The time for Ramadan is here again, so once more we will be actively involved in Ibadat, or acts of devotion, including fasting, prayers, Taraweeh, late night prayers, Quran recitation, and other forms of worship. However, before we become too engaged in our Ibadat, let’s remember our larger goals for this month so that we can make the most of the coming days and weeks.

Therefore, as part of our Ibadat and obedience to Allah this Ramadan, let us seek to improve our relationship with Allah by asking for His forgiveness and blessing, getting a broader perspective on doing good, striving to excel in all good acts, and making lasting changes in our inner and outer lives.

Drawing Nearer to Allah

First and foremost to remember as we engage in the various Ibadat during Ramadan is that these acts of devotion offer us the opportunity to get closer to Allah and to increase the love we have for Him in our hearts. As Muslims, our faith requires that our love for Allah and his Prophet (Sallalahu alaihi wasallam – May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) supersedes any love we have for any other object or creation. Many scholars agree on the basis of sound ahadith that Allah creates the individual—his soul and his heart—in such a way that his natural tendency is to love Allah. However, as a person’s heart is gradually intruded upon by doubts, desires, and temptations, that love has to be rekindled from time to time through both faith and knowledge.

Ramadan provides us with the perfect opportunity to increase the love we have in our hearts for Allah by devoting this period to perfecting our Ibadat. For example, as-salat (prayer) is one of the key Ibadat we will engage in during Ramadan, so during this time, we can focus on increasing the quality and khushu of our prayers. For those new to Islam, “khushu” refers to the soft, silent, humble, devoted state of the heart in prayer as it stands or bows before Allah. We can improve this state during that Ibadah by perfectly focusing our hearts and minds on our prayerful recitations and on Allah.

The Prophet (SAW) said:

“When one of you stands in prayer, he is conversing with his Lord, so let one of you know what he is saying to his Lord and do not raise your voices above one another in reciting when praying.”

Narrated by Ahmad (4928) and classed as saheeh by Shu’ayb al-Arna’oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad

The importance of prayer is also evident from this hadith, in which Abu Hurairah quoted the Prophet (SAW) as saying:

“Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning and evening, Allah will prepare for him an honorable place in Paradise every time he goes and comes.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 631, and Muslim, 669

We should use the same principle when engaging in other Ibadat such as reciting the Quran, performing dhikr (the remembrance of Allah), giving charity, and other devotions. Let’s make sure, therefore, that our intentions when performing Ibadat are solely for the purpose of pleasing Allah and that we devote our worshipful efforts to increasing our love for Him in our hearts.

Broaden the scope of your good deeds

In Islam, the practice of good deeds extends beyond the realm of such Ibadat as prayer and fasting. Unfortunately, for many devout Muslims, the broader definition of good deeds is often lost. Many Muslims are quite steadfast in prayer and fasting, but they tend to be less committed to other moral standards stressed by both Allah and His Prophet (SAW). Ramadan provides us with an excellent opportunity to broaden our horizons when doing good deeds, as we have repeatedly learned from both the Quran and the hadith but rarely practice in our lives.

Such opportunities include:

• Visiting the sick
• Repairing family relationships and other personal ties
• Being kind and respectful to our spouses
• Paying our respects at funerals
• Helping others in their time of need
• Other acts of kindness and devotion

In another hadith quoted in Sahih Muslim, Abu Huraira narrates that the Prophet (SAW) said:

“Who began this day fasting?” Abu Bakr said: “I did.”

The Prophet (SAW) said: “Who participated in a funeral procession today?” Abu Bakr said: “I did.” The Prophet (SAW) said: “Who fed a needy person today?” Abu Bakr said: “I did.” The Prophet (SAW) said: “Who visited a sick person today?” Abu Bakr said: “I did.” Then, the Prophet (SAW) said: “These things cannot all meet in a single person but that they will enter Paradise.”

Doing such good deeds during Ramadan could earn us even greater rewards. However, let’s make certain that whenever we perform any good deeds or charity, we don’t boast about them by telling other people. Good actions are solely for the purpose of pleasing Allah, so whatever we do should be between Allah and us. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (RA) related Allah’s Messenger (SAW) as saying:

“… one who keeps reminding people of what he has given, will not enter Paradise.” (Tirmidhi)

Raise your standard for doing good

Islam encourages us to constantly increase our levels of doing good. Efforts of this type, which we would not normally do except for Ramadan, help us to improve even further. We know that even the behavior of the Prophet (SAW) became better during Ramadan. Many ahadith tell us that the Prophet (SAW) was the most generous person, and he was even more generous during Ramadan. During that time, he would give more in charity and treat people even more kindly than usual. He would also devote more time to reading the Quran, praying, reciting dhikr, and spending time in I’tikaaf (retreat).

Imam Ahmad remarked:

“And nothing he was asked for but he would give it.”

Al-Bayhaqi, too, reported that ‘Aaishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:

“When Ramadan would start, the Prophet (SAW) would release all prisoners of war and fulfill the need of every person who would ask him for something.”

In the light of that guidance and motivated by Allah’s promise to reward us more during this month, we should push ourselves to increase the range and quality of good deeds in our lives.

Commit to permanent change

With all its blessings and opportunities, Ramadan shifts us into high gear for increasing our obedience to Allah and seeking His pleasure. Yet, though many of us start this period with enthusiasm, our usual habits often prevent us from achieving permanent change. So as we start the month of Ramadan, let’s dedicate ourselves to real, lasting change—to increasing our heartfelt love for Allah and reflecting that love in our daily actions. We can do this best by leaving behind what He dislikes and wholeheartedly embracing the good, not only during Ramadan but throughout the entire year and, even better, throughout our entire lives. To encourage sustained change, we must allow the seed of sincere intention—the gift from Allah of our true nature—to grow in our hearts and guide our behavior. In doing so, we will notice that Allah will lighten things for us and elevate our status in this life and the next.

Remember the Hadith Quudsi, which says:

“… if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, Hadith No. 502

Since permanent change requires breaking through old habits and mental barriers, let’s ponder what our pious salaf tell us about the kind of effort needed to effect a lasting change:

• Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: “I struggled against my own self for forty years until it became right.”
• Thaabit al-Banaani said: “I struggled for twenty years to make myself pray qiyaam al-layl, and I enjoyed it (qiyaam al-layl) for (the next) twenty years.”
• ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said: “The best of deeds are those which we force ourselves to do.”
• ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Mubaarak said: “The souls of righteous people in the past used to push them to do good deeds, but our souls do not do what we want them to do except by force, so we have to force them.”
• Qutaadah said: “O son of Adam, if you do not want to do any good except when you have the energy for it, then your nature is more inclined towards boredom and laziness. The true believer is the one who pushes himself.”

Sometimes doing good may involve a lot of patience, so let’s remember that Allah rewards us according to the effort we expend. The Prophet (SAW) said:

“Ahead of you there lie days of patience, during which being patient will be like grasping a hot coal. The one who does good deeds then will have a reward like that of fifty men who do such deeds.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood (4341); also al-Tirmidhi (3085), who said it was a hasan hadith, though it was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (494)

In conclusion, as we hope and pray for Allah’s mercy during this time of Ramadan, let us all focus on the lasting transformation of our hearts and souls. Let us shed what is impure and untrue while strengthening the good and the true so that the change that follows can carry us forward through our remaining days and years, both on this earth and in the hereafter.

Posted on: iqrasense.com

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Non-Muslim expats observing the holy month of Ramadan in Muslim countries have praised the holy moth as granting them a chance to learn valuable moral lessons in life through fasting.

“This was my first time to fast and to be honest it’s very hard, but I tried to remain normal,” Chariz Serrot, who observed the fast with her employer in Saudi Arabia , told Arab News on Monday, June 30.

“It is hard but I have always wanted to embark on this spiritual journey and to consider it as a way of spiritual discipline although I am not a Muslim.”

Serrot is one of the non-Muslim expats who have decided to observe Ramadan fasting in Saudi Arabia this year.

Taking the challenge, they said that the Muslim practice promotes ethics and patience.

Another non-Muslim expat, Neil Grajo, said that he has learnt valuable lessons while observing his Muslim coworkers fasting.

The Filipino Grajo stated that fasting helps people to refrain from harmful habits, helping them to have a better life.

“Ramadan could be good for a country like the Philippines where smoking and alcohol drinking are so viral that they not only harm the economy but also public health,” Grajo said.

Citing several crimes in his country because of the absence of moral frames, the Filipino Rayan Mania believes that the precious values that the holy month calls for are needed in the modern communities.

Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, falls this year between Sunday, June 29, and July 28.

In Ramadan, adult Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.

The sick and those traveling are exempt from fasting especially if it poses health risks.

Fasting is meant to teach Muslims patience, self-control and spirituality, and time during the holy month is dedicated for getting closer to Allah though prayers, reading the Noble Qur’an and good deeds.

Muslims make up nearly 8 percent of the total populace in the Philippines, which Islam reached in the 13th century about 200 years before Christianity.

onislam.net

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During the month of Ramadan, many Muslims will fast from sunup to sundown, abstaining from food and drink during the daylight hours. Though many will turn inward for prayer and reflection during this holy month, the holiday also serves to bring Muslims together in prayer and through the breaking of the fast.

These photos show just how powerful Ramadan can be as a unifying holy month:

Pakistan Muslims offer an evening prayer called ‘tarawih’ marking the first eve of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at an open area in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, June 29, 2014. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

In this Sunday, June 29, 2014 photo, displaced Iraqi citizens gather for a communal meal to break their fast during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, northern Iraq. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Indian Muslim religious students read the Koran at a madrassa during the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan in Mumbai on June 30, 2014. (INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)

People eat at the breaking of fasting of the second day of Ramadan, in the premises of the Seeds of Solidarity (‘Graine de Solidarite’) association, in Bordeaux. Founded in 1986, Seeds of Solidarity gives away free meals all year in the streets of Bordeaux, and serves up to 300 meals every night during Ramadan, to homeless and deprived people, regardless if they are Muslim or not. (MEHDI FEDOUACH/AFP/Getty Images)

A Malaysian Muslim woman feeds her child as they break their fast on the first day of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur on June 29, 2014. (MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images)

An Afghan resident distributes dates as others break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan at the Wazir Akbar Khan Mosque on June 29, 2014. (WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP/Getty Images)

In this Sunday, June 29, 2014 photo, displaced Iraqi boys scramble to receive food to break their fast during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, northern Iraq. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Afghans pray before breaking their fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, June 29, 2014. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

An Iraqi Kurdish woman puts the final touches to bowls of food on the first day of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, for families who fled the violence in the northern province of Nineveh, at a mosque in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, on June 29, 2014. (SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images)

Young Malaysian Muslim children break their fast on the first day of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur on June 29, 2014. (MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images)

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That anticipated cup of coffee following Fajr prayer. That juicy hamburger at lunch followed by that savory chocolate cake to top it off. Muslims will have to do without all of these things while fasting during the upcoming month of Ramadan.

However, if you properly prepare your body for what promises to be a long and sweltering month for Muslims worldwide, hunger pains will be the least of what you will be dealing with.

s Ramadan approaches, focusing on the spiritual blessings of this ninth month of the Islamic calendar should be the first priority for those observing the fast. By easing into the fast and making small changes now, you’ll increase your chances of avoiding otherwise inevitable symptoms that come with significantly decreasing food intake including headaches, migraines and stomach aches.

With those worries out of the way, reading Quran, praying Taraweeh, practicing good deeds and seeking Allah’s mercy and pleasure will become much easier and, as Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said, will bring more rewards and forgiveness of sins.

Practical steps to take

Abu Huraira related that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Allah the Majestic and Exalted said: Every deed of man will receive 10 to 700 times reward, except siyam (fasting), for it is for Me and I shall reward it (as I like).” (Muslim)

Abu Huraira also related that the Prophet (PBUH)said: “Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward with Allah will have his past sins forgiven.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

With those hadiths in minds, ensuring your body is prepped for a successful fast is essential.

The first step is to practice going to sleep earlier at night. With Fajr beginning at 5 a.m. and earlier in many parts of the world, ensuring that you don’t sleep through your alarm will be better served by sleeping early the night before. Aim to pray Isha’a as soon as it is called and go to bed soon after that.

This way you’ll have time to wake before Fajr and have something to eat before praying and returning to bed. A healthy and filling suhoor, particularly one that packs a hefty protein punch like eggs, will go a long way toward getting you through the long day comfortably. And of course don’t forget to drink an appropriate amount of water.

Staying hydrated is crucial to fasting in summer. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) himself stressed the importance of eating suhoor.

“Have suhoor, as indeed there is a blessing in it.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

He also said, “The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the (meal of) suhoor.” (Muslim)

Of course, what you eat and what you start cutting back on now will make a difference in how easily you slip into fasting. One of the biggest culprits for a difficult transition into fasting is waiting until the first day of Ramadan to cut out all caffeine. This practice is sure to lead to a pounding heading or even a migraine long before Maghrib time. And with so many Muslims regularly enjoying coffee and tea as part of their daily routines, scaling back now is prudent.

To do this, try cutting your morning cup of coffee in half, or if you enjoy two cups, make it only one. If you regularly take tea in the early afternoon or later in the day, decrease the amount by one cup. Put both of these changes into practice for at least a week then take it down even more until by the start of Ramadan you’re essentially caffeine-free during the daylight hours. Of course this same strategy also applies to sodas, which should be limited in general if consumed at all.

Reduce your food and stay fit!

Now let’s talk food. The same principal applies to food when it comes to cutting back slowly. Maybe eat one small bowl of cereal in the morning instead a larger portion, or simply leave second servings of dinner on the stove rather than piling them onto your plate. You’ll eat less and have leftovers for a quick lunch the next day.

Also, try to resist eating a large meal the night before Ramadan begins. Remember, you’re not only training your body to function comfortably on less food, you’re also signaling your mind and your appetite that the fast is approaching.

Paying attention to what you eat is just as important as how much you eat. Muslims should work to wean their bodies of heavy-and not to mention unhealthy-fried foods, meats, salt and sugar. All of these foods, particularly sugar and salt, trigger reactions in the body, which can make cravings even harder to fight. Once you eat that first piece of cake or pop those first few potato chips in your mouth, you’ll find it much more difficult to stop than if you hadn’t eaten any in the first place.

Instead, think of reaching for more plant-based foods when planning meals and snacks. A wide variety of vegetables, fruits and nuts in addition to fish and whole-grain breads are good options that, while filling, still feel light in the stomach and assist the body in breaking the habit of needing heavier food to feel satisfied.

But preparing for Ramadan is not all about limiting certain foods and eating smaller meals, it’s also about modifying your exercise routine. It’s true that fasting slows the metabolism, making it harder to keep fit and burn calories at your usual level. To combat that, gentle exercise is recommended during Ramadan.

Great options include moderate walking shortly before breaking the fast, ensuring you won’t go too long without water. Swimming and Yoga are other good options. And of course stretching regularly, particularly in the morning, is important for keeping the body limber.

Finally, any light exercise you can accomplish while fasting will help keep your energy up when it’s likely lagging as the clock moves closer and closer to Maghrib.

Source:OnIslam.net

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Episode 1 from “My Brother Whom I Don’t Know” series which is about Tatarstan.rnrnThe series is an informative video series on Muslims and the oppressed Muslim minorities from all around the globe. rnrnVideo Series produced by OnIslam.net.rnDirector: Sarah M. Masry

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdG3L2BinFM

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With porn becoming more easily available through the Internet, some people may struggle with an addiction to it. Mufti Menk explains.

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Shab-E-barat is a festival celebrated by the Muslim community. This event is celebrated on the 15th of the Islamic month of Sha’aban which is the eighth month of the calendar.

The night of Shab-E-barat celebrates the entry of Prophet Mohammed into the city of Mecca. The festival is celebrated with great pomp and show around the world by the Muslim community. They believe that on this day God writes the destinies of all men for the coming year by taking into account the good deeds and misdeeds committed by them in the past. It is considered one of the holiest night on the Islamic calendar.

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CAIRO – A few days after the announcement of Indian actress Monica’s reversion to Islam, rumors have spread across Indian media claiming that actor Jai has joined a list of Indian celebrities who accepted Islam recently, after photos spotted him inside a mosque.

“Actor Jai was recently spotted praying at a mosque in T Nagar, Chennai,” Times of India reported on Tuesday, June 10, posting a photo for the actor putting a skull cap inside a mosque.

“The Vaamanan actor was seen along with music director Yuvan Shankar Raja, who had said that he had a special affection toward the religion.”

The Times is not the first newspaper to publish the photo which spread rumor’s across the actor’s reversion to Islam.

Earlier on June 8, Deccan Chronicle published two photos for the actor inside the same mosque.

The paper noted that the actor was currently involved in shooting a film about Hindu and Muslim marriages.

Similar rumors have been circulated earlier by rejected by actor Jai who denied the news, saying “I haven’t converted to Islam”.

However, the actor’s messenger status reading ‘Alhamdhulillah’ has added fuel to the gossip.

“Jai has been following Islam for the past one year. He had even kept the fast during Ramadan last year. We don’t know the actual reason behind his change of mind,” the TOI reported earlier in April, quoting a source close to the famous actor.

“All we know is that he has been following the religion and has not officially converted yet. And also, he has not changed his name,” the source added.

If confirmed, Jai’s reversion to Islam would join other Indian celebrities who chose the peaceful religion recently.

Last month, young Indian actress Monica reverted to Islam changing her name to MG Rahima.

Earlier in February, reports said that both musicians AR Rahman and Yuvan Shankar Raja have taken the same decision to revert to Islam.

There are some 180 million Muslims in Hindu-majority India.

Source:Onislam.net

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Question: Dear scholars, I really need your advice! Here in Bangladesh, people always celebrate the 15th night of the month of Sha`ban, which they call “the Night of Shabe-e-Barat”. What do you think of such a practice? Please enlighten me on this issue.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All thanks and praise are due to Allah and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, We really appreciate the confidence you place in us and the great interest you show in understanding the teachings of Islam.

In the hadith reported by Imam At-Tabarani, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “Truly, there are nafahat (blessed seasons or days) in which your Lord vouchsafes plentiful mercy. So, make sure that you make the best use of such seasons!” A true believer should purify himself from the fleshly inclinations and the earthly desires and make his aspirations so high and beseech Allah for mercy in such blessed seasons which witness the abundant mercy of Allah. One point here to be stressed is that a true Muslim should consider his whole life a long-term season of obedience so as to show gratitude to the everlasting blessing of Allah.

Responding to the question, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, president of the Fiqh Council of North America , states,

The month of Sha`ban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The fifteenth night of this month is known as laylatul-bara’ah (the Night of Innocence) or laylat un-nisfe min Sha`ban (the Middle Night of Sha`ban) in the Arab world. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan, etc., it is known as shab-e-barat. Some people believe that in surat Ad-Dukhan (44:3-4) there is a reference to this night as Allah says, (We sent it (the Qur’an) down during a blessed night. We are truly Warners. In that night is made distinct every affair of wisdom.) But the night referred to here cannot be a Sha`ban night because it is said here clearly that the Qur’an was revealed in this night. We know from the surat Al-Qadr (97) that the Qur’an was revealed in the Night of Qadr and we also know from the Qur’an (Al-Baqarah 2:185) that the Qur’an was revealed in the month of Ramadan. So it is obvious that the night of the revelation of the Qur’an was in Ramadan, not Sha`ban, and that it was laylat ul-qadr (the Night of Power) not shab-e-barat.

Some people also say that in the 2nd year of Hijrah, the direction of the Qiblah was changed from Jerusalem to the Ka`bah in Makkah on the 15th day of Sha`ban. This report is also not confirmed by authentic hadiths. According to most of the exegetes, the Qur’an has not mentioned anything about the Sha`ban night.

There are some hadiths that speak about the Middle of Sha`ban and its night. However, the scholars of hadith say that most of the hadiths concerning this night are not authentic. They are weak (da`if) according to the criteria of the narrators and scholars of Hadith. Imam Al-Mundhiri (died in 656 A.H.) in his famous book At-Targhib wat-Tarhib (vol. 2, pp. 116-120) reported fourteen hadiths on the subject of this night. The following points can be summarized from those hadiths:

1. The month of Sha`ban is a great month.

2. In this month Allah takes the account of His creation.

3. Because this month occurs between two other important months, viz. Rajab and Ramadan, many people do not pay enough attention to it.

4. The Prophet (peace be upon him) loved to fast during this month. He used to fast most of the month of Sha`ban.

5. After sunset on the night of Middle of Sha`ban, Allah in His great mercy and kindness turns towards His creation and asks, “Is there anyone who would seek My forgiveness and I forgive him (or her)? Is there anyone who is in need to ask Me and I provide for his (or her) needs. Is there anyone who is in pain and seeks My help and I help him (or her)? Is there…? Is there…?” until the time of Dawn.”

6. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is said to have recommended prayers during this night and fasting during the following day.

7. It reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit the Muslim cemetery on this evening and he used to pray for the deceased Muslims.

These are the things that we learn from some hadiths about the significance of this night. However, there are many practices and customs common in some Muslim countries, such as making a sweet dish, setting off fireworks, etc. These things have no meaning and no reference in hadiths. There are also some superstitious beliefs about this night. For example, some people believe that the spirits of the deceased visit their relatives during this night. Some believe that there is a special tree in Heaven upon whose leaves are the names of all human beings, and whatever leaves drop during this night, those people are destined to die in this year. Some think that the decisions about the life and death of people are made during this night. All these beliefs and superstitions do not belong to the authentic teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

We must try to follow the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah of the blessed Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is our duty as Muslims to take advantage of all good occasions to revive our faith, to purify our souls, and to increase our love and devotion to Allah (glory be to Him), but we must follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We must not do anything in our celebrations that is against his teachings.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Source: Onislam.net

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani today said his country would “do its best” to secure a nuclear deal as Tehran and Washington held crunch talks on the long-running dispute.

Senior negotiators from both camps met behind closed doors for a second day of talks at Geneva’s upscale Hotel
President Wilson, which was sealed off to the media.

The meeting is part of a fresh diplomatic drive in the face of a looming July 20 deadline for a final deal between
Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers.

Iran will do its best for a final deal with the P5+1,” said Rouhani, a former nuclear negotiator, speaking in Turkey. The self-declared moderate was elected president last year, succeeding hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and has launched a drive to mend fences with the West.

Iran is ready to sit at the negotiating table for a solution” to both the nuclear dispute and “unfair sanctions”,
he said.

After over three hours of talks today morning, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and nuclear pointman Abbas Araqchi
said the climate was “positive”.

Washington warned of “tough choices” as fellow P5+1 members try to build momentum in the crunch negotiations.

The US-Iran meeting began yesterday with a five-hour session, the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that
American and Iranian negotiators have held direct, official nuclear talks.

The two sides have met informally, notably in a secret session last year in Oman which helped coax Tehran back to the negotiating table.

They have also sat down together within the P5+1 process.

The P5+1 comprises the five permanent UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany.

They secured an interim deal with Iran in November after marathon talks in Geneva.

The deadline for a final accord was July 20, but several players including Iran have already said a six-month extension may be needed.

Washington and the other P5+1 states are seeking solid commitments that will ensure Iran’s stated desire for a
peaceful atomic energy programme is not a covert attempt to build a nuclear bomb.

For Iran, the goal is to make a leap towards ending the international sanctions, notably those imposed by the United States, that have battered its economy.

Tomorrow, Iranian negotiators are set to meet in Geneva with their French counterparts, before heading to Rome for
talks with Russian officials, then hold a session in Tehran with Germany on Sunday.

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The death toll from Sunday night’s suicide attack on a hotel hosting Shia pilgrims in Taftan rose to 30 on Monday, Express News reported.

Among the 30 people killed in Taftan, 22 have been so far identified as residents of Kohat District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Tirah Valley in Orakzai Agency, relatives of the deceased told The Express Tribune.

Speaking from Quetta, Yousuf Bangash, a resident of Kohat, said there were four buses with 210 passengers, who were residing in two hotels, Hashmi Hotel and Syed Murtaza Hotel, when the bombers attacked the pilgrims.

He confirmed that 22 of the deceased had been identified and belonged to Kurram Agency, Orakzai Agency in Fata and district Kohat of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“This includes nine women and a child,” he said while 16 injured people brought to the combined military hospital 14 women and two men.

He added that the bodies of the deceased were brought to the hospital where the authorities had informed them they would be flown to Kohat.

Khizer, who identified himself as the head of the caravan of pilgrims, said he was lucky to have survived the attack “I cannot say much at the moment,” he said. Khizer along with the bus driver, Layas Khan remained safe in the attacks, but were too shaken up to speak.

The death toll was earlier reported as 23 with many injured but 7 more victims succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.

Tahafuz-e-Azadari Council has announced a three-day mourning period following the attack.

On late Sunday night, a suicide bomber had entered Al Murtaza Hotel in Taftan, a district on the border with Iran, and detonated explosives strapped to his body in the midst of Shia pilgrims, security sources had told The Express Tribune.

Levies and Frontier Corps personnel had engaged the attackers in a gunfight. FC spokesperson Khan Wasey had claimed in a statement that one of the bombers was killed by the paramilitary troops.

A banned outfit Jaishul Islam had claimed responsibility for the attack. A purported spokesperson for the group, Azam Tariq, had called Quetta-based journalists from an undisclosed location to claim credit for the deadly attack.

Sources had said that intelligence agencies had warned of possible attacks on pilgrims one month ago, but the authorities had failed to put in place adequate security to thwart Sunday’s attack.

The Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, Hazara Democratic Party, Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqa-e-Jaferia and Tahaffuz-e-Azadari Council had condemned the attack and called it failure of the government.

Following the incident, Iran has closed its border with Pakistan for an indefinite period and security has also been tightened.

“Zero-Point gate on Pak-Iran border in Taftan has been closed by the Iranian officials and all activities pertaining to travelling and trade through the border were suspended,” Deputy Commissioner Chagai, Saifullah Khetran said.

The post Pakistan: Death toll from Taftan bombing rises to 30. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Monday, Israeli soldiers kidnapped at least ten Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank, and confiscated around 80 computers from two stores in Tulkarem.

Local sources in Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, have reported that the soldiers invaded the al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of the city, and kidnapped six Palestinians.

The six have been identified as Khaled Jibreel Jawabra, Zakariyya Nabil al-Qeeq, Salah Hasaniyya, Imad Khaled al-Jondy, Malek Abu Haikal Jawabra, and Mahmoud Ziad al-Mezyen, the Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) has reported.

Soldiers also invaded ‘Atteel town, north of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, and kidnapped a Palestinian identified as Mahmoud Abu Shams, 29.

They also invaded two computer stores Abu Shams owns in the town, and in Tulkarem city, and confiscated at least 80 computers and monitors, in addition to large sums of cash.

Eyewitnesses said the army smashed and destroyed several computers, being repaired in the stores, and destroyed the main gate on a nearby trade bank.

On Sunday at night, dozens of soldiers invaded the al-Yamoun town, west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and kidnapped a university student, identified as Aseed Jihad Nawahda, 20. Forces separately arrested two others from the nearby villages of Burqin and al-Yamun.

Nawahda was taken prisoner at a sudden roadblock the soldiers installed on the main Jenin-Nablus road, south of Jenin.

The army also installed a roadblock at the entrance of Ya’bad nearby town, stopped and searched dozens of vehicles, and examined the ID cards of dozens of passengers.

The post Palestine: Ten Palestinians kidnapped in different parts of West Bank. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today announced a “general amnesty” for all crimes committed to date, state television said, without giving further details.

The channel cited Justice Minister Najem al-Ahmad as saying the decree was issued in the context of “social forgiveness, national cohesion calls for coexistence, as the army secures several military victories.”

It was not immediately clear who would be included in the amnesty.

Rights groups say the Syrian government is holding tens of thousands of prisoners in jails where torture and other abuses are systematic.

Since the outbreak of an anti-Assad revolt in March 2011, the regime has branded all dissidents – non-violent and later armed – as “terrorists”, jailing thousands arbitrarily, according to human rights organisations.

The post Syria’s Assad announces ‘general amnesty’: state TV. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Libya’s Supreme Court Monday ruled the election of new prime minister Ahmed Maitiq “unconstitutional”, ending the prolonged dilemma over who the country’s head of government is.

The court pointed to several violations recorded during the election and declared that the parliamentary vote violated the constitution, Xinhua quoted a source in the Supreme Court Constitutional Chamber as saying Monday.

“The constitutional chamber noticed a pack of law violations committed by the interim parliament, therefore there is no doubt that the election procedure and process is invalid,” the source said.

The source added that all evidences and documents will be displayed in the next few days.

Maitiq responded Monday that he would respect the ruling and surrender his post, adding his decision could remind Libya’s politicians to respect “the rule of law”.

Second Deputy of Parliament Saleh al-Makhzoum said the General National Congress will comply with the decision.

Libya was stuck in a political deadlock due to the power struggle between the acting prime minister Abdullah Thinni and his newly-elected successor Maitiq.

Maitiq, a businessman from Libya’s third largest city of Misrata, was sworn in as prime minister last month.

But he was immediately challenged by Thinni and some judicial officials who charged that the earlier parliamentary confidence vote which confirmed Maitiq as the new premier was invalid, because less than half of the lawmakers, mostly Maitiq supporters, attended the session.

Libya’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Maitiq’s election violated the constitution “in principle”.

But the court adjourned a final ruling on Maitiq’s legitimacy to Monday.
(IANS)

The post New PM’s election unconstitutional: Libyan Supreme Court. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi.

The group formulation is inspired by the model of anti-Semitism group which was formed by the previous Labor government for the Jewish community in Britain and has become a highly influential cross-government group dealing with anti-Jewish sentiments.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) is chairing the group for Muslims. The group has representatives from across government including the Cabinet Office, the Department for Education, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. It was learnt that the group will also include leading UK academicians as Dr. Chris Allen from Birmingham University and Dr. Matthew Goodwin from Nottingham University.

The prominent Muslims across Britain have also been given representation in the group that includes Imam Qari Asim from Leeds Makkah Masjid, Akeela Ahmed from Muslim Youth Helpline and Fiyaz Mughal of Faith Matters. They will serve as key members of the group.

The Muslim community in Britain has warmly welcomed the effort of the government and hoped that the group will help portray the positive and moderate posture of the Muslims and will help non-Muslims remove misconceptions about the Muslims living in their neighbors and working at the same office.

The formation of the group is linked back to the speech of the first Muslim Cabinet Minister in UK, Baroness Warsi, in January 2011 at Leicester University where she warned the government against the intolerance and prejudice fast prevailing in the society against Muslims and becoming a normal practice of the non-Muslims.

Baroness Warsi was though criticized for raising such a sensitive issue forcefully in media. But later on, the issue drew the attention of many influential politicians and civil society and became a burning question in media that how the Muslims are being mistreated in Britain and they are becoming intolerable for the non-Muslims without any reason.

Peter Oborne of Daily Telegraph showed great interest in the social menace and wrote a pamphlet with James Jones called “Muslims Under Siege.” He also produced and presented a Channel Four Film on Islamophobia.

When Pope Benedict XVI visited Britain in 2010, Baroness Warsi had also discussed the issue of Islamophobia with him and requested him to help her in creating better understanding between Europe and its Muslim citizens.

It is a fact that Muslims are the targets of hostility in Britain and other parts of the world after 9/11 attacks in the USA. Large processions have been organized against Muslims in Britain and anti-Muslim networks are established across Europe.

Faith Matters, a non-profit group, has developed and launched a system called MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) that will record statistical data on the nature of Islamophobia in Britain. The service will help the Britain government to curb the anti-Muslims sentiments where they are in excess and keep the record of the victims of Islamophobia.

The post Warsi convinces UK Govt. to practically tackle Islamophobia. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Iyad Madani, Secretary-General of OIC

The Saudi-owned paper said it has confirmed information that books authored by Saudi cleric Salman al-Odah and his Kuwaiti counterpart Tariq al-Suwaidan were ordered to be removed from the bookstores.

Hussein al-Ghamdi, manager of a bookstore in Jeddah, told al-Hayat that he received orders from the Saudi religious police to remove the books of Odah and Suwaidan from the shelves “immediately.”

Ghamdi said he complied with the order, which he said could be reversed in the future.

He cited an example when religious police asked him to remove a book for containing “satanic and erroneous information,” but discovered later there was nothing wrong with the book and ordered its return. “Sometimes the ban could be wrong,” he said.

He described Odah and Suwaidan’s books as “popular.”

Both Odah and Suwaidan are popular especially in the Gulf region. On Twitter, Odah has more than 4.7 million followers while Suwaidan has almost 3 million.

In March, Saudi Arabia blacklisted the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist group.

Suwaidan was sacked from the Islamic TV station al-Resala last August after admitting that he belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Resala is owned by the Saudi billionaire Prince al-Waleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, who said his TV station, has no place for Muslim Brotherhood members.

Odah has also expressed pro-Muslim Brotherhood sentiments.

The post Saudi Arabia Bans Books of Pro-Muslim Brotherhood Clerics. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

KUALA LUMPUR, Zarinah Abdul Majid has found an unlikely supporter in Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria who said the 32-year-old should be allowed to change her religion from Islam to Hinduism on paper.

The religious scholar, who is famous for his hard-line views on Islam, said the courts, whether civil or Shariah should allow Zarinah to formally renounce Islam as she was raised as a Hindu.

“If the Shariah court says they have no jurisdiction, she can go to the civil court and make an oath,” Harussani told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.

Zarinah’s case came to light when Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) officials detained her in the midst of her Hindu wedding ceremony at a temple in Taman Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya, last Sunday, on suspicion that she, a Muslim, was marrying a non-Muslim according to non-Muslim rites.

Zarinah has claimed that she and her siblings were secretly converted by her Muslim convert father when they were children, but they have long been practising Hindus since their father divorced their mother and abandoned the family over 20 years ago.

The National Registration Department (NRD) reportedly said recently that if Muslims wished to leave the faith, they first need to seek permission from the Shariah Court before the department can proceed to change the religion in their identity card (IC).

NRD director-general Datuk Sulaiman Keling was also quoted yesterday by English daily The Star as saying that the department has never received an application by Zarinah to change her name or religious status.

But Zarinah has claimed otherwise. According to her, she had applied twice with the department for a change in her religious status but failed when she was told to obtain her father’s signature on the documents.

The Star has also reported Fatimah Abdullah, the stepmother of Zarinah’s father Abdul Majeed Gulam Kader, as saying that Zarinah’s mother used to take Zarinah and her siblings to a Hindu temple when they were young.

According to English daily’s report yesterday, Abdul Majeed said he would never permit his children to renounce Islam, pointing out that his estranged wife was converted to Islam upon their marriage then.

The post Hindu Wedding Bride Should Be Allowed To Leave Islam, Perak Mufti Says. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

KARACHI, (Dawn): Security forces said Monday they have relaunched a military operation at Karachi airport as gunfire resumed several hours after they announced the end of a militant siege that left 24 dead.

Fresh gunfire was reported from the airport Monday morning and a loud explosion was also heard across its premises.

Security forces said that the intensity of the explosion heard across the airport was still uncertain.

The initial assault at the Jinnah International Airport began late Sunday and raged until dawn, when the military said that all 10 militants had been killed.

Equipped with suicide vests, grenades and rocket launchers, they had battled security forces in one of the most brazen attacks in years in Pakistan’s biggest city. Among the 14 victims were security personnel and four airport workers.

The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack all but destroys prospects for significant peace talks with the government of Nawaz Sharif, who came to power last year promising to find a negotiated solution to years of violence.

Peace talks between the government and the Pakistani Taliban have failed in recent months, dampening hopes of reaching a negotiated settlement with the insurgency, which continues attacks against government and security targets.

Live updates

Security forces just said they have cleared the Karachi airport of militants nearly 12 hours after the start of a siege that left at least 24 people dead, a paramilitary official said.

“The attack is over and we have cleared the area of all militants, and we will hand over the airport to the Civil Aviation Authority at 12.00 pm (0700 GMT),” paramilitary Rangers spokesman Sibtain Rizvi told reporters.

Firefighters extinguish fires after militants attack Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 9, 2014. — Photo by AFP

Firefighters extinguish fires after militants attack Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 9, 2014. — Photo by AFP

“We carried out this attack on the Karachi airport and it is a message to the Pakistan government that we are still alive to react over the killings of innocent people in bomb attacks on their villages,” the TTP spokesman said.

Shahidullah Shahid moreover dismissed the Pakistani government’s peace talks methodoly as a “tool of war”.

Shahidullah Shahid said the attack was planned much earlier but had been postponed due to the peace talks.

The TTP spokesman in a statement issued to the media said that the attack was also carried out to avenge the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike.

“We carried out this attack on the Karachi airport and it is a message to the Pakistani government that we are still alive to react over the killings of innocent people in bomb attacks on their villages,” TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said.

Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was revenge for the army’s air strikes in areas along the Afghan border where the insurgents are based.

Another three rocket launchers, five suicide jackets, 15 petrol bombs and five SMGs recovered from the airport.

Doctor Seemi Jamali of the JPMC said so far 18 bodies have been brought to the hospital.

Airport employees leave the Jinnah International Airport after militants attack in Karachi on June 9, 2014. — Photo by AFP

Airport employees leave the Jinnah International Airport after militants attack in Karachi on June 9, 2014. — Photo by AFP

Chaudhry Nisar has summoned a report of the incident from IG Sindh Police.

The minister commended security forces on fighting terrorists during the crisis that enveloped the airport in Karachi.

Chaudhry Nisar condoled with family members of those killed in the terrorist attack.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan strongly condemned the attack on the airport.

Imran Khan said government’s policy towards tackling terrorism has failed.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said the attack on the airport was a matter of grave concern.

A man watches as smoke rises after militants launched an early morning assault at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 9, 2014. — Photo by AFP

A man watches as smoke rises after militants launched an early morning assault at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 9, 2014. — Photo by AFP

An AFP reporter at the scene said gunshots could be heard inside the airport and that rangers and elite commandos were rushing inside.

“We have relaunched the operation and called in additional troops,” said Sibtain Rizvi, spokesman for the Rangers paramilitary force.

A military operation was relaunched at the airport as gunfire resumed several hours after the army announced the end of a militant siege that left 24 dead.

President Mamnoon commended the role of security forces during the operation against attackers.

President Mamnoon Hussain condemned the attack on the airport saying the cowardly action could not overpower the government’s will to counter terrorism.

A search operation was conducted by the security forces in the early hours of Monday morning during which five sub-machine guns (SMGs), three suicide jackets, two rocket launchers and 12 petrol bombs were recovered.

Director General of Sindh Rangers, Maj-Gen Rizwan Akhtar addressing a press conference claimed that according to the initial reports, unidentified foreign militants appeared to be involved in the attack.

At least 23 people were reportedly killed in the incident, including security personnel.

Ten militants were also among the dead.

ISPR spokesman Asim Bajwa said the militants “were confined to two areas and eliminated.”

Bajwa said weapons, live ammunition, including RPGs, were recovered from the militants.

Bajwa said that they were wearing large packs on their bodies.

He also said that Raheel Sharif “paid rich tribute to all shaheed and injured for their supreme sacrifice”.

The ISPR spokesman said that Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif “congratulated participating troops for a well coordinated, successful operation eliminating all militants”.

Some eight to 10 attackers were said to have engaged security forces in a gunbattle.

Earlier, Pakistan Army troops were called in to deal with the situation and troops from Malir Cantonment were dispatched, while police commandos and Karachi Rangers were assisting.

A huge explosion was heard over two hours into the attack. A second large explosion was heard near the airport workshop. A third massive explosion was heard a further 30-40 minutes in. Huge clouds of smoke continue to dominate the skyline.

Intermittent firing took place at the airport, while large plumes of smoke were seen over the cargo terminal.

One plane each of PIA and AirBlue, and a cargo plane of a foreign company were reported to have been damaged.

A hand grenade attack was also carried out on the Isphani Hanger.

Suicide bombers were reportedly part of the militant squad that has infiltrated the airport.

Staff was rescued by security personnel and moved to safer areas. Rescue teams were allowed in after being checked thoroughly. Passengers were evacuated and moved to a secure location.

Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif called DG Rangers Sindh and asked him to ensure the safety of passengers.

All flight operations at Jinnah Terminal were suspended and flights were diverted to other airports.

Pakistan correspondent for the Daily Telegraph Rob Crilly reported that he had spoken to MQM leader Farooq Sattar and stated that, “He sounds calm but understandably concerned about being stuck on plane filled with aviation fuel.”

Death toll

The bodies of 10 people, including ASF officials, were brought to Jinnah Hospital a few hours into the attack, along with 15 injured.

A rocket launcher and four SMGs were recovered from dead militants.

One suicide bomber blew himself up during the attack, injuring one security personnel.

A Rangers spokesperson claimed that “foreign arms and ammunition” were found on the bodies of the militants.

How they got in

The attackers were said to have forged fake ID cards to pose as ASF personnel and had managed to enter the area that way.

Broken glass and used gun magazines littered the engineering section where the first exchange of gunfire took place.

The militants carried out the attack from three different sides, officials said, while there were reports that two terrorists managed to get inside a plane.

The post Pakistan: 24 killed in Taliban attack on Karachi airport. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

An Indian worker has been found hanging in his workplace in the UAE, police said.

The worker, identified only as K.L,32, a petrochemical company employee, has allegedly committed suicide in Sharjah Saturday, the Gulf News reported.

One of the deceased man’s workmate told police they tried to lift the man’s body when they saw it around 1.20 p.m. in an attempt to save his life but their attempt was in vain as he was already dead.

He was reportedly suffering from depression due to psychological and social problems, which might have prompted him to end his life.

The post Indian found hanging in Sharjah. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took the oath of office as Egypt’s president on Sunday, formalizing his de facto rule since he deposed the elected Islamist president Mohammed Mursi last year and crushed his supporters.

The retired army chief took the oath in a ceremony at the Constitutional Court and broadcast live on television, almost a year since he overthrew Mursi and unleashed a crackdown on his Islamist followers.

Sisi, who overwhelmingly won a presidential election last month despite a low voter turnout, took his oath of office at the heavily guarded Constitutional Court.

“I swear by almighty God to preserve the republican system, and to respect the constitution and the law and to care for the interests of the people; and to preserve the independence of the nation and its territorial integrity,” Sisi declared in the ceremony broadcast live on television.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, Arab royals from the Gulf and African leaders will later attend a reception at Cairo’s Ittihadiya presidential palace.

Soldiers and police deployed in force in the capital in anticipation of protests by ousted president Mursi’s battered Muslim Brotherhood movement and possible militant attacks.

At the Constitutional Court, elite policemen stood guard as helicopters were used to drop posters of Sisi on dozens of well-wishers who turned up to see the retired field marshal.

“I’m here to congratulate Sisi, the man who rescued us from terrorism and the Muslim Brotherhood,” said one flag-waving supporter, Amira Ahmed.

Sisi won the May 26-28 election with 96.9 percent of the vote, in a crushing defeat for his only rival, leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi. However, the voter turnout was 47.5 percent, despite extensions of voting hours and media exhortations for voters to show up at the ballot boxes.

The lopsided victory came nearly a year after Sisi toppled Mursi after millions protested to demand an end to the Islamist’s single year of turbulent rule.

Mursi’s now banned Muslim Brotherhood, whose supporters have been crushed by a massive crackdown, had called for a boycott of the vote.

Sisi’s main challenges will be to restore stability and revive the economy after three years of turmoil, following a 2011 uprising that ousted strongman Hosni Mubarak.

In a televised address after his victory was announced on Tuesday, Sisi called on Egyptians to “work to return security to this nation.”

“The future is a blank page, and it is in our hands to fill with what we want… bread, freedom, human dignity, social justice,” he said.

But Sisi’s opponents fear that under his rule, Egypt will return to an autocratic regime worse than under Mubarak.

Since Mursi’s ouster, the crackdown by the military-installed authorities on his supporters has killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands behind bars.

In the run-up to the election, Sisi said that “national security” takes precedence over democratic freedoms.

He will be the fifth Egyptian president to rise from the ranks of the military, and is expected to reassert the army’s grip on politics.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, who opposed Mursi’s Brotherhood, called for a donor conference to help Egypt after the results were announced.

The oil kingpin will be represented at the swearing-in ceremony by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, alongside the rulers of Kuwait and Bahrain.

Western nations, which congratulated Sisi on his election win while stressing the importance of safeguarding human rights, are sending low-level officials or will be represented by ambassadors.

The United States has voiced concerns about “the restrictive political environment” during the vote, urging Sisi to show “commitment to the protection of the universal rights of all Egyptians.”

Sunday has been declared a national holiday for state employees to allow them to take part in celebrations for the inauguration.

The post Egypt: Sisi sworn in as president. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

A car bomb explosion followed by a suicide bombing hit the offices of a Kurdish political party and security forces in Iraq on Sunday, killing killed 17 people, police said.

The blasts in the town of Jalawla, north of Baghdad, also wounded 50 people, police Captain Farhad Rifat said.

The car bomb went off close to an office of President Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party and a Kurdish asayesh security forces building, Rifat said.

As emergency workers came to the scene, the suicide bomber entered the PUK office and detonated explosives.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.

Violence is running at its highest levels since 2006-2007, when tens of thousands were killed in sectarian conflict.

More than 900 people were killed last month, according to figures separately compiled by the United Nations and the government.

So far this year, more than 4,500 people have been killed, according to AFP figures.

Officials blame external factors for the rising bloodshed, particularly the civil war in neighbouring Syria.

But analysts say widespread Sunni Arab anger with the Shiite-led government has also been a major factor.

The post Iraq: Seventeen dead in bombings. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

International Middle East Media Center: A Palestinian fisherman who was recently shot and critically injured by the Israeli navy, off the coast of the northwest part of the Gaza Strip, has died of his wounds Sunday, according to media sources.

WAFA correspondence reports that 52-year-old Emad Salem died of his wounds, in the hospital, after being shot with live bullets by Israeli navy while fishing in the officially recognized fishing zone off the coasts of Gaza.
In a related incident, Israeli naval boats again opened gunfire at Palestinian boats, today, despite their being within the six-mile zone, causing damage to some of the boats. No injuries or arrests were reported, however.
The Israeli navy continues to target Palestinian-owned boats off the Gaza Strip almost on daily basis, WAFA further reports, with hundreds of cases of injuries and deaths occurring among Palestinian fishermen who risk their life to provide sustenance for their families, amidst severe economic conditions imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has recently released a report stating that life in the Gaza Strip has become unbearable due to the imposed siege and the closure of crossings.
Gaza has been under illegal Israeli occupation since 1967, and a severe blockade, imposed by Israel and enforced by Egypt, since 2007

The post Palestine: Gaza fisherman shot by Israeli navy dies of his wounds. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

After composer Yuvan Shankar Raja admitted to embracing Islam on his social networking site, now, actor Jai is said to have been following the religion for quite sometime now. Rumours are rife that the actor has also converted to Islam. But when contacted, the actor denied converting to Islam.

A source close to the actor elaborates, “Jai has been following Islam for the past one year. He had even kept the fast during Ramzan last year, and since then, has been visiting the dargah every Friday without fail. We don’t know the actual reason behind his change of mind. All we know is that he has been following the religion and has not officially converted yet. And also, he has not changed his name.”

Meanwhile, the actor also hinted about his affinity to Islam in his messenger site, where his status read ‘Alhamdhulillah’, which in turn sparked off the conversion rumours. However, when we contacted the actor, he said, “I haven’t converted to Islam.”

The post After Yuvan, now, Jai follows Islam. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

By Marwa Afifi

The post How to Prepare for Ramadan appeared first on Muslim Blog.

GUJRAT: A girl who married the man of her choice was burnt to death allegedly by her parents and a brother in Phalia, Mandi Bahauddin district, on Thursday

Nadia had married Dilawar Hussain of Gujranwala some time back after leaving her house. Recently, her family contacted Nadia and told her that they had forgiven her.

As she visited her parents in Phalia, her father Shafi with the help of his wife and son set her ablaze. Nadia died before getting any medical assistance.

Police later arrested her mother and brother while Shafi was at large.

RAPE: A divorced woman was raped by a faith healer in Lundpur locality of the Civil Lines police Police arrested the accused on the order of DPO Rai Ijaz Ahmed.

DSP city Ghulam Mustafa Gillani said the medical examination report was awaited.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2014

The post Girl burnt alive by family for love marriage appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Mohammad Tahir Asharfi. — File photo

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) has declared in unambiguous terms that murder of women or girls in the name of ‘honour’ is un-Islamic.

The PUC issued a fatwa on Thursday which said such killings were generally devoid of any legal or Islamic justification. “These murders are akin to spreading mischief on Earth.”

The decree was issued by the PUC’s Darul Iftaa.

Hafiz Mohammad Tahir Ashrafi, the chairman of the PUC, presented a draft of the decree at a national conference here. The event was attended by diplomats, religious scholars and representatives of minority communities.

Hafiz Ashrafi said the murders were usually committed due to suspicion and the killers usually didn’t have any witness to support their allegations.

The fatwa was issued on the basis that those killed were generally unmarried girls. “Unmarried girls cannot be murdered even if allegations against them are proven to be correct and there are witnesses against them,” the PUC chairman said.

APP adds: A joint declaration adopted at the conference expressed sorrow over incidents of sectarian violence and attacks on places of worship of non-Muslims.

Addressing the conference, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Mohammad Yousuf, urged ulema and the representatives of minority communities to forge a consensus on promoting tolerance in society.

Referring to reports about incidents of forced conversion in Sindh, the minister said such practices were prohibited in Islam.

The participants of the conference urged the government to grant legal status to a proposed code of conduct and make sure that it was implemented.

Following are the main points of the proposed code of conduct:

— Terrorism committed in the name of Islam is a violation of Islam, and the leadership of all religions and sects declare their dissociation from such acts.

— No prayer leader, cleric or speaker will debase or induce his followers to debase any prophets, companions, family members or wives of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); the four caliphs and Imam Mehdi in his speech or sermon.

— No Muslim sect will be declared non-Muslim and no Muslim or non-Muslim will be declared worthy of being killed.

— Apart from Azan and Arabic sermon, the use of loudspeakers will be completely banned.

— Publication and distribution of offensive and hateful books, literature and pamphlets will be stopped and there will be a complete ban on cassettes and online websites containing objectionable and hateful material.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2014

The post Ulema council’s fatwa declares honour killing un-Islamic appeared first on Muslim Blog.

The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) have called on Iran to intensify its role in supporting security in the Middle East.

“We call on Iran to play a more constructive role in supporting regional security, in particular in Syria, and to reject all acts of terrorism and terrorist groups,” said a statement released on the European Union official website.

The summit of the G7, comprising the US, Japan, Italy, Britain, Canada, France and Germany, was hosted for the first time in the Belgian capital of Brussels to discuss many issues of common interest, especially Ukraine’s crisis.

The G7 also called on Iran to “cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency on verification of Iran’s nuclear activities and to resolve all outstanding issues, including critically, those relating to possible military dimensions”.

The summit also supported the stabilisation mission being undertaken by the UN in Mali and the commitment of neighbouring countries, including Algeria, Mauritania and the Economic Community of West African States.

Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, the summit, according to the statement, stands by the Ukrainian government and people in the face of unacceptable interference in Ukraine’s sovereign affairs by the Russian Federation.

“We call upon the illegal armed groups to disarm. We encourage the Ukrainian authorities to maintain a measured approach in pursuing operations to restore law and order. We fully support the substantial contribution made by the Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to the de-escalation of the crisis through the Special Monitoring Mission and other OSCE instruments,” noted the statement.

The summit welcomed the decision of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve a $17 billion programme for Ukraine, which will anchor other bilateral and multilateral assistance and loans, including around $18 billion foreseen to date from G7 partners.

Regarding the Syrian crisis, the summit strongly condemned Bashar al-Assad regime’s brutality which drives a conflict that has killed more than 160,000 people and left 9.3 million in need of humanitarian assistance. It also denounced the June 3 “sham” presidential election, adding there is was future for Assad in Syria.

The summit again endorsed the Geneva Communiqué, which calls for a transitional governing body exercising full executive powers and agreed by mutual consent, based on a vision for a united, inclusive and democratic Syria, according to the statement.

Regarding the Middle East peace process, the summit fully supports the US’s efforts to secure a negotiated two-state solution.

The post G7 asks Iran to support regional security. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

First Minister Peter Robinson apologised for comments he made last week about Muslims when he met members of Northern Ireland’s Islamic community yesterday evening.

His apology made at the Belfast Islamic Centre was accepted by the centre’s spokesman Dr Raied Al-Wazzan with both Mr Robinson and Dr Al-Wazzan saying now was the time to “draw a line” under the controversy.

Mr Robinson held a 45-minute meeting with about 60 people from the North’s Muslim community at the centre in Wellington Park in south Belfast.
‘Satanic’

The meeting was prompted by the First Minister last week defending the right of free speech of Pastor James McConnell, who said he didn’t trust Muslims and that he believed Islam was “heathen” and “satanic”.

Mr Robinson had stated that he too didn’t trust Muslims who engaged in violence or who supported Sharia law to the letter. He did say, however, that he would “trust them to go to the shops” for him.

Mr Robinson met some Muslim leaders last week to whom he apologised in private. Since then however there have been continuing calls for him to make a public apology.

Outside the centre speaking to the press Mr Robinson expressed contrition. “I apologised to these gentlemen if anything that I said caused them hurt and I can see that in many cases it has . . . I apologised to them face to face, personally, man to man, the way it should be done,” he said.

“I apologised for any offence that I might have caused and I made it very clear to them that the very last thing I would have on my mind would be to cause anyone hurt or distress or to insult them,” he added.

“I can’t spend the rest of my life apologising but what I can do is spend the rest of my life building a united community that I believe that we want in Northern Ireland, ” he said.

“From our point of view we have drawn a line under the past and we very much want to move forward respecting each other.”
Muslim people

He also paid a sideways tribute to the standing and the contribution to Northern Ireland of Muslim people. He said he was introduced to every one at the meeting last night, while adding, “There were so many doctors among them that I just wondered how the health service was running tonight with all of them here.

“But it does indicate how much this society must depend on people from ethnic minorities and religious minorities for the day-to-day life of our province.”

Mr Robinson was asked by one Muslim present would he condemn Pastor McConnell’s comments. He said that everyone had the right to free speech “but whether they are in politics, whether they are pillars of society or whether they are the press they must exercise that right with responsibility and with care”.

Dr Al-Wazzan said the meeting was “extremely positive” and the discussion “very frank and open”. “I think now we have to draw a line under this issue. We have to think about moving forward,” he said.

Earlier yesterday the Assembly condemned recent racist attacks and opposed racism, discrimination and intolerance.

The post UK: N Ireland FIrst Minister apologises to Muslim community. appeared first on Muslim Blog.

International Middle East Media Center: Israeli forces continued their violations against the Palestinian people and their property, Wednesday, with raids near Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus and in occupied East Jerusalem.

Soldiers, today, handed demolition notices to five families of al-Hathaleen tribe, in Um el- Khair village, south of Hebron and to the east of Yatta.
Rateb al-Jbour, who coordinates the anti-wall and settlement popular committee in southern Hebron, said that the families were ordered to remove barbed wire fences and gardens as a prelude to the seizing of their lands, in an expansion of illegal Israeli settlement of Karmiel.

The 150-dunam plot of land, according to WAFA, is designated as part of Area C and under full Israeli control.

In response to the new Palestinian government formation, Israeli MK, Opher Akonis,has called for giving serious thought to the idea of annexing Area C of the occupied West Bank that is under the full Israeli sovereignty.

The Oslo II Accord divided the West Bank into three administrative divisions, says Al Ray: Area A (full civil and security control by the Palestinian Authority), area B (Palestinian civil control and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control) and area C (full Israeli civil and security control).

Al-Jbour told the PNN that forces also seized the residents cars and tractors, in order to prevent access in and out of the village.

In al-Khader village, to the south of Bethlehem, Israeli authorities set up new settlements constructions on Palestinians lands, today, as well.

Huassan Bragyeh, coordinator of the Popular Resistance against the Wall and Settlement in Bethlehem, said that authorities upgraded the settlers’ carnivals to concrete constructions, making the permanent structures in the area, according to the PNN.

He added that the Israel continues to build in this area, south of Bethlehem, most likely as an effort to extend the illgal settlement of Efrat from its eastern and southern sections, in order to divide Bethlehem.

Al-Khader land owners are now networking with organizations that might help them to retrieve their property through the Israeli court system.

In occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers accompanied by police invaded the al Aqsa mosque compound, laying siege to Palestinians at compound gates.

Palestinian sources have informed PNN that around 60 Israeli Settlers raided the compound this morning, for the purpose of performing Talmudic prayers. Following the raid, Israeli police obstructed Palestinians from praying, in protection of settlers who were still in the compound.

According to the sources, the department of Awqaf in Jerusalem has attempted to open the gates and evacuate the settlers, with Palestinian organizations in Jerusalem afraid that the raids may activate an Israeli plan to divide the compound itself.

WAFA reports that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the repeated assaults on Al Aqsa by Israeli Knesset members, settlers and police, calling on the Arab and Islamic world, including the Kingdom of Jordan, the Jerusalem Committee and the Organization of Islamic Conference to make prompt decisions and real steps to protect and defend it.

He warned of the ongoing excavations beneath the mosque, warning that it was liable to collapse at any moment.
Furthermore, WAFA reports that Abbas has decided to attend the Jeddah-based conference of the Organization of Islamic Conference, which is scheduled for June 18th, in light of the danger facing the mosque and other Muslim and Christian holy sites.

He called for activation of the Arab summit resolutions, and for the Committee on Jerusalem and Holy Sites to take steps in protecting and maintaining the Arab cultural identity of Jerusalem.

In addition to today’s attacks, Ghassan Daghlas, a PA official who monitors settlement activities in the West Bank, told Ma’an News Agency that “a number of settlers from the Havat Gilad (“Gilad’s Farm”) settlement burned dozens of trees and the fire spread in the area”, in the Palestinian villages of Farata and Immatin west, in the Nablus region, in a targeted attack on local villagers, adding that “Palestinian civil defense was trying to reach the area to put out the fire.”

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in 2013, there were 399 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, states Ma’an, with over 90 percent of investigations by Israeli police failing to lead to indictment.

More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in direct violation of international law, to which Israel is signatory.

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Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh murdered by Hindu mob for being a Muslim

New details have emerged in the case of the Pune Muslim IT professional,who was killed by a right-wing Hindu mob. An SMS exchanged by the killers has confirmed that Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh was targetted for being a Muslim.

According to a report on Hindustan Times, the killers exchanged the following message after killing Shaikh which read, ‘Pahili wicket padli’ (The first wicket has fallen.)

According to an IBN-Live report, so far twenty people have been arrested in the case and they are members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena, an extremist right-wing group. The report notes that the group of men had earlier attacked 2 youth at the same spot.
FP Post: New details have emerged in the case of the Pune Muslim IT professional,who was killed by a right-wing Hindu mob. An SMS exchanged by the killers has confirmed that Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh was targetted for being a Muslim.

According to a report on Hindustan Times, the killers exchanged the following message after killing Shaikh which read, ‘Pahili wicket padli’ (The first wicket has fallen.)

According to an IBN-Live report, so far twenty people have been arrested in the case and they are members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena, an extremist right-wing group. The report notes that the group of men had earlier attacked 2 youth at the same spot.

The report quotes Pune joint commissioner of police Sanjay Kumar as saying, “The message was circulated immediately after about 25 members of the Hindu extremist outfit allegedly bludgeoned Shaikh to death.”

The police are now probing if this was a pre-planned attack given the message that was exchanged and that the crowd had attacked Shaikh with “hockey sticks and stones.”

Shaikh’s friend Riyaz had told Indian Express that Shaikh was attacked because he was wearing a skull cap.

Shaikh’s brother Mobin has also confirmed that his brother was targetted because he very clearly appeared to be Muslim. He told Indian Express, “While returning, Mohsin was driving the bike while Riyaz was riding pillion. Suddenly, about 15 men came on motorcycles, shouting slogans…As soon as they saw Mohsin they stopped his bike and started beating him up. They didn’t touch Riyaz. Mohsin had a beard and was wearing a skull cap. Riyaz had none.”

The police arrested seven people associated with the Hindu Rashtra Sena (right-wing fringe group) and the chief of this outfit Dhananjay Desai, adds the IE report.

According to reports the violence was triggered over morphed pictures of the late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackery, Chhatrapati Shivaji and other Hindu gods which were shared on Facebook on Saturday, and later re-circulated on WhatsApp. Rumours also spread that Shivaji’s statue had been desecrated and a Hindu girl had been raped in the city, adding to the communal tension.

The photos have triggered communal tension in the city as “activists of Hindu outfits and political organisations indulged in violence and arson and more than 200 public transport buses and private vehicles were damaged in the past two days,” according to the IE report.

Shaikh’s parents are in shock as their son was the sole bread-winner of the family. The incident has also shattered the myth that Pune is not a communal sensitive place. His father told Indian Express, “I wasn’t worried at all. Neither was Mohsin. We knew Pune was a safe city. I had spoken to him on Monday afternoon and we didn’t even discuss this issue. We didn’t think it was something to worry about.”

For now communal harmony in Pune is definitely something to worry about. Reports say that the police has arrested over 180 people for indulging in stone pelting over the Facebook post in the Pune region last week.

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New Delhi: Distraught over the sudden spurt of social policing, boycott and other means of state coercion to silence the voice of dissent, eminent citizens from all walks of life have demanded on Wednesday that the Center and all state governments should respect and protect all constitutional rights to free speech and expression, and personal liberty.

In a joint statement, they pointed out that in the last fortnight there has been a resurgence of attacks to curb the right to free speech and expression of Indian citizens who did not share the euphoria, hope and enthusiasm associated with recent election results.

Emphasizing that no democracy can claim to be one, unless freedom of speech and expression are guaranteed by statute and where the state machinery works to ensure compliance not only in the behavior of government, but of its citizens. “The curbing of expression with threat and through terror, increasingly more menacing, should be condemned and stopped, if our country is to become a mature democracy. Indeed, the expression of varied and differing opinions strengthens the political discourse and empowers people to make informed choices”.

It further pointed out that attempts to curtail the right to free speech and expression of writers, academics, activists and ordinary citizens have been recurring incidents over the past two decades, irrespective of the political party in power. For example, last month, a widely respected and well known Kannada writer, U.R.Ananthamurthy was sent a one-way ticket to Karachi as well as threatened with phones calls asking him “when he was going to leave” for saying “I would not like to live in a country ruled by Modi.” In another incident, a youth, Syed Vaqas, along with four friends from Bhatkal, Karnataka were arrested for sending a message (when the election results were announced) caricaturing the BJP government’s election slogan “aab ki bar antimsanskar (modisarkar).” A third incident is about a 31-year-old naval engineer from Goa, Devu Chodankar, for his alleged inflammatory comments against Mr. Narendra Modi on social media. More recently, in Bihar members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) disrupted a People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) seminar, to discuss the detention of Professor G.N. Saibaba of Delhi University (arrested for alleged Maoist links) and its implications for human rights. Or take the case of the two girls from Palghar, Maharashtra who were arrested for criticizing the shutdown of Mumbai for Shiv Sena’s chief Bal Thakeray’s funeral in 2012, even though the Constitution of India guarantees plurality of diverse political opinion. All these incidents signify acts of political expression that were reinterpreted as not conforming to mainstream positions.

In the two recent cases in Karnataka and Goa, the representatives of police in Goa and Bangalore have stated in the newspapers that these cases do not warrant arrests; but the PMO has remained silent on this blatant attack on curbing citizens’ free speech and expression.

“As concerned citizens of a free and democratic India we protest against the continuing intolerant legislative attempts at criminalizing dissenting opinion and those in certain sections of society that take law into their hands to disrupt peaceful discussions and dialogue. In particular, we oppose the use of the draconic Section 66A of the IT Act. The IT Act has been worded deliberately to give unbridled powers to the State to clamp down on free speech. Section 66A prescribes criminal punishment of up to 3 years for merely sending messages which can cause ‘annoyance’ or ‘inconvenience’ or ‘danger’ or ‘insult,’ and gives unfettered discretion to enforcement agencies to enforce it. The recent incidents signify abuse under this provision that gives freedom to those in power to violate the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution”.

They warned that the ongoing attempts to quell political dissent or dialogue among citizens through draconian laws for ulterior motives poses a grave danger to Indian democracy.

“Therefore, We the undersigned demand that the Government of India and all State Governments respect and protect all constitutional rights to free speech and expression, and personal liberty as guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a), and Article 21 of the Constitution of India”.

They also demanded that the concerned authorities should follow due process and drop the exaggerated criminal charges against all these individuals and in the last fortnight there has been a resurgence of attacks to curb the right to free speech and expression of Indian citizens who did not share the euphoria, hope and enthusiasm associated with recent election results.

Statement signed by Achin Vanaik, Achyut Das, Afroz Alam Sahil, Amba Kak, Amit Sharma, Anand Pathwardhan ,Anant Bhatnagar ,Ania Loomba, Aruna Rodrigues , Aruna Roy, Bhupendra Yadav, Biraj Patnaik, Bhaskar Prabhu, Cynthia Stephen, Deep Joshi, Dilip Simeon, Dr. A Gopalakrishnan, Dr. Anand Teltumbde, Anandlakshmy, Dr. Shaikh Ghulam Rasool , Ela Bhatt, Gautam Shonti , Geeta Kapur ,Harsh Mander, Jagdeep Chhokar,Jarius Banaji ,Jasveen Jairath ,Jayati Ghosh, Jean Drèze, Jyotsna Jha ,Kalyani Menon-Sen, Kavita Srivastava ,Lalita Ramdas, Lawrence Liang,M. Hasan , M.K Raina , Mallika Sarabhai , Madan Gopal Singh ,Madhu Prasad ,Mrinal Pande ,Nachiket Udupa, Nandini Sundar ,Nandita Das, Nikhil Dey , Pamela Philipose, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Parthiv Shah, Praful Bidwai ,Prashant Bhushan, Saikat Ghosh , Satish, Satish Deshpande ,Shabnam Hashmi, Siddhartha Sharma, Vrinda Gover, Zoya Hasan and dozens of others.

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At least four members of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda offshoot were killed when a US drone bombed their vehicle in the central province of Marib Wednesday evening, a security official said.

“The unmanned US drone fired missiles at a travelling vehicle carrying suspected Al Qaeda members in the Wadi Abida district, in Yemen’s central Marib province, killing about four men onboard,” Xinhua quoted a security official as saying on condition of anonymity.

Tribal sources said that the drone strike targeted a small pick-up truck belonging to a mid-level commander of the Al Qaeda group, reportedly named as Jafar al-Shabwani, killing him along with three of his companions.

Dozens of Al Qaeda members have been killed in such airstrikes since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in Feb 2012. Before that a year-long unrest weakened the control of the central government and allowed militants to take over swaths of territory in the south.

The Yemeni government, backed by US support, managed to recapture several of those southern cities in May 2012.

Critics of the US government said that the drone strikes often violate international law and cause heavy civilian casualties.

In Dec 2013, a US drone strike mistakenly hit a wedding party in Yemen’s southeastern province of al-Bayda, killing up to 11 Yemeni civilians and wounding 21 others.

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As the nation presented the verdict on 16th May 2014, it becomes imperative to analyse the larger contours of 15th Lok Sabha election. It is remarkable how the nation witnessed this peaceful democratic transition of power. But what lies underneath is whether with rise of the saffron party – BJP, will the nation witness new contours of ideological parameters of India. One also cannot overlook the fact that this year is also Pandit Nehru’s 50 years of death anniversary. Nehru — the stalwart in every realm — politics, writings, statesmanship, has several messages from his life for each and every Indian.

As the thought process rolls up, it s essential to invoke the ideological churning a on the father of liberal Indian democracy Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and how can we benefit from always renewing ourselves in light of new challenges that the nation s facing.

Nehru was a staunch believer of consensual paradigm. His model of development espoused the ideas of inclusive growth, concern for weaker sections, sacred belief in science and technology to show the new horizons of development, socialism with a commitment for welfare of poor and industry alike, concern for environment amongst others. The new regime should keep debating them and the opposition must judge the promises unleashed in BJP manifesto of 2014 via these contours. Run away unbridled capitalism shall spell peril for Indian ethos of unity juxtaposed with diversity. Consensus is highly problematical arena in lieu of various arena to be factored in, but Nehru showed it via his upright approach towards problems of polity at time before and after independence.

Jawahar Lal Nehru3Further, Nehru had an uncanny notion of cosmopolitanism towards all minorities – religion, region, language. They all could identify with idea of India as unified polity with congress representing the image of an umbrella organisation with due space to all. As India reigns on new contours, one has to attempt to revive and renew India’s commitment to betterment and incorporation of say of minorities in this light. Competition is needed but not at expense of government shirking its responsibility towards their betterment.

What was unique in Nehru was he never claimed any finality in describing the idea of India. It was always an ongoing exercise, an endeavour to be pondered always. Thus, if someone claims today that they know the nation in finality shall be a gross disrespect to idea of our polity which is simple yet mired in motley interesting complexities.

India exists in a global world order. The context of changing world impacts the text of society and polity. The need of hour is keep Nehruvian idea of having our own independent stand on foreign policy and reinvigorate non alignment as a policy plank where the world always should see what India can offer to it, not what India can borrow.

As new regime shapes new political, social, economic contours, it is hoped that Nehru remains indispensable in conduct of public policy. He needs to revived, deliberated and preserved in light of what he has given India

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Syria’s incumbent President Bashar al-Assad has won a third seven-year term in office in the presidential elections that took place Tuesday, the Syrian parliament announced Wednesday.

A parliament speaker said that 1,319,723 people voted for Assad, which made about 88.7 percent of the votes.

Earlier on Wednesday, Syria’s Supreme Constitutional Court said that 11,634,412 out of 15,845,575 eligible voters participated in the presidential elections — placing the turnout rate at 73.42 percent.

The general election started at 7 a.m. Tuesday and was scheduled to end at 7 p.m. But the Supreme Judicial Committee, which was tasked with overseeing the electoral process, later announced to extend the voting for another five hours until midnight citing a “huge turnout”.

It is the first multi-candidate presidential election in Syria’s modern history, which has been dismissed by the exiled opposition and their Western backers as “farce.”

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PESHAWAR, (The News): At least eight people were killed and six others injured on Tuesday when a landmine exploded in the Khomta area of Kurram tribal region, DawnNews reported.

The victims were travelling from central Khurram region to the area of Parachinar, when their vehicle struck a landmine planted on the roadside.

The vehicle was completely destroyed in the incident.

Police personnel and rescue teams immediately reached the site of the incident and shifted the injured to Agency Head Quarters Hospital.

Kurram agency, which is close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), governed by tribal laws.

An extremist insurgency led by the Pakistani Taliban plagues the region while the area is known to be infested with militants, including the al Qaeda, Taliban and several other armed extremist organisations

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The death toll from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus in Saudi Arabia has surged to 282 after recalculations, the health ministry announced Tuesday.

A total of 688 cases have been confirmed in the Gulf kingdom since the first case was registered in 2012, according to the ministry’s rigorous review. Of those infected, 53 are reportedly receiving treatment, Xinhua reported.

Before the review, the ministry’s latest tally of cases reached 575, with 190 deaths.

The main objective of that review was to ensure a more complete and accurate understanding of the virus outbreak in the country, the ministry said, adding that the review has already enhanced the ministry’s policy development process and improved measures already taken to address the situation.

MERS is considered a deadlier but less transmissible cousin of the SARS virus which erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected thousands of people. The coronavirus was first discovered in mid-2012 in an old man with acute pneumonia and renal failure.

The Saudi government has been criticised by international health experts over its handling of the disease, which has spread to several Middle East countries, Asia, and the US.

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South Indian actress Monica has embraced Islam, leaving behind the life of lights. “I have converted not because of love or money and I am not such a person. I embraced Islam because I like its principles,” she told reporters.
“Hereafter I won’t act in films, it gives some pain but I don’t change my mind.”
She has changed her name to Rahima.
Monica added: “I have been practicing Islam for almost four years now. My father is a Christian and my mother is a Hindu and they support my decision fully. My last film ‘Nadhigal Nanaivathillai’ would be releasing soon and I won’t be acting in films henceforth.”
Born as Rekha Maruthiraj, she took the name Monica for her acting career in Tamil and Telugu films. Later, she changed her name to Parvana for Malayalam films. Now her Muslim name is M.G. Rahima.
She announced her decision in Chennai at a news conference on Friday in which she released photos showing her wearing modest costume and hijab. Monica, who had won Tamil Nadu State Award as the best child actor for her performance in En Aasai Machan, was last seen in Tamil film Jannal Oram in November 2013. Monica is not the first Indian celebrity to revert to Islam.
Monica’s parents Maruti Raj and Gracy were also present at the press meet. “I am strongly inspired by the Islamic tenets which I read in books. I am planning to settle down and will announce my wedding plans soon,” Monica said

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gypt’s former military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi was Tuesday officially announced as the new president of the country by the presidential election commission.

Al-Sisi achieved a landslide victory over leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabahy in the three-day presidential polls held last month.

“Presidential candidate Abdel-Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil al-Sisi got 23,780,104 votes, which represents 96.91 percent of the votes,” Xinhua quoted Judge Anwar al-Assi, chairman of the election commission, as saying in a press conference Tuesday.

Al-Assi said Sabahy got 757,511 of the total valid votes, about 3.1 percent.

More than 25 million of the 53.9 million eligible voters joined the polls, giving a voter turnout of 47.45 percent.

“The valid votes were 24,537,615, representing 95.93 percent of the votes, while the invalid votes were 1,040,608, representing 4.07 percent of the votes,” he said.

“Accordingly, the winner of the post of president of the Arab Republic of Egypt is Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi,” al-Assi announced.

Sisi supporters took to the streets across the country to celebrate his victory after the announcement.
(IANS)

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Syria’s electoral committee Tuesday extended the presidential voting period for another five hours in view of a high voter turnout, the media reported.

“The closing time for voting has been pushed to midnight in all provinces due to high turnout,” the official SANA news agency quoted Syria’s Higher Judicial Committee for Election as saying, according to Xinhua.

Syria’s general election started at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday amid criticism from Western countries and threats from the armed opposition. It was previously scheduled to end at 7:00 p.m.

In a previous statement, the committee said that turnout in Tuesday’s voting was “beyond expectations”, adding that some 220 more ballot boxes were distributed in the afternoon due to the large number of voters.

More than 15 million eligible and registered voters are expected to cast their ballots for the country’s three presidential contenders, including incumbent President Bashar al-Assad.

The interior ministry said 9,610 polling stations are available across the country, amid reports that the government has also set up ballot boxes in displacement shelters to allow thousands of displaced Syrians to participate in the voting process.

The vote is taking place despite rejection from the opposition and its Western backers, who have dismissed the poll as a “farce.”
(IANS)

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The organizers of the World Cup in Qatar have denied any wrongdoing in the bid that won them the 2022 tournament. The latest allegations came in a report by a British Sunday paper.

The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy issued a statement on Sunday in which it said that its winning bid had “upheld the highest standard of ethics and integrity.”

The statement added that the organizing committee was cooperating with US lawyer Michael Garcia, who is leading an investigation into the 2010 vote, which awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

“We vehemently deny all allegations of wrongdoing. We will take whatever steps are necessary to defend the integrity of Qatar’s bid,” it added. “The right to host the tournament was won because it was the best bid.”

Garcia’s investigation stems from previous corruption allegations related to the awarding of the hosting rights to the two tournaments.

Sunday Times report

The statement came in response to a report in Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper, which said it had obtained “hundreds of millions of emails, accounts and other documents” detailing payments totaling $5 million (3.67 million euros) allegedly made by Qatari former top soccer official Mohamed bin Hammam to build support for the Arab emirate’s bid.

The newspaper alleged that Bin Hammam made dozens of payments of up to $200,000 (147,000 euros) to top football officials to secure votes for Qatar. He allegedly deposited the money through slush funds into accounts controlled by the presidents of 30 African football associations. He also allegedly hosted lavish events for African officials where he also handed out almost $400,000 in cash.

Hammam was a member of the executive committee of FIFA, the sport’s world governing body for 16 years. However, in 2012 he was banned for life from football administration for financial corruption stemming from his role as president of the Asian Football Confederation. He had resigned from both posts just before the ban was issued.

‘No official or unofficial role’

Sunday’s statement from the organizers insisted that Hammam had “played no official or unofficial role in the bid committee.”

There was no immediate comment from FIFA on the Sunday Times report, with the governing body instructing the Associated Press to contact Garcia’s New York law firm – which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

These corruption accusations are just the latest controversy to surround the Qatar World Cup, with other concerns including the severe desert heat during the summer months in the region. Even FIFA President Sepp Blatter conceded in a radio interview last month that the decision to award the bid to Qatar had been “a mistake.”

Qatar’s human rights record has also come under scrutiny, in part due to reports of the treatment of migrant workers brought in for World Cup-related construction projects. Following a damning Amnesty International report last November about the “ruthless exploitation” of foreign staff in Qatar, FIFA launched an investigation to gain a clear picture of the situation.

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A court in Egypt Monday sentenced 28 supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to life in prison in absentia after they were found guilty of violence in Fayyoum province, the media reported.

Egyptian prosecutors have accused the Morsi supporters of “harming the national unity, social peace, using violence, protesting without a police permit, and attacking public and private property,” Xinhua reported citing state news agency MENA.

They were also charged with belonging to Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood which has been banned by Egypt as a terrorist group.

The Monday hearing was set up for 43 Morsi supporters. But 15 others who presented themselves before the court were jailed for three years over the same charges.

Since the ouster of Morsi in July last year hundreds of his supporters have been arrested and given jail terms or death sentences.

In March, a court in the southern city of Minya sentenced to death 529 supporters of the ousted president.

In April, the same court handed the death penalty to 683 Morsi backers in another mass trial that caused a huge international outrage.
(IANS)

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From a student to a life convict, it has been tough journey for senior separatist leader, Dr Aashiq Hussain Faktoo alias Dr Qasim who has completed 22 years of imprisonment.
Born in 1967, Qasim graduated in Commerce from Islamia College Srinagar. He tied the nuptial knot with Aasiya Andrabi the chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat. He went on to obtain various academic degrees like MA, MPhil in Islamic Studies and Maulvi Fazil from University of Kashmir
His life took a dramatic turn in early nineties when he joined militant ranks and acted as spokesperson of Hizbul Mujahideen. He was first detained in 1993 under the Public Safety Act. After six years of imprisonment, a TADA court acquitted him of all the charges due to lack of evidence but police arrested him again at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in 2002 when he was returning from London where he had participated in a Conference on Kashmir.
In 2003, he was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of involvement in murder of noted Kashmiri Pandit human rights activist, Hriday Nath Wanchoo who was killed 1992, a charge denied by him. The double bench of Supreme Court in its judgment had directed that Dr Qasim and other accused in the case be given benefit of the period already undergone by them in detention.
Dr Qasim challenged his detention and the court directed the government to review his case. On June 3, 2008 the government constituted a Review Board comprising then DGP Prisons and Principal District and Sessions Judge Srinagar Hasnain Massodi to consider Qasim’s release under the provision of J&K Jail Manual 2000.
But the CID opposed the recommendations saying as per the rule 54.1 of Jail Manual debaring TADA lifer convicts from release on completion of two thirds (14 years) of 20 years.
However, Dr Qasim challenged his detention in the High Court seeking directions as per the review board’s recommendation.
The High Court quashed the impugned order and directed the government to consider the case on the basis of the Jammu and Kashmir Jail Manual. Suffering from various ailments, Dr Qasim, during his recent medical checkup at SMHS hospital, told Greater Kashmir that he
has clinching evidence to prove that government has been prolonging his detention.
“When I completed 20 years of imprisonment two years back and grounds for my release became stronger, articles started appearing in some New Delhi based newspapers projecting me as successor of Syed Ali Shah Geelani. I want to clarify that I am not in race for any separatist leadership,” he said.
Dr Qasim claimed that during his detention in various jails, some persons approached him with “offers.” “In 2008, an emissary of Government of India approached me and offered to get me released if I stood against a senior separatist leader. I refused and my detention was prolonged again. The same emissary had met me in 2005 offering Assistant Professor’s post at Islamic University which I refused,” he said.
He claimed that in 2002, some officers from Intelligence Bureau asked him to participate in elections. “I was lodged in Talab Tiloo jail and the IB people even offered me Education Portfolio. At that time some Hurriyat leaders were ready to participate in elections. I had to pay a heavy price for my refusal as I was awarded with life imprisonment. In 1993 a senior bureaucrat offered me and my wife safe passage from Amphalla jail to some foreign country but we refused,” he said.
Dr Qasim who is chairman of Muslim Deeni Mahaz, a religious organization, minced no words to accuse the ruling National Conference of subjecting him to political vengeance. “Government is victimizing me for my ideology. It all started in 1951 when my grandfather and Muslim Conference activist Ghulam Ahmad Faktoo, attacked Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah at Mujahid Manzil. NC activists were after his life and he finally crossed over to Pakistan and passed away there.”
“The killing of Moulvi Farooq, Abdul Gani Lone, Dr Guru, Qazi Nisar and Showkat Shah were setbacks to the ongoing freedom struggle,” he said. “When I heard about Moulvi Farooq’s killing, I strongly protested and raised voice against Muhammad Abdullah Bangroo. Sometime later, the then Chief Commander of Hizb Ahsan Dar declared HM as an armed wing of Jamat-e-Islami. Subsequently I alongwith Nasir-ul-Islam left HM and formed Jamait-ul-Mujahideen,” he said.
After assuming power, the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, had said he would review Dr Qasim’s case but later he did not pursue the case. Dr Qasim had also filed a petition in the court praying why government was discriminating against him in using executive powers under section 401 and 402 of CRPC to remit his sentence. The High Court ruled that life imprisonment means detention for the whole life. “
“Apex Court has ruled that a convict under TADA can be released after he completes 20 years imprisonment including remissions earned. “Over 19 lifer convicts have been released by the government since 1975. When states like Tamil Nadu and Punjab can use its executive powers in such case why is JK government silent over this case? Dr Qasim’s prolonged detention by government is sheer political vengeance,” his family members alleged.

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