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By Abu Ahmed
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The world’s media in recent weeks has descended upon the Muslim community living in and around Anderton Park Primary School in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, United Kingdom. A significant number of Muslim parents have been protesting daily in direct response to the school and its headteacher Sarah HewittClarkson forcing a diet of sexualising and gender-confusing material upon children young as four and five. Just this week, a parent was horrified to find that their son was told
by a teacher that they were required to wear a dress prior to attending school the next day. Yet at the same time, the headteacher decries to the world’s media that she is only teaching equality to her pupils.One may ask the question that were does it mention under the Equality Act 2010, The Sex Education Act 1996 or even the National Curriculum that a young Muslim boy must wear a dress to school the very next day! The answer is nowhere to all intents and purposes and more importantly does
not resemble teaching equality in the classroom. It also transpires that a substantial number of parents have written to Clarkson and sought withdrawal from sex education classes a right given to them by state under s.405 of the Education Act 1996 and that right has been denied repeatedly which in turn has pitted some in the community against the school in question. Clarkson the avowed militant is undoubtedly saying to the parents that she does not care
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how they feel and has scant regard for their religious and cultural viewpoints. Clarkson is telling the Muslim community it is my way or the highway and that I am not backing down because the LGBT agenda needs ramming down your throats. These words which are not designed to be sugar-coated aim to tell the reality of the present situation on the ground. It should be said that Clarkson is breaking the law as she has deprived the parents the right to withdraw from sex education class (disguised as equality classes), a right enshrined in the Education Act 1996. Parents affected by this would be advised to contact their lawyers with a view to having their rights upheld as per the law. This narcissist, nihilistic and perverse ideology is being pushed by Clarkson with support from the LGBT lobby with the aim to diluting and sanitising the Muslim faith which comes hot on the heels of the Trojan Hoax scandal that engulfed the Muslim community a few years ago. It seems that after even post-Trojan Hoax, several agencies still have a desire to destroy the religious and cultural values and fabric of the Muslim community. Let us make it clear that the racist and toxic and Islamophobic PREVENT strategy will never focus on the threat on White Far Right but will always focus its gun on the Muslim community. The RSE Regulations 2019 and the No Outsiders programme designed by high priest Andrew Moffat have several aims in mind. Firstly, the state and its
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associated agencies aim to feminise boys or make them effeminate so that when they become adults, they will be not be attracted to so called extremism and radicalisation. Furthermore, there has been a concerted and co-ordinated effort to encourage young Muslim children to sing and dance in schools and community halls up and down the nation which is a further sign that outside agencies are seeking to dilute the faith through the promotion of practices deemed as innovation. Corrupting and sexualising children young as four in schools serves an excellent proposition for the state in that when they grow up, they will hopefully not even recognise their culture let alone their faith and moreover hate it for what it is. The RSE agenda is not about equality or teaching young children about different relationships but is an extension of promoting a godless society. It should be said successive governments refused to allow for the teaching of creationism in the classroom but more than happy to teach evolution. Some may ask why the teaching of evolution has been prioritised and the answer lies in promoting a godless society through discounting the existence of God. Damian Hinds, the Secretary of State for Education has shown himself to inept and feeble over this crisis that started at the school gates of Parkfield which has now been extended to Anderton Park Primary School. Furthermore, the Department of Education (DfE) is undoubtedly the nerve centre for immorality through the production of RSE guidance that
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is so vague and incomprehensible for anyone to implement in the classroom. Hinds has been sitting on the fence for too long and he and his advisors have failed to realise that the implementation of the guidance found in the RSE regulations will sexualise and indoctrinate children of primary school age. The age appropriate argument at primary school level used by Hinds is a red herring designed to absolve him and his feckless advisors of any blame. It should be said that Hinds still has an opportunity to resolve the crisis engulfing schools in Birmingham and beyond is by reinstating the parental right to withdraw from RSE classes after September 2020 but do not hold your breath because the government has very little time for Muslims judging by their denial of the existence of Islamophobia. Parents who are concerned about their children being sexualised in the classroom do have the right to withdraw their children until September 2020 under s.405 of the Education Act 1996 and should do so in writing to the headteacher of the school in question.
Have you or your family been affected by PREVENT? If you have, then get in touch with PI by emailing us at info@pi-media.co.uk
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Muslim Council of Britain requests investigation into Tory Islamophobia
Britain’s Conservative Party should be investigated by a human rights watchdog over allegations of Islamophobia, the Muslim Council of Britain has said. In a letter to the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the body’s secretarygeneral, Harun Khan, said he believed there is ‘sufficient evidence’ to suggest there is a ‘prima facie case to answer of systemic unlawful acts’ by the party. He claimed there is a ‘tolerance for Islamophobia at the highest levels’ of the party, and an ‘atmosphere of hostility’ towards Muslim members. Khan said around 150 representatives and members
of the party have ‘engaged in Islamophobia’, and accused those responsible for handling complaints of demonstrating a ‘callous attitude’ – and said the party has ‘denied’ there is a problem. ‘Any one of these charges should be sufficient to indicate a serious problem,’ he wrote to EHRC chief David Isaac. ‘Taken together, this has led to there being a situation where members of the party, and prospective members from a Muslim background specifically, have felt and publicly stated that there is an institutional problem of Islamophobia, where racism against Muslims is not dealt with other than where there is a media spotlight on the issue.’
He added: ‘Despite the escalation in the number of cases of Islamophobia, there appears to have been no change in the approach taken.’ He said he hopes that the EHRC will be able to ‘launch a formal investigation into this presumed breach of the Equality Act’, and identify ways to rectify ‘this serious issue within the governing party of this country’. Criticism of the Conservative hierarchy’s response has been led by former Tory chairwoman Baroness Warsi, who has called for an independent inquiry into ‘institutional’ Islamophobia in the party. Shadow equalities minister Naz Shah said: ‘The letter of complaint from the MCB highlights the deeprooted nature of Islamophobia within the Conservative party. ‘The countless evidenced examples and failure to swiftly deal with the problems shows us how the problem is not just about a few members sharing hateful views, but about institutionalized Islamophobia that exists right at the top and trickles all the way down. ‘Only last month, the Conservative party ignored calls from large sections of the Muslim community to adopt the APPG definition of Islamophobia, and instead decided it should be down to two experts to draw up a definition for British Muslims.’
Glasgow approves ‘Mosque of Light’ revamp Plans have been approved for a renovation of the oldest mosque in Glasgow, Scotland. ‘Masjid Noor Mosque’, otherwise known as the ‘Mosque of Light’, will receive a 1309 square meter extension providing a new entrance and prayer hall. A private garden courtyard space will also be created. Inkdesign, the architects behind the project, said the design retains the current two story height, with some double height spaces for the main areas of worship, and a tall Minaret adjacent to the building.
The design concept focuses on flooding light into the building – by day natural light will reflect onto the external structure, with the Prayer Hall set to also glow at night when the impressive ‘golden box’ design is illuminated. Lead architect Maurice Hickey, added: “The client recognized that there was a need for the current mosque to be upgraded and provide additional facilities to serve the community. We translated this into a contemporary design that creates a strong vision for a mosque in the 21st Century.”
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PM calls on Britain to recognize sovereign Palestinian state
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on Britain to implement its parliament’s recognition of the Palestinian state on the ground. British move “will be so important in light of Israel’s intention to annex parts of the West Bank,” Shtayyeh said in a statement after meeting with a British parliamentary delegation in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
He also urged Britain to send a technical team to Palestine to investigate the Israeli deduction of Palestinian tax revenue dues, Press TV reported. Back in October 2014, the British Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of the government recognizing Palestine as a state. The ayes had it when 274 MPs voted to adopt the non-binding motion and only 12 voted against it.
The original motion stipulated that “this House believes that the government should recognize the state of Palestine alongside … Israel.” Then Labour Party legislator Grahame Morris said recognizing a Palestinian state could help break the impasse in peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Tel Aviv regime before it was too late. Conservative lawmaker Nicholas Soames also said that “to recognize Palestine is both morally right and is in our national interest.” Britain does not designate Palestine as a state, but asserts it could do so at any time if it believed it would help the long-stalled talks peace process between the Palestinians and Israel. The last round of IsraeliPalestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel’s continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories. Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
Tributes paid to Lord Adam Patel Tributes have been paid to Labour peer Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, who died last month aged 78. MP Keith Vaz described the Gujarati-born father of eight, who was made a life peer in 2000, as “Labour’s northern rock”. Rashid Mogradia, of The Council of British Hajjis, described him as “a formidable businessman and a community champion”. The peer’s funeral has been held in Blackburn. Lord Patel, known locally as Lord Adam, came to Blackburn in the 1960s to study accountancy at Blackburn College after graduating from the University of Baroda in Gujarat State, India. The town’s former MP, Jack Straw, a former foreign secretary, said he had no hesitation in nominating him for a peerage,
adding: “I’ll never forget his joy, and that of his family, when he was formally ennobled in February 2000.” He said Lord Patel was “wise, very intelligent, replete with integrity, and completely committed to honouring his faith and to making Britain a better place for everyone”. Lord Patel served as director of the East Lancashire Training Enterprise Council, president of Lancashire Council of Mosques, vice-president of the Blackburn Community Relations Council and chairman of The Council of British Hajjis, which looks after the interests of Muslims going on pilgrimage to Makkah. Keith Vaz said: “Adam Patel’s life embodies the very essence of the journey taken by so many British Asians since their arrival in the UK.
“He was Labour through and through but also kept his deep roots in the British Muslim community of the north-west even after he entered the House of Lords. “His desire to help everyone who needed it frustrated his large family circle who had to cope with people visiting his home well after midnight. “He was loyal, devoted to family, strong and dedicated to his causes.” Dame Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said Lord Patel was a “great man.” The MP, who worked with him when she was leader of Lancashire County Council in the 1980s and 90s, added: “Adam was a tireless advocate for the community.” Providing halal meat in schools and ensuring Muslim burial requirements were respected were two of his many achievements.
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Children whitening skin to avoid hate crime, NSPCC finds
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Children are whitening their skin with make-up to avoid being bullied or racially abused at school, according to charity NSPCC. Its research suggested racial abuse and bullying of children had risen by one-fifth since 2015-16. There were over 10,500 race hate crime offences against children across the UK in 2017-18 - an average of 29 a day. A 10-year-old girl told NSPCC she “tried to make her face whiter” as
others described her skin as “dirty”. The girl who called Childline to discuss her distress said: “My friends won’t hang out with me anymore because people started asking why they were friends with someone who had dirty skin. “I was born in the UK but bullies tell me to go back to my own country. I don’t understand because I’m from the UK. “I’ve tried to make my face whiter before using make up so that I can
fit in. I just want to enjoy going to school.” An 11-year-old Asian child also told the helpline that she tried to change the way she looked by using eyeliner. “I’m being bullied at school because I’m Chinese. The other kids say that my skin is yellow, call me names, and it gets me really down,” she said. “I’ve tried to change the way that I look by using eyeliner so that I fit in more. I don’t want to tell my parents because I think it would upset them.” While a 16-year-old girl from a Muslim background said: “People call me a terrorist and keep telling me to go back to where I came from. “I dress in traditional Muslim clothes and I think it singles me out. “I usually just put my head down and get on with it but it’s getting to the point now where I genuinely feel like I might get attacked.” Research by the NSPCC suggested the number of hate crime offences recorded by police against under-18s went from 8,683 in 201516 to 9,752 in 2016-17. The figure then rose to 10,571 in 2017-18. The charity requested data from all UK police forces under the Freedom of Information Act, receiving figures from 38 out of 45.
After entering Syria to allegedly fight IS, Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) is now in Libya on a mission to “capture or kill” the leader of IS group who has apparently fled to the North African country, according to a new report. The Daily Express said that RAF fighter jets were searching for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Libya, where he is thought to be hiding after being purged from territories controlled by IS in Syria. The report said British fighter jets, along with aircraft operated by Italian and US militaries, were carrying out round-the-clock sorties in search of the ABB, the code name being used to identify Baghdadi as a target. It said anyone killing or capturing the IS leader would receive $25million
(£19million) as a bounty on his head. The RAF jets are being scrambled from Waddington in Lincolnshire, in eastern England, to collate signals and intelligence on individuals and groups who might support the 48-year-old IS leader. It is not clear how a coalition of Western military forces has decided to launch the search for IS leader in Libya, an oil-rich country beset by years of violence which started after a popular uprising and the NATO military alliance’s intervention in 2011 to topple former dictator Muammar Gaddafi. British authorities believed there are some “reliable” intelligence from within Libya proving that Baghdadi had been in the country after escaping Baghouz in Syria, where he was
subject to a plot from people in his inner circle to kill him. “It is reliable intel, but it needs to be verified,” said a military source, adding, “The air component operation is delivering high-grade intelligence and we can map names and groups to people we known that have been or are part of ABB’s inner circle.” However, Daily Express said similar operations were ongoing in neighboring African countries were militant groups with close affiliation to IS could have sheltered Baghdadi. A recent video of Baghdadi showed him praising his fighters and their battle against the “apostates” in various parts of the world. He has also praised attacks on churches in Sri Lanka which killed over 250 people.
UK in Libya ‘hunting IS leader
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Removing Shamima citizenship was politically-driven, say family hemisphere,” it added. In interviews with Ms Begum she has asked for forgiveness and portrayed herself as a stay-athome mother. Some reports have painted her as a violent “enforcer” responsible for ensuring people abide by ISIS’s strict rules. At 15 she married a 23-year-old Dutch ISIS fighter and as a result is a victim of statutory rape, said her family. Ms Begum’s sister, Renu, said Mr Javid has stolen any “hope that we could rebuild something of our family”.
Britain’s interior minister Sajid Javid deprived Shamima Begum of her citizenship to bolster his bid to become prime minister, the ISIS member’s family has claimed. Ms Begum was a “pawn to” Mr Javid’s vanity when he took the “unilateral” and “unprincipled” decision to render the 19-year-old stateless. “Your act represents the most profoundly egregious, capricious and politically-driven abuse of power,” lawyer Mohammed Akunjee wrote in a letter to the interior minister on behalf of the family. Local authorities were also slammed for failing to stop Ms Begum from being “groomed” to become “a child victim of trafficking” when she left the UK in 2015 for Syria with two friends to join the terror group. Ms Begum is one of thousands of female ISIS members residing in displacement camps in Northern Syria, following the capture of the last remnants of the terror group’s territory. She was found heavily pregnant by journalist Anthony Loyd on February 13 but less than a week later had her citizenship withdrawn on the grounds she was a threat to the public and mistaken belief she was a British-Bangladeshi dualcitizen. The baby has since died from pneumonia amid squalid conditions in the camps.
“The decision to strip Shamima of her British citizenship was an unprincipled, knee-jerk reaction to the media furore generated by her speaking of the unedifying realities of living in ISIS controlled Syria,” said the family in a letter carried by The Times. Ms Begum has never visited Bangladesh or applied for citizenship. The country’s foreign minister has said people found guilty of terrorism charges would be hanged. In Mr Akunjee’s letter he said Ms Begum’s parents had not been told she had been interviewed at school by police after a friend went to Syria. If they had been informed, it is claimed the family could have prevent Ms Begum going to join ISIS soon after. “Due to systemic failures in child safeguarding, she managed to travel to Syria from her home in London using a British passport,” said the family’s letter. Similarly Mr Javid was asked why Ms Begum and her friends were not referred to a de-radicalisation programme despite authorities knowing the friend was likely to have joined extremists in Syria. The friend “groomed” and “brainwashed” Ms Begum, said the letter. “To date no serious case review of the circumstances around the handling of the three girls matter, arguably the worst case of child radicalisation in the western
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‘Egg Boy’ gives donations to Christchurch survivors 12
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An Australian teenager who became a viral sensation after cracking an egg on the head of a far-right senator has donated around £55,000 to survivors of the New Zealand mosque attacks. Will Connolly, 17, became known as Egg Boy after being filmed splattering Fraser Anning during a press conference in March. The 69-year-old politician had sparked widespread anger a day earlier when he said Muslim migration was to blame for the Christchurch shootings, in which a
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white supremacist killed 51 people at two city mosques. Footage of the egging showed the senator then retaliating by punching his smiling teenage antagonist. Now Will, a Melbourne-based student, has revealed he has donated some A$100,000 (£55,000) raised in the aftermath of the incident. The money comes from two GoFundMe pages set up by other people to cover his potential legal fees and to “buy more eggs” with.
Because police have said they will not press charges – the teenager received an official caution instead – Will has chosen to pass the money to the Christchurch Foundation group and Victims Support charity. Revealing the decision in an Instagram post on Tuesday, he wrote: “Finally!!! After a huge amount of red tape, $99,922.36 has today been transferred... “I decided to donate all monies to help provide some relief to the victims of the massacre. It wasn’t mine to keep. “To the victims of the tragedy, I wholeheartedly hope that this can bring some relief to you.” A spokesperson for Victim Support confirmed receipt of the payment, saying: “Every cent pledged has and will continue to be distributed to the victims.” For his part, Mr Anning refused to withdraw his comments on Muslim migration even after a petition signed by 1.4 million people asked him to do so. He failed to win a new term in the senate at Australia’s general election on 18 May.
as Italy, France, and Germany. The event was organised in collaboration with the Malta Islamic Finance Association, MIFA. The Maltese government has expressed significant interest in Islamic finance due to its strategic geographical location in the Mediterranean region, between Europe and North Africa, as well as its longstanding ties with the Arab and Muslim worlds. Commending MIFA’s efforts in introducing Islamic finance in Malta, Saeed Mubarak Kharbash Al
Marri, Deputy CEO of Strategy and Planning at DIEDC, noted that the roundtable provided a platform to share Dubai’s success in boosting Islamic economy’s contribution to the Dubai GDP. Through the roundtable, Dubai’s Islamic Centre also assured Maltese participants of its full support and cooperation as well as the support of other Dubai-based stakeholders, such as Emirates NBD, Nasdaq Dubai, S&P Global, and leading sharia scholars and lawyers. www.pi-media.co.uk
Dubai Islamic Economy expands European reach A roundtable in Malta has provided Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, DIEDC, an opportunity to expanding the footprint of Islamic economy in Europe, as well as exchanging knowledge and expertise in the Islamic finance field, and enhancing bilateral relations. The participants also discussed Malta’s potential to become a key Islamic finance hub in Europe, considering the presence of substantial Muslim communities in Central European countries, such
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$6B from IMF to in debt Pakistan
Pakistan will get $6 billion from the IMF over the next three years to meet its foreign debt obligations, the country’s adviser on finance said on state television, after signing the agreement. Pakistan’s adviser on finance said that foreign loans have exceeded $90 billion, and exports have registered a negative growth over the past five years. “So Pakistan will get $6 billion from the IMF, and in addition we will get $2 to $3 billion from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in the next three years,” said Abdul Hafeez Shaikh during the broadcast. “The trade deficit reached $20 billion and our foreign exchange
reserves have dipped by 50 percent in past two years. So we have a $12 billion gap in our annual payments and we don’t have the capacity to pay them,” he added. The IMF said that its team reached an agreement on policies that could be supported by a 39month Extended Fund Arrangement (EFF) for about $6 billion. “The programme aims to support the authorities’ strategy for stronger and more balanced growth by reducing domestic and external imbalances, improving the business environment, strengthening institutions, increasing transparency, and protecting social spending,” said Ramirez Rigo, head of the IMF
delegation, in a statement released. A government report published said that Pakistan’s growth rate is set to hit an eight-year low. A report by Pakistan’s National Accounts Committee forecast growth of a mere 3.3 percent in the current fiscal year against a projected target of 6.2 percent. Analysts have warned that any fresh IMF deal could come with restrictions that would hobble Prime Minister Imran Khan’s grand promises to build an Islamic welfare state. Discontent is already growing over the measures the government has taken to fend off the crisis, including devaluing the rupee by some 30 percent since January 2018, sending inflation to five-year highs. The United States has warned that it will be watching closely to ensure Pakistan does not use IMF money to repay debts to China, which has poured billions into the country for infrastructure projects under its Belt and Road Initiative. Pakistan has had 21 bailouts since it joined the IMF in 1950. Its most recent loan was issued in 2013, worth $6.6 billion. The United Arab Emirates, Pakistan’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and a major investment source, recently offered $3 billion to support the battered economy.
PM Imran Khan focuses on tackling Islamophobia in his speech at OIC Leaders from across the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) met in Saudi Arabia on 1st June for the 14th session of the Islamic Summit, which follows two emergency Arab meetings the night before in Makkah criticising Iran’s behavior and influence in countries like Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. The Muslim leaders discussed a breadth of critical issues, ranging from a spike in tensions in the Persian Gulf, to Palestinian statehood, the plight of Rohingya refugees and the growing threat of
Islamophobia. Prime Minister Imran Khan was among the leaders who spoke at the summit. The premier started his maiden speech at the OIC by raising the issue of Islamophobia: “When someone from the West blasphemed our Holy Prophet (PBUH), I always felt the response from the Muslim Ummah and OIC was lacking.” “The OIC — us heads of states — owes a responsibility to the Muslim world [...] when somebody
blasphemes our Prophet (PBUH), it is a failure of the OIC that we have not been able to explain to the other countries the love and affection we feel for our Holy Prophet,” said Prime Minister Imran. “Some western countries are suffering from Islamophobia. The West should differentiate between moderate Muslim and extremist Muslim.” “The international community has to respect the feelings of more than 1 billion Muslims,” he added. www.pi-media.co.uk
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Israel to construct over 800 new settler units in East Jerusalem
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Israeli officials are planning to construct hundreds of new housing units in East Jerusalem al-Quds irrespective of international outcry against the Tel Aviv regime’s land expropriation and settlement expansion policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported that 460 settler units will be constructed in Pisgat Ze’ev settlement, while another 345 will be built in Ramot neighborhood in
the northern part of East Jerusalem al-Quds. The report added that plans for the construction of the settler units had been approved two years ago. Meanwhile, dozens of extremist Jewish settlers have stormed an agricultural land in the al-Tira neighborhood of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem alQuds. An informed source, speaking on
condition of anonymity, said the settlers performed prayers as well as acts deemed provocative by Palestinians, triggering clashes with local residents. Israeli forces fired teargas canisters and stun grenades to disperse the crowd. There were no reports of casualties. About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions. Less than a month before US President Donald Trump took office, the United Nations Security Council in December 2016 adopted Resolution 2334, calling on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem” al-Quds. Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. www.pi-media.co.uk
ahead with work on proposals for an Israeli-Palestinian solution. Greenblatt, who along with Trump´s son-in-law Jared Kushner is drafting the peace proposals, said it was time to “start a conversation about planning the transition of UNRWA services to host governments, or to other international or local nongovernmental organizations, as appropriate.” Founded in 1949, UNRWA provides education and health services to some five million Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem The agency has long been a thorn in Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu´s side and he has called for UNRWA to be shut down, arguing that it is antiIsraeli and perpetuates the refugee problem. The United States will hold a conference in Bahrain on June 25-26 focused on the economic aspects of the peace plan that Greenblatt said has the “potential to unlock a prosperous future for the Palestinians.” The Palestinians have rejected the US peace plan and cut off contacts with the Trump administration after it recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, ignoring Palestinian aspirations for a future state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
US calls for dismantling UN Palestinian refugee agency The United States called for dismantling the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, weeks before unveiling the economic aspects of its longawaited Middle East peace plan. Addressing the UN Security Council, US adviser Jason Greenblatt said UNRWA was a “bandaid” and that it was time to hand over services assured by the UN agency to countries hosting the Palestinian refugees and NGOs. “The UNRWA model has failed the Palestinian people,” Greenblatt told the council. Last year, President Donald Trump´s administration cut all funding to UNRWA, arguing that it was flawed as Washington pressed
Taliban and Afghan progress talks in Moscow 16
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A Taliban official says “decent progress” has been made at talks with a group of senior Afghan politicians in Moscow, but there is no breakthrough and further talks would be needed, Russian news agencies reported. The Taliban delegation, led by chief negotiator Mullah Baradar Akhund, met Afghan politicians, including senior regional leaders and candidates planning to challenge President Ashraf Ghani in this year’s
presidential election, as diplomatic efforts to end the 18-year-long war gather pace. The Taliban insists that international forces must leave Afghanistan for peace to be agreed. “The Islamic Emirate wants peace but the first step is to remove obstacles to peace and end the occupation of Afghanistan,” Baradar said, appearing openly on television in what appeared to be a calculated move to establish his legitimacy as
one of the main public faces of the Taliban. The meeting in Moscow was opened by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said that his country sees peace as the only possible scenario of settlement in Afghanistan. Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Taliban delegates reiterated their position that no ceasefire could be possible while foreign forces remained inside Afghanistan. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Taliban’s political chief, said “no other option” was possible. Taliban officials have been talking to US diplomats for months about the terms of withdrawal of more than 23,000 US and NATO coalition troops from Afghanistan. They have reached a draft agreement on some issues, but no new date for the next round of talks has been set and many obstacles remain. The Taliban’s refusal to deal directly with President Ghani’s govt in Kabul, which the group dismisses as a “puppet” regime.
Doha urges Riyadh to remove Hajj obstacles to Qataris Qatar has urged Saudi Arabia to remove “obstacles and restrictions” for its residents wishing to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, as the two Persian Gulf neighbours remain locked in a bitter diplomatic dispute. The call follows Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest cities of Makkah and Medina, announcing electronic registration for Qatar residents to allow them to perform the Umrah. Qataris and foreign residents of the Persian Gulf state would then be allowed to land at Jeddah or Medina airports, said a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
But Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee said the new measure was “nominal” and insufficient, as air travel remained blocked and the only border post has been shut for almost two years. Its Ministry of Islamic Affairs, meanwhile, called on Saudi authorities “to lift all obstacles and restrictions imposed on Qatari citizens and residents wishing to perform their religious rituals.” The travel restrictions mean Qatari religious tour operators are unable to travel to Saudi Arabia to make the necessary arrangements for pilgrims, like other countries, the
ministry said The ministry also called for the removal of “discriminatory” measures against Qataris and residents of the Persian Gulf state. Some 12,000 Qataris performed Hajj in September 2016, but months later Saudi Arabia and its allies cut ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade over its alleged support for radical groups. A few dozen Qatari pilgrims have travelled independently to Saudi Arabia over the past two years, when the Saudis briefly opened the only border post between the two countries for pilgrims.
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UN urge nations to cut financial ties with Myanmar military www.pi-media.co.uk
The world must cut off financial and other support for Myanmar’s armed forces, a UN fact-finding mission said, repeating a call for top generals to be prosecuted for abuses against the Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar security forces are accused of killings, gang rape and arson during a crackdown that drove more than 730,000 people to flee western Rakhine state for neighboring Bangladesh after attacks on police posts by insurgents in August 2017. Myanmar has rejected most of the accusations and dismissed a report last September by the UN-
appointed panel, which said military officers carried out the campaign against the Rohingya with “genocidal intent” and should stand trial. Australian human rights lawyer and panel member Christopher Sidoti said it had seen no evidence Myanmar was trying to resolve the crisis or ease the safe return of refugees, Reuters reported. Myanmar has barred the experts from visiting the country, but they visited the region, including refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district, last month. “Due to the gravity of the past and continuing violations, attention
must be given to the political, economic and financial ties of the Myanmar military, to identify who and what should be targeted,” Sidoti said. That would aid efforts to cut off the money supply, as a means of boosting pressure and reducing violence, he added. The statement did not identify specific nations. Myanmar’s military buys weapons from China and Russia, among others. Many Western countries have suspended training programs over human rights abuses and imposed arms embargoes. Myanmar rejected the fact-finding mission when it was formed at the Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2017, with a mandate to investigate military abuses against the Rohingya and in other conflicts with ethnic armed groups in Myanmar. Government spokesman Zaw Htay did not immediately answer a telephone call to seek comment. The UN panel said it was still receiving reports of human rights abuses in Rakhine and Chin states, where clashes between the military and insurgents from the mainly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group since late last year have displaced more than 30,000 people.
Pakistan bans charity organizations Pakistan banned several charity organizations for their links with banned outfits in the country, an official statement said. “The Ministry of Interior has proscribed 10 entities for being affiliated with Jamat-ud-Dawah, Falah-e-Insaniyat and Jaish-eMuhammad groups,” the ministry said in a statement. According to the statement, the organizations which have been banned by the government are, Al-Anfal Trust, Idara-e-Khidmat Khalaq, Al-Dawat-ul-Irshad, AlHamd Trust, Mosque and Welfare Trust, Al-Madinah Foundation, Muaz-bin-Jabal Education Trust, Al-
Eesar Foundation, Al-Rehmat Trust Organization and Al-Furqan Trust. On March 5, Pakistan blacklisted Jamat-ud-Dawah -- a group accused by India of being behind the 2009 Mumbai attacks that killed over 150 people -- and its affiliated charity group Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation. Since then, the government has also taken control of religious seminaries in the northeastern cites of Lahore and Bahawalpur claimed to have serve as the headquarters of Jamat-ud-Dawah and Jaishe-Muhammad, which has been banned in Pakistan since 2002. According to the ministry,
Islamabad has also frozen the assets of dozens of banned groups and individuals across the country under a United Nations Security Council order. In June last year, Pakistan was placed on a gray list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global money-laundering watchdog, for “strategic deficiencies” in its antimoney laundering and counterterrorist financing frameworks”. In March this year, the FATF was called on Islamabad to move quickly in implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies until the end of May 2019.
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Moscow, Beijing boycott US-led conference in Manama In Case You Missed It
China and Russia will not be participating in a US-led economic conference set to take place in Bahrain this month to promote a controversial so-called plan devised by Washington for the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. China’s Ambassador to Palestine Guo Wei informed Nabil Shaath, the foreign policy adviser to the Palestinian Authority’s President
Mahmoud Abbas, that Beijing and Moscow had made an agreement to boycott the event, the Palestine Chronicle non-profit news and information organization reported. The meeting reportedly took place in the city of Ramallah in Israeloccupied West Bank. “Boycotting the Bahrain conference comes within the framework of a bilateral Russian-
Chinese agreement not to participate in it,” the Palestinian Wafa news agency quoted Wei as saying. Wei stressed Beijing’s position “in support of the Palestinian cause and people, including their right to selfdetermination and the establishment of an independent state of Palestine within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem (al-Quds) as its capital,” the agency added, Press TV reported. Israel claimed existence following a Western-backed war against Arab states in 1948. In 1967, it occupied the West Bank and other chunks of Arab land during fresh warfare. Washington has kept the plan, which President Donald Trump has hailed as “the deal of century,” under wraps. Leaked information, however, indicate that it features serious violations of the Palestinian’s age-old demands. The US announced plans to hold the conference in the Bahraini capital Manama, where Trump administration officials are expected to unveil economic aspects of the plan. www.pi-media.co.uk
Melbourne Museum informs Australians about Islam
The Islamic Museum of Australia in Melbourne provides information on the history, life and identity of Muslims in the country. Founded by Australian Muslim businessman Moustafa Fahour with the support of the Australian federal government, the museum is the first and only Islamic museum in the country. Since opening in 2014, it has hosted more than 50,000 visitors. Open six days a week, the museum organizes various conferences and events in different fields such as calligraphy, historical art, miniature painting, handicrafts
and current events. “We want them to experience and learn about the beauty of Islam,” said the museum director, Maryum Chaudhry. Chaudhry said visitors could learn more about the history of Islam in Australia and in the world, well-known Muslim scientists, the contributions of Muslims to Australia, and the basic concepts of Islam. Underlining that they received positive feedback from visitors from Australia as well as from different countries of the world, she said most visitors do not have any prior
knowledge of the Muslim community in the country. “People are so positive on their experience. For many it is the first time they engaged with the Muslim community,” Chaudhry said. “They have walked away with new information and were inspired. They want to learn more and to come back again,” Chaudhry added. On the day of the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, many Australians came to the museum for the first time with flowers in their hands, Chaudhry said. www.pi-media.co.uk
Contact: Editorial Team on 07506 466385, email: info@pi-media.co.uk
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Cambodia hands out halal certification under strict rules
Cambodia is taking the Halal sector seriously as it rolled out certification for food business under strict food safety rules. Thirty none out of around 60 applying companies received certification following official inspections. “Companies must bear in mind that if they wish to have the certificate they must ensure their food is prepared in strict adherence to Halal standards,” a trade promotion official with the Ministry of Commerce told the Khmer Times. Before getting a certificate, businesses will have to go through inspections by officials under the Cambodian Halal Steering
Committee. The committee is being monitored by the Ministry of Commerce. The official noted that more applications have been lodged over the past few months. The ministry is expecting to get more in the coming years as the government aims to boost the Halal sector. The ultimate goal is to attract Middle Eastern tourists to visit Cambodia’s tourist destinations. The Cambodian Tourism Ministry said that it is looking to improve products dedicated to Middle Eastern tourists. So far, Kampong Cham, Battambang, and Kampot have lodged the highest number of Halal certification applications. The
application process will take up to one month before officials move to the next step, which is an inspection. Once a food business is approved by officials, the Committee will then prepare to hand out the certificate. Companies awarded with a certificate are expected to comply with terms provided by the Halal committee. It appears that Cambodia’s efforts in enticing visitors from the Middle East have paid off. In the first quarter, around 1,780 Middle Eastern tourists visited the country. The numbers account for a 40 percent rise on a quarterly basis. Ministry spokesman, Top Sopheak, said the government is expecting to cater to the needs of Middle Eastern tourists by boosting the Halal sector and encouraging more companies to adhere to Halal standards for certification. The Tourism Ministry urged food industry segments and other sectors to explore opportunities as opened by Muslim communities around the world. The ministry said it is confident in Cambodia’s potential as a Halal product provider. As part of the efforts in the need of Muslim consumers, the ministry said it is committed to promoting Cambodia’s Halal sector in the Middle East.
Pakistan has highest number of Umrah Pilgrims In Case You Missed It
Pakistan has had the highest number of nationalities who visited Saudi Arabia until to perform the Umrah. The number of Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan reached 1.45 million pilgrims, followed by Indonesia with 9,22,018, while India has ranked third with 6,21,742 pilgrims this year, according to Saudi ministry of hajj and Umrah figures. Egypt ranked fourth estimated
at 5,10,119 pilgrims until May 16, according to the cumulative statistics of the weekly Umrah Index. As the holy month of Ramadan is the month of purifying the soul and body, many Muslims across the world prefer to perform Umrah during Ramadan, as it is considered equal to the Hajj in reward, which makes this month a high season for Umrah.
The ministry said the Saudi Arabia’s Umrah index monitored 7.2m visa issuances until last Thursday, bringing the total number of arrivals to 6.6 million pilgrims. Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to Ḥajj which has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar.
Emirati billionaire to buy Newcastle United 20I
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An Emirati billionaire has reportedly agreed a £350 million ($445.24 million) deal to buy Newcastle United, according to British tabloid The Sun. Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed alNahyan signed a contract with the English club’s current owner Mike Ashley and submitted the move to Premier League, the report suggested. In October, Ashley, who also
owns British sportswear retailer Sports Direct International Plc, said he had not received adequate offers to sell the club after putting it up for bids a year earlier. The club owner delivered more positive news in December after declaring promising progress for a deal. Sheikh Khaled is the cousin of Manchester City owner and Arab billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed
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al-Nahyan. Sheikh Khaled had previously failed to buy Liverpool Football Club for £2 billion last year, the Daily Mail previously reported. He is also the founder of Bin Zayed Group, a leading conglomerate with diverse business interests in the local and international markets. Newcastle United, the Premier League and the Bin Zayed Group did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comments, the agency reported. The latest move came just days after a Financial Times report said the Qatari group that owns French champions Paris Saint-Germain is bidding to buy a controlling stake in English Championship club Leeds United. The UK daily claims that “people with direct knowledge of the negotiations” revealed that statebacked Qatar Sports Investments has been in talks with the club’s Italian owner Andrea Radrizzani over buying the second-tier club in the past few months.
Qatar brings first new World Cup stadium to life Qatar inaugurates its first purposebuilt stadium for the 2022 football World Cup, staging a prestigious domestic cup final in the $575 million, 40,000-capacity Al Janoub venue. Qatar inaugurated the first of seven new World Cup 2022 stadiums last month before a crucial FIFA summit will decide whether to expand the tournament and potentially push it beyond the tiny Gulf state’s borders to accommodate a larger format. Fans packed into the Al Janoub stadium, a 40,000 seat
venue made to resemble the sail of a dhow, or traditional wooden sailboat, to cheer on Qatari teams playing in the final of the Emir Cup, a local tournament for the country’s club sides. The inauguration comes as football’s world governing body FIFA floats a plan to expand the next World Cup to 48 teams from 32, which could require a lastminute co-host despite a protracted dispute between Qatar and some of its neighbours, bans on alcohol and a lack of facilities restricting likely candidates.
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Khabib free to fight in Abu Dhabi as UFC shortens suspension
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has shortened suspensions for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammates by 35 days in order to allow the UFC to book the lightweight champion for a fight against Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi on September 7th. His friends and teammates Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov were handed oneyear suspensions last year for their involvement in a brawl with Conor McGregor’s associates following Khabib’s UFC 229 win over the former ultimate fighting champion. Khabib is eligible to return in July, but had refused to fight until
his teammates were off suspension, which was scheduled for October. While Khabib was given a ninemonth suspension, he availed a three-month reduction due to taking part in an anti-bullying public service announcement. His teammates argued that they should be offered the same opportunity, which the commission agreed to on the condition that they complete 10 hours of community service assisting youth in self-defence and antibullying in an area of their choosing. The event’s headline act has not been officially announced, but Khabib took to Instagram to celebrate the shortened
suspensions, posting a picture with his team with the caption, “We ready and we coming InshaAllah. DreamTeam and real Family.” UFC signed a deal with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) in April to bring UFC events to the emirate for the next five years. The first event is UFC 242 on Saturday, September 7. “The card will be headlined by at least one championship fight”, UFC said in a statement at the time. The event will be hosted at Du Arena on Yas Island. Abubakar and Tukhugov are now eligible to join Khabib on the UFC 242 bill. Lebanese German fighter Khalid Taha also announced on his Instagram that he will take part in the Abu Dhabi event. “Surprise surprise. Let’s make it official lady’s and gentleman, my next fight will be in Abu Dhabi at UFC 242. I am so excited to put on another firework!!! Let’s goo,” he said. The fighter is expected to take on Brazilian bantamweight Bruno Silva, although it is not yet confirmed. www.pi-media.co.uk
Muslim women’s football club kicks off Saltley Stallions has launched a 12 week football initiative which will encourage young British Muslim women in Birmingham to take part in the sport. Launched in May, the pilot programme will run until late August and provide both football training and coach-player mentoring. Saltley Women’s Football Club was brought to fruition by Obayed Hussain, Imam and founder of the Saltley teams, and Shannie Jennings, semi-professional footballer for Birmingham and West Midlands Ladies and coach at West Bromwich Albion, following enthusiasm from Muslim women in the local community to play football. The pilot programme will culminate with a special event
in August where the participants will have the chance to meet and speak with some of the country’s most inspirational women who have overcome diversity and succeeded in moving positively past negative preconceptions to prosper in their personal and professional lives. Obayed Hussain, co-founder of Saltley Women’s Football Club and founder of the UK’s first Ramadan Midnight Football League in 2018, said, “I am really proud to have helped make Saltley Women’s Football Club a reality. “The young Muslim women of Birmingham have very few sporting outlets that are set up with them in mind and I hope that this pilot will provide a fun space where they can enjoy football but also develop as
people. “I believe strongly in the power that football holds in encouraging social cohesion and with my team at Saltley I have worked hard to make this programme the most enriching and helpful experience I can both on and off the field.” Shannie Jennings, co-founder of Saltley Women’s Football Club and coach for the team said, “This is a really exciting time for women’s football and I’m excited to be working with Saltley WFC to help inspire a new generation of female Muslim footballers. It has been fantastic to see the great level of football talent among these young women and I look forward to helping them develop further in the coming weeks.”
I FEATURED
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The Islamic Caliphate in a Historical Context
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Part 38
If we consider the architecture of the Dome of the Rock, one finds that the Umayyads adopted certain features from the Byzantines and incorporated them into the buildings that were built during this period. It is said that the Octagonal shape of the Dome of the Rock was influenced by the Church of the Seat of Mary which was built in 451 AD on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The dome of the building given lavish treatment and no money was spared and this was realised through the use of the finest mosaics and expensive marble The walls of the Dome of the Rock were adorned with Qur’anic inscriptions in order to show humility and obedience to none other than Allah the almighty. The Umayyads spared no expense in designing and
constructing mosques across the Islamic empire and one notable mosque shone like none other than the Umayyad Mosque that was built in Damascus which incidentally was the administrative capital and present-day capital of the Syrian Arab Republic. It is said that the mosque was built on the site of a Christian basilica (church given special ceremonial rites by the Pope) and in Roman times, the basilica operated a public building where courts operated out as well as hosting official public functions. In Islamic eschatology, it is said that the Umayyad mosque has a great deal of significanceas Jesus (Esa) will return before the Day of Judgement. Al-Walid I, who as the sixth Ummayad caliph, ordered the construction of a mosque on the site
of a cathedral that the Byzantines had commissioned in 706 AD. After the Muslim conquest of Damascus in 634 AD, the Muslims had left the cathedral intact and constructed a prayer room (musalla) adjacent to it. The caliph ordered the demolition of the cathedral and the Musalla. Christians in the city were outraged when they discovered that the Ummayads had used several features such as the columns and the arcades from the church which in turn were incorporated in the new mosque. Al-Walid attempted to mute the anger of the Christians by ordering his officials to hand back the confiscated churches to the Christians. Eventually, the construction of the Ummayad mosque was completed in 715 AD.
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