The 77-year-old former vice president of the United States and also the Democratic party nominee for the forthcoming US Presidential elections Joe Biden, who has been making a lot of noise recently by sticking his neck into India’s internal affairs by raking up the issue of Kashmir, was once awarded the ‘Hilal-i-Pakistan’ award from the Pakistan government in ‘recognition of their consistent support for Pakistan’.
In 2008, the then Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari had announced to award the then US Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden and Republican Senator Richard Lugar with ‘Hilal-i-Pakistan’ – the second-highest civil award in Pakistan.
The then Pakistan’s President Zardari had awarded them the award in recognising their consistent support for Pakistan. Earlier in that year, Joe Biden and Senator Richard Lugar had introduced a bipartisan US aid plan which calls for $1.5 billion per year in non-military spending to support economic development in Pakistan.
The enthusiasm of Joe Biden, who has a habit of poking into India’s internal affairs by claiming that he would raise the issue of Kashmir with India and would also convey its concerns on a recent Indian law that discriminates against Muslims if elected, perhaps stems out of from the fact that he was awarded by the then Pakistan government for boosting ties between Pakistan and the United States.
Joe Biden interference in India’s internal affairs
Joe Biden has kicked up a controversy by expressing his unsolicited views on Jammu and Kashmir, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in India.
Democrat Biden who is challenging the 74-year-old Republican incumbent president Donald Trump in the November 3 presidential elections, had asked India to take necessary steps to restore rights of all Kashmiris and has expressed disappointment over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as well as the implementation of the National Register of Citizens in Assam.
A policy paper—’Joe Biden’s agenda for Muslim American community’ was posted recently on his campaign website, which stated that the measures (the CAA and the National Register of Citizens) are irreconcilable with the country’s long tradition of secularism and with sustaining a multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracy.
Pope Francis has reportedly said on Sunday that he was pained to see the transformation of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque. The religious leader has condemned Turkey’s move. During his weekly blessing at St. Peter’s Square, he said that his thoughts go to Istanbul. He added, ”I think of Santa Sophia and I am very saddened.”
Tayyip Erdogan, President Turkey, said that the first Islamic prayers would take place in Hagia Sophia on 24th July. His statement came after a court revoked the museum status of Hagia Sophia in its judgment. The President declared the ancient monument to be transformed into a mosque once again.
Reuters reported that the World Council of Churches had urged Erdogan to reverse his decision. The Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew, expressed his disappointment. Greece has also condemned the judgment. In the official statement Greece said that while no one is interfering in Turkey’s internal affairs, the decision is an open challenge to the entire civilized world. As it is a World Heritage Site under UNESCO, a committee will review its status. Turkey’s decision has raised many questions about the impact of the transformation on Turkey’s relationship with other nations.
Official statement on Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia, part of the property “Historic Areas of Istanbul,” is inscribed on the #WorldHeritage List as a museum.
The inscription entails a number of legal commitments and obligations.
Erdogan, on the other hand, said that Turkey has the right to convert 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Any criticism of the decision will be seen as an attack on Turkey’s independence. He added that it would remain open for everyone, including Muslims, Christians and foreigners.
The monument was originally a Christian cathedral, which was later converted into a mosque, and then a museum. The monument was built as a Christian cathedral church of Constantinople between 532 and 537. In 1204, it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire, but in 1261 it was again restored to the Eastern Orthodox Church. After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it was converted to a mosque. In 1935, the historical monument was secularized into a museum. And now in 2020, it is again being converted into a mosque.
In the official statement, Erdogan said that transformation of Hagia Sophia is just a small step towards the liberation of Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.
Jyotiraditya Scindia has issued a statement over the political drama unfolding in Rajasthan. He said that he is sad to see Sachin Pilot being sidelined by the Congress party and persecuted by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. According to Scindia, the treatment being meted out to Sachin Pilot demonstrates that talent and capability is valued little in the Congress party.
Sad to see my erstwhile colleague, @SachinPilot too, being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM, @ashokgehlot51 . Shows that talent and capability find little credence in the @INCIndia .
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) July 12, 2020
The statement came after Sachin Pilot met Jyotiraditya Scindia. It is to remembered that the latter had quit the Congress party only recently to join the BJP and a horde of MLAs in Madhya Pradesh had followed in his wake. In quite a similar fashion, Sachin Pilot is reported to have taken 25 MLAs from Rajasthan to Delhi.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had called for a meeting of Cabinet Ministers at his residence and asked all Congress MLAs to write a letter in his support. Following the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, a power tussle ensued between Congress old guard Ashok Gehlot and youth leader Sachin pilot for the coveted post of the Chief Minister. Eventually, Gehlot was made the CM, and Pilot was sidelined. The divide between the two factions, within the State government, seemed to have widened over time.
It appears that there is a very real possibility that Sachin Pilot will jump ship in the near future. His meeting with Jyotiraditya Scindia and the statement issued by the newly ordained BJP leader does point towards it. However, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds moving forward.
A WhatsApp forward has been doing the rounds that has caused quite a stir on social media. The WhatsApp message claims that only Muslims have been employed by the West Bengal government for a particular post. The message has gained traction because the Trinamool government in the state has a history of engaging in morbid minority appeasement.
In the WhatsApp forward, a list has been included where it can be that 22 Muslims have been hired for the post of lab technician in a blood bank as part of a recruitment drive. All the Muslim recruits belong to the OBC-A caste which denotes non-creamy layer among OBCs. And all the recruits from this particular caste are Muslims, so goes the claim.
The WhatsApp forward
Upon investigating the matter further, we discovered that the WhatsApp forward speaks the truth but not the whole truth. The image in the viral message reflects only a part of the list of candidates that were shortlisted for potential recruitment by the West Bengal government. The circular notifying the recruitment in various posts shows that both Muslims and non-Muslims have been shortlisted for the posts.
Another list of shortlisted candidates from the same circular
Thus, the claim that only Muslims have been hired by the West Bengal government is false. Although only Muslim names can be seen in the list of candidates shortlisted for lab technician seen in the viral message, there are several non-Muslim names in the whole document where candidates have been shortlisted for various other posts like nurse, cook, and lab technicians in other locations.
Analysis of the shortlisted candidates
We analysed the names shortlisted as per the notice, and found that a total 70 people were shortlisted various posts, out of which 26 were Muslims. Which means the actual Muslim percentage among the potential recruits is 37%, although it is not 100% as claimed in the viral message, it is still significantly higher in proportion than the Muslim population in the state, which stands at 27% as per the 2011 census. And it is also rather intriguing that all the candidates shortlisted for the posts in the OBC-A category are Muslims.
The circular says that selection will be made after verifying documents and computer tests, written tests or viva voce as applicable in each category. The circular also says that it is the programme wise eligible list of candidates that has been attached with it at the end.
On Sunday, ‘rebel’ Congress leader Sachin Pilot has reportedly met BJP politician Jyotiraditya Scindia in Delhi, amidst the political chaos in Rajasthan. Reportedly, Pilot is seeking to meet Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to discuss the current political scenario in his home State. Earlier, Jyotiraditya Scindia had quit the grand old party and joined hands with the BJP in March this year, after a fallout with the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath. As per reports, Sachin Pilot and other rebel MLAs are stationed at Gurugram’s ITC Hotel.
Sachin Pilot reaches Delhi with 25 MLAs
Speculations are rife that Rajasthan government may go the Madhya Pradesh way as the infighting between Congress leaders continue and Sachin Pilot reached Delhi on Saturday along with 20-25 Congress and independent MLAs. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had called for a meeting of Cabinet Ministers at his residence and asked all Congress MLAs to write a letter in his support. Following the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, a power tussle ensued between Congress old guard Ashok Gehlot and youth leader Sachin pilot for the coveted post of the Chief Minister. Eventually, Gehlot was made the CM, and Pilot was sidelined. The divide between the two factions, within the State government, seemed to have widened over time.
Gehlot accuses BJP of horse-trading
Accusing the BJP of indulging in horse-trading, Gehlot said, “I have tried to take everyone aboard in this fight against the Coronavirus. However, BJP leaders have crossed all levels of inhumanity. While we are proactively trying to save lives and means of livelihood, they are trying to destabilise the government.” Gehlot claimed that the State government was stable and would continue to remain so despite all efforts to the contrary allegedly made by leaders such as Satish Poonia, Rajendra Rathore, and Gulab Chand Kataria. He further alleged that efforts are being made to create a political crisis in Rajasthan, as was witnessed in Madhya Pradesh.
Agrima Joshua, a stand-up comedian, has had a tough couple of days. After a clip of one of her performances went viral on social media, she was greeted with tons of criticism and calls were made for her arrest. In the said video clip, the comic could be heard mocking the Shiv Smarak, the memorial dedicated to the legendary Hindu monarch Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
A lot of intriguing events transpired following the chain of events. She offered an apology through her Twitter account but it was not directed towards the people whose sentiments she had offended but political parties. She apologised to the NCP, Shiv Sena, the Congress party and the MNS. The whole saga was quite hilarious but unfortunately for the comedian, it was not intentional.
The apology might just be the highest point of her career as a comedian as until then, she was blaming the BJP for unleashing a legion of trolls on her. Agrima Joshua even tagged Aditya Thackeray and asserted that she was convinced that it was BJP supporters trolling her in the guise of Shiv Sena. The climax of the extended comedy was the apology, in which it was obvious that she had finally realised that it was not the ‘BJP trolls’ who were abusing her.
Agrima Joshua blamed BJP for Shiv Sainiks trolling her
The apology also highlights the abject lack of integrity that such ‘Woke’ comedians suffer from. They constantly pontificate from their high horses about the need to oppose state power and denigrate those who share a favourable opinion of the current ruling dispensation at the center. They constantly claim that the government is fascist and has no respect for freedom of expression. This government, however, always is the central government led by PM Modi.
Their delusions are such that even when Agrima Joshua was being harangued by Shiv Sainiks, she proclaimed that these were BJP supporters in the guise of Shiv Sena men. It appears that the vandalism of the studio where she performed by MNS workers finally knocked some sense into her awfully thick skull.
A person with even an ounce of integrity would have conceded that she was wrong to blame the BJP for the trolls that were attacking her. A person with a shred of integrity would have admitted that she was wrong to accuse the BJP of being fascist as no BJP worker had ever attempted to vandalise studios she had performed in. A person with integrity would have stood by the values she advocated in times of distress because it’s only in times of distress that our values matter.
Everyone can advocate anything they want when it is easy. It’s only when there’s the very real threat of personal sacrifice that we can demonstrate our allegiance to the values we advocate. And the fact is, when such a moment came, Agrima Joshua chose abject surrender. She did not restrain herself to a perfunctory apology but made sure that she scrubbed the ground with her nose thoroughly to demonstrate how sorry she truly was.
Agrima Joshua’s pinned tweet
Her conduct also demonstrates that for the woke secular-liberal brigade, only opposition to the central government is considered revolutionary. Opposing state governments and their atrocities does not excite them. It is for this reason that states with non-BJP governments get away with a reign of terror. Because these ‘comedians’ are actually terrified of hurting these leaders’ sentiments.
There is good reason for this. The central government is opposed only because the BJP is perceived to be a party that serves to protect Hindu interests. The ‘Woke’ camp is not averse towards regional chauvinism, caste chauvinism and chauvinism along ethnic or linguistic lines. It is only Hindutva that they are against and that is why the Maha Vikas Akhadi alliance government gets a free pass even when they commit atrocities while the BJP is demonised for crimes it did not even commit.
Thus, their ‘speaking truth to power’ is only for those occasions when Hindu interests can be undermined and Hindus can be demonised. The political parties that are perceived to not represent Hindu interests are given a free pass. Even Shiv Sena, until it was seen as a party of Hindutva, was opposed vehemently. The moment they took a so-called secular turn, all crimes were forgiven. Not just that, despite the fact that Maharashtra is the worst hit state amid coronavirus pandemic, the same ‘woke’ people are hailing the Thackeray government for brilliant management and controlling the infection.
It further confirms that the ‘Woke’ camp has no values apart from its morbid opposition towards Hinduism. Agrima Joshua would not have issued any apology for her insult of the Shiv Smarak if only the BJP was opposed to it. When she realised that her insult had angered the ones in power, she immediately grovelled before the ‘secular’ parties.
Going forward, it is to safe to say that Agrima Joshua will be careful not to offend the sensibilities of her ‘allies’ in the fight against ‘Hindutva fascism’. It does not matter that there is no fascism in this country and the opposition parties are the ones who have no respect for freedom of expression. But such minor compromises have to be made for the larger battle against Hinduism. Because the Woke brigade does not really care about FoE and opposing tyranny, their main goal is the obliteration of Hinduism and that alone.
After Amitabh Bachchan and his family members tested positive for Coronavirus, rumours were circulating over social media platforms that actress Hema Malini was admitted to hospital after she complained about breathing problems. The rumour supposedly started after a page on Facebook that goes by the name “Rani Mukherji Chopra” shared a post in which they wrote, “My Dance & acting Guru, Actress and Padma Shri #Hema_Malini Maa has been admitted into hospital few min ago due to breath problem. The 71-year-old actress had some health issue for last few weeks. Her Husband & Macho Man of Bollywood #Dharmendra Sir & Her Two Daughters Esha & Ahana Deol & Son Bobby & Sunny Deol are Request Everyone to Pray for the Dream Girl of India.” The page also shared a few photographs of Hema Malini and her family.
The Facebook “Rani Mukherji Chopra” it is not the official page of actress Rani Mukerji. Facebook has not verified the page, and the admins of the page are from Bangladesh that adds to the suspicion.
In one of the photographs shared with the post, Hema Malini is a hospital. This particular photograph was from 2015 when her car met with an accident on Agra Jaipur highway. At that time, those photographs were shared by many news portals.
Hema Malini and daughter fact-check the claim
Esha Deol, daughter of Hema Malini, shared posted on Twitter that her mother is fit and fine. She added that the news about her ill health is fake and should not be believed.
My mother @dreamgirlhema is fit & fine ? ! The news regarding her health is absolutely fake so please don’t react to such rumours! Thanks to everyone for their love & concern . ♥️??
After that Hema Malini herself came forward to assure her fans and followers that she is fine. She appeared in videos and rejected the rumours made about her health.
Hema Malini’s videos have emerged on several accounts, including Viral Bhayani, a content creator and fashion photographer from Mumbai. In the video, Hema Malini said that there are rumours about her health that are not true. She is in perfect health by the grace of Lord Krishna.
Another video was shared by Newsroom Post that had a similar message from the actress.
Hema Malini refutes rumors of ill health, shares video. Esha Deol has shared a tweet, refuting rumours of her mother Hema Malini’s ill health. She said the veteran actor is keeping well. | @dreamgirlhema@Esha_Deol|
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump was reportedly seen wearing a mask for the first time during the Coronavirus pandemic. He had gone to a military medical facility, Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, to meet doctors, healthcare workers, and wounded soldiers. His navy blue mask carried a presidential seal that was embossed in gold.
Earlier, Trump refrained from wearing a mask while making public appearances. Unlike other world leaders, he refused to ask fellow Americans to wear a mask in public. As per reports, his aides have asked him to wear masks on multiple occasions. His critics are however of the view that his refusal to wear a face-covering in public exhibited a lack of leadership.
Justifying his decision to wear a mask during his visit to the medical facility, he said, “I think when you are in a hospital, especially in that particular setting when you are talking to a lot of soldiers, people that in some cases just got off the operating table, I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask.” Despite confirmed cases of Coronavirus and fatalities, Donald Trump has been vocal about reopening educational institutions and resuming business activities.
Donald Trump changes his stance on ‘masks’
The US President had made contradictory statements with respect to face coverings. Reportedly, he had earlier mocked Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden for wearing a mask in public. While leaving the White House, he stated that he was never against masks but that there was an appropriate time and place for wearing one. Last week, he said that he liked how he looked in a mask and compared himself with Lone Ranger who fought the outlaws in American Old West. The character also had a native American friend named Tonto.
He had also mocked people who would touch their faces after taking off their masks. “They put their finger on the mask, and they take them off, and then they start touching their eyes and touching their nose and their mouth. And then they don’t know how they caught it,” Donald Trump was quoted as saying. Earlier when the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended face coverings in public, he said, “I don’t think I’m going to be doing it. Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens – I just don’t see it.” In June this year, he told the Wall Street Journal that protestors might wear masks to indicate their disapproval of him.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, vowed to liberate al-Aqsa mosque from Israel after converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque on Friday. Last week, a court in Turkey gave controversial judgment to convert ancient Hagia Sophia church into a mosque. The UNESCO World Heritage site was converted into a mosque for the first time in 1453. In 1934, it was transformed into a museum.
The Turkish Presidency website issued a statement saying, “The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the footsteps of the will of Muslims across the world to come… the resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the reignition of the fire of hope of Muslims and all oppressed, wrong, downtrodden and exploited.”
The Arabic and English translation of the statement was different from the one that was published in Turkish. It is believed that the difference in the translation was an attempt to hide full views of Ankara on how it has connected transformation of Hagia Sophia to a bigger agenda.
Palestinian support with Erdogan
In Arabic, it described the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque as a part of “return to freedom to al-Aska,” which means Israel should be removed from Jerusalem’s Old City where al-Aqsa is located. Turkey’s president has linked the decision to reviving Islam to Bukhara in Uzbekistan and Andalusia in Spain. By linking al-Aqsa in Jerusalem to Hagia Sophia and Spain, he has shown the coded terminology of a wider agenda on religious lines.
Erdogan has drawn huge admiration among Palestinians for being a critic of Israel. Turkey had attempted to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza by sending Gaza flotilla that led to 10 Turkish citizens’ death as Israel forces raided the Mavi Marmara ship on learning about the attempt.
An attempt to become determiner of “Islamic” practices
AK Party of Turkey has deep roots in the Muslim Brotherhood, and it is a close ally of Hamas in Gaza. Turkey’s strategy is believed to be an attempt to seek more influence across the region among like-minded countries and groups, including Libya and Qatar. Turkey has been trying to replace countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan to become the main determiner of what is “Islamic.” Ankara seems to believe that the change in the status of Hagia Sophia is only a small part of the broader religious militarist agenda in the Middle East. The speech associated with Hagia Sophia has indicated that Turkey’s future agenda may eye on Jerusalem as well.
On Saturday, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reportedly restored the bank accounts of terrorist Hafiz Saeed and four other terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), following formal approval from the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). As per the report, Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, Haji M Ashraf, and Yahya Mujahid are the other terrorists whose bank accounts have been restored by the State of Pakistan.
Reportedly, they have been facing imprisonment, ranging between 1-5 years, in Lahore jail on charges of terror financing. The charges were filed against them by the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). According to the report, the terrorists had individually filed an appeal before the United Nations Sanctions Committee to have their bank account restored under the pretext of running their family expenses. They had reportedly revealed their income, bank account number, and sources of earning to the Pakistani government in their request. The same information was then forwarded to the United Nations Security Council.
A terrorist from Lashkar-e-Taiba revealed that the terrorists initially refrained from filing appeal but later did so as it was becoming difficult for other leaders to run their terror operations. “Not only this it would have also raise questions how our leaders are running their families so we approached the authorities as it was in our favor whatever facility we have got in terms of restoration of our bank accounts is legal and with the approval of United Nations” he added.
UNSC allows monthly pension for Hafiz Saeed
Last year, the United Nations committee has now allowed terrorist Hafiz Saeed to use his bank account for ‘basic expenses’ to help his family. In its letter, the UN Committee said that with no objections being raised to Pakistan’s request for Hafiz Saeed’s basic expenses, the Chair has approved the appeal. Reportedly, Hafiz Saeed’s bank accounts were frozen by the Pakistani government complying with the UNSC resolution. Later, Pakistan had requested the UN to let Hafiz Saeed withdraw PKR 1,50,000 (approximately $1,000) to cover necessary basic living expenses for him and his family.
