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Zakir Naik is being hunted: Muslim League

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Muslim League

Kozhikode: Controversial Mumbai-based Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Sunday got support from Kerala’s Indian Union Muslim League, which claimed he had always spoken against terrorism and was now being “hunted”.

Addressing reporters here after a meeting of the leaders of the IUML, the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s second-biggest constituent, its Lok Sabha member E.T. Mohammed Basheer said that Naik is being hunted.

“The Maharashtra Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) and some Union Ministers are prejudiced in their outlook that something is wrong and this is against the principles of expression of freedom. He has always taken a position against terrorism,” he said.

The central government on Friday launched a multi-pronged probe into controversies around the speeches and “online sermons” of Naik with the Union Home Ministry seeking investigation by intelligence agencies while Information and Broadcasting minister M. Venkaiah Naidu personally met top officials on the issue.

Naik, who heads NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), also runs Peace TV channel but the government on Saturday said that it is not permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to downlink and warned the cable operators that action will be taken for transmitting it.

(Agencies)

SDPI condemns vilifying campaign against Dr. ZakirNaik, calls it a conspiracy

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zakir naik

New Delhi: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) today condemned the media campaign against Dr. Zakir Naik, a medical practitioner-turned-preacher, and called it a conspiracy hatched up by the saffron brigade supported by its cohorts in the media to malign Dr. Naik.

Elyas Thumbe, national general secretary of SDPI in a statement said that the Union Government has started a crackdown on Dr Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and Peace TV with the aid of a section of prejudiced media who are showing his statements cut in half and false allegations are being made against him since he speaks with evidence that idol worship is not allowed even in Hinduism and advocates monotheism.

“ He is a well-known orator in comparative religion. Let police and government agencies carry on proper investigation. It is a sad commentary by some anchors of news channels who want action against Dr. Naik without any inquiry, whatsoever”, he said.

Thumbe said propagation of mass lies and falsehood without any investigation can never be a criterion to defeat truth and justice. Dr. Zakir Naik always told people of all religions to forget their differences and come together based on commonality between them. He always advocated Muslims to spread peace to all. He never said to blow up innocents in the name of terrorism.

Thumbe expressed concern that BJP in power at the Centre and in Maharashtra is clearly making Dr. Zakir Naik a scapegoat, who is a man of impeccable knowledge, not only Islam, but Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity as well.

“Dr. Naik always gives evidential references from Vedas and compares the present day followings with what is written in their scriptures. But it seems like RSS wants to keep Hindus away from gaining knowledge of Vedas and Upanishads so they do not open their mind and think. Dr. Naik’s only fault is that he makes best attempts to open peoples mind which could get them out of their superstitious religiosity and this is not digestible to RSS and its affiliates”, he added.

He further said that if one imagines police found a copy of “My Experiments with Truth” with a terrorist, then only a morally depraved person or a person with evil intentions can interpret as Mahatma Gandhi inspired him to be a terrorist.

“If a non-Muslim does something bad it is termed crime. However, if a Muslim commits the same crime he is labelled terrorist. So, Modi’s mere words disassociating religion from terrorism would not suffice unless acted upon so that this double standard could be removed”, he concluded.

Six more die in Kashmir frenzy, death toll 21

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Kashmiri women mourn the death of Burhan Wani, a separatist militant leader, during his funeral in Tral, south of Srinagar on Saturdya. Credit: Reuters.

Kashmiri women mourn the death of Burhan Wani, a separatist militant leader, during his funeral in Tral, south of Srinagar on Saturdya. Credit: Reuters.

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government appealed for calm on Sunday as six more people died in unending demonstrations against the killing of a top militant leader, taking the death toll to 21 in two days in curfew-bound Kashmir Valley.

Shabir Ahmed, 27, was shot and wounded by security forces during a street protest here and died in hospital, becoming the first to be killed outside of north Kashmir since the anti-government protests erupted on Saturday.

The incident took place in Batmaloo, a known separatist hub.

Fresh firing by security forces in Pulwama district in north Kashmir led to the death of Faiyaz Ahmed Mir. Elsewhere in Pulwama, four CRPF troopers were wounded when militants hurled grenades taking advantage of a street protest.

Four other deaths were reported earlier in the day.

A mob overran a bullet-proof police vehicle and rolled it down into the Sutlej river at Sangam in Anantnag district, drowning its constable driver while other policemen fled the scene, official sources said.

Security forces shot dead two demonstrators at Litter in Pulwama after a mob took to the streets shouting anti-government and pro-freedom slogans, the sources said.

Irfan Ahmad Malik, 17, was also killed on Sunday in firing in Pulwama after a curfew-defying mob attacked the security forces, a police official said.

The latest fatalities took the death toll in two days of widespread clashes between protesters and security forces in the Kashmir Valley to 21 — 20 demonstrators and one policeman.

Kashmir Valley erupted in anger on Saturday after security forces shot dead Burhan Wani, a top leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen, along with two of his associates on Friday. His funeral was attended by thousands.

Most protests have taken place in the northern districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian. Wani hailed from Pulwama. In most places mobs have attacked police and paramilitary forces with stones, leading to tear-gassing and firing.

Taking advantage of the outnumbered security personnel, demonstrators on Sunday set fire to the Sub Divisional Police Officer’s office in Pahalgam, a court complex in Dooru and a police post in Qazigund in Kulgam.

On Saturday, mobs torched four police stations, two police pickets and a tehsildar’s office. There were two incidents of weapon snatching and torching of several vehicles of security forces.

Senior officials said three policemen were missing following the violence and nearly 100 security personnel were injured in the street clashes which have crippled the Kashmir Valley and halted the Amarnath Yatra.

On Sunday, the Jammu and Kashmir government urged parents of young demonstrators to tell their wards not to take part in protests that were leading to civilian casualties.

Education Minister and government spokesman Naeem Akhtar also urged the separatist Hurriyat Conference to help restore calm in the Kashmir Valley, where a separatist campaign has left many thousands dead since 1989.

The government said it was also trying to arrange flights to fly out the thousands of tourists stranded in the valley due to the violence.

In New Delhi, union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, offering all possible help from New Delhi.

Senior officials expressed the hope that the situation in Kashmir would return to normal soon.

Four demonstrators, Imtiyaz Ahmad Mandoo, Mashooq Ahmad and Safeer Ahmad (all from Anantnag) and Mohammmad Altaf Rather (Pulwama) who were wounded on Saturday died on Sunday. Eleven people were killed on Saturday.

At least 100 protesters were injured on Saturday. They suffered bullet, tear smoke and pellet injuries.

Wani was buried in his native Shariefabad village on Saturday where thousands gathered defying curfew restrictions to take part in his funeral prayers.

The separatists have called for a valley-wide shutdown till Monday to protest against Wani’s killing.

(Agencies)

Dar-ul-Uloom slams media for wrongly citing its fatwas against Dr Zakir Naik

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zakir naik

Lucknow: Islamic seminary Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband has objected to media citing its fatwas against Dr Zakir Naik and linking them to the allegations against the Islamic preacher that his speeches had incited terrorists involved in Dhaka cafe attack.

Spokesman of Dar-ul-Uloom Ashraf Usmani told PTI that a few fatwas were issued by Deoband against Dr Naik on issues related to Muslim sects. But these were being “delibrately highlighted” by some newspapers and television channels in their reports on Dr Naik, who has come under scanner after it was reported that Dhaka attackers were allegedly inspired by his speeches.

“Therefore associating fatwas issued by Deoband in the past with the allegations against Naik linked to terrorism is wrong and objectionable,” Usmani said.

He said that due to busy schedule ahead of Eid, Deoband had not decided its stand on Naik.

Meanwhile, a senior All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Rashid Farangi Mahali said cornering Naik was a part of a deep “conspiracy”.

“A person, who has more than 1.4 crore followers, of which some become terrorist, how can he be held responsible. It is gross injustice,” he said.

The Maulana welcomed an inquiry by the government against Naik.

“If you have suspicion, an inquiry should be conducted. But the manner in which his character assassination is being done by the media, it cannot be justified,” he said.

Director Shibli Academy Professor Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli said every person has a right to speech within the law of the country, but the “media trial” was not right.

(Agencies)

Over 220, 000 refugees enter Germany in 2016

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Refugees

by Andolu Ajansi

A total of 222,264 refugees have entered Germany in the first half of 2016, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Friday.

Maiziere told reporters in Berlin that while 1.1 million refugees arrived in Germany in 2015, the number decreased in 2016.

About 91,000 refugees entered Germany in January, while the number decreased to about 19,000 in June, according to the minister.

He said mostly Syrian, Afghan, Iraqi, Iranian and Russian refugees arrived in the country.

Austria and Germany witnessed last year their biggest refugee crisis in decades, as hundreds of thousands of migrants, mostly from conflict regions in the Middle East and Africa, arrived to these countries.

Many migrants used Austria as a transit country to reach Germany, which accepted nearly 1.1 million refugees in 2015.

Legendary Pakistani social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi passes away in Karachi

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Abdul Sattar Edhi

Karachi: Pakistan’s most renowned and respected philanthropist and humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi passed away in Karachi on Friday at the age of 88. His son, Faisal Edhi, confirmed the news of his death.

“Edhi sahab passed away tonight. I want to tell you all, Pakistan and the world, that he is not with us anymore,” said Faisal Edhi.

Edhi’s funeral prayers will be offered at the National Stadium in Karachi after Zuhr prayers on Saturday.

The renowned humanitarian, who was the founder and chairman of the Edhi Foundation, was diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago but was since unable to receive a transplant due to his poor health.

Earlier in the day, the family had had asked to pray for Edhi whose condition deteriorated and who was said to be breathing with the help of a ventilator.

He was brought to the the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) for a regular dialysis earlier today, but was shifted to intensive care and put on the ventilator after he faced severe trouble in breathing.

Edhi had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for the past several weeks.

The philanthropist suffered from multiple diseases and complications, including diabetes, hypertension, and kidney failure. His son told reporters earlier today that he had also become very weak physically because of not being able to eat for some time.

Last act of kindness

In a last act of kindness and selflessness, Faisal Edhi said his father had wished that all his usable body organs be donated after his death.

“He had prepared for himself a grave in Edhi village about twenty-five years ago,” he said. “We will bury him there according to his wishes. Also, he wanted to be buried in the same clothes in which he died. Hence, we will also honour his wish and bury him in the clothes that he passed away,” he added.

“He also wished that his organs be donated after he passes away. Because of his condition, only his eyes can be donated,” said his son, visibly emotional and in tears.

An operation was conducted to extract his cornea for donation.

“Two people will benefit after operation tomorrow from the cornea donated by Edhi sahab,” said Faisal Edhi.

Edhi is revered as a national hero in Pakistan of nearly legendary status. He established the welfare organisation Edhi Foundation almost six decades ago that owns and runs Pakistan’s largest ambulance service, as well as nursing homes, orphanages, clinics, maternity wards, morgues, homes for the elderly, and women’s shelters, along with rehabilitation centers and soup kitchens across the country.

The head of the Edhi Foundation had received a number of international honours including Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Lenin Peace Prize, and the Balzan Prize among several other international honours for his humanitarian work.

In 2011, then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani proposed Edhi’s name for the Nobel Peace Prize. He appeared on the Nobel list again this year after he was nominated for the award by young Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.

A spiritual quest for justice

Starting from humble beginnings, he was known to stay true to his roots and focus all his energy on his humanitarian work.

In an earlier interview with Geo News, Edhi said he only owned two pairs of clothes which he washed himself, a tradition he had continued for many years. He lived in a small one-room flat located above the office of his charitable organisation.

“He never established a home for his own children,” his wife told news agency AFP in an earlier interview.

Motivated by a spiritual quest for justice, over the years Edhi and his team aimed at helping those in society who cannot help themselves and picking up where limited government-run services fell short.

The most prominent symbols of the foundation — its 1,500 ambulances — are deployed with unusual efficiency to the scene of terrorist attacks that tear through Pakistan with devastating regularity.

His work was so widely respected by across Pakistan that armed groups and bandits were known to spare his ambulances.

Frail and weak in his later years, Edhi appointed his son Faisal as managing trustee in early 2016.

“I have done a lot of work. I am satisfied with my life,” he told news agency AFP in an interview earlier this year.

Edhi is survived by four children and his wife Bilquis Edhi, who ran the Edhi foundation with him.

Kashmir tense, restrictions imposed, Amarnath yatra suspended

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Kashmir-firing

Srinagar: Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar city, and Amarnath yatra suspended as authorities apprehended protests in the Valley, where tension prevailed following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces.

Protesters blocked main roads and entry to interiors of the city at many places following a strike call by top separatists leaders who were put under house arrest as a precautionary measure. Public address systems were used in some places today to relay the audio messages of Wani, who had emerged as the poster boy of militancy. Mobile internet across Kashmir has been suspended while mobile telephony services have also been restricted in south Kashmir.

A police official said the situation was by and large peaceful in most parts of Kashmir so far but Tral — the hometown of the slain militant commander — witnessed protests by residents following his killing in the encounter in Kokernag area yesterday.

“Restrictions have been imposed on movement of people in six police station areas of Srinagar city, most parts of Pulwama district and Anantnag town in south Kashmir as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order,” a senior government official said.
He said the decision was taken in view of the violent protests at some places last night in these areas after the news of Wani’s death.

“A group of youths also started pelting stones towards the camps of security forces who have not retaliated to the provocation so far,” he said.

Authorities have suspended Amarnath yatra from Jammu base camp to base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam in the Valley as a precautionary measure.

The train services between Baramulla in Kashmir and Banihal across the Pir Panjal mountain range have also been suspended for the day as the trains have been targeted by mobs in the past.

Top separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik were placed under house arrest last night as they had called for a shutdown today.

The two factions of the Hurriyat had planned funeral prayers in absentia for the slain militants. Radical women’s outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Aasiya Andrabi has called for a three-day shutdown.

Meanwhile, shops, private offices, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut, while government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance, officials said.

They said public transport was off the roads, while private cars and auto-rickshaws were seen plying at some places.

Educational institutions in the Valley were closed onACCOUNT of the ongoing summer vacations. The reports of shutdown have been received from district headquarters in the Valley, the officials said.

Central University of Kashmir has postponed all examinations scheduled for today, a spokesman of the University said. He said that the new dates for the examination would be notified separately. Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education has also postponed today’s exams in view of the strike.

(Agencies)

Online petition calls for ‘vilification campaign against Dr. Zakir Naik’ to stop

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A petition started by Bangalore-based Mission Possible for Justice & Rights is calling for ‘vilification campaign against Dr. Zakir Naik’ to stop.

The petition has already gathered more than 32,194 supporters and has been doing rounds on the social media for the past two days.

The petition says:

Dr. Zakir Naik has never said anything, which goes against the Constitution of India, in any of his speeches. Practising and propagating one’s religion in a peaceful manner is a right every citizen of this country enjoys.

Newspapers’ and channels’ role is to report facts, based on thorough investigation and not to publish over-blown, stigmatising and scaremongering reports, as is clearly evident in these and many other reports.

Media houses are creating a negative public opinion against Dr. Zakir Naik to push through their nefarious agenda.

The vilification campaign headed by Indian media against Dr. Zakir Naik must stop.

Gujarat HC grants bail to Hardik Patel in two sedition cases

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Hardik Patel

Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court today granted bail to Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel in two sedition cases, with a rider that he will have to stay outside the state for the next six months.

However, Hardik cannot come out of jail for now, as another case of mob violence at an MLA office is pending against him in Visnagar town of Mehsana district.

Next hearing of the Visnagar case bail application in the high court is scheduled on July 11.

Justice A J Desai granted bail to Hardik with strict conditions, one of them being that he will have to stay outside Gujarat for the next six months.

The court also directed Hardik’s lawyer to give a fresh written undertaking on his behalf which should state that he would not indulge in any activities that would lead to law and order problem.

The judge, while pronouncing the judgement, said that he has listed other conditions in written order.

The 22-year-old Patel quota stir spearhead has been behind bars since October 2015, in sedition cases that were filed against him in Ahmedabad and Surat.

During the hearing of the case, Government pleader Mitesh Amin had opposed bail to Hardik saying that the state government is apprehensive that if he is let off on bail, Hardik may repeat the offence, and his presence outside the jail may create law and order situation problems in the state.

Hardik’s lawyer Zubin Bharda had told the court that his client is ready to stay out of the state for six months if the court grants bail, in order to remove the apprehensions expressed by the state pleader.

During earlier hearings, the government had declined to accept Hardik’s offer for written undertaking for bail, in which he had stated that he will refrain from activities that may affect law and order situation, but added he will “continue to agitate for grievances of the Patidar community in a peaceful and democratic manner.”

Hardik had approached the high court for bail in the sedition cases, after the lower courts in Surat and Ahmedabad (where there are separate sedition cases against Hardik) refused to grant bail.

The Patel leader and his three associates are facing charges under IPC sections 124(A) (sedition), 121 (A) (conspiracy to wage war against government) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) here.

They are accused of inciting violence to put pressure on the government to accept the demand of OBC reservation for Patels. Hardik’s mega rally on reservation held in Ahmedabad on August 25 last year had sparked violence, in which, ten people, including one policeman, were killed and public properties and vehicles worth crores of rupees were damaged across Gujarat.

(PTI)

Dr Zakir Naik rubbishes allegations, says he never encouraged violence

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zakir naik

Mumbai: Rubbishing the fresh allegations made by a section of media against him that he inspired the terrorists in Bangaladesh, who killed 22 people in Dhaka recently, Islamic Research Foundation chief Dr Zakir Naik has made it clear that he never encouraged violence or terrorism.

“I totally disagree (with suggestion) that I inspired this act of killing innocent people. There is not a single talk of mine where I encouraged anyone to kill another person – Muslim or non-Muslim,” said the internationally acclaimed orator.

The 50-year-old former medical practitioner and an authority on comparative religion, who was reportedly in Makkah when a section of media launched a hate campaign against him, belatedly came to know about the fresh allegations, sources said.

In videos made available through his office in Mumbai, where the police has now stationed constables, Dr Naik says he is “not shocked” that the Dhaka terrorists had cited him on social media in recent posts.

“More than 90 per cent Bangladeshis know me…,” he says in English, stressing, “Every fan of mine may not follow everything I say.” In the WhatsApp-ed video, he says, “I disagree that I inspired this act of killing innocent people”.

Mumbai Police to probe

Meanwhile, Maharashtra government has asked Mumbai Police to conduct a probe into Dr Zakir Naik’s speeches.

“I have asked the Mumbai Police Commissioner to conduct a probe (into Naik’s speeches) and submit a report,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told media persons today.

Everything, including Dr Naik’s speeches, his social media accounts, sources of funding (of a foundation run by him in Mumbai) will be scrutinised, said Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio.

The direction comes amid allegations by a section of media that one of the terrorists who attacked an upmarket restaurant in the Bangladeshi capital a few days ago, killing 22 people, was inspired by sermons Dr Naik.

(Agencies)

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