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The World Can’t Ignore Kashmir

Issue: 137

September 2019

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Cities around Pakistan came to a standstill as thousands rallied in mass demonstrations protesting New Delhi’s brutalities in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) in the most ambitious public

protests targeting India in years. Sirens rang out across the country followed by broadcasts of the national anthems of Pakistan and Kashmir, while traffic ground to a halt for several

minutes in solidarity with the rallies. In the capital Islamabad, thousands gathered on Constitution Avenue in front of the government offices where Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed

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FCO speeds up planning to move UK embassy to Jerusalem

Following US National Security Adviser John Bolton’s talks with Boris Johnson and his ministers in London last month, FCO officials have been asked to speed up contingency planning for the UK to move its Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, with an eye to an “early announcement” post Brexit. The UK is currently bound by an EU common foreign policy position not to follow the United States in moving its Embassy to Jerusalem. As things stand, that prohibition will fall on 1 November. FCO officials had previously been asked to produce a contingency plan, but this involved the construction of a £14 million new Embassy and a four year timescale. They have now been asked to go back and look at a quick

fix involving moving the Ambassador and immediate staff to Jerusalem and renaming the Consulate already there as the Embassy. This could be speedily announced, and then implemented in about a year. Johnson heads the most radically pro-Israel cabinet in UK history and the symbolic gesture of rejection of Palestinian rights is naturally appealing to his major ministers Patel, Javid and Raab. They also see three other political benefits. Firstly, they anticipate that Labour opposition to the move can be used to yet again raise accusations of “anti-semitism” against Jeremy Corbyn. Secondly, it provides good “red meat” to Brexiteer support in marking a clear and, they believe, popular break from

EU foreign policy, at no economic cost. Thirdly, it seals the special link between the Trump and Johnson administrations and sets the UK apart from other NATO allies. Bolton also discussed the possibility of UK support for Israeli annexation of areas of the West Bank to “solve” the illegality of Israeli settlements on occupied territory. My FCO sources believe this is going to be much more difficult politically for the Cabinet to agree than simply moving the Embassy, due to lack of support on their own backbenches. This is an insight into the future of British foreign policy if the Johnson government, and the UK, both survive. In the massive defeat of the UK at the UN General Assembly two months ago over the illegal occupation of the Chagos Islands, the UK was in a voting block with only the USA, Israel, Australia, Hungary and the Maldives, against the rest of the world. The Maldives had a particular maritime interest there, but the leadership of the others – Donald Trump, Viktor Orban, Scott Morrison, Benjamin Netanyahu and now Boris Johnson – constitute a distinct and extreme right wing bloc. These are very worrying times indeed.

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the nation and vowed to continue fighting for Kashmir until the disputed Himalayan territory was “liberated”. “We are with them in their testing times. The message that goes out of here today is that as long as Kashmiris don’t get freedom, we will stand with them,” he said, while launching into a blistering attack on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comparing his administration to the Third Reich in Nazi Germany. “We have to understand the ideology of the BJP and RSS. The RSS believes Hindus are superior

to all others – their manifesto is to either force Muslims out of India or treat them as third-class citizens. The RSS rhetoric has captured India just like the Nazi party held Germany hostage,” he said. The premier said the entire world should have already taken a stand for Kashmiris but religion proved a decisive factor. “Unfortunately, the world tends to remain silent when those being oppressed are Muslims. The world’s reaction would have been much stronger if Kashmiris were not Muslims,” said PM Imran.

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He said India was planning a ‘false flag’ attack to escalate the situation but warned New Delhi that Pakistan would respond with greater force if that happened. “We are warning the world that India will do something grave in Azad Kashmir,” he said. “I want to tell you, Narendra Modi, that we will give a befitting response. Our armed forces are ready,” PM Imran told the rally. “The world needs to realise that India’s toxic ideology will eventually affect everyone. They can choose to stay silent right now but they will face the problem down the line. The international community must know that any conflict between two nuclear-armed countries will be destructive for the entire world,” said the PM. The premier asserted that Pakistan remains committed to highlighting the Kashmir cause at all international forums. “I am an ambassador for Kashmir and will do everything in my power to help my Kashmiri brothers and sisters. We will continue to speak to all world leaders and international media outlets to highlight Modi’s brutalities in IOK,” he said.

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No case for police to seize journalists’ notes from IS bride interviews 4

I UK NEWS

The Metropolitan Police has presented no “clear and compelling” grounds for seizing journalists’ notes from their interviews with ISIS bride Shamima Begum, the lawyer for media groups fighting the case in court said. The force wants full copies of edited and unedited recordings of interviews with Begum carried out by the Times and ITV News and the journalists’ full written notes made during or after the exchanges. Sky News was also represented in court but police are no longer seeking a production order against them after receiving an assurance that mere seconds of footage from their interview with Begum went unbroadcast. Begum was one of three girls who ran away from Bethnal Green in east London aged just 15 in February 2015 to travel to Syria and join the Islamic State terror group. She was not heard from for four years until Times war correspondent Anthony Lloyd tracked her down in a refugee camp in northern Syria in February this year. The teenager later gave interviews to other media outlets including the BBC, against which the Met is also seeking a production order. The BBC is not opposing the order in court. Gavin Millar QC, representing Times Newspapers, ITN and Sky, told the Old Bailey today that the Met had not presented a “clear or compelling” case showing why it could interfere with the journalists’ and media organisations’ rights under Article Ten of the Human Rights Act. Millar said: “We say there is no clear and compelling case, given

in particular the high public interest value of the journalism, which… is a very strong factor against any interference [by police] of the press by way of a production order. “The reports were of high public interest value as is apparent by the debate that has been provoked – public and journalistic debate.” Millar told the court the police “haven’t shown on evidence” that the unpublished comments of Begum to each of the journalists would be likely to be of “substantial value” to their investigation against her. Richard Horwell QC, representing the Met, told the court: “When evaluating a journalist’s article ten rights we submit that confidentiality, or the absence of it, is a very important ingredient and here there is no confidentiality.” The Times and Sky News both published what they described as the full transcripts of their interviews with Begum on their websites. However Horwell said the Times had published a 17-minute interview when it is known that Lloyd had a 22-minute recording on his phone. Horwell also said Lloyd spent 90 minutes with Begum and that it was “fatuous” to suggest nothing might be of interest to a police investigation was discussed during that time. He added: “[We are] not interested in how he [Lloyd] found her, how he got there, what sources he may have had, what route, whatever information, whatever suspicion. [We’re] not interested in that. It’s just her words.” Millar claimed the missing five minutes of Lloyd’s recording only contained introductions and formalities, adding: “The fact that there are other minutes in Anthony

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I September 2019

Lloyd’s phone that didn’t end up being transcribed and written up is unsurprising.” Horwell also argued that the first ITV News interview contained only Begum’s answers in the broadcast version and not the full questions and that to “evaluate the material properly the questions must be known”. Millar raised concerns regarding the “inhibitive nature of production orders on journalistic activity and especially journalistic activity which is neutrally observing and reporting on events in the public interest”. He said there was a balancing exercise to be done which “starts with the strong advantage to public interest journalists” who are “guaranteed high level protection from the courts for orders they don’t want to be made”. “That’s why there must be a very compelling argument and it has to be established on the evidence,” he added. “Police say it would be advantageous to hear the remaining material but that is not the test under article ten. “It has to be sufficiently important to justify ordering journalists to hand it over and nothing we have heard in this court… comes close to meeting that requirement.” Horwell dismissed the idea that journalists may be in danger if it became known that they had handed over material to the police. The case was heard by Judge Mark Dennis, who will give his ruling on 4 September. Begum was represented in court by Adrian Waterman QC who held a neutral position in the case on her behalf.

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UK NEWS

Rights group: UK ports vetting of Muslims ‘structural Islamophobia’

UK authorities have been accused of ‘structural Islamophobia’ for using controversial counter-terrorism methods at ports and airports, despite the minuscule rate of resultant convictions. Human rights group, Cage, submitted a report entitled: ‘Schedule 7: Harassment at Borders”, to the policing regulator, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, highlighting the ‘suspicionless stops’ by UK authorities as ‘structural Islamophobia’. Cage also wrote to MPs on the all-party group on British Muslims in order to spell out the extent of its concerns with so-called schedule 7 stops. A Cambridge University study concluded that 88% of those stopped under Schedule 7 were Muslim.

There is also growing anecdotal evidence that Muslim women are being forced to remove their headscarves when stopped, even though the rate that such stops lead to a conviction is 0.007%, according to Cage’s analysis of 420,000 instances. Tens of thousands of people were being subjected to “suspicionless stops” and “the practice is a manifestation of structural Islamophobia, which is experienced as harassment”, according to the Cage findings. Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 allows people to be detained at the border for up to six hours if law enforcement is concerned they could be engaged in terrorist activities. Detainees have no right to silence, must surrender their

phones, computers and passwords and provide fingerprints and DNA on request. The Home Office has failed to respond to freedom of information requests, which breaks down the number of people stopped by their religion, Cage noted in its report. Meanwhile, Muslims who were stopped at the UK ports and airports revealed that they were made to answer questions focusing on their religious beliefs, whether or not they pray frequently, if they fast and if they have been to Mecca, among other controversial inquires. UK authorities at ports and airports have long been accused of regularly expressing feelings of anxiety, fear, hostility and rejection towards Islam or Muslims. Such incidences of stereotype and racism have grown since the controversy that involved the UK’s new Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year, when he likened Muslim women who wear veils to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”. Meanwhile, experts say such suspicion toward all things Islamic, or seemingly Islamic, has given rise to the expression “flying while Muslim.” The scrutiny of Muslims at airports undermines their sense of respectability and complicates their sense of identity, which otherwise encompasses both a Muslim and British identity. www.pi-media.co.uk

Human right org says appointment of ‘biased’ prevent reviewer beggars belief

Liberty has responded to the Government’s appointment of Lord Carlile to lead the independent review of Prevent. The independent review was mandated under the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act as a result of sustained advocacy from Liberty. The Act passed into law earlier this year. Martha Spurrier, Liberty director, said:

“It beggars belief the Government has appointed a Prevent reviewer who is on public record saying he is biased towards it. “This confirms our worst fears about the Government’s lack of commitment to a root and branch assessment of Prevent. “After a secretive appointment process, the Government has placed responsibility for the review in the hands of someone who gave Prevent

the green light in the first place. “This exercise should be an objective and thorough scrutiny of the very premise of the Prevent strategy - which stifles speech, spreads fear and distrust, and encourages discrimination. That will be impossible under this reviewer. “This appointment will be a cause of dismay for communities whose lives are most damaged by Prevent legislation.

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Jewish Chronicle forced to apologise to Interpal

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In a significant move, the Londonbased Jewish Chronicle has issued an apology to the British charity Interpal, for defaming and libelling it in an article. The newspaper has also agreed to pay damages to the charity’s trustees. The Jewish Chronicle, which is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world, had claimed in an article on March 21, 2019, that Interpal is a “terrorist” organisation. Interpal, or to give it its full name the Palestinian Relief and Development Fund, is a British charity which primarily provides relief and development aid to Palestinian refugees in occupied Palestine,

Lebanon and Jordan. The Jewish Chronicle has form in libelling and defaming British Muslim organisations active in the charitable and relief sectors. In January 2014, the paper apologised and paid substantial damages to British relief agency, Human Appeal International, after falsely accusing it of supporting suicide bombings and of being a terrorist designated entity in the US. The poor behaviour of the Jewish Chronicle, and specifically its longstanding proclivity for defaming British Muslim institutions focussed on Palestinian suffering, speaks to a concerted Zionist disinformation campaign.

UK NEWS

The Jewish Chronicle is part of a broader Zionist lobby in the UK which feels it can behave with virtual impunity, especially in terms of attacking British-based proPalestinian groups. The Zionist lobby has been strengthened by the ascent of the hard right in the Tory party, as demonstrated by Boris Johnson’s cabinet, most of whose ministers are members of the Conservative Friends of Israel parliamentary group. Whilst the Jewish Chronicle has been forced to retreat in the face of irrefutable facts, the broader political context suggests that this is not indicative of a sustainable future trend. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Johnson has applied pressure on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to prepare plans for moving Britain’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. If true, this would be consistent with Johnson’s broader strategy of aligning British foreign policy with that of the Trump administration in the US. The new Tory government’s enthusiastic embrace of Israel will only embolden Britain’s Zionist lobby to go on the offensive against embattled British Muslim and proPalestinian organisations.

Burnley Muslims ‘joy’ over new burial plot Burnley’s Muslim community has said it is “overjoyed” following years of campaigning to have a new burial plot in the town’s cemetery created. After an initial disagreement with Burnley Borough Council, Muslim faith leaders in the town announced they had reached agreement with the council for the allocation of a new burial plot. The council’s recent proposed extension to the current site located at the southern part of the cemetery in Rossendale Road was

overwhelmingly rejected by the community as the site was deemed to be unsuitable and inappropriate due to it being situated on a slope and edge. Many also feared it was prone to running rain water and danger of possible landslide after graves have previously sunk in the ground making access to them difficult. At a recent meeting with the council, former and present Muslim councillors, community leaders and members of the Muslim community

who unanimously rejected the proposed temporary extension. The meeting voiced strong concern and dissatisfaction on Burnley Council over burial arrangements considered to be poorest in Lancashire. Simon Goff, Burnley Council’s Head of Green Space, informed the community that the council had found a more suitable location at a site meeting recently. www.pi-media.co.uk

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I September 2019

Independent inquiry planned into Islamophobia within the Tories

The Chairman of the UK’s Conservative Party announced the party will launch an independent investigation into Islamophobia within its ranks. Speaking to Sky News, James Cleverly said the probe would use a formal definition of Islamophobia

as its starting point, the Daily Mail reported. Interviewed by Niall Paterson on Ridge, Cleverly was challenged over a poll which suggested that a majority of Tory members thought Islam was a threat to the British way of life and was asked whether

there would be an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party. He replied: ‘The point is, we have always taken a robust line with people who have said inappropriate things, or inappropriate behavior, and we will always do that.’ ‘One of the things we need to get is the definition of that [Islamophobia], and so specifically on that point we will be guided by the formal definition of Islamophobia. ‘But the point is, we do and will always take firm action with anyone who steps outside the boundaries of appropriate behavior.’ He pointed out the company behind the shock poll did not have access to Tory membership lists so could not be sure the findings accurately portrayed Conservative members’ views. www.pi-media.co.uk

Leaked emails show Ukip leader comparing Muslims to Nazis

Richard Braine, the new Ukip leader, has been accused of whipping up religious tensions and anti-Muslim prejudice after leaked emails showed he argued that people should no more want Muslims to settle in their country than Nazis. Braine, who won the leadership after a campaign in which he expressed anti-Islam views, also suggested that non-Muslims needed to help Muslims to “cast out their demon” and argued there was no such thing as “moderate Muslims”. One email reads: “The nonsense of the moderate Muslim is trotted out repeatedly by so many people with good intentions, but wilful ignorance of Islamic teaching. There is no moderate Islam. Get

used to it. It’s a fact. When people talk about moderate Muslims they are making an error. It is like saying Hitler wasn’t such a bad fellow, quite a laugh actually, an entertaining speaker, a patron of the arts – he loved Wagner – he made the trains run on time, and just look at his smart uniforms. It is to ignore completely the ideology to which the person is religiously wedded.” He added: “You should no more apologise for a moderate Muslim, and wish him to settle in your country, than you should a moderate Maoist or Nazi.” The emails to associates were leaked to the Guardian from within Ukip because of alarm among some left in the dwindling party about its continued links with the far-right figure Tommy Robinson, whose real

name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Matthew McGregor from the anti-fascist campaign group Hope Not Hate said Ukip was now “the party of Tommy Robinson and antiMuslim prejudice”. “Despite all the chaos around Brexit, the party is mired at 1% in the polls. They’re seeking to stoke tension in communities in the desperate hope of regaining relevancy. It’s time for them to join previous failed far-right parties in the dustbin of history,” he said. Braine disputed the accusation that his comments were whipping up hatred against Muslims and took issue with the allegation that he was Islamophobic on the grounds that it was not irrational to have a problem with Islamic scripture.

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Belgium tests EU rules on halal and kosher slaughter

I WORLD NEWS

Flanders will test the limits of European law on animal welfare and religious freedom. It is the last year that Mohamed Bouezmarni can help sacrifice around 200 sheep in a southern Belgian slaughterhouse for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. From September 1, the Frenchspeaking region of Wallonia will be the second Belgian authority after Flanders to ban halal and kosher

slaughter as it moves to prohibit killing animals without prior stunning. The bans are the result of a long push by animal welfare activists, but Jewish and Muslim groups fear they are also a sign that the antiimmigrant sentiment of right-wing Flemish nationalists has captured Belgium’s political mainstream. Lamenting this impending legal obstacle to a festival that he describes as “the equivalent of

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I September 2019

Christmas,” Bouezmarni, the head of the Muslim association in the town of Arlon, feared that sacrifices could be driven underground. “Everyone will do it at home, or in some corner, hidden from view. I think that’s not [the animal activists’] aim,” he said. While traditional slaughter without stunning has already been banned in EU countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia, Belgium is turning into a critical test case of where the line lies in European law between animal welfare and religious freedom. Belgium’s Constitutional Court has called on the European Court of Justice to issue a judgment on the ban in Dutch-speaking Flanders, which was introduced on January 1. “I think that the anti religious slaughter bills are much more to do with two-legged animals, than four-legged animals” — Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis That court ruling should come within the next two years and set a precedent for the whole of Europe. www.pi-media.co.uk

Pakistan considering closing air space to India: Minister

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering a complete closure of air space to India and blocking Indian land trade to Afghanistan via Pakistan, the minister for science and technology said on Twitter. “PM is considering a complete closure of Air Space to India, a complete ban on use of Pakistan Land routes for Indian trade to Afghanistan was also suggested in cabinet meeting, legal formalities for these decisions are under consideration ... #Modi has started

we’ll finish!,” Fawad Chaudhry wrote. The tweet gave no more details on why Pakistan would be considering the moves against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government now. Officials were not immediately available for comment. Pakistan had reopened its airspace in mid-July after a nearly four-month closure imposed in February after an attack by a Pakistan-based militant group in Indian-controlled Kashmir led

to clashes between the nucleararmed neighbors. Each country carried out airstrikes on the other’s territory and warplanes fought a dogfight above the disputed Kashmir region in which an Indian fighter jet was shot down. The months of restrictions forced long detours that cost airlines millions of dollars. Modi’s surprise move this month to withdraw the special privileges of Muslim-majority Kashmir has also increased tension with Pakistan.

Muslims to become stateless in Assam, India www.pi-media.co.uk

I September 2019

WORLD NEWS

I 13

In Case You Missed It

Norwegian police thanked two senior Muslims who overpowered a suspected gunman planning to kill scores in an Afghan mosque in Baerum city. Mohamed Rafiq (65) and Mohamed Iqbal Jave (70) prevented alleged assailant Philip Manshaus from firing upon worshipers Al-Noor Mosque on Aug. 10, west of the capital Oslo.

Local police and Major Lisbeth Hammer welcomed them at the police headquarters, flowers in hand. Police chief Beate Gangas Krog thanked the two men for their bravery and said their heroic actions saved scores of lives. According to local news, the 21-year-old alleged gunman targeted Al-Noor Mosque on Aug.

10. Unable to enter the building, he began firing near the building’s back entrance. Rafiq and Jave intervened and overpowered Manshaus, who is also accused of killing his sister shortly before the suspected mosque attack. Manshaus faces murder and terrorism charges. www.pi-media.co.uk

No need for new law on halal certification in Malaysia: govt There is no need for the Malaysian government to formulate a new law relating to halal certification, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa. He said this was because there already exists a law to regulate the use of halal logo and certificate on products supplied to consumers, be it food or medicines, under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and

Consumer Affairs. “Those found guilty of misusing or manipulating Jawi script or halal logo on products (without valid halal certification) can be charged under the existing law, so there is no need for a new law,” he told reporters. The minister said this in response to the alleged instances where the Jawi script was used to confuse consumers on whether a

product is halal or permissible for Muslims to use. He said the public can always check with the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) on the halal status of a product as it is the sole agency involved in the issuance of halal logo and certificate in the country. www.pi-media.co.uk

Bosnia’s bid to form a new govt fails over divisions on NATO

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I September 2019

WORLD NEWS

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Belgium court rules against headscarf ban

The three members of Bosnia’s multi-ethnic presidency failed to break a 10-month deadlock on forming a new government amid deep divisions over the Balkan country’s bid to join NATO. A meeting between Bosnia’s Muslim, Serb and Croat leaders ended without an agreement because the Bosnian Serb member of the presidency, Milorad Dodik, was against a package that would also include adopting a plan that would move Bosniacloser to NATO membership. “As long as I’m a member (of the presidency) there will be no vote on ANP,” Dodik said, referring to NATO’s proposed Annual National Plan that lists a set of reforms a

country has to make to eventually become a member. “We were loud and clear, we will not vote for ANP and the next time they put it on the agenda we will again not vote for it,” said Dodik, a staunch pro-Russian who has been supporting the Kremlin’s bid to prevent NATO expansion in the Balkans. The Muslim member of the presidency, Sefik Dzaferovic, said that the “cause of all problems that we face today are unilateral attempts (by Dodik) to halt Bosnia’s road toward NATO.” “No one has the right to do that,” Dzaferovic said, calling Dodik’s actions “illegitimate” and contrary to the rule of law.

A court in Belgium ruled in favour of a schoolgirl and against the headscarf ban in the Flemish Region of the country. The school which the student had filed a case against is affiliated to a public body named GO! Education of Flemish Community. The body had decided to ban headscarf in all public schools affiliated to it in the Flemish Region of Belgium in 2013. The Court of First Instance in the eastern Leuven city ruled that the student can go to school by wearing a headscarf. Speaking to reporters, lawyer of the student said: “For my client, wearing a headscarf is a requirement to fulfill her religious duties. The judge decided that headscarf ban violates religious freedoms.” Last year, parents of 11 students had also filed a case against the ban in the northeastern Maasmechelen municipality and won the case.

Makkah Grand Mosque courtyard extension project completed

A project to add more than 3,000 square meters of courtyard space near to the Grand Mosque in Makkah has been completed. The extension to the area will help control the movement of crowds near the mosque, the General Presidency for the Affairs of

the Two Holy Mosques said. The expansion work involves the removal of a number of places designated for ablution and installing them under the stairs of the courtyard. Toilets have also been installed around the edges of the courtyard.

The project aims to increase the capacity of the Grand Mosque and its surrounding courtyards to provide the best service to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, deal with crowd control, and ensure the safety of visitors. www.pi-media.co.uk

Europe’s largest Mosque launched in Chechnya

I WORLD NEWS

Authorities in the Russian region of Chechnya inaugurated the largest mosque in Europe in a ceremony attended by local and foreign officials. With an area of 9,700 square meters, the marble-decorated mosque has capacity for more than 20,000 people and has been described by the Chechen authorities

www.pi-media.co.uk I September 2019

as the “largest and most beautiful” mosque in Europe. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said the mosque — located in Shali, a town of 54,000 just outside the regional capital Grozny — was “unique in its design, and majestic in its size and beauty”. The mosque’s grounds, planted with flowers and sprinkled with

fountains, can host an additional 70,000 worshippers, local authorities said. In 2008, Kadyrov unveiled the “Heart of Chechnya”, a mosque with a capacity of 10,000 worshippers in Grozny, a city that had been ravaged by two wars between Moscow and separatists after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.

website, one of the things he is going to take with him to space is a copy of the Quran. Al Mansouri will go to space aboard a Soyuz MS 15 spacecraft for an eight-day stay on the ISS before returning to Earth. Accompanied by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and

American astronaut Jessica Meir, Al Mansouri will carry out a number of scientific experiments before returning to Earth on October 3. During his stay in space, halal dishes will be made available for Al Mansoori, including canned halal food, balaleet, saluna and madrouba.

UAE astronaut to take copy of Quran to space The UAE’s first astronaut to go into space will take a copy of the Quran to space with him. Hazza Al Mansouri is the first astronaut from the UAE, and is currently preparing for his mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for the September 25 launch date. According to Sadi al-Balad

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I September 2019

WORLD NEWS

Muslim sue LA sheriff’s dept on religious discrimination in jail

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Three Muslim men are suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, alleging they were denied access to an observant diet and proper religious garments and texts, while the same accommodations were made for inmates of other faiths. The lawsuit, filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, argues that the Sheriff’s Department has engaged in a “systematic effort to disfavor Muslim inmates and their spiritual needs over those of inmates of other faiths.” The three men claim staff inside the Men’s Central Jail either delayed, or in some cases outright denied, their access to foods consistent with a halal diet, copies of the Quran or time for weekly prayer, according to the lawsuit. The men also contend deputies heavily scrutinized their knowledge of the Islamic faith before deciding whether or not they should have access to a halal diet. A spokesman for the county referred questions to the Sheriff’s Department, which did not respond to a request for comment. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department treatment of religious requests from inmates is egregious,” CAIR’s National Litigation Director, Lena Masri, said in a statement. “Our clients have had to resort to hunger strikes to get basic religious accommodations to practice their faith after their written requests and

grievances were repeatedly ignored and denied.” Joe Alfred Taylor III first requested that he be provided halal foods in February 2017, but a deputy told Taylor he was “not a Muslim,” according to the lawsuit. Taylor was quizzed about his knowledge of Islam several times, engaged in a days-long hunger strike and had access to halal foods approved and then revoked with little explanation between February 2017 and late 2018, the lawsuit contends. Two other inmates, Miguel Arciniega and Hugo Cortez, claim they endured similar treatment. In the lawsuit, Cortez said that when he answered questions about his faith with the “proper Arabic terminology,” a Sheriff’s Department sergeant told him “we’re in America and we don’t speak Arabic here.” The lawsuit also contends that while Muslims inside Men’s Central Jail are denied appropriate prayer times, access to religious attire and celebrations of certain religious feasts or days of observance, similar accommodations are made for inmates of Christian, Jewish or Buddhist faith. The men claimed Passover and Christmas celebrations were permitted inside the jail last year, but no such allowances were made for Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, according to the lawsuit. All three men remain in custody, said Carolyn Homer, a trial attorney

for CAIR. Court records show Arciniega was charged with murder in connection with a 2015 homicide and is awaiting trial. He was also charged with attempted murder in connection with jailhouse assaults allegedly carried out at the direction of the Mexican Mafia, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Cortez is awaiting trial on murder charges related to a 2011 slaying, jail and court records show. Taylor III was convicted at a recent trial, but Homer did not know what charges he had faced. The federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act protects the rights of prisoners to observe their chosen faith and grants them access to certain types of garments or diets, unless the need would compromise security. But police agencies in Southern California have repeatedly run afoul of the law.

Taliban says near ‘final agreement’ with US The Taliban said it was close to a “final agreement” with US officials on a deal that would see US forces withdraw from Afghanistan in exchange for a pledge that the country would not become a haven for other militant groups. Negotiations over how to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan have taken place in Qatar’s capital, Doha, where the ninth round of talks began. “We hope to have good news soon for our Muslim, independence seeking nation,” Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Doha said, Reuters reported.

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Salford City investigating racist slur made against Muslim fan

A Muslim man was abused by a middle-aged man, who said: “You haven’t come to bomb the place have you?” and then laughed, as they queued to purchase tickets for the Carabao Cup clash between Salford City and Leeds United. The incident took place outside of Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium on August 11 at around 10:00 am GMT. Speaking to Tell MAMA, he

consented to have his story shared anonymously to raise awareness of the incident, reported the Islamophobic and anti-Muslim abuse to staff who are investigating. Tell MAMA reported the incident to Greater Manchester Police on their behalf. The Muslim man felt targeted due to his beard, ethnicity, and thobe, which demonstrates the intersections

Khabib’s cousin to make UFC debut in Moscow PFL veteran Abubakar Nurmagomedov – cousin of Khabib – will make his longawaited UFC debut at UFC Moscow on 9 November. 29-year-old Nurmagomedov will face Germany’s David Zawada in a welterweight clash according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz. Abubakar Nurmagomedov (15-2-1), Khabib’s cousin, will make his UFC debut on Nov. 9 at UFC Fight Night in Moscow, per his manager Ali Abdelaziz. He will fight David Zawada. Abubakar likely would have fought in Abu Dhabi but was recovering from injury. Nurmagomedov’s promotional debut has been a

long time coming. The Dagestani combat sambo practitioner has been signed to the UFC roster since April. He reached the Professional Fighters League semi-finals in 2018, before withdrawing with a hand injury. Nurmagomedov boasts a record of 6-1-1 from his time at WSOF/PFL, 15-2-1 in total. Former KSW staple Zawada will be seeking his first win inside the Octagon against Nurmagomedov. UFC Moscow, otherwise known as UFC Fight Night 263, is set to take place at Moscow’s CSKA Arena on 9 November. www.pi-media.co.uk

between racialisation and religiosity. Non-Muslim men have faced racialised abuse and violence on the misperception that their appearance, including their ethnicity and beard, were indicators of the Islamic faith. He described the perpetrator as a white male, who was in his mid-tolate fifties. A spokesperson for Salford City spoke of their “immense disappointment”, and, in a statement to Tell MAMA, said: “We are hugely disappointed to learn of this, and it is being dealt with in cooperation with the relevant authorities. Salford City does not tolerate the use of racist or abusive language or behaviour and we will take relevant action against the person responsible in conjunction with Greater Manchester Police”. Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination charity, reported a 43 per cent rise in reports of racist abuse in English football, with 274 reports when compared to the previous reporting cycle, with an additional 99 reports of racist abuse online. www.pi-media.co.uk

Muslim kids from Batley recreate cricket world cup win

Mount cricket club from Batley will be appearing in a programme called ‘Game Changer’ which will be shown on Sky Sports cricket channel during the next Ashes test match. The programme will focus on recreating the final moments of the world cup final including the super over whilst including the tv commentary as well as the wild celebrations after winning the World cup.

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South Africa’s Hashim Amla retires from international cricket

in test runs for the country (9,282). “I learnt many lessons during this incredible ride, made many friends and most importantly shared in the love of a brotherhood,” he said in a statement released by Cricket South Africa (CSA). Amla struggled initially at test level, with his batting technique heavily questioned, but after a first test century against New Zealand at Newlands in 2006 he established himself as a key player in the South Africa set-up. He went on to top the International Cricket Council rankings for both test and ODI batsmen.

Amla finished as South Africa’s second highest run-scorer in test cricket behind Jacques Kallis and the third highest in one-day internationals behind Kallis and AB de Villiers. South Africa’s Hashim Amla on the left is escorted off the pitch during the World Cup cricket match between England and South Africa in London on May 30, 2019. South Africa’s Hashim Amla announced his retirement from

international cricket last month, bringing the curtain down on one of the country’s leading batting careers. The 36-year-old played international cricket for 15 years, scoring almost 10,000 test runs and close to another 10,000 in limitedovers internationals. He is the only South African to have scored a triple century in test cricket – a record 311 not out against England at The Oval in mid-2012 – and is second behind Jacques Kallis

Amla was appointed test captain in 2014 but gave up the job during England’s visit to South Africa at the beginning of 2016 when it was affecting his form “It is always sad to bid farewell to one of the true legends of the game, but at the same time this is rather an occasion to celebrate the richness that Hashim has brought to the game around the world both on and off the field,” said CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe. Amla will continue to play domestic cricket.

Al Ain FC handed EA Sports debut

Emirati outfit Al Ain FC is set to debut in EA Sports Fifa 20. The most successful club in the UAE has won a record 13 UAE Pro League titles, six President’s Cups, three Federation Cups, one Arabian Gulf Cup, a record five Super Cups, two Abu Dhabi Championship Cups, one Joint League Cup, the Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup, Gulf Champions Cup and AFC Champions League. And for the first time in the club’s

history, it will be able to add the inclusion into the next edition of the hit computer game, which is due to be released on September 27. The team was among the most requested by fans in the region and will feature the complete line-up as well as its unmistakeable purple kit. Hamad Nakhirat Al Ameri, managing director of Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club, said: “The addition of Al Ain FC in the upcoming EA Sports Fifa 20 is a

recognition of the hard work of our players and our management, and more importantly our incredible fans in the UAE and beyond. “Al Ain FC has the history, talent and record to make it one of the best clubs in Asia, and we look forward to showing football fans from around the world a taste our capabilities and the true potential of Arab football.”

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I FEATURED

By Moulana Khalid Dhorat

The weekend has kicked in and you have just shaken off all the tension of the week. Looking forward to a good time over the weekend, you head for your favourite sofa and slump on it with a glass of juice in your hand - relaxed, alone and casual. All of a sudden, you hear a “beep” on your smart phone. The message invites you to an internet site which promises to deliver unlimited amount of exciting and stimulating adult fun, for only £1 a day. Nervously looking around, you tell yourself: “Let me just register for a day, then I will unsubscribe.” This is the biggest mistake you can ever make in your life. Like gambling, drugs, smoking and alcohol, you can become addicted to pornography just by simple curiosity. Children in particular are most vulnerable, as they love to experiment with their bodies at a certain age. Even adults can be easily hooked if they are experiencing any type of emotional disturbance that day, something as small as a petty argument with his wife. It comes as no surprise, thus, that learners as young as eight,

have been caught on the school playground, selling porn to other children for £1 per 10 minutes on their smart phones. Surprisingly, some adults in their 70’s, routinely embarrass their great grandchildren by watching porn openly in the family living room. A study conducted in South Africa last month revealed that over 20 000 girls aged eight (8) became pregnant in 2012, pointing to the alarming fact that children are now becoming sexually active at a very young age. According to the Sunday Times (20th Oct. ’13), we now also have a new fashion amongst people who take nude pictures of themselves, often in provocative positions (a term called “Sexting”) and circulate them to friends all over the world. Ultimately these photographs fall in the hands of paedophiles who use these very same pictures to blackmail these kids when they become adults. Pornography is not only the most sellable commodity, it is the cheapest. Satellite TV channels offer you 24-hour pornography for just £10 per month. Out of an estimated 3.9 billion website pages on the

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I September 2019

internet, there are 460 million pages officially designated to hardcore pornography. This is about 16% of the entire worldwide web. Statistics show that almost 28% of all searches on the most popular search engine “Prof. Google,” relate to pornography, and one in every four downloads is pornography. Over 98 million people visit pornographic sites on an average month, 26% of whom are 45 or older. If these statistics are not sufficient to convince us of the sex-crazed world we are living in, we just have to look around us. No one can go to a supermarket without passing the magazine stand with the most popular magazines in full view: Playboy, FHM or Men’s Health. Fortunately, these magazines are wrapped in plastic, or else everyone would be queuing at the magazine stand for a free peek! The billboards on our highway have naked women on every second sign, especially the ones that advertise wristwatches and jewellery. These jewellery items are so small on the women that only after scrutinising the whole woman from top to bottom, you realise that you were supposed to see the watch on her hand, and not the pimple on her thigh! This year, the five-day Sexpo was even advertised six months before the time. After the popular pain-killer Paracetamol, tablets such as Viagra, Levitra, Cialis and Indiagra are the fastest selling, with customers as young as 16 using them frequently. Which occasion of ours is free from that hilarious dirty joke, and who wouldn’t die to become the next Miss World or at least, a model for the latest designer label? What is Pornography? Pornography is not a harmless

www.pi-media.co.uk I September 2019 pastime, but a dangerous addiction. intimate life. Pornography equals Essentially, it is a dirty fantasy that infidelity. Never video yourself in the makes one feel worthy only if one bedroom and never discuss your can perform like a crazy sex-machine private lives with anyone. Take down in bed. In order to achieve this all immodest pictures of yourself purpose, men and women ogle at from your WhatsApp profile pictures, explicit erotic scenes that not only Facebook and Twitter accounts, unnaturally stimulates oneself, but whether you are single or married. which increases in intensity over time Remember a porn addict never stays in order to achieve a better “high.” a porn addict. The person, maybe The Master Prophet Muhammad even your own husband or wife, (peace be upon him said): “When will go on to become a psychopath, modesty is lost, then you will an abuser, a rapist, an eventually do whatever fancies you.” Thus a serial-killer. This revelation is not pornography doesn’t end only with from the tassel of my topi, but it’s the viewing. An essential part of it is confession of Ted Bundy, the worst the degradation of women, who are serial sexual criminal in history, who treated as nothing but emotionless confessed to his pastor how porn led objects of men’s pleasure. In the him to become a crazed murderer, words of Helen Longino in his book just minutes before he was executed. “What is Pornography?”: “Their privates are fully exposed, whilst Harms of Porn those of men are not. They are often Porn has nothing to do with insulted, gagged, tied up, blind-folded improving one’s intimate life. Those or made to dress or pose in such few minutes of devilish pleasure will ridiculous positions so as to fulfil the alter your personality according to sick fantasies of men. In doing so, psychologists. This is how: they are depicted as “ever willing” to 1. Porn addicts feel that the be used, humiliated, and insulted; to purpose of life is to be sexually active slavishly obey any male order, even all the time. Such sickos are only if it means masturbation, bestiality, concerned with the physical part of masochism, and other smutty modes it. They have no clue on how to build which eventually leads on to rape, and sustain a meaningful relationship torture and mutilation…These women with a woman. In the words of Susan are then projected to have no care in Brownmiller in her book “Against the world – they don’t worry of AIDS, our Will”: “Our bodies are only used of pregnancy, or even themselves! It to bolster masculine esteem which is no co-incidence that with the free gets its kick from viewing females availability of porn, there has been as anonymous, adult dehumanised a corresponding increase in childobjects to be used, abused, broken molestation, rape and paedophilia.” and discarded...As the acts increase, Where does all this eventually it unknowingly create a neurological lead to? In the words of Dr Haroon circuit that imprisons their ability Sheik in his “Morality in Islam”: to see women rightly as created in “Porn is inherently anti-family. The God’s image” “booby-trapped” husband then 2. As the human body cannot expects his wife to perform his exotic withstand frequent loss of semen, fantasies like a rubber ball. His wife the body weakens and the nerves rightfully objects to behaving like a become unstable. Addicts as young sex machine. Acutely aware that her as 28 have been reported to be as figure is not like the latest pin-up, cold as a corpse next to their wives he is left frustrated and hungry to in bed; and many a time, this has satisfy his lust. What does he do? He led to divorce. A typical child addict searches for more explicit porn, more would neglect his school work, throw XXX videos, and finally ends up in a tantrums, become an isolationist and massage parlour or escort agency. would suffer from depression. As he Since he has constantly witnessed grows up, he will become controlling, the abuse of women in porn, he highly introverted, he will suffer from can not force his wife, girlfriend or anxiety attacks, have low self esteem children to do it for him, so he forces and will lack communication skills. a prostitute to do it.” I beg all couples never to accept Profile of the Victim pornography as a normal part of their If porn is so widespread, one

FEATURED I 23 can safely surmise that thousands of women are prepared to happily degrade themselves and destroy their reputation, only for the sake of money or acceptance in society. Such wicked women not only distort the image of their own species, but actually promote the idea that their only worth is in their hot looks, slim bodies and red lips. They have no other human attribute of worth. The naked body in its natural beauty and normal function, for them, is boring. Reality does not exist for them. They also do not mind the humiliation of their videos being distributed worldwide, many years after the act, in order to entertain complete strangers. As the vast majority of women do have a sense of decency, it is found that most people who do contribute to this filthy industry are abused children, maybe a child of incest or those who hail from a broken home or a home where it is normal for the entire family to parade themselves naked in front of each other. Islam is so strict in these matters that besides ensuring that one’s ‘awrah (certain body-parts) are covered all the time, children need to be separated in their beds as soon as they mature. An unstable home feeds an unstable society. Let those who are paying for porn in whatever way – by means of magazine subscriptions, internet sites, DVD rentals, downloads, cancel them immediately and start donating the money to their local Masjid. Destroy all shameless magazines and videos, and reformat your computers and smart phones. Repent sincerely and keep a copy of this verse in every corner of your house, office and car: “O Muhammad (peace be upon him), tell the believers to lower their gazes and protect their privates. This is purer for them. Verily your Lord is aware of your doings.” (Qur’an 24:30) Women addicts, put up the verse thereafter: 24:31. Finally, every man is entitled to be betrothed to a wife who will provide him with life-long, limitless, in-house, clean adult entertainment – all with due respect and responsibility. All this is available for a bargain: a once offpayment called mehr (dowry). Enjoy what’s in your plate. Don’t look over your shoulder.

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