NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
16 March 2019: 08 Rajab 1440:Vol: 11, No:152
INDIA
New Zealand mosque attacks: 1 Indian killed, 2
injured, 7 still missing
New Delhi: At least one Indian was killed, 2
more injured and 7 reported missing in the wake of the terror attack on 2
mosques in New Zealand Friday that left 49 dead. 2 of the 9 people of Indian
nationality or origin, reported missing after the attacks on Friday, have been
located, according to sources in the external affairs ministry. 7 of them are
Indian nationals.The sources said 2 Indian nationals are injured but out of
danger. 5 other Indian nationals and 2 New Zealand citizens of Indian origin
are still missing, the sources said. Following the attacks, Indian envoy to New
Zealand Sanjiv Kohli tweeted about 9 people of Indian nationality or Indian
origin missing. Meanwhile, PTI reported that Indian from Hyderabad Ahmed Iqbal
Jahangir, who was shot at one of the mosques in New Zealand, is recovering at a
hospital. Iqbal was shot in chest during the mass shooting incident.However,
reported the parents of another Indian from Hyderabad Farhaj Ahsan, whose
missing case AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi raised with External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj in a tweet, were still clueless about his whereabouts. One Indian
deceased was identified as Mohammed Juned Kara (34) from Navsari in Gujarat.
According to the Indian Express, Juned, from Halda village in Navsari district,
owned a general store and was the father of three children, according to his
family. Mohammed Ahmed, Kara’s father in law, said: “My daughter Sabiha, got
married to Mohammed Juned who is born in New Zealand. His father Mohammed Yusuf
Kara, shifted to New Zealand from Navsari long ago. Juned is the father of
three children and among them eldest is 10 years old.”Another Indian from
Gujarat, Arif Vohra (58) and his nephew Rameez Vohra (28) have been reported
missing after the mosque attacks. “My nephew just became a father five days
ago. Hafiz Musa Patel, the Pesh Imam of Lautoka mosque in Fiji Islands was
among those injured Friday. Patel is from Lunawara village in Bharuch and holds
a Fijian passport, say sources at the village.Indians in New Zealand are around
200,000 strong, out of which around 75,000 are Indian passport holders.HT/thewire/Indian
express
New Zealand: 5 Indians 'Missing', 2 Injured
After Terrorists Shoot 49 at 2 Mosques
Christchurch counts its victims: 1 Indian among dead, 2 injured, 6
missing
Muslim bodies condemn N. Zealand mosques attack
New Delhi: A number of prominent Muslim bodies in India on Friday
condemned the terrorist attack on 2 mosques in New Zealand's
Christchurch.Expressing shock over the incident, Navaid Hamid, of All India Muslim
Majlis-e-Mushawarat, umbrella body of various Muslim organisations, said:
"No words to express shock and grief over the killing of peaceful
worshipers at Christchurch mosque in New Zealand terror attack.""My
heart goes to the bereaved families who are victims of Islamophobia created by
western policies in the last 20 years," he added.He also questioned PM
Narendra Modi's silence over the incident. However, the PM has expressed his
"shock" over the accident in a letter to his New Zealand counterpart
Jacinda Ardern.Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind General Secretary Maulana Mehmood Madni said
that the incident was painful and condemnable."This is very painful and
should be condemned in the strongest word. We, the Muslims, need to think as to
why such incidents are happening. Of course, it is Islamophobia, but we need to
look inwards as to what is wrong with the 'ummah' (community)," Madni
said. IANS
LIVE: Delhi BJP writes to Election Commission to appoint special
observer for mosques
Delhi BJP writes to EC appealing it to "appoint Special Observer
for mosques especially in Muslim dominated areas so that political/religious
leaders cannot spread hate among people to influence elections".nationalheraldindia
Azhar terror tag: If soft talks fail, Big-3
planning UN vote to nail China
US and 2 other permanent Security Council
members, France and Britain, are believed to be in intense "good
faith" discussions with China to arrive at a "compromise" on the
UN designation of Jaish chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.And if that
effort does not end up in the formal designation of Azhar, the 3 permanent members
are planning to soon move a resolution for his listing in the most powerful
wing of the UN which would be preceded by an open debate on the issue,
according to people familiar with the matter.In the last 50 hours, it is
believed that the original sponsors of Azhar resolution are having intense
"good faith" consultations with China on what many familiar with the
matter describe as a "compromise". This probably means Azhar would be
designated as a global terrorist by the UN body, but the language of designation
would include a language acceptable to China.China is believed to have
suggested "certain changes" in the language of the terrorist
designation. US, Britain and France are believed to be currently looking at the
suggestions. It is understood that there is back-and-forth exchange of texts on
the matter. The three countries have indicated that they are willing to
accommodate Chinese request for changes in the language as long as it does not
change the substance of the resolution and it ends up designating Azhar as a UN
global terrorist.But unlike in the past, the US, France, Britain and other
members of the Security Council are not willing to wait for long to conclude
their discussion with China.It is learnt that China has been informed by these
countries that they are seriously looking for other options, in particular, an
open debate followed by a vote on a resolution to designate Azhar as a global
terrorist, pretty soon.Not months, not weeks but days. This is what Beijing has
been conveyed.At the same time, officials of these countries believe that China
this time has been much more co-operative than in the past. But if, at any
point the three countries get a feeling that China is not doing a good faith
negotiation on the "compromise formula" that is being negotiated,
they are ready with the other move.PTI
Delhi BJP requests poll panel to appoint
special observers at mosques during Lok Sabha polls
BJP's Delhi unit has requested Chief Electoral
Officer (CEO) to appoint special observers at mosques to prevent any attempt to
influence voters on "religious lines" during the Lok Sabha
election.In a letter, Delhi BJP's legal department convener Neeraj cited alleged
attempts by some AAP leaders to polarise voters on religious lines and
requested CEO to appoint special observers at mosques."We are bound to
write you this complaint due to recent repeated attempts to polarise voters on
religious lines by the convener of the AAP, Arvind Kejriwal, and his party
members," alleged Neeraj. "He has been giving baseless statements to
polarise the voters in Muslim dominated areas," Neeraj said.He requested
the CEO to appoint special observers for mosques in Muslim-dominated areas so
that the political and religious leaders cannot spread "hate" among
people to "influence" elections.PTI
Another Jamaat-like Crackdown in Kashmir? This
Time, Govt Workers Are Also on List
Srinagar: Days after the leadership of the
largest socio-religious-political organisation,Jama’at-e-Islami J&K
(JeI),were arrested along with other religious and separatist leaders, a second
government crackdown seems imminent in J&K.“A list of around two hundred
militant and Jama’at sympathisers, which includes government officials, has
been prepared," sources in state administration revealed, adding that the
"militant sympathisers would be arrested soon". Sources have said
that government servants, including some senior officials, have been named in
the list and will be removed from their positions.“These are the people who are
working covertly. They not only provide financial and logistical support to the
militants, separatists and other anti-national elements but also propagate
separatist thought among youth,” a top official, who wished to remain
anonymous, said.Police officials, including DG of J&K Police, Dilbagh
Singh, however, refused to comment about the purported list.But, sources said
that the government has been working on the list from some time now and the
move is aimed at “cracking down on the support base of militants and
separatists” so that “elections could be held peacefully”.As per the official
source, most of the government employees whose names have figured in the list
are teachers.“We have found a large number of government teachers actively
doing subversive activities. They are also trying to propagate this at the
place of their work, among colleagues and students,” the official said.news18
Ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, Subsequent Arrests in
J&K 'Illegal': Civil Rights Group PUDR
https://thewire.in/rights/ban-on-jamaat-e-islami-subsequent-arrests-in-jk-illegal-civil-rights-group
New Delhi: Civil rights organisation People’s
Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) has charged that taking advantage of
people’s attention being focused on “escalation and de-escalation of tension
between India and Pakistan” in February this year, the Centre “intensified
repression in the state of Jammu and Kashmir”. It said over 300 people have
been detained, and the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami too was “part of this ongoing
repression”.A statement issued by PUDR has claimed that following the ban on
Jamaat-e-Islami of Jammu and Kashmir on February 28, 2019, the state
administration has picked up hundreds of persons and booked them under
preventive detention laws.PUDR secretaries Deepika Tandon and Shahana
Bhattacharya have claimed that the Centre’s invoking the ban by simply issuing
a gazette notification was “illegal”.thewire
Ban On Jamaat-e-Islami J&K Draws Flak In
Valley: outlookindia
Mehbooba Mufti lends support to Jamaat to
revive election fortunes
Terror-funding: ED moves Delhi court to quiz
Geelani's son-in-law in Tihar
New Delhi :ED moved a Delhi court, seeking its
nod to quiz separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Shah
alias Altaf Fantoosh in connection with a terror-funding case.ED also sought to
question Zahoor Watali, an influential businessman and allegedly a friend of
Pakistani leaders and Kashmiri separatists, and Naval Kishore Kapoor, UAE-based
businessman. The court will hear the matter on March 19. PTI
SIMI men in Bhopal jail allege mental
harassment
Bhopal: Ahead of hearing on whether the ban on
SIMI should continue, state chief of the outfit, Abu Faisal, and other
operatives have approached Madhya Pradesh high court, accusing Bhopal jail
authorities of subjecting them to mental harassment.All SIMI suspects are in
solitary confinement and will be shifted to high-security ‘Anda Cells’ in 2
months. MPHC has issued a notice to the jail authorities, seeking an explanation
on joint petition filed by Faisal and his team, who allege that they are barred
from contacting other prisoners, and stopped from reading books and taking up
educational courses. Jail authorities say SIMI suspects are trying to build
pressure on the prison management by filing such petitions. TOI
Tribunal seeks SIMI men’s representation
against Centre’s ban; MP ATS ready with jailbreak’s dossier
Bhopal: MP ATS has issued letters to SIMI men
lodged in Bhopal central jail seeking their representations, if any, against
the Centre's decision to extend a ban on their organisation. A tribunal that
has been constituted by MHA to decide over the ban will conduct a 2-day hearing
in Bhopal soon. SIMI’s ex general secretary Safdar Nagori, state chief Abu
Faisal and 27 other alleged office bearers of this organisation are in Bhopal
jail.Nagori,officials believe, would make a representation. They have been
asked to respond through lawyers within a week’s time.Meanwhile, MP ATS is also
ready with a dossier on ‘2016 Bhopal Jailbreak’ and many other classified
inputs on their activities and parent organisations to press for a ban. MHA had
issued a notification on Feb.21 constituting the tribunal headed by a Delhi
high court judge – Mukta Gupta – since the 5-year ban on SIMI ended on Jan.31.
This tribunal will ascertain whether there was sufficient reason to continue
with ban on SIMI as an unlawful organisation. Justice Gupta started proceedings
on Thursday issuing a general notice informing the public at large and the
organisation in question to approach it with any material in support of or
against the Centre's decision on SIMI while posting the next date of hearing
was April 15. MP ATS has forwarded the same to the Bhopal central jail.
SIMI activist sentenced to life imprisonment in
attacking cops case
Bhopal:An activist of the SIMI was sentenced
to life imprisonment on Friday by a special NIA court here on multiple counts,
including for killing an ATS constable and injuring 2 other police officials in
2011, prosecution said.The activist, identified only as Farhat, was convicted
and sentenced by special NIA judge Girish Dixit, district prosecution official Yogesh
Tiwari said. Farhat and another accused Zakir, both activists of SIMI, were
accused of killing ATS constable Shivpratap and injuring 2 others on June 3,
2011 in Ratlam, Tiwari said.Zakir was among 8 SIMI men who were killed by the
police after in 2016.The third accused in the case, Nizamuddin, was acquitted
by the court for lack of evidence.PTI
Areeb Majeed questions NIA court rejection of
his plea for CDRs; HC says he has right to fair trial
Bombay high court on Friday observed that an
accused has a right to a fair trial while hearing a plea made by accused Areeb
Majeed accused of indulging in alleged terrorist activities in Iraq. Majeed, in
jail, pending trial, since his Nov.2014 arrest, was seeking call data records
(CDRs) of 3 officers of NIA including an ASP and a senior police inspector and
his father’s mobile numbers. Arguing in
person before a bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanty and A M Badar, Majeed, who
hails from Kalyan, asserted that NIA facilitated his return to India. He had
moved the HC after a special NIA court in Mumbai, on Jan.10, rejected his CDR
plea. He wanted CDRs of officers to back his stand that their location was at
Mumbai airport when he arrived from Istanbul,to arrest him at 5.30am on Nov.28,2014.
Majeed claimed that his air ticket was provided by the consulate which also
issued him an emergency certificate at the behest of NIA.The HC, which reserved
the matter for orders, also observed “this is not an investigation into the
investigators…he has a right to cross-examine witnesses.’’ The hc made it clear
that it was not making any observations either way on the case. TOI
India-Myanmar joint operation destroys
militant camps on eastern border
New Delhi:Days after the airstrike in
Pakistan’s Balakot, Indian forces in coordination with Myanmar Army conducted a
joint operation and claimed to have wiped out militant camps on the eastern
border. The action, officials said, averted a possible threat to the ambitious
Kaladan transit and transport project considered key for improving the
connectivity in the Northeast, officials confirmed. Government sources said the
coordinated operation started on Feb.17 and was completed on March 2 where
several camps of Arakan Army on the Indo-Myanmar border were razed. Officials,
however, refrained from giving the number of casualties of militants in the
operations.indianexpress
Congress stakes claim to form govt in Goa,
writes to Governor to dismiss BJP govt which is in minority
On a day when reports suggest that ailing CM
Manohar Parrikar's condition has worsened, the Congress in a letter to Goa
Governor Mridula Sinha on Saturday staked claim to form government in the
coastal state.In a letter addressed to Sinha, Leader of Opposition Chandrakant
Kavlekar said that the Parrikar-led coalition government is in a minority and
its numbers may "dwindle". He demanded that she dismiss the incumbent
BJP-led dispensation and invite Congress -- the single-largest party in the
state Assembly -- to form the government."Consequent upon the sad demise
of Francis D'Souza, MLA, who belonged to BJP, it is humbly submitted that the
incumbent BJP-led state government under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar,
which has long lost the trust of the people and now also lost the strength of
the House," Kavlekar said in the letter to the
Governor.nationalheraldindia
LS polls: Umar Khalid’s father S.Q.R. Iliyas
in fray from Murshidabad’s Jangipur seat
Kolkata :JNU’s student leader Umar Khalid may
not be in the fray, but his father is contesting from a north Bengal seat.
S.Q.R. Iliyas of Welfare Party of India is contesting from Murshidabad’s
Jangipur seat, previously secured by ex President Pranab Mukherjee’s son,Abhijit.
He cited “worsening” condition of electors of Murshidabad, predominantly
Muslims, as the reason for contesting from Jangipur.“7 to 8 lakh people migrate
to Kerala from this area and there is very little employment opportunity
despite fact that Jangipur produces good quality jute or mango. But those can’t
be processed locally and they had to go to Kolkata. I’m highlighting such
issues in my campaign,”Iliyas said. WPI mainly voices the issues of the
minority community and Dalits. Seat– Jangipur– is one of critical ones in 2019.
Left Front decided to leave it to Congress, but yet to wrap up the seat sharing
deal.If Left and the Congress contests separately, thus splitting Muslim votes,
which is about 70% of the constituency, and WPI can poll 50,000 votes, the seat
will witness a very close quadrangular fight. Iliyas however feels WPI will
“not split” the Muslim vote to the extent when it may benefit the BJP.“It will
be either us or any one of the local Bengal parties,” he said.thehindu
BJP's Prayagraj MP Shyama Charan Gupta Resigns,
To Contest From Akhilesh Party
New Delhi: In a blow to BJP, its lawmaker from UP's Prayagraj today
resigned and joined Akhilesh Yadav's SP. Shyama Charan Gupta will contest the
Lok Sabha polls from Banda as a SP candidate. A former SP man, Gupta had
contested Lok Sabha polls from Banda on a sp ticket in 1999 but had lost to a
candidate from Mayawati's BSP. He, however, won from Banda in 2004. Gupta had
contested from Phulpur in 2009 as a SP candidate but lost the elections.A
prominent Baniya leader in eastern UP, Gupta contested as a BJP candidate from
Allahabad, now known as Prayagraj, in 2014 and won.ndtv
Assam BJP MP Ram Prasad Sarmah quits party
Guwahati : In a jolt to the BJP in Assam, its sitting MP from Tezpur
Ram Prasad Sarmah Saturday announced that he quit the saffron fold and alleged
neglect of old workers by "new intruders in the party" Sarmah said he
was resigning from the primary membership of the BJP after serving the RSS and
VHP for 15 years and the BJP for 29 years."I have left BJP today. I really
feel pained in my heart for those old BJP workers of Assam who are most
neglected in the party by the new intruders in the party," he said in a
Facebook post.PTI
Uttarakhand: Senior BJP leader Khanduri’s son
joins Congress at Rahul rally in Dehradun
BJP leader Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri’s son
Manish Khanduri joined Congress today at a rally in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, in
the presence of Rahul Gandhi.Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri,who represents Garhwal in
16th Lok Sabha, is a retired Army major general.He served as CM of Uttarakhand.scroll
JD(S) leader Danish Ali joins BSP days after
he led seat-sharing talks for his party in Karnataka
JD(S) General Secretary Danish Ali on Saturday
quit the party and joined the BSP in Lucknow. Ali is likely to be fielded in
the Lok Sabha elections from a seat in UP.JD(S) leader and Karnataka Chief
Minister HD Kumaraswamy said Ali had joined the BSP with his and his father HD
Deve Gowda’s consent “in a purely political arrangement between the two
parties”. He said it was “a thoughtful political decision” made by the two
parties to win more seats in the upcoming elections.scroll.in
Maharashtra:Ambedkar-Owaisi parties to contest
all seats
Mumbai:In a big setback to opposition unity efforts,
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi(VBA) announced candidates for 37 of 48 Lok Sabha seats
in Maharashtra. VBA comprises Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) led by Prakash
Ambedkar and AIMIM led by Asasuddin Owaisi. Ambedkar said that since there was
no response from Congress for an alliance, the VBA had decided to contest alone
in Maharashtra."We asked 22 seats from them but till now there was no
response from Congress. We are left with no options but to go ahead and contest
all the seats in Maharashtra," said Ambedkar.IANS
In AAP-Congress Alliance Talks, A Vote Share
Survey And An Opinion Poll
New Delhi: Amid uncertainty over a Congress-AAP
alliance in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections, an internal survey by Congress
could play a key role in changing the minds of state leaders who have been
against the arrangement, sources have told NDTV. The survey - which reportedly
showed BJP ahead of both AAP and Congress with 35 per cent of the vote share in
the capital - has already been shown to party chief Rahul Gandhi and the Delhi
chief Sheila Dikshit."After party president Rahul Gandhi agreed to the
views of the state unit and decided not to ally with AAP for upcoming general
elections, senior central leaders of the party met Rahul Gandhi and asked him
to reconsider the decision," a leader linked to the Delhi Congress Pradesh
Committee told NDTV."Senior leaders cited the recent survey by the party
which showed AAP vote bank to be around 28% and Congress's 22% while BJP's 35% and
argued that alliance with AAP will see the alliance sweeping all the seven
seats in Delhi," he added.ndtv
SC notice to EC for verification of 50% VVPAT
slips
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has issued notice
to the Election Commission (EC) on a plea by leaders from 21 political parties
who wanted the poll body to randomly verify at least 50% EVMs using their VVPAT
slips in the upcoming polls. A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak
Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna directed that the notice be served on EC through its
secretary. It also asked the “competent authority of the Election Commission of
India” to “depute a suitable officer to assist the court on the date fixed”.The
matter will now be heard on March 25.indianexpress
Petition to send Indian Muslims to Pakistan
gets fitting response in Supreme Court
In the recent past, the country has seen a
growing sentiment of hatred against minority communities among a few. As the
day unfolded, it was revealed that a certain citizen of one of the greatest
secular democracies of the world, wasn’t satisfied with just passing such
insensitive remarks. He decided to actually send Muslims back to Pakistan. How?
He filed a petition in the Supreme Court in this regard.The case came up for
hearing in the apex court on Friday in front of a Bench of Justice Rohinton
Nariman and Vineet Saran.A report stated Justice Nariman was dismayed and
appalled by the prayer.He asked the petitioner’s lawyer to read it out loud.
When counsel did so, the angry judge lambasted the petitioner and asked: “Do
you seriously want to argue this? We will hear you, but we will pass strictures
against you.”The question was met with a “no” and the petition was dismissed.
moneycontrol.com
Waseem Rizvi's pro-Ram Janmabhoomi film to
release this month
Lucknow:UP Shia Waqf Board chairman Syed
Waseem Rizvi's movie 'Ram Ki Janmabhoomi' is set for release in the middle of
the poll season, in which the Ayodhya dispute is already an emotive issue.The
project has been mired in controversy since Rizvi, a strong votary of a Ram
temple in Ayodhya, announced it last year. Bombay High Court put restrictions
on the promotion of the film, asking YouTube to take down its trailer, till it
is cleared by CBFC"The movie and its trailer have got the clearance from
the Censor Board and it will be released on March 29," Rizvi said.‘Ram Ki
Janmabhoomi’ (Ram’s birthplace) traces the campaign for a Ram temple at the
disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya."We have to come
together to build a temple on the birthplace of Lord Ram and to eradicate a
shameful evil like halala from society as soon as possible," Rizvi said.
Manoj Joshi, Govind Namdev, Rajveer Singh, Nazneen Patni, Trisha Sachdeva and
Aditya are the actors playing the leading roles in the film directed by Sanoj
Mishra.PTI
SC stays Meghalaya HC order holding Shillong
Times editor, publisher guilty of contempt
The Supreme Court has stayed the Meghalaya
High Court’s order holding Shillong Times Editor Patricia Mukhim and Publisher
Shobha Chaudhuri, guilty of contempt of court, Bar and Bench reported. The High
Court had convicted them on March 8 for publishing two stories in December
about a court order seeking better facilities for retired judges and their
families.CJI Ranjan Gogoi also issued notice to the High Court registrar on
petition filed by Mukhim and Chaudhuri. The SC also stayed the operation of the
High Court’s order imposing a fine of Rs 2 lakh each on Mukhim and Chaudhuri. Minutes
after the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order, Mukhim told PTI that she
had “full faith that the judiciary will protect the freedom of press”.scroll.in
As Mumbai bridge swayed, youth pushed father
to safety — and then fell to his death
Mumbai :When the Himalaya Bridge at CSMT
station began wobbling dangerously Thursday evening, Zahid Khan’s first instinct was to push away his father Siraj
who was behind him. That push to the chest saved the 60-year-old who watched in
horror as his son fell to his death, crushed by cement slabs of the foot
overbridge.32-year-old Zahid was one of 6 to die. At least 31 others were
injured.On Friday, at Maitri Apartments in Ghatkopar West, Siraj’s neighbour
Maksood Khan said: “Had Zahid not pushed away his father, he too would have
died. He survived because the slabs that fell were a little ahead of him.”Zahid
leaves behind his parents, a younger brother, wife and two daughters, one aged
six and the other just eight months. indianexpress
Mumbai bridge collapsed: Anjuman-I-Islam
College event cancelled, students pay homage to victims
11 dead as SUV falls into gorge in J&K
Ramban
ammu:11 people, including four women and five
children, were killed and 4 others injured when an SUV skidded off a road and
fell into a deep gorge in Ramban district of J&K on Saturday, police
said.SUV, carrying 15 passengers from Chaderkote to Rajgarh, rolled down into
the over 500-feet-deep gorge when its driver lost control at Kunda nallah near
Baglihar power house at 10.30 am, an official said.He said the locals along
with the police immediately launched a rescue operation and pulled out bodies
and injured from the scene.PTI
WORLD
New Zealand mosque attacker scrawled on his
guns – from far-right murderers to prominent crusaders
A white supremacist identifying himself as
Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, has killed at least 49 people and wounded 48
more after carrying out a far-right terror attack at mosques in New
Zealand.During the massacre, which he live-streamed online, Tarrant could be
seen using weapons scrawled with white text. He also posted images of the
weapons to Twitter before the feed was taken down.An examination of the text
reveals and obsession with historical figures who fought against the Ottoman
Empire - the Islamic superpower of its day - other far-right attackers, and the
Rotherham sex abuse scandal:David Soslan – A Georgian king of the 12th and 13th
centuries, known for his military success in wars against neighbouring Muslim
nations. David IV of Georgia – Also known as David The Builder, he is
considered the greatest ruler in Georgian history. He drove Turkish forces out
of the country at the Battle of Didgori in 1121 before bringing most of the
Caucasus under his control, ushering in the Georgian Golden Age. Dmitry Senyavin – Russian admiral, fought
campaigns against Turks including Russo-Turkish War (1787–92) and
Russo-TurkishWar (1806–12).Serban Cantacuzino –Ex Romanian prince who planned
to attack and sack Constantinople and drive the Ottomans out of Europe. Marko
Miljanov (misspelled on weapon) – A Montenegrin general who fought several
campaigns against the Ottomans and distinguished himself as an able leader. Stefan
Lazarević – Serbian prince who served as a vassal for the Ottomans before later
freeing his country from their rule and establishing an independent state. Edward
Codrington – British Commander-in-Chief who fought against the Turks and
Egyptians during Greek War of Independence,helping Greeks gain independence
from Ottomans. Marco Antonio Bragadin – Officer for the Republic of Venice, led
the Venetian resistance when the Turks attacked Cyprus. He was killed by the
Turkish general after surrendering along with all Christians remaining in the
city. Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg – A military governor from Vienna who
defended the city from the Ottomans at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. References
to this battle are scrawled in multiple places on the killer's weapons. Alexandre
Bissonnette – Perpetrator of Quebec mosque shooting in Jan.2017. Luca Traini – Italian extremist who shot 6
African migrants in the city of Macerata in 2017. Battle of Kagul 1770 - The
pivotal battle of the Russo-Turkish War, 1768-1774, it saw around 40,000
Russian troops clash with 75,000 Ottomans.Russians were victorious, losing only
around 1,000 troops compared to 20,000 of their opposition. Bajo Pivljanin –
Born under Ottoman rule he switched sides during the Fifth Venetian-Ottoman War
(1645-1669) to fight against his former rulers and was ultimately killed in
battle. He was regarded as one of the greatest peasant infantry. Battle of Bulair, 1913 – The battle pitted
Bulgarian forces against a much larger Turkish force, attempting to break Bulgarian
blockade of one of their fortresses. The Bulgarians were victorious, losing
only a few hundred troops compared to thousands killed on the Turkish side Prince
Fruzhin – A Bulgarian noble who fought against the Ottoman conquest of the Second
Bulgarian Empire Sebastiano Venier – Doge of Venice who fought against Turks
during Fourth Ottoman-Venetian War (1570-1573). As part of the Christian
League, he decisively defeated the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto. Shipka pass
– Reference to battle that was fought as part of the Russo-Ottoman War
(1877-1878). In August 1877, a group of 5,000 Bulgarians and 2,500 Russians
defeated a 40,000 strong Turkish army. Novak Vujosevic – Fought in the Battle
of Fundina for the Principality of Montenegro against the Ottoman Turks. He
killed 28 fighters and was later given an award by the Russian emperor. Konstantin II Asen - Constantine II of
Bulgaria, a Bulgarian noble and ally of Stefan Lazarević, who is mentioned on
another of Tarrant’s weapons. He led a rebellion against the Ottomans which
lasted for half a decade but ultimately ended in defeat.Horogszegi Szilágyi
Mihály - Micheal Szilagyi, Hungarian general who was captain of the Belgrade
fortress when it came under siege by the Ottomans in 1456. The battle ended in
victory for the Hungarians.Bohemond I of Antioch – Founded Norman monarchy in
Antioch and led the First Crusade ordered by Pope Urban II to retake the Holy
Land from Turkish forces between 1095 and 1099. It led to the re-capture of
Jerusalem and the establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Gaston IV of Bearn
– A participant of the First Crusade who was the first to enter Jerusalem after
the defensive walls were breached Pelayu - Pelagius of Asturias, a Visigoth
nobleman who founded the Kingdom of Asturias. He is credited with beginning the
Reconquista which lasted from 711 until 1491, and saw Christians retake the
Iberian peninsula from the Moors.Charles Martel – A Frankish statesman who
defeated crusading Moorish forces at the Battle of Tours in 732AD and is
credited with ending the last Arab invasion of France. 14 – A likely reference
to the 14 Words, a white supremacist slogan derived from Hitler's Mein Kampf.Josué
Estébanez – A Spanish neo-Nazi who fatally stabbed 16-year-old anti-fascist
protester Carlos Palomino in the heart while on his way to take part in an
anti-immigration protest in Madrid in 2007. Miloš Obilić – A knight in the service of
Prince Lazar, mentioned elsewhere on Tarrant’s weapons, who fought against the
Ottomans during the Invasion of the Ottoman Empire. He is credited with
assassinating Sultan Murad I during Battle of Kosovo, 1389.Sigismund of
Luxembourg – A European nobleman who rose to be Holy Roman Emperor, he led Crusade
of Nicopolis against the Ottomans in 1396.Feliks Kazimierz Potocki – A Polish
nobleman and military leader known for leading numerous campaigns against the
Turks and Tatars, including fighting in the Great Turkish War. In 1698, he
defeated a force of 14,000 Tatars with 6,000 men at the Battle of Podhajce.
Iosif Gurko – A Russian field marshal who fought against the Turks as part of
the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878). Vienna 1683 - A reference to the Battle of
Vienna which marked the first time the Holy Roman Empire cooperated militarily
against the Ottomans. Acre 1189 – A reference to the Siege of Acre which lasted
from 1189 until 1191, and pitted King Guy of Jerusalem against Ottoman ruler
Saladin, who was attempting to retake the Holy Land from crusaders. It ended in
victory for King Guy, and formed part of the Third Crusade. Black Sun – A
symbol that originated in Old Norse and Old Celtic cultures as the sonnenrad,
or sunwheel, but was adopted by the Nazis and then neo-Nazis as the symbol of a
pure white race.Dog tags – One tag (left) features the white supremacist
version of the Celtic Cross, and is one of the most commonly used white
supremacist symbols. dailymail
New Zealand mosque shooter names his ‘idols’
on weapons he used in massacre
Who Are People Whose Names New Zealand Mosque
Shooter Scrawled on His Gun?
Stand united against anti-Muslim hatred, to
counter Islamophobia, urges UN chief after mosque attack
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has
urged international community to "stand united against anti-Muslim
hatred" and all forms of bigotry and terror following the shootings at 2
mosques in New Zealand. "I'm saddened & strongly condemn the shooting
of innocent people as they prayed peacefully in mosques in New Zealand. I
express my deepest condolences to the victims' families. Today and every day,
we must stand united against anti-Muslim hatred, & all forms of bigotry
& terror,"UN Chief tweeted.In a statement issued by his spokesman,
Antonio said he is "shocked and appalled" at the terrorist attack at
the mosques."Secretary General recalls the sanctity of mosques and all places
of worship. He calls upon all people on this holy day for Muslims to show signs
of solidarity with the bereaved Islamic community," his spokesman
said.Guterres reiterated the urgency of working better together globally to
counter Islamophobia and eliminate intolerance and violent extremism in all its
form.The gunman, who police have described as being in his late 20s, has been
arrested and charged with murder. Meanwhile, Facebook has reportedly taken down
the gunman's Facebook and Instagram accounts, which allegedly contained racist
and anti-immigrant views. 2 other men and one woman were also detained in
connection with the terror attacks, although one was subsequently released. PTI
Australian Senator Slammed for Blaming NZ
Attacks on 'Muslim Immigration'
New Delhi: Queensland senator Fraser Anning
has received widespread criticism for saying Friday’s mosque attacks in New
Zealand were a result of the country’s immigration program “which allowed
Muslim fanatics to migrate in the first place.”“Whilst this kind of violent
vigilantism can never be justified, what it highlights is the growing fear
within our community, both in Australia and New Zealand, of the increasing
Muslim presence,” he reportedly said in a statement.SBS News on Friday tracked
responses to senator Anning’s statement on social media, highlighting criticism
emanating from across the political spectrum.Scott Morrison, the current prime
minister of Australia, took to social media and said the senator’s remarks were
“disgusting.” Similarly, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull called the
remarks “contemptible.”Home secretary of UK Sajid Javed also took to twitter
calling senator Anning a “racist man.” thewire
Muslim leaders blame rise in Islamophobia for
attacks
Brussels: World leaders expressed condolences
and condemnation following the deadly attacks on mosques in New Zealand, while
Muslim leaders said the mass shooting was evidence of a rising tide of violent
Islamophobia.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called the attacks the
"latest example of rising racism and Islamophobia." Speaking at the
funeral of a former minister, Erdogan said the Islamophobia that motivated the
attacks "has rapidly started to take over Western communities like a
cancer." Pakistan's PM Imran Khan echoed those sentiments. "I blame
these increasing terror attacks on the Islamophobia post-9/11 where Islam &
1.3 bn Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror by a
Muslim," he tweeted. The secretary-general of 57-nation Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, Youssef al-Othaimeen, said the attack "served as a
further warning on the obvious dangers of hate, intolerance, and
Islamophobia." Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif said bigotry in Western
countries contributed to the attacks in New Zealand. AP
'Your words matter': Muslim leaders condemn
Trump's bigotry after New Zealand attack
Donald Trump has "normalised"
Islamophobia amid an international rise in white supremacist ideology, head of
a Muslim-American civil rights group said just hours after an attack that
killed dozens of worshipers at 2 mosques in New Zealand.In a rambling manifesto
that referred to immigrants as invaders, the attacker, who gunned down at least
49 people in Christchurch, praised Trump as a "symbol of renewed white
identity". Nihad Awad, executive director of Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), said that as the "leader of the free world",
Trump's policies and statements have international implications beyond the
borders of US."In many white supremacists' attacks on the American-Muslim
community, the attackers cite Trump and cite his policies," Awad said."I
don't think anyone of us should be surprised that what he says and what he does
impacts the attitudes and actions of people, not only at home, but now
abroad."Muslim and civil rights activists have long accused Trump of
promoting intolerance with his rhetoric and policies.middleeasteye
'Hello, brother': Muslim worshippers 'last
words' to gunman
Muslim worshipper assaulted at East London
mosque after NZ attack
A man has been attacked with a
"hammer" and a "batten" outside an East London mosque,
British media reported hours after at least 49 people were killed in an attack
on 2 mosques in New Zealand. A group of men shouted Islamophobic abuses as they
drove past the mosque and called the attendees at the Friday prayers
"terrorists", witnesses told the Independent newspaper. One of the
three men then climbed out of the vehicle and allegedly attacked one of the
worshippers. The 27-year-old victim sustained injuries to his head."The
suspects returned to their car and left the scene before police arrived,"
a spokesperson for London's Metropolitan Police told the Independent, adding
that the suspects were all described as white men, believed to be in their
20s.No arrests have been made yet. aljazeera
Huge protests in Algeria as allies turn on
Bouteflika
A huge crowd has gathered in Algerian capital
to protest for a 4th consecutive Friday demanding urgent change and
an end to the rule of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in power for
20 years. Demonstrators crammed streets and squares in central Algiers after
Friday prayers, many draped in Algeria's red, green and white flag. Reuters
news agency said protesters numbered in the hundreds of thousands, describing
the rally as the biggest since the start of the rallies last
month.Demonstrations also took place in Bejaia, Oran, Batna, Tizi Ouzou and
other cities.The rally was the first major test of whether 82-year-old
Bouteflika has calmed anger on streets with his surprise announcement on Monday
that he would not seek reelection but would instead cancel the presidential
poll scheduled for April 18."You pretend to understand us, we will pretend
to listen to you," read a banner held aloft by the mostly young
demonstrators."The options for the authority to stay in power have become
nil," law student Kenza Sulaimani said. "We don't want to see anyone
belonging to the present regime." Meanwhile, Algeria's ruling FLN party
showed more signs of turning its back on Bouteflika, with one senior figure
saying in an interview overnight that the long-serving president was
"history now".Former spokesman Hocine Kheldoun, became one of the
most senior FLN officials to break with Bouteflika publicly, saying the party
had to look forward and support the aims of demonstrators.aljazeera
Afghan official accuses US envoy of
'delegitimising' Kabul gov't
A senior Afghan official has accused US of
"delegitimising" the Kabul government by excluding it from peace
talks with Taliban.Hamdullah Mohib, a national security adviser to Afghan
President Ashraf Ghani, levelled a fierce attack on US Special Representative
Zalmay Khalilzad, suggesting the veteran US diplomat held ambitions to run for
political office in Afghanistan."Knowing Ambassador Khalilzad's history,
his own personal history, he has ambitions in Afghanistan. He was wanting to
run for president twice," Mohib told the Reuters."The reason he is
delegitimising the Afghan government and weakening it, and at the same time
elevating the Taliban can only have one approach.It's definitely not for
peace."Mohib's comments were the most strident public complaints to date
by an Afghan official over the Kabul's government's exclusion from negotiations
with the Taliban.The latest round of US-Taliban talks, which lasted for 16
days, ended on Monday in Doha, Qatar. The sides reported progress, but no final
deal on a withdrawal of US-led international forces."Perception in Afghanistan
and people in government think that perhaps, perhaps all this talk is to create
a caretaker government of which he will then become the viceroy," said
Mohib.aljazeera
‘Don’t want interim govt in Afghan,’ India
tells US
India has conveyed to the US that any drawdown
of American troops in Afghanistan as a result of talks with Taliban should not
be followed by an interim administration, people familiar with developments
said on Saturday.New Delhi’s position on future dispensation in Kabul, and its
preference for an elected government being installed alongside any reduction of
US troops, was conveyed by foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale during a meeting
this week with American diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad who is the special representative
for Afghan reconciliation, the people said.The people cited above said that
during his meeting with Gokhale, Khalilzad touched on four key issues being
discussed with the Taliban. There had been some agreement on the drawdown of US
forces and assurances that Afghan territory wouldn’t be used by any terror
groups. However, progress is yet to be made on an intra-Afghan dialogue and a
ceasefire, Khalilzad informed Gokhale.HT
US bars entry to ICC members probing war
crimes in Afghan
US will revoke or deny visas to International
Criminal Court (ICC) personnel seeking to investigate possible war crimes by US
forces or allies in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has
said."ICC is attacking America's rule of law," Pompeo told a news
conference on Friday. "I'm announcing a policy of US visa restrictions on
those individuals directly responsible for any ICC investigation of US
personnel.""We are determined to protect American and allied military
and civilian personnel from living in fear of unjust prosecution for actions
taken to defend our great nation."US officials have long regarded
Netherlands-based ICC with hostility, arguing that American courts are capable
of handling any allegations against US forces, and Pompeo framed the action
against ICC as necessary to prevent international tribunal from infringing on
US sovereignty. Supporters of the court slammed Pompeo's announcement on
Friday. HRW called it "a thuggish attempt to penalise investigators"
at ICC.Amnesty International described the move as "latest attack on
international justice and international institutions by an administration
hellbent on rolling back human rights protections". aljazeera
Saudi rejects ‘internationalisation of
Khashoggi’s case’
Saudi Human Rights Commission has announced
its rejection to any foreign interference in the Jamal Khashoggi’s murder
case.“Saudi Arabia categorically rejects any talk about the
internationalisation of Khashoggi’s case,” rights commission’s head, Bandar bin
Mohammed Al-Aiban, said during UN Human Rights Council’s meeting in Swiss
capital of Geneva. “We [Saudi] have taken those measures required for us to
resolve this heinous crime,” Al-Aiban stressed, adding that the kingdom was
bringing the accused killers to justice. He pointed out that justice in the
kingdom was operating in accordance with “international law,”stressing on system’s
“transparency.”MEMO
Intelligence delegations arrive to Baghdad:
Daesh Foreign Members talk about its dark areas
An Iraqi official in Baghdad has revealed that
several foreign intelligence delegations have arrived recently in Iraq, most of
which are European. They came to Iraq in order to coordinate with the Iraqi
authorities, which detains dozens of Daesh fighters, including leading figures
having Western nationalities. Homelands of these foreigners are seeking
information about their local links before moving to Iraq and Syria.Baghdad is
holding dozens of Daesh fighters, who are captured by the Iraqi forces during
the battles.Most of the detained prominent fighters of Daesh are French,
British and German, and some of them belong to the republics of the former
Soviet Union, such as Chechnya. Most prominent nationalities among Arab Daesh
fighters are Syrian, Saudi Arabian, Moroccan and Egyptian. Detainees are
deployed in several detention centres, mainly in Baghdad and southern and
central Iraq, as well as a town near Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the Kurdistan
region of Iraq. Most of these detainees are facing sentences ranging from
execution to life imprisonment, while others are still waiting for the
verdict.A senior Iraqi official in Baghdad told the New Arab that several
foreign security and intelligence delegations have visited Iraq and asked for
help to communicate with their detained citizens in Iraq to obtain information
about their contacts at home before they travel to Iraq and the way they were
recruited.middleeastmonitor
Official Egyptian report: UAE funded sabotage
groups in Morsi-era
A report shown by the Cairo Criminal Court
revealed that UAE financed an opposition group during the era of Egyptian
President Morsi.At the 55th session of the re-trial of Morsi and 25 others, in
well-known “prison break” case during 25 Jan.2011 revolution, the court
presented details which revealed involvement of UAE.According to the Egyptian
paper Al-Shorouk, the court reviewed a report entitled “For the Public
Prosecutor’s Advisor,” dated 19 Feb.2013, wherein it was written that it is
highly confidential and should be torn after being read. The report dealt with
the facts of Minutes No. 609/2013 of Qasr El-Nil officers. It indicated that,
on 30 Jan,Qasr El-Nil Police Department wrote a report, in which the editor had
proved that gangs carried out systematic criminal projects aimed at creating
chaos and assaulting the police forces.The report presented “official records
and reports” prepared by the “security authorities” which stated that “mobile
surveillance,” investigations and records revealed that UAE and its embassy in
Cairo were funding “formations to implement systematic criminal projects, whose
purpose is to create chaos and assault police forces.MEMO
Hamas: Lebanon’s policies forcing Palestine
refugees out
Hamas’ Office of Refugee Affairs said that
restrictions imposed on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria have meant
their numbers have forced them to flee.In its sixth annual report on
Palestinian refugees who fled the war in Syria to Lebanon, the office said that
lack of food, health care and shelter as well as the costs of correcting the
refugees’ legal situation, spread of unemployment and the reduced relief have played
a key role in reducing the Palestinian refugees’ numbers in both countries.The
report noted that last year saw a significant decline in the number of
Palestinian refugees by about 18,000 refugees according to estimates. Palestinian
refugees in Lebanon are experiencing rapidly deteriorating living conditions in
Lebanon, the report continued, as a result of laws which prevent them from
working and the decline in aid.MEMO
Flash:
views & NEWS
Gujarat 2002: This book makes an attempt to
understand mobster, rioter,rapist: Rahul Jayaram
Maharashtra Muslims acquitted of 'terrorism'
after 25 years:Bilal Kuchay , aljazeera
Fact finding report of burning of 200 houses
in Meerut
India has to send out unequivocal signals that
it’s a reliable trade partner that wants to become part of global supply chain:
Amartya Lahiri
Babu Bajrangi's Bail Mars the Idea of
Justice:Shah Alam Khan
In Kashmir, the Govt's Iron Hand Policy is the
Crucible Producing Violence:Farooq Shah
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:09 PM)
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