Evening NEWS
DIGEST
8 March 2018:19
Jamadiul-2 1439:Vol:9, No:137
INDIA
SC restores Hadiya’s marriage, sets aside Kerala
HC order, no relief to her husband from NIA probe
New Delhi: Upholding freedom of choice, the
Supreme Court in a landmark judgement on Thursday restored the marriage of
26-year-old Hadiya and set aside the May 2017 Kerala high court order that had
annulled her marriage with Shafin Jahan. The judgment is in line with the apex
court’s statements over the previous few hearings, when it said that a
26-year-old woman has the freedom to make her own marital choices and the
courts cannot intervene in a consensual marriage.The bench was headed by CJI
Dipak Misra and also comprised Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.M. Khanwilkar. Hadiya,
born a Hindu, had converted to Islam to marry Jahan, setting off cries of
religious conversion by the Hindu Right which termed it as ‘love jihad‘. In its
ruling, the Supreme Court also said that the Kerala high court should not have
annulled the marriage in the first place. However, according to LiveLaw, the
court also said that NIA can continue its investigations into whether there was
any criminality involved, but it shouldn’t
probe into the marriage. The court also reportedly said that Hadiya was
free to pursue her future endeavours as per law.According to NewsMinute, during
the hearing, the Supreme Court bench reiterated that the court cannot intervene
in the case of a marriage between two consenting adults.“Marriage, plurality
and individual choices should be zealously guarded from state intervention,”
the bench reportedly said.The bench also said that however good or bad a
marriage is, the HC cannot annul a marriage, saying that “the state cannot be
allowed to enter into the marriage whether it approves of it or not.”In
addition to annulling the marriage, the Kerala high court had said that Hadiya
was to be in the custody of her parents (who opposed her conversion and choice
of partner).THE WIRE
SC upholds Hadiya and Shafin’s marriage
Kerala love jihad: Didn't portray Hadiya's
spouse as terrorist, says NIA
New Delhi: NIA has denied in the Supreme Court
the allegation of Akhila alias Hadiya, involved in Kerala’s love jihad that she
was misled to portray her husband Shafin Jahan as a terrorist and also of
treating her as a criminal.In an affidavit filed on Wednesday, NIA denied that
the agency behaved with her with a prejudice as if she is a criminal or a
terrorist. The allegation was baseless as NIA was conducting investigation in a
fair and objective manner based upon evidence and material collected so far..
It also said that the allegation that Shafin Jahan was portrayed as a terrorist
was incorrect and it had carried out the probe under directions of the apex
court and whatever it had stated reflected in the status report filed by the
agency.Regarding the probe, NIA said it had almost completed the investigation
except examination of 2 individuals, Fasal Musthafa and Shirin Shahand, who are
material and crucial witnesses in the case. Asian Age
SC sets aside Kerala HC order, reinstates
Hadiya's marriage; no relief to her husband from NIA probe
Hadiya's was an 'adjustment' marriage, will
consider moving review plea: father
Kochi: KM Asokan, father of Hadiya, said he
would consider moving a review petition in the Supreme Court against its
judgement setting aside a Kerala High Court order annulling her marriage with a
Muslim man. "Will consider filing a review petition," he told
reporters, reacting to the ruling by the apex court bench headed by CJI Dipak
Misra.He maintained that his daughter's marriage with Shafin Jahan was an act
of "adjustment" done by a group. "It was a kind of an adjustment
marriage. There is no doubt. I will try to convince the court about it once
again," he said. PTI
Muslim daughter can inherit from Hindu father:
Gujarat HC
Ahmedabad: A division bench of Gujarat high
court on Wednesday held that a woman, who follows a religion other than
Hinduism, is entitled to the inheritance of her Hindu father’s ancestral
property, according to the Hindu Succession Act.A bench of Chief Justice RS
Reddy and Justice VM Pancholi upheld an order passed by a single-judge bench to
this effect and dismissed an appeal against the order, said advocate Dhruv
Dave, who represented the woman, who had converted to Islam and renounced her
Hindu faith.The case involves Naina alias Nasimbanu Firozkhan Pathan from
Vemali village in Vadodara. She renounced Hinduism and embraced Islam to marry
Firozkhan, a Muslim man, in 1991. Her father Bhikha Patel passed away in 2004,
leaving behind certain land parcels in the village. When she staked a claim to
the property and applied to enter her name on the list of heirs, her sister and
brother opposed it on the ground that she was not eligible to inherit the
property because she had converted.Interestingly, the deputy collector held
that Muslim woman was entitled to inherit the property. But the district
collector and state revenue secretary overturned the decision and said that as
Naina had embraced Islam, the provisions of the inheritance laws for Hindus
could not be applied in her case.TOI
UN human rights chief says he is disturbed by
discrimination against Dalits, Muslims in India
UN human rights chief has said he was disturbed by the
discrimination and violence directed at Dalits, people from other scheduled
castes, and religious minorities such as Muslims in India.In an annual report
to the UN Human Rights Council, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad
al-Hussein said, “In some cases, this injustice appears actively endorsed by
local or religious officials.”“I am concerned that criticism of government
policies is frequently met by claims that it constitutes sedition or a threat
to national security,” the human rights chief added. “I am deeply concerned by
efforts to limit critical voices through cancellation or suspension of
registration of thousands of NGOs, including groups advocating for human rights
and even public health groups.”Al-Hussein also criticised Syria for its
continued offensive in Ghouta. scroll.in
AIMPLB spokesman Sajjad Nomani booked for sedition for 9
Feb.speech in Huderabad
Lucknow: UP Police has booked AIMPLB spokesman Maulana
Sajjad Nomani on sedition charges for allegedly hurting religious feelings
during a speech in Hyderabad. Hazratganj police registered a case on Wednesday
against Nomani based on a complaint by head, UP Shia Waqf Board, Waseem Rizvi.
The complainant has alleged that Nomani in his Feb.9 speech in the general
council meeting of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) in
Hyderabad had deliberately hurt religious feelings, police said.“Referring to
Rohingya Muslims, Nomani said attempts are underway to make the situation of
Indian Muslims like that of their Rohingya counterparts. He even said he had
proof of arms, ammunition and training being given to all, even in the smallest
of villages, to make Indian Muslims suffer.“This speech was widely broadcast by
TV channels, which had a mass impact,”
Rizvi said. He also gave CDs as proof to the police to back his
complaint.Nomani, however rubbished the allegations as false and baseless.PTI
Wasim Rizvi
complains against AIMPLB spokesman Nomani
over 'provocative' speech in Hyderabad
Complaint lodged against Sri Sri in Jamia
Nagar police station
New Delhi: A political leader of Okhla, Parvez
Aalam Khan lodged a complaint against Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of
Living against his remark in connection with Babri Masjid dispute. The
complaint was lodged in Jamia Nagar police station against Sri Sri on the
charges of promoting uprising and anarchy in the country and threatening
Muslims.Aalam who is associated with Congress party clearly mentioned that if
FIR is not filed against Sri Sri’s controversial remark then he will move to
Court and take legal action against him. He said Babri Masjid issue is not related
to one or two Muslims but is related to crores of Muslims across the country
and we have faith in Court and we will accept whatever judgment comes.Parvez
said that Sri Sri’s remark is a threat against integrity and solidarity of the
country hence complaint has been lodged in police station.siasat
Expelled AIMPLB member Nadvi to form ‘Manavta Kalyan
Board’
Lucknow:Expelled member of AIMPLB, Maulana Salman Nadvi,
announced he is setting up a ‘Manavta Kalyan Board’ with an aim to spread the
message of humanity in the society.“I am constituting the board to spread
message of humanity. It will have members of all the religions. The objective
is to stand united where ever there is an atrocity on anyone irrespective of
his caste,” Nadvi told reporters here.He said that while AIMPLB was for issues
related to personal laws, there was a need to constitute a board, from where voice
of the oppressed could be raised.Not only Muslims, people from all religions
can raise their voice from this forum, he said. “There was no such platform
after 1947 from where issues related to all castes and religions were taken and
attempts could be made to resolve contentious issues,” he said.Asked about the
Ayodhya issue, Nadvi said the issue was not on his agenda at present.“I tried
for an amicable solution but both the communities are not ready,” he said..The
proposed Manavta Kalyan Board will have a former chief justice as its president
and will have separate committees for society reform, legal assistance, medical
help, women’s rights, children’s rights and an application bench besides
others.PTI
Muslim man sentenced to 2 yrs’ jail for bigamy; 2nd
marriage termed as crime under Special Marriage Act as it overrules any
religious legal code
Pune: In a unique judgment, a Muslim man was sentenced
to 2 years of rigorous imprisonment for bigamy. Accused had married his first
wife under the Special Marriage Act as well as Islamic laws and rituals.
Prosecution pointed out that his second marriage was a crime under the Act and
overruled any religious legal code. The wife, Dr Sana Shaikh, had filed a plea
in court and asked that charges of bigamy be added to her complaint of cruelty
against her husband Zarar Khan. She had
also accused her in-laws of cruelty.She also stated in her complaint that on
Jan.1, 2016, Khan married a second time. When the case came up for trial,
assistant public prosecutor Sanjay Dixit filed an application, requesting that
insert Section 494 (bigamy) of IPC be added. Dixit said, “As per Section 44 of
the Special Marriage Act, the provisions are binding on every religion. In this
case, the couple has performed their marriage as per this Act and also Muslim
rites and rituals. But, Special Marriage Act overrules provisions of Muslim law
and therefore bigamy is a crime.” “Prosecution submitted that the accused has
admitted that he had performed a second marriage and we have no need to prove
the fact. The admission itself is proof enough,”public prosecutor added. While
pronouncing the judgment, Judicial Magistrate First Class, NS Saraf stated that
though the couple had married according to Islamic law, Section 44 of the
Special Marriage Act does not discriminate according to caste, creed or
religion. When the accused requested the court to execute the good behaviour
bond, the court stated that the only good behaviour that could be accepted from
him was to repent, return to his wife and discontinue his second marriage. As
long he was not prepared to do so, there was no question of any probation for
good conduct. The court acquitted Khan and his family of all other charges,
including 498 A (cruelty). But he was sentenced to two years of RI for the
offence of bigamy.Pune Mirror
RSS outreach to Muslims : Monthly pension for divorced
women, free books for orphans
Having apparently succeeded in making some inroads into
the Muslim community, especially among women, by aggressively campaigning
against “triple talaaq”, RSS has begun a second and subtle round of wooing the
minorities. The move assumes significance in the run-up to the crucial 2019 Lok
Sabha polls, where the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be seeking
a second term.While RSS — BJP’s ideological parent — vehemently denies that it
is “doing anything of this sort”, its affiliate organisations like .(MRM) have
undertaken an aggressive plan to romance the minorities, particularly women.
And for this, they have started first-of-its-kind initiatives like monthly
pensions for divorced Muslim women, and freebies like books and uniforms for
orphans in many parts of the country.In Uttar Pradesh alone, which accounts for
80 of the Lok Sabha’s 543 elected seats, the MRM has adopted some 700 families
under its unique pension scheme that is being run in Varanasi, Gorakhpur and
the Bundelkhand region. Muslims comprise about 20 percent of Uttar Pradesh’s
220 million population.Denying any RSS role in these pro-minority moves,
Indresh Kumar, “guide” of MRM, says the organisation was being run by
“nationalist and well-meaning Muslims who wanted their community to shun dogmas
and become progressive in life”. He said that they were moving fast in the
direction of achieving their objectives. “Hum tez gati se aage badh rahe hain,”
he mused while pointing out how the number of volunteers was swelling,
“irrespective of the negative portrayal by the media”.He added that initiatives
like the monthly pension scheme of Rs 500 per divorced woman were efforts to
“bring light” to the otherwise dark and gloomy setting these women are forced
to live in.IANS
Delhi court extends AAP MLAs’ judicial custody by 14
days in chief secretary ‘assault’ case
A court in Delhi has extended by 14 days the judicial
custody of AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, who were arrested for
allegedly assaulting Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash in Feb, PTI reported.
The order was passed by Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon.The case
will be now be heard by a special court in the Patiala House Courts complex
following a Delhi High Court order. The High Court had designated two special
courts to deal with criminal cases against elected members of Parliament and
legislative assemblies.On March 1, the High Court had asked the city police to
respond to Jarwal’s bail petition within a week and file a status report on the
matter by March 7. Delhi High Court told an Assembly committee not to insist
Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to appear before it in connection with a
complaint against him in an alleged bank fraud case. The Question and Reference
Committee’s move to issue a notice to the bureaucrat seemed like an attempt to
circumvent the law, Justice Rajiv Shakdher observed.scroll.in
TDP ministers Gajapathi Raju, YS Chowdary resign, say
will continue with NDA alliance
PM Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to AP CM Chandrababu
Naidu, day after TDP chief announced to pull out of the NDA government at the
Centre due to inadequate allocation of funds for the state in this year’s Union
budget.Civil Aviation minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju and Union minister of
Science and Technology YS Chowdary later met the PM at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg and
handed over their resignation letters.Earlier in the day, Naidu had targeted
the BJP government at the Centre for behaving as “callously” as the Congress
government did during bifurcation in 2014. Addressing the budget session of the
state legislative Assembly, Naidu added that regional parties have to take
tough decisions to protect their interests.In the wake of TDP’s decision to
pull out of the government, two BJP ministers resigned from Naidu’s Cabinet
this morning. Kamineni Srinivas, Health and Medical Education minister, and P
Manikyala Rao, Endowments Minister, tendered their resignations to the chief
minister this morning, ahead of the start of the state Budget session. Indianexpress
Kashmir: Civilian killings must stop, forces should show
restraint, says govt’s interlocutor
New Delhi: Indian govt’s interlocutor on Kashmir on
Wednesday appealed to the security forces to “show restraint” in Valley and put
an end to “civilian killings”, describing the recent spate of violence in the
region as a “setback”.“Civilian killings must stop. The security forces must
show restraint and not resort to disproportionate firing,’’ Dineshwar Sharma, a
former chief of the IB, said in an interview..“I was hoping for a better summer
but violence has come as a setback. Amongst the districts in south Kashmir,
Shopian is particularly alienated and angry. We must be sensitive while dealing
with the people of Kashmir,’’ he added.hindustantimes
Kathua rape and murder being hushed up by ‘communal
narrative’:J&K women’s group
A group of women from J&K condemned the “horrifying
politicisation and communalisation” of an eight-year-old girl’s rape and murder
in Jammu’s Kathua district. In a statement, the women alleged that “vested
interests” were “trying to sabotage investigations”. Not just fringe groups, “2
senior sitting ministers” from the ruling alliance of PDP and BJP are also
politicising the crime, the group claimed. “We feel there is a deliberate attempt
to hush up the case by building up a communal narrative around the heinous
crime and its investigations,” the women said.14 women signed the statement,
which is meant to lead up to an online signature campaign demanding justice for
child. Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of Kashmir Times, Shehla Rashid Shora,
former vice president of JNU Students’ Union, and author Nitasha Kaul are among
the activists, academics, journalists and advocates who signed statement.scroll.in
Gujarat HC notice to Teesta Setalvad on Gujarat plea for
pre-arrest bail cancellation
Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court today issued a fresh
notice to social activist Teesta Setalvad on a plea of the Gujarat government
to cancel her anticipatory bail in connection with a 2011 offence pertaining to
alleged fabrication of evidence in the 2002 Naroda Gam riot case.Justice JB
Pardiwala issued the notice as the one issued last week could not be served to
Setalvad due to some technical reason.The state govt last week moved the HC
after the Supreme Court on Dec.6 disposed of Setalvad's appeal challenging the
decision of HC upholding a magisterial court order for a probe against her
former close aide, Rais Khan Pathan.While issuing the notice last week, judge
Pardiwala observed that "since the proceedings have been concluded by the SC,
the matter is now ripe for hearing".On the basis of Pathan's submissions,
the special court-ordered filing of an FIR against him in a magisterial
court.PTI
Statues of Gandhi, Ambedkar vandalised in Kerala, Tamil
Nadu
The statues of Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar were found
vandalised in Kerala and Tamil Nadu on Thursday, the latest in a series of
attacks on statues of political figures across country.In Kannur’s Thaliparamba
area, the spectacles of the Gandhi statue were damaged by unknown miscreants.
The police have arrested one man in connection with the incident. “He is
mentally unstable and we are ruling out any political relation,” ANI quoted a
police officer as saying.In Chennai’s Tiruvottiyur area, unidentified people
poured red paint on Ambedkar’s bust. The acts of vandalism follow PM Narendra
Modi’s condemnation of such incidents. He had asked states to take stern action
against those accountable. Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered the Tamil
Nadu govt to provide protection to the statues of all leaders in the state. It
also directed the administration to ensure that law and order is maintained,
not disrupted.scroll.in
Dawood aide and 1993 Mumbai blasts accused Mohamed
Farooq extradited from Dubai
Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Mohamed Farooq alias Farooq Takla
has been extradited from Dubai in the UAE and brought to India on Thursday
morning.Farooq, who is wanted in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, will be
produced before the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities court in Mumbai around
11 am on Thursday, ANI reported. CBI is currently interrogating him. At the
request of Indian authorities, the Interpol had issued a red corner notice
against him in 1995. The notice is intended to locate and provisionally arrest
individuals pending extradition. According to the notice, the charges that Farooq
faces include criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and voluntarily
causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.scroll
AP: Swamy Paripoornananda demands shifting of Islamic
University
Tirumala:Chief pontiff of Sri Peetham Swamy
Paripoornanda on Tuesday kicked up a row by demanding that the State government
shift the Islamic university at Thondavada from the present location. Expressing
concern over the location of the university, which has been built in the
vicinity of the historical Thimmappa temple, about 11 km from Tirupati, he said
the government should initiate steps for the shifting of the university to either
Kadapa or Ajmer.He said the authorities should expedite steps for renovating
the Thimmappa temple which enjoyed equal fame on a par with the Tirumala temple
some about 700 years ago. The environs of the temple have been encroached upon.
The fact that only the remains of the temple exist in the form of few pillars
reflect the negligence of the consecutive governments, he alleged.thehindu
Over 14,000 Gujarati women went missing in 2 years
Gandhinagar: On the eve of International Women’s day,
the BJP government in Gujarat admitted that 14,004 women from the state were
reported missing during the last two years — of these, about 76 per cent were
found during the same period.This information was furnished in the Gujarat
Legislative Assembly by Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja on
Wednesday.The minister said that while 10,720 women were found during this
time, the whereabouts of the remaining women were still not known.The urban
conglomerates of Ahmedabad and Surat recorded maximum cases of missing women
during this time-period, with 2,905 women from Ahmedabad and 2,626 women from
Surat reported missing.Besides women, over 4,900 children also were reported
missing during these two years.IANS
Indian architect Doshi wins 2018 Pritzker Prize
Long considered to be one of India’s foremost living
architects and urban planners, Doshi is widely known for designing extensive
low-cost housing projects and public institutionsIndian architect Balkrishna
Doshi was awarded this year's Pritzker Prize for being able to interpret
architecture and transform it into buildings that respect Eastern culture, at
the same time that he has improved the quality of life in his homeland,
according to the judging panel's statement. Pritzker Prize is regarded as
architecture's equivalent to the Nobel Prize.IANS
Thane: Mumbra’s Al Fukran Masjid invites all for a
‘peace mission’
Mumbai: Every religion has its own beauty and customs.
People from various religion fancy about the practices from other religions.
There are many myths involved about the practices in Muslim religion. To get to
know the religion that preaches love, the Muslim community has initiated to
welcome guests from other religion to visit and get to know the place of
worship a ‘masjid’ at Mumbra. Jamat e-Islami Hind is an organisation that has
initiated this project of peace in Mumbra. “This initiative is a part of peace
mission. There were lot of confusion and many people had fascination about the
inner world of masjids. Hence, the initiative. We are here to show our
non-muslims communities how the masjid perform as in prayers and the inner
world of the mosque,” Ahmad Asre of Jamat informs us.There are many places in
world where masjids are the part of tourist attraction and people do visit them
as a heritage or historical place. But most of them do not know the preaching
of religion and also does not know the practices that are been followed. Masjids
are watched from outside, but many other religion following people do not try
and enter in it. Al Fukran Masjid on Sharifa Road, Mumbra will be welcoming the
guests from various places.freepressjournal
WORLD
Israel passes law to strip residency of Jerusalem's
Palestinians
Israeli parliament has passed a law that allows the
minister of interior to revoke the residency rights of any Palestinian in
Jerusalem on grounds of a "breach of loyalty" to Israel. The bill,
ratified on Wednesday, will also apply in cases where residency status was
obtained on the basis of false information, and in cases where "an
individual committed a criminal act" in the view of the interior ministry.
Under the new measure, Israel's Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, leader of the
ultra-Orthodox political party Shas, will be able to strip the residency
documents of any Palestinian whom he deems a threat. Hanan Ashrawi, a senior
member of Palestine Liberation Organisation, described the law as "an
extremely racist piece of legislation. "By unethically stripping the
residency of Palestinians from Jerusalem and depriving the rights of those
Palestinians to remain in their own city, the Israeli government is acting in
defiance of international law and is violating international human rights and
humanitarian laws," said Ashrawi, according to a statement published on
Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency. Aljazeera
Macron: France will recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s
capital one day
France will recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
one day, French President Emmanuel Macron told Jewish groups in Paris
yesterday, Ynet News reported. At an annual dinner hosted by CRIF, the
Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, Macron responded to the
request from the head of the organisation for France to recognise Jerusalem,
saying that the government would do so “at the right moment”.“It would not be
honest on my part to make you happy for one evening with such a declaration,”
he said, later adding," The day will come and France will recognise
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the right time."He argued that
making such a statement would result in France relinquishing “our status as a
fair mediator, only status that benefits the region in the current situation.”MEMO
Palestinian National Council to convene this month
without Hamas
PLO’s Executive Committee decided yesterday to hold a
meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the highest national body,
at the end of the month, Quds Press reported.Executive Committee said that convention
of the PNC on 30 March aims to choose new members for the Executive Committee.
PNC, which includes representatives for the Palestinians from the occupied
territories and diaspora, MPs, factions’ leaders and independent politicians,
was established in 1948.It does not include Hamas, which achieved an
overwhelming majority in last general election held in 2006, nor does it
include Islamic Jihad.MEMO
Israel demolishes 2,000 Palestinian homes in West Bank,
Jerusalem over last 12 years
Israeli authorities have demolished at least 1,964
Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem over the last 12
years, according to new data by human rights NGO B’Tselem.From 2006 until the
end of February this year, Israel demolished at least 1,328 Palestinian homes
in the West Bank, making 5,979 Palestinians homeless – including at least 3,025
children.In East Jerusalem over the same time period, meanwhile, which Israel
has illegally annexed, 636 Palestinian homes were demolished, leaving 2,353
homeless (including 1,276 children).middleeastmonitor
Israel govt council spent millions on unauthorised
settlement outposts
An Israeli local authority spent “millions of shekels”
building infrastructure for unauthorised settlement outposts in the occupied
West Bank, reported Haaretz. According to the paper, official documents show
that the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council spent $1.9 million over a three-year
period from 2013-2015, funding the construction of “infrastructure, roads and
buildings at the outposts”.The data was received as part of a Freedom of
Information request filed with the regional council by Peace
Now.middleeastmonitor
Lanka 'on the brink' amid fresh anti-Muslim violence
Ambatenna: Sinhalese Buddhist mob came by the hundreds,
screaming at the top of their lungs and carrying sticks, stones and petrol
bombs, as they descended on the hill town of Ambatenna in central Sri Lanka on
Wednesday.Some 2 dozen policemen and soldiers watched helplessly, according to
residents, as the mob vandalised and set fire to Muslim homes and businesses in
the town's Welekada area."We were so scared," Fathima Zameer said,
clutching her 3-week-old infant as she recounted the violence that swept
through her neighbourhood that morning."We have nowhere to go. They broke
all the windows in my house. Our whole house is burnt."Mob, which
witnesses said was between 200 and 500-strong, overran Welekada defying a
curfew and a state of emergency imposed by President Maithiripala Sirisena a
day earlier to quell anti-Muslim riots that began in the highland district of
Kandy over the weekend. In Welekada, rioters vandalised at least 15 houses
belonging to Sri Lanka's Muslim minority and a mosque, residents said. 4 of the
buildings and several vehicles were also torched.The attacks have raised fears
of a return to conflict and instability in Sri Lanka, less than a decade after
the South Asian island nation ended a bloody civil war with Tamil
separatists.The latest bout of communal violence began on Sunday when a man
from the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese majority died after being beaten by a group
of Muslim men over a traffic accident in the town of Teledeniya in Kandy, an
area famous for its tea plantations and Buddhist religious sites.The next day,
hundreds of Sinhala Buddhists, mostly outsiders, according to officials and
residents, poured into Kandy and attacked and torched dozens of Muslim
businesses, houses and mosques. The body of a 23-year-old Muslim man was found
in a burned building, and the government, fearing more violence, imposed a
state of emergency on Tuesday. It also deployed the army and extended a police
curfew in the region.The violence, however, continued. Govt has also suspended
internet services in the area and blocked access to Facebook and other social
messaging applications including Whatsapp and Viber in an attempt to halt
incendiary rumours. aljazeera
Sri Lanka Prez removes PM Wickremesinghe as law and
order minister after communal riots
3rd rape case filed against Muslim scholar
Ramadan:Reuters
Paris: A 45-year-old woman filed a new rape case in
France on Wednesday against Swiss academic Tariq Ramadan, the third against the
Islamic studies professor, judicial sources said on Wednesday.The woman accused
Ramadan of violent sexual assault on multiple occasions between early 2013 and
June 2014, according to the filing seen by Reuters.Ramadan’s lawyers were not
immediately available for comment. Ramadan was ordered last month to remain in
custody in France and was notified that he was the target of a full
investigation into rape allegations, which he denied. Ramadan is a grandson of
Hasan al-Banna, an Islamist thinker and activist who founded the Muslim
Brotherhood. He enjoys a substantial following among young Muslims and has
challenged French restrictions on wearing veils.Reuters
US drone targeting Pakistani Taliban kills 21 in
Afghanistan
2 missiles fired from a US drone hit a militant facility
in neighboring Afghanistan, killing 21 insurgents, including the son of the
head of the Pakistani Taliban, 2 Pakistani intelligence officials and local
Taliban commanders said Thursday.The strike, which the officials said took
place on Wednesday, targeted a compound frequented by Mullah Fazlullah, the
leader of Pakistani Taliban who is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan...The
intelligence officials said Fazlullah was apparently not there at the time of
the strike in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, miles away from Pakistani border,
but his son was killed. AP
Ghouta aid convoy postponed amid heavy shelling
The delivery of aid to Syria's rebel-held Eastern Ghouta
has been "postponed", the Red Cross has said, as Syrian government
forces stepped up their offensive against rebels in the enclave.An aid convoy
was scheduled to reach the besieged area on Thursday, and aimed to deliver much
needed medical supplies that were prevented from being delivered earlier this
week. On Wednesday, members of the United Nations Security Council called for
the immediate implementation of a resolution it had passed on February 24,
which demanded a 30-day ceasefire in Syria.aljazeera
Syria regime ready to cut eastern Ghouta in two
Syrian army is poised to slice opposition-held eastern
Ghouta in two as forces advancing from the east link up with troops at the
enclave’s western edge, a pro-Damascus military commander said today.The
advance puts the zone effectively under Syrian government control as the
remaining strip of territory was within weapons range.The government, backed in
the war by Russia and Iran, is seeking to crush the last major opposition
enclave near Damascus in a ferocious campaign that the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights says has killed 898 civilians in the last 18 days, including 91
yesterday.Defeat in eastern Ghouta would mark the worst setback for rebels
since the opposition was driven from eastern Aleppo in late 2016 after a similar
campaign of siege, bombing, ground assaults and the promise of safe passage
out.middleeastmonitor
Saudi prince says Turkey part of “triangle of evil” –
Egyptian media
Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
has described Turkey as part of a “triangle of evil” along with Iran and
hardline Islamist groups, Egypt’s Al-Shorouk paper reported. Saudi prince also
accused Turkey of trying to reinstate the Islamic Caliphate, abolished nearly a
century ago when the Ottoman Empire collapsed.His reported comments reflect
Saudi’s deep suspicion of President Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling AK Party has
its roots in Islamist politics and who has allied his country with Qatar in its
dispute with Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf states.Turkey has also worked
with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s arch-rival in the Middle East, to try to reduce
fighting in northern Syria in recent months, and Iranian and Turkish military
chiefs exchanged visits last year.MEMO
Kurdish opposition accuses Iran of assassinating prominent
leader in Iraq
Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iran has accused the
Iranian regime of assassinating prominent leader, Qadir Qadri in Sulaymaniyah
province in Iraq.Member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iran, Ibrahim
Zewayee, accused the Iranian security services of assassinating Qadri.The
incident comes days after another prominent party member, Salah Rahmani, 33,
was assassinated in Erbil. Rahmani and Qadri were from Iranian Kurdistan and
were Peshmergas for the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
(PDKI).middleeastmonitor
Coca-Cola to launch alcoholic drink in Japan amid
shrinking sales in its core business
Soft drinks company Coca-Cola has said it is all set to
launch the first alcoholic drink in its 132-year history, The Guardian
reported. The drink, which is likely to be sold only in Japan, will be a
version of “Chu-Hi”, a canned, sparkling flavoured drink that contains a local
spirit known as shochu. Drink has 3% to 8% alcohol content.
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Pluralism, socialism, communal extremism: A decade-wise
political journey of Muzaffarpur: Mohammed Sajjad
Can NIA Prove Anything in J&K Terror
Funding Case?Surangya Kaur , newsclick
Explainer: TDP’s Anger Against Modi Government
and What It Means for BJP:AJOY ASHIRWAD
In Embarrassing Leak, Details of Top Secret
India-Seychelles Military Agreement Made Public:DEVIRUPA MITRA
Judicial Aberrations on Gender Issues Are
Worrisome:FAIZAN MUSTAFA
Online database of religion-based hate crimes
launched:PTI
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:50 PM)
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