pi News and Sport
News
New UK visa system slammed
Sport
CSKA Sofia fined over fan racism
Featured
Trash That Toxic Toothpaste
India: Muslim Holocaust Issue: 143
ÂŁ1
March 2020
Holocaust! The last century’s tragedy that left unbearable losses and stains on the face of secular Europe could happen again in secular India. Shockingly, the Indian Muslims
are experiencing the same sets of denunciation as did the Jews under the Nazi regime. Wilful exclusion from mainstream society, racial profiling based upon belief, negative media
representation and bigotry. Violence hit parts of Delhi overnight as gangs roamed streets littered with the debris of days of sectarian riots that have killed over 100 people, police said.
Approved by
Continued on page 3 d by Certifie
BRITISH MIDDLE EAST LIBRARY PRESS CORP
Reaching 215,000 readers across the UK*
www.pi-media.co.uk *Survey conducted October 2012
2
I COMMENT
thePassion
www.pi-media.co.uk I March 2020
By Craig Murray
Mourning A Terrorist The aim of this article is to put forward reasonable points of view not easily found elsewhere, and it is important not to shy away from saying things because they run directly contrary to the popular mood. The stabbing of three people in Streatham was a tragedy, and while all are recovering, the mental and perhaps physical damage will be life-changing. But the death of the terrorist, Sudesh Amman, is also a human tragedy. The government’s populist response – to lock up those convicted of terrorist offences for ever longer and to seek to ban early
release, even retrospectively – is crass and will make the situation worse, not better. Sudesh Amman died aged only twenty. He had been jailed at eighteen for crimes committed when he was just seventeen. It is vital to state that those crimes were thought crimes – before he went to jail, Sudesh Amman had never been accused of attacking anyone. He was jailed for the terrorist fantasies he harboured as a child. Whether he would ever actually have attacked anybody had he never been sent to jail is a question it is impossible to answer. That he
Former Ambassador Human Rights Activist
attacked people after being sent to jail is a simple fact. That is not to downplay the idea he was a dangerous child. He had expressed the ambition to be a terrorist, posted violent fantasy online, downloaded posts on bombmaking and had acquired a combat knife and an air pistol. He may have gone on to carry out an attack. Or it may all have been just the bluster and rage of a frustrated child in a single parent family of five kids living in unpleasant circumstances. It seems to me that intervention by the state was entirely reasonable in view of the seventeen year old’s state of mind. It is not at all obvious to me that branding a child, who had never attacked anybody, as a “terrorist”, thus destroying his prospects in life, convicting him of terrorist thought crime as soon as he turned eighteen, and sending him to prison to mix with hardened criminals and actual terrorists, was a sensible way for the state to intervene. By fueling his sense of alienation and injustice, that seems to me a course of action almost guaranteed to ensure that this child would emerge from prison as a twenty year old determined to commit an actual terrorist attack. Which is of course exactly what happened, and the death of young Sudesh Amman himself was the inevitable end of the tragedy.
Email the Editor at PI Media : info@pi-media.co.uk - www.pi-media.co.uk
India: Muslim Holocaust www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
UK NEWS
I3
Continued from front page
Exactly identical to the representation of Jews in German films and press as the “bad guys”, the Bollywood films and sections of the Indian media portray Muslims as “gangsters”, “dons”, “smugglers”, “terrorists” and “anti-state”. Also, the RSS terrorists are ideological equals of the Nazi’s who back and endorse more horrific forms of torture including the imprisonment of Muslims in detention centres; police raids on Muslims mosques and Jamia university; brutally beating young and elderly Muslims in public; intentionally demolishing their homes; lynching on the pretext of Holy ‘Cow Protection’. What hypocrisy! At home the Hindu radical mobs kill any Muslim who eats cow meat but the outside world sees India as the world’s largest exporter of beef which has dramatically increased under Modi’s government. This is the real face of a democratic India that is clearly antiMuslim. Well! History is repeating itself. As for the Nazi Jews were “disloyal” and “enemies within” similarly, in today’s India, from Kashmir and Assam to Bengal, the Indian Muslims have to prove their loyalty to Modi’s fascist government that considers them the “enemy within”. Dr. Gregory Stanton, believes a “possible mass extermination of Muslims” is “definitely under way in India”. Modi had already committed a Muslim genocide in Gujrat. So what can be done to stop the horrific repetition? This situation is petrifying as each passing day the
Indian Muslims are losing their hope to live as normal humans.
includes film and sport stars namely, Nasseruddin Shah.
Are the Indian Muslims New Jews? Today, Muslims that are living in concentration camps in Palestine, China, Myanmar and India. Charles B. Anthony wrote that, “Muslims are the new Jews. Perpetually vilified in the press, scapegoated by politicians and attacked in ever increasing numbers on the street, Muslims are punished for their faith and culture, shackled to the jailer of prejudice drunk on his own self-righteous thirst for supremacy”. Ordinary Europeans were persuaded that the Jews control money and businesses, they conspire against their country of residence, and they plots to kill European Royals. The Nazi’s frequent and skilful propaganda brainwashed ordinary Germans to such an extent that they believed that the Jews must be expelled or slain. Currently, similar patterns and tactics are in practice, as the BJP leadership backs a systemic campaign aimed at the Indian Muslims that label them as “outsiders”, “incompatible”, “enemy within”, and a “threat” to the RSS version of the Indian society. Therefore, Muslims must be expelled. Such a destructive campaign against the Indian Muslims has resulted in the rise of a racist slogan to “Go back to Pakistan” and this
Is Modi a New Hitler of Our Time? Today, Modi has proved that he has much in common with Hitler such as Hitler’s concept of blood superiority (the Aryan nation) and racism centred at the Jews. This made Imran Khan to say; Modi has Hitler’s mindset. Exactly in a similar manner BJP’s leaders are constantly suggesting they are Brahmins and Aryans, making them superior people in comparison to the Dalit Muslims of India. BJP leader, Rajeshwar Singh vowed to wipe out Indian Muslims and Christians by 31st of December 2021. Singh said, “We have decided that Islam and Christianity will be finished in India by 2021” and this is BJP’s “Pledge”. Already, the world is witnessing a growing tidal-wave of bigotry and oppression against the Indian Muslims who are being forced to live as stateless. To put it simply, a list of the Modi’s government illegal actions includes the Citizenship Amendment Bill; National Register for Citizens (NRC) and Citizens Amendment Act (CAA). The British liberal press such as The Guardian has criticised Modi’s government over its citizenships draconian laws. These bills are evidently anti-Muslims which shows a planned grand-scale expulsion and a genocide of Indian Muslims.
Hani Patterns
Henna designs for all occasions BRIDAL - BIRTHDAYS WEDDINGS Find us on social media Hani Patterns
For booking please contact on
07535 783 405
By Irfan Raja
4
I UK NEWS
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
Thinktank uses ‘anonymous’ funding to produce pro-Prevent survey
According to a new survey, the government’s highly controversial counter-extremism scheme, known as Prevent, may not be as widely distrusted in the Muslim community as generally thought. The research, which was commissioned by the criminal justice think tank, Crest Advisory, purports to show that British Muslims are more likely to tip off the scheme when they come across a “radicalized” individual. But the “research” behind this bold assertion is severely, if not fatally, undermined by the fact that the “charitable trust” which funded it cannot be identified “for security
reasons”. Beyond the all-important issue of anonymity, the “research” suffers from two other major flaws. Foremost, the majority of the people it claims to have questioned hadn’t even heard of Prevent – 55 percent of Muslims and 68 percent of the general population. Therefore, the majority of the respondents are in no position to offer an informed opinion on the merits (or lack thereof) of the counter-extremism scheme. Moreover, the research offers a “neutral explanation” of Prevent to respondents, in other words it does not explain the highly charged
political and ideological context whence the scheme originated. Based on that “neutral explanation”, the research claims that 80 percent of British Muslims and 85 percent of the wider public “broadly support” the scheme. Furthermore, the research claims that 67 percent of the British Muslims surveyed said they would inform the authorities about individual cases of “radicalisation” (in other words they’d actively cooperate with Prevent), as opposed to 63 percent of the wider public. According to Crest Advisory, the research process was led by the London-based market research consultancy firm, Savanta Comres. The latter conducted interviews with “representative samples” of British Muslims in October and November 2019. Researchers from Savanta Comres also held focus group discussions in London, Slough, Watford, Bradford, Birmingham, Oldham, Cardiff and Glasgow. Owing to the “anonymous” nature of the project’s funding, this latest research has given rise to suspicions that it is part of the British counterterrorism industry’s attempt to clean up Prevent’s image. www.pi-media.co.uk
MCB calls on Foreign Secretary to condemn violence against Muslims in India The Muslim Council of Britain has written to the Foreign Secretary urging him to take a strong stance in condemning the appalling levels of violence in Delhi, the incitement of hatred against Muslims by Prime Minister Modi’s BJP, and the inaction, both by the Government and the security forces to tackle the riots. Delhi has seen the worst riots for decades which has killed at least 42 people and left more than 300 people seriously injured. With Muslims being killed and mosques burnt down by Hindutva mobs,
British Indians, and particularly British Indian Muslims, will be looking for strong condemnation from the UK Government. Commenting, Harun Khan, Secretary General of the MCB said: “Prime Minister Modi’s BJP has brought in legislation that discriminates against Muslims and seeks to strip them of their Indian nationality and propagated Islamophobic, far-right rhetoric which has led to a tragic situation in India with Muslims being subject to brutal levels of sectarian violence and discrimination.
“The UK is home to 200,000 Indian Muslims. The current situation is hugely concerning for many British Indians who are worried about the erosion of human rights of their families and loved ones across India. “We call on the Foreign Secretary to condemn the violence and convene an urgent meeting with UK groups representing the diversity of British Indians to prevent the spreading of ultra-nationalist beliefs and sectarian division within our communities in Britain.” www.pi-media.co.uk
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
ADVERT
I5
6I ADVERT
www.pi-media.co.uk I March 2020
New UK visa system slammed
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
UK NEWS
I7
In Case You Missed It
The UK government has unveiled its controversial new immigration policy, similar to the Australian points style system, which will aim to reduce the amount of so-called low-skilled workers entering the UK, in some cases requiring earnings of
at least 26,000 pounds annually, and academic qualifications. The Home Office estimates that under the new rules, around 70% of EU migrants currently in the UK, would not qualify, under the new system.
Londoners continued to react to the new immigration plans laid out by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel. While Priti Patel has been scrutinized heavily for the Home Office’s new points style system, so too has Boris Johnson who many view as playing a key role in fostering the current environment towards migrants, which many people characterize as hostile. While many in the British public might have believed that following Brexit, the discourse around immigration would subside, with the new Home Office points based system, and ongoing controversies with the Windrush scandal, it seems likely that migration to the UK will remain a hot topic for some time. The Home Secretary’s post-Brexit immigration policy has come under heavy criticism not least because bizarrely under the new rules Priti Patel’s own parents would not have been able to enter the country.
who said her African name stopped her getting job opportunities. “I had to make over a 100 phone calls,” she told reporters, “to get a foot in the door.” Politicians talk about shortages in the workforce in different industries, but when it comes to employing people to meet those shortages, qualified individuals with ethnic names, could end up getting the short end of the stick. And with employers having the upper-hand, job applicants say it is difficult to prove employment discrimination. First published in 2017, a report by the Parker Review Committee, formed to consult on the ethnic diversity of company boards, said about a third of FTSE 100
companies have no ethnic minority representation on their boards. And that 31 of the 83 firms which provided relevant information fell into that category. When it comes to employment in the UK, there’s a glass ceiling that has remained unseen for a long time. Experts are now saying that Generation Z, the demographic cohort succeeding the Millennials can see that unacknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession and want to take a hammer to it. Yet others say, this isn’t just about stopping discrimination, it’s about actively promoting inclusion. www.pi-media.co.uk
Name discrimination in UK job applications
More than a quarter of workers in the UK say they have experienced discrimination in the workplace. But what about people looking for jobs? Does employer bias go that far? Well, when it comes to finding a job in the UK, the name of the game maybe to sound like an English person. In other words, Anglo-Saxon sounding candidates have higher chances of getting call backs. If you are from a black, Asian or some other minority background, it is likely that your ethnicity will reduce your chances of landing a job or getting a promotion. The most recent revelation about employment racism came from accomplished Nigerian businesswoman Funke Abimbola,
8
I ADVERT
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
UK NEWS
I9
UK university urged to suspend Bahrain police training over torture allegations
Huddersfield University is being urged to suspend a lucrative degree program it runs with Bahrain’s Royal Academy of Policing over allegations that widespread torture of political prisoners has been taking place at the location. The Masters course in Security Science, which involves Huddersfield lecturers training Bahraini police officers at the Academy in areas such as crime scene investigation techniques, cyber crime and “investigative psychology”, was launched in 2018 and that year Prince Andrew, then Huddersfield University’s Chancellor, visited Bahrain to meet some of the officers participating in the course and senior Government ministers. Since the course was launched, the London-based Bahrain Institute
for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and the Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) group have made repeated calls for Huddersfield University to drop the course over concerns about the nation’s human rights record and the treatment of political prisoners in Bahrain, which is a constitutional monarchy. BIRD’s director of advocacy, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, has now written to Huddersfield’s vicechancellor Professor Bob Cryan with detailed allegations of the torture of 10 prisoners - including people being subjected to severe beatings, sleep deprivation, being threatened with the rape and torture of family members and made to sign preprepared confessions - alleged to have taken place at the Royal
Academy of Policing between 2016 and 2019. The Embassy of Bahrain in Britain said the allegations “are unconnected with the Huddersfield University Masters program, and are an attempt to undermine important UK-Bahrain policing cooperation”. Alwadaei said handwritten testimonies of the prisoners had been smuggled out of Bahrain and is now calling for the immediate suspension of the degree course until a full investigation takes place. Amnesty International and Yorkshire peer Lord Scriven, a former leader of Sheffield Council who was born in Huddersfield, have backed the calls for the degree program to be suspended. Huddersfield University confirmed it had received Alwadaei’s letter. “The letter will now be given full consideration in the coming days and the University will respond to it,” a spokesman said. The university has refused to confirm how much it is being paid by Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior for running the course on the grounds that the information is “commercially sensitive” but BIRD has said it is likely to be over £1m given there are 25 students on the course for the current academic year, MSc degrees for international students at Huddersfield typically cost £15,000 per year and the university and the Royal Academy of Policing signed a four-year contract. www.pi-media.co.uk
Labour party is cracking down on pro-Palestine activists There is growing evidence the Labour party is cracking down on pro-Palestinian activists. In an article on the Electronic Intifada, London-based British journalist and pro-Palestinian activist, Asa Winstanley, claims he has quit the Labour party following a year-long harassment campaign by “faceless bureaucrats”. Winstanley claims the Labour party’s “investigators” had given him
only five days to respond to their letter which effectively accused him of anti-Semitism. The veteran pro-Palestinian journalist claims that his advocacy on behalf of Palestinian rights had made him a target of the party’s campaign to root out alleged antiSemitism. In previous articles Winstanley has decried the Labour party’s “fake” anti-Semitism crisis.
Winstanley links the crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists to a broader suppression of the Labour party’s authentic left-wing factions. Whilst he admits these are “dark days” for the “left” and the “Palestine Solidarity movement”, he still holds out hope that Jeremy Corbyn’s legacy will “not be easily extinguished”.
www.pi-media.co.uk
Volunteer as a Journalist - email us at info@pi-media.co.uk
10
I WORLD NEWS
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
Over 10,000 civilians killed in Afgahanistan last year
More than 10,000 civilians were killed or wounded in Afghanistan’s war last year, the United Nations announced, as a historic partial truce kicked in across the country. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 3,404 civilians were killed and 6,989 were injured in 2019. While the number was down five percent from 2018, it was nonetheless the sixth year straight that the war caused more than 10,000 casualties, UNAMA said. “Almost no civilian in Afghanistan
has escaped being personally affected in some way by the ongoing violence,” UNAMA head Tadamichi Yamamoto said. “It is absolutely imperative for all parties to seize the moment to stop the fighting, as peace is long overdue; civilian lives must be protected and efforts for peace are under way.” The five-percent drop in casualties was attributed to the decrease in activity by the local Daesh affiliate in eastern Afghanistan, which was largely wiped
A parliamentary commission has been set up to investigate the foreign funding of mosques and Islamic schools in the Netherlands. “MPs have been discussing the issues for years, but much is still unclear,” said CDA MP and chairman Michel Rog. “The Commission wants to gain insight into how effective measures can be taken to contain these influences.” The commission was set up following a report by the Nieuwsuur
news show, which shows that the government has kept secret information about how much foreign money is being pumped into Dutch mosques. The head of the AIVD secret service, mosque leaders and mayor will all appear before the commission. However, the NOS broadcaster points out that no one has been asked to participate by the Saudi or Kuwaiti embassy. The government has included
out last year. A partial truce, being referred to by warring parties as a ‘reduction in violence’, started across Afghanistan. The Taliban, the US and Afghan forces have agreed to cut violence for seven days ahead of the planned February 29 signing of a US-Taliban deal that could begin to end the war. The United States has been in talks with the Taliban for more than a year to secure the deal, in which it would pull out thousands of troops in return for Taliban security guarantees and a promise to hold peace talks with the government in Kabul. The UNAMA report said there had been significant fluctuations in violence throughout 2019, coinciding with gains and setbacks made during US-Taliban negotiations. ws /PIMe iane d dia e m i @p
PI TV News and Sport
Dutch MPs start hearings on foreign funding for Mosques
in its 2017 coalition agreement an obligation to withdraw foreign funds, but more needs to be done to determine if this is possible, Minister of Social Affairs Wouter Koolmees said last year. The NRC previously reported that at least 30 Islamic organizations in the Netherlands currently have or have had funding from the Persian Gulf States, including millions of euros from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
ADVERT
ARABIC
for BEGINNERS
This course provides an introduction to the Arabic language. This course is ideal for those who are wanting to acquire basic skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Cost: ÂŁ7 p/h
pi
Venue: Batley / Dewsbury
BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
For more information or to book yourself on this or any other courses please email us at
info@pi-media.co.uk
www.pi-media.co.uk
I 11
12
I WORLD NEWS
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
India parliament: opposition stages walkout in protest at anti-Muslim bill
Last month sessions in both chambers of the Indian Parliament descended into chaos as opposition MPs walked out in protest over the Citizenship Act, which New Delhi says is aimed at protecting minorities. Several Indian opposition parties launched a concerted effort to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the parliament. Motions to adjourn all business and address the “prevailing situation in the country” were filed in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, the upper and lower chambers of the legislature. During question time, opposition
MPs lashed out at the CAA and the government’s handling of mass protests against the act. Several states in India rejected the new rules that fast-track citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from three neighboring Muslim-majority nations, RT reported. As protests continued, particular anger was vented by opposition MPs over a string of shooting incidents at the Jamia Millia Islamia University, one of the focal points of the protests. Some opposition figures accused the government of turning a blind eye to such acts of violence or even encouraging them in the hope of discouraging protests.
Legislators had to deal with opposition MPs chanting slogans like “Save the constitution” and “Save India.” The chaotic scenes culminated in a walkout from the Lok Sabha as a BJP legislator was presenting a motion to issue formal thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind, who earlier hailed the CAA as “historic” in his address to the joint sitting of both houses of parliament. The person submitting the proposal, Parvesh Verma, was banned from campaigning for 96 hours last week by India’s Election Commission as punishment for divisive remarks he had made. The MP stood by his opinion that “Muslims want to take over India,” and protested against the ban with a video of himself wearing a black band over his mouth. Many criticize the law saying it discriminates against Muslims and is against India’s constitution. The Indian government has rejected criticism of the law, insisting that the CAA is a humanitarian act and is meant to protect religious minorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh from persecution. It says the legislation is not detrimental to anyone, and that Muslims, like any other foreigners, can still acquire citizenship through the usual procedures.
Germany busts far right terror org German police detained 12 men suspected of setting up a farright organization with the goal of carrying out attacks against politicians, asylum seekers and Muslims, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (GBA) said. Prosecutors said four of the suspects had set up a “terrorist organization” in September 2019 and regularly met and contacted each other by phone and in online chart forums and chat groups. They had no immediate plan to carry out an attack. The other eight men were
detained on suspicion of supporting the organization with money and weapons, the GBA said, Reuters reported. The suspects wanted their attacks to create havoc and an atmosphere of fear that resembles a civil war, it added. The German government last year launched a crackdown on right-wing political violence in response to a rise in hate crimes. New measures approved after the killing of a pro-immigration politician and a deadly attack on a synagogue and kebab shop in Halle
by an anti-Semitic gunman include tougher rules on gun ownership and stricter monitoring of hate speech online. The government has said around 90 percent of the 1,800 incidents recorded against Jews last year were committed by individuals espousing far-right views. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency estimates there are around 24,100 “right wing extremists” in Germany, about half of whom are potentially violent.
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
I 13
Taliban, US sign deal in Doha
www.pi-media.co.uk
The United States signed a deal with the Taliban that could pave the way toward a full withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan over the next 14 months and represent a step toward ending the 18-year-war there. While the agreement paves the way for the United States to gradually pull out of its longest war, many expect that talks to come between the multiple Afghan sides will be far more complicated. The deal was signed in the Qatari capital Doha by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani
Baradar. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on hand to witness the ceremony. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper meanwhile traveled to Kabul on a visit that officials and experts said was aimed at reassuring the Afghan government about the United States’ commitment to the country, Reuters reported. For US President Donald Trump, the deal represents a chance to make good on his promise to bring US troops home. But security experts have also called it a foreign policy gamble that would give the
WORLD NEWS
Taliban international legitimacy. “Today is a monumental day for Afghanistan,” the US Embassy in Kabul said on Twitter. “It is about making peace and crafting a common brighter future. We stand with Afghanistan.” Hours before the deal, the Taliban ordered all its fighters in Afghanistan “to refrain from any kind of attack ... for the happiness of the nation.” “The biggest thing is that we hope the US remain committed to their promises during the negotiation and peace deal,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban. Mujahid said it was “irritating and provocative” that foreign military aircraft continued to fly over Taliban territory, but militia fighters were following the order to standdown. For millions of Afghans, the deal represents some hope for an end to years of bloodshed. “Peace is extremely simple and my country deserves it. Today is the day when maybe we will see a positive change,” said Javed Hassan, 38, a school teacher living on the outskirts of Afghan capital, Kabul. Hassan’s children were killed in a bomb blast carried out by the Taliban in 2018. Since then, he has been writing letters to world leaders urging them to end the Afghan war.
Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana has a Mosque at Last In Case You Missed It
The first mosque in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana was inaugurated in the city. Muslims in the predominantly Catholic Alpine country first filed a request to build a mosque in the late 1960s while Slovenia was still part of the former Communist
Yugoslavia. The community finally received permission 15 years ago, but ran into opposition from right-wing politicians and groups, as well as financial troubles. Construction, which began in 2013, cost some 34 million euros
($39 million), out of which 28 million euros were Qatari donations, according to Grabus. Situated in a semi-industrial area of Ljubljana, the mosque, which can hold up to 1,400 people, constitutes the core of the six-building Islamic Cultural Center.
Get in contact with us: info@pi-media.co.uk
14
I ADVERT
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
I March 2020
I 15
French President plans to tighten control over Mosques www.pi-media.co.uk
France is going to tighten foreign financing of its mosques, end the nomination of imams by foreign countries and withdraw permission for other countries’ control of native language courses, the Financial Times reported. The campaign by French President Emmanuel Macron, which arrives as he looks to elicit support from rightwing voters ahead of local elections in March, is aimed at fighting against what he calls “Islamist separatism” in some French
cities, it said. It is “unacceptable” for anyone to disobey the laws of the French republic in the name of a religion or a foreign power,’’ Macron said. “The republic must keep its promises, we must fight against discrimination, we must put meritocracy everywhere”. France’s language courses for 80,000 pupils learning Arabic, Turkish and other languages from their countries of origin, create “an important vector of separatism” given that many of the teachers
WORLD NEWS
did not speak French or care about French culture, the French president claimed. Many of the imams appointed to France, were linked to Salafism or the Muslim Brotherhood and “preach against the republic,’’ Macron said, adding that the country would “will train imams in France so they learn the language and the laws of the republic.” Macron said that France could not come to an agreement with Turkey over foreign teachers. “I still have hope, but if Turkey cannot come to terms, then France will provide this education itself,’’ he said. Turks living in France are French just like all other people living in the country, he said, adding, “Turkish laws are unacceptable on French soil.’’ France is home to 5.7 million Muslims. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has previously criticized Macron for his use of the expression “Islamic terrorism,” and Ankara has condemned a French draft law proposal adopted by Senate last year calling for mothers wearing the Muslim headscarf to remove them when participating in school trips.
UN Libya envoy says military factions ready to negotiate in Geneva The UN envoy to Libya said there was a “genuine will to start negotiating” between rival military factions as they began talks in Geneva aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire. However, Ghassan Salame told reporters that an arms embargo was being violated by both sides and that new mercenaries were still arriving Libya, where forces loyal to eastern based commander Khalifa
Haftar have been trying to take control of the capital, Tripoli, for the past 10 months. The talks in Geneva bring together five military officers from Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and five from forces aligned with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. Fighting has continued on the ground despite a call for a truce by
Russia and Turkey on Jan. 12 and an international summit on Libya in Berlin on Jan. 19 aimed at reducing international interference. Salame said the two sides were aiming “to bridge the gaps in their views on how the lasting, sustainable ceasefire can be organized on the ground,” Reuters reported..
www.pi-media.co.uk
Fancy being a volunteer news journalist? Interested then email us: info@pi-media.co.uk
16
I
WORLD NEWS
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
Anti-Muslim Trump praises Modi’s India as Muslims are beaten on Delhi streets
Throughout his two-day visit to India, US President Donald Trump heaped praise on the nation’s leader, Narendra Modi, and ignored a spasm of violence against Muslims unfolding on the streets of the Indian capital, New Delhi, prompted by the Indian prime minister’s sectarian policies. At least a dozen people were killed in New Delhi during Trump’s visit, Reuters reported, as mobs of Hindu supremacists and the police confronted Muslim protesters demonstrating against a new law that threatens their status as equal citizens, based on their religion. Trump nevertheless hailed Modi as a champion of “religious freedom,” even as the nation was gripped by images of Muslims being beaten in the capital, with the apparent assent
of the police, and video circulated online of Hindu extremists climbing the minaret of a mosque to pull down its loudspeaker and hang a flag depicting the Hindu deity Hanuman. The Reuters correspondent Devjyot Ghoshal reported that the Delhi police even seemed to encourage mobs of Hindu supremacists to attack Muslims with rocks, and stood by as the mob lit vehicles on fire. There was some coordination, too. “Go ahead and throw stones,” one policeman shouted to protesters backing the law, during one of the running battles. Why there weren’t more cops immediately deployed is a little puzzling.
Asked about the law introduced by Modi’s Hindu nationalist government that sparked the protests — and opens the door to treating India’s 200 million Muslims as second-class citizens — Trump refused to condemn it. “I don’t want to discuss that,” he told a reporter. “I want to leave that to India, and hopefully they’re going to make the right decision for the people.” As the violence intensified, Modi feted Trump with a series of lavish events apparently designed to appeal to his vanity, starting with a mass rally at a cricket stadium in Gujarat, where “Macho Man” was played in his honor. Trump then rewarded his antiMuslim host, and thrilled a crowd of Hindu nationalists, by saying that the United States and India were joined in a fight against “radical Islamic terrorism.” Speaking in Ahmedabad, Trump has declared that India is America’s “premier defense partner”, and that the two countries are “firmly united” in their “iron clad resolve” to defend their citizens against terrorism. Trump and Modi both attained political power by inciting hatred of Muslims. Modi was even banned from traveling to the United States for nearly a decade before he became prime minister, for his role in failing to stop a pogrom that left hundreds of Muslims dead in 2002, when he was chief minister of the state of Gujarat.
New Quran printing center to open in Kuwait
The director general of the Office for Printing and Publication of Quran and Sunnah in Kuwait announced that a new center for printing Quran will be opened in Sabhan district of the country’s Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate. According to menafn.com, Fahd Al-Daihani said that the project will
be implemented in cooperation with Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in the near future. He also said that the budget proposal of the office will soon be presented to Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce, the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly to be approved.
A proposal on buying and selling Quran copies will also be presented to be approved, the official stated. The budget specified for the Quran printing center is 12 million Kuwaiti Dinars and it will have the capacity to print about five million Quran copies a year, he went on to say.
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
WORLD NEWS
I 17
Netanyahu orders construction of new settlements in occupied West Bank
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the construction of some 3,500 new settlements in a contentious area in the occupied West Bank, defying international law. The construction plan, announced by Netanyahu was related to the so-called E1 area between the occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement that would bisect the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank. The project had since 2012 been frozen due to objections from governments around the world supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israeli prime minister also announced another controversial move saying he was reviving a
project to build 3,000 new settler homes at Givat Hamatos on the outskirts of East Jerusalem al-Quds, Press TV reported. Peace Now, an Israeli antisettlement group that monitors settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, said at the time that Netanyahu, who is currently leading a caretaker cabinet after two elections failed to produce a clear winner, lacked the required mandate to approve the controversial projects. Through using the settlement projects as a pre-election tactic, Peace Now said, Netanyahu is trying to secure his re-election at a third vote scheduled to take place on March 2. In reaction to the announcement, Palestinian presidential spokesman
Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Netanyahu’s decision was the result of the “biased and dangerous American policy in favor of the Israeli occupation,” and violated international law as well as the United Nations (UN) resolutions on settlements, specifically Security Council resolution 2334 (2016), which confirmed the illegality of the Israeli settlements. Abu Rudeineh said Netanyahu’s announcement had “crossed all red lines,” and he also called on the international community to act. The spokesman also said that the decision challenged the statement passed unanimously on Monday by the UN Security Council to refrain from undermining the viability of a two-state solution. Under a plan for the Middle East unveiled last month by US President Donald Trump, US would recognize Israeli “sovereignty” over all of alQuds as well as settlements in the occupied territories. Palestinians have also rejected Trump’s plan as a conspiracy. Emboldened by that support, however, Israel has stepped up its settlement construction activities in defiance of Resolution 2334, which pronounced settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds “a flagrant violation under international law.” Much of the international community regards the Israeli settler units in the occupied lands as illegal.
More than 1200 Jordan Mosques without Imams Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs, Amjad Al-Adayleh, revealed that there is a significant shortage in the numbers of imams at the country’s mosques. During a press briefing, Adayleh pointed out of 7100 mosques, 1284 mosques in Jordan are without imams or even servants, Roya
News reported. He also said the Council of Ministers has decided to increase salaries of workers at the Da’wah Fund, and under Article 305 of the Awqaf Ministry in two preaching jobs and mosque servants by JD25, similar to the salary hikes of workers in the public and private
In Case You Missed It
sectors. He said the number of beneficiaries is 1107 Awqaf workers, which contributes to improving their living standard. Jordan is an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River. It is a majority Muslim country with 97% of the population following Islam.
Contact: Editorial Team on 07506 466385, email: info@pi-media.co.uk
18I
SPORT
www.pi-media.co.uk I March 2020
Cricket: Bangladesh beat India to win under-19 World Cup
reached 170-7 for a three-wicket victory with 30 balls to spare. “This is the stepping stone for our future cricket,” Akbar said. “And this is just the beginning. We need to keep the momentum and the hungriness when we go to the senior side.”
Want to Advertise call us
India batted first and were restricted to 177 runs. Akbar Ali’s unbeaten 43 from 77 balls helped Bangladesh easily chase of a rain-revised target of 170 under the Duckworth-Lewis method. Skipper Akbar Ali produced a rearguard innings to guide Bangladesh to its first global cricket trophy with an upset three-wicket victory over India in the Under-19 ICC World Cup final. India batted first and were restricted to 177 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal led the scoring with 88 before his dismissal in the 40th over triggered a collapse, with India losing
seven wickets for 21 in eight overs. Avishek Das took 3-40 and Shoriful Islam returned 2-31 and produced a run-out. Bangladesh raced to 50 before losing its first wicket, and then collapsed to lose six for 52 as legspinner Ravi Boshnoi (4-30) ripped through the top order. Akbar Ali’s unbeaten 43 from 77 balls steadied the innings in pursuit of a rain-revised target of 170 under the Duckworth-Lewis method. Opener Parvez Emon contributed 47 on either side of an injury retirement and Rakbul Hasan hit the winnings runs as Bangladesh
07506 466 385
or email us at info@pi-media.co.uk
BUY ONE GET ONE FREE Offer ends 30 March 2020
Saudi Arabia said to be ready to bid $194m for Joshua-Fury clash Saudi Arabia has reportedly made a £150 million ($194 million) bid to host a heavyweight world championship fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. The Sun newspaper in the UK cited comments from Joshua’s promotor Eddie Hearn as saying the Gulf kingdom would be prepared to spend big to host the boxing event as it continues to make its mark on the global sporting map. Despite the money, Joshua is
understood to want the fight to take place in the UK if Fury snatches the WBC heavyweight title from US boxer Deontay Wilder on February 22. He was quoted as saying: “I think it has to be in the UK, to be fair, but I would never let a location get in the way of a mega fight. “The reason I always said I wanted Fury to win that fight is so we could put our fight on here but if he wants to do it in America then it
makes sense for Wilder to win and then we do that fight there.” Joshua reclaimed his world heavyweight crown from Andy Ruiz in December, outclassing the Mexican-American to score a unanimous points victory in Saudi Arabia. Billed as the “Clash on the Dunes”, the eagerly anticipated rematch marked the first time a world heavyweight title fight had been staged in Saudi Arabia.
CSKA Sofia fined over fan racism
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
CSKA Sofia have been fined 37,500 levs ($21,343) for the racist behaviour of their fans during their domestic league match against Tsarsko Selo on Saturday, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) said. Tsarsko Selo’s Congolese striker Dylan Bahamboula was subjected to racially abusive and insulting words by CSKA fans after scoring the winning goal in his team’s 2-1 win. Bahamboula was also fined 4,000
levs for reacting angrily and making an offensive gesture towards CSKA supporters. “I’m sorry about what happened,” the 24-year-old striker said. “But all of you heard what came from the stands. The football is for all, it’s not important whether you’re black or white. It also happened to me in Romania but nowhere else,” added Bahamboula, who played for Romanian club Astra Giurgiu in 2018.
SPORT I19
Saudi Arabia to launch women’s football league
Saudi Arabia launched its first women’s football league, the latest step in the Kingdom’s widereaching reform of its sport and entertainment sectors. The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) inaugurated the official Women’s Football League (WFL) at a launch event in Riyadh. The WFL will launch next season with matches being played in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. “The commencement of the Saudi Women’s Football League is one more major leap forward for the future of our country, our health, our youth, and our ambitions to see every athlete be recognized and nurtured to their fullest capability,” said SFA President Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud at the launch event. The tournament will be structured to have preliminary rounds in each region, the winners of which will go through to the WFL Champions Coup knockout stage for the chance to be crowned champions and win 500,000 Saudi riyals.
Emirates inks sponsorship deal with top French football club Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, and Olympique Lyonnais, one of France’s top football clubs, have announced a five-year sponsorship deal. Under the agreement, Emirates will become the club’s official main sponsor from the start of the 2020/2021 season. The iconic Emirates “Fly Better” logo will appear on the front of the team’s training kits and playing jerseys for all the club’s matches, including the French Championship
and European Cup until June 2025. In addition to being shirt sponsors, the agreement will provide Emirates with highly visible branding across Groupama Stadium, as well as hospitality, ticketing and other marketing rights. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group chairman and chief executive, said: “It has been Emirates’ long-standing strategy to engage and connect with our customers across the world through sports.
“This partnership is more than just a commercial deal, but also reinforces Emirates’ investment and economic contribution to both the Lyon region, and France as a whole, a country where we have been present for nearly three decades. “We are thrilled to have Olympique Lyonnais, a team that resonates with fans both locally and globally, join our prestigious football sponsorship portfolio.” www.pi-media.co.uk
Volunteer as a sport journalist? - Email us info@pi-media.co.uk
Passion Islam
I March 2020
ADVERT
I 20
Introduction to
Islam & Muslim Culture What is Islam? Who is Muhammad? Why do Muslims pray five times a day? Why is Islam the fastest growing religion in the world? This course will look how Islam came to Arabian Pennisula and its relationship with Judaism and Christianity. We shall also examine key Islamic doctrines such as monotheism, prophethood and eschatology. The Sunni-Shia sectarian dynamic shall be explored in light of the current developments in the modern age. Furthermore, the course shall explore the significance of the Qur’an as the sacred text and what impact it has on Muslims today. The evolution of the Shariah shall be explored along with its connection to the Prophetic tradition. This introductory course on Islam will be of particular interest to professional practitioners who wish to gain a better understanding of this much talked about faith.
pi
For more information or to book yourself on this or any other courses please email us at
info@pi-media.co.uk
www.pi-media.co.uk
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
We want to hear from you Text , WhatsApp or Email info@pi-media.co.uk or 07506 466 385
If you want to comment on anything within the publication or write for us or just get involved with PI, email us on info@pi-media.co.uk
FEATURED
I 21
Subscribe to a Hard Copy of PI Magazine Send in your Name, Address and 12 months subscription fee of ÂŁ12 (Cheques payable to Passion Islam, No cash in Post please)
PI Media, c/o PKWA, Off Manor Way, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7BX or pay us by bacs and email your details to info@pi-media.co.uk
Trash That Toxic Toothpaste
22
I FEATURED
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
By Moulana Khalid Dhorat
Before you brush this article aside as just one of those “funny fumigation facts,” I appeal to you to read it with an open mind so that it changes the way you approach your dental hygiene from now on. The fact that the majority of people uses a product or think in a certain way, doesn’t make it right. If a million people drink Coca Cola, did the product become any less harmful due it? No, it simply means two things: 1) Any product advertised enough, or any idea propagated enough, has the power to make an impact on one’s thinking and lifestyle, no matter how absurd it may
be; 2) The concept of majority is no criterion for reality or for religion, and nor does it alter the facts. It simply means that the majority of people have lost their ability to think. They have become gullible like sheep and cattle, who will blindly follow their leader, either to a steep gorge in order to fall to their death, or to a verdant green field to graze in peace. We have become, as the English saying goes “monkey see, monkey do.” So, if you feel that you will become the “black sheep” for trashing your toothpaste after reading this article, then remember that it’s
better to be a fool for a few years, than to be one forever. Conventional Toothpaste is Toxic Conventional toothpaste is toxic, and should be dumped at once. An average person uses about 200 litres of toothpaste in his/her lifetime, and even if you spit most of it out, some of the chemicals it contains make their way into your bloodstream. Remember that your mouth is one of the most absorbent places in your entire body, so you wouldn’t to take a chance with even a small bit of toxins therein. This is why some medications are administered sublingually, or beneath the tongue.
www.pi-media.co.uk
I March 2020
There are six main toxic ingredients right there in your bathroom in every tube of toothpaste. These are as follows: Triclosan: This is a supposedly an “antibacterial chemical” to help fight plaque and gingivitis, but it comes with a steep price. It may help a little, but triclosan has been linked to antibiotic resistanceand endocrine disruption. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals cause a wide variety of health problems, including breast, ovarian, prostate, and testicular cancer, pre-term and low birth weight babies, precocious puberty in girls, and undescended testicles in boys. With cancer being one of the most common modern-day killer diseases, do you want to use such toothpaste that will make you end up doing chemotherapy in a hospital? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): SLS is a chemical surfactant responsible for the foaming action in toothpaste. Lots of foam may give the impression of good quality, but it interferes with the proper functioning of your taste buds by breaking up the phospholipids on your tongue. This causes bitter tastes and is the reason why everything tastes so bad or your saliva dries up right after you’ve brushed your teeth. In addition, SLS has been linked to skin irritation and painful canker sores and is registered as an insecticide that has toxic effects on marine life, including fish, insects, and crustaceans. It’s so toxic that it has been actually shunned by organic farmers. If you want to kill your tastebuds or cause your salivary glands to eventually dry up, go on and use toothpaste. Be my guest. Artificial Sweeteners: Aspartameand other artificial sweeteners are often added to commercial toothpastes. Aspartame is primarily made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is normally transformed into methyl alcohol and the human body is biologically not equipped to eliminate it from your body. This methyl alcohol then travels through your blood vessels into sensitive areas, such as your brain, where it is converted to formaldehyde.
Symptoms from methanol poisoning include headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness, and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral disturbances, and neuritis. So, remember that the feel-good sweetness of your brush is nothing but an excuse to poison your nerves. Fluoride: It’s claimed that fluoride creates a protective covering over one’s enamel, but research has shown that it only creates a layer six nanometers thick. This is so minute that you’d need 10,000 of these layers to get the width of a strand of a hair! Besides contained in water, children swallow lots of fluoride during a typical brushing session. Fluoride is nothing more than industrial waste. Yes, I didn’t make a typing error there. It’s the goo found in industrial dumps that is so expensive to dispose off that the industrial hawks have found an easy way out: by just placing it in your toothpaste. Flouride actually weakens ones teeth and bones, causes thyroid problems and arthritis, and actually kills the essential vitamins and enzymes in your body. Fluoride ensures you will have a painful retirement, so please go on and destroy your health. Diethanolamine (DEA): DEA causes the lovely foam in our mouth, but it’s also known as a hormone disrupter and can react with other ingredients to form a potential carcinogen called NDEA (N-nitrosodiethanolamine). It has been linked with cancers of the stomach, esophagus, liver, and bladder. It is even used sparingly in cosmetics, so why should it still be used in toothpaste? Microbeads: These are tiny plastic pellets found in body washes, facial scrubs, and some toothpastes. Many times, these become trapped under your gums and gives food and bacteria an entrance to your gum line, actually causing gum disease. Alternatives It’s now time to now head straight for the bathroom and trash that toothpaste. Tooth decay has been
FEATURED
I 23
found many years ago in ancient people and animals that consumed no carbohydrates whatsoever, so we can’t only blame it on refined sugar, processed foods and not using commercial toothpaste. The latest research suggests that moderate amounts of omega-3 fats like krill oil will definitely help ward off tooth and gum decay. You’ll also want to make sure you consume a diet rich in fresh, whole foods, fermented vegetables, and grass-fed meats, which will ensure you’re getting plenty of calcium and minerals that are so important for strong bones and teeth. There are many herbal nonfluoride toothpastes available on the market today, so seek them out. If you don’t want to spend a few rands extra on them, then don’t allow your mouth to stink, make your own! The easiest recipe is to make a paste by mixing one tsp. baking soda, one drop peppermint or lemon essential oil, and a few drops of water together. To freshen your breath in between, simply squeeze some fresh lemon juice and a pinch of pink himaayan salt in water and gargle. You have now changed your toothpaste, so you might as well also change your toothbrush. Toothbrushes retain much bacteria which can only be rid by regular boiling, and no one besides the fabled tooth-fairy boils their toothbrush! Substitute it with a miswaak stick that needs to be regularly shortened to keep it hygienic all the time. A miswaak has many more benefits than any herbal toothpaste, but its greatest benefit is that by constantly using it, we will be pleasing our Lord and will die whilst reciting the shahaadah (testimony of faith), as per an authentic tradition. Our Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said that the reward of salaah (prayers) is multiplied 70 times if miswaak is used before it. In conclusion, remember the golden rule in health; “Whatever cannot go down your throat, cannot be also used on your teeth and skin.” wwww.pi-media.co.uk
Passionate about writing featured articles? Why not send them to us at info@pi-media.co.uk
Dealing with the
MEDIA This is a key training course on a step by step on how to deal with the media for community groups, faith organisations and individuals. The course talks about how to deal with pre media and post media news stories, what to write in a press statement and how to avoid awkward situations. The course also takes you through how print and broadcast media works and how they source news. The course is delivered by an experienced Broadcast Journalist
pi
This is a Day Course
Start 10am - 4pm
For more information or to book yourself on this or any other courses please email us at
info@pi-media.co.uk
www.pi-media.co.uk