NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
13 OCT. 2018: 03 Safar 1440:
Vol: 11, No:30
INDIA
Do You Want Everyone In India To Be
Vegetarian:SC asks petitioner seeking ban on meat
New Delhi: "Do you want everybody in this
country to be vegetarian?," the Supreme Court on Friday asked a petitioner
who has challenged the export of meat from India. A bench of Justices Madan B
Lokur and Deepak Gupta made this observation while hearing a plea which said
that export of meat cannot be encouraged or promoted in the country."We
cannot pass an order that everyone should become vegetarian," the bench
told the counsel appearing for the petitioner organisation.The counsel told the
court that this matter should be heard after which the bench posted it for
hearing in Feb.The court also dealt with a separate petition filed by the
organisation on the issue of promoting organic farming in the country.At the
outset, the bench said that this issue was for the Govt to decide.The petitioner's counsel told the
court that they have already raised this issue before the Govt but no steps have been taken in this
regard."It is not our job to tell all this to the Govt ," the bench
said and posted the matter for hearing in Feb.PTI
Do you want entire country to be full of
vegetarians? SC Asks Petitioners Seeking Ban Of Meat Exports
Hindu hardliners force meat sellers to shut
shop in Gurugram
Gurugram:Hindu hardliners are forcing meat
sellers to shut shops in Gurugram, which is home to global outsourcing firms,
saying they must respect the feelings of majority Hindus celebrating a 9-day
festival.The drive against the mostly Muslim shopkeepers in Gurugram during Navaratri
festival is the highest profile campaign since Hindu vigilantes targeted people
engaged in the slaughter of cows, considered sacred to Hindus.With a national
election due by May, some states ruled by PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Govt are drawing accusations that they are not
doing enough to curb the activities of Hindu hardliners.One meat shopkeeper
referred to the 1947 division of British India into the independent India and
Pakistan. “This is the first time since partition that we have been asked to
close shops for this long a period,” said Sajid Qureshi, whose family has been
selling meat for decades.Men are roaming around on motorbikes and surveying
areas to check for shops selling meat, said Rajeev Mittal, head of Sanyukt
Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, an umbrella organisation of 22 Hindu groups.4 other meat
retailers told Reuters they were suffering heavy losses but were scared to keep
their shops open, adding that it looked unlikely that they would be allowed to
reopen for another week.Reuters
Mumbai: After tender mentions ‘beef’, BMC
clarifies it meant buffalo meat
Mumbai :Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
(BMC) had to issue a hasty clarification after an advertisement for supply of
animal feed to a zoo run by the civic body mentioned ‘beef’ as one of the items
needed. The goof-up took place due to wrong translation of the term ‘buffalo
meat’ as “beef” in the tender notice published in Gujarati and Hindi papers, a
civic official said Friday. Sale and purchase of beef, which generally means
cow meat, is banned in Maharashtra. The corporation put out advertisements in
several papers Tuesday, seeking suppliers of meat, fodder, eggs, and other
types of animal feed for Byculla Zoo.The ad in English and Marathi mentioned buffalo
meat, but the term was translated as “beef” in Hindi and Gujarati papers. PTI
NIA
attaches 5 properties of Zakir Naik
Mumbai: A special NIA court here has ordered
attachment of 5 properties belonging to Islamic preacher Zakir Abdul Karim
Naik, an agency statement said on Friday. Situated in Mumbai's Mazgaon area,
the 5 properties include a 1,360-square feet shop in Crystal Residency
building, two flats bearing numbers B-1005 and B-1006 in Jasmin Apartments at
Dockyard Road, and two other flats numbering 1,701 and 1,702 in a building
known as "Maria Heights" at Belvedere Road. The court order came
following NIA request to issue an order to attach Naik's properties.NIA made
the request when the court on June 15 declared Naik "Proclaimed
Offender" under Section 82 of CrPC, owing to a pending non-bailable
warrant against him.In Nov.2016, NIA had registered a case against Naik, who is
currently living in Malaysia and has been granted permanent resident status
there, under the IPC and UAPA.IANS
Supreme Court stays Uttarakhand High Court’s
ban on religious organisations issuing fatwas
The Supreme Court has stayed the Uttarakhand
High Court’s ban on religious organisations issuing fatwas, Bar and Bench
reported. Fatwas are legal opinions provided under Islamic law by a Muslim
cleric.A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta were hearing an
appeal filed by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind against the High Court’s order. The
organisation claimed that the HC had “misinterpreted and misapplied” the SC’s
order in the Vishwa Lochan Madan case.In Vishwa Lochan Madan vs Union of India
& others, the Supreme Court had held that a fatwa is not a decree and is
neither binding on anyone nor enforceable. Uttarakhand court had delivered its
verdict in a case in which the family of a woman who was raped was banished
from Laskar village in Haridwar on the basis of a fatwa. An advocate had drawn
the court’s attention to a media report about it.The appellant told the SC that
a V-C of Darul Uloom Deoband had said a fatwa is, “an advice or an opinion
given in response to questions asked by an individual on a personal or
religious matter. It is not binding on anyone. Whether the person who sought
the advice follows it or not is his or her wish.”The SC issued notices to the HC
and the state Govt on the
matter.scroll.in
Ban on Fatwas: SC stays HC order
Deoband, Aala Hazrat outfits welcome SC stay
on Uttarakhand HC's ban on fatwas
Meerut: Islamic seminary Darul Uloom has
welcomed the Supreme Court's stay order on Uttarakhand high court's blanket ban
on fatwas. Ashraf Usmani, in-charge, organisation and development department of
Darul Uloom, said, "We have full trust in our judiciary and we know that
the law of the land will not let anyone compromise our fundamental rights
enshrined in the Constitution of India. Regarding the HC order, I can only say
that the matter was not pursued by the defendants judiciously; otherwise, such
an order would not have come at the first place. Now, I have full confidence
that Article 25 of the Constitution will remain intact." Darul Uloom’s
sentiments were echoed by Salman Hasan Raza Qadri, vice-president of Jamat
Raza-e-Mustafa, outfit affiliated to Dargah Aala Hazrat. “Fatwas are being
passed for nearly 200 years. Fatwas show the way to people what they should do
in the light of Shariat. People ask questions on several matters and clerics
answer their queries on the basis of religious books,” said Qadri. Maulana
Iqbal, a scholar from Madarsa Rashidiya in Haridwar, told TOI, “Issuing fatwas
in the view of the Shariat is not against the law and the constitution as these
are given by mufti. We welcome the SC's order staying the Uttarakhand high
court's order. However, action should be taken against those who pass orders
like a dictator in local panchayats and misuse their powers. The word fatwa is
misused by these so-called panchayats.” TOI
AMU students face sedition charge after
funeral prayer bid for militant killed in J&K
Lucknow:Police in Aligarh have invoked several
sections of IPC, including one related to sedition, in their FIR against two
named and several unidentified Kashmiri students of AMU who allegedly tried to
conduct funeral prayers on the campus following the killing of PhD
student-turned-militant Mannan Bashir Wani in north Kashmir Thursday.A resident
of Kupwara in J&K, Wani was expelled from AMU in Jan.this year after he
appeared in a photograph on social media with a message claiming he had joined Hizbul
Mujahideen. Aligarh Civil Lines SHO
Vinod Kumar said: “FIR has been filed on a complaint of police sub-inspector
Israr Ahmed who collected information about yesterday’s incident through his
source. 2 Kashmiri students, who are named in FIR, are Waseem Ayub Malik and
Abdul Hafeez Meer. Other unnamed students are also from Kashmir. As per FIR,
Kashmiri students of AMU on Thursday raised slogans of ‘azadi, azadi’ on the
campus. They also raised slogans against the country while showing support to a
terrorist.”“We are presently in coordination with AMU administration and will
also seek footage of CCTVs installed on the campus to identify the other
accused. So far, no one has been arrested and an investigation into the case
has begun,”SHO said. Meanwhile, AMU Friday issued notice to 9 Kashmiri students
for allegedly trying to conduct namaz-e-janaza on the campus. A 3-member
committee, including two assistant proctors and a deputy proctor, has been
formed to submit a report.“Disciplinary action has been initiated against 9
Kashmiri students by issuing notices to them. So far, 9 Kashmiri students have
been identified and the committee is presently examining footage of CCTV
installed at AMU campus to identify other students who attempted to take out namaz-e-janaza,”
said AMU PR in-charge M Shafey Kidwai.indianexpress
Kashmir observes shutdown after PhD
scholar-turned-militant killed in encounter
Srinagar: Kashmir valley observed a complete
shutdown Friday, a day after PhD scholar-turned-militant Mannan Wani and his
associate were killed in a pre-dawn encounter in north Kashmir’s Handwara.The
call for shutdown had been given by the joint separatist leadership. Shops and
business units remained closed in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, with
traffic remaining off the roads. There was a huge presence of security
personnel in parts of Srinagar city. Educational institutions and colleges also
remained shut. Previous day, authorities in a few districts, fearing protests
by students, had ordered the closure of schools and colleges as ”
“precautionary measure”.In Srinanar’s old city, curfew-like restrictions were
imposed and the authorities didn’t allow Friday prayers to be held at the Jamia
Masjid. In Kupwara district of Kashmir – where Wani hailed from – clashes broke
out between security personnel and stone-throwing youth.indianexpress
J&K urban local body polls: Only 3.5%voter
turnout in Kashmir valley; merely 1.8% in Srinagar
The third phase of the J&K urban local
body elections began across 300 polling stations at 6 am on Saturday amid
stringent security measures. Just 3.5% of the electorate voted in the third
phase of the urban local body polls in militancy-hit Kashmir Valley.Voting for
the third phase of municipal polls ended peacefully on Saturday in J&K's
Samba, Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla districts, with an overall turnout of
16.3 %, news agency IANS reported. Final polling percentage for Srinagar is
1.8%. Only 2740 of the total 153091 votes cast.As many as 365 candidates are in
the fray for the elections. A thick security blanket has been thrown around the
polling stations, while security forces are conducting area domination
exercises to ensure an incident-free election, officials said. Out of the 300
polling stations, 241 stations – 222 in the Kashmir Division and 19 in Jammu
Division – have been categorised hypersensitive, police said. 96 wards of 8
urban local bodies, comprising a total electorate of 193990 electors,are
scheduled to go to polls.indianexpress
Ayodhya issue: Mosque at disputed site against
Islamic principles, claims Wasim Rizvi
New Delhi : Days after terming the Babri
Masjid as “a blot on India’s landscape”, Shia Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi
has once again raked up the issue of Ram Janambhoomi. Rizvi on Thursday cited a
fatwa by top Iranian shiite cleric Ayatollah Sistani to allege that a mosque on
a disputed site is not permitted according to the principles of Islam. Rizvi
said that he had sought a fatwa from the cleric on whether Maulanas and Mauvlis
can expel someone from Islam. He said that the Iranian cleric has clearly
stated that Maulana and Maulvi have no authority to expel anyone from Islam.
Rizvi said this while rejecting the last month’s announcement by a few Muslim
clerics that he has been expelled from Islam for making objectionable
statements.According to a report in Aaj Tak, Rizvi had put up a question to
Sistani whether a mosque can be constructed on a disputed piece of land. The
cleric had responded saying, “As per the Islamic principles, it is not
permitted.”The development comes a few months after a Kanpur-based resident had
claimed that he had asked Sistani whether the Waqf Board can give away the
property owned by it to people of other religion for religious purpose. In his
response, according to the Indian citizen, Sistani had said that “it is not
possible”.Rizvi said that Sistani’s fatwas are accepted worldwide and
therefore, “Muslims should not comment on the Ayodhya issue
now”.financialexpress
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Telangana urges people to
support 'public manifesto of demands'
Hyderabad: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH)
(Telangana and Odisha) has appealed to
all people to support the 'Public manifesto of demands' and cast their votes in
favour of those candidates and political parties who vow to fulfill these
demands.Releasing ‘public manifesto demands’ at a press conference here , JIH
(Telangana and Odisha) President Hamid Mohammed Khan said in order to achieve
people's objectives, this manifesto presents practical proposals and demands
that turn Telangana into a peaceful, prosperous and welfare state.It includes
some demands for minorities and weaker sections of the society for their
upliftment in social economic, educational and political spheres. JIH,
supported the bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh and the formation of
the State of Telangana for fulfilling the obligations of justice and the
overall development of its people and all regions, he said JIH is a principled
and ideological organisation and justice has always been central to its
struggle.It has always tried to ensure justice to all people and all sections
of society and to uplift the weaker and backward sections of the society, Khan
said JIH has always condemned all sorts of discriminations on the basis of
region, language, religion and caste. Besides 13-charter of demands for
minorities including sub-plan in budget, establishment of branch campuses of
central universities, promotion of urdu language and renaming the existing
women’s college, Koti as ‘ Khair Unnisa Women’s University as a mark of respect
to the donor of the property, Public Manifesto of demands also included
providing employment to the youth; steady growth of farmers, agricultural
workers and rural economy; police reforms, peace and Law and protecting the
culture of Telangana.UNI
Yogi hate speech: Imprisoned petitioner’s wife
moves NHRC alleging police threats
Gorakhpur:The wife of lawyer Pervez Parwaz has
written to the NHRC alleging that after the arrest of her husband in a fake
rape case, the local police are now threatening her and her sons with false
cases. Pervez, who has been fighting a legal case against UP CM Yogi Adityanath over a hate speech since 2007,
was arrested and sent to jail last month in a case of alleged rape. Recently,
the Supreme Court had asked the Gorakhpur court to reopen the hate speech case
against the then Lok Sabha MP Adityanath.As per the letter written by Pervez’s
wife Rehana Begum, a false case of rape was registered against Pervez in June
2018. After investigation, the local police found the case fake and closed it.
But it was reopened and a fresh inquiry was conducted and Pervez was arrested
on 25th September, just a day before the case was to be heard in the Allahabad
High Court. He and a co-accused had moved the HC against the rape case. The
court on 26th September stayed the arrest of the co-accused. However, Pervez
has since been in jail.“Gorakhpur police are disturbing me and my sons even
though there is not a single case against me or my sons. The police are
hatching a conspiracy to implicate us in a false case and threatening us. This
all is being done so that Pervez Parwaz could be pressured to withdraw his case
against Yogi Adityanath,” Rehana wrote in the letter.She has sought protection
from NHRC.caravandaily
Documentary says Sangh Parivar behind Kandhamal
violence, innocent Christians fraudulently framed
New Delhi:Concerned over the plight of 7
Christians languishing in jail for ten years after being wrongly implicated in
the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, Delhi Minorities Commission(DMC)has
raised its voice for speedy justice in the case. Despite being no evidence
against them, they were imprisoned and no action was taken against the real
culprits responsible for the killing and Christian community was deliberately
targeted in Kandhamal violence in Aug-Sept 2008, allegedly by Sangh as claimed
in Documentary. “It is shocking to know about the plight of these innocent
people who had to spend 10 years in jail for no fault of theirs. Our mandate is
to speak up for the voiceless and minorities. That is why the Commission
decided to host this programme to spread awareness about the injustice to the
Christian minorities,” said Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, DMC chairman. He was speaking
on the occasion of the release of a chilling documentary titled, “Agony of
Kandhamal” screened at Delhi secretariat auditorium on Thursday. Dr Khan said,
“It is not right that there is no hearing on the appeal of the accused.
Judiciary must take up such cases on priority basis. We want to create public
awareness about such instances of injustices, so that they don’t recur. We will
also write to NHRC, so that the innocents get justice and the real culprits are
punished.”Commission spoke about delay in disposing of the appeal of 7
Christians of Kandhamal.Among them, Munda Badamajhi is mentally challenged and
other 6 are illiterates.They were convicted by the lower Court to life
sentences. The appeal of the convicts has been pending before the Odisha High
court since Nov.2013.In the violence that continued over a month, at least 100
people were reportedly (37 as per Govt records) killed. According to the National
People’s Tribunal headed by retired Delhi HC judge AP Shah, more than 600
villages were ransacked in which 232 churches destroyed,5600 houses were looted
and burnt and 55000 people compelled to flee their homes.Caravan Daily
Triple talaq law part of Govt's efforts to
protect Muslim women:PM
New Delhi:Hoping that Parliament will pass the
Bill banning inistant Triple Talaq, PM Narendra Modi said the legislation to protect
the Muslim women was part of Govt 's efforts to provide justice. He was
addressing an event to mark the 25th anniversary of NHRC here and also said
that the Commission has an important role to play in Govt's efforts to achieve
sustainable development goals.Modi said that the Govt is committed to improve the lives of people by
ensuring their rights. He cited various steps taken by Govt in this regard and said the triple talaq
legislation is a part of the effort to provide justice to the oppressed.
"I am confident that this key legislation will be accorded approval by
Parliament soon," he said. The bill is pending before Rajya Sabha with Lok
Sabha having already passed it. dailypioneer
Triple talaq illegal in Islam: Kalbe Jawwad
Jaunpur:Noted Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad
said that Islam has declared triple talaq as illegal but Govt should not interfere
in religious affairs.He said Muslim Personal Law should take initiative to put
a complete ban on triple talaq. He said it is against the Quran.He said talaq
on phone, email and letter can also be not accepted.Islam doesn’t allow oppression
of women, hence triple talaq should strictly be banned and this should be done
under Muslim personal law.”siasat
Action against Rohingya Muslims shouldn't be
seen through prism of human rights: Rajnath
New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on
Friday that action against the Rohingya and other illegal immigrants should not
be viewed through the prism of human rights as India has never ill-treated
foreigners. Addressing the silver jubilee foundation day event of the National
Human Rights Commission in New Delhi, Singh said India is a secular country and
the human rights are not based on any religion."I believe there is no
place for inhuman actions in the name of strict action. But it is also my firm
belief that actions taken in the national and societal interest should not be
seen from the viewpoint of human rights violation," he said, in presence
of PM Narendra Modi, the chief guest at
the function.PTI
Women praying along with men in mosques is not
acceptable to us: Samastha Jamiyyathul
Kozhikode:Adopting a rigid stance on the entry
of women into mosques, the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama — an influential
body of Sunni scholars and clerics —said women and men will not be allowed to
jointly worship in mosques controlled by it even if the Supreme Court passes an
order permitting it. “Our stand is clear. Anything that goes against Shariat
(Islamic law) cannot be accepted,” Samastha general secretary Prof K Alikutty
Musaliyar told reporters when quizzed about allowing women into mosques.When
asked whether adopting such a stance would be construed as challenging the apex
court, he said there are avenues to legally question adverse court orders in
the court itself. Asked about CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Minister KT Jaleel coming out
in support of women entry into mosques, Alikutty Musaliyar said “It may be
acceptable for them, but it’s certainly not acceptable to us,” he said. “There
is no ban on entry of women in mosques. There is only a restriction on
unrelated men and women offering prayers together in mosques. We abide by the
Prophet’s words that house is the supreme place of worship for a woman,”he
said.newindianexpress
Kerala Shiv Sena threatens mass suicide if
‘women enter Sabarimala Temple’
Defying the Supreme Court order, Kerala unit
of the Shiv Sena on Saturday warned of mass suicide if women dared to enter
Sabarimala Temple. “Our women activists will gather near the Pamba river on
Oct.17 and 18 as part of a suicide group. If any young woman tries to enter
Sabarimala, our activists will commit suicide,” Peringammala Aji, a member of
Sena, was quoted as saying by the news agency.Sena has been vociferously
protesting against the SC verdict that allowed women of all ages to enter the
shrine.On Sep.28, the top court, in a 4-1ruling, ended the entry ban on women
of menstruating age at Sabarimala temple, contending that the centuries-old
custom at the shrine was not an essential religious practice and “the attribute
of devotion to divinity cannot be subjected to rigidity and stereotypes of
gender”.indianexpress
UP:Communal tension in 2 districts, cops
deployed
Lucknow: Religious events in Bulandshahr and
Bahraich districts in UP have led to
communal violence and tension in the past 24 hours and a heavy deployment of
police has been made in both the districts.According to reports, a “shobha
yatra” being taken out in Bulandshahr district on Thursday evening led to
tension between two communities when those participating in yatra resorted to
firing by pistols and rifles in the procession. The police arrested one accused
from the spot while the other managed to escape. Sources said that both the men
who opened fire were heavily drunk.Ompal Lodhi was leading a procession
carrying an “akhand jyoti” (immortal flame), while Premvir Lodhi was leading a
similar procession. The firing began when Ompal Lodhi refused to allow the
yatra led by Premvir Lodhi saying that his yatra would pass first.As the two
groups opened fire, there was panic in the area and the police stalled
Premvir’s yatra and later led it to its destination under police security.In
Bahraich, a face-off was witnessed between the 2 communities over installation
of an idol of Durga on Thursday. A similar incident had taken place a day
earlier in which 8 cops were injured.Asian Age
India elected to UN Human Rights Council with
highest votes among candidates
New Delhi: India won a seat to Human Rights
Council at United Nations with highest votes among all candidates. Five
countries including India contested the election for five vacancies in the Asia
Pacific region - thereby assuring the election of all 5. The other 4 candidates
are Bangladesh, Bahrain, Fiji and the Philippines. "Thanks to the support
of all our friends UN, India wins seat to Human Rights Council with highest
votes among all candidates, India's Ambassador to UN Syed Akbaruddin said in a
statement on Twitter.Times Now
JNUSU Demands Inquiry Into Plagiarism
Allegations Against Seven Professors
New Delhi:JNUSU office-bearers Friday
submitted complaints to HRD ministry and the UGC demanding an inquiry into
allegations of plagiarism against 7 professors of the varsity. JNU Students’
Union (JNUSU) cited media reports claiming that some professors, holding
administrative posts, were accused of plagiarism by some students.“Some of the
accused teachers hold administrative positions in the university and some are
part of various committees that decide our academic policies,” JNUSU said in
its complaint.The students’ union has demanded an inquiry against the
professors and their suspension from administrative and academic duties.JNU
professor Buddha Singh, whose name figures in the complaint, said, “These
allegations are baseless and an attempt to destroy the academic environment of
the university.” Krishnendra Meena, another professor whose name figures in the
complaint, said he had resolved the matter amicably.PTI
Rahul slams Centre for snatching Rafale deal
from HAL
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday
described HAL as a "strategic asset" in aerospace, saying the country
owed a debt to it, as he stepped up his campaign against the Modi government
over Rafale fighter jet deal.Reaching out to present and ex employees of defence
PSU at an interaction with them here, Gandhi said, work done by HAL for the
country was tremendous and the country owed debt to it for "protecting
us" and creating a scientific vision.“I have not come here to give a
speech, I have come to listen to you,” Gandhi said, as he began his interaction
with HAL employees, including some retired staff."...HAL is a strategic
asset in aerospace, not an ordinary or regular company," Gandhi said at
the event organised at Minsk Square near HAL head quarters.PTI
India’s decision to buy oil from Iran, missile
systems from Russia is ‘not helpful’, says US
US is “carefully reviewing” India’s decisions
to go ahead with oil purchases from Iran and an agreement with Russia for the
supply of S-400 Triumpf missile systems, PTI reported. President Donald Trump
in Aug.reimposed economic sanctions against Tehran and said that anyone doing
business with Iran would not be doing business with US. US expects all
countries, including India, to reduce their Iranian oil imports to zero. Sanctions
come into effect from Nov.4.In a department briefing, Nauert said US had clarified
its policies to its allies. “We believe that countries coming together and
recognising the malign influence that Iran has had around world is important,”
she said. “We know that Iran and Govt of
Iran has taken the benefits that it received under the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action and they have poured that money not into their own population, not
into the good of the people, not into its medical hospitals and things of that
nature, but rather they’ve used it for its own nefarious programmes.”scroll.in
Pune: Petrol dealer head of Muslim Rashtriya
Manch
Pune:Petrol dealer Ali Daruwalla, a resident
of Pune, was recently appointed as the president of Muslim Rashtriya Manch
(MRM), affiliate of RSS and headed by a senior pracharak. A letter of
appointment was handed over to Daruwalla by Virag Pachpore, national convener
of MRM.Daruwalla said,“MRM president’s post covers Pune district, and will
strive to bring the Muslim population on the same page as other citizens,
spreading virtues of brotherhood, peace, harmony and affection.” TOI
WORLD
Israel kills 7 Palestinians at Gaza March of
Return protest
Israeli forces have killed 7 Palestinians
during protests in the eastern Gaza Strip near the military fence separating
the blockaded Palestinian territory from Israel, Gaza's health ministry said.Ashraf
Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for health ministry in Gaza, said that 6 Palestinians
were killed and 112 others injured when Israeli soldiers opened fire on
protesters on Friday in the eastern Gaza Strip.Thousands of Palestinians joined
demonstrations as part of the March of Return protests that started on 30 March
to demand an end to Israel's 11-year blockade on Gaza and the right of return
of Palestinian refugees to their hometowns in what is now Israel. Qudra said 4
Palestinians-Ahmad al-Taweel, 27; Mohamed Ismail, 29; Ahmad Abu Ne’eim,17;and
Abdullah al-Daghma, 25- were killed east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the
central Gaza Strip. Tamer Abu Ermanah, 27, was shot and killed by Israeli
soldiers east of the town of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, he said. Israeli
soldiers also shot and killed Afifi Mahmoud Afifi, 18, in eastern Gaza City,
Qudra said.Gaza's health ministry said late on Friday that a 7th Palestinian
was killed. His name was Mohamed Abbas. Ministry said 192 Palestinian
demonstrators were injured. Of those,140 people-including 45 kids, 8 women and 2
paramedics-were hurt by live ammunition.middleeasteye
Israel orders immediate halt of fuel
deliveries to Gaza
Israel's Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman
has ordered an immediate halt to fuel deliveries headed to the besieged Gaza
Strip in response to what he said were attacks against Israeli soldiers and
civilians, his office announced on Friday.The announcement on Friday follows the
killing of 6 Palestinians by Israeli forces during the ongoing March of Return
protests."Israel will not tolerate a situation in which fuel tankers are
allowed to enter Gaza on the one hand, while terror and violence are used
against [Israeli] soldiers and Israeli citizens on the other," the
statement from Lieberman's office read.Qatari-bought fuel began arriving on
Tuesday in a bid to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the besieged
enclave and prevent any escalation in Israeli-Palestinian violence."The
Qatari fuel to the Gaza strip's power plant today is aimed at partially
improving electricity [supply] in Gaza," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said
at the time.The fuel deliveries were aimed at easing months of protests along
the separation fence east of Gaza, which has been under a crippling Israeli and
Egyptian blockade for more than a decade.United Nations has warned that
Israel's 11-year blockade of the strip has resulted in a
"catastrophic" humanitarian situation.Under UN-brokered deal, Qatar
pays for the fuel which is then delivered through Israel with UN monitoring, a
diplomatic source said. A Qatari official, speaking to Reuters, said Doha
planned to help with Gaza's power crisis "at the request of donor states
in the UN, to prevent an escalation of the existing humanitarian
disaster".aljazeera
Palestinians condemns international psychology
association’s 2019 conference in Israel
Palestinian Union of Social Workers and
Psychologists has issued a formal statement earlier this week condemning the
decision of the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and
Psychotherapy (IARPP) to hold its 2019 annual conference in Israel. In December
2017, an international group of mental health clinicians requested that the
IARPP reconsider that plan, but IARPP refused. In Jan. 2018, 3 organizations,
the USA-Palestine Mental Health Network, the UK-Palestine Mental Health
Network, and Jewish Voice for Peace then launched a petition signed by 1400
mental health professionals worldwide protesting the IARPP plan to meet in
Israel. There were subsequently two other petitions in protest of the IARPP
decision to meet in Israel: one signed by a group of members of the Israeli
organization Psychoactive and another signed by a group of Palestinian mental
health clinicians who are citizens of Israel.MEMO
Hamas seeks ceasefire with Israel without
‘political prices’
The leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh said that
his movement is working with regional and international players to reach a ceasefire
with Israel.In a speech delivered at the Visitors of the Holy City of Jerusalem
Conference held in Istanbul, Haniyeh explained: “Currently, we work with
different parties such as Qatar, Egypt and the UN to put forward some
understandings in a bid to reach a ceasefire with the Israeli occupation”. Haniyeh
also reiterated that his movement would not pay any “political prices” for the
ceasefire, stressing that any deal would not be at the expense of Palestinian
unity. He added that Hamas would never make any concessions at the expense of
Palestinian rights, including the right of Palestinian people to resist the
illegal Israeli occupation. Hamas leader also emphasised the movement’s
rejection to the so-called “Deal of the Century,” urging free people around the
world to fight this deal which aims to liquidate the Palestinian issue and
deprive the Palestinians of their legitimate rights.middleeastmonitor
Saudi Emir calls for military campaign against
Kuwait, sparks backlash
Saudi Emir Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Saudi has
called for a military campaign against Kuwait, sparking a wave of criticism and
calls not to meddle in others’ internal affairs.Al-Saudi wrote on Twitter:
“Kuwait needs [a] new ‘Operation Decisive Storm’ to purge it from the dirt of
[the Muslim] Brotherhood and the supporters of Hamads [the Qatari ruling
family]”.Operation Decisive Storm is the name given to the Saudi-led
intervention in Yemen in 2015, where civil war has since devastated the
country.Al-Saudi’s comments sparked a backlash on Twitter, with one user
writing: “Kuwait does not need advice from you. Thank God, we have our own emir
Subah al-Ahmad al-Subah whom we obey. He does not need your advice, too. Unlike
others, he is not isolated from his people”.Another user wrote: “All the Gulf
States need to be purged from [the Muslim] Brotherhood on top of which is Saudi
Arabia. Twitter users have full freedom to tweet whatever they want excluding
criticising God, Prophets and the emir. If this existed in Saudi, twitter would
have been plagued with the Brotherhood’s poisons”.middleeastmonitor
Malaysia Frees 11 Uighur Muslims, Defying
China Handover Request
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has freed 11 ethnic
Uighur Muslims who escaped from immigration detention in Thailand, their lawyer
said Friday, ignoring a request from Beijing to deport the group to China.In
the dramatic breakout last Nov. 25 members of the persecuted minority used
blankets to climb out of their cells in a daring pre-dawn escape from
immigration detention in southern Thailand.11 of them, all men, escaped
overland to neighbouring Malaysia, where they were caught and charged with
illegal entry.Southern Thailand and Malaysia share a common border, which is
easily penetrable. Group were freed and flew to Turkey on Tuesday, their lawyer
Fahmi Abdul Moin said. "Prosecutors decided to drop all charges on
humanitarian grounds," he said. The decision was made after lawyers wrote
to the Malaysian attorney general urging that the charges be withdrawn, Fahmi
added.In a faxed comment to AFP, China's foreign ministry said it was looking
into the reports, but said it was opposed to "illegal immigration.""These
people are Chinese, and we are firmly against sending them to third
countries," it said, adding:"We hope Malaysia attaches great
importance to China's position and concerns."HRW welcomed the group's
release."These 11 men faced detention, torture or worse if they were
returned to China,"HRW deputy director for Asia Phil Robertson said.China
had asked Malaysia's previous Govt to repatriate group in Feb,but new PM Mahathir
Mohamad has taken a more independent stand with Beijing.AFP
Afghanistan: Taliban confirms talks with US
peace envoy in Qatar
A Taliban delegation has met with US envoy
Zalmay Khalilzad in Qatar to discuss ending the Afghan conflict, the armed
group said on Saturday, in the first official confirmation of talks between the
two sides.The meeting with Khalilzad and other US officials took place on
Friday and talks will continue, Taliban said in a statement emailed to
journalists.The meeting occured as President Donald Trump's administration
pushed to find a way to end the 17-year-old Afghan war, the Wall Street Journal
previously reported.The Journal, citing a person familiar with the gathering,
said Khalilzad met with Taliban officials in Doha, the second time in four
months that US officials have held face-to-face talks with Taliban
representatives. Khalilzad's is currently on his first trip as special
representative. 11-day trip was to take him to Afghanistan, Pakistan, UAE,
Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The State Dept declined to say whether the meeting with
Taliban officials in Doha took place.Alice Wells, the State Department deputy
assistant secretary for South and Central Asia, met Taliban officials in Doha
in July for what were described as talks about talks.A Taliban official who was
part of the four-person delegation to that meeting said it produced "very
positive signals".A US-led coalition forced the Taliban from power in 2001
in the aftermath of the Sept.11 attacks on Washington and New York.aljazeera
Pakistan: No single country can bring Taliban
to talks
Pakistan told Washington that no single
country could bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiation table since Islamabad
has lost its influence on the Taliban, an official said on Friday.On Oct. 9, a
veteran U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad, Wasington's newly appointed representative
for finding a peaceful and political solution to 17-year-long war in
Afghanistan, has visited Islamabad where he met Pakistani officials, including
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.During his meetings, Khalilzad sought
Pakistan's help to bring Afghan Taliban to the negotiation table."Pakistan
fully supports the policy of negotiations with Taliban, it is a shared
responsibility to bring Taliban to the negotiation table and no single country
can be expected to undertake this task unilaterally," Mohammad Faisal,
spokesman of the Foreign Ministry said. The spokesman explained that the role
of the US, the Afghan Govt and other
regional players is equally important and that is why ambassador Khalilzad is
visiting other countries including the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to elicit
their support. Anadolu
Blast at electoral rally kills 13 in
Afghanistan
Kabul:At least 13 people were killed and more
than 30 wounded in a blast at an electoral rally in Afghanistan, officials
confirmed on Saturday.Khalil Aseer, police spokesman in the northern Takhar
province, said the incident took place in the Rustaq district. According to
Aseer, explosives hidden in a motorcycle caused the blast in the afternoon at
the electoral rally of a female candidate, Nazifa Yousufi Bek, for forthcoming
Wolesi Jirga (lower house) elections. The candidate was not harmed.There has
been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.Anadolu Agency
Western Firms' Walkout Over Khashoggi Hurts
Saudi Modernisation Plans
The growing number of Western companies
distancing themselves from Saudi Arabia over the alleged killing of dissident
Jamal Khashoggi is undermining the kingdom's push to diversify its economy
beyond oil and provide more opportunities for its young and often restive
population. By Friday afternoon, nearly a dozen tech, media and entertainment
companies had backed out of a Saudi investment conference to be held this
month, as dismay over Saudi agents' alleged murder of Khashoggi spread to
companies that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has tried to woo.One of the
firms that was among the recipients of the $27 million the kingdom spent on
U.S. lobbying last year, announced it would stop its representation. "We
are terminating our relationship," said Richard Mintz, managing director
of The Harbor Group. Companies and executives backing away from the kingdom,
including Uber Technologies Inc.,Viacom Inc. and at least two prominent tech
investors, are the very ones the crown prince has sought to cultivate over the
past year as the kingdom attempts to modernize its economy and ensure jobs for
its young population. More than 60 % of Saudis are under age 30.There may well
be limits to the corporate world's willingness to censure the Saudis. Big banks
and consulting firms that earn large sums issuing bonds for the kingdom or
offering strategic advice have largely stayed mum on their plans to sponsor or
attend the Riyadh conference, nicknamed Davos in the Desert. Some lobbying
firms that work for the kingdom also withheld comment.And so far the White
House has steered clear of harsh criticism, with Treasury Secretary Steve
Mnuchin on Friday saying he's still planning to attend the summit -- a
statement that drew condemnation from two Senate Democrats.President Donald
Trump called Khashoggi's suspected killing a "terrible thing" but
stopped short of assigning blame and noted that the dissident wasn't a U.S.
citizen. He told reporters later Friday: "A lot of people are going over
to the investment conference. We'll see what happens. Maybe some won't be
going. We'll make that determination very soon."Washington Post
Missing Saudi writer had big plans for his
troubled region:AP
Beirut: Saudi contributor to Washington Post
who went missing more than a week ago and is feared dead had major plans,
including a string of new projects to promote inclusiveness and accountability
lacking around the Arab world, his friends say.Jamal Khashoggi, a prolific
writer and commentator, was working quietly with intellectuals, reformists and
Islamists to launch a group called Democracy for the Arab World Now. He wanted
to set up a media watch organization to keep track of press freedom. He also
planned to launch an economic-focused website to translate international
reports into Arabic to bring sobering realities to a population often hungry for
real news, not propaganda.Part of Khashoggi's approach was to include political
Islamists in what he saw as democracy building. That - along with his sharp
criticisms of the kingdom's crackdowns on critics, its war in Yemen and its
policy on Iran - put him at odds with the rulers of Saudi Arabia, which deeply
opposes Islamists like the Muslim Brotherhood, seeing them as a threat.The
Saudi journalist, whose 60th birthday is this weekend, had also personal plans.
He bought an apartment in Istanbul and planned to marry the day after he
disappeared. He planned to commute between Istanbul and his home in
Virginia.Khashoggi had incorporated his democracy advocacy group, DAWN, in
Jan.in Delaware, said Khaled Saffuri, another friend. The group was still in
the planning stages, and Khashoggi was working on it quietly, likely concerned it
could cause trouble for associates, including activists in the Gulf, Saffuri
said. Project was expected to reach out to journalists and lobby for change,
representing both Islamists and liberals, said another friend, Azzam Tamimi, a
prominent Palestinian-British activist.Tamimi said he and Khashoggi had set up
a similar pro-democracy project together in 1992 when they first met. It was
called Friends of Democracy in Algeria, he said, and followed the botched
elections in Algeria, which Govt annulled to avert an imminent Islamist
victory.When Sunni Islamists rose to power in other parts of the region,
Khashoggi was pragmatic. He argued that the future of the region can't be
without Islamists and denounced Govt s' crackdowns on them. He argued the most
effective way to challenge Iran's growing influence in the region is by
allowing Sunni political Islam- a rival to Shiite Iran- to be represented in Govt
s.Khashoggi was to marry his Turkish fiancee on Oct. 3.
Trump Says He Will Call Saudi King About
Khashoggi, Calls Case "Terrible"
Facebook accepts data of 30 million users
stolen
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/facebook-data-breach-faqs-5400263/
Facebook Data Breach: Facebook’s latest data
breach just got worse. The social network has put out more details about the
attack which exploited a vulnerability in Facebook’s code between July 2017 and
September 2018 impacting the view as feature that lets people preview how their
profile appears for others. While Facebook claimed that fewer users — 30
million and not 50 million as originally thought — had their access tokens
stolen by exploiting 400,000 accounts.But if you thought that was good, comes
the revelation that the attackers accessed name and contact details of 15 of
the 30 million, and everything from gender to relationship status for another
14 million. Just 1 million of the 30 were lucky enough to not have any of their
data compromised. Facebook is already sending customised messages to the 30
million affected users to explain what has happened. It will also suggest steps
to protect themselves. The only silver lining to this really dark cloud is that
“Messenger, Messenger Kids, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, Workplace, Pages,
payments, third-party apps, or advertising or developer accounts” have not been
affected by this specific attack.indianexpress
UN accused of letting 'abusers' into human
rights council
Bahrain, Cameroon and the Philippines were
among a number of countries controversially elected to the United Nations Human
Rights Council on Friday, sparking sharp criticism from rights groups and the US.Around
a third of seats on the 47-member council, based in Geneva, were open for slots
lasting from 2019-2022. A 97-vote majority from the 193 nations that make up UN's
General Assembly is needed for approval. For the first time since the council
was created in 2006, each voting region agreed in advance on 18 candidates to
be in the running for 18 seats - removing any competition.New members Bahrain,
Cameroon, the Philippines, Somalia, Bangladesh and Eritrea were elected with
between 160 and 178 votes - and immediately drew criticism from activists in
Europe and North America dismissing them as "unqualified" due to
their human rights records. "By putting forward serious rights violators
and presenting only as many candidates as seats available, the regional groups
risk undermining the council's credibility and effectiveness," HRW, said. aljazeera
US pastor Andrew Brunson convicted for
terrorism, left Turkey after release
An American pastor has flown out of Turkey
after he was released by a Turkish court following 2 years in detention. Andrew
Brunson, whose detention caused a diplomatic crisis between Washington and
Ankara, left on a US military flight bound for Germany on Friday. The White
House said Brunson will arrive at a military base in Maryland on Saturday.The
evangelical pastor was convicted of terror-related charges and sentenced to 3
years, one month and 15 days in jail on Friday. But he was immediately freed,
taking into account the time already served and good conduct during the trial.
The court also lifted his house arrest and overseas travel ban, paving the way
for his return to the US.After the court decision, Brunson travelled to his
home and then left for the airport in Izmir province with his wife Norrine. "This
is the day our family has been praying for - I am delighted to be on my way
home to the US," Brunson said in a statement after his release."This
is good news for the Americans, as well as the Turkish market. Everybody was
waiting for this court decision, as there was pressure on the Turkish lira
following the tension between the US and Turkey" over the Brunson case,
reported Al Jazeera's Sinem Koseoglu from Izmir, after the court reached its
decision. Brunson, 50, was arrested in 2016 as part of the Govt crackdown in the wake of a failed coup bid. He
has been under house arrest since July.Friday's court decision ends the
friction over his case that caused a crisis in relations between the two NATO
allies.Al Jazeera
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
Muslim Girls On The Verge Of Leaving Deen:
Maulana Mahfouz Rahmani
Inside story of the hunt for Najeeb, JNU
student who disappeared into thin air:Ananya Bhardwaj, Kritika Sharma
Mathura: Muslim woman adopts Hinduism, claims
'no respect for women in Islam'
Hyderabad;Archaeology Dept turns its focus on
Khairatabad Masjid
Dr Arif Siddiqui exposes influence of Jewish
and Christian wives on Muslim rulers
Tablighi Jamaat leadership dispute echoes in US,
Britain:Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Political players will keep Ayodhya fires
burning:Sujata Anandan
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:44 PM)
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