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Decapitated, bloodstained doll left at Amsterdam mosque

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The neck and the head of the doll were smeared with a red substance [AT5]

by Al Jazeera

A decapitated doll was left at a mosque in Amsterdam, police said, in an Islamophobic act that has shocked the Muslim community in the Netherlands.

The head was hung by a rope from a fence above the doll’s “bloodstained body”, pictures showed, and a note was left warning against “Islamisation” in the Netherlands.

An employee of Emir Sultan Mosque found the doll as he opened the place of worship on Thursday morning, and reported it to the police.

The note on the doll, apparently referencing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said: “Islam is inextricably linked with brutal beheadings. Islamisation must stop. No to the Diyanet mega-mosque in Amsterdam-Noord (north), which is connected to dictator Erdogan.”

The Emir Sultan Mosque serves a predominately Turkish community in the north of Amsterdam.

In a statement to Dutch media, the Emir Sultan Islamic Foundation called it a “cowardly and disgusting act”.

“Of course we are shocked and condemn this cowardly attack, but we do not let ourselves be intimidated and played against each other,” the statement said.

“We will continue to profile ourselves as part of society and continue to work for the preservation of peace and solidarity in Amsterdam-Noord. We request everyone to keep their cool and wait for the police investigation,” it added.

Kamber Sener, president of the mosque, wrote on Facebook, asking the community “not to worry about this incident”.

“I hope they will find the perpetrators as soon as they can,” he wrote, asking for the city to unite against such acts.

The act was claimed via Twitter by a right-wing group calling itself Rechts in Verzet, or Right in Opposition.

The group tweeted photos of the doll and the note to several Dutch news organisations, adding in the tweet: “Beheading! No mega mosque in Amsterdam-Noord. Protest.”

The person running the Twitter account was also under investigation, Amsterdam’s local TV channel AT5 reported.

The protest group had previously criticised the arrival of a mega-mosque in Amsterdam-Noord.

Qatari royal: Gulf crisis to seize Qatar’s wealth

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Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani was last seen in a wheelchair after arriving in Kuwait [Al Jazeera]

by Al Jazeera

A member of the Qatari royal family, who was allegedly held against his will in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has accused Saudi Arabia and the UAE of orchestrating a months-long Gulf crisis in order to seize Qatar’s wealth, and threatened to commit suicide.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani has previously been portrayed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the main opposition figure to the Qatari government amid the major diplomatic dispute.

In an audio recording from January 15 obtained by Al Jazeera, Sheikh Abdullah said he was put under “tremendous pressures” which led him to decide to “put an end to his life”.

“The [Gulf] crisis is based on interests and the desire of both Mohammed bin Zayed and Mohammed bin Salman to usurp the wealth and riches of Qatar,” Al Thani said, referring to the Abu Dhabi and Saudi crown princes respectively.

“I urge my fellow Qataris to defend your position, beware of them,” he added. “They may lure you with money to destroy your own country.”

On January 14, Sheikh Abdullah released a video statement, saying he was a “prisoner” in the UAE, and that if anything happened to him, “Sheikh Mohammed” is responsible.

While he did not specify, Abdullah appeared to be referring to Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Abdullah was transferred to a hospital shortly after his arrival in a wheelchair in Kuwait on Wednesday.

Abdullah’s brother, Sheikh Khalid, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that his sibling’s health deteriorated due to exhaustion and pressure he was exposed to under Emirati authorities.

Sheikh Khalid had added that his brother was in stable condition and should be leaving the hospital soon.

In his audio message, threatening suicide, Sheikh Abdullah said: “Due to the pressures on me, my confinement, and inability to return home (Qatar) or join my family, namely my two daughters, I have decided to end my life with the aim of preventing any harm to others.”

After Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Qatar in June, Sheikh Abdullah appeared frequently on Saudi and UAE television programmes expressing his views in support of the measures against Doha.

Sheikh Abdullah was residing in Saudi Arabia since the blockade began.

Honda recalls 22,834 cars across various models in India

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New Delhi: Japanese auto major Honda is recalling 22,834 units of Accord, City and Jazz models in India as part of a global exercise to rectify faulty airbags. The latest exercise takes the overall number of recalled vehicles, equipped with airbags manufactured by Takata, by the company to 3.13 lakh units in India.

The company, which is present in India through a wholly-owned arm Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), announced that the latest recall will impact models which were manufactured in 2013. “HCIL will voluntarily replace Takata passenger front airbag inflators of 22,834 vehicles of 2013 model of Accord, City and Jazz as part of Honda’s precautionary global recall campaign concerning Takata front airbag inflators,” HCIL said in a statement.

According to the company, the recall will affect 510 units of the premium sedan Accord, 22,084 units of City, and 240 units of Jazz. “The replacement will be carried out free of cost at HCIL dealerships across India in a phased manner starting immediately,” the company said. Last year in January, HCIL had recalled 41,580 units of previous generation of Accord, Civic, City and Jazz models in India as part of a global exercise to rectify faulty airbags.

In July 2016, the company had recalled 1,90,578 units of the previous generation of Accord, CR-V, Civic, City and Jazz models to rectify faulty airbags made by Takata. Millions of vehicles globally have been recalled due to defective safety airbag manufactured by Japan’s Takata Corp.

(PTI)

Bellandur river catches fire again

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Bengaluru: The Bellandur lake caught fire again. It was reported that the fire was first sighted at around 12 noon.

Fire teams rushed to the spot when the fire and found it difficult to douse the fire.

Officials from Bangalore Development Authority, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike are inspecting the site.

According to locals and officials, the lake caught fire because of the increase in the level of decomposed organic matter.

(Agencies)

SC upholds acquittal of ‘Pipli Live’ co-producer Mahmood Farooqui

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the acquittal of “Pipli Live” co-producer Mahmood Farooqui in an alleged rape case, rejecting a plea by the complainant challenging the Delhi High Court order.

Observing “it was an extremely well decided case, no need for intervention”, Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice L. Nageswara Rao rejected the plea by the victim challenging the High Court order.

Farooqui was convicted by the trial court and sentenced to undergo seven years in prison on charges of sexually abusing a research scholar from Columbia University.

(IANS)

I am not anti-Hindu, I am anti-Modi, anti-Shah, anti-Hegde: Prakash Raj

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Actor Prakash Raj lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for maintaining silence over the recent attacks happening over religious sentiments in the country.

“They call me anti-Hindu but I am anti-Modi, anti-Amit Shah, anti-Hegde. According to me, they are not Hindus. People who support killing are not Hindus,” the actor while addressing the India Today South Conclave in Hyderabad.

“When Gauri Lankesh was killed, I saw people celebrating the killing. These were people who were being followed by PM Modi. Whether I have voted for him or not, he is my Prime Minister. He may think its silence, but it speaks. His silence speaks. He must speak up against these people. He must pull up his minister for saying that they are here to change the Constitution,” he said, referring to Anantkumar Hegde who had stirred a controversy with his statement that the BJP had come to power to “change the Constitution” and would do so in the “near future”.

“My Prime Minister should ask his minister, an elected, mandated minister, not to say that a religion should be wiped out from the earth. That is not Hinduism. If my Prime Minister does not ask his minister to shut up, then I am asking (sic) my Prime Minister you are also not a Hindu. The person who supports killing, cannot be a Hindu,” he said.

Reacting to the blanket bans imposed by some states on film Padmaavat, the actor said that the people should vote those governments out. “

“State governments which banned Padmaavat citing law and order should quit. If they don’t, we, the people, should vote them out,” he said.

“They talk about Rajput pride. I understand if Rajputs of Rajasthan are saying so. But, what it has to do with those in Gujarat? What it has to do with Haryana?” he questioned.

The actor has been vocal about his dissatisfaction, regarding the manner the governments are functioning and has launched a #justasking campaign on twitter, which he uses to take jibe on various issues.

(Agencies)

Will keep building infrastructure in Doklam, India should not comment: China

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Beijing: China on Friday said it will keep building infrastructure in Doklam and India has no business to comment on construction activity on Chinese territory.

Some satellite images purportedly show massive infrastructure build-up in Doklam, as close as 81 meters to the point of face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the disputed plateau last year.

“I don’t know who offers such kind of photos. I don’t know the detailed information,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said when asked about the images.

“You must be quite clear. Donglong (Doklam) always belongs to China and is always under China’s effective jurisdiction. There is no dispute in this regard,” Lu said.

“China is exercising its sovereignty in its own territory. It’s legitimate and justified. Just as China will not make comments about Indian construction of infrastructure on India’s territory, we hope other countries will not make comment on China’s construction of infrastructure on its territory,” Lu said.

India and Chinese troops were locked in a 73-day stand-off at Doklam, which is claimed by Bhutan.

The face-off began when the Indian military halted road building by the Chinese at Doka La in the region which is very close to India’s highway.

Even as both sides resolved the crisis by retreating from the point of face-off in August, news reports suggested that China was busy building infrastructure to fortify its position in the region.

(IANS)

Pakistan summons Indian Deputy HC over ceasefire violations

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Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh to condemn the “unprovoked ceasefire violations” by Indian forces along the International Border in Sialkot Sector, that left one civilian dead and injured nine others.

A 24-year-old man Irfan, resident of village Harpal, was killed while the injured included women and elderly persons, a Foreign Office statement said.

Director General (SA & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal conveyed to Singh that the Indian forces were “continuously engaged in indiscriminate and unprovoked firing with heavy mortars and automatic weapons on the civilian populated villages, since the last two days”.

In 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 125 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the International Border in just 19 days, resulting in the death of four civilians, and injuries to 20 others, the Foreign Office statement said.

It said: “This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations.”

It deplored the “deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas” which it said was “contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws”.

“The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation”, the statement said.

However, India, maintaining that Pakistan was continuing violation of the ceasefire along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, said a Border Security Force (BSF) trooper and two civilians were killed and three others injured in indiscriminate firing and shelling by Pakistan Rangers on the international border in J&K.

“You are aware that Pakistan violates the ceasefire as a cover to infiltrate terrorists across the border into India. We, of course, retaliate in such cases and we also take up the matter at the appropriate level with the Pakistani side.” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a media briefing in New Delhi.

“We strongly condemn the continued and unprecedented ceasefire violation by Pakistan, which has caused loss of lives and property,” spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Pakistan Rangers indulged in indiscriminate shelling and firing at 20 border outposts of the BSF along the international border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts on Friday, official reports received in Delhi said.

(IANS)

EC Recommends Disqualification Of 20 AAP MLAs For Holding ‘Office Of Profit’, Delhi HC Refuses Interim Relief

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New Delhi: In a major blow to the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi, the Election Commission (EC) on Friday recommended disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs for holding ‘office of profit,’ according to media reports.

The recommendation has been sent to President Ramnath Kovind for his nod.

The President is bound to go by the recommendation of the Commission. In cases where petitions are made seeking disqualification of lawmakers, the President sends a reference to the EC which decides on the case by sending back its opinion.

Following the shocking move, the AAP has approached the Delhi High Court against EC’s recommendation to disqualify its MLAs.

In the present case, the petition was made to disqualify 21 MLAs, but one had resigned a few months back.

The EC, however, said that the disqualification is sub-judice, and it will not comment on what recommendation has been given to the President.

A petition filed by lawyer Prashant Patel sought the disqualification of the MLAs on the grounds that they were holding an ‘office of profit’ as parliamentary secretaries.

In 2015, soon after AAP swept the Delhi elections, Kejriwal had appointed 21 legislators as parliamentary secretaries.

This disqualification will lead to by-polls in Delhi.

The ruling AAP has a massive majority in the Delhi Assembly with 67 out of 70 seats.

This disqualification will not meddle with AAP’s position in the assembly, but is definitely a serious setback for the party.

The MLAs’ pleas that the case against them be dropped were rejected by the EC in June 2017.

Both Congress and BJP had been pushing the EC to order the disqualification.

Here’s the list of disqualified 20 AAP MLAs:

Praveen Kumar (Jangpura) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Education Minister

Sharad Kumar (Narela) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Revenue Minister

Adarsh Shastri (Dwarka) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Information and Technology Minister

Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Vigilance Minister

Shiv Charan Goel (Moti Nagar) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Finance Minister

Sanjeev Jha (Burari) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Transport Minister

Sarita Singh (Rohtas Nagar) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Employment Minister

Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Labour Minister

Rajesh Gupta (Wazirpur) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister

Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister

Anil Kumar Bajpai (Gandhi Nagar) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister

Som Dutt (Sadar Bazar) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Industries Minister

Avtar Singh (Kalkaji) as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Gurudwara elections

Vijender Garg (Rajinder Nagar) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of PWD

Jarnail Singh (Rajouri Garden) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Power

Kailash Gahlot (Najafgarh) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Law

Alka Lamba (Chandni Chowk) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Tourism

Manoj Kumar (Kondli) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Food and Civil Supplies

Nitin Tyagi (Laxmi Nagar) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Women and Child and Social Welfare

Sukhvir Singh (Mundka) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Languages and Welfare of SC/ST/OBC respectively.

(Agencies)

Sohrabuddin case: PIL against CBI for not challenging Amit Shah’s discharge

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Mumbai: A city-based lawyers’ association today filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court against the CBI decision not to challenge a lower court order discharging BJP president Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case.

In the PIL, the Bombay Lawyers Association has urged the High Court to issue a direction to the CBI to file revision application challenging the sessions court order discharging Shah.

The petitioner’s lawyer Ahmad Abidi said the plea would be mentioned before a division bench of justices S C Dharmadhikari and Bharti Dangre on January 22.

“The CBI is a premier investigating agency. It has public duty to observe the rule of law in its action which it has miserably failed,” the petition said.

It submitted that the trial court had similarly discharged two Rajasthan Police Sub Inspectors Himanshu Singh and Shyam Singh Charan and senior Gujarat Police officer N K Amin.

“The petitioner has learnt that the CBI has challenged their discharge before the high court. This act of the CBI in challenging discharge of the accused persons on selective basis is arbitrary and unreasonable, rather malafide,” it alleged.

The petition claimed that the Supreme Court, while transferring the trial in the case from Gujarat to Mumbai, had ordered that it to be concluded expeditiously.

“The Supreme Court had said the Administrative Committee of the high court would assign the case to a court where the trial may be concluded judiciously, in accordance with the law, and without any delay. The Administrative Committee would also ensure that the trial should be conducted from beginning to end by the same officer, the apex court had said in its order,” it said.

Sohrabuddin Shaikh, alleged to be a terrorist, was killed in an alleged fake encounter by the Gujarat and Rajasthan police along with his wife Kauser Bi and his associate Tulsi Prajapati in 2005.

(PTI)

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