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Maharashtra CM orders removal of illegal encroachment from Vishalgadh fort, 35 shops demolished so far: Details

Siddhi Somani
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Maharashtra CM orders removal of illegal encroachment from Vishalgadh fort, 35 shops demolished so far: Details

The Kolhapur district administration on the 15th of July evening began removing illegal encroachments from Vishalgadh Fort in Kolhapur, amidst heavy police presence. According to officials, by the evening, the administration had demolished around 35 stores.

The administration responded to protests organized by Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, a former Rajya Sabha MP and descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The enraged protesters reached the foothills of the fort on Sunday, 14th July, and happened to create a ruckus in the Gajapur area. Several videos of the same have been going viral over the internet. 

Following the protest organized by Sambhajiraje, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrived in Kolhapur after midnight on Sunday. He presumably asked the Kolhapur district administration to clear encroachments from the fort, which is around 70 kilometers from Kolhapur. The fort is located in the Shahuwadi taluka of the district.

“The administration has started removing encroachments from Vishalgad. However, attempts are being made to give it a communal color. The first few encroachments which have been removed belong to Hindu community members,” Sambhajiraje clarified while talking to the reporters in Kolhapur.

Sambhajiraje stated that if a case is made against him, he should be arrested. Notably, the police have filed four cases against more than 500 people, including political leaders, and arrested 21 people involved in the ruckus that happened on 14th July in Gajapur. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister visited Kolhapur after midnight on Sunday to assess the situation following the violent happenings in the district. He eventually ordered the removal of illegal encroachment on the fort. 

Mahendra Pandit, Superintendent of Police in Kolhapur, stated that the situation was under control and that action was being taken against those involved in the violence. Sambhajiraje, who led the march on Sunday, requested that all encroachments be removed, regardless of the caste or religion of unlawful inhabitants.

Team OpIndia had been to Vishalgadh recently to check the ground reality. It was observed that massive alleged illegal construction and encroachment has been happening for years on the fort causing ‘insult’ to around 24 Hindu temples and structures originally located on the fort since the 17th century.

It is believed that the population located on the fort of Vishalgadh, most of which is Muslim, has been involved in carrying out alleged illegal encroachments, construction, or expansion of the Masjid. The population there has also for years constructed illegal sheds, further expanding the businesses of chicken and cattle slaughters.

The Hindu protestors on the 7th of July this year conducted the first massive protest in heavy rains on the lower ground of the fort and demanded the removal of the illegal structure and ban on the animal slaughter on the fort.

As per the documents exclusively obtained by OpIndia, there are a total of 156 properties that have undertaken illegal expansion of the homes and shops by building iron sheet sheds. Many of the houses on the other hand are illegally built only using iron sheet sheds. Among these 156, around 100 plus properties belong to the Muslim community people who are said to have illegally encroached on the area around the old Dargah and the firm extended Masjid covered by iron sheets.

However, Mahesh Vibhute of the Sakal Hindu Samaj confirmed to OpIndia that the issue is not at all communal. “These people, from both the community illegally expanded their premises by building sheds. Today there are thousands of people living on the fort and a total of 156 properties are illegal. We just want this encroachment to be removed,” he had confirmed. The detailed report covered by OpIndia previously can be read here.

Reportedly, the state took cognizance of the event and is believed to have ordered the removal of the illegal encroachment.

Oman: Attack at Al Wadi Al Kabir Shia mosque near Muscat, four dead, several injured, hundreds of people trapped inside

OpIndia Staff
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Oman: Attack at Al Wadi Al Kabir Shia mosque near Muscat, four dead, several injured, hundreds of people trapped inside

On Tuesday (16th July), four people were killed and numerous more were injured in a shooting near a mosque in Oman’s capital, Muscat. The incident occurred near the Imam Ali Mosque in Oman’s Wadi al-Kabir. Reports say that a gathering of Shias from an Asian nation was the target of the attack.

Omani counterterrorism forces are handling the situation. Over 700 people are reported to be trapped inside while security officers take on the attackers.

In an official statement, the Royal Oman Police said, “The Royal Oman Police dealt with a shooting incident in the vicinity of a mosque in the Wadi Al Kabir region, which resulted in the death of four people and the injury of a number of others, according to preliminary information. All security measures and measures have been taken to deal with the situation, and procedures for collecting evidence and investigation are being completed. The Royal Oman Police expresses its deepest condolences. Sincere condolences to the families of the deceased, Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Several videos of the attack have surfaced on social media. One video of the incident shows people fleeing near the Imam Ali Mosque, with its minaret visible, as gunshots rang out. In the video, a voice can be heard exclaiming “Oh God” and repeating “Oh Hussein.”

Notably, the attack comes at a time when Shias are marking Ashura this week, an annual day of mourning commemorating Hussein’s ‘martyrdom’ in the seventh century.

Trump’s VP pick JD Vance slammed Biden for calling India xenophobic, called UK under Labour party rule as ‘first Islamist country with nuclear weapons’

Shraddha Pandey
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Trump’s VP pick JD Vance slammed Biden for calling India xenophobic, called UK under Labour party rule as ‘first Islamist country with nuclear weapons’

As the US presidential elections draw near, former US President Donald Trump has made his pick for Vice President, selecting Ohio senator JD Vance as his running mate on Monday.

Trump confirmed Vance’s candidature through a post on social media. “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator JD Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

After years of scathing criticism of Trump, Vance has embraced the populist ideology of the former president; this choice further elevates him. After getting support from Trump in a fierce Republican primary, Vance, a venture entrepreneur and the author of the best-selling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy”, was elected to the US Senate in 2022, according to CNN.

“J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. J.D.’s book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country. J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond….” Trump further said in his post.

“…As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Congratulations to Senator JD Vance, his wife, Usha, who also graduated from Yale Law School, and their three beautiful children. MAGA2024!” the post added.

Notably, in May this year, JD Vance slammed US President Joe Biden for calling India and Japan “xenophobic”. Calling Biden’s foreign policy a “clown show”, Vance said that Biden insulted the US’s two crucial allies in countering China just because they don’t have open borders allowing the influx of immigrants.

“Biden insults our two most important allies in countering China all because they don’t believe in open borders. This guy’s foreign policy is an absolute clown show,” JD Vance posted on 3rd May.

Back in March 2022, the speculations were rife that Biden administration might impose sanctions on India under its Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), over India’s purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia. At that time, Vance had heavily criticised Biden.

“Let’s just be direct: the Biden administration is pursuing a policy of freezing and starving normal Americans. Whether it’s their goal, it’s the obvious effect of what they’re doing. And their reprehensible media cheerleaders are calling it “shared sacrifice”. It’s going to get much, much worse. And there’s no obvious endpoint or goal. Indeed, the stupidity is so extreme it makes you wonder whether it’s stupidity or malicious intent. “Let’s sanction India, which makes 90 percent of our generic pharmaceuticals.” What are they doing?,” Vance posted.

While the Biden administration extended financial and military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, JD Vance has opposed this stand. Vance has said that America should engage in basic diplomacy with Russia for American interests.

Supports Trump’s call for Israel to ‘finish the job’ against Hamas in Gaza

JD Vance has also backed Trump’s call for Israel to “finish the job” against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, claiming that relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia can only be cemented after Hamas is defeated in Gaza. In May of this year, Vance explained why he supports Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.

At the Munich Security Conference in February, Vance advocated for Trump’s “America First” foreign policy, arguing that European countries should take on greater responsibility for military defence, particularly manufacturing, so that the United States may shift resources to Asia to counter an aggressive China. “We want Europe to be successful, but Europe has got to take a bigger role in its own security. You can’t do that without industry, Vance said.

Called UK under Labour party rule as an ‘Islamist country’

Recently, JD Vance said that the United Kingdom will be the first Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon. Vance made these remarks after the Labour Party won a historic mandate in UK general elections.

“I have to beat up on the UK – just one additional thing. I was talking with a friend recently. And we were talking about, you know, one of the big dangers in the world, of course, is nuclear proliferation, though, of course, the Biden administration doesn’t care about it…What is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon? And we were like, maybe it’s Iran, you know, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts. And then we sort of finally decided maybe it’s actually the UK,” Vance said.

Vivek Ramaswamy supports Trump’s choice, says Vance is his friend and classmate

On Monday, Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy expressed joy over Trump picking JD Vance as his running mate and said, “So proud of my friend, classmate, and fellow southwest Ohioan today. We used to watch Bengals games at the bar in law school, it’s awesome we’re now here a decade later with JD joining the strongest presidential ticket in our lifetime. He’ll be an outstanding Vice President and I look forward to everything ahead for him and for our country.”

Marco Rubio of Florida and Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota, who were considered to be the frontrunners in the race, are now out of it. Vance has been a supporter of Trump in the Senate and frequently casts votes in the former president’s favour.

He echoed Trump’s criticism of increasing aid by opposing a bill aimed at assisting Ukraine earlier this year. He is also close with the former President’s son, Donald Trump Jr, according to a CNN report.

According to the report, Vance–a veteran, author, and former venture capitalist–was one of the contenders who obtained vice-presidential vetting materials from the Trump campaign.

Vance is married to Usha Chilukuri, daughter of Indian immigrants

Vance was born James David Bowman in Middletown, Ohio, to a mother who struggled with addiction and a father who left the family when JD was a toddler. He was raised by his grandparents.

In 2017, Vance returned to Ohio and continued to work in venture capital. He and his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, whom he met at Yale, have three children. Usha Vance, born Usha Chilukuri, is an attorney who has carved out a successful career in the legal field.

Born to Indian immigrant parents, she grew up with a strong emphasis on education and hard work in a San Diego, California, suburb. Usha attended Yale University and also graduated from Yale Law School.

While at Yale, Usha served as managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology and executive development editor of The Yale Law Journal, according to a biography from Munger, Tolles & Olson law firm. This development comes on the heels of the recent assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday (July 13).

The Trump campaign says the former president, following his brush with death, will call for unity in the face of tragedy instead of criticising his political adversaries as he faces off with President Biden in a 2024 election rematch.

Assassination attempt on Donald Trump

Trump was on stage at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania’s Butler before gunshots rang out and Secret Service agents stormed the stage. Following the attack on Trump, the Secret Service agents surrounded the Republican candidate and escorted him off the stage, with blood visible across his face. Donald Trump said that the bullet pierced the upper part of his ear. One of the rally attendees was killed, while two more were critically injured. The gunman was also killed by US Secret Service agents.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks. It further said that an investigation is underway into the shooting incident.

Earlier in the day, the classified documents case against former US President Donald Trump was dismissed by Judge Aileen Cannon on Monday, CNN reported.

Cannon said the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith “violated the Constitution.”

Trump was indicted in June last year by a federal grand jury in Miami. He was accused of taking classified national defence documents from the White House after he left office and resisting the government’s attempts to retrieve the materials. However, both Trump and his aide, Walt Nauta, pleaded not guilty to the charges

Maulana Tauqeer Raza, who claimed that there was nothing like love jihad, organises nikkah and mass conversion of Hindu women

OpIndia Staff
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Maulana Tauqeer Raza, who claimed that there was nothing like love jihad, organises nikkah and mass conversion of Hindu women

On Monday (15th July), radical preacher Maulana Tauqeer Raza announced that preparations were underway to publicly convert 5 Hindu women to Islam and conduct their nikkah (marriage) with their Muslim partners.

He claimed to have received 23 such applications from 5 Hindu men and 15 women men for converting to Islam.

As part of his nefarious agenda, Tauqeer Raza has vowed to carry out the conversion of 5 Hindus and conduct nikkah with their Muslim partners in the first phase on 21st July.

The mass conversion programme is scheduled to be held at the Khalil Higher Secondary School at 11 am. The educational institute is located in Bareily district of Uttar Pradesh.

Tauqeer Raza has now sought permission for organising such an event from the district administration. A letter to this effect was sent to the city Magistrate Rajiv Shukla by Raza’s aide Nadeem Qureshi.

While speaking to Amar Ujala, Shukla said that he had received an application seeking permission to conduct such an event. He has forwarded it to the local police.

Tauqeer Raza rationalises mass conversion of Hindus

The radical preacher tried to justify his mass conversion programme and nikkah by claiming that many of the inter-faith couples were already in live-in relationships. He said that while the constitution allows for such relationships, they are unlawful in Islam and Hinduism.

In a bid to divert attention from deceitful conversions, Tauqeer Raza claimed that his organisation ‘Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC)’ had announced to not allow boys and girls to convert to Islam for the sake of love or greed.

He said that the local administration must allow them to organise the event as he was not doing anything ‘illegal.’

Radical preacher whitewashes love jihad

In June last year, Tauqeer Raza had courted controversy by claiming that there was no such thing as ‘love jihad’.

For the unversed, love jihad involves the grooming, entrapment and forced/ deceitful conversion of a non-Muslim woman (particularly Hindus) by Muslim men under the pretext of love. In 2023 alone, OpIndia reported 153 cases of love jihad.

Tauqeer Raza had also tried to mainstream the conspiracy theory of the ‘Bhagwa Love trap‘, which claims that a sinister ploy is supposedly underway to convert Muslim women to Hinduism.

The baseless theory, popularised by radical preacher Maulana Sajjad Nomani, had led to 100s of cases of moral policing, harassment, assault and molestation of Muslim women and Hindu men at the hands of radical Islamists.

Jammu and Kashmir: Four Indian Army soldiers including an officer killed during encounter with terrorists in Doda, operation underway

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: Four Indian Army soldiers including an officer killed during encounter with terrorists in Doda, operation underway

On 16th July, officials said in a statement that four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in district Doda of Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking to ANI, defence officials said, “Four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, have been killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in the Doda area of Jammu and Kashmir. The operations are still going on.” A joint operation was launched by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir police on the evening of 15th June following an exchange of fire with terrorists in the Dessa area of Doda.

The officials added that additional troops have been called in to tighten the cordon. Earlier on Monday, Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered old-rusted arms and ammunition from a terrorist hideout in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The recovery items include 30 rounds of AK-47, one magazine of AK-47 rifle, and one HE-36 hand grenade, as per the officials.

In a press release, the officials said, “During the search and cordon operation, the police party recovered old-rusted arms and ammunition from the Dalantop area of Shikari.”

Earlier on 15th June, the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army said in a statement, “Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by #IndianArmy and JKP was in progress in General area North of #Doda. Contact with terrorists was established tonight at about 2100h in which heavy firefight ensued. Initial reports suggest injuries to our bravehearts. Additional troops have been moved into the area. Operations are continuing.”

The attack has been an addition to the series of recent terror attacks in the Jammu region, including the terror attacks at the army convoy in Kathua and encounters in Doda and Udhampur in addition to the terror attack on a bus full of pilgrims in Reasi.

With inputs from ANI.

Muslim man pretends to be a Kalava-wearing Hindu to later convert Hindu girl to Islam, connives with Village Pradhan: What Allahabad HC said denying bail

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim man pretends to be a Kalava-wearing Hindu to later convert Hindu girl to Islam, connives with Village Pradhan: What Allahabad HC said denying bail

The Allahabad High Court has passed an order (PDF) denying bail to a Muslim man Imtiyaz Ansari who had pretended to be a Hindu, lured a Hindu girl, and then tried to convert her to Islam. The bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal highlighted the gravity of the charges against Ansari, which include charges under Sections 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 3/5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.

Details of the case: What did Imtiyaz Ansari do

According to the prosecution, Imtiyaz Ansari brought a girl from Delhi to his village – Ladpur Usmanpur. The girl was a Hindu girl, Kumkum – who was a resident of Delhi. In the village, with the help of the Village Pradhan, Nargis Khatoon and her husband Taslim, made a false certificate of the girl, showing her name as Kumkum Bano and the name of her father as Imtiyaz Ahmad and the residential address having been changed from Delhi to Ladpur Usmanpur, and religion being shown as Muslim.

The Additional Advocate General PK Giri revealed during the hearing that Kumkum, daughter of Gopal Nagar and Sushma Devi, was a Hindu girl and was a resident of New Delhi. The girl in her statement under Section 161 of the CrPc that “she had done her senior secondary Class X examination from Government School, Delhi and was working in one factory in New Delhi where she had met the applicant who did not disclose that he was Muslim by religion and was wearing a sacred red thread on his wrist”.

Imtiyaz Ansari, she said, took her to his native village, Ladpur Usmanpur, District- Bareilly, where she came to know that he was a Muslim. She also testified that false documents were created in connivance with the Gram Pradhan showing her as a domicile of his village and her as a Muslim.

The Additional Advocate General PK Giri opposed bail saying that the Hindu girl was being deceptively converted to Islam by fabricating documents and false pretext of the man being a Hindu.

Imtiyaz Ansari has refuted the accusations by claiming that he is being falsely implicated.

What the Allahabad High Court said while denying bail to Imtiyaz Ansari

The Allahabad High Court while denying bail to Imtiyaz Ansari said that from the statement of the girl, it is evident that she was convinced Ansari was a Hindu when he brought her to his native village and that she was shocked to know that he was indeed a Muslim.

The court also observed that Ansari connived with the village Pradhan to prepare false and fabricated documents to not only show her as a domicile of his village but also show her as a Muslim girl.

Denying bail, the court said, “In the instant case, the applicant had misrepresented himself by fraudulent means, that he was a Hindu by religion, while working at a private factory in Delhi and persuaded the girl to come to the native village where the documents were prepared for her conversion to Muslim religion”.

What it means for Hindu victims of ‘love jihad’

The phenomenon of Hindu women being forced to convert to Islam while the Muslim man first pretends to be a Hindu to trap the girl is real, even as the Left dismisses it as a ‘right-wing imagination’.

The case that emerges can broadly be categorized into the following:

  1. Where a Muslim man pretends to be a Hindu and traps a Hindu woman. Thereafter, his real identity is revealed either as an accident or, when they force the women to convert to Islam. Thereafter, the man proceeds to, more often than not, murder the Hindu woman.
  2. The Hindu woman and the Muslim man get married, knowing each other’s identity fully well, however, after marriage, torture to convert to Islam ensues. 
  3. A Hindu woman is raped in the name of Islam – the case was most evident in the Kausambhi gang rape case where a minor Hindu girl was raped and asked to beg for mercy in the name of Allah. The perpetrators specifically asked the girl not to beg for mercy in the name of Bhagwan. In these cases, the aim could either be the conversion of the Hindu woman or, it could be seen as a mere punishment being dished out to Kafir women. 
  4. One-sided obsession of a Muslim man with a Hindu girl that ends in murder, rape or torture when the girl refuses his advances. In several cases, the refusal also includes the refusal to convert to Islam, like in the case of Nikita Tomar, however, even without the element of conversion to Islam, these cases have been widely seen as an act of Jihad. 
  5. Where Hindu women or underage girls are married to Muslim men after being raped and converted to Islam. Such cases are most prominent in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and elsewhere. In such cases, one often sees that after the marriage and conversion, the girl says that she has converted to Islam and married the man out of her own free will. One such case was recently seen in Pakistan where a 13-year-old Christian girl was handed over to her 44-year-old abductor, and while the parents wailed, she claimed that she had converted willingly. In such cases, a parallel to UK grooming gangs becomes necessary to understand that the mere statement of the girl cannot and should not get us to assume that there was no angle of Jihad here. 

All the categories of crimes against women we see, listed above, point to one stark and daunting reality – the subjugation of non-Muslim women, and their grooming to make them ripe for Jihad (whether that is fighting in Syria or simply inducting them into the fold of Islam for the purpose of increasing population/numbers or for inflicting punishment for being ‘Kafir’), and the tyranny inflicted upon them, including severe brainwashing, is an integral part of ‘Jihad’ itself.

Muslim men pretending to be Hindu and trapping Hindu girls only to later forcefully convert them to Islam is the most common way in which Hindu women are subjugated.

In this case, the court has upheld the facts of the case denying bail to the Muslim man. It is evident that the Muslim man was pretending to be Hindu by wearing a Kalava, which shows his intentions to forcefully convert the girl to Islam. Further, it is also pertinent to note that the conversion took place with the active connivance of the Village Pradhan, bearing testament to the stark reality that it is not only the Muslim man who is responsible in this case but several other members of the Muslim community who actively conspire to subjugate the Hindu woman.

China has destroyed hundreds of mosques in Xinjiang, forcefully assimilating Uyghurs into Han Chinese culture: Report

ANI
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China has destroyed hundreds of mosques in Xinjiang, forcefully assimilating Uyghurs into Han Chinese culture: Report

 Hundreds of mosques and Islamic shrines have been destroyed by China in recent years, as Beijing aims to erase the Islamic culture associated with the Xinjiang province and forcefully assimilate the Uyghurs with their Han Chinese culture, a report by The Economist stated.

World Uyghur Congress reacted to the report, citing the findings of the report. “Since the 16th century most Uyghurs have practised Islam. But China has no interest in this later period. Instead, officials are trying to erase it. In recent years they have destroyed hundreds of mosques and Muslim shrines across [East Turkistan],” the WUC post on X read.

The report titled ‘China is using archaeology as a weapon’ elaborated how the state is unearthing ancient justifications for its rule over Xinjiang. China has destroyed hundreds of mosques and Muslim shrines across Xinjiang. The museum in Kashgar barely mentions Islam, save for signs claiming that it was forced on Xinjiang and that the Uyghurs “are not Muslim by nature”.

The report cited a Buddhist stupa in Kashgar, an oasis city in the far-western region of Xinjiang. The stupa and a temple next to it were probably built some 1,700 years ago and abandoned a few centuries later. Chinese archaeologists started excavating the site in 2019. They have dug up stone tools, copper coins and fragments of a Buddha statue.

The archaeologists also claim to have found clear proof that Xinjiang has been part of China since ancient times.

The report cited official statements, which claim that artefacts discovered at Mo’er temple are similar to those dug up thousands of miles to the east in areas dominated by the Han, China’s majority ethnic group. Parts of the temple were built in a “Han Buddhist” style. And its architectural features suggest that it was visited by a famous 7th-century monk from central China called Xuanzang. He is known for spreading Buddhism in the country.

“These claims may sound academic, but China’s government is using them to justify its brutal rule over Xinjiang,” the report stated.
China’s security campaign was at its peak in 2018-19, during which around a million Uyghurs and other Muslim residents of Xinjiang passed through camps where they were forcibly assimilated into Han Chinese culture. Critics accuse China of “cultural genocide.” Officials say they are trying to stamp out religious extremism.

Moreover, if the inhabitants of Xinjiang have always been Chinese, then accusations of forced assimilation make no sense, the report added.

Last month China organised a conference in Kashgar that focused on the discoveries made at Mo’er temple and other sites. Pan Yue, head of the state’s Ethnic Affairs Commission, said they prove that there is no separation between the culture of Xinjiang and Chinese culture. Those who criticise China’s policies in the region reveal their “ignorance of history” and are peddling “baseless narratives”, he added.

However, experts are of the opinion that actually it is China’s narrative that looks ‘dodgy’.

James Millward of Georgetown University, says the country’s ancient dynasties had an on-and-off military foothold in what is now Xinjiang. But from the 8th century to the early 18th century, they had little influence. Then in 1759 China’s final dynasty, the Qing, conquered the region and turned it into a colony. That is what the Communist Party inherited when it came to power in 1949.

Sites like Mo’er temple are fascinating, but do little to strengthen China’s claims. They demonstrate the globalising effect of the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that linked China with Central Asia and Europe. Just as money and commodities flowed along the road, so did religions such as Buddhism, picking up aspects of local cultures along the way.

Many of the Uyghurs’ ancestors were indeed Buddhist. But that hardly means Xinjiang was culturally or politically part of China. After all, Buddhism originally came from India.

Since the 16th century, most Uyghurs have practised Islam. But China has no interest in this later period. Instead, Beijing’s officials are trying to erase it.

The ruins across Xinjiang are surrounded by buildings with sloping roof tiles and red doors, mimicking those of Beijing’s Forbidden City. The style is appropriate, said a Han construction worker. Buddhist culture is part of Han culture, he claimed, and Xinjiang has been part of China for thousands of years, the report added.

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

Kerala: 12-year-old girl on her way to madrassa abducted and raped at knifepoint in Kasaragod, police suspect assaulter was known to her

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: 12-year-old girl on her way to madrassa abducted and raped at knifepoint in Kasaragod, police suspect assaulter was known to her

A 12-year-old girl who was walking to a madrassa in Kerala’s Kasaragod was abducted at knifepoint and sexually assaulted, an FIR filed with Bekal Police on Monday said. The police said the victim stated that the assault took place at 7 am one month ago.

The complaint states that the girl was gagged with a shawl and assaulted in the sit-out of a building near the grama panchayat office close to her home. She reportedly informed the police that the attacker was a migrant worker.

However, a medical examination at the District Hospital in Kanhangad confirmed penetrative sexual assault, with doctors stating her injuries were between one and two weeks old, according to an investigating officer.

The police have not ruled out the possibility that the attacker might be someone known to the girl. This suspicion grew after finding inconsistencies in her statement while inspecting the alleged assault site.

The girl, the youngest of eight siblings, lives at her mother’s ancestral house for her education. Her eldest sister is married. “She disclosed her ordeal to her eldest sister during a recent visit to their father’s house,” the officer said.

MP: Minor girl attempts suicide after being repeatedly raped by a Muslim cleric; AAP leader accused of assisting Maulvi

OpIndia Staff
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MP: Minor girl attempts suicide after being repeatedly raped by a Muslim cleric; AAP leader accused of assisting Maulvi

A shocking case of sexual assault on a minor has come to light from Madhya Pradesh’s Narsinghpur area. A 15-year-old minor consumed poison after being sexually assaulted by Maulvi Imam Khan for around a year and a half. The minor victim was admitted to the hospital where doctors saved her life. It is alleged that three other accused, including an AAP leader, are assisting the Maulvi and putting pressure on the victim’s mother asking her to withdraw the case or change her statement. 

The minor victim is a resident of the Stationganj area while the accused Maulvi is a resident of Murgakheda, Narsinghpur in Madhya Pradesh. 

As per media reports, about one and a half years ago, the minor victim came in contact with the Maulvi through her brother-in-law. After this, Maulvi started frequenting her house on the pretext of teaching her religious education. One day he sexually exploited the girl on the pretext of marriage. He later refused to marry her. It is alleged that the Maulvi sexually assaulted the minor for one and a half years. 

When the victim informed everything to her mother in April 2024, she went to the Police to file a complaint. Reportedly, the police did not take any action in this matter. 

After this, Maulvi and his three associates started threatening the victim’s mother to withdraw her case. The three other accused assisting the Maulvi include scrap dealer (Kabbadi) Banne Khan, a resident of Narsinghpur, Aam Aadmi Party leader Jamil, a resident of Murgakheda, and Jama Masjid Narsinghpur President Naeem Khan. 

It is alleged that they were pressurizing the woman to change the statement given against Maulvi Imam Khan. 

The victim’s mother told the police that on 20th May 2024, habitual offender Kabbadi Banne Khan and Naeem called her to their house. They were putting pressure and asked her to drop the case. They threatened that if she didn’t do so, the minor victim would be attacked and killed. They also issued threats of an acid attack on the minor victim. 

After returning home, when her daughter asked the reason why she was crying, she narrated the entire incident. Scared by the threats, the minor tried to commit suicide by consuming poison at her grandfather’s grave (cemetery) at Naktua. 

The family then admitted her to the hospital where the doctor saved her life. When the victim’s health condition improved, she was discharged from the hospital. 

Afterward, she along with her mother reached the Superintendent of Police office and complained Maulvi and his associates.

When the matter gained momentum, Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar directed action against the accused. An FIR has been registered against the accused and the Police have arrested the Maulvi in the case. 

However, the Police have yet not arrested the other three accused. 

MP: Shaheen reverts to Hinduism following divorce 15 years after Saddam forced her to convert and perform nikah at gunpoint

OpIndia Staff
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MP: Shaheen reverts to Hinduism following divorce 15 years after Saddam forced her to convert and perform nikah at gunpoint

In Madhya Pradesh’s Nagda, a woman who converted to Islam 15 years ago, has reverted to the Sanatan fold (Ghar Wapsi) after the court granted her divorce from her husband, Saddam. He is a history-sheeter and is currently behind bars. According to a report published in Dainik Bhaskar on Monday (15th July), the victim said that during her school days, Saddam forced her to convert to Islam and do Nikah at gunpoint. Following her marriage, she was assaulted for trying to step out of the house or file a Police complaint. But recently a court granted her divorce and she did Ghar Wapsi.

The woman’s lawyer Preeti Shrimal said that the woman’s husband Saddam is a criminal and is currently in jail. Civil Court Class 2 Nagda accepted the woman’s plea and approved the divorce on 16th May 2024. On Monday (15th July), Shaheen told the media that she had reverted back to Hindu Dharma and changed her name to Shivanya.

The 33-year-old woman, Shivanya said that Saddam used to constantly stalk her while she was studying in school. He brandished a pistol and threatened that if she didn’t marry him, he would kill her mother and brother. Out of fear, she married Saddam and endured oppression for 15 years.

In a video shared by Dainik Bhaskar, she explained, “Isne meri badnami bhot kardi thi,” while crying she added, “he used to frequent my streets and he became a reason for my disrepute.”

She then took help from Advocate Preeti Jaina Shrimal and Advocate Deepak Negi who presented her side in court and got her divorced.

In the video shared by Dainik Bhaskar, her lawyer stated that Shivanya (the woman’s new name after Ghar wapsi), is a mother of two kids and after due legal processes, she got divorced. She is a resident of Nagda. 

In the video, the victim said, “During my school days, he (Saddam) used to come with a pistol and issue threats to kill me and my brother saying that if you don’t marry me, I will kill your brother.” 

She explained that she could not share the information with anyone as Saddam and his family didn’t let her step foot outside the house or file a complaint. 

She added, “Whenever I tried, it led to quarrels and arguments, after assaulting me, they used to make me sit at home. He went to jail and his family members were harassing me.”  

She said, “I tried to go to a Police station but they used to assault me and forcibly made me sit at home. They used to threaten me that if I went to the Police or if I stepped outside of the house, he would kill my mother and my brother. Now, I am not afraid as he is behind bars.”  

As per the Dainik Bhaskar report, Saddam is a history-sheeter and he has 24 cases registered against him under serious sections. He is currently lodged in jail.

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