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5 months ago, WSJ called this US city ‘America’s Jihad capital’ and the drama hasn’t stopped yet: Pro-Hamas protests, heightened security, politics and more

Anurag
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5 months ago, WSJ called this US city ‘America’s Jihad capital’ and the drama hasn’t stopped yet: Pro-Hamas protests, heightened security, politics and more

Dearborn is a small city near Detroit, Michigan. In February 2024, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed calling it the “Jihad Capital” of the United States of America. Dearborn has the largest Arab American Community.

Though the security was increased in the area by the local administration following the op-ed, the region has been facing conflicts consistently. At the moment, it is fiercely divided over the Israel-Hamas war as residents have decided not to vote for either of the candidates in the presidential elections. Reportedly, the people of Dearborn believe that the political leaders of the US are playing a major role in the suffering of the people of Gaza.

In February this year, almost 6,500 voters in Dearborn chose “uncommitted” during the Democratic primaries. The number jumped to 1,00,000 in March. On 19th July, days before Biden stepped down from the Presidential Election, he held a campaign rally at a school near Dearborn but was rejected by Arab Americans. According to artist Jenin Yaseen from Dearborn, the Arab community is made up of people from Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere in Dearborn. All these countries are in direct conflict with Israel, which these people believe is enabled by the US to attack Gaza.

Dearborn’s mayor is also from the Arab community. Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor, said in February that they do not want a return to the status quo and want to establish a just Palestinian state. In other words, the people of Dearborn want Israel to be wiped out from the map. In April this year, Muslim protesters in Dearborn had chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel” during a protest.

Hammoud has been vocal against the US government consistently. In January this year, he wrote, “Little bit of advice – if you’re planning on sending campaign officials to convince the Arab American community on why they should vote for your candidate, don’t do it on the same day you announce selling fighter jets to the tyrants murdering our family members.” He statement came after it was reported that Israel was planning to buy 50 fighter jets and 12 Apache attack helicopters from the US.

Ironically, Hammoud, who favours Hamas, posted on X after Trump was attacked saying ‘violence is never the answer’. He wrote, “Praying for the health and safety of former President Trump, and the attendees at the rally impacted by today’s shooting. Violence is never the answer.”

When Israel was attacked by Hamas on 7th October, he blamed Israel for the attack and claimed it was because of decades of “illegal military occupation and imprisonment of Gaza” which made peace impossible and the attack inevitable. He added, “Israel has trapped millions of Palestinians in Gaza in what is recognized by the international community as the world’s largest open-air prison. Failure to recognize this context is the inability to comprehend what is unfolding overseas.” Though he did not say it openly, but the tone made it clear he sided with Hamas and justified the terrorist attack that killed over 1,300 people.

No Biden, No Harris

The Arab community in Dearborn is not just against Biden. They are also not willing to go ahead and vote for Kamala Harris, who has been named by Joe Biden as a possible Democrat candidate for the presidential elections. Samraa Luqman, who was co-chair for the Abandon Biden campaign, said, “There is not an automatic endorsement by the community of Harris just because Biden stepped down. She was part of the Biden administration, so she’s going to be associated with all of his policies and all of his rhetoric. She might come with a $100 million war chest, but she comes with his baggage as well.”

Luqman believes that instead of choosing Harris, the people of Dearborn may choose a third-party candidate or even Donald Trump. She said, “They may go with a Republican out of spite”.

Dearborn is a curious case of one-sided and undivided support for “Palestine” without giving a thought to the two-state solution to the problem. The people of Dearborn, specifically the Arab Community wants one-state solution via establishment of only Palestine.

‘America’s Jihad Capital’ tag and protest rallies after Hamas terrorist attack on Israel

In February 2024, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed written by Steven Stalinsky, executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute in which he called Dearborn “America’s Jihad Capital”. The assertion was based on the fact that the region became a focal point of intense scrutiny following a series of rallies and protests supporting Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. Slogans such as ‘Intifada’, ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ and ‘America is a terrorist state’ were heard consistently during these protests. The protesters, interestingly were seen wearing Kaffiyahs covering their faces.

The protests started in Dearborn soon after the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas on 7th October 2023. On 10th October, a rally was organised at the Ford Performing Arts Centre cheering Hamas terror attack. During the event, Imam Imran Salha of Dearborn’s Islamic Centre of Detroit asserted that Israel’s past actions have ignited a “fire in our hearts that will burn that state” until its destruction.

On 14th October, another rally was organised at the Henry Ford Centennial Library where Imam Usama Abdulghani, an American-born, Iranian-educated Shiite scholar, cheered the attacks as a “miracle come true” and praised the terrorists as “honourable lions defending the entire nation of Muhammad.”

On 30th December, the Islamic Centre of America held a memorial for a Hezbollah terrorist who was killed in an Israeli strike. Furthermore, Hadi Institute hosted a “Commemoration of the Martyrs” on 5th January to honour Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis. These two were designated terrorists killed in a 2020 airstrike.

The US counterterrorism officials have been raising alarms over the activities in Dearborn. In 2001, Michigan State Police highlighted Dearborn as a major support centre for international terror groups. The report suggested that several residents of the area have been convicted of terror-related crimes in recent years, including Ahmad Musa Jibril who is a prominent English-speaking Jihadi Sheikh popular for promoting “holy war” on social media.

Soon after the op-ed got published, the Mayor upped his game to clear the name of Dearborn as “Jihad Capital”. He called the op-ed “bigoted and Islamophobic”. Police presence was increased in the city and Hammoud said on X, “Effective immediately –  Dearborn police will ramp up its presence across all places of worship and major infrastructure points. This is a direct result of the inflammatory @WSJ opinion piece that has led to an alarming increase in bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric online targeting the city of Dearborn. Stay vigilant.” In short, instead of controlling the terror supporters in the region, Hammoud decided to attack the messenger, in this case, WSJ.

Even Biden himself came out to support the Arab community of Dearborn and opposed the term “Jihad Capital”. He wrote, “Americans know that blaming a group of people based on the words of a small few is wrong. That’s exactly what can lead to Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate, and it shouldn’t happen to the residents of Dearborn – or any American town. We must continue to condemn hate in all forms.” Of course, the aim was political for him as he did not want to lose his voter base. But that did not help in the end.

Dearborn is a classic example of what happens when population of the particular community crosses the threshhold of becoming majority in a region. It can be a city, a state, or a country. In all the cases, the rules of the republic cease to exist.

New Zealand: Inquiry finds 200,000 children, vulnerable adults abused in state, church care for 70 years

OpIndia Staff
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New Zealand: Inquiry finds 200,000 children, vulnerable adults abused in state, church care for 70 years

On 24th July, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon voiced regret after a public investigation revealed that during the previous 70 years, around 200,000 children, adolescents and vulnerable adults had been mistreated under state and church care. The report’s conclusion that nearly one in three vulnerable adults and children in care from 1950 to 2019 suffered from abuse could expose the government to billions of dollars worth of new compensation claims.

Christopher Luxon expressed, “This is a dark and sorrowful day in New Zealand’s history as a society and as a state, we should have done better, and I am determined that we will do so. New Zealanders don’t think this thing would happen, that abuse on this scale would ever happen in New Zealand. We always thought that we were exceptional and different, and the reality is we’re not,” at a news conference. On 12th November, there will be a formal apology.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into “Abuse of Care” spoke with over 2,300 survivors of abuse. Since concerns were ignored and documents lost or destroyed, the actual numbers were probably greater but would never be known. It was dubbed the most comprehensive investigation of its type (which lasted for six years) by those in charge of the probe. It assessed abuse in foster homes, state-run hospitals, educational and medical facilities, and faith-based healthcare. The investigation revealed a long list of mistreatment at public and religious facilities, including rape, grooming, sterilization and electric shock therapy, that peaked in the 1970s.

Children were taken from their homes in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner. The bulk of criminal gang members and inmates in New Zealand are suspected to have spent time in care. Individuals belonging to the Indigenous Māori community and those with physical or mental problems were particularly susceptible to maltreatment. While the Māori population made up less than 20% of the total population of New Zealand during the period under study, they accounted for the majority of the children in care.

According to the report, the scope of the abuse was “unimaginable,” governmental and religious institutions were not closely monitored and predators hardly ever faced consequences. Religious and civil officials battled to conceal abuse by transferring perpetrators to different places and assigning blame, causing many victims to pass away before receiving justice. Officials at the time of the abuse were “either oblivious or indifferent” about protecting children despite many of the worst instances had long been known.

The report pointed out, “It is a national disgrace that hundreds of thousands of children, young people and adults were abused and neglected in the care of the state and faith-based institutions. These gross violations occurred at the same time that Aotearoa New Zealand was promoting itself, internationally and domestically, as a bastion of human rights and as a safe, fair country to grow up as a child in a loving family.”

It stated, “These gross violations occurred at the same time as Aotearoa New Zealand was promoting itself, internationally and domestically, as a bastion of human rights and as a safe, fair country in which to grow up as a child in a loving family. If this injustice is not addressed, it will remain as a stain on our national character forever.”

42% in faith-based care abused

A report created for inquiry revealed that up to 42% of people receiving care from faith-based organizations across all denominations had experienced abuse. It added that many more were taken advantage of or ignored. In a 2020 report to the commission, the Catholic Church noted that throughout the investigation, allegations had been made against 14% of its clergy in New Zealand.

The authors of the inquiry urged a probe of a Catholic order’s priests who had been transferred to Papua New Guinea to avoid allegations of abuse in Australia and New Zealand. It was mentioned that not much was known about “the needs of potential survivors or the nature and extent of abuse and neglect there.” The Anglican Church in New Zealand released a statement: “We acknowledge and take full responsibility for our failures to provide the safe, caring and nurturing environment those who have been in our care had a right to expect and to receive.”

The Catholic Church of New Zealand also responded to the development and issued a statement acknowledging that it had previously admitted the abuse had occurred and was carefully evaluating the results.”We will ensure that action follows our review of the inquiry’s findings,” the statement asserted.

Recommendations of the report

A public apology from the government of New Zealand and the leaders of the Catholic and Anglican churches, who have denounced child abuse in the past, were among the 138 recommendations outlined in the report. Furthermore, it demanded that the government enact new laws requiring the reporting of any suspicions of abuse, including confessions made during religious services, and establish a Care Safe Agency to supervise the sector.

Although the report did not specify how much compensation was available for survivors, it estimated that in 2020, the average lifetime cost to an abuse survivor what New Zealanders would consider normal, day-to-day activities would be roughly NZ$857,000 ($511,200.50) per person. According to the prime minister, survivors may be entitled to compensation totalling billions of dollars. “We’re opening up the redress conversations, and we’re going through that work with survivor groups,” he highlighted but conveyed that it was premature to guarantee that officials who denied or covered up abuses would lose their positions.

The probe also suggested reviewing the compensation given in past child abuse instances, particularly at the state-run Lake Alice adolescent institution, and making payments to families who have been cared for by abuse survivors because of the intergenerational trauma they experienced. Notably, the governments of New Zealand denied the necessity of an investigation of this kind as recently as 2015, and official organisations maintained that the abuse had not been widespread.

Supreme Court to form a committee to talk to protesting farmers, orders status quo at Shambhu border where protestors have assembled ‘armoured tanks’

ANI
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Supreme Court to form a committee to talk to protesting farmers, orders status quo at Shambhu border where protestors have assembled ‘armoured tanks’

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that the status quo be maintained at the Shambhu border near Ambala, where farmers have been camping since February 13.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan said it proposes to constitute an independent committee comprising eminent persons who can reach out to farmers and other stakeholders in order to find out viable solution to their demands that can be fair, just and in the interests of everyone.

The bench asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to suggest some names of members in the committee or else it can find out some suitable persons for the committee.

Supreme Court asked both the States to suggest the names within a week.

“Let appropriate instructions be taken within a week. Till then let parties maintain status quo at the site to prevent flaring up of the situation at the Shambhu border,” the bench stated in its order.

The top court also asked Punjab and Haryana to take steps for the removal of barricades in a phased manner at Shambhu border so that no inconvenience is caused to the public at large.

The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal against the July 10 Punjab and Haryana High Court order by which it had directed it to open the highway and clear the barricading within seven days.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for Haryana government told opposed the opening of the border saying it will create the law and order problem.

Right now there are armoured tanks at the Shambhu border, said Solicitor General.

“As a welfare State we cannot afford any untoward incident… they are prohibited on a national highway. JCB, tanks, trollies are converted into virtual war tanks. Please see the photos. I am saying this with a sense of responsibility,” he said.

The bench then told Solicitor General that there are some trust deficit and as a State you need to take some initiative to reach out the farmers.

Mehta replied that State was ready to talk.

To this, Justice Kant said, “You are sending your ministers… Why do not you think of a neutral umpire. Some confidence needs to be there. This is a case of trust deficit… or we will think of suggesting some persons having neutral…”

The bench asked then said it was proposing to constitute some independent committee.

The bench also observed that it’s more than a year now and National Highway can’t blocked.

In February, the Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway. Farmers bodies announced that farmers would march to Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Delhi HC orders relocation of all dairies from Bhalaswa to Ghogha Dairy Colony in Delhi, says dairy plots illegally converted to commercial and residential uses

ANI
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Delhi HC orders relocation of all dairies from Bhalaswa to Ghogha Dairy Colony in Delhi, says dairy plots illegally converted to commercial and residential uses

The Delhi High Court has directed all statutory authorities including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), to the extent their sactions are required, to take immediate steps for shifting all the dairies from Bhalaswa to Ghogha Dairy Colony within a period of four weeks.

Delhi High Court further said that the dairy plots allottees in all these colonies have illegally converted the use of these dairy plots into commercial and residential uses. The said change in land use is without any sanction of law. The construction of the superstructure on these dairy plots is also without any sanction of law.

We have perused the December, 5, 1976 allotment conditions of DDA pertaining to allotment of cattle sheds in these dairy colonies. These dairy plots were exclusively to be used as cattle sheds with a prohibition on converting the shed into a dwelling unit. Therefore, no equities can be claimed by the occupants of these superstructures, clarified the Delhi High Court.

While passing the direction, Delhi High Court stated that in view of the inability of the statutory authorities including MCD and GNCTD to take action to stop the milch cattle from feeding on garbage from the sanitary landfills near Bhalaswa and Ghazipur, having considered the submissions of the counsel and having perused the correspondence of MoHUA, we find merit in the submission that since the estimate of land required for shifting of Bhalaswa Dairy Colony is 30 acres and admittedly, unutilised land to the extent of 83 acres is available in Ghogha Dairy

Colony.

The bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela in an order passed on July 19, 2024 stated that the officers of MCD, DUSIB and GNCTD, whose names have been noted in this order shall be personally responsible for compliance with the directions issued in this order and shall file action taken reports under their name one day before the next date of hearing on August 23.

Earlier the Court issued several directions in regards maintaining hygiene in dairies colonies to ensure medical care of cattle kept therein and for use of spurious oxytocin and directed Chief Secretary of Delhi to file a detailed affidavit indicating the road map for the future of the nine dairy colonies.

Court earlier, also issued several directions stating, “Veterinary Hospitals be made functional forthwith near all designated dairies and Bio-gas plants be installed near all the nine authorised dairies in Delhi for creation of dry manure and biogas fuel/ Compressed Biogas (CBG) production at the earliest, preferably prior to onset of monsoon”.

“FSSAI/ Department of Food Safety, GNCTD to ramp up testing and to conduct random sample checking of milk for presence of chemicals in dairy units in all the nine designated dairies as also of the milk products such as sweets from the areas where milk is supplied and to take appropriate action as per law in case of any violation”, said the bench.

Recently, the Delhi High Court has viewed that there is urgent need to rehabilitate and relocate the Ghazipur Dairy and Bhalaswa Dairy forthwith as they are located next to the Sanitary Landfill Sites (‘SLFS’). Court said the dairies should be relocated in areas where there is proper sewage, drainage, biogas plant, ample open space for the cattle to move around and enough grazing area.

Earlier Delhi High Court appointed Court Commissioner for inspection of designated Dairy colonies of Delhi, where approximately one lakh buffaloes and cows are used for commercial milk production.

Later, Court appointed Commissioner had informed the court that Oxytocin is administered to the cattle in a bid to force milk let-down and to increaseproduction of milk. Since administering of Oxytocin amounts to animal cruelty and is a cognizable offence under Section 12 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, consequently.

Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation moved by the 3 Petitioners – Sunayana Sibal, Dr. Asher Jessudoss and Akshita Kukreja are alumni of the Ahimsa Fellowship. They are represented by Senior Advocate, Vivek Sibal.

Petitioners highlighted alleged violations include gruesome animal cruelty such as tethering with extremely short ropes, intense overcrowding, animals made to lie on their own excreta, unattended and festering injuries and diseases, starving of male calves, mutilation of animals, etc.

The Petition also points towards heaps of rotting carcasses and excreta at several spots in the colonies and carcasses of calves dumped on public streets, leading to fly infestation, mosquito breeding. The non therapeutic administration of antibiotics and the administration of injections of a spurious drug suspected to be Oxytocin was also highlighted. Oxytocin is a hormone used to induce labour pain in women and causes painful contractions in the buffaloes to increase milk let down.

The Petitioners stated that maimed, mutilated as well as injured animals can be seen in unfathomable numbers. The gross environmental pollution and grave public nuisance due to poor waste disposal practices and endangerment of public health as a result of flouting several food safety norms is also highlighted.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Do you know? Nepalese Airlines are banned in Europe: As another plane crashes at Kathmandu airport, here is why they are barred from European airspace

Paurush Gupta
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Do you know? Nepalese Airlines are banned in Europe: As another plane crashes at Kathmandu airport, here is why they are barred from European airspace

A major plane crash took place in Nepal’s Kathmandu on Wednesday (24th July). According to a report in Kathmandu Post, an aircraft belonging to Saurya Airlines crashed during takeoff at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu. 19 people, including crew members, were onboard the plane when it crashed at around 11 am. As per preliminary information, eighteen bodies have been recovered from the crash site while several reports have confirmed multiple casualties, some reports have claimed that these 18 people have died in this crash.

According to a report in the Himalayan Times, the plane was only carrying the technical staff of the airline. An information officer at the TIA, Gyanendra Bhul said that there were no passengers on board but the plane was carrying a few technical staff.

TIA Spokesperson Subash Jha said that the accident occurred after the Pokhara-bound flight suffered a runway excursion during takeoff. Jha added that Captain MR Shakya was rushed to the hospital without giving further details.

According to eyewitnesses, the plane suddenly flipped when it was taking off from the Southern end of the runway (Koteshwor side). Moments later, its wing tip hit the ground and the aircraft immediately caught fire. It then plunged into a gorge on the eastern side of the runway between Buddha Air hanger and the radar station, the eyewitnesses recounted. 

Police and firefighters are carrying out rescue operations at the accident site. According to reports citing officials, the fire has been doused. 

Meanwhile, the flight was en route to Pokhara, an important tourism hub in Nepal. According to its website, Saurya Airlines exclusively flies Bombardier CRJ 200 jets.

Nepal’s aviation sector is plagued by concerns about safety 

The aviation industry in the Himalayan nation has been witnessing significant growth in recent years but it has been plagued by concerns about safety. 

Last year in January, Nepal suffered one of the deadliest plane crashes in more than 3 decades. The accident took place when an ATR 72 aircraft belonging to Yeti Airlines crashed near Pokhara. 72 people, including passengers and crew members, were onboard the plane when it crashed. All of them lost their lives in the crash. In an alarming display of the lack of pilot training, the crash investigation later revealed that the plane crashed because the pilot pulled the ‘wrong lever’. 

According to data from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), it was the third-deadliest crash in Nepal’s history. Around 167 people died after Pakistan International Airlines crashed in Nepal in September 1992. A few months earlier, the country lost 113 people when Thai Airways crashed in July 1992. 

Meanwhile, on 29th May 2022, a Tara Air plane crashed in the Mustang district. All 22 passengers onboard the plane had lost their lives in that crash. 

In 2018, around 51 people died and 20 others sustained serious injuries when a US-Bangla Airlines flight crash-landed incidentally at today’s crash site, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu. 

Strikingly, on average, Nepal has suffered one flight disaster a year. Since 2010, the country has witnessed at least 12 fatal plane crashes, including today’s crash. Additionally, according to the ASN database, Nepal has witnessed about 27 plane crashes over the past three decades, excluding today’s crash. According to some reports, Nepal has seen over 100 crashes overall in its aviation history. 

Conspicuously, the European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace citing significant safety concerns. The EU had barred all Nepal airlines from operating in European airspace in December 2013; a decade later, the blanket ban continues.

EU renewed the decade-long ban on Nepalese airlines last year

In December 2023, the European Commission (EC), part of the European Union executive, extended the decade-long ban on Nepalese airlines. The EC continued its ban on Nepali airlines through an updated “EU Air Safety List,” the list of non-European airlines that do not meet international safety standards. Such airlines are subjected to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union. 

Notably, the EU Air Safety List is based on the opinion of aviation safety experts of its member states. After a meeting of the EU Air Safety Committee was held in Brussels on November 14-16, the body extended the ban on Nepalese airlines. 

According to an official document dated 30th May 2024, all Nepalese airline carriers (in Annexure-A) getting approval from Nepal’s civil aviation authority have been banned from operating in Europe. 

Meanwhile, according to The Kathmandu Post, insiders said that the extended ban spoke volumes about the negligence that had resulted from the corrupt system in Nepal. 

It is pertinent to note that for a long time, over 15 years, the Nepalese government has been dilly-dallying on safety concerns and mitigation steps suggested by the global aviation watchdogs. They have constantly raised questions on the civil aviation body’s dual role and urged the Himalayan nation to split the organisation into two entities – one that will provide services and another that would regulate it to enhance the safety of flyers. While the bills have reached Parliament on several occasions in the last decade, no government has so far passed them to lose the dual benefits they enjoy because of it.

Insiders said that there is larger politics that prevent the bills from becoming law. They stated that once the civil aviation body is separated, some top position holders will lose the dual benefits they have been enjoying. 

According to the Kathmandu Post report, the existing system allows the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to issue tenders for multi-billion-dollar projects. The DG also oversees compliance with projects and aviation regulations governing the issuance of licences to airlines and crews, making it prone to overlooking concerns of mismanagement and corruption. 

An aviation expert said, “We cannot blame airlines when the role of the regulator itself has come under question.” 

An aviation expert, who wished not to be named, said, “Why would the EC lift the ban? There have been no substantial improvements in Nepal’s aviation sector.” 

The expert added, “People are dying in the world’s safest mode of transport. Crashes in Nepal keep happening and there are no concrete efforts to prevent them.”

There are concerns about corruption, poor training manuals for airline staff and pilots, data management, and lack of oversight by independent experts. As highlighted above, one of the deadliest plane crashes, in January 2023, was a result of the pilot’s inaction as he pulled the ‘wrong lever’ leading to the death of 72 individuals. 

Additionally, there have been allegations and reports that Nepalese airline carriers opt for old fleets and purchase retarded or old planes at junk prices, overlooking safety concerns. 

Incidentally, Nepal’s anti-graft body, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has been probing a case against 30 individuals and two firms in connection with the 2017 purchase of two wide-body aircraft for the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag bearer. The allegations involve corruption, tweaking terms of agreements to purchase cheaper planes for profiteering and corruption rather than modern-state of the of-the-art planes. 

Incidentally, for several years, Nepal has been trying to discard 6 planes it had brought from China less than a decade ago, from 2014 to 2018. However, it has failed at least twice to sell these planes even at junk prices. 

According to The Kathmandu Post, one of the ‘Chinese’ planes crashed in Nepalgunj. The five planes have been grounded at the remote parking bay on the eastern side of TIA in Kathmandu since 2020 and had been gathering rust.

With an alarming one plane crash every year on average, the Himalayan nation has again suffered a major tragic accident killing reportedly 18 people. For Nepal, it is a call for action time to overhaul its aviation sector to safeguard itself from aviation disasters.  

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif shamed online for using X (Twitter) despite a nationwide ban on the social media platform imposed by his govt

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif shamed online for using X (Twitter) despite a nationwide ban on the social media platform imposed by his govt

Pakistan has consistently presented itself as a farcical joke to the rest of the world and the latest episode has only served to solidify its status as an absurd banana republic. The incident is connected to the recent outcry from netizens against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for using X (previously Twitter) after banning the social media app in the country. Furthermore, they even raised questions on the legitimacy of the government and used the “Community Notes” feature to expose the incumbent administration.

Shehbaz Sharif on 18 July took on social media to wish President Joe Biden, who was just diagnosed with COVID-19, a swift and full recovery. However, the users didn’t take long to call him out through “Community Notes” accusing him of using X through VPN as the platform is banned in Pakistan. The Note said, “Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s PM, faces criticism for hypocrisy and corruption. Despite a government ban on X (formerly Twitter), he uses it via VPN, raising legal; questions. The February 20204 elections that brought him to power were marred by allegations of rigging and violence.”

X users including overseas Pakistanis also utilized Community Notes to globally humiliate the prime minister as he tweeted to “welcomed the Beijing Declaration on the agreement between leading Palestinian groups to unite and form an interim unity government.” They also brought up the power dynamics in the ‘Islamic Republic’ where the political government acts as a second fiddle to the iron-clad rule of the army which maintains absolute authority.

Another Community Notes read, “The so-called prime minister using VPN to tweet because his bosses in the military are not allowing him or anyone in the country to use Twitter and other social media. The same Twitter where even the military has an account deserted long ago.”

Netizens express their fury

In addition to “Community Notes,” the X users blasted Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s army and revealed their duplicity as they responded to the former’s tweets. An individual dubbed the prime minister as an “installed puppet of General Asim Munir” who is using the application after barring it in the country.

Another person remarked that Shehbaz Sharif is using a VPN to access X which he has banned in Pakistan and it undermines his “legitimacy in ways unimaginable.”

“Zaman” expressed the same sentiment and termed Shehbaz Sharif “shameful and disgusting” for using X after banning the application in the country.

“How was he using X as it was banned by his own government and its use was deemed illegal in the country,” a netizen questioned Shehbaz Sharif.

“Umar Saeed” commented that Shehbaz Sharif was using X after his government banned it in the country and added, “At least show some consideration for our respect if you don’t care about your own, fool.”

Pakistan blocks social media platform X

In April of this year, Pakistan’s interior ministry declared that the country had barred access to the social networking site X due to national security concerns, around the time of the election in February. The shutdown was brought up by the interior ministry in a written petition to the Islamabad High Court. A different court ordered the administration to reevaluate the prohibition in a week. However, the ministry claimed, “It is very pertinent to mention here that the failure of Twitter/X to adhere to the lawful directives of the government of Pakistan and address concerns regarding the misuse of its platform necessitated the imposition of a ban,” in the court.

It further added, “The decision to impose a ban on Twitter/X in Pakistan was made in the interest of upholding national security, maintaining public order, and preserving the integrity of our nation.” The ministry alleged that X had shown reluctance to address the problem. On the other hand, the latter responded that it was still collaborating with the Pakistani authorities to comprehend its worries, in a post.

According to the ministry report, Pakistan’s intelligence and security agencies’ classified reports were taken into consideration while deciding to temporarily block X. It claimed that “hostile elements operating on Twitter/X have nefarious intentions to create an environment of chaos and instability, with the ultimate goal of destabilising the country and plunging it into some form of anarchy.”

Notably, Imran Khan’s supporters and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers used the app as an important tool to mobilize, coordinate and organise massive protests in different parts of the country which often turned violent, against his removal from the office of prime minister, his incarceration and the general election result which they charged was stolen from them by army which is in cohorts with the other political parties.

The recent occurrence has once again exposed the feeble underpinning of Pakistan’s ‘democracy’ in which the prime minister brazenly flouts laws enacted by his own government and consistently degrades himself into a laughing stock with no consequences because he has the support of the army, who are actually in charge of the country.

Germany bans Islamic Centre Hamburg for pursuing radical Islam: Read about its links with Iran and Hezbollah

Jinit Jain
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Germany bans Islamic Centre Hamburg for pursuing radical Islam: Read about its links with Iran and Hezbollah

On Wednesday, the German government imposed a ban on the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) and its related organisations, citing their alleged support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and the promotion of Iranian leadership ideology. The action came after police conducted raids on 53 properties nationwide.

Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that evidence from investigations, including searches in November, confirmed serious concerns about the IZH’s activities. The IZH is accused of promoting an Islamist-extremist, totalitarian ideology in Germany and supporting Hezbollah.

The German Interior Ministry characterized the IZH as a “direct representative of Iran’s ‘Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution’,” alleging it forcefully spreads the ideology of the Islamic Revolution and aims to spark a similar revolution in Germany. The Islamic Centre Hamburg has been under surveillance by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency due to its connections to Hezbollah, which Germany deems a “Shiite terrorist organization” and banned from operating in the country since 2020.

Germany now joins nations like France and the United Kingdom among countries that are facing the wrath of changing demography and growing support for the radical strand of Islam among Muslim immigrants, especially in the wake of the Israel-Gaza war, with the Western media doubling as a witting or an unwitting accessory in pushing the Palestine propaganda and further inflaming resentment among Muslims around the world.

The horrific murder of French teacher Samuel Paty in October 2020, beheaded by an Islamist for allegedly blaspheming against Prophet Muhammad, triggered a reckoning among the French on their complex relationship with radical Islamists living in their midst. Since then, France has been systematically chipping away at the Islamist institutes that have been fuelling radicalism in French society. Last year, it imposed a nationwide ban on Islamic attire in schools, widely regarded as a symbol of fundamentalism and leads to segregation among students.

Similarly, in the United Kingdom across the English Channel, Islamism has been steadily nibbling away at the law and order framework that was once a source of pride for the country. The alarming deterioration of law and order manifested during the ghastly anti-Hindu violence that erupted in Leicester in October 2022, when Islamists ran riot, instigating their fellow co-religionists to ‘wipe out Hindus as they did in Kashmir’.

As Islamism rears its ominous head in Germany, the nation’s government decided to impose a ban on one of the most influential Islamic centres in the country. The centre has also faced accusations of spreading aggressive anti-semitism. Germany has been working to combat anti-semitism, which has increased following Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.

Founded by Iranian immigrants in 1953, the centre has long been a concern for German authorities.

The Islamic Centre Hamburg runs the Imam Ali Mosque, also referred to as the Blue Mosque. There have been increasing calls for its closure due to its alleged connections to Iran.

Following the ban, four Shiite mosques in Germany will be shut down, and the IZH’s assets will be seized.

Nepal Plane Crash: 18 bodies recovered after Saurya Airlines test flight crashed during take-off at Kathmandu airport, pilot is the lone survivor

OpIndia Staff
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Nepal Plane Crash: 18 bodies recovered after Saurya Airlines test flight crashed during take-off at Kathmandu airport, pilot is the lone survivor

A Saurya Airlines flight carrying 19 people crashed during take-off at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday. Bodies of 18 people onboard flight 9N-AME have been confirmed dead, as per reports.

The pilot of the plane, Captain Manish Shakya, is the lone survivor who has been rushed to KMC Hospital in Sinamangal, as per TIA Spokesperson Subash Jha.

The TIA said “CRJ7 (Reg-9NAME) of Sourya Airlines took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am local time during the flight to Pokhara, turned right and crashed at a place on the east side of the runway. It is reported that the fire was brought under control and the rescue work was started immediately. The dead bodies of 18 people were recovered and 1 injured person was rescued and taken to the hospital.”

Notably, this was a test flight, hence there were no regular passengers on the aircraft. The people on the plane included technicians and staff of the airline. The plane was departing from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

According to officials at Tribhuvan International Airport, the Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft crashed during take-off at around 11.11 AM, causing it to skid off the runway and catch fire. A team of firefighters was deployed to extinguish the fire that released a huge plume of smoke.

The plane was taking off from the Southern-end of the runway (Koteshwor side). Videos of the crash  have appeared on social media, which show that the plane suddenly make a sharp right turn right immediately after take-off and its wing tip hit the ground.

The plane caught fire immediately, and then plunged into a gorge on the eastern side of the runway. Photos show that the aircraft’s fuselage in severely damaged condition on the airport grounds.

Pilot 37-year-old Manish Shakya was rescued from the wreckage, while the bodies of 18 others were recovered from the crash site.

The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) was closed following the crash on Wednesday morning, affecting dozens of flights. However later the operations were resumed as the runway and other infrastructure was not damaged due to the crash. The closure had impacted both domestic and international flights, with domestic flights halted at various domestic airports and international flights either put on hold or diverted to other airports.

As per planespotters.net, the Bombardier CRJ-200 plane was manufactured in April 2003, and was delivered to Saurya Airlines in 2017 after it changed several owners after the first user Atlantic Coast Airlines.

‘Bigger than Chandigarh’: Assam CM shares success of anti-encroachment drive, says 167 sq km freed; Here’s how illegal encroachment harmed state’s culture, habitat

Siddhi Somani
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‘Bigger than Chandigarh’: Assam CM shares success of anti-encroachment drive, says 167 sq km freed; Here’s how illegal encroachment harmed state’s culture, habitat

On Wednesday, 24th July, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state’s anti-encroachment drive was moving in the proper direction and that with the consistent efforts against the illegal encroachments, the state had recovered 167 sq km of land from the encroachers.

“In the last 3 years, with consistent Govt efforts & cooperation from a large section of society, we have been able to free up 167 sq. Km of land from encroachers, an area larger than the size of Chandigarh city. We are committed to making every inch of land free from encroachers,” Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has time and again raised his voice against illegal encroachments in the state. He and his government have been working to free the state land where the population of illegal encroachers has increased in the last 40 years. This illegal encroachment has allegedly been affecting the natural wildlife habitat and sanctuaries.

On July 20th, Sarma said that the Assam government had made strides in removing encroachers from both forest and revenue lands. Sarma reported that 16,776 hectares of land had been cleared in the last three years, including 9,646 hectares of forest land and 7,130 hectares of revenue land. “Many people ask what we’ve done to secure Assam’s future. In the last 3 years, the government has evicted encroachers and cleared 16,776 hectares of land. Who were the encroachers? No answer is required,” he said.

Rhinos returned to Bura Chapori and Laokhowa forest sanctuaries

Recently, in January 2024, Assam CM stated that Rhinos, once absent from the sanctuaries had moved to return to the Bura Chapori (44.06 sq km) and Laokhowa forest sanctuaries in Nagaon and Sonitpur districts as a result of the state’s efforts to free the area of illegal encroachments. “Happy to share that after 40 years, our iconic rhinos have returned to Laokhowa and Bura Chapori within one year of our successful anti-encroachment operation in the region. 51.7 square km of forest cover was retrieved from the evictions in 2023,” Assam CM was quoted as saying.

These sanctuaries have had substantial encroachment difficulties, requiring the government to take urgent action against illegal encroachment. The effective eviction operation which began in the year 2023 lasted four days to clear around 1,892 hectares of land in Bura Chapori.

Reports mention that over four decades, this sanctuary, which was previously a thriving home for elephants, deer, birds, tigers, and one-horned rhinos, had been transformed into a mini-township, with dozens of communities constructed within its borders. Surprisingly, the bulldozers employed to remove the illegal encroachment not only demolished unlawful colonies, but also destroyed government infrastructure including schools, Anganwadi centers, and health facilities established by earlier Congress governments.

As per what is believed by the BJP, the then forest minister let illegal settlers occupy the sanctuary citing their electoral relevance. The encroachment is said to have peaked in the state during the Congress’ tenure from 2001 to 2016, with hundreds of illegal Bangladeshi families being settled to enhance the Congress vote bank.

Furthermore, the Congress government not only tolerated but actively encouraged intrusion by building roads, supplying power, and establishing educational and healthcare facilities for settlers. According to records from the Assam Land and Revenue Department, the number of encroachers increased significantly, from a few families in the 1980s to over 2,500 households in 40 years, with a total population of more than 12,000 people in these particular sanctuaries.

The encroachment drive began in the year 2023

The state CM who has been raising his voice against the illegal settlers in the state ordered the removal of illegal encroachment in January 2023. It was reported that 500 hectares of forest land in Assam’s Lakhimpur district, 2,560.25 hectares of Pava Reserve Forest, and around 10,500 hectares in Adhasona and Mohaghuli villages would be freed from the illegal encroachment.

In December 2022, the state conducted a successful anti-encroachment drive in Nagaon’s Batadrava, where around 5000 illegal encroachers were uprooted. Among the other big eviction drives was one in the Dhalpur area of Darrang district, which resulted in alleged violence, killing two people and injuring over 20 others in September 2021. This is after encroachers of the land attacked security forces as the latte moved to demolish the illegal properties.

The next big anti-encroachment drive happened in February 2023 when the government freed around 1,900 hectares of Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary from Bengali-speaking Muslims. A year after this drive, Rhinos arrived at the sanctuary. 29 hectares of land illegally occupied at Pava Reserve Forest had been freed.

The district administration conducted an eviction campaign in Bhabanipur, Barpeta district, to clear roughly 300 hectares owned by Gopal Dev Aata Satra, a Vaishnavite monastery.

In November 2023, 246 households were evicted from Nalbari Reserve Forest in Assam’s Goalpara district. All 246 households had been living on forest land illegally. Approximately 100 hectares of land had been cleared during this effort.

Also, on 8th November, an eviction drive in the Lumding reserve forest in the Hojai district of Assam was conducted to demolish around 555 houses and illegal structures. As per reports, the eviction drive was carried out under the direction of the Guwahati High Court to remove illegal occupants from reserve forest lands. The Assam government had deployed about 1000 security personnel including the State Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to prevent any untoward incident. According to the district administration in Hojai, most of the illegal occupants had left their homes before the commencement of the eviction drive.

Both elephants and bulldozers were used to demolish the illegal structures. An official informed on Monday, “Today, we have demolished around 555 houses, illegal structures. Most of the people who encroached on the forest lands have cooperated with us and they left the forest lands. Our drive will continue tomorrow also,” Assam CM was quoted as saying.

Assam CM raises concern over changing demography

Recently on July 17th, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed grave concerns about the changing demographic composition in the Northern eastern border state. He asserted that demographic change was a matter of concern. He emphasized that this is not a political issue but rather for him, this is a “matter of life and death”. 

CM Sarma also highlighted how the demographic composition has drastically changed in Assam over the last several decades. He mentioned that Muslims who comprised around 12-14% of the total state population in 1951 have reached 40% now. Addressing a press conference in Jharkhand’s capital, Rachi, CM Sarma said, “Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, the Muslim population has reached 40 percent today. In 1951, it was 12 percent.”

He explained that the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants was the duty of the state government. “I am fighting infiltrators every day,” he said. On 23rd June, he expressed concerns about the surge in communalism stating that the Bangladeshi-origin minority community is the only one in Assam which indulges in communalism.

Soon after forming a state government in June 2021, he expressed concerns about the population explosion. He said, “Population explosion is the root cause of economic disparities and poverty among minority Muslims in Assam.”

Conclusion

Illegal encroachment in Assam has had a tremendous impact on both wildlife and the environment. Encroachment, which occurs frequently under the guise of agricultural development, settlement, and other human activities, endangers Assam’s various ecosystems and wildlife habitats.

Encroachment further causes the destruction of forests and grasslands, which are critical habitats for an array of wildlife species. As human activities spread into natural habitats, human-animal interactions have more probability of growing in common. This can lead to confrontations, which might cause injury to both humans and animals.

State Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said on March 16th last year that more than 70 people and 80 pachyderms on average die every year in human-elephant conflict in Assam. Patowary stated that increasing human occupation of the natural habitats of elephants had forced the animals to move out in search of food, which led to such conflicts with man.

Assam is home to several endangered species, including the one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, and a variety of bird species. Illegal encroachment compounds dangers to these species, bringing them closer to extinction. Further encroachment into protected areas such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries undermines conservation efforts. These areas are designated to preserve wildlife and biodiversity, and encroachment, be it legal or illegal, compromises their integrity.

The state under the leadership of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is making ample efforts to conserve the natural habitat and remove the illegal encroachments enhanced by the Bengali-speaking Muslims. The anti-encroachment drive is aiding the state to conserve the sanctuaries for animals and also protecting the ethnic culture of the state which is at times allegedly disturbed by the illegal infiltrators who lure the local tribals, especially women leading to severe demographic changes.

Conservation organizations and government agencies are working together to address this complex issue, but continuous efforts and support are needed to protect Assam’s wildlife’s natural heritage and its culture. The critic, opposition parties allegedly siding with the illegal encroachers must understand the root cause of the entire issue and support the state instead of criticizing the BJP government for its efforts to free the forest land of illegal encroachments.

Assam: Rahmania Jame Masjid’s Imam Manzil Islam sentenced to 20 years in jail for sexually abusing a minor boy in 2023

Siddhi Somani
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Assam: Rahmania Jame Masjid’s Imam Manzil Islam sentenced to 20 years in jail for sexually abusing a minor boy in 2023

On July 19th, the Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) of Morigaon district sentenced a cleric from Morigaon district to 20 years in jail for the sexual abuse of a minor child. The accused identified as Imam Manzil Islam had been positioned as the Imam of the local Mosque named Dakshin Balidonga Rahmania Jame Masjid.

According to the local reports, a case was registered against Imam Manzil Islam at Bhuragaon Police Station on March 25th, 2023 accusing him of raping a minor boy. Investigating the case, the Bhuragaon police arrested the Imam who was believed to have a questionable character, and sent him to jail.

Last week, the Special Judge of the POCSO court convicted Imam Manzil Islam on the basis of evidence after expeditiously considering case no. 39/2023 and POCSO case 69/2023 registered at Morigaon Bhuragaon police station.

The court examined all the pieces of evidence that exposed the Imam of having sexually abused a minor child. The accused also had threatened the victim of death. The court finally in the last week sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under the POCSO Act and imposed a monetary fine of ₹10,000. However, the time he has already spent in jail, which is almost 1 year and 4 months, will be deducted from the jail term.

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