NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
23 July 2018:09 Ziqada 1439: Vol:10, No:72
INDIA
Prodded by SC, Modi govt sets up 4-member
panel to suggest laws against lynching, mob violence
New Delhi:Expressing concerns over the growing
number of mob violence incidents in the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs
on Monday said the Govt has constituted
a four-member committee, headed by Union Home Secretary, to suggest laws against
lynching and mob violence.The committee, chaired by home secretary Rajiv Gauba,
will submit its recommendations in four weeks.The latest move comes days after
the Supreme Court asked Parliament to come up with a special law to deter such
crimes, saying “the horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be permitted to
inundate the law of the land”. A group of minister headed by Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh has also been constituted to make recommendations for
legislation on lynching. The group of ministers will submit their
recommendations to PM Narendra Modi.“Govt
is concerned at the incidents of
violence by mobs in some parts of the country. Govt has already condemned such incidents and has
made its stand clear in Parliament that it is committed to upholding the rule
of law and adopting effective measures to curb such incidents,” MHA said in a
press release.It stated that Govt respects the recent directions of SC on the
issue of mob violence, and has issued an advisory to state Govt s urging them
to take effective measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching
and to take stringent action as per law. The state Govts have been advised to
implement the directions issued in the matter by the SC on July 17, the MHA
said.The high level committee chaired by the Union Home Secretary will have
Secretary, Dept.of Justice, Secretary, Dept.of Legal Affairs, Secretary,
Legislative Department and Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment as
members. GoM headed by the Home Minister will have Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari,
Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawarchand Gehlot and will submit their
recommendations to the PM .indianexpress
Rajnath Singh to Lead Panel of Ministers for
Anti-Lynching Law, Report to PM Modi
Alwar lynching: SC to hear contempt plea
against Rajasthan govt on August 28
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today agreed to
hear a contempt plea against Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan Govt in connection with the mob lynching of an
Alwar man recently.Petitioners Tehseen Poonawala and Tushar Gandhi alleged that
lynching incidents were taking place in the country despite the SC’s rulings on
cow vigilantism. The plea will be taken up on August 28.Akbar alias Rakbar was
lynched on Friday night on suspicion of being a cow smuggler in Alwar. “While
Aslam managed to escape, unknown locals beat him (Akbar) up with sticks which
led to serious injuries on his arms, legs and all over his body. He then
collapsed and we took him in our police jeep to Ramgarh CHC where doctors
declared him dead,” FIR states.indianexpress
Alwar lynching: High-level enquiry on police
allegedly delaying Akbar Khan's treatment
Rajasthan police today set up a high-level
committee to probe the allegations of delay against the Alwar police in taking
Akbar Khan to a hospital after he was allegedly lynched by a group of people on
the suspicion of cow smuggling."Allegations of delay in taking Khan to the
hospital and policemen crossing their limits have come to fore.A 4-member
committee of senior police officials is in Alwar to enquire into the
matter," state DGP OP Galhotra said.It will also be probed whether 28-year-old
Akbar, became a victim of police beating on the intervening night of Friday and
Saturday.Appropriate action would be taken if any lapses were found in enquiry
report, DGP said.PTI
Village
mourns death of man killed in cow-related lynching
BJP MLA calls Alwar lynching victim cow
trafficker, says lynching will stop after cow slaughtering ends
After striking a controversy by speaking in
favour of cow vigilantes, Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh has once again come out
to back the act by cow vigilantes in Alwar. While standing in defence of Alwar
lynching, MLA said that several sections of media reported that Rakbar Khan had
a series of cow theft cases registered against him. He further defended his
videos by claiming that he did say anything wrong. After calling Rakhbar as cow
trafficker, MLA stated that these acts of lynching will not stop until the
slaughter of cows is brought to an end.BJP MLA Singh said that the cattle
slaughter should be banned across the world. He later urged Govt to bring in
strict laws to check the lynching incidents in India.NewsX
Mentally ill Woman lynched in MP on suspicions
of being a child-lifter
Bhopal:An angry mob killed a mentally ill
woman on suspicions of being a child-lifter in Badgad village, which falls
under the Morwa Police Station, in Singrauli district.According to the police,
the deceased, a 30-year-old woman was roaming in the village when some people
spotted her. Suspecting her to be a child-lifter, the villagers asked several
questions and when she was unable to answer them, the mob started assaulting
her until she died.“Primary findings suggest, that locals killed her presuming
her to be child-lifter. We have arrested few people and are questioning them,”
Riyaz Ahmed, Sigrauli District Superintendent of Police said. It was rumours
that led to the killing, said a senior police officer.The mob reportedly dumped
the dead body near a forest nursery and disappeared, he added. The police
recovered the dead body on Saturday and ordered an inquiry into the entire
incident.In a similar incident in the district, a forest official was attacked
by a mob on suspicion of being a child-lifter few days back.thehindu
In the name of protecting cow, India has
become most unsafe for women: Uddhav Thackeray
Mumbai: In the name of protecting the cow,
India has now become the most unsafe country in the world for women and
everyone should be ashamed of this, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray said."Yes,
of course, we must protect our Cow Mother, but what about 'my mother'? This is
no Hindutva," he said, in a marathon interview ahead of his 58th birthday
on July 27, given to party mouthpieces 'Saamana' and 'Dopahar Ka Saamana', the
first instalment of which was published on Monday.Thackeray said that for over
25 years, Shiv Sena and BJP were allies because of the shared ideology of
Hindutva, status of Hindus, national interest and the country's security among
others.IANS
Jayant Sinha legally assisted 'innocent'
lynching convicts, but regrets garlanding them
New Delhi: Union minister and BJP leader
Jayant Sinha, who caused an uproar recently by felicitating 8 men who were
convicted for lynching cattle trader Alimuddin Ansari when they were released
on bail, has said in an interview to the HT that he regrets garlanding the men
because it gave people a chance to say that he was condoning lynching.Sinha claimed
that since they were released on bail by the high court, the men were
“innocent”. “The people who came to my house had come after a year in jail.
They had been released on a bail order by the high court. They had been
released because there was no evidence against them. Ergo, they were innocent,”
the Union minister said.According to Sinha, the men came to meet him privately
he had “legally assisted them, and they were very relieved that they would get
a fresh trial”. However, that matter became public and was represented as him
condoning lynchings was incorrect, he continued. “To take what happened there
and interpret it as me condoning vigilantism, which I have always rejected, is
the work of this outrage factory where independent of facts, to serve ideological
ends and vote-bank politics, you manufacture a narrative. That is
toxic.”thewire
It’s a matter of justice, not lynching: Jayant
Sinha
Muslim
leaders worried over growing hate crimes
Jaipur: Muslim leaders have expressed concern
over the growing hate crime cases against their community. The lynching of
Rakhbar Khan allegedly for carrying cows for slaughter in Alwar has invited
sharp reaction from the community’s social, religious and political leaders. Qari
Moinuddin, head of Rajasthan Muslim Forum has held Raje Govt responsible for the hate crimes in the state.
“Pehlu, Afrazul and Akbar were all killed in broad daylight in a democratic
republic by mob. It is repeatedly happening due to no fear of rule of law,”
said Moinuddin. Member of All India Muslim Personnel Law Board, Yasmeen
Farooqui has asked PM Narendra Modi to show his kindness for the Muslim widows whose
husbands were mercilessly killed by the Gau Rakshaks. “Modiji is only worried
for those Muslim women who were victims of triple talaq but not interested to
even mention those women whose life has been destroyed because of cow
vigilantes, most of them are affiliated to BJP and its constituent wings,” said
Farooqui. Naim Rabbani of Helping Hand Foundation shares that silence of state
on such incidents has rendered a strong message to the community that the lynch
mob enjoys support of the Govt. The silence of Muslim political leaders, except
few across the parties is also angering the community. Leaders like cabinet
minister Yunus Khan, ex cabinet minister AA Khan and other leaders’ silence on
the issue has not gone down well with the community. Asrar Ahmed Khan, ex-Dargah
Committee of Ajmer Chairman and Congress leader has asked the community members
to use democratic means to stand against the spate in hate crimes against them.TOI
SC refers fresh plea against polygamy, halala
to constitution bench
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today sought
response from the Centre on a fresh plea challenging practices of polygamy and
'nikah halala' among Muslims, as it referred the matter to a constitution bench
that has been already asked to hear a batch of similar petitions. A bench
comprising CJI Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud
considered the submissions of senior advocate Vikas Singh and lawyer Ashwini
Upadhyay that the petition be listed before a five-judge constitution bench for
final adjudication.The SC issued notice to the Centre on the petition filed by
one Farjana and tagged the matter along with a batch of petitions to be heard
by the constitution bench."Petitioner is filing this petition under
Article 32 of the Constitution seeking a writ, order or direction in the nature
of mandamus to declare polygamy and nikah halala, practiced in Muslim community,
illegal and unconstitutional for being violative of Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25
of the Constitution," the plea said.The petition further sought a
declaration that extra-judicial talaq is a cruelty under Section 498A of the
IPC, nikah halala is an offence under Section 375 of the IPC, and polygamy is
an offence under Section 494 of the IPC, 1860. Some petitions have also
challenged the practices of 'Nikah Mutah' and 'Nikah Misyar' -- 2 types of
temporary marriages where duration of the relationship is specified and agreed
upon in advance. PTI
SC refers fresh plea against polygamy to
constitution bench
Religious Leaders Join Hands Against Move to
Legalize Homosexuality
New Delhi: Religious leaders of various faiths
gathered at the call of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind here on Sunday and expressed their
concerns on the issue of homosexuality and decided to petition against the
abrogation of section 377 of IPC that criminalizes homosexuality. All the
religious leaders condemned the silence and neutral stance of the Narendra Modi
Govt over the petition against section
377 in the Supreme Court and said “this silence of the Govt is against religious traditions and ethics of
the country.” “They also decided to issue a joint statement to the press on
this issue. It was also decided to have a Joint press conference on the subject
very soon,” said an official of the Jamaat. “Religious Leaders firmly believe
in the fundamental rights of all citizens and freedom and minority rights.
However they are concerned over the hurting of religious sentiments and opening
the doors of sexual anarchy in the name of Fundamental Rights,” Jamaat said in
a statement. President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maulana Syed JalaluddinUmari
presided over the meeting. The other religious leaders who spoke on the
occasion included Goswami SushilJi Maharaj, Head Priest Thakur Dwara Mandir ,
Giani Ranjit Singh Head Priest Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Dr. M.D Thomas Founder /
Director Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies New Delhi, Father Felix Jones
& Father Stanley, Catholic Priest, Dr. A.K. Merchant, representing the
Bahai Faith, Bikshu Ashwaghosh, Representing Buddhism. From Jamaat’s side,its
Vice President Nusrat Ali, Secretary General Dr. Mohammad Salim Engineer and
National Secretaries Maulana Mohammad Rafiq Qasmi and Maulana Md.Iqbal Mulla
were also present.caravandaily
Profiling person on the basis of religion is
wrong:HC
New Delhi:Delhi High Court has warned
officials of the immigration and police department from profiling individuals
on the basis of religious practices. The court said such profiling was contrary
to the constitutional creed of India. Observation came while hearing the case
of a Muslim Canadian national of Indian origin who was immediately sent back to
Canada upon his arrival at Hyderabad airport citing reason that he had visited
mosques and attended religious gatherings during his last visit.The man,
Mohammad Abdul Moyeed, had challenged the decision of blacklisting him in Delhi
HC. The central Govt , in response, had told the court that they had acted on
report of a police officer in Haryana. "He visited various important
mosques in Indian cities for Tabligh activities to strengthen Islamic
brotherhood. It was noticed that he believed in orthodox Islam with an
intention to propagate that muslims should unite and should fight against
western countries and USA. He may be involved in arranging funds for
anti-national groups," the court was told.The court, however, rejected the
contentions saying the authorities had no such material corroborating the
allegations of the Centre and if he (Moyeed) had been involved in such
activities, the Canadian authorities would have taken note of these
aspects.Observing that Moyeed was wronged at the hands of the authority the
court said, "Every violation of visa norm cannot possibly lead to banning
a person from entering into the country unless there is material to show that
the person concerned acted in a manner which was inimical to our national
interest."indiatoday
Karnataka: Minority community members
acquitted in terrorism cases to get subsidy loans
Mangaluru:Karnataka Minority Development
Corporation will distribute Rs 5 lakh loan at 3% interest with 50% subsidy for
minority community members who have been released from jails on good conduct,
under ‘Mane Malige’ scheme. MLC Ivan D’Souza said the corporation has already
received 850 applications in Dakshina Kannada district and the last date for
applying is August 31. “Those beneficiaries may construct house or shops using
the subsidy loan released to them. The scheme is aimed at providing
rehabilitation to those minority community members who are released from jails
on good conduct, innocents acquitted after prosecutors failed to establish
terrorist activity charges, Goonda Act and other security acts, will be given
loans to build their future. While Rs 5 lakh will be released as loan, they
will be getting 50% subsidy on repayment. The scheme will also be made
available for those who lost houses and shops in communal riots and natural
calamities,” Ivan said. The corporation also has introduced a scheme for the
welfare of minority community members, who return from Gulf countries without
finding a job. They will be given a loan of Rs 10 lakh each at an interest rate
of 5% under collateral security basis. They will have to repay such loans
within seven years, he added. Talking about the coalition Govt, Ivan said CM HD Kumaraswamy has decided to continue the
Anna Bhagya Scheme without any changes after the Congress put pressure on him.
“Though Govt earlier had decided to
reduce the quantity of rice being distributed to poor from 7kg per month to
5kg, the decision was reversed following the party’s request. Similarly, Govt also decided to continue the scheme of issuing
bus passes to students,” he said.TOI
SC lifts ban on protests at Jantar Mantar,
India Gate
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said there
cannot be a "complete ban" on holding protests and sit-ins at places
like Jantar Mantar and Boat Club here and asked the Centre to frame guidelines
for according sanctions to such events.A bench comprising justices AK Sikri and
Ashok Bhushan said there was a need to strike a balance between conflicting
rights such as the right to protest and the right of citizens to live
peacefully."There cannot be a complete ban on holding protests at places
like Jantar Mantar and Boat Club (near India Gate)," the bench said, while
directing the Centre to frame guidelines on the matter.PTI
Awaiting LG's nod, reconstituted Waqf Board
yet to see light of day
New Delhi: As reconstitution of the Delhi Waqf
Board, which had been dissolved in 2016 over allegations of corruption, awaits
approval from Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah
Khan alleged that Baijal is not willing to reconstitute the body. Imams of
several mosques affiliated with the Board and thousands of Muslim widows
reportedly have not got their salaries and widow pension, respectively, for
last three months because the Board is completely defunct since former LG
Najeeb Jung dissolved the Board and set up a CBI inquiry on October 7, 2016.
Read This - House roof collapses in Delhi, 2 dead According to the Board
sources, almost 350 mosques are registered with it and more than 300 imams and
,oazines get a monthly salary from the Board. "With the election of Himal
Akhtar to the board from the Bar Council quota last month, the last hurdle in
the reconstitution of the body was cleared. Now, the LG's approval and
notification to the elected and nominated members is awaited. A file of members
nominated by Delhi Govt on the board is
lying pending with the LG," a Govt source said. Millenniumpost
Bihar Shia Waqf Board den of corruption:Kalbe
Jawwad
Calling Bihar Shia Waqf Board a “den of
corruption”, Shia cleric Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawwad Naqvi on Saturday demanded
judicial enquiry against “corrupt officials” of the Board for “selling” prime
waqf properties in the State.Observing July 21 as ‘Black Day’ for last year's
assault on Maulana Syed Mohammad Kazim 'Shabib' and other protesters in
Muzaffarpur, he said, "People who assaulted whistleblower Maulana Kazim
should be punished immediately." Also, he asked the local administration
to withdraw “fabricated” criminal cases slapped on the Maulana.Sunday Pioneer
AMU can’t refuse admission to SC/ST students:
National Commission for Scheduled Castes
National Commission for Scheduled Castes
(NCSC) chairman Ram Shankar Katheria has said that AMU cannot refuse to admit
students of reserved category as it does not have a minority status, which he
claimed had been confirmed by UGC, HRD Ministry and National Minority Commission.Talking to TOI,
Katheria said that he is waiting for the reply of AMU authorities and then will
call a meeting and take a final decision in this regard. He said, all top
central organisations have confirmed that AMU has not been granted a “minority”
status. “In the last 10 years, the central Govt has funded Rs 7000 crore to AMU,” said
Katheria, adding that the university’s excuse of denying admission to SC/ST
candidates on grounds of the pending case in the apex court on the issue of its
minority status is incorrect. "Nothing prevents them for reserving seats
for SC/ST students, as there is no stay from the apex court on this issue,”
said Katheria.However, president of AMU students union Mashkoor Ahmad Usmani
said that Minority Commission needs to re-check its documents. He said,
“Everyone should wait as the matter is pending before the SC”. The university
clarified that AMU has never followed the policy of reserving seats for
Muslims. “It rather reserves 50 percent seats for internal students regardless
of their religion or caste. In the case of AMU, there is a stay order of the
apex court on the 2005 decision of Allahabad high court and therefore till the
Supreme Court finally determines its minority character, no change in its reservation
policy is legally possible,” Prof Tabassum Shahab, Pro V-C, AMU, stated.TOI
Only 'extremists' from Muslim community
against BJP: Subramanian Swamy
Mumbai: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy claimed
today that support for the ruling BJP among Muslims has increased after the
Narendra Modi-led Govt decided to
criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq among the minority community.
He said only "extremists" from the community are against the BJP now.
"Only extremist Muslims will not vote for the BJP but the rest will be
with BJP. After we banned things like triple talaq, for which there is even
division among Muslims, 50 per cent of the community today is voting for
BJP," Swamy said, referring to the passage of a bill criminalising instant
triple talaq in Lok Sabha last year. PTI
Muslim League to change flag due to 'Pak
effect'
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is set for a
major overhaul, with a change of its flag also being a possibility. Muslim
Youth League (MYL) leaders have come out with the suggestion that the party,
which they believe is set to make a major foray into the north Indian states,
must rework on the flag, especially the “Pakistani” effect on it. One other
major reason for thinking of a change of flag is PIL filed in Supreme Court by
UP Shia Central Wakf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi. IUML state secretary
Abdurahiman Randathani said: “Rizvi is a Shia cleric who has called to build
Ram Temple after demolishing Babri Masjid. He has also asked to ban madrasas
across the country stating they teach terrorism and communalism. His opinion
must be rejected outright.”In the public programme held in Kannur to announce
it, the green flag was seen missing while the dais was full of red colour. MYL
state general secretary PK Firoz, however, denied the allegation and said the
green colour was prominent.In a related incident, at national executive in
Thiruvananthapuram, delegates were received with red garlands instead of
green.At a recent meeting at the League House in Kozhikode, a firebrand leader
of its student wing MSF told on the face of a senior leader that the party has
to change the flag, in green colour with crescent and star, as it has a
resemblance to that of Pakistan Muslim League.ET Mohammed Basheer MP, who is
the IUML national organising secretary, denied any change of party flag.“These
are mere rumours. Party has never thought of such a move and the League has
been part of Union Govt for 10 years and had produced a CM in Kerala. We have been using this flag all
these years, so what’s the need for a change now?” he asked.A senior MYL leader
on condition of anonymity confirmed “Youth League is for a change of its flag
which may be extended to the IUML also” while a senior MLA of the party said, “a
MYL leader has given 3 different designs, but no decision has been taken yet”.newindianexpress
500 Syrian students to study in India under Govt
’s new plan
New Delhi:Nearly 500 students from war-torn
Syria are getting admission in Govt and
private institutes under the “Study in India” scheme of the Govt launched in April earlier this year, according
to officials familiar with the development.The scheme is aimed at bringing
students from countries in south Asia, southeast Asia, the Middle East and
Africa to top institutions in India, including the IITs, NITs, Delhi University
(DU), JNU, among others.“This (the 2018-19 academic year) is the zero year, and
even then, we have received a number of applications. Probably for the first
time, so many students from Syria have applied. A few students from there have
taken admission in the past but not in a systematic manner,” said a senior
Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry official who asked not to be
named.hindustantimes
Those who want Shariat ‘may go to Pakistan’,
says BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj
BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, known for making
controversial remarks, on Sunday said that those who wanted Shariat in the
country “should go to Pakistan”.He was responding to a reporter’s query that
some organisations were seeking ‘Shariat courts’ to resolve the personal
disputes of Muslims.PTI
UP to present ‘vision document’ on Taj Mahal
before SC on Thursday
Uttar
Pradesh Govt will be presenting a
'vision document' on the Taj Mahal in Agra before the Supreme Court on
Thursday, an official said on Monday.This document, prepared by the Delhi
School of Planning and Architecture, was put together after the apex court came
down heavily on the Govt while hearing a
petition filed by environmentalist MC Mehta.IANS
Congress to bring privilege motion against PM
or Nirmala Sitharaman on Rafale deal details
NEW DELHI:Congress on Monday said they would
bring a privilege motion against Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for
allegedly misleading the Lok Sabha on details of the Rafale fighter jet deal.''“There
is nothing in the defence agreement that doesn’t allow the Govt to reveal the price,” said former Defence
Minister A.K. Antony. He asserted that he had revealed the value of many deals,
including the one on the French-built Mirage aircraft.Rajya Sabha Congress
member Anand Sharma said, “Since this happened in the Lok Sabha, appropriate
action regarding privilege will be taken by members of the House.”Mr. Antony
also stated that the Constitution said that the price would have to be revealed
to the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) and the Public Accounts Committee.
Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Mallikarjun Kharge said the party would
bring a privilege motion, but it was yet to decide if it would be only against
the Defence Minister or PM Narendra
Modi. In his speech in the House during the debate on the no-confidence motion
against the Govt , Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Modi and Ms. Sitharaman
had lied to the country on the Rafale deal. thehindu
WORLD
UN's top court rules UAE blockade violated
Qataris' rights
The United Nations' top court has issued a
provisional ruling, saying that measures put in place by the United Arab
Emirates as part of its boycott against Qatar amount to racial
discrimination.UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, imposed a land,
air and sea blockade against Qatar in June 2017, in one of the worst diplomatic
crisis in the Gulf in decades.Qatar filed a case at the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) in June, accusing the UAE of violating international laws by
expelling thousands of Qataris, many of whom have family or own property in the
UAE, and closing UAE airspace and seaports to Qatar. It alleged the boycott
violates the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD) - including discrimination on the basis of nationality -
a treaty signed by both the UAE and Qatar.On Monday, the Hague-based said that
Qatari families affected by the UAE's measures must be reunited, imposing a
measure before it hears in full the discrimination case.It also said that
students should be given the opportunity to complete their studies in the UAE
or to retain records of their studies to allow them to continue their education
elsewhere.Finally, it said Qataris should be allowed access to judicial
services in the UAE.Qatar's National Human Rights Committee estimated the
blockade has affected about 13,000 people.The committee recorded 4,105 cases of
human rights violations in the last year, including 646 family reunification
violations.Informally known as the World Court, the ICJ is the UN' venue for
resolving legal disputes between states.aljazeera
Qataris' human rights 'plausibly' infringed by
UAE blockade: UN court rules
War of words between US, Iran: Pompeo calls
Iran's religious leaders 'hypocritical holy men'
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blasted
Iran's religious leaders as "hypocritical holy men" whom he says are
more interested in lining their pockets and spreading hardline views abroad
than helping out their own cash-strapped citizens. Pompeo's speech on Sunday
came as US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani
traded angry threats amid rising tensions between the two countries.
"Sometimes it seems the world has become desensitised to the regime's
authoritarianism at home and its campaigns of violence abroad, but the proud
Iranian people are not staying silent about their Govt 's many abuses,"
Pompeo told a crowd of Iranian Americans during a speech at the Ronald Reagan
Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. "US under
President Trump will not stay silent," he said in an address aimed at
members of southern California's 250,000-strong Iranian-American community.
Pompeo took particular aim at several of Iran's judicial, military and
political leaders, accusing them of widespread corruption. "The level of
corruption and wealth among Iranian leaders shows that Iran is run by something
that resembles the mafia more than a Govt ," Pompeo said. The top US diplomat claimed that Iranian
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had an off-the-books hedge fund, Setad,
worth $95bn, and that Iran's judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani was worth $300m
after wiring public funds to his own accounts.Pompeo's speech came as the war
of words between Rouhani and Trump intensified. Prior to Pompeo's speech on
Sunday, Iranian President Hasan Rouhani warned Trump not to escalate tensions
with Iran, saying a confrontation with Iran would be the "mother of all
wars".aljazeera
Al-Shabab claims killing 27 soldiers in Somalia
Somalia's al-Shabab armed group claimed on
Monday they have killed at least 27 soldiers in a suicide attack at a military
base in the country's south.Abdiasis Abu Musab, the group's spokesman, said
that the fighters stormed the base in Baar Sanguni village - about 50km from
the port city of Kismayo - after the car bomb explosion."We killed 27
soldiers and took the base. Some soldiers fled into the jungles," he
claimed. There was no immediate official comment from the Govt about the attack.But a Somali military officer,
Majo Mohamud Aden, told Reuters from Kismayo that the military was sending
reinforcements to the base following the reports of violence.aljazeera
Israeli army kills Palestinian teen in
Bethlehem raid
Israeli soldiers have shot dead a Palestinian
teenager and rounded up at least 11 others during an overnight raid in the
occupied West Bank. Arkan Thaer Mizhar, 15, was shot in the chest in Dheisheh
refugee camp in Bethlehem, in the southern West Bank, the Palestinian health
ministry said on Monday.His funeral is due to take place later on Monday.A
security source told WAFA news agency that Israeli forces stormed the camp and
conducted house raids. Soldiers fired live ammunition as well as tear gas and
stun grenades.aljazeera
Israeli PM to meet Russian FM for Syria talks
Jerusalem :Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov later Monday in Jerusalem to discuss the latest developments
regarding Syria and Iran, according to Israeli daily Haaretz. Russian Military
Chief-of-Staff Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov will also attend the discussion.
Speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Monday’s meeting was being
held at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin.The talks, Netanyahu
said in a statement, would tackle “regional issues -- first and foremost, the
situation in Syria”. Monday’s meeting will come one day after Israeli warplanes
reportedly struck a military installation in Syria’s central-west Hama
province. Israel frequently accuses Tehran of exploiting the ongoing conflict
in Syria -- where Iran supports the ruling Assad regime -- to establish a
permanent military presence near Israel’s borders. While Russia also supports
the Syrian regime, it remains in close communication with Israeli military
officials in order to avert potential clashes.Anadolu Agency
Sisi appoints sons in key roles to ‘protect
his throne’
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has
reportedly promoted his son Mahmoud from the rank of Major to the rank of
Brigadier-General and appointed him deputy head of the General Intelligence
Directorate.This comes after Al-Sisi’s younger son, Hassan, a former engineer
in an oil company, was appointed to the Department of Communications of the
General Intelligence Directorate.An Israeli think tank linked to the
decision-making circles in Tel Aviv reported on 13 January 2017 that Al-Sisi
was working to tighten his grip on the Egyptian intelligence apparatus by
appointing his relatives and supporters to senior positions.The Jerusalem
Centre for Public Affairs (JCPA) pointed out that Al-Sisi appointed his eldest
son Mahmoud as a senior official responsible for the “internal security” of the
General Intelligence. Mahmoud is now considered the “powerful man” in the
apparatus who participates in official meetings held by his father and his
closest associates, who control the intelligence agency, after a “massive
elimination” operation was carried out.MEMO
Yemen:Unidentified assailants kill well-known
cleric
Sanaa:Yemeni officials say unidentified armed
men have killed a Muslim preacher in the southern city of Aden, base of Yemen’s
internationally recognized Govt backed
by a Saudi-led coalition.They said on Sunday that the slain Mohammed Ragheb was
known to be close to the Islah party, a local affiliate of the Muslim
Brotherhood group that is allied with Yemen’s self-exiled President Abed Rabbo
Mansour Hadi.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were
not authorized to brief media.Muslim clerics and preachers have often been
targeted, mostly in Aden, prompting some imams to quit, abandon their mosques
or flee the war-torn country.The coalition has been backing Hadi’s Govt in a 3-year war against Iran-aligned Shiite
rebels, known as Houthis, aiming to restore him to power.AP
Yemen Waqf: Stop assassination of clerics
Yemeni Ministry of Endowments has called on
the competent security authorities in the city of Aden to stand firmly against
the assassination and acts of terrorism practiced against the city’s clerics,
muslim scholars and imams.In a statement the ministry stressed on the need to
expedite the prosecution of the perpetrators and bring them to justice.The
ministry issued the statement a few hours after the assassination of Sheikh
Mohammed Bazareih, the imam of Abdullah Azzam Mosque in the city of Maala in
Aden, after evening prayers on Saturday. The identities of the gunmen remains
unknown.middleeastmonitor
Muslim footballer Ozil’s resignation sparks
Germany racism storm as Ankara cheers
Mesut Ozil's decision to quit playing for
Germany unleashed a racism storm in Berlin on Monday, but earned the applause
of Ankara with a Turkish minister hailing “a goal against the virus of
fascism”.After months of silence over a controversial photograph with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May, which sparked questions about his
loyalty to Germany, Ozil erupted on Sunday.The Arsenal midfielder posted a
stinging 4-page statement taking aim at German Football Association (DFB)
bosses, sponsors and the media.Ozil, a key member of the squad which won the
2014 World Cup, blamed the DFB management, in particular its president Reinhard
Grindel, for failing to side with him against his critics.“In the eyes of
Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when
we lose,” Ozil wrote.29-year-old said he was true to both his Turkish and
German origins and insisted he did not intend to make a political statement by
appearing with Erdogan just before the
World Cup finals.“I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish,” said Ozil,
who was repeatedly singled out for criticism after Germany's woeful performance
at the World Cup saw them crash out after the group stages.Ozil's explosive
statement, in three separate postings on Twitter and Instagram, was hailed by
Erdogan's Govt , which has championed a campaign against what Ankara sees as
growing Islamophobia in Europe.“I congratulate Mesut Ozil who by leaving the
national team has scored the most beautiful goal against the virus of fascism,”
Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul wrote on Twitter.AFP
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
Indifference to facts has become a cultural
phenomenon. Media, politicians must take the blame:Abdul Khaliq
India doesn’t need a new law to curb
lynchings, enforcing existing laws is enough, say legal experts
Modi govt buries its head in the sand over
data on mob lynchings:Bhasha Singh
NRC and Citizenship Bill Have Fuelled Old,
Divisive Anxieties in Assam:Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty
Veteran General,ex AMU VC Writes to PM “In
Anguish”
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 1:20 PM)
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