Evening NEWS DIGEST
16 Sept. 2017: 24 Zilhajja 1438:Vol:8, No:278
INDIA
Kerala Muslim man asks SC to stop NIA probe into his marriage to converted Hindu woman
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala-muslim-man-asks-sc-to-stop-nia-probe-into-his-marriage-to-converted-hindu-woman/article19699012.ece
New Delhi: A Kerala Muslim man, who married a converted Hindu woman, filed an application on Saturday in the Supreme Court requesting NIA probe into the matter be stopped. The application was filed in light of events which emerged post the court’s Aug.16 order, showing the girl had converted of her own free will and was being confined and “tortured” by her parents. This comes exactly a month after the Supreme Court handed over the investigation of the alleged conversion and subsequent marriage of the Hindu girl to the Muslim man. The man in question has sought a recall of the SC order and a direction to be issued to DGP,(Law and Order), Trivandrum, Kerala to produce the girl before the Supreme Court.His application, through advocate Haris Beeran, refers to an aired video shot by activist Rahul Easwar, featuring the girl objecting to her “house arrest”.The application claimed that the acting president of #Kerala Human Rights Commission, P. Mohandas had gone on to make a statement that the girl “is undergoing immense human rights violation at her house”. Moreover, the application also quotes the chairperson of Kerala Women’s Commission, MC Josephine, indicating that there is “grave human rights violation in the case of the detenue (girl) and that the commission is willing to act on a complaint”.The application points out that the retired SC judge, Justice R.V. Raveendran, whom the SC had appointed to oversee the NIA investigation, has refused the assignment. It said that in the light of Justice Raveendran’s refusal, NIA probe should be stopped as it would not be a fair one.“NIA has already commenced investigation and already found a link, all without the guidance of Justice Raveendran, the worst fears of the petitioners have therefore been realised. That such an investigation is clearly not fair and is against the orders of the SC,” the application said. It said that keeping the girl in custody against her will, where she is not free to practice the religion she has chosen of her own free will is a clear violation of her fundamental rights. The application also added that an NIA probe may not be required and “it is also clear that Respondent No.1 (the girl’s father) is blatantly infringing upon the right of the detenue to live a dignified life with all the liberty and freedom of a consenting adult of sound mind”.The girl is in her father’s custody after the Kerala HC annulled their marriage on May 24. Thehindu/others
NIA probe not fair, Hadiya should not be confined at home: Shafin Jahan appeals to SC
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/nia-probe-not-fair-hadiya-should-not-be-confined-home-shafin-jahan-appeals-sc-68504
Muslim families flee Vadodara after murder of Hindu man
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/57-muslim-families-flee-vadodara-after-murder-of-hindu-man/articleshow/60702568.cms
Vadodara: Nearly 57 Muslim families fled their homes in VUDA quarters in Bapod after they were allegedly threatened by the locals and stones were pelted at their homes on Wednesday. The incident occurred after Manhar Variya, a resident of VUDA quarters was stabbed by Nazeem Khan Pathan on Tuesday night. Variya was rushed to a local hospital but he died before he could get treatment.The murder angered the locals who even ransacked Khan's house on Thursday. "About 57 Muslim families staying in VUDA quarters were threatened after the murder. So, they left their homes and are now staying with their friends or other family members in Karelibaug," said activist Shaukat Indori."These families, who left all their belongings behind, are scared to return to their homes. We will be meeting the police commissioner and urging him to provide adequate security to these families. Also, it would be good if Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) shifts these families to any Muslim-dominated locality," Indori told TOI.When contacted, city police commissioner, Manoj Sashidhar said, "The police have talked with the families and most of them are keen to return to their homes. In fact, 2 families have already returned and we have provided adequate security." A senior police official said that the situation is normal but someone is trying to instigate these families.According to the police, Pathan had approached Variya and demanded donation for Tazia. When Variya refused to pay, Pathan got into arguments with him and stabbed him. The Bapod police arrested Pathan a day after the murder. Residents of Waghodia Road had called for a bandh on Thursday to protest against the murder.timesofindia
Meerut: Brothers succumbed to gun shots over car parking issue, following communal tension
http://www.indialivetoday.com/shocking-brothers-succumbed-to-gun-shots-over-car-parking-issue-following-communal-tension/199583.html
Meerut/ UP,: At least 2 people died in a shootout between two communities on Thursday evening in Meerut’s Phalauda, over the issue of car parking. Qureshi clan’s Dilshad and his brother Mansaad had a conflict with the Dalit family of the Dariyal clan after the former parked their Maruti car in front of the latter’s house. Soon, people from both communities joined the conflict and using their licenced guns, escalating it to a full-fledged firing. Brothers Dilshad and Mansaad died in the firing, which further caused the party on Qureshi’s side to target the houses of all Dalits,and damage bikes. Stone-pelting also took place, which reportedly injured many. SSP,Manzil Saini,SP Dehat Rajesh Kumar, Circle Officers, and the police force reached the site, and registered a case of murder. The police were on a search operation till late at night to nab the culprits, in which 2 people were arrested out of total 7, informed SSP Saini.ANI
Gorakhpur riots: Allahabad HC seeks UP govt’s response on impleadment plea
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gorakhpur-riots-allahabad-hc-seeks-up-govts-response-on-impleadment-plea-4845521/
Allahabad:allhabad high court, allahabad school, allahabad govt school, allahabad school amenities, india news, indian express newsThe Allahabad High Court on Friday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file its reply on an application for impleading Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders in a petition seeking probe by an independent agency into the 2007 Gorakhpur communal riots. Justices Krishna Murari and Akhilesh Chandra Sharma directed the government to file its reply within two weeks and fixed October 9 as the next date of hearing in the matter.The application, wherein a prayer has been made for impleading Yogi, the then city Mayor Anju Chaudhary, local MLA Radha Mohan Das Agrawal and MLC DR Y D Singh was filed by petitioners Parvez Parwaz and Asad Hayat through their counsel S F A Naqvi. While Parwaz was the informant in the FIR that was lodged after the riots, Hayat was a witness in the case.PTI
Pehlu Khan son asks: If men in video didn’t kill my father, who did?
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/pehlu-son-asks-if-men-in-video-didnt-kill-my-father-who-did-4845795/
New Delhi :Days after Rajasthan Police gave a clean chit to six accused in the case pertaining to the lynching of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan, his family has reached Delhi, demanding “intervention of the Supreme Court and transfer of the case outside Rajasthan”. His son Irshad has also alleged that he was never called to the police station to identify the accused. On April 1 this year, Khan and his two sons — Irshad and Arif — were attacked by cow vigilantes in Behror in Alwar while they were returning to their home in Nuh, Haryana. While the 55-year-old father of eight died, the sons were seriously injured.At a press meet at Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s residence on Friday, Irshad alleged, “I am an eyewitness, but I was never called by Rajasthan Police to identify the accused. Now, of the 13 accused, 6 have been given a clean chit and five are out on bail. If the men in the video didn’t kill my father, who did?” Khan’s dying declaration mentioned names of Om Yadav, Hukum Chand Yadav, Sudhir Yadav, Jagmal Yadav, Naveen Sharma and Rahul Saini — all have been given a clean chit. Saying he felt “helpless and betrayed”, 24-year-old Irshad also alleged, “We are being threatened by those out on bail”. Indianexpress
We won’t let you pay tribute to Pehlu Khan: Hindu groups confront activists in Rajasthan
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/we-won-t-let-you-pay-tribute-to-pehlu-khan-hindu-groups-confront-activists-in-rajasthan/story-2JoujSka5TzxB4VQOndBfN.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=recommended-for-you
Behror: High drama was witnessed in Rajasthan’s Behror on Friday morning after activists were confronted by Hindu organisations while paying tribute to dairy farmer Pehlu Khan, who was lynched on the spot by alleged cow protection vigilantes in April.A bus full of members of a group called Karwan-e-Mohabbat(caravan of love) was passing through the streets of the dusty northern Rajasthan town when groups of people with allegiance to Hindu outfits started shouting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.Khan’s lynching is back in focus after a HT report on Thursday that showed police had closed investigations into 6 men named by 55-year-old dairy farmer as his assailants. The clean chit has triggered a furor in Rajasthan with allegations that the government was going slow against cow vigilantes. Sensing trouble, police had deployed forces near the spot where Khan was attacked on April 1, allegedly by gaurakshaks. “We are here to pay tribute to Khan and everybody who have been a victim of hate crimes,” said activist and author Harsh Mander.As the activists reached the office of DSP, Behror a large group of protesters surrounded them.Following that, Mander sat on a dharna saying that he wouldn’t leave the place till he paid tribute to Khan. The talks were fruitful later and Mander was allowed to go alone and pay tribute to Khan.“We pray for families of all victims of hate crimes,” said Mander, before the group proceeded to Jaipur.
J&K integral to country, OIC has no locus standi on internal affairs: India at UN
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/j-k-integral-to-country-oic-has-no-locus-standi-on-internal-affairs-india-at-un-4846133/
New Delhi:Reacting to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s statement on the Kashmir issue at the United Nations, India on Friday said the group has no locus standi to comment on its internal affairs. Responding to Pakistan’s statement on behalf of the OIC, India added that the state is an “integral and inseparable” part of the country, reported PTI.“India notes with utmost regret that the OIC statement contains factually incorrect and misleading references to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inseparable part of India,” Sumit Seth, First Secretary at India’s Permanent mission to the UN in Geneva was quoted as saying by PTI. Seth responded exercising India’s Right of Reply.“India outrightly rejects all such references. The OIC has no locus standi on India’s internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future,” Seth added, reported PTI.Pakistan has called on UN to stop the violence in the Indian state. It has blamed Indian forces for ceasefire violations at the LoC and accused India of making attempts to discredit the Kashmiri indigenous movement. It has also alleged India is trying to change the demography of Kashmir to convert the majority Kashmiri into minority territory.indianexpress
India tells off OIC: Advise you to not comment on India's internal affairs
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-tells-off-oic-advise-you-to-not-comment-on-indias-internal-affairs/articleshow/60706976.cms
India-Pak talks on Indus waters fail to break deadlock
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-pakistan-talks-on-indus-waters-fail-to-break-deadlock/article19697838.ece?homepage=true
Washington:The latest round of talks between India and Pakistan on the Indus Waters Treaty have ended without any agreement, the World Bank has said, while asserting that it will continue to work with complete impartiality to resolve the issues in an amicable manner.Amid a chill in bilateral ties, the second round of discussions between India and Pakistan on the Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects, over which Islamabad has raised objections, took place at the World Bank HQRS in Washington on Sept.14 and 15 under the aegis of the World Bank.“While an agreement has not been reached at the conclusion of the meetings, the World Bank will continue to work with both countries to resolve the issues in an amicable manner and in line with the Treaty provisions,” the World Bank said in.“Both countries and the World Bank appreciated the discussions and reconfirmed their commitment to the preservation of the Treaty,” it said after the conclusion of the Secretary-level discussions between the two countries on the technical issues of Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants within the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty.thehindu
China opposed to third-party involvement in resolving border disputes
http://www.sify.com/news/china-opposed-to-third-party-involvement-in-resolving-border-disputes-news-international-rjqnsmcjgdgae.html
Beijing: Amid Japan’s push for stepping up investments in India’s northeast, China said on Friday that it was opposed to any third-party involvement in the resolution of the Sino-India boundary disputes or any foreign investments in areas over which it has claims in the region. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, while reacting to Japan’s plans to step up investments in the northeastern states, told the media that China is opposed to any foreign investment in the areas where it has disputes with India. “You also mentioned Act East policy. You must be clear that the boundary of India and China border area has not been totally delimited. We have disputes on the eastern section of the boundary,” she said, without directly referring to Arunachal Pradesh which it claims as part of South Tibet. “We are now trying to seek a solution through negotiations that is acceptable to both sides. Under such circumstances, various parties should respect such aspects and any third party should not be involved in our efforts to resolve the disputes,” she said. Hua also referred to the boundary dispute while replying to a question about the Indo-Japan joint statement issued after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. The document, however, had made no specific mention of any investments in Arunachal Pradesh. SIFY
India has sovereign right to develop the country within its boundaries: Amit Shah
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/india-has-sovereign-right-to-develop-the-country-within-its-boundaries-amit-shah/articleshow/60711946.cms
Ranchi: BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday asserted that India has the sovereign right to develop the country within its boundaries, dismissing China's objection to Japan showing interests in investment in the northeastern states. "India's policy has been very well clarified by Sushmaji (External Affairs Minister). It is our sovereign right to develop the country inside our boundaries and we will utilise that right," Shah told a press conference here while replying to a query on the issue. PTI
Army takes note of video showing troops dishonouring militants’ bodies
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/army-takes-note-of-video-showing-troops-dishonouring-militants-bodies-let-abu-ismail-abu-qasim-4846218/
Srinagar:Army has taken cognisance of a video showing troops dishonouring the bodies of 2 LeT militants killed in an encounter, a spokesperson said on Saturday. The two militants, LeT commander Abu Ismail and his associate Abu Qasim, were killed in Aribagh area of Nowgam on the outskirts of the city in Srinagar on Thursday.A video in which soldiers can be seen trampling over the bodies went viral on social media. The video shows bodies being dragged from the site of the encounter into a lane. “Army has taken cognisance of the video and suitable action will follow,” said Srinagar-based Defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia. Ismail, the mastermind of the July 10 attack on a bus carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims which left eight yatris dead, and Qasim were killed by forces in a brief gunfight on Thursday.PTI
India favours discussion in UNGA on ending worst forms of violence
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-favours-discussion-in-unga-on-ending-worst-forms-of-violence/story-QQd6HgUnxcxKSeA4ZRN5VI.html
UN: India has favoured a discussion in the UN General Assembly, the first in 12 years, on ‘Responsibility to Protect’ and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.As many as 113 countries, including India voted in its favour, while 21 others including Pakistan opposed the idea of having a debate. 17 countries registered their abstention.Syed Akbaruddin, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, said that the discussions on the concept required open, inclusive and transparent deliberation. The Responsibility to Protect was one of the foremost of every State, and as such, India would support the inclusion of such an item on the agenda for the current session, he said.PTI
UP police: 420 encounters in six months, 15 people killed
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttar-pradesh-police-420-encounters-in-six-months-15-people-killed-yogi-adityanath-government-4845782/
Lucknow: UP Police conducted 420 encounters with alleged criminals, killing 15, in less than 6 months since the Yogi Adityanath government came to power, according to official statistics released Friday. Figures released by the Director General of Police headquarters show that a sub-inspector, Jai Prakash Singh, died in one of these encounters with a gang of alleged dacoits in Chitrakoot.Eighty-eight policemen suffered injuries in the encounters between March 20 and Sept.14, according to the figures. They show that ten of the alleged criminals were killed in just 48 days leading up to Sept.14. While IG (Law and Order), Hari Ram Sharma, said that these encounters were part of police’s efforts to “control crime”, questions are being raised over a series of tweets by Rahul Srivastav, public relations officer at the DGP HQRS.indianexpress
Jharkhand: BJP, RSS want right-wing ideologues to head educational institutions
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jharkhand-bjp-rss-want-right-wing-ideologues-to-head-educational-institutions/story-j5O4mLK72teFSp3Cp0M7wN.html
Ranchi: BJP and its ideological fountainhead RSS on Saturday decided to press the Jharkhand govt to bring more people who subscribe to their ideology to head educational institutions in the state, amid allegations of “saffronisation of education.”The move is perceived as an attempt to prevent the growth of educational institutions run by Christian missionaries, who have been working in state’s education sectors for decades. The contentious decision was taken at a joint meeting of BJP, RSS,ABVP, Seva Bharati, Vidhya Bharati and VHP chaired by BJP national president Amit Shah.Raghubar Das-led BJP government earlier this year rechristened the state’s oldest “Ranchi College” to “Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University” Mukherjee was the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangha, the forerunner to the BJP. The renaming had sparked angry protests from tribal students, who accused the gove of “saffronising” higher education by suppressing students’ opinion and issuing diktats to please the RSS.The meeting, held at RSS office in Ranchi’s Niwaranpur locality, also asked the government to scrap affiliation of educational institutions that are allegedly directly or indirectly engaged in religious conversion.“The govt has strong evidences against some Christian affiliate institutions, universities that are encouraging conversions. And their numbers are increasing by the day. It’s high time that the government check their growth,” a senior RSS leader, who attended the meeting, told the HT.HT
Babri Masjid case’s chief litigant Mahant Bhaskar is dead
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/babri-masjid-case-s-chief-litigant-mahant-bhaskar-das-is-dead/story-Q6WKSwDhTPiXc8iv9ve8gN.html
Lucknow:Mahant Bhaskar Das, the chief litigant in the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid case and the sarpanch mahant (chief priest) of the Nirmohi Akhada in Ayodhya, died on Saturday. He was 89.With his death, both the chief litigants in the case from the Hindu and Muslim sides have passed away. Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the case, died at the age of 95 in July 2016.Though Ansari and Bhaskar Das were rival litigants, the close and cordial friendship between them was just famous as their status of being litigants.Bhaskar Das, who was unwell for a long time, was taken to the Harshan Heart Institute in Faizabad on Wednesday night after having severe breathing problems. He breathed his last around 3am on Saturday.The Nirmohi Akhada priest had filed a claim for the Ramjanmboomi land’s ownership in 1959. hindustantimes
Ayodhya: Shia board chief meets Nyas head
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ayodhya-shia-board-chief-meets-nyas-head-ram-janmabhoomi-babri-masjid-4845765/
New Delhi: UP Shia Wakf Board chairman on Friday met the the chairman of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas to seek his cooperation in ending Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute amicably. The Shia board has told the Supreme Court that the disputed site should be given for building a temple and a mosque should be made in a Muslim dominated area in Ayodhya. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the chairman of the Nyas, is one of several religious leaders that Shia board chairman Syed Wasim Rizvi met during his daylong visit to the temple town.Nyas was formed by various Hindu organisations to oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.“It was a very good meeting. I presented our proposal of constructing a mosque away from the disputed site and it was very well-received. Wherever during my meetings with the temple side I have spoke about it, people have been extremely receptive and have offered to help build the mosque. I will continue these meetings,” Rizvi said. indianexpress
Man arrested after wife says ‘duped into embracing Islam, sought dowry’: indianexpress
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/man-arrested-after-wife-says-duped-into-embracing-islam-sought-dowry-4845897/
Lucknow:A 35-year-old man was arrested in Aligarh on Friday after his wife, a Hindu, lodged a police complaint, alleging she was duped into embracing Islam and marrying a Muslim in 2006.Alleging that her husband had identified himself as a Hindu before the wedding, 28-year-old woman got an FIR registered against him and her six in-laws on charges of dowry harassment and unnatural sex late Thursday.
‘Our sons will come home only in body bags’, Fear families of SIMI suspects
https://newsclick.in/our-sons-will-come-home-only-body-bags-fear-families-simi-suspects
Wajid Hussain Nagori (24), including his own, also supports his brother’s family – his wife and 3 children. Wajid makes his ends meet by selling soft drinks at a local market in Ujjain’s Mahidpur tehsil. After every eight days, he travels nearly 200 km to meet his elder brother, a SIMI suspect lodged in Bhopal Central Jail.Wajid’s worries increase every day. His brother, Sajid Hussain Nagori aka Guddu (35), is being “denied proper medical treatment” by the jail authorities. Sajid is suffering from piles, which can prove fatal, if not treated on time.Prison officials allegedly did not provide him cotton and hot water necessary to clean the profuse bleeding that continued for a good two months after the jail break that took place on Oct.31 night and the encounter of eight SIMI under trials the following morning on a hilltop on the outskirts of Bhopal.“My brother is suffering from piles and the jail doctors have prescribed surgery. But forget about surgery, he is not even being given basic medical treatment. He was not given clothes to change. For two months, he was in the same cloth that had got infected and stinking because of the bleeding. We take new clothes for him in almost all our visit to jail. The officials keep it with them but do not give him to change,” Wajid told NewsClick in Ujjain. After the crackdown on suspected SIMI activists back in 2008, Sajid had surrendered before CJM on Jan.20, 2014, after “he came to know that the MP ATS had announced a head money of Rs 15,000 on him” for his alleged affiliation with the banned outfit.The family says this is the first case slapped against Sajid. “We come from a very humble background. My brother used to drive auto to bear the family expenses. How can he think about carrying out a terror strike in the country,” he added.“Solitary confinement”, “denial of access to lawyers and medical treatment”, “non-supply” of food and water” and “inhuman behaviour” on the part of prison officials have allegedly become the fate of the under trial prisoners of SIMI who are lodged in the high-security prison following the jailbreak and subsequent encounter.Md Sajid (29), then just a 21-year-old, was picked on June 11, 2011, by ATS from Jabalpur where he had gone to search a job. He was skilled in zari (embroidery) works but the local market had a dearth of jobs.After the arrest of his only son, his father – a goods van driver – slipped into depression. He met with an accident and lost the strength in both of his legs. He is unable to work now. Sajid has four sisters, one of whom is married. The entire family runs on the meagre income of his two sisters – one of whom is a lab technician and the other a teacher in a private school.Similar stories of gross human rights violations were narrated by other family members and relatives of the SIMI under trial prisoners lodged in the prison.NewsClick spoke to Md Ishteyaq, father of Md Sajid alias Sheru, a standard ninth dropout who was picked up and arrested with Sajid eight days after they together went to Jabalpur to earn a livelihood.Others whom, Newsclick correspondent spoke to are Mukhtar Nagori, uncle and father in law of Adil Nagori.NwsClick
Gaya court remands Tauseef, 2 others, to 4-day police custody
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gaya-court-remands-terror-suspects-tauseef-two-others-to-4-day-police-custody/story-j2z0h5oGYe272m28IMU55N.html
A Gaya court, on Friday, remanded 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case accused Tauseef Khan, nabbed in south Bihar district HQRS town of Gaya on Wednesday, and his two associates, to four-day police custody.Tauseef was earlier produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate Ramanand Ram at Gaya, where the police filed a petition seeking remand of the terror suspects. Opposing the police petition, Tauseef pleaded innocence and said he was being framed.In a related development, the Gaya police are preparing to register a fresh FIR, leveling sedation charges against Tauseef, Sarwar Khan and Shane Khan, with the Civil Lines police station, on the basis of documents recovered from them. Police would also investigate if any radical sleeper cell was active in Gaya.HT
Priest says Yemeni captors did him no physical harm:AP
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/60711651.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Vatican City: A Catholic priest from India who was freed after being held 18 months in Yemen said Saturday that he was never physically harmed during his captivity, even if his captors feigned hitting him on videos seeking ransom. Officials said they had no knowledge of ransom having been paid.Rev Tom Uzhunnalil was kidnapped from a home for senior citizens in Aden, southern Yemen, established by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in March 2016. Four nuns were killed during the attack. Uzhunnalil's voice broke as he publicly expressed his condolences."I thank God almighty for this day. He saved me healthy enough. Clear mind. Emotions under control until now," the 59 -year-old Uzhunnalil said. "God has been extremely kind to me. No gun was pointed at me." The priest said he didn't know his kidnappers' identities or affiliations and believed their motive was ransom, although the head of Uzhunnalil's Salesian order, Don A. F. Artime, said they had no knowledge of any ransom having been paid."No one ever told us that they asked for money. No one asked us for even a euro," Artime said. "We don't know anything about this. This is the whole truth. And I believe that Father Tom knows even less."The mechanisms behind his release also were unclear, but the Vatican has thanked the Sultan of Oman in a statement and Uzhunnalil thanked leaders in his native India.The priest said that his captors never harmed him, even if in some videos they made it appear that way in an effort to get a speedy response in negotiations. They provided tablets to treat his diabetes and took care of his basic needs. He was transferred several times during his captivity, but he doesn't know where he was held. His captors kept their faces covered in his presence, he said.
ISIS terrorists treated me well, I kept my calm: Fr Tom Uzhunnalil on days in captivity
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/isis-terrorists-treated-me-well-i-kept-my-calm-fr-tom-uzhunnalil-days-captivity-68510
Gurmeet Singh’s ex-driver turns up with offer of damning testimony in murder cases
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-s-ex-driver-turns-up-with-offer-of-damning-testimony-in-murder-cases/story-SVn881QFTGnoWMpLKFwTvK.html
Panchkula: A former driver of cult leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh wants to testify against him in a murder case, telling judges who are hearing the case that he had earlier been coerced to change his testimony to help the Dera Sacha Sauda chief.Singh was jailed last month for raping two women at the sprawling campus of the cult in Sirsa, a conviction that triggered widespread violence from his followers. His following had earned him considerable wealth and political power, which many saw as factors that helped him evade the law.In addition to the rapes, Singh is accused of murdering two men — a journalist and a cult follower. The journalist who was killed is credited with exposing the rapes.CBI has said that both were killed because they wanted to expose crimes being committed at the cult’s headquarters, which is spread over 700 acres.The cases are in the final stages and the court asked the defence and prosecution lawyers for their reaction on the former driver’s application, which is to be taken on Sept.22.The Haryana Police arrested on Friday the driver of Honeypreet Kaur, the controversial adopted daughter of Singh. Pradeep Kumar was detained from near the religious town of Salasar in Rajasthan.
CBSE issues notice to Ryan International, says death could have been averted
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/cbse-issues-notice-to-ryan-international-says-death-could-have-been-averted/articleshow/60711051.cms
New Delhi: CBSE on Saturday issued a show- cause notice to Ryan International School, Gurugram, asking why its affiliation should not be withdrawn and said it had failed to observe "basic security measures".A two-member fact finding committee set up by the CBSE following the murder of 7-year-old Pradhyumn Thakur last week said it appeared from the sequence of events that Ryan's International was guilty of gross negligence.The death could have been avoided had the school been more cautious, the show-cause notice said."The unfortunate death could have been averted had the school authorities discharged their duty with responsibility, care and security. The school failed to observe the basic security measures as stipulated by the board.PTI
Dr Mumtaz Naiyer from Bihar part of a team that makes breakthrough discovery for new vaccine to treat global viruses
http://twocircles.net/2017sep15/416604.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
In a development that will bring a smile to Indians and especially people from Bihar, Dr Mumtaz Naiyer, who belongs to Kishanganj, along with other scientists from the University of Southampton have made a significant discovery in efforts to develop a vaccine against Zika, dengue and Hepatitis C viruses that affect millions of people around the world.In a study published in Science Immunology, researchers have shown that natural killer cells (NK cells), which are a fundamental part of the body’s immune system, can recognise many different viruses including global pathogens such as Zika, dengue and Hepatitis C viruses, through a single receptor called KIR2DS2.Lead researcher Salim Khakoo, Professor of Hepatology, said the findings are very exciting and could change the way viruses are targeted by vaccines but warned that the research is still at an early stage, and animal studies/clinical trials will be needed to test the findings.TCN
‘ETHNIC CLEANSING’ OF ROHINGYA MUSLIMS
Rohingya issue: Centre set to file affidavit in SC
http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/160917/rohingya-issue-centre-set-to-file-affidavit-in-supreme-court.html
New Delhi:Centre has decided to file its affidavit on the issue of deportation of illegal Rohingya Muslim immigrants in the Supreme Court on Monday. This was confirmed by home minister Rajnath Singh. Singh said, “We will file the affidavit in Supreme Court on Sept.18. Affidavit has to be filed following a Supreme Court directive in response to a petition filed by two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, claiming that they had taken refuge in India following persecution against their community in Myanmar. Asian Age
India fully supports Dhaka’s stand on Rohingya crisis, Sushma Swaraj tells Bangladesh PM: Report
https://scroll.in/latest/850771/india-fully-supports-dhakas-stand-on-rohingya-crisis-sushma-swaraj-tells-bangladesh-pm-report
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has told Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina that India would provide complete support to Dhaka on the matter of Rohingya Muslim refugees, United News of Bangladesh reported on Friday. Rohingya problem is not an issue for Bangladesh only, it has turned into a global matter from a regional one,” Swaraj reportedly told Hasina over phone.Swaraj added that the Indian government was trying to put pressure on Myanmar to stop the persecution of Rohingya Muslims. India was also trying to get Myanmar to take back the refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh, the agency reported citing the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Nazrul Islam.Hasina said that Bangladesh has given shelter to the Rohingyas only on humanitarian grounds, and Myanmar must accept them as its nationals. scroll
Rohingya refugees common people, not terrorists;Mamata
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/rohingya-refugees-terrorists-mamata-banerjee-modi-govt-rakhine-state/1/1048850.html
With Modi-led central govt planning to deport 40,000 Rohingya refugees, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee called for the need to support the community. Banerjee wrote on Twitter, "We do support the UN appeal to help the Rohingya people. "Banerjee's appeal for helping the Rohingyas come at a time when the Ministry of Home Affairs has alerted states to identify and monitor "illegal migrants.Opposing the Centre's view on the matter , Mamata tweeted, "We believe that all commoners are not terrorists. We are really concerned." indiatoday
Give asylum to only Hindu Rohingyas, Muslims a security threat: RSS Leader Govindacharya
http://www.news18.com/news/india/give-asylum-to-only-hindu-rohingyas-muslims-a-security-threat-rss-leader-govindacharya-1518977.html
New Delhi: Making a clear distinction between “Semitic and non-Semitic religions” RSS ideologue K N Govindacharya has said only 'Hindu Rohingyas' should be considered for asylum in India since they have “no other place to go”.RSS leader was responding to latest reports from the Rakhine state in Myanmar where the ethnic violence has led to the displacement of not just Rohingya Muslims, but also Rohingya Hindus.“Hindus have no other place to go. 'Hindu Rohingyas' are philosophically and ideologically in sync with the land. They can’t be treated the same way as others,” Govindacharya told News18.When asked to elaborate on India’s stand in context to 'Hindu Rohingyas', he said, “I will take my ideological stand on this question. We cannot equate the Semitic and non-Semitic religions. The Semitic religions have exclusive Judaic thinking, believing in global brotherhood and we can ignore it at our own peril.” He added, “How can we see the two (Rohingya Hindus and Muslims) the same way? There should be an investigation on how the Muslim Rohingyas reached J&K. Around nine districts of Bengal have been converted into Muslim majority region. Look at the way religion affects event the mundane aspects of our lives.”On the other hand,MP Asaduddin Owaisi has also joined the Rohingya debate, seeking asylum for Muslims on humanitarian grounds. “If Taslima Nasreen could be allowed to stay in India, then why not Rohingyas? Nasreen became your sister, why can’t Rohingyas become your brother?”Owaisi said at a public rally last evening.News18.com
Muslim organisations protest against Rohingya genocide
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/muslim-organisations-protest-against-rohingya-genocide-117091501410_1.html
New Delhi: About 15 Muslim NGOs under aegis of All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam, a Sunni Sufi cleric organisation, on Friday held a protest at Jantar Mantar condemning "the despicable acts of genocide" against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.They also sought roll back of Indian government's decision to send back Rohingyas to Myanmar "in such a dire situation"."Govt must start bilateral talks on the Rohingya crisis, open its border for the refugees and provide the basic shelter, food and civil amenities until the situation is not going normal," said the protesters in a release.Calling the act of cruelty "contradictory to the teachings of Buddhism", about 200-odd protesters urged Myanmar to provide appropriate protection to the whole Rohingya community in the country.IANS
Myanmar military torching Muslim villages in Rakhine: Amnesty
https://frontiermyanmar.net/en/amnesty-says-myanmar-military-torching-muslim-villages-in-rakhine
International pressure on Myanmar is soaring as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the violence in Rakhine State "unacceptable" and rights group Amnesty said on Friday it has evidence of the military's "systematic" torching of Muslim villages. Myanmar’s govt has maintained its denial that security forces have committed human rights abuses during the latest crackdown. U Aung Lynn, Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, told Voice of America on Wednesday that the country was the victim of terrorists and “false media” reports on the Rakhine crisis, and rejected the United Nations’ characterisation of the crackdown as ethnic cleansing.AFP
UN: Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh exceeds 400,000
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/rohingya-exodus-bangladesh-exceeds-400000-170916125050337.html
Over 400,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar into Bangladesh, the UN says as Bangladeshi leader heads to the US to seek global help coping with the crisis.Bangladesh has been overwhelmed by Rohingya Muslims since violence erupted in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar's Rakhine state on August 25.On Saturday, UN said that total number of people to have entered Bangladesh having fled the unrest had now reached 409,000, a leap of 18,000 in a day.Conditions are worsening in the border town of Cox's Bazar where the influx has added to pressures on Rohingya camps already overwhelmed with 300000 people from earlier waves of refugees. aljazeera
Bangladesh warns Myanmar over border violation amid Rohingya crisis
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/bangladesh-warns-myanmar-over-border-violation-amid-rohingya-crisis-4846328/
Dhaka:Bangladesh has accused Myanmar of repeatedly violating its air space and warned that any more “provocative acts” could have “unwarranted consequences”, raising the risk of a deterioration in relations already strained by the Rohingya refugee crisis.Bangladesh said Myanmar drones and helicopters had violated its air space three times – on Sept. 10, 12 and 14 – and it had called in a top Myanmar embassy official in Dhaka to complain.Reuters
Bangladesh to build 14,000 shelters for Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/bangladesh-to-build-14-000-shelters-for-rohingya-muslim-refugees-from-myanmar/story-1wtQqOgttbjd1m0IoeQ44M.html
WORLD
Iraqi Kurdish parliament votes to hold referendum
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraqi-kurdish-parliament-votes-to-hold-referendum/911501
ERBIL:By an overwhelming majority of deputies present, Iraq’s Kurdish regional parliament on Friday passed a resolution to hold the Sept. 25 referendum planned by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). Non-binding referendum will see residents in provinces controlled by the KRG vote on independence from Baghdad. The resolution passed by an overwhelming majority of 65 out of 68 deputies in the chamber, while three MPs rejected the resolution in the 111-seat regional parliament. But two parties, the Movement for Change and the Islamic Group, boycotted the vote, which is the first in 2 years due to political disputes halting the regional parliament's activities.Anadolu
Iraqi MPs demand dissolution of Kirkuk province council
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraqi-mps-demand-dissolution-of-kirkuk-province-council/912055
baghdad;74 Iraqi MPs have signed a petition calling for the dissolution of Kirkuk's provincial council, Iraqi Turkmen lawmaker Niyazi Mimaroglu said on Saturday. “We launched this petition to protest the council’s failure to implement decisions taken by the central administration, represented by the Iraqi parliament,” Mimaroglu said. “Once we have collected 200 [MPs’] signatures, the council can be dissolved by a parliamentary decision,” he added. Anadolu
US urges Kurds to call off independence vote
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/urges-kurds-call-independence-vote-170916070603153.html
The US has sternly urged the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan to call off its independence referendum, saying the timing for the vote is not right.Iraqi Kurdish legislators on Friday approved the Sept.25 vote that was set in motion by regional president Massud Barzani, a Washington ally who has publicly kept open the option of postponing it.Washington has long supported Kurdish autonomy and has relied on the region's forces in the war against the ISIL group, but it fears that now is not the time for the people to seize their freedom.US officials fear the vote, while not legally binding, will hurt Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi's re-election chances; complicate ties with Turkey; and disrupt the war against ISIL." US has repeatedly emphasised to the leaders of Kurdistan Regional Government that the referendum is distracting from efforts to defeat ISIS and stabilise the liberated areas," President Donald Trump's White House said."Holding the referendum in disputed areas is particularly provocative and destabilising," it warned. aljazeera
Iran recruits Afghan and Pakistani Shia to fight in Syria:AP
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/iran-recruits-afghan-and-pakistani-shiites-to-fight-in-syria/articleshow/60709801.cms
Islamabad: Thousands of Shiite Muslims from Afghanistan and Pakistan are being recruited by Iran to fight with Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria, lured by promises of housing, a monthly salary of up to $600 and the possibility of employment in Iran when they return, say counterterrorism officials and analysts. These fighters, who have received public praise from Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei+ , even have their own brigades, but counterterrorism officials in both countries worry about the mayhem they might cause when they return home to countries already wrestling with a major militant problem. Amir Toumaj, Iran research analyst at the US-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the number of fighters is fluid but as many as 6,000 Afghans are fighting for Assad, while the number of Pakistanis, who fight under the banner of the Zainabayoun Brigade, is in the hundreds.
Egypt court upholds ex-president Morsi's life sentence
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/egypt-court-upholds-president-morsi-life-sentence-170916130509759.html
An Egyptian court has upheld a life sentence for ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on charges of harming national security by leaking secret state documents to Qatar while he was in office. Morsi, democratically elected after Egypt's 2011 revolution, was removed from his position in mid-2013 by a coup led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief of the time. The court also confirmed death sentences against three defendants in the same case. There have been no explanations yet for the rulings and they cannot be appealed.In 2014, Egypt charged Morsi and nine others with endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar.Morsi is already serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted for the killing of protesters during demonstrations in 2012.Since toppling Morsi, Sisi has clamped down on dissent. Mass trials have been held for thousands of supporters of Muslim Brotherhood, which Morsi was a member of, and hundreds have received death sentences or lengthy prison terms. aljazeera
Tunisia scraps ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/world/middle-east/150917/tunisia-scraps-ban-on-muslim-women-marrying-non-muslims.html
Tunis: Tunisia has abolished a decades-old ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims as the president seeks to secure equal rights for country's female population.The announcement came a month after President Beji Caid Essebsi called for the govt to lift the ban dating back to 1973, arguing that existing practice violates Tunisia's constitution, adopted in 2014 in the wake of the Arab Spring revolution.He created a commission, led by a female lawyer and rights activists, aimed at drafting revised rules.Until now a non-Muslim man who wished to marry a Muslim Tunisian woman had to convert to Islam and submit a certificate of his conversion as proof while a Muslim Tunisian man is allowed to marry a non-Muslim woman.The country's leading imams and theologians have denounced the president's proposals as a "flagrant violation of the precepts" of Islam.Some worry that such changes could stir up anger in a country that has already suffered deadly attacks.AFP
Kim Jong-un vows to complete N Korea N-programme
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/kim-jong-vows-complete-korea-nuclear-programme-170915223749759.html
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to complete his nuclear weapons programme in the face of strengthening sanctions after he inspected a powerful new intermediate-range missile that was fired over Japan, according to state news agency KCNA.North Korea's state media carried Kim's comments on Saturday, a day after US and South Korean militaries detected the missile launch from North Korean capital of Pyongyang. KCNA said N.Korea's goal is reaching an "equilibrium" of military force with the US and to "make US rulers dare not talk about military option for DPRK". aljazeera
Pakistan's Sharif faces key by-poll after dismissal
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/pakistan-kulsoom-sharif-faces-key-poll-dismissal-170916031738707.html
Lahore:Ex-Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party is facing its first major political challenge in a by-election widely seen to be a barometer for whether he has managed to maintain support in his political heartland following his dismissal from office.Sharif's wife Kulsoom will be running for the seat vacated by the former prime minister after his disqualification by the Supreme Court in July over an omission in his parliamentary wealth declaration.On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking a review of its decision to disqualify Sharif, although a separate bench is still deliberating on whether the ban on holding public office is permanent.The by-poll is scheduled to take place on Sunday, and campaigning for it concluded late on Friday night.The court also referred Sharif, three of his children and several aides to an anti-corruption court for trial on charges that he looted state wealth during his previous two terms as prime minister in the 1990s. Aljazeera
UAE: Saudi was going to launch military attack on Qatar
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170916-uae-saudi-arabia-was-going-to-launch-military-attack-on-qatar/
Saudi Arabia was preparing for a military attack on its neighbour Qatar, leaked emails dated May 2017 appear to show. The emails between UAE Ambassador in Washington, Yousef Al-Otaiba, and US diplomat Elliott Abrams in May 2017 claim that Saudi came close to “conquering” Qatar and this would “solve everyone’s problems”, according to Emirati official. Al-Otaiba added that deceased Saudi monarch King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz “came pretty close to doing something in Qatar” a few months before his death in Jan. 2015.Abrams was surprised by the revelation, the emails show, declaring: “I did not know that. It is dramatic.”Abrams went on to say that former US President Barack Obama would not have supported an attack on Qatar “but the new guy…” in reference to current American Preisdent Donald Trump.In the emails, Abrams suggested Jordan control Qatar. “Hashemites need to control Qatar … that would solve their financial problems and Qatar’s support of extremism.” as he put it. middleeastmonitor
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
A history of persecution: Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims:AFP
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/60709839.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Why Buddhist women are marrying Muslim men in Ladakh:Sai Manish & Khalid Anzar
http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/why-buddhist-women-are-marrying-muslim-men-in-ladakh-117091500689_1.html
One Nation one code: Why Hindu and Muslim attitudes to personal law can't be compared: Madhu Purnima Kishwar
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/one-nation-one-code-why-hindu-and-muslim-attitudes-to-personal-law-cant-be-compared/articleshow/60706225.cms
Why must courts place conversion to Islam in the matrix of radicalisation?Manisha Sethi
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/infantilising-hadiya-marriage-conversion-homoeopathy-student-islam-kerala-high-court-4845580/
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:38 PM)
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