Evening NEWS
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INDIA
With one ‘Azan,’ Kerala mosques to chip in for noise control
Malappuram:Mosques here are leading the way in controlling noise
pollution.The authorities of 17 mosques
at Vazhakkad in the district have joined hands to curb the
indiscriminate use of loudspeakers. They have agreed that there will be
only a single Azan, which is the call for prayer five times a day, for all the 17 mosques in the entire
region and have signed an agreement to keep the practice intact. Notably,
all the otherwise warring Muslim
sections-- two factions of Sunni and Mujahid (Salafi), Jamate Islami and
Tableeg Jamath-- have stopped the use of loudspeakers from last Sunday as part
of the agreement. According to the arrangement,
the single Azan will be called from the Valiya Juma Masjid, the biggest
mosque in the Mahal, the local Muslim council. The rest of the mosques would
only repeat it without noise. Besides integrating the Azan five times a day, the
use of loudspeakers for all other religious programmes in these mosques has
also stopped. There are seven mosques run by various groups in the Vazhakkad
town alone besides 10 others in the interior places.“The decision was in
response to the public opinion that indiscriminate use of loudspeakers had a negative effect on nearby
schools, merchants and even public meetings of various organisations and that
it should be stopped,” says TP Abdul Azeez, president of the council. The
decision was followed by several rounds of deliberations between the factions.
A 5-member panel has also been constituted to unify the timing of Azan of all
the mosques. The panel would soon meet the leaders of all the Muslim
groups and Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal seeking
to unify the timing within a week.Deccan Chronicle
Kerala mosque to deliver only one azaan over loudspeaker to fight noise
pollution
Muslims protest Yogi govt's move to make Muslim marriage registration
mandatory
Agra:As UP Govt is planning to make marriage registration
mandatory, Muslims are getting ready to come out on the roads in protest of
this 'un-Islamic' move.Muslim leader Haji Jameeluddin said the Muslim community
cannot accept the UP Govt 's edict to register Muslim marriages at the marriage
registrar's office as Muslim marriages are only registered at the office of Waqf
board of UP as per Nikahnama documents.He said Muslim marriages are already
registered according to the Sharia law and there was no need to register them
again merely to satisfy a Govt 's whim.He said the attention of both the Centre
and the state Govt s have shifted from development and crime control to such
frivolous issues. This is merely to divert the attention of the people from the
issues raging before the country, which the Muslims will not tolerate. Bhartiya
Muslim Vikas Parishad chairman Sami Aghai said that the Yogi Govt seeks to keep the Hindus and Muslims of UP
tied up in such petty issues so that they never raise their demand for development.
He said that similar issue came up during the Samajwadi Party govt as well but
the Muslims did not let it gain prominence with their protests and the Akhilesh
Yadav govt had to shelve this topic.Former president of the Muslim wing of
Samajwadi Party Md Yaseen Qureshi said
Muslim marriages get registered at the time they are solemnised so
Muslims do not need an additional registration, whereas most Hindu marriages
are conducted without any paperwork.Mufti Mudassar Ali Qadri said that Muslim
marriages are conducted according to Sharia, which is why the Muslim personal
law has been defined separately in the Indian Constitution. Qazi who conducts
these marriages is registered with the state Govt and he has to present the statistics of
marriages conducted by him in a year to the state govt, he said. indiatoday
Triple talaq deterrent in Deccan since 90 yrs
Hyderabad:In a first,All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has
issued an advisory to qazis across the country to insert a clause in the
nikahnama which prevents a man from pronouncing instant triple talaq.While the
move comes after an apex court suggestion to curb the controversial practice, a
similar deterrent exists in the Nizam's erstwhile dominions of Telangana and
parts of Karnataka and Marathwada for nearly a century."The decision to
spread awareness against oral triple talaq in one-sitting was taken by AIMPLB's
executive committee. If the bride wants the condition to be inserted in the
nikahnama, she can. The silver lining for Hyderabad is that a similar condition
is already present in the qazath system," said Maulana Rahmani. The
condition prohibiting pronouncement of instant triple talaq is recorded in the
'Kitabchah Aqd-e-Nikah' (marriage booklet) issued by the state wakf boards of
Telangana and AP, and now the residuary state of AP. Experts said pronouncing
instant triple talaq could be tantamount to a breach of contract in areas where
these booklets are in vogue. "Nikah is a contract between two individuals.
If triple talaq is pronounced, it is a breach of contract as both bride and
groom have signed on the booklet which states the man should not pronounce
instant triple talaq," said Syed Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini, chancellor of
noted Islamic seminary, Jamia Nizamia. Hussaini, who is also a member of
Telangana State Wakf Board, said while the nikahnama was designed by Jamia
founder Maulana Anwarullah Farooqui around 90 years ago, during Mir Mahbub Ali
Khan's reign as the Nizam of Hyderabad State, the booklet was later developed
by Syed Mohammed Qutubuddin Hussaini.Making a case for the Hyderabad system of
qazath to be replicated across the country, Nizamuddin said, "Qazath of
Hyderabad is unique, strong and ahead of its time. It also prevents alteration
of conditions as a copy of the nikahnama is kept with the head qazi, while
another goes to the state wakf board and a third one to the state
archives."Mohammed Ikramullah, hereditary qazi and secretary of
Anjuman-e-Qazath, an apex body of qazis, said the clause can be found under the
section -Huqooq-e-Zoujain' (Rights of Spouses). "The clause states a man
should not pronounce oral triple talaq in one sitting.Instead, he should
pronounce talaq once so that there's room for reconciliation," said the
qazi.TOI
Restraining clause of triple talaq is in practice since Nizam’s Rule
Open to amending cattle rules: Harsh Vardhan
Union Science and Environment
Minister Harsh Vardhan has said he will consider amending the Environment
Ministry’s notification disallowing the sale of cattle in animal markets for
slaughter. “If at all there is a need to change some language, we will consider
that,” he told The Hindu on the phone.“Right now, we are going through
representations by farmers, traders, animal activists and the leather
industry.” He, however, didn’t confirm whether a formal process had been
initiated. thehindu
Attacks By Cow Vigilantes 'Aberration', Environment Minister Tells NDTV
'Milk of cats, dogs of no use, cow is life on earth and represents all
animals': Animal Welfare Board
New Delhi: Govt's Animal Welfare Board, the main agency for framing laws
for the protection of animals, has a predominance of members dedicated to cause
of the cow. At least eight out of 10 independent board members are associated
with cow research and cow shelters or have been vocal about cow protection. Board
also has eight directors from the Govt .One of the independent members,Sunil
Mansinghka, is the chief co-ordinator of the "Go Vigyan Anusandhan
Kendra" - a centre for research on benefits of cow urine and dung.
"Grab your opportunity to be a Gau Sevak (cow protector)" - urges the
centre's website.Questioned about the tilt in Animal Welfare Board towards cow
specialists, Mansinghka quipped: "In our scriptures, there are 84 lakh
creatures, so do you think there should be 84 lakh members in the
board?"He asserted: "Cow is life on Earth and represents all animals.
The milk, urine and dung of dogs, cats and other animals are of no use." Board's
apparent cow-centric approach, first reported by the Print, is at odds with its
role as an advocate for all animals. The bios of the board members leave little
room to question the perception that it is somewhat skewed.Mohan Singh
Ahluwalia is the president of Gwala Gaddi, a company that claims to make
"100% premium herbal cow ghee" and also claims to "promote and
protect Indian cows" according to its Facebook page and official website. NDTV
Allahabad: Qureshi community to shun Eid celebration to protest closure
of slaughterhouses
Lucknow:Qureshi community of Allahabad, who are mostly into butcher
trade will not celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr this year to protest closure of
slaughterhouses after Yogi Adityanath-led BJP Govt assumed power in UP . The decision was taken
at a meeting of AIMIM and the Jamiat-ul-Quresh on Monday.“We will not celebrate
the festival and tie black ribbons while offering prayers to protest ban on
slaughterhouses,” said AIMIM’s city president Afsar Mehmud. “Situation is
alarming for the Qureshis, who are mostly uneducated and have no expertise in
any other trade,” he added, accusing the Govt of not paying attention to the
community’s plight. hindustantimes
Buffalo meat shops open quietly in UP, administration looks away:TOI
Meerut:Days after the BJP came to power in UP, meat shops began shutting
down across the state mostly due to the lack of "proper and licensed
slaughterhouses", as well as a host of other "violations".
Adding to the misery of meat sellers was the recent rule by the Centre
prohibiting cattle sale for slaughter in animal markets.Two and a half months
later, shops selling buffalo meat have quietly opened. Meat sellers in Meerut,
for instance, are slaughtering buffaloes at homes as an authorised corporation
abattoir still does not exist. Administration officials said they "needed
to take a sympathetic view". "How long will we stop people from
eating what they want. The govt has done nothing in the past three months to
resolve the issue," an official told TOI. Meat sellers are happy, but
cautious. "After over 2 months, we are finally doing some business. We had
approached the municipal corporation many times for a licence, but officials
did nothing. One day, after the month of Ramzan began, they told us that we
could sell meat, but quietly. We are completely at their mercy," said a
meat shop owner in Khair Nagar. A meat seller in Gudri Bazar said the supply of
the animal is low. "Due to Centre's cattle law and the fear of gau
rakshaks, mandis have disappeared," he said.TOI
Minorities commission chief & member divided over Saharanpur
New Delhi:Days after National Commission for Minorities (NCM) member
Sulekha Kumbhare said that the panel members would visit clash-hit Saharanpur,
NCM chairman Gayorul Hasan Rizvi said the issue was not within the purview of
the commission and so there was no question of such a visit. On May 31,
Kumbhare had said: “All the team members will visit Saharanpur next week to
assess ground realities. Justice should be ensured…But we need to check the factual
position first.” However, Rizvi said, “What has the commission got to do with
Saharanpur? Those were clashes between Dalits and Thakurs.” Cycle of violence
in Saharanpur began on May 5, when a man was killed and 25 homes were set
ablaze in Shabbirpur village. The clash began after Dalits objected to a
procession of Thakurs to mark the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap. Sources
in the commission said that Kumbhare made the statement at an impromptu press
conference immediately after taking charge. Rizvi, who was in Lucknow at the
time, was caught unawares and did not take kindly to it. His immediate fear,
according to the sources, was that such arbitrary functioning in the commission
could disrupt peace and inter-community amity. He said it was beyond the ambit
of NCM to get involved in caste clashes.Indian Express
Gujarat: Now, trishuls to protect cows, fight 'Love Jihad'
VHP Bajrang Dal on Monday distributed trishuls (tridents) to 75 youths
at a Trishul Diksha programme in Gandhinagar. The right wing organisations
claimed the purpose was to protect cows, fight 'Love Jihad' and for Anti-Romeo
squads near educational institutions. According to VHP general secretary
Mahadev Desai, "In the past two-andhalf years, around 4,000 trishuls have
been distributed to youngsters in Gandhinagar city and district." As per
the VHP's mission, in the past five months they have organised one Trishul
Diksha programme every month in the State capital and the last programme was
held in Sector 7.In the last 6 programmes, around 700 trishuls have been
distributed. "The trishuls are not to be showcased at home. We have given
clear direction to the youths to carry the trishuls with them," Desai
said. Talking about the concerns of carrying around weapons, Desai clarified
that the trishuls were not classified as weapons. "The trishuls are one
centimetre smaller than the prohibited weapons. Hence, it can be used to save
cows. There have been several cases of cow slaughter in Gujarat and the police
have failed to stop the crime. It is time the Hindu youth come forward to fight
it.Moreover, we are also working towards controlling the menace of Love Jihad
and are setting up Anti-Romeo squads around educational institutions in the
city," he said. Claiming trishul is a symbol of confidence and power of
Lord Shiva, Gandhinagar Bajrang Dal president Shaktisinh Zala said, "We
want to make a strong unit of Hindu youth who staunchly follow Hindutva and our
Trishul Diksha event in Gandhinagar is part of that mission."AhmedabadMirror
BJP man in Kerala sets up Christian helpline to fight ‘love jihad’:HT
A Christian man is starting his own version of the Sangh Parivar’s Hindu
Helpline to stop alleged incidents of ‘love jihad’, describing it is an attempt
to counter secret plots to convert Christian girls to Islam.Renjith Abraham
Thomas, who is a leader of BJP’s minority religions wing, the Minority Morcha,
said he had received encouragement from a wide array of Christians and others.Jimmy
Poochakkatt, a spokesman of the Syro-Malabar Church, said he was aware of the
formation of the Christian Helpline but declined to comment on it.The renewed
attention to ‘love jihad’ comes within weeks of an unusual and
communally-charged court case in Kerala. On May 24, the state High Court
annulled a wedding between Shefin Jahan, a Muslim man, and Hadiya, a formerly
Hindu woman who converted to Islam. The HC said that Hadiya (previously called
Akhila) could not be married without the “active involvement” of her parents.
It also ordered the police to conduct a probe into suspected conversions of
Hindu women by groups linked to Islamic State.Hindu Helpline in Ernakulam,
Kerala has been the subject of allegations of illegal or unethical behaviour.
In 2015, a widely cited probe by the news sites Cobrapost and Gulail found it
had coerced testimony from women, forcibly drugged some of them, and sought
deliberately to “create a true fear in society,about Muslims,” as one member of
helpline service was quoted saying.HT
BJP man behind helpline to save Kerala Christians from love jihad
Fringe Hindu groups meet in Goa today, agenda to turn India into ‘Hindu
rashtra’ by 2023
Panaji:Right-wing Hindu Janjagriti Samiti is holding a 4-day national
convention in Goa from Wednesday to push its agenda of making India a “Hindu
rashtra” by 2023.“Our aim is to make India great again and this is something
which can be achieved only by ensuring that it turns into a Hindu Rashtra,”
claimed Ramesh Shinde, the national spokesperson of the Samiti.Around 400
delegates from across the country as well as neighbouring Bangladesh, Nepal and
Sri Lanka are expected to attend the convention.The event at Ponda, the state’s
industrial hub, is likely to be dominated by contentious issues like beef ban,
amid a major controversy brewing in the state over the red meat. hindustantimes
Jharkhand: 2 Muslim men jailed for sharing objectionable messages on
WhatsApp
Ranchi: 2 Muslim men were arrested and sent to jail in Hazaribagh for
sharing communally-sensitive messages on a WhatsApp group, in the first
crackdown on those circulating provocative content on social media in
Jharkhand, police said on Wednesday.Hazaribagh SP Anup Birthare said Gulam
Jelani and Mohammad Shabbir were charged for promoting enmity between different
groups and deliberately and maliciously acting to outrage religious feelings and
sent to the Hazaribagh Jail on Tuesday.Under the charges levelled at Jelani and
Shabbir, they may face imprisonment of up to 3 years, police sources said.
Jelani and Shabbir have also been charged under the information technology
act.Police have warned the administrator of WhatsApp group on which Jelani and
Shabbir shared the provocative content, and may detain them as well,sources
said.They have also launched a manhunt for a Hindu man, who allegedly shared
provocative content on another WhatsApp group run in the same district.HT
3 ‘thrashed’ in Punjab’s Dera Bassi for “wearing” skull caps: Police
arrest one more person
Mohali: Derabassi police Tuesday arrested one more person for attacking
3 persons, identified as Ashfaq, Abdul Wahid and one of their friend, for
“wearing” skull caps, Sunday in Mubarikpur village. Police said that the
accused will be produced in court on Wednesday. The police have also beefed up
security outside the mosque in the village.Ashfaq, who was injured in the
incident told Chandigarh Newsline that he along with Abdul Wahid who is an Imam
at the local mosque were returning home after their prayers Sunday evening when
two persons attacked them with stones and a stick.“While I sustained injuries
on my head and arm, Wahid also sustained injuries after a stone hit him. There
were two assailants and they fled from the spot after injuring us. Some local people
took us to hospital and my friend Shahubudin lodged a complaint at the police
station,” said Ashfaq.When asked why the assailants attacked him, Ashfaq said
that he did not have any enmity and he also did not know the reasons on my head
and arm, Wahid also sustained injuries after a stone hit him. There were two
assailants and they fled from the spot after injuring us. Some local people
took us to the hospital and my friend Shahubudin lodged a complaint at the
police station,” said Ashfaq.Sub-inspector Mewa Singh said that he had arrested
2 persons identified as Gaurav and Nandi.indianexpress
NIA probe: Zakir Naik made sister a director, firms routed money
New Delhi: NIA has found out that IRF president Dr Zakir Abdul Karim
Naik, wanted in a criminal case registered last year, incorporated at least 11
companies in which he made his sister and a close confidant ‘dummy directors’
who kept transferring money from one company to another “as per Zakir Naik’s
instructions”.Sources said this is what NIA has learnt after questioning Naik’s
sister Nailah Naushad Noorani, close aide Aamir Gazdar and 2 others who helped
Naik purchase properties in and around Mumbai. The probe agency, which is set
to move to get Naik’s Indian passport revoked, believes he is in Malaysia where
he is seeking citizenship. NIA has also initiated proceedings to get a Red
Corner Notice against Naik. NIA has compiled a list of 11 companies and at
least 19 properties that Naik, his companies and family members own and hold
which, sources said, is “highly disproportionate to his ostensible sources of
income in India”. The agency is now probing the source of funds through which
these properties were purchased in the last few years and the routing of money
from one company to another, from one bank account to another. Sources said the
NIA has uncovered transactions running into crores of rupees ever since 1990.
From the statements of Nailah, Gazdar and two others, NIA investigators learnt
that the main source of funding of Naik’s companies was through “donations” and
“zakat money received from donors in India as well as abroad”. Sources said
Naik first incorporated IRF on Dec.20, 1990. He and his father Abdul Karim Naik
(who has since died) were among its directors. Until 2015, Naik had
incorporated at least 11 companies which were used by him to route funds from
one company to another.While probing the financial transactions of Naik and his
family members, NIA found that his parents had given a loan of approximately Rs
29 crore during 2013-2016 to his sister. Nailah told investigators that she
extended this Rs 29 crore as loan to Longlast Constructions Private Limited and
Harmony Media Private Limited. She is a director in both companies, she told
the NIA.
Bhopal encounter: Panel dismiss kin’s plea to visit encounter site
Bhopal: The one-man commission probing the SIMI jailbreak and encounter
Tuesday dismissed the pleas of kin of SIMI suspects' kin for a visit to the
encounter site and video evidence.Counsel representing the families of the alleged
SIMI activists who were killed in exchange of fire with police last year,
pleaded with the commission, for taking them to the jailbreak and encounter
site along with the commission, during the hearing.However, the prosecution
sources said Justice SK Pandey commission has dismissed the application. While
dismissing the plea requesting that the commission should visit the crime
spots—jail and the encounter site—along with the advocates, commission observed
that the visit is already in the commission's consideration.Apart from the
request for visit, the counsel of the family members of the deceased SIMI
suspects had also requested the court to summon the video and photographs taken
by FSL team at the crime spots. While dismissing it, commission observed that
the said evidences are already on commission's record, and commission will go
through the evidences and inform the counsel representing the kin of deceased
families about it,if required.Another application requesting the commission to
summon the newspaper and TV reporters and journalists, who covered the
audio-clips of the alleged wireless conversations between the police officials
and the team present at the spot. Commission also dismissed the plea, observing
that it will not be fruitful.TOI
Personal clash takes communal turn near Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Heated exchange of words followed by blows between 2
individuals led to communal tension in Kanyana near Vitla, 40 km away from
Mangaluru, on Monday night. SP Bhushan Gulabrao Borase said the incident
unfolded after Radhakrishna, 30, questioned Haneef, 30, a cattle transporter,
who was standing at Mugali bus-stop near Kanyana, over the latter’s alleged act
of verbally harassing a girl. This led to a fight between the two and
Radhakrishna slapped Haneef. Haneef later returned with a group of people to
Radhakrishna’s house where he was reportedly assaulted.A group of people then
went around in Kanyana forcing a few shopkeepers to down the shutters. People
from both communities tried to assemble at the Kanyana Junction on Monday
night. Borse said Haneef and Radhakrishna, who suffered a minor injury, have
been admitted to two different private hospitals. In a complaint filed to the
Vitla police, Haneef accused the group of assaulting him as he was involved in
cattle transportation. Radhakrishna has filed a counter complaint accusing
Haneef of harassing a girl. thehindu
At root of Mandsaur unrest in MP, a young, jobless mob
Mandsaur:For thousands of unemployed youths who live in villages off the
nearly 60-km stretch between Mandsaur and Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh , a
solitary soybean plant is the only major hope of employment other than agriculture
produce markets or mandis.There are some opportunities in the two towns
themselves, famous for licensed opium cultivators and a parallel illegal
market, which have brought relative prosperity to this region bordering
Rajasthan. In between, however, there are no plants or factories to offer
jobs.Job-seekers from these villages have to travel to Ratlam, Pithampur,
Neemuch or to Indore, 200 km away. There are a couple of soybean processing
plants in Neemuch and a cement factory in Nayagaon, 18 km away, but clearly not
enough to absorb them all.After the winter crop is harvested and before sowing
for kharif crop begins, youngsters of farming families have nothing on their
hands. It was such a crowd that was on the streets from June 1, the first day
of what was to be a 10-day strike called in support of fair price for
crops.Even the opium growers had protested recently, as also last year, with an
entirely different demand. Their protests went largely unnoticed outside
because the number of licensed cultivators in Mandsaur, Neemuch and part of
Ratlam — the three districts where legal cultivation takes place — is less than
20,000.
indianexpress
India has 2nd highest number of obese kids in world: Study
India has the second highest
number of obese children in the world after China, according to an alarming
study which found that 14.4 million kids in the country have excess weight. Globally,
over two billion children and adults suffer from health problems related to
being obese, and an increasing number die from these conditions, researchers
said. However, of the four million deaths attributed to excess body weight in
2015, nearly 40% occurred among people whose body mass index (BMI) fell below
the threshold considered "obese". Timesofindia
Mumbai top cop meets with Muslim leaders to counter radicalism: Mumbai
Mirror
Commissioner's off-the-record meet with community leaders other than
religious heads opens a conversation about ways in which radicalism can be
countered.Mumbai Mirror has learnt that the top cop last month chaired a
classified meeting with nonreligious Muslim intelligentsia in a bid to
re-engage the community to counter extremist threats by inviting
"unorthodox" suggestions for integrating troubled sections of the
community. On May 23, police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar hosted prominent
academicians, philanthropists, thinkers, and leading figures from the community
to debate ways to augment inter-faith relations, and bolster the community's
"working chemistry" with the police.About 90 people gathered for the
first such meeting, which also saw joint police commissioner Deven Bharti and
additional commissioner (special branch) Ravindra Shisve in attendance. Congregation,
which sought to open a conversation with a different set of stakeholders, was
pivoted on the idea that "policing is not what you do to the people but
what you do with the people".One of the attendees, Dr Khalid Shaikh,
director of Sai group of hospitals, said, "The aim was to bridge the gap
between the police and Muslims. We need to work for the betterment of society
and it is possible only if we do it together."Padsalgikar, an ex-IB
officer, told Mumbai Mirror:"We touched on the aspects of bettering social
interactions, tailored to chime with a series of social investments that can
offset the problems we face as a society."The attendees agreed that
"campus radicalisation" is gaining potency more than ever, since
colleges and universities have become virtual recruiting grounds for terror
operators. The problem is aggravated by the ease with which students can be
brainwashed through social media channels into aligning with deviant
ideologies.In this context, professors and teachers can play a central role in
spotting and countering fanaticism, it was discussed.Another attendee, Dr
Zaheer Qazi, chief of Anjuman Islam School, said, "A main area of concern
is misguided youths. We need to identify the problem within and take corrective
steps. It was a fruitful discussion and we are looking forward to more such
meetings."
Non-bailable warrants against yoga guru Ramdev for beheading remark in
Rohtak
Rohtak: A local court on Wednesday issued non-bailable warrants against
yoga guru Ramdev in a case over his controversial beheading remark in April
2016.The order follows Ramdev’s failure to appear before the court yet again on
Wednesday.Ramdev was summoned under Sections 504 and 506 of the IPC for his remark that he can
“behead lakhs of people refusing to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai if he weren’t
bound by the law”.He was addressing a gathering in Rohtak when he made the
remark. Ironically, RSS-backed Sadbhawana Sammelan was called to promote peace
in the city that witnessed violence during the Jat quota stir. hindustantimes
GULF DIPLOMATIC CRISIS
Amnesty criticises Saudi,UAE,Bahrain for rights violations
British human rights group Amnesty International said on Monday that
recent humanitarian measures by Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain were “vague and
insufficient and do not address the human rights situation,”Qatar News Agency
(QNA) has reported. The comment was made during a meeting between Ali Bin
Samikh Al-Marri, head of the National Human Rights Committee of the State of
Qatar, and Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty, in London.Both men
raised the consequences of the siege imposed by the aforementioned Gulf States
on Qatar, the serious violations of international human rights law and the
violation of the basic rights of Gulf and Qatari citizens.Shetty condemned the
violations, stressing that Amnesty would continue to work with all concerned
parties to reach a resolution. He said that the rights of families split by the
siege “must be restored in full, not only those chosen as exceptions,”
stressing that these are basic human rights that cannot be fragmented.During
his visit to London,Al-Marri held several meetings with other relevant bodies,
human rights figures and international lawyers. middleeastmonitor
‘Are you with us or with Qatar?’ Saudi King Salman asks Pakistan PM
Sharif
Islamabad: “Are you with us or with Qatar?” Saudi King Salman raised
this question during a meeting with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, who had visited the Gulf Kingdom
for finding a diplomatic solution to the Qatar crisis.The Saudi monarch asked
Sharif to take a clear position on Qatar during their meeting in Jeddah on
Monday, Express Tribune reported, citing diplomatic sources.“Pakistan has told
Saudi Arabia it will not take sides in the brewing diplomatic crisis in the
Middle East after Riyadh asked Islamabad ‘are you with us or with Qatar’,” the
paper said.PTI
Gulf crisis: Qatar forced to rely on airplanes to import food
GCC countries' blockades against Qatar have precluded many vital imports
from reaching the small country, including basic food supplies.Saudi Arabia's
closure of Qatar's only land border means a lot of country's food has to be
brought in by air. Al Jazeera's reports from the capital Doha on a major
operation underway at Hamad Airport.Al Jazeera
Turkey: Isolation of Qatar is not Islamic
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the isolation of Qatar as
"inhumane and against Islamic values", urging Saudi Arabia to take a
leading role in resolving the ongoing crisis among Gulf Arab
nations."Qatar has showed the most decisive stance against terrorist
organisation Daesh alongside Turkey. Victimising Qatar through smear campaigns
serves no purpose," he said during a parliamentary address. aljazeera
Putin warns Gulf crisis imperils Syria peace efforts
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has warned in a phone conversation
with the king of Saudi Arabia that the blockade against Qatar by its neighbours
will make it harder to reach a peaceful end to the war in Syria.Putin and King
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud "touched on the aggravated situation around
Qatar, which unfortunately does not help consolidate joint efforts in resolving
the conflict in Syria and fighting the terrorist threat," the Kremlin
said. aljazeera
Bahrain prominent human rights lawyer
arrested after launching lawsuit against govt over Qatar blockade
A prominent human rights lawyer in Bahrain has been arrested after
launching a lawsuit against the Govt over its restrictions imposed on neighbouring
Qatar.Issa Faraj Arhama al-Burshaid was detained after challenging Manama's
sanctions, which include blocking Qataris from staying in the country along
with other economic penalties.He filed the case with the Supreme Administrative
Court in Manama against the Cabinet, Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry. He
described the measures taken by his country against Qatar as
"arbitrary". "This siege has broken up family ties and hurt all
Bahraini families," said Burshaid. "The decision to cut diplomatic
relations violates Bahrain's constitution and laws." aljazeera
Saudi refuses to open airspace for Qatar
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority has rejected the opening of
airspace for flights to and from Qatar, a day after the chief executive of
Qatar Airways called for international action against the boycott imposed on
Doha amid a major diplomatic rift in the Gulf.The agency said in a statement on
Tuesday that the decision to impose the air blockade against Qatar was a
precautionary measure and was within the kingdom's sovereign right to protect
its citizens from any threat. aljazeera
UAE: 'No military component' in actions against Qatar
UAE' ambassador to the US said there was no military aspect to steps
taken by Arab powers against Qatar but further economic pressure could be
applied."There is absolutely no military component to anything that we are
doing,"UAE anvoy Yousef al-Otaiba told reporters in Washington. Aljazeera
Jordan plunges into economic crisis following Qatar blockade: middleeastmonitor
Jordan’s economy has incurred losses worth $2 million since a closure of
the Saudi land borders last week against the Jordanian exports heading to Qatar
as a result of the Gulf diplomatic rift.According to sources at Jordan’s
Exporters and Producers Association for Fruits and Vegetables, Jordanian
traders who have previously signed exporting contracts with Qatar, started
exporting their products by air.Jordanian shipments’ volume to the Gulf state
has also dropped to 90 tons per day, down from 600 tons per day before the
blockade.
WORLD
Cholera death toll in Yemen doubles in two weeks
The number of deaths from cholera in war-torn Yemen has risen to 923,
nearly doubling in the past two weeks, according to the WHO.The disease is now
affecting 20 out of Yemen's 22 provinces, with more than 124,000 suspected
cases, said the WHO on Monday.WHO predicted in May that the cholera outbreak
could affect as many as 300,000 people within 6 months. A state of emergency
was declared in Sana'a in May in response to the outbreak.The charity group
Oxfam says the disease is killing one person an hour in Yemen.
Israel in talks with Egypt, EU in bid to solve Gaza electricity crisis
Israeli authorities are in talks with Egypt and European countries in an
attempt to solve the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip where 2 million
residents have less than four hours of electricity every day, Israeli newspaper
Haaretz reported. On Sunday Israeli ministerial council headed by Netanyahu
decided to reduce Israel’s electricity supply to Gaza by 35 %. Israeli PM Netanyahu initially attempted to distance
himself from the crisis by claiming that the issue is part of an internal
dispute between the Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas.
Gaza power crisis worsens with PA push to reduce electricity supply
Wednesday marks the 10th anniversary of Hamas rule in the Gaza strip.
The decade has been marked mainly by conflict with Israel and economic collapse
under the strain of the Israeli blockade against the Palestinian
territory.Divisions between Hamas and the Fatah-lead Palestinian Authority have
worsened recently, with the PA sharply reducing its support for Gaza's
electricity supply.Al Jazeera's
Egypt cancels Fatah visit for duration of Hamas talk
Egypt has cancelled a planned visit by a delegation from the secular
Fatah movement which would have coincided with an official visit by Hamas to
Cairo for talks about mutual relations, local sources revealed to Quds Press on
Tuesday.The Cairo-Hamas meeting will also look at issues related to easing the
situation in the besieged Gaza Strip. According to the anonymous Egyptian
sources, the Fatah delegation led by Azzam Al-Ahmad planned to ensure that the
talks between Hamas and the Govt in Cairo are restricted to the Palestinian
reconciliation issue. middleeastmonitor
Right-wing Israeli MK: ‘Palestinians were here before Jews’
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170613-right-wing-israeli-mk-palestinians-were-here-before-jews/
A right-wing member of Israel’s Knesset has recognised that Palestinians
existed on land now occupied by Israel before Jews came to the country. In the
first statement of its kind issued by a right-wing leader, United Torah Judaism
party Member, Moshe Gafni, said:"Israel has no right to negotiate with the
Palestinians because they were here before it and the Jews drove them out of
their land."“The important thing is for Israel to be a Jewish state. Apart
from that, we have no right to conduct negotiations with the Palestinians
because they were here before us and we expelled them from here,” Arutz Sheva
reported him saying. middleeastmonitor
UK: 6 dead in massive fire at London residential building
London: A massive fire ripped through a 27-storey apartment block in
west London in the early hours of Wednesday, police and fire services said. 6
people were confirmed dead and the number is expected to rise, police said.An
emergency services official said that there are a number of fatalities. Police
said they were evacuating the block and "a number of people are being
treated for a range of injuries" including two for smoke inhalation. Emergency
services said 50 people injured in the incident were taken to 5 London
hospitals.Witnesses could hear screaming from the upper floors as the flames
rose and one desperate resident could be seen waving a white cloth.The fire
brigade said 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters had been called to blaze in
Grenfell Tower, which has 120 flats.ANI/AFP
London fire: 6 killed as Grenfell Tower engulfed
Unknown number of fatalities' as blaze engulfs London tower block
‘Just save my children’: Desperate parents threw kids out of windows,
say London fire witnesses
Senior US congressman Steve Scalise shot at in Virginia, several injured
Virginia:House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a
Republican from Louisiana was shot at during baseball practice, Fox News
reported on Wednesday.Police in Alexandria, say they are investigating a
shooting involving multiple people in northern Virginia.Appears at least five
people wounded at congressional gathering: Rep. Mo Brooks tells CNN.
Millions of Muslims didn’t March against ISIS, that was fake news
Trending topics are known to be a trigger for spreading fake news.
Recently as “ISIS attack Muslims during Ramzan” started trending, Alternative
News Network wrote a piece on an instance that – ostensibly – happened in
2016.The piece titled, ‘20 Million Muslims March Against ISIS and The
Mainstream Media Completely Ignores It’, writes about “tens of millions of Shia
Muslims who made an incredibly heartening statement, by risking their lives to
travel through war-stricken areas to openly defy ISIS”.The article that was
published on 10 June 2017 writes about the March taking place on Sunday and
Monday.The original story was published by American Herald Tribune on 21 Nov.2016.
The publication is reportedly owned by a Canadian professor and conspiracy
theorist named Anthony Hall. The story was then picked up by MintPress News the
next day. Soon, several small and big news publications published it, seemingly
without verifying.The Washington Post, International Business Times, The
Independent and Reuters published articles that debunked the news put out by
American Herald Tribune. The actual story was that millions of Shiite Muslims
were marching together, but not against ISIS. Rather, they were a part of a
march that is organised every year in Arbaeen, one of the world’s largest
pilgrimages in Iraq, to honour a famous Muslim martyr. The people were marching
in locations that is controlled by the ISIS, but it was not a march against the
group.Additionally, the report about the mainstream media not covering the
issue was also proved to be fake.Millions of marchers participate in the annual
Arbaeen procession in Karbala. Each year, Sunni Muslims and followers of other
religious groups such as Christians join the journey to mourn the martyrdom of
Imam Hussein. Coming back to the Alternative News Network’s piece, the report
is factually incorrect as the march did not take place on Sunday and Monday,
that is 10-11 June. In fact, the march usually takes place in the month of
November. The headline also is as misleading as the original piece published by
American Herald Tribune. Interestingly, apart from the news reports, cleverly
placed links in the story lead to e-commerce website such as Amazon and eBay.
Looking at the trending keywords and searches, it seems the publication
capitalised on certain keywords like ISIS, Muslim, etc. thequint
UN: 'Staggering' civilian deaths in Raqqa offensive
Intensified coalition air strikes supporting an assault by US-backed
rebel forces on Syria’s Raqqa are causing a "staggering loss of civilian
life", UN war crimes investigators have said. Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a US-led coalition,
began attacking Raqqa a week ago to take it from ISIL. Paulo Pinheiro, chairman
of the UN Commission of Inquiry, told the Human Rights Council on Wednesday
that the increased attacks have resulted "not only in staggering loss of
civilian life, but has also led to 160,000 civilians fleeing their homes".
Pinheiro did not provide a figure for civilian casualties in Raqqa, where rival
forces are racing to capture ground from ISIL.SDF, supported by heavy coalition
air strikes, have taken territory to the west, east and north of the
city.Syrian army is also advancing on the desert area west of the
city.Residents as well as the campaign group Raqqa is Being Silently
Slaughtered and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor also say
air strikes have killed significant numbers of civilians. aljazeera
US: Attempted block of part of Saudi arms sale defeated
Washington:A multi-billion dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia moved closer
to reality Tuesday after an attempt to kill part of the deal narrowly failed in
the Senate.Following the 53-47 vote, Sen. Rand Paul, who was part of a
bipartisan group of senators who sought to derail part of the arms package,
pledged the group would continue to work to defeat the sale he said is worth
$350 billion over a decade.“This is just the beginning, and we will continue to
take a stance against waging an undeclared war and fueling an arms race in the
Middle East," Paul said in a statement that highlighted the Saudi-led
coalition's campaign in Yemen. Anadolu agency
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
Unemployment is Up Because ‘Make in India’, Other Official Schemes
Aren’t Working:Jagriti Gangopadhyay, Wamika Kapur
Arab and Muslim World on the brink of a split: Dr. Waiel Awwad, senior
Arab journalist
Attempt to reduce Kazi Nazrul Islam to ‘Hindu’ writer is travesty of his
legacy:Ankan Kazi
Bipin Rawat did sound silly while elaborating on ways to deal with
Kashmir issue:Alok Rai
Farooq Dar’s case has damaged India’s case in J&K more than anyone
can imagine:Raja Muzaffar Bhat
What's At Risk If Triple Talaq Is Declared Unconstitutional: Mani
Shankar Aiyar, ex Congress MP
Beware of the rise of Hindu supremacists in America: Vikram Zutshi, Los
Angeles based filmmaker
Assam’s two-child norm could hit the poor, women and Muslims the
hardest: Pallavi Gupta
Hatred for Gandhi is a fundamental element of Hindutva
discourse: Shamsul Islam
Ashish Khetan: Look beyond the CBI raids on NDTV. Indian democracy
itself is under siege
Lessons for India From Nepal’s History of Banning Cow Slaughter: Amish
Raj Mulmi, Nepali writer
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:34 PM)
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