Evening NEWS DIGEST
14 April 2017: 16 Rajab 1438: Vol: 8, No:166
INDIA
No plan to enforce uniform civil code, Law Panel to Muslim law board after it submits 48 million signs rejecting any interference in Personal Law
http://caravandaily.com/portal/no-plan-to-enforce-uniform-civil-code-law-commission-tells-muslim-law-board/
New Delhi: Law Commission Thursday told a delegation of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) that it does not recommend any legislation against the wishes of the people. AIMPLB delegation led by Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani, General Secretary, met Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, the Chairman of the Law Commission of India.The delegation briefed him about the Muslim community’s strong sentiments about the Uniform Civil Code and handed over him the scanned copies of tens of millions (48 millions) of signatures strongly supporting the Shariah law or Muslim Personal Law and rejecting the calls by some sections to implement the Uniform Civil Code in the country.A memorandum also submitted to the Law Commission on the occasion made it clear that the Muslims do not want any kind of interference in their Shariah laws including those governing Nikah, Halala, Talaq etc. and they want to stick to the Shariah laws in any case.“Constitution of India gives Freedom of Religion so we want the Govt not to interfere in any Shariah or religious matter” it said. Speaking to Caravan Daily, Maulana Wali Rahmani said, “We told the Law Panel Chairman that people have given their opinion against the UCC as they do not want any interference in their religious matter. After handing over soft copies of signatures, we also suggested that if the panel wants hard copies then we can bring truckloads of those signatures.”When asked that why the Personal Board after announcing the boycott of the Law Commission’s questionnaire on the UCC had now decided to meet the Law Commission, Maulana Rahmani said in his reply that it was part of the Board’s strategy and the delegation also did not touch upon this subject during the meeting with the Law panel chief. “The Law Commission chairman assured us that the Panel does not go against the public opinion and recommend for legislation,” he added.AIMPLB hard disk included a total of 48,347,596 signatures — 27,356,934 female & 20,990,662 male — that were received from across the country.The delegation also included three women members who also presented their viewpoint before Law panel chairman arguing that they feel totally safe and secure under the Shariah laws.Caravan Daily
Muslim board opposes uniform civil code at 1st meeting
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/muslim-board-opposes-uniform-civil-code-at-1st-meeting/articleshow/58177685.cms
48 million signs against single code
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170414/jsp/nation/story_146339.jsp#.WPDwO_mGO1s
Law commission handed over signatures of 4.81 cr people who are happy with Triple Talaq
http://ummid.com/news/2017/April/14.04.2017/muslim-personal-law-board-meets-law-commission-on-triple-talaq.html
Following Shariah laws constitutional right of Muslim, says AIMPLB
http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-following-shariah-laws-constitutional-right-of-muslim-says-aimplb-377044
Lucknow: Muslim Personal Law Board to discuss Ayodhya dispute, triple talaq on Saturday
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/lucknow-muslim-personal-law-board-to-discuss-ayodhya-dispute-triple-talaq-on-saturday/story-6LbNpRus3A1tc7nzs0q1LI.html
Lucknow:Ayodhya dispute and triple talaq will dominate the agenda of 2-day meeting of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) beginning here on Saturday.“The executive meeting of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board is scheduled to be held at Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow on April 15-16,” AIMPLB secretary Zafaryab Jilani said. Meet will also hold discussions on ways to highlight the Board’s functioning and activities through social media and strengthen its women wing.PTI
Judicial opinion on personal laws needs review: Jaitley
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/judicial-opinion-on-personal-laws-needs-review-jaitley/1/929421.html
New Delhi; Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said age-old judicial opinion that personal laws need not be in conformity with constitutional rights will hopefully be reviewed shortly.Speaking at a FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) event after releasing Gender Parity Index specific in the formal sector, Jaitley said 2017 will be "extremely different" on the issue of personal laws.In an indirect reference to Muslim personal law, he said "a very surprising judicial opinion" existed decades back that while all laws must confine to the constitutional rights itself, personal laws need not."...hopefully, it gets reviewed in near future some time," minister added.PTI
2 Muslim women take part in ‘hawan’ to end ‘triple talaq’, claims TOI report
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/two-muslim-women-take-part-in-hawan-to-end-triple-talaq/story-HTPUTFtCKCsVkrFoZJvGFO.html
Aligarh: 2 Muslim women, claiming to be the victims of ‘triple talaq’, took part in a ‘hawan’ organised by All India Hindu Mahasabha in Aligarh on Friday.Declaring to lead the fight against the practice of ‘triple talaq’ in the community, Faiza and Salma said they will no longer allow harassment of Muslim women.Hawan was performed by Mahant Shakun Pande at Hindu Mahasabha office in Naurnagabad Bedas Compound area of Aligarh.“My husband had divorced me seven years back by pronouncing triple talaq,” said Faiza while talking to HT.“Mother of three daughters, I am carrying on their responsibilities with great difficulties,” said the resident of Dhoharra Mafi area of Aligarh.
Triple talaq row: Hindu Mahasabha asks Muslim women to convert to Hinduism to get justice
http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/triple-talaq-row-hindu-mahasabha-asks-muslim-women-to-convert-to-hinduism-to-get-justice/628226/
Taking the issue of triple talaq to a new level all together, the Hindu Mahasabha has come up with a ‘solution’ for the victim Muslim women. General Secretary of the Hindu Mahasabha Dr Pooja Shakun Pandey has asked all Muslim women who have been victims of triple talaq and ‘nikah halal’ to convert to Hinduism to get justice. The statement was given by Pandey who is also Hindu Mahasabha office bearer after organising a program for empowerment of Muslim women in the country.During the program, Hindu Mahasabha members took an oath to fight against the triple talaq practice and help the victims. “If our Govt and law cannot ensure justice to you, we will ensure it. I would treat all such women as my daughters and ensure self-respect and dignity to them,” Pandey said.financialexpress
Hindu Mahasabha urges divorced Muslim women to convert
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/india/hindu-mahasabha-urges-divorced-muslim-women-to-convert-1.2011282
Law on triple talaq only after consensus: Naqvi
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/law-on-triple-talaq-only-after-consensus-mukhtar-abbas-naqvi-4613325/
Mumbai:A law on the practice of ‘triple talaq’ among Muslims would be formulated only after there is a consensus among the stakeholders, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in Mumbai on Friday.“Triple talaq is a serious issue. Non-serious players should not destroy positive, constructive debate over it. Reforms should start from within the community, not from outside,” Naqvi, who was in the city to attend a programme at Haj House, told PTI.He said suggestions on ‘triple talaq’ were pouring in from different sections of the society and discussions were underway with all the stakeholders.“Some people are supporting while some are opposing. It is all part of a healthy democracy. As far as the Govt is concerned, we will wait for a consensus before forming any law on triple talaq. It (the law) will not be sudden. The process is on,” Naqvi said. indianexpress
SC should decide triple talaq issue, says Mayawati
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-should-decide-triple-talaq-issue-says-mayawati-4613129/
Lucknow:BSP supremo Mayawati on Friday said the Supreme Court should decide the issue of triple talaq as per the Constitution to ensure justice for Muslim women. “Our party wants the Supreme Court to take a decision on the issue of triple talaq as per the Indian Constitution, keeping the state and central Govt s out,” she said while speaking at Ambedkar Jayanti function of the party here.“From media reports, it does not seem that senior persons associated with the Muslim personal law boards are serious about Muslim women getting justice on the issue of triple talaq…we do not feel that the board will be able to ensure justice for Muslim women soon…the apex court should ensure justice for them,” she said.PTI
Suspended muslim cop refuses to shave beard to get job back, SC says 'we can't help you'
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/04/14/suspended-muslim-cop-refuses-to-shave-beard-to-get-job-back-sup_a_22039441/?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage
The Supreme Court on Thursday granted reprieve to a Muslim policeman who has remained suspended from work for the last five years for refusing to shave his beard. While the apex court agreed to let him keep his beard during religiously significant periods only, the constable rejected the offer.Zahiroddin Shamsoddin Bedade, who was appointed as a constable in the State Reserve Police Force, had applied for and was granted permission to grow his beard in 2012.However, his permission was revoked in keeping with the new amendments made to the Maharashtra State Reserve Police Force's policy. Bedade refused to shave his beard and was suspended from duty, reported the Times of India.Since his suspension, Bedade has been fighting for the right to keep his beard on grounds of religious freedom, but to no avail.The SC bench, headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices DY Chandrachud and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, maintained that Bedade's plea did not fall within the purview of Regulation 425 (b), which applies to personnel whose religion prohibits the cutting or shaving of hair for its members.Bar & Bench quotes Regulation 425 (b):"Only those Muslim personnel who had kept beard along with moustache at the time of commissioning or enrolment prior to 1 Jan 2002, would be allowed to keep beard and moustache. Such personnel are to maintain it in a manner that it is neat, trimmed and tidy and not more than the length which could be covered by one fist. Muslims who have grown beard after joining service should shave off the beard. Under no circumstances, a Muslim person who had beard at the time of joining service before 1 Jan 2002 shall be allowed to maintain beard without moustache. Moustache would be a part of the beard." huffingtonpost
Muslim cop refuses to shave to get job back
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/muslim-cop-refuses-to-shave-to-get-job-back/articleshow/58173782.cms
Suspended over beard, Maharashtra Muslim cop says no to rejoining
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/suspended-over-beard-maharashtra-muslim-cop-says-no-to-rejoining/articleshow/58172916.cms
No temporary beards in Islam: Fired cop rejects SC’s advice to shave for rejoining force
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muslim-cop-fired-for-growing-beard-rejects-sc-s-advice-to-shave-to-rejoin-force/story-8gWcjjXSgZQpAKCCTZujfO.html
Indian Army Accused of Using Civilian as Human Shield in Kashmir Patrol: thewire
https://thewire.in/124168/allegation-army-using-human-shields-kashmir-patrol/
New Delhi: As tension in the Kashmir valley continues to ride high in the wake of the public boycott of ongoing by-elections to two Lok Sabha constituencies, the spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference – one of the parties in fray for the Srinagar and Anantnag seats – has posted a video in which a Kashmiri civilian is shown strapped to the front of a jeep being driven as part of a convoy by the security forces in Gundipora, Beerwah.Gundipora is in Budgam district, which originally voted on Sunday. Repolling was held in a number of booths on Thursday.The shocking video of the army using a ‘human shield’ is 11 seconds long. Posted by NC spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu, it is not clear who shot it and when, nor are the license plates of the jeep and the truck which follows visible, though the tactical number 339 on the jeep would make it easy for the military to track the vehicle down.According to the Indian Express, an unidentified man that the newspaper said is a soldier can be heard saying through a public address system, “Those who throw stones will meet the same fate.”Reached for a response, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, the Srinagar-based spokesman of the Ministry of Defence told The Wire, “Contents of the video are being verified and investigated.”The use of civilians as human shields is a common though reviled practice of the Israeli Defence Forces in the occupied Palestinian territories but this is the first time that visual evidence has emerged suggesting that Indian army too has adopted a similar method of dealing with militant threats or hostile crowds.
Video clip showing Kashmiri youth tied in front of army jeep goes viral
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/srinagar/video-clip-showing-kashmiri-youth-tied-in-front-of-army-jeep-goes-viral-4612715/
Outrage in Kashmir as videos of youth tied up with army vehicle, CRPF men shooting boy dead go viral
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/apr/14/outrage-in-kashmir-as-videos-of-youth-tied-up-with-army-vehicle-crpf-men-shooting-boy-dead-go-viral-1593600.html
The 'studious' 12-yr-old victim of India's Kashmir problem;BBC
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39586912?ocid=fbind
The day 12-year-old Faizan Fayaz Dar died, he woke up in the morning in his hilltop home in Budgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, had a cup of salted tea, recited the Koran and pottered around in the kitchen where his mother prepared breakfast for family.His grandmother offered him a plate of grapes, but she doesn't remember whether Faizan had it. The son of a farmer then put on his pheran, the woollen cape-like garment Kashmiris wear, and quietly left for his Sunday lessons. A few hours later, Faizan lay dead near a sun-baked school playground, ringed by bare walnut and willow trees. Paramilitary soldiers, eyewitnesses alleged, had shot him in the back of his head.Carrying a packet of biscuits, he was returning home on a bright, nippy morning when he encountered a throng of local people protesting against Indian rule near the school, where polling was taking place for a parliamentary by-election.Eyewitnesses say four shots rang out of the single-storey, squat school building which, according to some reports, was being pelted with stones thrown by protesters from a hill above and from the road in front.Faizan possibly halted to find out what the commotion was all about, and was hit by a bullet. Two neighbours ran up to his home to deliver the news. His mother had sprinted down to the playground, hugged her bleeding son and let others take him to hospital."I knew he was gone," Zarifa told me.
'My son was 12 yrs old when we separated. Now my grandson is 16': Human cost of conflict in Kashmir
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-4403730/Lives-half-lived-The-hidden-cost-Kashmir-conflict.html
Muhammad Ashraf's eyes fill with tears, overwhelmed by grief and joy all at once, as he recounts being reunited with his family 26 years after they were torn apart by insurgency in disputed Kashmir.'My son was 12 years old when we separated. Now my grandson is 16,' he told us of his odyssey to see his loved ones again, bittersweet for its brevity and because it lay bare how much he missed out on.In 1990 Ashraf was serving with Indian security forces far from his family's village, in Indian-held Kashmir near Pakistani territory, as a violent insurgency against New Delhi gathered pace.By Oct that year, amid reports of mass detentions and widespread torture as authorities tried to crack down on militants, Ashraf's family fled in fear.Along with 20,000 other Indian Kashmiris, they crossed the de facto border and sought refuge in Pakistan's territory. dailymail
'Pak zindabad': Jawans heckled by mob in Kashmir...while Gambhir is heckled on Twitter
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-4410304/Jawans-heckled-mob-Nashrullahpora-goes-viral.html
Hours after a series of amateur short videos went viral on social media showing CRPF jawans being heckled by a mob in Nashrullahpora area in Budgam, CRPF lodged a complaint with Jammu and Kashmir police.CRPF IG Ravideep Shahi told Mail Today, 'We are in the process of lodging an FIR against the hecklers.'A copy of the complaint letter submitted by CRPF in Chadoora Police station, accessed exclusively by Mail Today, says that on 9th April, CRPF contingent deployed for election duty on Sunday were surrounded by thousands gathered to protest at various polling booths.Some scaled the walls of polling booth, misbehaved with the CRPF and shouted anti-India slogans of 'Go India go back, Pakistan zindabad, we want freedom, no election, no selection.'Indian cricket star Gautam Gambhir sparked controversy on Twitter yesterday when he wrote: 'Anti-Indians hav forgotten dat our flag also stands 4: saffron - fire of our anger, white - shroud for jihadis, green - hatred 4 terror.'Many were quick to point out the apparent ridiculousness of tweeting with nationalist overtones and then changing meaning and significance of your own national flag beyond all recognition of the principles upon which it was designed. dailymail
Mosque and Worshippers Attacked By Hindu Mob in Jharkhand Village; No Arrests Yet
http://caravandaily.com/portal/muslim-worshipers-attacked-in-jharkhand-village-no-arrests-yet/
Ranchi:After a grievous attack on a mosque in a village in Koderma in Jharkhand state, during which Muslim worshippers were badly injured by Hinduva goons during a Ram Navmi procession, no arrests have been made against the culprits, reported Urdu Daily Inquilab.The only guilt of the faithful inside the mosque was that they had dared to ignore the dictates of Hindutva goons not to go to the mosque that day. The Muslims did not only attend the mosque, they also gave Azan (call for prayers) and offered Asar and Maghreb prayers. Convenor of Insaf India Mustaqeem Siddiqui said: ‘The mosque does not even fall on the assigned route for the procession of Ram Navmi. It is about 50 ft away in the interior.”“Police came on Saturday to arrest some of the key accused and held two of them but the miscreants took the police as hostage after which they were forced to flee to save their own lives,” he added.Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind General Secretary Maulana Abu Bakar said, “The miscreants entered the mosque with a saffron flag, shouted ‘Jai Sri Ram, attacked the worshipers and badly injured the Imam Maulana Maqbool Ahmad.”He added, “The trouble makers have been targeting Muslims in areas where they are in a small minority and are financially vulnerable. The Jamiat has sent relief to the village. At the moment the situation is calm but tense and Muslims are living in fear.” When the Inquilab reporter contacted Superintendent of Police Surendra Kumar Jha on telephone, he denied that that such an assault on the mosque had even taken place.According to Mustaqeem, however, attackers had entered the mosque and attacked the worshipers. “It was the police personnel, deployed for the Ram Navmi procession, who had themselves informed the local police station about the incident,” he added. caravandaily
On Religious Hostilities, India Ranked Just Slightly Better Than Syria: Pew Study
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/04/13/on-religious-hostilities-india-ranked-just-slightly-better-than_a_22037994/?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage
India ranked fourth in the world in 2015--after Syria, Nigeria and Iraq--as having the highest social hostilities involving religion, according to research by Pew. India's ranking worsened sharply since 2014, but was better than in previous years.Pew Research Centre, an independent non-partisan polling and research organization has been publishing its annual Global Restrictions on Religion Report since 2009. For the latest report, it used 18 main sources, including US Department of State reports, reports by UN and other multilateral agencies and reports by international non-Govt al groups, to compose two indices--the Govt Restrictions Index and the Social Hostilities Index. While the former measures Govt restrictions on the free practice of religion, the latter looks at hostilities between groups around the issue of religion.In 2015, it ranked 198 countries.Social Hostilities Index looks at 13 indicators including crimes motivated by religious hatred, mob violence related to religion, communal violence, religion-related terrorist groups, using force to prevent religious groups from operating, the harassment of women for 'violating' religious dress codes and violence over conversion or proselytising. India ranked 'very high' on the index with an index value of 8.7 out of 10, 10 being the worst. Syria ranked at 9.2, Nigeria at 9.1 and Iraq at 8.9.huffingtonpost
Delhi, other Indian cities have child malnutrition levels akin to Sub-Saharan Africa
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/04/14/delhi-and-other-indian-cities-have-child-malnutrition-levels-aki_a_22039762/?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage
Some of India's major cities have worse rates of child malnutrition than rural India, an analysis of data from the National Family Health Survey shows.The data shows that over a quarter of children under the age of five are stunted (low height for age) in all of India's major state capitals, except in Kochi and Hyderabad. Bhopal has higher rates of child stunting than the rural Indian average, and Patna,Jaipur andBhopal have worse levels of child stunting than Nigeria; in fact Delhi and Nigeria have nearly the same level of child stunting. Stunting is a key indicator of child malnutrition, and indicates that the child's height for her age is more than two standard deviations lower than expected. huffingtonpost
JNU teachers to begin indefinite protest at Freedom Square
http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/jnu-teachers-to-begin-indefinite-protest-at-freedom-square/story-ODk6tYcxsiLuWnMzY8OYwL.html
JNU teachers association (JNUTA) will begin an indefinite series of daily sit-ins from Monday at the Nehru statue near ‘Freedom Square’ to protest against “failures of the JNU administration” towards teachers, students, wardens, and staff.JNUTA, in its general body meeting, decided that it will put together a detailed list of violations committed by the administration.JNUTA has been at loggerheads with the administration over changes in admission policy following adoption of UGC 2016 gazette. The teachers’ body claims it has led to drastic seat cut in research courses with seats coming down to around 200 this year from around 1,000 last year.JNUTA said despite efforts to ascertain the basis by which admissions have been reduced to zero for 63 research programmes of the university, the administration has not issued even one written explanation as to what methodology it followed in arriving at this decision.“The JNUTA demands that the university issue such an explanation immediately in an Academic Council meeting, which has already been requisitioned by 30 members of Academic Council,” teachers’ body said.HT
Bangladeshi video is being trended as a Hindu being killed by Muslims in Nawada, Bihar: altnews
https://www.altnews.in/bangladeshi-video-trended-hindu-killed-nawada-bihar-muslims/
In a deliberate and continued attempt at misinformation aimed at making an already polarised society more reactionary, random videos from other countries are portrayed in a manner which compliments the BJP brand of politics. These videos go crazily viral on WhatsApp, Facebook and other forms of social media. We as a society and the news media as a whole are completely blind to this underground propaganda which is being carried out by the saffron camp. A neighbourhood chaat-wala has a phone full of videos of cows being cut which are very obvious to the informed eye that the videos are not from India. States where opposition needs to be targeted like Kerala, a video goes viral where it is portrayed that RSS workers are being killed when it was actually a Mexican video. At Alt News, we wrote about how a video is being shared since 2012 and continues to be shared in 2017 where it is portrayed that a Hindu Marwadi girl is being killed in Hyderabad, the little problem with the video is that the girl is neither Hindu, the mob is not Muslim and the incident happened in Guatemala in South America.The latest is this series is a video which has gone viral suggesting that a Hindu man is killed by a few Muslims in Nawada, Bihar. It is suggested that the incident happend on April 6th. The text accompanying the video is as follows.
One will be anti-national even for not using Patanjali face wash: Kanhaiya Kumar
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/one-will-be-anti-national-even-for-not-using-patanjali-face-wash-kanhaiya-kumar-4611924/
Nagpur: Stating that many sections of society are living in “environment of fear”, the student leader Kanhaiya Kumar today said one will be dubbed “anti-national” even for not using a Patanjali brand face wash in present scenario.“Such is the environment of fear in country now, that if you do not use Patanjali face wash, then you will be called anti-national,” the former president of the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) said.PTI
Turkish President Erdogan to visit India on April 30: NSG, terror on table
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/erdogan-to-visit-india-on-april-30-nsg-terror-on-table-4612327/
New Delhi: Days ahead of a historic referendum in Turkey over presidential powers, the country’s powerful President, Tayyip Erdogan, has conveyed his willingness to visit New Delhi on April 30-May 1, top sources have confirmed to The Indian Express. Erdogan — who is set to hold a massive referendum in Turkey on April 16 to bring in constitutional change, turning Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential republic, scrapping the post of PM and consolidating his hold on the country — is likely to meet PM Narendra Modi on May 1.Confirming the visit, a source said: “If the Turkish President wins, it will be among his first bilateral trips overseas after the referendum.” Erdogan is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on April 30. Erdogan had visited India in 2008, when he was Turkey’s PM . After 11 years as PM, he was elected President in 2014. This will be his first visit to India as President. Erdogan will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari during his two-day visit. “It will be a short, but an important high-profile visit from the region,” said an official involved with planning the visit. Officials said Modi and Erdogan have met each other on the sidelines of the G-20 summits. At the G-20 summit in Antalya (Turkey) on November 15-16 2015, they held bilateral talks on the margins of the summit. It was one of three or four bilateral meetings Modi had during the summit. Shortly after the failed coup bid last year, Modi had called up Erdogan on August 29 and expressed solidarity with Turkey and its leadership. They again met in Hangzhou (China) on Sept.5 last year, on the sidelines of the G20 summit.During his visit to India, one of the major focus areas will be India’s application for becoming a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Turkey, which has not given unqualified support to India, has insisted on “criteria-based approach”. New Delhi has perceived this as tacit support to Pakistan’s application. “This will be a good opportunity to put India’s perspective to Erdogan and obtain his support,” said a source.India will also make “common cause” with Turkey on combating terrorism — a menace faced by both countries. indianexpress
Alwar attack: ‘Was called to police station… my treatment was left incomplete’ now SIO bearing all expenses of his treatment
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/was-called-to-police-station-my-treatment-was-left-incomplete-4612311/
New Delhi: 13 days after being attacked allegedly for smuggling cows for slaughter near Alwar, Azmat Khan (24) arrived in Delhi Thursday morning for a medical check-up. Azmat was among five people who were thrashed near Alwar on April 1. While Pehlu Khan (55) died two days later, Azmat has been on bedrest since then. He visited an orthopedic consultant at Al Shifa Multi-specialty Hospital in Okhla where after a day long check-up doctors finally declared his pain a result of “soft tissue injuries”.“It pains in my ribs when I breathe and my waist hurts when I move,” said Azmat, adding that the pain was refusing to subside.Later, when a few members of the Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, visited him, the organisation decided to help him out with the treatment. Syed Azharuddin, National Secretary, SIO said that the organisation funded his transport and the hospital expenses. He added, “When we visited the village, Azmat was on a cot, unable to move. Till now we have spent Rs 10,000 on his treatment.”He added that the organisation is also planning to gift a cow to Pehlu Khan’s family. “During our visit we found out that Pehlu’s family did not have the money to buy a cow anymore. So we will give them a milch cow,” he said. indianexpress
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, SDPI visit Pehlu Khan’s village ; assure help to Cow lynching victims of Alwar
http://www.milligazette.com/news/15537-jamaat-e-islami-sdpi-visit-pehlu-khans-village-in-mewat-assure-help-to-cow-lynching-victims-of-alwar
New Delhi: A high-level delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) on 10 April visited Jaisinghpur village of Mewat in Haryana's Nuh district and expressed sympathy with the relatives and family of Pehlu Khan who was killed in Alwar by cow vigilantes recently. The delegation, led by JIH Vice President Nusrat Ali and Salim Engineer the JIH Secretary General, assured every possible help to the family of the victim and expressed condolences on the death of Pehlu Khan to his sons Irshad and Arif, both of whom were also attacked by the gau-rakshaks. The JIH team said that “we are with the affected family in this hour of grief. We will extend all cooperation to get justice for the victims and exemplary punishment to the culprits. Civil society should come forward to help the victim’s family and protest against this cold-blooded murder in broad daylight”.Meanwhile, a panchayat consisting of 13 tribes of Jaisinghpur village was organized in which both sons of deceased Pehlu Khan explained in detail the whole incident. A delegation of SDPI, led by its Vice President Adv. Sharfuddin Ahmad, visited the village in Haryana, whose head Pehlu Khan was brutally lynched by cow vigilantes (Gau Rakshaks). Milli Gazette
Centre will examine Telangana govt’s proposed Muslim quota as per law: Union Minister
http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/centre-will-examine-telagana-govts-proposed-muslim-quota-as-per-law-bandaru-dattatreya/627495/
Hyderabad: Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today said the Centre will “examine as per law” the Telangana Govt ’s proposal to raise quota to backward sections among Muslims, after the state assembly passes an act to this effect and sends it for approval.He said though the BJP is not against Muslims, but at the same time it is against granting quota on the basis of religion. Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao yesterday said his Govt would convene the Legislative Assembly on April 16 to pass a bill to increase quotas to the STs and backward sections among Muslims.Rao also said that the state Cabinet would meet on April 15 to decide the percentage of reservations. “CM has been talking about reservations to Muslims. The Telangana gov wants to implement it (quota) on the lines of Tamil Nadu Govt . The BJP is not against Muslims. We (BJP) are against religion-based reservations. The Supreme Court had also ruled that religion- based reservations are not legal,” Dattatreya told reporters. financialexpress
Muslims hail govt's quota move
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/muslim-netas-hail-Govt s-quota-move/articleshow/58174284.cms
Religion-based reservation may lead to creation of another Pakistan: Venkaiah Naidu
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/religion-based-reservation-may-lead-to-creation-of-another-pakistan-venkaiah-naidu-4613279/
Hyderabad: Union minister Venkaiah Naidu today said implementation of reservations on the basis of religion may result in social unrest in the country and “lead to creation of another Pakistan”. Speaking at a BJP meeting organised on the occasion of the Ambedkar Jayanthi, Naidu also hinted that Telangana’s recent proposal to hike reservations for certain sections may not be constitutionally valid.He also said that architect of Constitution B R Ambedkar had opposed religion-based reservation.“We are not opposing (reservation on religion basis) because KCR (Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao) wants to implement it,” he said, adding, “the BJP opposed such a move even when Rajasekhar Reddy (late CM of united Andhra Pradesh) and Chandrababu Naidu (present CM) also tried to do that.“We will oppose any such move because it will lead to creation of another Pakistan. It is an all India policy of the BJP. It is not the policy of Telangana unit of the BJP,” he said.PTI
2002 riots case: No further questioning of IPS officer disinclined to clarify
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/2002-riots-case-no-further-questioning-of-ips-officer-disinclined-to-clarify/articleshow/58167669.cms
Ahmedabad: A special SIT court hearing 2002 Naroda Gam massacre case has declined the accused persons' request to recall Investigating Officer, IPS officer Himanshu Shukla for further questioning, and observed that his inability to explain things further would only benefit the accused. The accused persons wanted to question Shukla further for specific answers to his earlier statements made on depositions of three cops - then JCP MK Tandon, then DCP PB Gondia and then Naroda PI KK Mysorewala. Upon the court's notice, Shukla filed an answer, but the court found it vague and demanded clarification. In response, Shukla informed the court that he had nothing further to explain in this regard.timesofindia
Lakhimpur: How communalism creeping up on a peaceful UP town
http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/lakhimpur-how-communalism-is-creeping-up-on-a-peaceful-up-town/627231/
Lakhimpur: Salim Siddiqui, 65, who fixes motorcycles in a Hindu majority area here, the headquarters of the state’s largest district of Lakhimpur-Kheri, feels the town lost its innocence since it witnessed its first communal brawl about a month back — which also spread to surrounding areas.Now, as life limps back to normal, a lot, along with the state Govt , has changed for the town as the communal divide is clearly visible.“A lot has changed…we never viewed our city with this perspective. People of both communities talk and sip tea together, but somewhere, an element of bitterness has been instilled due to that incident,” Siddiqui told this visiting IANS correspondent.On March 2, 9 days before the results of the UP assembly elections were announced, communal tension gripped city after 2 young men made and circulated an objectionable video of Hindu deities.A series of incidents followed over a week. Markets were shut, personal disputes were settled through vandalism, mass arrests happened, 2 gun-shots were fired injuring 2 Hindu men, and a curfew was imposed for the next few days. Old timers say they can’t recall when a curfew was last imposed.IANS
The New Indian Express accuses mainstream Islamic organisations of ‘radicalising’ Muslim youths
http://twocircles.net/2017apr13/407817.html
The New Indian Express’s Rakesh K Singh, in his April 9, 2017, article titled, ‘Caliphate radicalisation rising in India‘ has accused mainstream Islamic organisations, including Jamat-e-Islami Hind of ‘radicalising’ Muslim youths.Without furnishing any evidence to support his claims, Singh has named organisations such as Niche of Truth (Kerala), Peace Educational Foundation (Kerala), Jamiat-ul Muflihaat (Hyderabad), Discover Islam Education Trust (Bengaluru), Tauheed Educational Trust (Bihar), Islamic Research and Dawah Centre (Mumbai), and Islamic information Centre (Mumbai), accusing them of providing, “direct access to indoctrination materials”, to Muslim youths, who he claims are turning towards ISIS and its ideology.Singh claims that the affiliates of the banned SIMI are still operational, and then without any logical sequence connects their activities to Popular Front of India, Jamat-e-Islami Hind, Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamat, Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen factions, and Salafi groups, all the time quoting an alleged “intelligence dossier”, without mentioning either its authors or the agencies behind it. Umar Shariff, president of Bengaluru’s Discover Islam Education Trust, said that, “all the organisations mentioned in the article, including our’s, have been vocal against ISIS and the extremism promoted by other terror outfits. Most of the organisations listed by the writer have had a history of working in the field of da’wah and education.” twocircles
Kejriwal on EVMs: ‘I am an IIT engineer... I can tell you 10 ways to tamper with them’
http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/kejriwal-on-evms-i-am-an-iit-engineer-i-can-tell-you-10-ways-to-tamper-with-them/story-Pr5AnUhLdsXDDWjiW38bDN.html
Delhi : Once again raising the voice against ‘rigged’ EVMs, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that charges that electronic voting machines may have been tampered cannot be denied.“I am an engineer from IIT, I can tell you 10 ways to tamper with EVMs,” he told NDTV in an interview.Kejriwal has been raising his voice against the use of EVMs along with several other leaders from different political parties. “When an independent candidate in Pune, who got zero votes, is asking where his vote has gone, why shouldn’t we question EVM? We cannot shut our eyes,” he added.Playing down the humiliating defeat in Rajouri Garden bypoll, Kejriwal said BJP is using its full force to break the AAP. “BJP’s sole aim is to defeat AAP. They want to break us. We break five corruption nexus in the city-power bills, tanker mafia, school fees and corruption in health facilities and providing medicines. Had I taken money, they wouldn’t have targeted us. In the 10 year rule, BJP has done nothing in MCDs,” Kejriwal said.
UP : BJP tampered with EVMs in 250 seats of 403, says Mayawati
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttar-pradesh-bjp-tampered-with-evms-in-250-seats-of-403-says-mayawati-4612709/
New Delhi:Stepping up allegations of tampering with EVMs by the BJP during UP assembly polls, BSP supremo Mayawati on Friday said the party tampered with the machines in at least 250 seats out of 403. “BJP did tampering in EVMs on 250 seats out of 403, in the seats where it was in very weak position,” she said. The former UP CM also said she’s ready to join hands with non-BJP parties in fighting against EVM tampering in the state. “BSP has no reservation in taking help of anti-BJP parties in fight against EVM tampering and BJP to keep democracy alive,” she said.After the results of assembly elections in the state saw BJP winning by a huge margin, BSP raised the issue of EVM tampering in the state and demanded that an investigation be conducted regarding the usage of voting machines. The party withdrew its plea from the Supreme Court for setting aside all recent assembly polls where EVMs were used in the state without paper trails, after which the apex court issued notices to Central Gov and Election Commission on a PIL filed by BSP claiming that machines can be hacked and tampered with.indianexpress
Nitish urges people to avoid marriages where dowry is taken
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/nitish-kumar-urges-people-to-avoid-marriages-where-dowry-is-taken-4613318/
Patna:Bihar CM Nitish Kumar today strongly criticised the practice of taking dowry and urged people not to attend marriage ceremonies where dowry has been taken.“Do not participate in a marriage ceremony where you have come to know that dowry has been taken,” Kumar said addressing a function on the 126th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar.“We have to remove dowry system from our way,” Kumar said.The CM also made a strong pitch against child marriage and appealed people to maintain distance from this social malady.PTI
Govt mulling revival of sea route for Haj pilgrims: Naqvi
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-mulling-revival-of-sea-route-for-haj-pilgrims-mukhtar-abbas-naqvi-4613261/
Mumbail:Union Govt is mulling reviving the option of sending Haj pilgrims via sea route to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here today. A high-level committee, formed by the Govt to frame the Haj Policy 2018 according to Supreme Court’s 2012 order, is exploring reviving the option of sending pilgrims via sea route to Jeddah, Naqvi said, addressing a Haj training programme at Haj House here.“Sending pilgrims through ships will help cut down travel expenses by nearly half as compared to airfares. It will be a revolutionary, pilgrim-friendly decision,” he said.Talks are on with the Shipping Ministry in this regard, he said.“The practice of ferrying Haj pilgrims between Mumbai and Jeddah by waterways was stopped from 1995. At present, devotees undertake the journey by air from 21 embarkation points across the country,” he said.Another advantage with ships available these days is they are modern and well-equipped to ferry 4,000 to 5,000 persons at a time, Naqvi said.“They can cover the 2,300-odd nautical miles one-side distance between Mumbai and Jeddah within just two-three days. Earlier, the old ships used to take 12 to 15 days to cover this distance,” he added.PTI
AMUSU condemns filing of FIR against students
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/amusu-condemns-filing-of-fir-against-students-4612779/
Aligarh:AMU Students’ Union (AMUSU) has condemned the filing of an FIR against some student leaders for participating in a protest march against incidents of violence allegedly involving cow vigilantes. “Police stand by when innocent farmers and cattle-traders are targeted by armed mobs but lose no time to slap cases against those who are exercising their fundamental right for peaceful protest,” AMU students union President Faizul Hasan said condemning the filing FIR on students.He was referring to the students’ march on April 12 where he had said he would “fully support” any move for a national ban on cow slaughter. During the protest, he had also demanded establishing fast track courts to try the cases against those indulging in violence in the name of cow protection. A case has been filed against 81 students at the civil lines police station for taking out the procession without getting official permission.Hasan said the students’ union will hold a special meeting today to chalk out its course of action in the wake of the “coercive step” taken by the district authorities. Hasan also said the AMUSU is whole-heartedly behind the ongoing efforts for securing justice of Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been awarded death sentence by a Pakistan military court. indianexpress
If ban imposed on all cattle animals, farmers will face shortage of funds: Ramdas Athawale
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/support-ban-on-cow-slaughter-but-not-of-other-cattle-animals-ramdas-athawale-4612669/
New Dehi:Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday said the Govt should not ban slaughter of other cattle animals other than cow. Speaking to news agency ANI, Athawale asserted that banning slaughter of all cattle animals will have adverse economic effects on the farmers’ community. “Cow is a sacred animal to Hindus. Therefore, cow slaughter law should be enforced strictly to preserve our culture. But if a ban is imposed on other cattle, our farmers may face shortage of funds, since they will not be able to trade their bullock or other animals,” Athawale said. Talking about the need for increasing Govt ’s participation in protecting diseased cows, Athawale said, “If a farmer is unable to fund for his cattle, the Govt must introduce some provisions to take up responsibility of such cows so that the burden of the farmers is eased.” indianexpress
UP: Madrasa in Sambhal requests PM Modi to ban cow slaughter
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttar-pradesh-madrasa-in-sambhal-region-requests-pm-modi-to-ban-cow-slaughter-4612584/
New Delhi:A Madrasa in Sambhal region of UP has requested PM Narendra Modi to declare cow as the national animal of the country, while urging him to ban meat export and slaughter of all milk-bearing animals. According to a report by news agency ANI, the campaign has been initiated by Alijaan Jameeyat ul Musalmaan Educational Society operated Madrasa, and has requested PM Modi, via a postcard, to issue a complete ban on meat export and ban slaughter of all the milk-bearing animals.According to the manager of the madrasa, Feroz Khan, the campaign titled ‘Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Postcard’ was started to ensure the milk supply is saved for future generations. Speaking to ANI, Khan said, “The coming generations will not get milk to drink if the slaughter continues. We will get to see cows, buffaloes in books only.” indianexpress
AAP asks Goa govt to spell out its stand on beef ban
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/aap-asks-goa-Govt -to-spell-out-its-stand-on-beef-ban-4612783/
Panaji: AAP has asked the BJP-led Goa Govt to make public its ‘Common Minimum Programme’ and spell out its stand on beef ban.“We demand that the Common Minimum Programme be made public immediately and articulate the Govt ’s stand on issues such as beef ban, how it will resolve the conflict between local residents and the tourism trade over late night parties, the drug menace, the Regional Plan and other issues,” party’s state convener Elvis Gomes said.
He alleged that the coalition partners and the BJP were at loggerheads even on issues directly affecting the people.PTI
India to appeal order against Jadhav, seeks copy of chargesheet from Pakistan
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-tells-pak-will-appeal-order-against-jadhav-seeks-chargesheet-copy/articleshow/58180418.cms
New Delhi: Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Gautam Bambawale met Pakistan foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua on Friday in connection with the case of retired Indian navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been given the death penalty by an army court.India conveyed to Pakistan that it will appeal the order against Jadhav. The Indian ambassador demanded two copies of chargesheet and the judgment delivered by the Pakistan military court against Jadhav."I have asked for a certified copy of the chargesheet as well as the judgement in the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav ," Bambawale said. timesofindia
Jadhav’s death sentence base on credible evidence: Pakistan
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/jadhavs-death-sentence-base-on-credible-evidence-pakistan/article18021796.ece
Pakistan on Friday said the death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav was based on “credible” and “specific” evidence that prove his involvement in spying and terror activities and asserted that more active diplomacy is needed to arrest the “growing crises” in the Indo—Pak ties.Pakistan PM ’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that due process of law was followed in the trial of 46-year-old Jadhav.Mr. Aziz in a detailed statement read out to the media at the Foreign Office said that India through its reaction was aggravating the situation.Rejecting Indian accusation of unfair trail, Mr. Aziz said that the first FIR against was lodged on April 8, 2016 by police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.PTI
India must explain why Jadhav had two passports: Sartaj Aziz
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-must-explain-why-jadhav-had-two-passports-sartaj-aziz/articleshow/58180984.cms
Inflammatory video case: BJP MLA Sangeet Som gets clean chit
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iinflammatory-video-case-bjp-mla-sangeet-som-gets-clean-chit/articleshow/58183124.cms
Muzaffarnagar: A SIT probing riots related cases has given a clean chit to BJP MLA Sangeet Som in connection with a case of a fake but inflammatory video uploaded on a social media website.Inspector Dharampal Tyagi, the investigating officer in the case has filed a final report in a court here saying that no evidence could be found against the accused.During investigation, the SIT had through the CBI sought a report from the headquarters of social media site Facebook in USA about details pertaining to the uploading of a video that incited communal passions.PTI
Why BJP lost in MP,Jharkhand where it's in power?
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/why-bjp-lost-in-madhya-pradesh-and-jharkhand-where-its-in-power?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=emailemail&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Indiatomorrownet+%28IndiaTomorrow.net%29
New Delhi: While BJP won 5 out of 10 Assembly seats in the by-polls held in 8 states including Delhi, the party failed to snatch seats from rival incumbents in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand – two of the states where it is in power. Does it mean that the ruling party could not convince more voters with its performance in the two states?In Madhya Pradesh, ruling BJP retained Bandhavgarh seat but could not win Ater seat. The Ater seat was won by Congress. In the previous election also, Congress had won the seat.In Jharkhand, the ruling BJP could not dent the stronghold of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and lost Littipara seat to it. Morcha has been winning the seat for about 40 years.IndiaTomorrow
Ambedkar is at the Centre of my Dream For Dalit-Muslim Unity: Owaisi
http://www.news18.com/news/india/ambedkar-is-at-the-centre-of-my-dream-for-dalit-muslim-unity-owaisi-1373409.html
Despite the electoral disappointment in UP, the idea of Dalit-Muslim unity continues to invoke debates across sections of society. As nation celebrates Dr BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, Asaduddin Owaisi, head of MIM and MP from Hyderabad, explains why he thinks Ambedkar is relevant to Muslims in India. Owaisi not only sees Ambedkar’s writings as a potent force against communalism, but also hopes for larger unity and fraternity between the two marginalized communities.
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
30 Ambedkar Quotes That May Surprise The BJP: Shivam Vij Deputy Editor, HuffPost India
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/04/14/30-ambedkar-quotes-that-may-surprise-the-bjp_a_22039425/
Laws banning cow slaughter adequate to maintain communal harmony; we can do without vigilantism: Iftikhar Gilani
http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-laws-banning-cow-slaughter-adequate-to-maintain-communal-harmony-we-can-do-without-vigilantism-2401051
How India uses the absurd charge of 'forced religious conversions' to target minorities and Dalits: Shoaib Daniyal
https://scroll.in/article/834563/how-india-uses-the-absurd-charge-of-forced-religious-conversions-to-target-minorities-and-dalits
Deprived Of Education, 65-Yr-Old Cab Driver Now Runs 2 Schools, Orphanage In Sundarbans
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/04/13/deprived-of-education-a-65-year-old-cab-driver-now-runs-two-sch_a_22038106/
WORLD
US drops 'largest non-nuclear bomb' in Afghanistan area populated by Isis members
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/gbu-43b-mother-of-all-bombs-massive-ordnance-air-blast-afghanistan-isis-a7682996.html
US has dropped the "mother of all bombs" - the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the US military - on an area of eastern Afghanistan known to be populated by Isis-affiliated militants.Pentagon said the strike was the first time the 21,000lb weapon had been used in combat operations.A spokesperson for the US Department of Defence confirmed to The Independent that a MC-130 aircraft dropped a GBU-43 bomb at 7pm local time.The weapon is known in the US Air Force by its nickname MOAB, or "mother of all bombs". MOAB stands for massive ordnance air blast.Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said the bomb was dropped on a cave complex believed to be used by fighters affiliated to Isis in the Achin district of Nangarhar, close to the border with Pakistan.The mission had been in the planning stages for months, the Pentagon said in a separate statement. However, they "did not have the information" on whether the mission was being planned during the previous Obama administration. independent
US drops "mother of all bombs" in Afghanistan, marking weapon's first use
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-drops-mother-of-all-bombs-in-afghanistan-marking-weapons-first-use/
IS denies suffering casualties from US bomb in Afghanistan: AFP
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/is-denies-suffering-casualties-from-us-bomb-in-afghanistan/articleshow/58183440.cms
Cairo:Islamic State group denied on Friday it had suffered casualties from US military's largest non-nuclear bomb which hit its mountain hideouts in Afghanistan, in a statement on its propaganda agency Amaq."Security source to Amaq agency denies any dead or wounded from American strike in Nangarhar using a GBU-43/B,"group's self-styled news agency said on social media accounts.GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb - dubbed the "Mother Of All Bombs" - was unleashed in combat for first time yesterday,hitting IS positions in eastern Nangarhar province.
Hamid Karzai condemns use of 'mother of all bombs'
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/hamid-karzai-condemns-mother-bombs-170414124459611.html
Ex-Afghan president Hamid Karzai has condemned the US military's deployment the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat, saying Afghanistan shouldn't be used as a "testing ground" for weapons.In Twitter, Karzai said: "This is not the war on terror but the inhuman and most brutal misuse of our country as testing ground for new and dangerous weapons." Aljazeera
‘Mother of all bombs shows Muslim lands are West’s laboratories’: Afghans react on Twitter
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/mother-of-all-bombs-shows-muslim-lands-are-west-s-laboratories-afghans-react-on-twitter/story-5URlYlud2Ag6NlJszOEzRN.html
China warns war could break out 'at any moment' over North Korea
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/kim-jong-un-kim-jong-il-atomic-bomb-test-missile-firing-launch-weapon-trump-a7683401.html
China has warned that conflict could break out "at any moment" over North Korea amid fears it is preparing to launch a sixth nuclear test or more missiles in defiance of UN sanctions and stark warnings from the US.China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it was necessary to prevent the situation on the Korean peninsula from going down "an irreversible route".Earlier, North Korea's vice foreign minister blamed President Donald Trump for escalating tensions through his tweets and expansion of military exercises, saying the US was becoming "more vicious and more aggressive" under his leadership than it had been under President Barack Obama. independent
Rohingya Fleeing Myanmar Describe Military Tactic Of Systematic Rape
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/04/13/523418664/ngo-myanmar-forces-set-out-to-systematically-rape-rohingya-women-and-girls
With her 8-year-old son's head resting in her lap, Zubaida was sitting at home with some other women from her village in western Myanmar's Rakhine state when the military came — and the gunfire started."All the men from the village started running away, and my son ran with them," Zubaida, 25, says. He didn't get far: Myanmar soldiers shot him dead — in the back.That evening, the soldiers came back."They didn't say anything," she says. "They just came with their guns into my house."They raped her for almost an hour that time, Zubaida says. Two days later, the military returned and rounded up all the villagers. She says they separated the men from the women, beat the men and raped the women."Some tried to resist and got stabbed," she says. "That's why the rest of the women didn't hesitate, they didn't want to die."Zubaida was one of those picked. Her distraught father pleaded with the soldiers: "Why are you doing this?""We are not doing as much to you as we have been ordered to do in Oula Para," they replied, referring to a nearby village.Both Zubaida's village, Naiyongsong, and Oula Para are in far west Rakhine near the border with Bangladesh.Villagers in this story have chosen to use pseudonyms to protect family members in Myanmar from possible retribution.Zubaida and her neighbors are Rohingya — a group the U.N. has described as one of the world's most persecuted people. The Muslim minority Rohingya have lived in mainly Buddhist Myanmar for centuries. Npr.org
Israel to demolish Jerusalem mosque
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170413-israel-to-demolish-jerusalem-mosque/
Israeli forces in occupied Jerusalem today ordered the demolition of the Abdullah Al-Sanawi Mosque in Silwan, under the pretext that it was built without the impossible to obtain building permit.A member of the Committee for the Defence of Silwan, Fakhri Abu Diab, said in a statement that the mosque was built several years ago on Waqf land using donations from the people to serve 4,000 residents of the Deir Al-Sunna neighbourhood which isn’t served by a mosque as authorities failed to issue building permits for one.He pointed out that the Abdullah Al-Sanawi Mosque is one of 6 mosques threatened with demolition in the town. middleeastmonitor
China: Palestinians must have an independent state
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170414-china-palestinians-must-have-an-independent-state/
Palestinians must be allowed to build an independent state, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday after meeting Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, who pushed Beijing to do more in the Middle East peace process.Chinese envoys occasionally visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories, though China has traditionally played little role in Middle East conflicts or diplomacy, despite its reliance on the region for oil.Wang told a joint press briefing with Maliki that 70 years after a UN resolution was passed on a plan for a Jewish state, Palestinians are still being prevented from having their own independent country. middleeastmonitor
Erdogan and opposition play last cards before vote
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/04/erdogan-opposition-play-cards-vote-170412055328657.html
Istanbul: Vehicles of rival campaigns wander the streets of Istanbul as they blast their propaganda songs calling on Turkey's citizens to vote on their side in the upcoming referendum on April 16.Only days left to the key vote, "Yes" and "No" camps campaign at full speed in the 15 million megalopolis in a last ditch effort to convince Turks before they vote to accept or reject the proposed constitutional changes that might deeply change how Turkey is governed.The proposed constitutional amendments seek to transform Turkey's political system into an executive presidential one, significantly empowering the top office, while abolishing the prime ministry, which holds the main executive power in the current system as the head of the cabinet. aljazeera
No plans for a federal Turkey: President Erdogan
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/187944/no-plans-for-a-federal-turkey-president-erdogan
Ahead of Sunday’s historic referendum, the nation’s president again ruled out any plans for a federal system in Turkey.A federal system "is not on our agenda, it will not be," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday."We are the greatest advocate of the unitary structure of Turkey," Erdogan told in a rally in the central province of Konya.Turkey is a unitary country, and has had no regional administration with executive powers since the establishment of republic in 1923.Erdogan’s remarks come after opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli voiced concern over allegations the Govt plans to move the country towards a federal system after the April 16 constitutional referendum. World Bulletin
Syria chemical attack allegation 'credible': watchdog
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/187916/syria-chemical-attack-allegation-credible-watchdog
world's chemical weapons watchdog said Thursday that allegations a chemical attack took place in the Syrian rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun, killing at least 87 people, were "credible".Following last week's deadly attack, Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said technical experts analysed the available information "and their preliminary assessment (was) that this was a credible allegation".Ahmet Uzumcu, the OPCW's DG, told members of the 41-state executive council that a fact-finding mission had already collected samples after the attack, which were sent to OPCWdesignated laboratories for analysis.WorldBulletin
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:08 PM)
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