRD lens on AMU for ‘flouting norms’; Ministry asks UGC to probe
‘irregularities’ in hiring, promotion of teachers
New Delhi: Recruitment of teachers and promotions in AMU have come under
the scanner following allegations of "gross violation of UGC rules and
discrimination", prompting the HRD ministry to ask for a report on the
alleged irregularities.The ministry has asked the UGC to look into the issue.
Responses to RTI queries (copies of which are with TOI) revealed how teachers
had been promoted without having the minimum Academic Performance Indications
(API) score of 120 points overriding those who fulfilled the criteria.Teachers
were promoted without having guided any PhD scholar while in some cases
promotions had been done on the basis of book reviews.All these appointments
were made during the tenure of outgoing VC Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah who is
retiring on May 17.Tariq Mansoor, principal of AMU's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical
College, is to take charge as the new VC. TOI had first reported about the
ministry asking UGC to conduct an academic and research audit of 11 central
universities, including AMU, which were considered "non-performers". According
to sources, the audit team which visited the university recently also sought
answers on these issues.TOI
UP: Modern edu to be compulsory for madrassa students
Lucknow: In an attempt to increase employment opportunities, around
4,600 secondary education madrassas in the state will soon have compulsory
modern education in maths, science, social sciences and home science. The UP Madrassa Board of Education is currently under
the process to change syllabus for introduction of the new compulsory
curriculum.The move will affect over 6 lakh madrassa students in the state and
is aimed to make them able enough to appear for competitive examinations on the
lines of other boards.Under the secondary education madrassas taking care of
classes IX to XII which are recognised by the board, an optional modern subject
is already the norm. The board and minority affairs department has now started
the process to make two modern subjects compulsory out of maths, social
science, science and home science. The primary and junior level madrassas
already have modern subjects for compulsory study."Hindi and English are
already compulsory while subjects other than Islamic theology and religion,
Urdu, Arabic and Persian are optional and when we compared our syllabus with
other boards, there was a gap," said Mohammad Tariq Ahmed, registrar of UP
Madrassa board. "In fact, though optional, a larger number of students
opted for maths, followed by social sciences and science," he added. Ahmed
added that home science was mostly the first choice of girls under the board as
their optional subject choice.The board that is currently looking at
availability of teachers said there are 27,000 teachers in the state for teaching
the modern subjects under madrassa modernisation scheme.It will be a new step
in secondary education under the board, while experts said it was important
since the knowledge of maths and science till at least class X was a requisite
for several competitive examinations.TOI
Will launch nationwide agitation if atrocities on Dalits don’t stop: UP Dalit
leaders warn
Meerut: Expressing solidarity with Saharanpur Dalits, hundreds of
community members protested against police and state Govt for allegedly
manhandling the Saharanpur violence at the Meerut commissionary crossing and
demanded speedy arrest of perpetrators of violence, especially in Shabbirpur
village, where over 80 houses were allegedly burnt by Thakurs."We will
launch a nationwide agitation,ifwe are repeatedly targeted," warned
agitating Dalit leaders.Puspendra Jatav, coordinator of Meerut zone for
Loktantra Bachao Samiti, an organisation setup for the welfare of Dalits, said,
"We are being targeted everywhere in the state. Be it in Saharanpur or
Sambhal or Meerut, and police instead of taking impartial stand are targeting
Dalits. In fact, wherever BJP is in power, Dalits are at receiving end. So, we
are being compelled to organise ourselves as it is a matter of survival for
us."Another local Dalit leader Kiren Singh said, "Instead of
arresting culprits in Saharanpur violence case, police are unnecessarily
victimising members of Dalit community. Many innocent people are being
targeted. Despite the fact that a man of Thakur community, who died in the
Shabbirpur violence because of asphyxiation, all blame was put on Dalits that
they resorted to stone-pelting. This is a reflection of upper caste mindset and
that needs to be changed. We cannot tolerate suppression any longer come may
what." timesofindia
UP: Barbers agree to give Valmikis haircuts after stir
Lucknow: For the last one month, barbers in Sambhal’s Fatehpur Shamshoi
village had kept their shops shut. The reason: They were being asked to give
haircuts to Valmikis, which had never happened in the past.On Tuesday, the
shops opened and for the first time, six barbers cut the hair of Valmikis in
the village. This, after police and local public representatives told the
barbers if they have to work, they would have to cut the hair of all villagers
without any discrimination on caste lines.Fatehpur Shamshoi, where around 200
Valmikis reside, has a population of around 1,500 Thakurs and Brahmins each.Some
Muslims and members of the barber community, known as Nai, run barber shops in village.
“Earlier, barbers used to visit every person’s home and give him a haircut.
Later, they opened shops in their homes. The Valmikis never asked any barber to
cut their hair nor any barber did so,” said Chhotelal Diwakar, local SP leader
and husband of village pradhan Kamlesh. Around two months ago, a Muslim, Asif
Mahboob, had opened a barber shop and announced that he would cut everyone’s
hair. Following this, a group of Valmiki men got haircuts in his shop. Later,
Mahboob refused to cut the hair of Valmikis, allegedly under pressure of losing
his upper caste customers. indianexpress
In A First, Barbers In UP Village Cut Hair Of Valmikis
UP rights body seeks report on Muslim exodus from Sambhal village
Sambhal: UP Human Rights Commission chairman Justice (retired) Rafat
Alam has written to Moradabad divisional commissioner L Venkateshwarlu and
Sambhal DM Bhupendra S Chaudhary seeking a report on the exodus of Muslim
families from Nandrauli village in Sambhal. A total of 43 Muslim families have
left the village after they were attacked last week. Muslim families began
leaving the village following an attack on the houses some members from the
minority community on May 11, in the aftermath of the elopement of an inter-faith
couple. Shortly after the violence, 10 Muslim families, including that of the
youth who had eloped with a married Hindu woman, had fled. In the days since,
43 more families have packed up and left, rejecting appeals from various people
including the local MP, to stay back. The families who fled are now living in
Badaun, Sambhal and Aligarh.“The rights body has asked for a report in three
days. The authorities concerned have been directed to do the needful. The
situation in the village is under control and some of the villagers who had
earlier left have now returned. Only those related to the youth who eloped have
not come back. We have met the villagers and have assured them about their
safety and security,” Moradabad divisional commissioner L Venkateshwarlu said. timesofindia
Already suffering, UP leather industry takes another setback
Kanpur: Even before the new UP Govt’s crackdown on unauthorised
slaughterhouses, the state’s leather industry was strained by slowed exports,
closure of tanneries for environmental concerns and reduced supply of hides amid
fears of becoming the target of vigilantes.From Dalit workers who skin dead
animals and suppliers who buy the hides, to tannery owners and their workers,
those in the industry now say their earnings have fallen further, with many
losing their jobs. At the Sunday hide market in Banthara of Lucknow district,
where skinners from rural areas come to sell a week’s collection in allotted
areas, business closes by noon.Radhe Lal, 38, from Sandila in Hardoi, says he
has been supplying hides for 15 years. “It has been very bad the last few
years. I used to sell a piece of hide for Rs 400 two to three years ago; it now
fetches only Rs 100.” indianexpress
India's battle over buffalo meat:'They want to make Muslims jobless'
Meerut, India - On a midweek afternoon in Meerut's centuries-old Gudri
Bazar, a buffalo meat trader called Gufran Farooq displays the blade of a
cleaver against his palm. There are no bloodstains, he points out: the knife is
far too clean. So is the marble counter-top, the kheema (meat) grinder, and the
S-shaped hooks hanging from the bar above."The situation is serious,"
he says. "Everything in my life has come to a standstill." He nods
towards the lane, which lies strangely quiet between the shuttered shopfronts.
"The stray dogs are getting thin."For more than six weeks, no buffalo
meat has been bought or sold in Meerut's markets. Across UP, northern India's
fractious behemoth of a state, slaughterhouses have been closed down by a new Govt
led by the Hindu nationalist BJP. Meerut, which lies on the western plains of
the state, just 70km away from India's capital, is divided, and marked by a
history of inter-faith conflict. Residents explain its geography as a patchwork
of Hindu areas and Muslim ones. Religious identity crops up - spoken or
carefully unspoken - in almost every political conversation. aljazeera
UP youth Ansari acquitted in terror case: Innocent people shouldn’t have
to spend years in jail, says Kin
New Delhi: A year ago, Shakir Ansari was arrested from Deoband for
alleged terror links. After a 9-month trial, the 20-year-old was acquitted.
Relieved, Shakir’s family said they want the Govt to set up fast-track courts
so that innocent people do not have to spend years in jail. Delhi Police
Special Cell arrested Shakir from his residence in Deoband, UP, on May 3, 2016,
for allegedly setting up an IS-inspired ‘jihadist’ group and for links with
Jaish-e-Mohammad. On Feb.7, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh
Singh acquitted him of all charges, stating that the police could not produce
any evidence to back their claims.“My brother was innocent. That is why no
charge was proved. He was lucky. I think the Govt machinery should set up fast-track courts so that
innocent people do not have to spend several years behind bars,” Dr Zubair
Ansari, Shakir’s eldest brother said.Shakir now runs a small shop in Deoband.
His family said they had faced a lot of harassment during the nine months of
trial, and were keeping a low profile so as not to attract further harassment.
“I have no grudge against the probe agency, but I cannot explain what we have
suffered in these nine months. I thank Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, our counsel and the
judiciary for taking the side of truth,” said Zubair, sitting in his clinic at
Okhla’s Haji Colony.He said he had lived in Delhi for 20 years with his family.
“We live in this country and we stand for it. How could we promote
terrorism?”According to Zubair, Shakir finished school and got a job in a
showroom at South Extension. He quit after a year because the showroom owner
objected to his beard. He went back to Deoband and started running a shop of
mobile accessories. Shakir was arrested along with Sameer and Sajid following
raids by the Delhi Police Special Cell at their residences in Delhi’s Chandbagh
and UP’s Loni, respectively. Zubair said they had no money to fight the case,
but the Jamiat helped them financially.When contacted, Shakir’s lawyer MS Khan
said the court was not convinced with the police’s claim that Shakir had
attended a meeting at Sajid’s residence for making a dummy bomb. DCP (Sanjeev
Yadav) said that they had moved the High Court against the order. “The hearing
is on October 23,” said Yadav.The trial of the other two accused is on, he
added.Indian Express
Start Gau Rakshak Institutes to increase employment in India: Markandey
Katju
A tongue-in-cheek remark by the former Chairman, PCI, Justice Markandey
Katju, has stirred yet another controversy.In light of the recent string of
attacks by self-proclaimed 'Gau Rakshaks' who’ve been pummeling citizens to
death under the guise of cow protection and the fall of the once mighty IT
industry in India, Katju took to Facebook and Twitter, in what can only been
seen a direct attack on the Centre’s lack of governance to curb such
miscreants, calling for the central and state Govt to start Gau Rakshak Training Institutes “to
reduce unemployment.”“People had set up engineering colleges in India to make
money, but now there are no engineering jobs. So I recommend that the Central/
State Govt s and private sector now start Gau Rakshak Training Institutes, as
there is huge demand for gau rakshaks in the country,” Katju’s Facebook post read.Extending his
jibe, he made a few suggestions regarding the courses these ‘institutes’ should
offer, adding that while 90 % engineering graduates in India are unemployed,
he is sure that the Gau Rakshak Institutes would lead to 100 % campus placements.Times Now
Attack On Kolkata's Urdu Daily Akbar e Mashriq For Criticising 'Fatwa'
Cleric
Kolkata: A gang of around 20 men -- allegedly led by the son of a
Kolkata Imam who was recently in the eye of a storm over his use of a red
beacon -- tried to storm the office of an Urdu newspaper yesterday to protest
against its editorials and articles critical of the cleric.While Imam Noorur
Barkati of the Tipu Sultan Masjid, located in the heart of Kolkata, is close to
Mamata Banerjee and has often shared stage space with her, the newspaper's
editor is Trinamool Rajya Sabha lawmaker Nadimul Haq. His wife Farah Haq, who
was present during the attack, has filed a police complaint.Trouble erupted
around 10 on Monday night. The newspaper, Akbar e Mashriq, runs out of a
building in Kolkata's Park Circus area which also has Haq's home and the
office. According to Mr Haq, who was not on the premises at the time, the men
rushed into the building, went to the floor housing the office and home,
threatened the employees and his family.NDTV
Kolkata imam Barkati sacked by mosque board
Kolkata: Muslim cleric Noor- ur- Rehman Barkati was sacked on Wednesday
as the shahi imam of Kolkata’s Tipu Sultan mosque after months of controversy
over a series of fatwas and refusal to give up the red beacon.A meeting of the
trustees of the important mosque announced that Barkati – considered close to Mamata
Banerjee -- was removed for “objectionable and inflammatory remarks against the
country”, ANI reported.
Bengal civic polls: TMC wins 4 civic bodies, GJM-BJP alliance bags 3
Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress notched up significant
victories on Wednesday when results of elections to seven civic bodies showed
it getting a first foothold in the northern hills region.The party won the
Mirik municipality, part of the Darjeeling hills that have been a stronghold of
the GJM, and the three civic bodies that went to polls in the plains.GJM, which
was in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, retained the rest of the hill
municipalities that went to polls: Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. In
addition to Mirik, Trinamool won Raiganj, Domkal and Pujali in the
plains.Raiganj civic body was under Congress rule for 15 years before the
Trinamool routed it on Wednesday.7 civic bodies spanned 148 wards that held
elections on May 14. hindustantimes
West Bengal : When a Hindu girl made a madrasa proud
Kolkata: A 16-year-old Hindu girl sprang a surprise by making it to the
merit list in the results of the West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education
Examination 2017, which were declared here on Tuesday. Prashama Sasmal, student
of the Khalatpur High Madrasah in Howrah district ranked eight in the merit
list of the Class X final examination.She scored 729 marks out of 800, which is
about 91.9%. Speaking to The Hindu, Prashama said although there was a school —
Bireshwar Balika Vidyalaya — in her village Hariharpur in Udaynarayanpur, she
choose to study in the madrasah.“My father knew some teachers of the madrasah
and it was closer to my home. I got the support of all teachers. I will
complete my Class XII from the same institution,” she said.She also said
reading Islam Parichay and Arabic, 2 subjects which students have to take in
the Madrasah Board along with other subjects, was an “experience” for her.“No
one in my family had any knowledge of the subjects before. I have not got my
mark sheet but I think I have got 97 in Islam Parichay and 64 in Arabic, which
is compulsory optional subject,” the student said. About 2, 287 non- Muslim
students (mostly Hindus) have appeared in Board of Madrasah Education Exam
2017.thehindu
Abu Azmi takes over school run by Zakir Naik's IRF
Mumbai: Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi has come to the rescue of a
school in Mazgaon, Mumbai whose future was uncertain on account of being run by
Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).The Islamic International School
(IIS) will now be renamed as Avicenna International School and be run by his
Niyaz Minority, Education and Welfare trust. Azmi told Mumbai Mirror that the
school's staff will remain the same. "We do not wish to disturb the
academic year of any student. Even the syllabus will remain the same but with
little changes."The school has around 185 students and conducts classes
from nursery to Std X. dnaindia
BJP Kerala chief booked for spreading false report on RSS worker’s
murder
BJP’s Kerala unit president, Kummanom Rajasekharan, has been booked on
charges of spreading false report over the killing of an RSS worker in
Payyannur here on May 12, police said today. He was booked under IPC Section
153(a) on a petition by Muhammed Siraj, district secretary of Students
Federation of India, CPI(M)’s student wing, they said.PTI
Par panel summons senior EC officials over EVM issue
New Delhi: With several opposition parties urging the Election
Commission (EC) to revert to ballot paper system, a parliamentary committee has
summoned senior officials of the poll panel to discuss issues related to the
reliability of EVMs. EC has thrown a challenge to political parties to prove
that EVMs used in the recent assembly polls were tampered with after several
opposition parties questioned their reliability and demanded going back to the
paper ballot system. The planned challenge could take place later this month. PTI
WORLD
Israel razes Palestinian Bedouin village for 113th time
Israeli police forces have destroyed a Palestinian village in the Negev
region of the country's south for the 113th time since 2010, displacing its
residents and flattening its few still-standing structures. Heavily-armed officers as well as riot police
forces raided the village on Wednesday morning, and bulldozers destroyed the
makeshift homes locals had been living in, local Palestinian media outlets
reported.The Adalah Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights, a Haifa-based
advocacy group, estimates that 22 families made up of 110 people live in
Araqib. The villagers return and rebuild after each demolition. Al-Araqib is
one of more than 35 "unrecognised" villages across the desertous
Negev region, considered illegal by the Govt due to their lack of building permits. Aljazeera
Israelis set up new illegal outpost in northern Jordan Valley
A
group of Israeli settlers have reportedly begun setting up an illegal outpost
in the northeastern occupied West Bank district of Tubas, official Palestinian agency
Wafa reported. Quoting Aref Daraghma, a Palestinian official who monitors
settlement activity in the northern West Bank, Wafa said that settlers set up
mobile homes and solar panels in the area where the village of Khirbet
Al-Sweida once stood in the northern Jordan Valley.Daraghma added that the
settlers had also brought construction equipment and material and begun digging
a pool in the area. It said that Palestinians living in Khirbet Al-Sweida had
been evacuated by Israeli authorities to make space for Israeli settlements in
the area.At least two other illegal settlement outposts have been erected since
the beginning of the year in Nablus and Ramallah districts of West Bank,
although settlers in Ramallah-area outpost were later mandated by Israel to
dismantle their own structures. Middleeastmonitor
Israeli minister reveals ‘secret talks’ with Arab
countries
Israel’s Minister of Regional Cooperation and
Acting Minister of Communications revealed on Tuesday that there are “secret
talks and relations” with Arab countries apart from Jordan and Egypt, Safa news
agency reported. Tzachi Hanegbi made his comments to Saudi news website
Elaph.com and reminded the interviewer that his country has peace treaties with
those two neighbouring states.“There are secret talks and relationships [with
Arab countries],” he explained, “but these countries have not announced this.”
Although the media speculates about this, he added, it is best to “leave things
as they are” and not speak about the issue at the moment.When asked about the
forthcoming visit of US President Donald Trump to Israel later this month,
Hanegbi described it as a “historic” trip. “It has never happened in the
history of Israel-US relations that an American president has visited Israel
during his first term and in his first 120 days in office.” middleeastmonitor
Was Israel behind US laptop ban on Mideast airlines?
US news reports say Israel was the source of intelligence that President
Donald Trump disclosed to the Russians during a White House meeting last week,
igniting further controversy for the beleaguered administration.According to a
New York Times report on Tuesday, Israel shared with US spy agencies sensitive
intelligence about an ISIL bomb plot targeting airliners using laptop
computers.National Security Advisor HR McMaster denied that Trump had disclosed
any sources or methods to the Russians, saying the Washington Post report that
first broke the story was "false".A CIA spokesperson declined to
comment on the report and referred al Jazeera to the US National Security
CounciL,NSC. aljazeera
Trump to give speech on ‘peaceful vision of Islam’in Saudi
US President Donald Trump will urge unity between the world’s major
faiths on an ambitious first foreign trip that will take him to Saudi Arabia,
the Vatican and Jerusalem, the White House said Tuesday.National Security
Advisor HR McMaster laid out a detailed itinerary for the “historic trip,” due
to start late this week, and confirmed that Trump would address a gathering of
Muslim leaders on his “hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam.”Previous US
leaders have generally chosen a US neighbour such as Canada or Mexico for their
first presidential voyage, but Trump intends to plunge right into some of the
world’s most difficult spiritual and political conflicts.In Saudi Arabia, after
a day of talks with King Salman and his crown prince, Trump will attend a
gathering of dozens of leaders from across the Muslim world.“The speech is
intended to unite the broader Muslim world against common enemies of all
civilization and to demonstrate America’s commitment to our Muslim partners,”
McMaster said, adding that Trump will help open a center to de-radicalize
extremists.AFP
Red Cross: 115 bodies found in CAR's Bangassou
Red Cross on Wednesday said its workers had found 115 bodies in the
Central African Republic's (CAR) border town of Bangassou after several days of
militia attacks, raising by more than four times a previously reported death
toll.Antoine Mbao Bogo, the president of the aid group's local branch, told the
Reuters news agency that those killed had "died in various ways",
including from knives, clubs and bullet wounds."We found 115 bodies and 34
have been buried," he said from the capital, Bangui.A senior UN official
had previously reported 26 civilian deaths.According to the UN refugee agency,
the situation in Bangassou sent an estimated 2,750 refugees fleeing across the
border into the DRC over the weekend. The violence represents a new escalation in a conflict that began in
2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka fighters seized power and ousted then-president
Francois Bozize, prompting reprisal killings from Christian anti-Balaka
militias. aljazeera
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
"Saharanpur Violence Seems to Be Part of A Larger Conspiracy to
Target Non-BJP Voters":THE CITIZEN
Fringe right wing outfits now get more clout than they can claim:
Radhika Iyengar
The majority complex: minority may be forced to reconcile to being
second-class citizens:Julio Ribeiro, Rtd IPS
India’s Premier Science Bodies Moot National Programme to Study
Concoctions of Cow Excreta: R. Ramachandran
A deep analysis of Muslim representation in Delhi civic bodies: Shafeeq
Rahman,
Karnataka-cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari found dead on birthday in
Lucknow
1 in every 2 children victim of sexual abuse, says survey
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:11 PM)
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