Evening NEWS
DIGEST
INDIA: INDIA
CHINA & KASHMIR
China says no room for negotiations on Sikkim standoff, adds Ladakh to
dispute with India
Beijing: With no end in sight to the standoff in the Sikkim sector,
China on Saturday said there is “no room” for negotiations to resolve the
military face-off and the only solution is the withdrawal of Indian troops from
the Donglang or Doklam region.India will face “embarrassment” if it does not
withdraw its border troops to its own side and the situation could get
“worse”, the official Xinhua news agency
said in a commentary on Saturday night.“China has made it clear that there is
no room for negotiations on this incident, and India must withdraw its
border-crossing troops from Doklam. For China, border line is the bottom line,”
the commentary said.The commentary sought to add yet another dimension to the
face-off by bringing in the Ladakh region and linking it to Pakistan, China’s
“iron brother” ally.“India should not regard the existing situation as the same
as or even similar to the previous two standoffs in 2013 and 2014 near Ladakh,
a disputed area between China, Pakistan and India in southeastern Kashmir.
Diplomatic efforts led the troop’s frictions there to a well-arranged end. But
this time it is a totally different case,” it added.It is rare for China to
call Ladakh a “disputed” region and make a reference to Kashmir.This is the
first time that China has clearly articulated – through one of its primary
official channels - that there is no room for parleys to resolve the weeks-long
impasse in Donglang, which is under China’s control but claimed by Bhutan.
Until now, the foreign ministry had listed the withdrawal of Indian troops
hinted as a precondition for resolving the face-off but had hinted there is an
ongoing effort to end it through diplomatic negotiations. Xinhua is an organ of
the Chinese Govt and is affiliated to
the State Council, Communist country’s cabinet. Commentaries published by
Xinhua and People’s Daily, Communist Party of China (CPC) mouthpiece, are taken
to be a reflection of the thoughts of the Govt and the all-powerful CPC.“India has repeatedly
ignored China's call for pulling its border-crossing troops from Doklam area
back to its own territory. However, turning a deaf ear to China will but worsen
the month-long standoff and put itself further into embarrassment,” the
commentary said.It added that India had “lied” to the world by saying it
dispatched troops to Donglang to help its ally Bhutan, whereas “apparently”
Thimphu had extended no invitation to New Delhi to intervene. “New Delhi
claimed encroachment of its own territory by China before saying it sent troops
to ’protect’ its ‘ally’ Bhutan, a sovereign state which has apparently so far
made no such an invitation for the sake of that boundary area,” it said.The
commentary, however, described foreign secretary S Jaishankar’s remarks during
a recent speech in Singapore as a “positive” sign.HT
Doklam border standoff: Govt’s briefing to Opposition parties in 5
points
Ahead of Doval’s visit to china, India raises importance of diplomacy
Sikkim Standoff: 'China caught off guard by India's strong response to
border dispute at Doklam'
UN chief stresses on engagement, dialogue between India, Pak on Kashmir
UN: UN chief Antonio Guterres has reiterated the need for engagement and
dialogue between India and Pakistan for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir
issue.The remarks were made by Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric during a
press briefing on Thursday. When asked: “Was the Secretary-General going to pay
any attention to what is happening over there (Kashmir)?” or “we are just
waiting for some sort of big tragedy to occur for the Secretary-General to take
attention”, the spokesperson replied: “…We reiterate the need for the parties
to find a peaceful solution through engagement and dialogue.”“…in terms of
paying attention, I think the Secretary-General answered in his own words that
question during the press conference,” the spokesman said referring to the
Secretary General’s first ever press conference on June 20.When asked by a
reporter at the June conference at the UN HQRS if Guterres was involved in
bringing about a dialogue between the two countries to resolve the Kashmir
dispute, he had replied: “Why do you think I met 3 times the PM of Pakistan and
2 times the PM of India?” “For someone
accused of doing nothing it is quite a number of meetings,” he added as he
responded to criticism that he was not doing anything in the face of rising
tensions in the subcontinent. However, Guterres did not expand on what his
efforts have been.IANS
UN chief calls for ‘peaceful’ Kashmir resolution
Turkish envoy: Erdogan remarks on J&K issue wrongly translated
New Delhi: According to Torunlar, Erdogan had said in an interview to
Wion TV channel, “Look, in order not to give opportunity to further casualties,
especially the bilateral dialogues, could be also multilateral dialogues.”
This, the Turkish envoy said, was different from what was translated and
broadcast which said, “We shouldn’t allow more casualties to occur. We should
strengthen multilateral dialogue. We can stay involved through multilateral
dialogues.”Turkish President’s comments had appeared on the day of his arrival,
which was followed by a weekend, and the remarks were not corrected immediately
as they did not catch the “eyes and the attention of the President’s press
office and the Turkish embassy in Delhi”, Torunlar said. But, on Friday, as he interacted
with some reporters on the eve of the first anniversary of the thwarted coup
attempt in Turkey on July 15 last year, the Turkish ambassador said that the
President had only suggested that they can play a role “if requested”.When
asked if the issue was raised and discussed between the two leaders, Torunlar
said he will have to check if he can share the contents of the discussion.
Speaking about the presence of members of the Fetullah Gulen group in India, he
said that “we advise all our friends to be vigilant”. Whether the Indian Govt has cooperated with the Turkish Govt on cracking down on the Gulenists in India, he
said, “There is a serious and very good cooperation between Indian and Turkish
authorities. We are happy with the cooperation.” indian express
Kashmir problem won’t be solved till entire country supports us;
Unfortunately China has started interfering in Kashmir: Mehbooba after meeting
with Rajnath
New Delhi:J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti met Home Minister Rajnath Singh
on Saturday in New Delhi. The two discussed the security situation in Kashmir.
“Kashmir me hum law and order ki ladaai nahi ladd rahe. Jab tak pura mulk,
political parties saath nahi dete tab tak ye jang nahi jeet sakte (The war we
are fighting in Kashmir isn’t that of law and order problems. We cant win this
war unless different political parties and the entire country supports us),”
she told reporters after meeting the Home Minister.“Foreign powers are behind
the attacks that are taking place. Now, even China has started meddling in our
affairs,” Mufti said in a reference to the stand-off between the two countries
over Doklam in Sikkim sector. J-K CM went on to express happiness regarding the
joint effort being carried out by political parties to find a solution to
Kashmir issue. “I am happy that the political parties have come together to
find a solution to problems in Kashmir,” Mufti said. Also Read: Doklam border
stand-off: All that has happened so farSources told The Indian Express that the
tense situation in the state, inability of ministers to break political
impasse, especially in South Kashmir and gaps in governance were discussed in
the meeting. “She (Mehbooba) told the meeting that ministers have to shape up or
ship out. She said that appraisal will be based on performance, public contact
and behaviour towards workers.” sources said. Indian Express
Unfortunately China has started interfering in Kashmir: Mehbooba on
attack in J&K
RAW operating from Afghanistan to create tension: Pak army
Karachi:Chairman Joint Chiefs of the Staff Committee, General Zubair
Mahmood Hayat, said on Saturday RAW was operating from Afghanistan and other
locations to create unrest in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan.Pakistan is
aware of the threats emanating from hostile intelligence agencies, especially
India's RAW, against the country and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a
senior Pakistani Army officer has said.According to Dawn News, Chairman Joint
Chiefs of the Staff Committee, General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, said on Saturday
RAW was operating from Afghanistan and other locations to create unrest in
Pakistan,especially in Balochistan. "Their designs (and) oblique actions
to sabotage CPEC are also well known,"he said while attending a ceremony
at Pakistan Naval Academy near Karachi. Pointing to the existential threat
emanating from India, Hayat said that asymmetry had reached a critical threshold
in the east. In order to counter such
threats, Pakistan's armed forces are committed to undertaking "synergetic
national efforts", he said.IANS
J&K: 3rd day of restrictions in Srinagar amid continuing clashes
Restrictions imposed in J&K ’s Srinagar entered its third day, as
clashes between security personnel and civilians continued in Narbal, Anantnag
and Pulwama. The police arrested 14 youth on Friday. “At least 10 youth and
four policemen sustained injuries in the clashes,” an eyewitness told Greater
Kashmir.The state Govt enforced curbs in
areas falling under the jurisdiction of 6 police stations in Downtown Srinagar.
The violence began in Narbal chowk after Friday prayers.Friday prayers were not
allowed at Jamia Masjid for the fourth straight consecutive week. Govt forces kept all its gates locked and cordoned
off all roads leading to it. scroll.in
Muslims help perform last rites of Kashmiri Pandit in Valley
Spreading a message of unity and brotherhood, around 3000 people, mostly
Muslims, gathered in Pulwama's Trichal village to attend the final rites of a
local Kashmiri Pandit.50-year old Tej Kishan, who lived here in Muslim
dominated area, died after remaining paralyzed for one and a half year at his
home. Muslim community helped the family to perform the last rites of Kishan as
per the Hindu rituals.his is true Kashmir; this is our culture and we share
brotherhood. We do not believe in duality or divisive politics. We share
composite culture, said Janki Nath Panditha, deceased's brother.Tej Kishan
decided to stay back in the Valley during the tumultuous years of nineties,
when majority of the population of the Kashmiri Pandit Community chose to move
out of the region due to the threat from Islamist Kashmiri
militancy."Majority of people present in the last rituals were Muslims. We
performed his last rites. We condemn incidents which try to create differences
between Hindus and Muslims. We live here in peace and harmony," Muhammad
Yousuf , Kishan's neighbour, said.Another relative of the deceased said that
the villagers live in peace and harmony without any communal tension.Kishan's
Muslim neighbours spread the word about performing his last rites over Mosque
loudspeakers in the entire region.ANI
All India Radio is working overtime to bring Kashmir back into India's
fold
New Delhi: Ever since the attack on Amarnath pilgrims on July 12, All
India Radio (AIR) has been running programmes for audiences in J&K ,
Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and parts of Pakistan that highlight the involvement
of Muslims in maintaining the shrine and running the yatra as a trust-building
effort. These programmes have been broadcast in six languages — Urdu, Kashmiri,
Dogri, Gogri, Pahari and Hindi — and they attempt to showcase the anger Kashmiris
felt at the terror attack.A programme broadcast on Tuesday, a day after the
attack that killed seven pilgrims, traced the origin of the cave that’s home to
the shrine. ‘Putting Amarnath in Perspective’ showcased the narrative of the
cave being discovered by a Muslim saint and told of how the shrine has been
maintained by Muslims for years. It also said several local Muslims are
actively involved in hosting pilgrims, transporting them and other
yatra-related activities.TOI
LYNCHING & COMMUNAL VIOLENCE
Slaughterhouse crackdown in UP, Butchers, farmers hit but great
businesses gain for big companies exporting buffalo meat: IndiaSpend
Mohammad Shafiq took solace from the large grain container placed in a
corner of the room. “This will last six to nine months. At least we won’t
starve now,” he said.52-year-old, who lives with his family in a small hutment
in a graveyard in Kanpur’s Idgah Colony, used to procure meat from the nearby Govt
slaughterhouse and sell it by the
roadside.In March 2017, the newly-elected BJP Govt in UP ordered action against slaughterhouses
and meat-sellers operating without valid licences and violating environmental
and health rules.Across the state, numerous shops and slaughterhouses,
including Govt -run abattoirs, were sealed, leading to severe shortage of meat
and affecting the livelihoods of thousands like Shafiq who made a living by
using common Govt abattoirs for a small
fee. Essentially, failure of municipal administrations to upgrade these
facilities had destroyed the vast unorganized meat industry, and hundreds of
thousands of ancillary jobs.For a while, Shafiq went back to his ancestral
village with his wife and kids. There, he worked as a farm-hand even though his
left hand does not function properly. “It was wheat harvesting season. I had
never done that work before but with my kids’ support, I managed somehow and
got 500kg grain in return,” he told IndiaSpend on a muggy June evening.Now back
in Kanpur, Shafiq hawks churan (tangy powder), tamarind and jamun around town.
“Earlier my elder son used to do this work, but he suffers from night
blindness. I thought I can put in more hours than him. He has now taken to
buying and selling scrap. I make Rs 200-250 a day while he manages between Rs
75-125,” Shafiq said.From meat-selling, Shafiq used to earn Rs 400-500 within 3
hours.“Meat, fresh from the slaughterhouse, would sell quickly. We don’t have
refrigeration, so I would only buy as much as I could sell easily. Any
leftovers, the family would use,” he said.While India registered a 3.33%
decline in livestock population during 2007-12, UP saw a 14% growth, indicating
the economy’s dependence on livestock and allied businesses, IndiaSpend
reported on March 29, 2017.Kanpur’s Bakar Mandi slaughterhouse, from where
Shafiq used to buy meat, was one of many govt facilities which had not been
modernised despite repeated reminders from the UPPCB.Butchers would pay a small
fee (Rs 25 for buffalo, Rs 10 for goat) to use the facility at night and the
meat would be put on sale around the city by early morning.“I support modernisation,
but the Govt should have made an
alternative arrangement before closing it down. A gradual phase-out would have
helped everyone,” Shafiq said.Danish Qureshi, 25, of Rampur town was similarly
rendered jobless. He now drives a rented e-rickshaw for hire, although he
considers meat-selling his family business. “My father had a licence issued by
the Municipal Corporation 45 years back. I used to get it renewed every year,”
he said, “Why didn’t anybody tell us we were doing business illegally?”His bigger
complaint is that the Govt is not
helping butchers secure bank loans to upgrade their shops, a prerequisite to
get FSSAI licenses.At the Sunday cattle market in Tirwa village, about 15 km
from Kannauj city in central UP, very few transactions were taking place as
farmers were not getting the price they were quoting.This was largely due to
enforcement of NGT order. The more recent central Govt ban on sale of cattle for slaughter in cattle
markets–currently on hold following a Supreme Court order–is yet to be
implemented on the ground.“Last year it was notebandi, and this year it is meat
bandi that has reduced demand,” said Arjun Singh, a farmer from Achanakapur
village. He was seeking Rs 50,000 for a young female buffalo, but was getting
offers of Rs 32,000.Since the slaughterhouse crackdown, farmers are unable to
fetch good prices even for milch cattle because buyers are worried they will be
unable to resell.“What if a buffalo is unable to breed? No other farmer would
touch it. Should we keep spending on its fodder or sell it to a slaughterhouse?
Why can’t the Govt understand this
simple logic?” asked a farmer at a cattle market in Chaubepur village near
Kanpur.Brajal Kumar Dwivedi, a young farmer from Jaisinghpura village, wanted
to sell a mother-calf buffalo pair for Rs 90,000. He was getting offers of up
to Rs 70,000. “I bought it last year for Rs 80,000 from Sakipur mandi, had it
fed and impregnated, and am still unable to get the price I paid,” he said.
Engaged to be married, Dwivedi needed money for his wedding but said he would
wait a few weeks for prices to stabilise, and would sell milk to the local
dairy until then.Jaddunath Singh of Kithwa village was not so lucky–he had to
sell a buffalo at a Rs 11,000 loss because he needed money for the treatment of
his hospitalised father-in-law.Those providing ancillary services are also
affected. Rajendra Singh, who lets out vehicles to transport animals, was
staring at another dull day. “Most farmers are taking their animals back on the
vehicles they came on. Only a buyer would hire a vehicle here, but not many
deals have come through. This has been the case for the last three months,” he
said.The Pechbagh hide market in Kanpur, the largest in India for buffalo skin,
has also seen trade decline over the last couple of years–particularly since
2015 mob lynching of a Muslim man, Akhlaq, and his son, who were suspected of
stealing and slaughtering a stolen cow calf, in Dadri in eastern UP.“Fear of
cow vigilantes who beat up transporters even if they are transporting only
buffalo skins has scared away suppliers,” said Akhtar Hussein Akhtar, a godown
owner at Pechbagh and an office-bearer of the local Hide Merchants’
Association. Akhtar explained that large, mechanised slaughterhouses sell hides
directly to big tanneries, and only those engaged in skinning dead animals sell
to merchants in Pechbagh.“[Earlier] most of the supply came from Govt abattoirs while weekly supply from villages
filled the gap.Now whatever raw material we are getting is from villages and
that too of animals who die of natural causes, not slaughtered ones,” he said,
adding that supply has gone down from 10,000 hides per month to 500. “We have
also reduced our employee strength from eight workers to just one now,” he said.According
to the Hide Merchants’ Association, around 40,000 people are directly engaged
in this trade. Membership of the association has reduced by half in the last
few years as many have turned their godowns into garment shops.According to the
All India Meat and Livestock Exporters’ Association, UP’s meat industry employs
nearly 2.5 million people. But there’s a stark difference between the formal
market consisting mostly of wealthy exporters and the informal community of
butchers, meat suppliers and those trading in animal byproducts. While the
former own mechanised, well-equipped slaughterhouses that usually have the
requisite permits, the informal market is dependent on Govt -run abattoirs,
most of which have now been shut down for failing to comply with rules.The
crackdown has therefore skewed the market in favor of big companies, which have
thus far been engaged in export of buffalo meat. “Big companies are making tidy
profits as the cattle market has tanked due to no demand from butchers. On the other
hand, shortage of meat in the market has caused its price to increase. So, the
companies can buy animals at a low price and sell meat at a premium,”
Dharmendra Malik, general secretary of the UP branch of the Bharatiya Kisan
Union (BKU), told IndiaSpend.To combat the meat shortage, the Kanpur DM
arranged a meeting of meat-sellers and private companies operating from Unnao,
a leather and chemicals hub 15 km from Kanpur. “We are granting no-objection
certificates for meat shops to operate on the condition that they source meat
from these companies,” Dr A.K. Singh, the veterinary officer at Kanpur
Municipal Corporation, told IndiaSpend. Similar arrangements have been made in
other cities, including Bareilly, Moradabad, Aligarh and Muzaffarnagar. The
price of buffalo meat has gone up from Rs 150 per kg before the clampdown to Rs
200 now.Businesses are happy to tap the market not open to them earlier.
“People are not very keen on the frozen meat we supply as they are used to
getting raw and fresh meat from the city abattoirs. But that option is not
available now. We are currently supplying 3-4 tonnes of buffalo meat per day to
Kanpur and hope to scale it up to 30-35 tonnes,” Abhishek Arora, owner of AOV
Exports Limited, told IndiaSpend.Butchers, however, are unhappy at being
compelled to buy from large companies.
Many said an ideal solution would be to set up an alternative
slaughtering site away from habitation until Govt abattoirs are modernised. HT
UP Slaughterhouse Crackdown: Butchers And Farmers Hit; Big Businesses
Gain:Manu Moudgil, IndiaSpend
Union Minister Athawale says Everyone Has Right To Eat Beef, condemns
gau-rakshaks, lynching
At a time when there is seems to be nothing stopping the attacks over
beef suspicion and cattle smuggling and the Govt is making hardly any attempt to stop the
violence, a minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet has said that whoever wants
to eat beef can do it.Union Minister of State for Social Justice, Ramdas
Athawale, has said that every individual has the right to eat beef, and that it
is “Not right to become a nar-bhakshak in the name of being a gau-rakshak”.“Every
individual has the right to decide what they should eat. If anybody wants to
eat beef, it is their individual right. Today, cow vigilantes in the name of
cow protection are stopping vehicles carrying meat or animals and beating
people. Many innocent people have lost their lives, which cannot be justified
or overlooked,” the Republican Party of India leader from Maharashtra said.He
also suggested that the rise in vigilante attacks is a ploy to undermine the
Modi Govt .“The increasing incidents of violence in the name of the cow could
be a strategy to undermine PM Narendra
Modi. Opposition leaders have alleged the role of a section of the BJP working
to undermine the rising status of Modi.” Indian times
Indian Muslims want special law to protect minorities against mob
lynching, attacks
Muslim organisations and civil society groups across Maharashtra state
in western India are demanding a strict law to counter mob lynching and attacks
on minority groups on the line of legislation to prevent atrocities against the
Dalits or former “untouchables”.Demanding an act like the Scheduled Caste and
Scheduled Tribe Prevention [Atrocities Act], the groups, including Muslim and
Dalit organisations, have already led three “Aman” or peace rallies in Pune,
Latur and Solapur, Indian media reported.The SCST Act has saved Dalits’ lives,
and property and even personal dignity, on several occasions in all parts of
India because of the stiff penalties it provides for. It is one reason why
high-caste Hindu does not insult Dalits as before.Another “Aman” one is
scheduled to be held on July 15 in Pune.bdnews24.com
Welfare Party hold protest demonstration against mob lynching
New Delhi: elfare Party of India organized a big protest demonstration
against growing incident of mob lynching across the country. The protest was
joined by many other social and political groups at historic Jantar Mantar on
Thursday. Protesters demanded stern action against those involved in rising
lynchings and mob attacks on Muslims. Party leaders condemned the attitude of
the BJP-led Govt saying the PM is only doing lip-service. They alleged that
the Govt did not take any concrete step
to curb this ‘lawlessness’ in the name of protecting cattle which even doesn’t
know what is happening in her name.Welfare Party President Dr. S Q R Ilyas said
that the Govt has shown least concern
about the growing incidents of mob lynchings and attacks on Muslims in which
members of BJP’s affiliate organizations are involved. Dr Prem Singh, General
Secretary of the Socialist Party of India, said it is most reprehensible that
innocents are being killed in the name of protecting a cow. Prof Mohammad
Suleman, President of Indian National League, said since the Yogi Govt came to power in the India’s largest state, a
reign of terror is unleashed by Hindutva groups with the tacit support of the
administration. A Raghavan from Lokraj Sanghatan, Sikh leader Baljit Singh and
Intezar Naeem from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind also addressed the gathering and
condemned the growing scourge of mob-lynchings and attacks on Muslims in the
country. theindianawaaz
Christian Groups Join Thousands Protesting Against Religious
Intolerance, Hindu Mob Attacks in India
Muslim women molested, family assaulted, robbed on train in UP’s
Mainpuri by mob
Members of a Muslim family were beaten up and their women allegedly
molested before being robbed of cash and jewellery by a group of hoodlums
aboard a passenger train in UP’s Mainpuri district on Wednesday.The incident
happened after Mohammad Shakir (50) and his family, returning from a wedding,
boarded the Shikohabad-Farukkhabad passenger, which did not have GRP personnel,
from Bhongaon at night.Reportedly,culprits snatched the mobile phone of Faizan,
a physically challenged child of the family. As Shakir and his relatives
objected, the accused got violent.According to other passengers, accused also
passed comments on the women of the family, provoking Shakir and his 3 male
relatives to strike them.The accused hit them back and called their friends,
who boarded the train at subsequent stops and assaulted them with batons and
iron rods, and also pelted stones, breaking the train’s window panes.“My family
members suffered fractures, head injuries and internal injuries. Some even lost
consciousness,” Shakir told the police, adding that the accused also molested
the women, and fled with jewellery and Rs 60,000 cash.Police detained 4 youths.
However, they were not found to be involved in the incident.Officiating SP of
GRP, OP Singh said these youths and other passengers had given clues that may
lead to the culprits.A video shot by one of the victims’ family member showed
there were around 15 assailants, a number of whom had got in after the train stopped
at Pakham station.HT
Muslim Family of 10 Assaulted, Looted and Abused by Mob in Train near
UP’s Farrukhabad
HC asks UP govt to file reply on bail plea of accused in Dadri lynching
case
Allahabad: Allahabad High Court has asked the UP Govt to
file a reply on the bail application of one of the accused in the Dadri
lynching case.A single judge bench of Justice Pratyush Kumar asked the state Govt
to file its reply on the bail application of Vishal by July 21, the next date
of hearing.The HC had in April granted bail to two other accused in the case. Akhlaq
(55) was beaten to death and his son Danish was brutally assaulted by a mob
that had barged into their house at Bisada village of Gautam Buddh Nagar
district in Sept. 2015.PTI
Jharkhand lynchings: Muslims fear backlash, Hindus dread arrest in
Sobhapur
Haldipokhar:House of Mohammad Murtaza is under lock and key. His
neighbour, Abdul Hakim, has also left with his family for a place known to
none.A little ahead in the lane at Sobhapur village in Jharkhand’s
Seraikela-Kharsawan district, three more houses were also found locked and the
families traceless.An uneasy calm prevails in the village, with around 130
houses, 80 of them Muslims, that witnessed grisly scenes of violence as an
agitated mob lynched four men, all Muslims, on suspicion of being child lifters
on May 18. Investigations later revealed that they were planned murders, and
alleged cattle theft and smuggling — not child lifting — was the actual cause
of the lynching.During the lynching, the berserk mob had also attacked and
vandalised few houses. Those families were the first ones to flee.Villagers
after much persuasion revealed that the families have migrated days after the
lynching incident. “More families are planning to shift to safer places,” they
said.Around one and half months after the gruesome incident, in Sobhapur and
neighbouring Muslim-dominated Haldipokhar from where the victims hailed, the
local populace has undergone a lot of social, political, and behavioural
changes.Muslims and Hindus, who peacefully coexisted and lived in harmony for
decades, look at each other with suspicion. Muslims in Sobhapur — the only
village under Rajnagar police station area, around 170 km from capital Ranchi,
with a sizeable Muslim population — are feeling insecure and migrating
gradually to safer places.A HT team traced Murtaza in Haldipokhar, a semi-urban
Muslim colony housing at least 1200 families, eight kilometres from his
village, where he has built a small asbestos roofed house on the outskirts.“I
feel safe here,” he said, putting up a plastic sheet outside his house to cover
few household articles from the rain.“It was painful migrating from the village
where I was born and my forefathers lived but there is nothing else we could
have done. The fear of reprisal after massive police crackdown against those
involved in the lynching loom large on the Muslim families,” Murtaza rued.A
farmer, he occasionally visits his farms in Sobhapur for a couple of hours
during the day but returns before sunset just like other villagers who have
stopped stepping out of the house in the night.“We are living in constant fear.
The only solace is the newly set up police outpost in our village. Their
presence is giving us strength,” said Md Zakir, who hasn’t migrated yet.At Hata
Chowk, the local market, Muslims shut their shops early.TOI
Muslim man beaten up by cow vigilantes in
Maharashtra is a BJP leader: Now Fear in Muslim
locality
Bhorsingi (Nagpur): Shabbir Shiekh (25), a resident of Shahar Masjid
area in Katol town of Nagpur, is a devout Muslim but he is afraid to grow a
long beard nowadays.“We had heard about Muslim men being lynched in north
India, but now a person from our own locality has been attacked. This is
shocking and dreadful. We feel unsafe,” Shiekh told this reporter.He was
referring to a group of men attacking his neighbour Salim Shah at Bhorsingi
village (15 km from Katol) a couple of days ago on the suspicion that he was
carrying beef. Shiekh is not the only person in his locality who feels this
way.“This (attack by cow vigilantes) should not have happened in Maharashtra.
We believed our State is safe compared to northern States,” said Shiekh Abid,
another resident of Shahar Masjid locality. “Even when there were incidents of
communal violence in other parts of the country, our area never witnessed any
rift. Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists have been living here peacefully. But what
is happening now is not good. The situation has changed in the last few years.
There was Akhlakh, there was Junaid and now there is Salim. The attackers
should be given strict punishment.”Muslims in the area are afraid, though Shah
is a BJP leader and his party has openly condemned the incident. BJP’s Nagpur
rural president Rajiv Potdar said Shah was carrying mutton, not beef.Almost all
the residents had gathered in front of Shah’s house when he came home on
Thursday and the fear among the people was palpable. Shah was attacked by “5 to
8 men” in Bhorsingi village. “They attacked him at the bus stop. He ran to my
garage. I heard the noise and came out as the group was thrashing him. I asked
them to stop, but someone said they would murder him. I called up the police
and the policemen came here quickly and saved his life,” said Allauddin Sheikh
of Bhorsingi, an eyewitness to the incident. However, apart from Allauddin, no
other villager was willing to talk about the incident that took place in the
busiest square of the village at 10 am.Parents of the main accused, Moreshwar
Tandurkar, were unapologetic.“The entire village participated in the attack,
but only my son was arrested. He was taluka president of the Prahar
organisation and would be the first person to help anyone in need. It must have
been beef and Moreshwar must have had the correct information,” said
Moreshwar’s father Lakshan Tandurkar.“But they should not have beaten that man.
They should have handed him over to the police, because we knew the villagers
would back out when it came to police matters.”Ashok Raut, a close friend of
Moreshwar who met him in jail, said he showed no remorse. “He said he knew it
was beef and he told me what he did was right,” Raut said.“There are slaughter
houses in Amner village and this man was transporting beef to his customers in
Katol,” claimed Arun Dhote, another friend of the main accused.However, Amner
sarpanch Devendra Bondre denied the allegations. “There are slaughter houses in
the old locality of our village, but I have never heard of cows being
slaughtered there. They do slaughter old and sick horses and other animals, but
not cows,” he said. 4 villagers from Amner — Sheikh Habib, Sahebrao More,
Santosh Jevankar, Javed Qazi — and inspector of Jalalkheda police station Vijay
Tiwari also denied the allegation that cows are slaughtered in Amner and beef
is transported to other areas. the hindu
Muslim man beaten up by cow vigilantes for
‘carrying beef’ in Maharashtra is a BJP leader
Cow vigilantes or extortionists? India Today exposes Maharashtra's cow
saviours
There have been several cases across the country where beef transporters
or even meat transporters were lynched on suspicion of carrying beef by
self-styled gau rakshaks from various right-wing factions. India Today team met
several beef sellers and spoke to them about the issue and the revelations made
by beef sellers were shocking.The information revealed by beef sellers and
transporters pointed towards groups of these self-styled gau rakshaks, who had
started making easy money threatening them, if they failed to pay a premium to
get their consignment into area near Mumbai, their consignments would be
destroyed and they'll be lynched.In broad daylight, these gau rakshaks pose as
saviours of cows, but their real intentions were exposed when India Today
conducted a detailed ground investigation through two sting operations at two
major entry points of Mumbai.The first sting operation was carried out on the
outskirts of Mumbai on a very important national highway which comes from
Gujarat carrying heavy transport. We are talking about Wada-Bhiwandi highway
which originates from Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway near Manor and reaches interior
Thane district passing through the Wada taluka. It is one of the most dreaded
routes for businessmen getting beef from Gujarat.On this very route is a very
famous cow shelter named Gopala Gaushala in a village named Angaon. Gopala
Gaushala runs regular patrol on the highway and nearby areas with the help of
Bajrang Dal activists and the team is called as Gashti Pathak. Members of the
Gashti Pathak are feared by beef businessmen as they have built an image of
being cow protectors, who destroy, damage if beef is found being transported
irrespective of whether it's cows, bulls or bullock beef.When we approached one
of the key members of the Gashti Pathak, seeking protection for the beef we
were getting from Gujarat and was to be sold in Mumbai. The person called us
for multiple meetings and finally what he revealed was shocking. He agreed to
give protection for a decided sum and also assured that once he was in the
vehicle transporting the beef, no one including police would bother to stop the
vehicle.Gopal Gaushala has been infamous amongst beef businessmen who cater to
areas of Bhiwandi which is Muslim-dominated suburb of Mumbai.Businessmen claim that
earlier when the deals were not struck with Gaushala's Bajrang Dal activists,
they would destroy the beef by throwing diesel and coal tar over it making it
inedible. Gaushala also has a website which boasts of cow protection and
activities of the Bajrang Dal Gashti Pathak (Bajrang Dal Patrolling squad).
Reporters initially surveyed the area after meeting some beef sellers and came
to know about Gopala Gaushala and its Bajrang Dal Gashti Pathak.Accordingly the
undercover reporters, initially posed as informers, met a Bajrang Dal person to
provide tip-off regarding a consignment. He provided us with the number of
Vasudev Patil, who is a very active gau rakshak and member of Bajrang Dal
Gashti Pathak.India Today
Miscreants write ‘Pakistani Block’ on Muslim family house in Chandigarh
Chandigarh: Tension griped colony number 4 in Industrial Area,
Chandigarh, on Saturday after miscreants wrote ‘Pakistani Block’ on the wall of
a house belonging to a Muslim family.Chandigarh police had to deploy heavy
forces at the area to ensure that the situation is kept under control.
According to sources, it is for the first time that such an incident has
happened in Chandigarh. After the news of defacement spread in the city, activists
of Congress party and Bajrang Dal reached the area and raised slogans of
‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.Activists also repainted the wall and wrote ‘Bharat Mata
Ki Jai’ in place of ‘Pakistani Block’.“I am unaware, who wrote this on the
wall,” said Islamudin, resident of the house. He added, “Action should be taken
against those who are trying to disrupt communal harmony.”“This is an
unfortunate incident and the person responsible will not be spared,” said
secretary Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Shashi Shankar Tiwari.HT
No Haj for Muslims if they create obstacles in construction of Ram
Temple: BJP MLA
Kanpur:BJP MLA from Charkhari, Brijbhushan Rajput, warned Muslims that
they won’t be allowed to go on Haj pilgrimage if they create obstacles in the
construction of Ram Temple in UP ’s Ayodhya.He issued the warning through a
video on his Facebook page.“Muslim community should respect the feelings (on
the issue of Ram Temple) of 100 crore Hindus in the country. If they don’t do
so, we will not respect their feelings too,” he said.“If they (Muslims) create
hindrance or stop construction of Ram Temple, their Haj pilgrimage will also be
stopped,” Rajput said.MLA also called upon the people to avenge the killing of
7 Amarnath pilgrims by “storming the houses of terrorists”.Rajput demanded that
the minority status of Muslims should be repealed and the subsidy given on Haj
pilgrimage should be scrapped.After putting up the video on his Facebook page,
Rajput told HT it was not his statement but that of 100 crore Hindus.
Justifying his stand he said if Muslims were taking it as a threat then let it
be. “I completely stand by what I have said in the video,” he said.HT
Imam Bukhari to Centre: Muslims concerned over cattle slaughter
restrictions
Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bhukari, has expressed
concern over the rising incidents of violence and killing of innocent people in
the name of cow protection. In a letter dated July 12 and forwarded to Union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Bukhari said even people carrying buffaloes are
not being spared. "This situation has made us particularly concerned. This
concern has increased due to the coming festival of Eid-ul-Adha, wherein
animals are sacrificed. On this occasion, animals from small towns and
districts are taken to big cities for selling. Apart from goats, buffaloes too
are carried to the markets. The restrictions imposed by the Govt in the recent past on the sale of cattle meant
for slaughter in the cattle markets a likely to disturb the sacrifice of
animals on a large scale," he said. He said these restrictions have
instilled in Muslims deep concern as well as fear. "It is also strongly
feared that people carrying animals to the markets will become a target of
violence. We are not n favour of sacrificing cows. Sentiments of a particular
religious community are attached. We give due respect to their religious
sentiments, but if those carrying buffaloes and cows are attacked in the name
of the protection of animals, then the peace of the country will be
affected," Bukhari cautioned.ANI
Bajrang Dal Members In Bengal Have A New Mission, To Put Tilak On A
Muslim Minister
Alarmed by what they call "systematic persecution" of Hindus
in Bengal, VHP Bengal leg organised a mega sant sammelan in Kolkata. The agenda
of this summit is to help Hindus of the state find a way to makes themselves
heard, in the light of the recent Basirhat riots. One of the main resolutions
passed in the summit was to put tilak on Bengal Urban Development Minister
Firhad Hakim. No non-Hindu person can be made the head of any committee of a
Hindu place of worship. This resolution is in direct reference to the
controversy that erupted recently after Mamata Banerjee appointed her close
aide and Minister Firhad Hakim as the chairman of the newly formed Tarakeshwar
Development Board (TDB) in Hooghly district.Opposition has accused the CM of
playing appeasement politics by appointing a Muslim leader as the head of the
board that will also take care of the Tarakeshwar temple, which is a famous
288-year-old Shiva temple. "We firmly believe that if he is being made the
head of a Hindu temple he should not object to a tilak. We have directed all
Bajrang Dal members to put tilak on him wherever he is spotted," Sourish
Mukherjee, spokesperson of Bengal leg of VHP, told ScoopWhoop News. Another
resolution passed in the summit was that Hindus should prepare to protect
themselves from any eventualities. "Irrespective of caste, creed, and
political affiliations, all Hindus should unite to protect their own interest
and for their security," said Mukherjee.
Scoop Whoop
Kerala: Muslim organisations raise concerns over cow vigilantism, PM’s Israel visit
Kozhikode: Raising serious concerns over instances of cow vigilantism in
the country and the recent visit of PM Narendra Modi to Israel, leaders of several
Muslim organisations have called upon people to resist the attempts being made
to alter the secular and social fabric of the country.The leaders under the
umbrella of the Muslim Organisation Coordination Committee, which met in
Kozhikode, adopted a resolution seeking the support of like-minded parties to
be part of a rally as its first phase of campaign to be held in Kochi
shortly.IUML leader Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal presided over the meeting. Other
signatories to resolution include P.K. Kunhalikutty and E.T. Mohammed Basheer,
MPs, Syed Mohammed Koya Thangal Jamulalli, Ummer Fazi Mukkom, K. Moinkutty, TP
Abdulla Koya Madani, P. Uneenkutty Moulavi, Kunhi Mohammed Madani Paravur, CP
Salim, Sheikh Mohammed Karakunnu, PP Abdurehiman Peringadi, Ali Akbar Moulavi,
EP Ashraf Bakhavi, Kadakkal Abdul Aziz Moulavi, Thodiyoor Mohammed Kunju
Moulavi, Abdul Kher Moulavi and P. Mammed Koya.the hindu
OTHER
SC amends order, prevents
demolition of Kinara mosque near Haji
Ali Dargah in Mumbai
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday modified its earlier order on
encroachments near the Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai and protected the Kinara
mosque located near the shrine from demolition. The court also asked the
Maharashtra govt to decide within a week the plea seeking regularisation of the
mosque. A Bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud
took on record the consent of all parties including the Haji Ali Trust that if
the State Govt rejects the
regularisation plea, nobody will oppose the demolition of portions of the
mosque which are built on encroached land near the historic shrine.The Bench
initially suggested that the parties should agree to shifting of the mosque to
some other place. It has been alleged that certain parts of the Kinara mosque
fall under the encroached area which have been ordered to be cleared by the
Bombay High Court. The SC has also upheld it and the Bench has now fixed the
matter after one week. the hindu
Zafarul Islam Khan appointed chairperson of Delhi minorities commission
Arvind Kejriwal Govt on Friday
constituted the 3-member Delhi Minorities Commission and appointed Zafarul
Islam Khan as its chairperson.Anastasia Gill and Kartar Singh Kochhar have been
appointed as the other two members.Zafarul Islam Khan is a scholar and editor
of the Milli Gazette. Delhi govt officials said the appointment has been
cleared by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal. The panel will be in office for 3
years.Khan is a PhD from Manchester University in Islamic Studies and has
worked for several international organisations, an official said.“Kejriwal
approved and recommended the three names, which were proposed by the deputy CM ,
Manish Sisodia,” official added.The previous panel commission had completed its
tenure earlier this year. Ex-AAP MLA from Rajouri Garden, Jarnail Singh on
Friday assumed the charge of vice-chairman of Punjabi Academy. HT
Be vegetarian, wear saree, don’t talk cricket or politics during family
time: An RSS guide on values, ethics
Nagpur: What to eat, what to wear, how to celebrate birthdays and advice
on public conduct -- all this is part of the RSS’ family counselling programme
launched in April.The pan-India campaign involves visiting people’s homes to
“instill values and ethics” apart from advocating vegetarianism and promoting
Indian attire. Named Kutumb Prabodhan (family counselling), the campaign will
continue till 2019 general elections.The move comes amid widespread outrage and
anger over mob violence in the name of the cow, considered holy by many
Hindus.RSS insiders said senior swayamsevaks, along with one or two
swayamsevaks and a Rashtra Sevika Sangh (RSS’ women’s wing) worker, visit
families and ‘educate’ them on the benefits of vegetarianism and how to avoid
being influenced by foreign culture, especially as shown by various television
channels and social media portals.One such group led by RSS leader Ashok Bhatt,
Vidarbha convener of Kutumb Prabodhan, visited the family of Suresh Deshpande
in Nagpur’s Sadar locality last week.The team advised them to wear sarees and
kurta-pyjamas during festivals and told them celebrating birthdays by blowing
candles and cutting cakes was not a part of the Indian culture. Deshpandes,a
family of 4, were told about traditional Hindu practices such as chanting
mantras before meals. They said all the family members must eat together at
least once a week and should not watch TV at the time, instead bond with each
other.During their family time,they should avoid discussing politics and
cricket. Besides, every person must respect women, fight casteism, and
inculcate the habit of reading good books that feed one’s intellect.Deshpandes
were told to take up social work.HT
Supreme Court orders probe into Manipur's alleged extrajudicial killings
Human rights groups have welcomed Indian Supreme Court's decision
ordering a probe into allegations of extrajudicial killings by security forces
in the north-eastern state of Manipur.The court made the call on Friday after
hearing a public interest litigation seeking a probe and compensation for 1,528
alleged extrajudicial killings in Manipur from 2000 to 2012 by the army,
paramilitary and police forces."It sends a strong message that
accountability will finally take place," Suhas Chakma, the director of the
Asian Centre for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera on Saturday."The indivduals
who committed these crimes and those who made it possible should be prosecuted.
These crimes should never have taken place. The Govt and security forces should now fully
cooperated with investigators," Chakma said. Aljazeera
Indians among 130 million at risk of displacement by floods: Report
Manila: 130 million people living in low-lying coastal areas in India,
Pakistan and Bangladesh are at high risk of being displaced by the end of the
century due to floods, a report has said.It warned that by 2050 Mumbai,
Chennai, Surat and Kolkata will be among 13 of the top 20 cities in the
Asia-Pacific region to face huge losses due to annual flooding.The flooding
would significantly impact the region that has a population of around four
billion people besides affecting the world economically, the report produced by
the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact
Research (PIK) said.IANS
NIA begins probe into discovery of explosives in UP Assembly
LUCKNOW: NIA on July 15 began a probe into the discovery of the
high-grade Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) explosive material inside the UP
Assembly, an official said.Officials
told IANS that a NIA team arrived in Lucknow on July 14 and was immediately
briefed about the case.The NIA officials, other than visiting the spot where
the explosive material was discovered on July 13 evening, were likely to grill
the security staff and agencies of the State police responsible for the
security of the Vidhan Sabha.IANS
Plastic explosives found in UP
assembly
Court acquits prominent Bijnor cleric Mufti Anwar-Ul-Haque of rape
charges, orders FIR against complainant
Bijnor:A court here acquitted a prominent cleric of rape charges after
the woman, who had leveled the grave allegation against the Imam of city's Jama
Masjid, and three other witnesses turned hostile during the course of the trial.
While pronouncing the order, ADJ Mumtaj Ali also ordered police on Thursday to
register a case against the woman, her husband and two other witnesses for
reversing their statements in the court.The woman had accused cleric
Anwar-Ul-Haque of raping her on August 25 last year on the pretext of driving
out the devil inside her.In her complaint to police, she had said: "The
maulana had told me that I was possessed by a devil, and that he would set me
free from its clutches. He called me to a house in Bakshiwala village on the
pretext of performing certain ritual and raped me. He also made a video of the
act."Soon after registration of the case, Haque went missing. He was
declared an absconder on September 3. Later, he had surrendered before the
court and was sent to Bijnor Jail.Interestingly, before the rape allegation was
leveled, the cleric had filled a case against five persons for attempting to
rape his wife after beating him up while the couple was on their way to their
house in Najibabad area.The woman, who filed the rape case against Haque, was
the wife of one of the accused named in the FIR filed by the cleric.TOI
Dargahs, Mosques demolished in Nizamuddin area of Delhi; businessmen
shut shops in protest
3 mosques and 2 Dargahs were demolished in Delhi on July 10 by Delhi
Development Authority (DDA), and the locals are not happy with it. Local
businessmen around Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah closed their shops to protest
against the action.Nizamuddin Tikona graveyard is situated near Khusro Park,
Delhi. Graveyard is claimed to be more than 500 years old. Even as per Gazette
records, the graveyard is shown to be more than 100 years old.In the same
graveyard, three mosques and two dargahs are situated. The whole graveyard is
listed under the property of the Delhi Waqf board, over which the mosque and
dargah have been built.TCN
WORLD
Tensions mount as Al-Aqsa remains closed
Ramallah: Palestinian religious and political figures have denounced the
ongoing closure of Al-Aqsa mosque compound, calling it a violation of their
religious freedoms. Al-Aqsa remained closed on Saturday, a day after a deadly
shooting attack outside an entrance to the holy site in occupied East
Jerusalem."There is no excuse for the closure of Al-Aqsa mosque, and we
oppose this decision," said Sheikh Yusuf Idis, Palestinian Authority's
minister of religious affairs. "The freedom to worship is a right
guaranteed in law and any violation of that right is rejected."The
compound has been shuttered by Israeli police since three Palestinian
assailants shot and killed two Israeli policemen in Jerusalem's Old City on
Friday morning. The attackers were subsequently shot dead by Israeli forces
inside the compound.It was the first time that Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa had
been cancelled in decades, and Israeli authorities later extended the closure
until Sunday at the earliest, citing security concerns.Hundreds of additional
Israeli forces were deployed in parts of the Old City and at checkpoints
throughout. Many worshippers who had planned to pray at Al-Aqsa ended up
praying in the streets of Jerusalem instead.Jerusalem Mufti, Sheikh Mohammed
Hussein, was briefly detained by police and released on bail on Friday after he
attempted to gain access to the site and led open-air prayers close to the
compound. This is a decision that aims to deter further attacks and it will be
interpreted by most Palestinians as collective punishment. Analysts warned that
the decision to prohibit entry to the sacred site - which was last closed to
Muslim worshippers in 2014, following the shooting of Yehuda Glick,a prominent
Temple Mount activist who is now a Knesset member - would likely exacerbate
tensions in the city in the short-term."This is a decision that aims to
deter further attacks and it will be interpreted by most Palestinians as
collective punishment," said Ofer Zalzberg, a senior analyst for
Israel/Palestine at the International Crisis Group.Late on Friday, Israeli
police released security camera footage of the early stages of the attack,
which appeared to show the armed assailants approach the officers from inside
the compound.Some Israeli right-wing Knesset members have subsequently called
for dramatic changes to security and the uneasy status quo at the site, where
non-Muslim worship has been prohibited since Israel captured East Jerusalem 50
years ago."Israel must bolster its rule and control over the [holy sites],
and to ensure that all Jews can pray there at any time in safety," said
Eli Ben Dahan, Israel's deputy defence minister and a member of the Jewish Home
right-wing faction, in response to the attack.Jewish Home MK Moti Yegev said
the holy site "should be closed to Muslim [worshippers] for a long
time", while Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the compound was shut for
security reasons, noting that the status quo would be
"preserved".Aljazeera
Israel shuts down Al-Aqsa mosque after shooting
Israeli closure of Aqsa Mosque serious violation,crime;OIC
Jeddah:Israeli closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which prevented worshippers
from performing prayers there, is a serious violation and crime against the
Palestinians and Muslim world, said Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC)
Secretary General Dr. Yousef A.Al-Othaimeen Saturday.Kuna
Ex-mufti says Al-Aqsa closure 'collective punishment'
A senior Palestinian cleric has denounced Israel's closure of the
Al-Aqsa Mosque following a rare gun attack, calling the measures
"collective punishment" that affects thousands of worshippers. Sheikh
Ikrima Sabri, the former grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian territories,
said on Saturday that Israeli authorities have barred clerics from entering the
mosque and banned prayers there for a second day after a shootout near the
compound left 5 people dead."This is unprecedented. The mosque has not
been closed for centuries. The situation is dangerous," said Adnan Husseini,
Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem governor, on Saturday.Aljazeera
Israel in talks with Saudi to organise special flights for Haj pilgrims:
HT
New Delhi:In what appears to be a boost for Israel’s Muslim citizens,
the Benjamin Netanyahu Govt is in talks
with Saudi Arabia to organise special pilgrimage flights to Mecca for the
Haj.According to the proposal, Israeli Muslims will be able to fly directly
into Saudi Arabia from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, Bloomberg
reported.The move comes weeks after US President Donald Trump — a crucial ally
for both countries — broke a historical taboo by flying directly from Riyadh to
Tel Aviv.Officially, Saudi does not recognise Israel but over the past few
years, the two countries have grown closer due to rising tensions with Iran — a
common foe — and the threat of the Islamic State.Israeli news outlet Heraatz
reported that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has had several meetings
with Israeli officials over past 2 years. HT
Islamic Jihad delegation to Egypt for talks
A senior Islamic Jihad delegation headed to Cairo to discuss mutual
relations as well as the latest development in the Palestinian cause, Quds
Press reported yesterday.Speaking to the news site, the group’s spokesperson,
Daud Shihab said that the delegation of consisted of the Secretary-General
Ramadan Shallah and his deputy Ziyad Al-Nakhla who both live in exile.He noted
that this visit came following an invitation from Egypt in an effort to discuss
the humanitarian situation in Gaza and other developments on the ground.This
visit comes after a similar visit by the group in March. middle east monitor
Over 800,000 people still displaced from Mosul: UN
Geneva: More than a million people were displaced from Mosul by battle
in the Iraqi city against the Islamic State group, but nearly 200,000 have
returned home, UN said Friday.Out of nearly 1.05 million people who fled the
fighting after the offensive against IS began last October, 825,000 remain
displaced, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a
statement. The city on the Tigris river in northern Iraq had an estimated
population of two million in 2014.Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi on Monday declared Mosul fully
retaken from the jihadist group after a Western-backed operation.But it is
still near-impossible to access the Old City, where sweeping and demining
operations continue.AFP
No direct talks in sight between Syria's warring sides
The head of Syrian Govt delegation has said his team has not been
asked to meet face to face with the opposition in the seventh round of
UN-mediated indirect talks held in the Swiss city of Geneva.Bashar al-Jaafari,
Syria's ambassador to the UN and the delegation chief, said the issue of direct
talks was something "that has not been raised with us - not directly or
indirectly". "We have given
sufficient explanations to the special envoy about our vision and the way we
see this," Jaafari said on Friday after his final meeting with Staffan de
Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria. "The most important thing is for
us to have a national partner and not a client for a foreign agenda," he
said alluding to foreign backers of the main opposition, like Saudi Arabia and
Turkey, as well as smaller opposition factions. Aljazeera
US cannot confirm Daesh leader Baghdadi’s death
Washington:Defense Secretary James Mattis said Friday the U.S. can’t
confirm claims Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Daesh's proclaimed "caliph", is
dead."We assume he's alive until it's proven otherwise. And right now, I
can't prove it otherwise," Mattis told reporters. "If we knew, we
would tell you. Right now, I can't confirm or deny it."UK-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights was the latest group to claim Baghdadi is dead
when it said earlier this week sources within Syria's Deir ez-Zour city had
confirmed it.
US Supreme Court asked to overturn Muslim ban ruling
US Dept of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to block a judge's ruling
that prevented President Donald Trump's Muslim ban from being applied to
grandparents of US citizens and refugees already being processed by
resettlement agencies.In a court filing on Friday, the administration asked the
justices to overturn Thursday's decision by a US district judge in Hawaii,
which limited the scope of the administration's temporary ban on refugees and
travellers from six Muslim countries. The latest round in the fight over
Trump's March 6 executive order, which he says is needed for national security
reasons, came after the Supreme Court intervened last month to partially revive
2 bans, which were blocked by lower courts. Aljazeera
Trump: We will maintain good relations with Qatar
US will maintain good relations with Qatar, President Donald Trump has
told an American news channel, adding that the US airbase will not be moved out
of the Middle Eastern country despite the diplomatic and economic blockade
imposed on Doha by the Saudi-led group. Qatar is home to the Al-Udeid airbase
that holds the forward headquarters of Central Command and hosts around 10,000
American troops. But while saying there are "10 countries willing to build
us another base", Trump said "we will not have a problem with the
military base".Aljazeera
Turkey dismisses thousands of police and civil servants
Turkey's Govt has issued a new
executive decree under the ongoing state of emergency imposed after last year's
failed coup, dismissing more than 7,000 police, civil servants and academics.A
total of 7,563 people -- including police -- have been dismissed in the latest
purge, the Anadolu news agency reported.Turkish authorities also stripped 342
retired army personnel of their rank, Anadolu said.The new decree came a day
before Turkey marks the first anniversary of the failed coup, which Ankara says
was organised by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen denies the accusations.In all, Turkey has sacked or
suspended more than 150,000 officials and arrested some 50,000 people from the
military, police, judiciary, academia and other sectors.Turkey's Govt is looking to extend the ongoing state of
emergency by another 3 months, with President Erdogan saying the sweeping
powers will only be lifted when "unrest ends".Aljazeera
Turkey marks one year since failed coup attempt
Turkey will hold a series of events on Saturday to celebrate the first
anniversary of the defeat of last year's failed coup attempt, as it sacked
thousands of officials in the latest crackdown.Ankara has declared July 15 -
the day of the failed coup attempt - an annual national holiday of
"democracy and unity", billing the foiling of the putsch as a
historic victory of Turkish democracy.At least 249 people, not including the
plotters, were killed when a faction in the army sent tanks into the streets
and war planes into the sky in a violent bid to overthrow President Tayyip
Erdogan.At least 50,000 people have been arrested and more than 100,000 have
been dismissed from services over the past year.AP/Aljazeera
Visit by Turkish official to Israel expected
Israeli Energy Minister, Yuval Steinitz, said that his Turkish counterpart,
Berat Albayrak, is set to visit Israel by the end of this year to conclude an
agreement regarding the construction of a natural gas pipeline to transport gas
from Israel to Turkey.The visit by Albayrak, the son-in-law of Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan and part of his inner circle, is considered a
significant diplomatic move by Ankara after improving relations with Israel
following a conflict which lasted years due to the attack on a Turkish ship
carrying aid to Gaza. This attack resulted in the death of ten Turkish
activists in 2010. The conflict was settled in June 2016 and the 2 parties
began discussing the gas pipeline project.Israeli energy minister said, in
Istanbul, that the two countries decided to accelerate efforts to sign an interGovt
al agreement by the end of the year. middle east minor
Maryam Mirzakhani, first woman to win maths' Fields Medal, dies
Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to receive the prestigious Fields
Medal for mathematics, has died in the US. 40-year-old had breast cancer, which
had spread to her bones.Nicknamed the "Nobel Prize for Mathematics",
the Fields Medal is only awarded every four years to between two and four
mathematicians under 40.It was given to Prof Mirzakhani, an Iranian, in 2014,
for her work on complex geometry and dynamical systems."A light was turned
off today. It breaks my heart... gone far too soon," her friend, Nasa
scientist Firouz Naderi, posted on Instagram.BBC
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
What it means to be Muslim in secular India who saw 2002 Gujarat
massacre:Seema Mustafa
How Basirhat, which never had Hindu-Muslim issue, was engulfed in
violence due to false reports and lies:TCN
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:40 PM)
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