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Pakistan warns Wikipedia, asks to take down ‘blasphemous’ content or face shutdown

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan warns Wikipedia, asks to take down ‘blasphemous’ content or face shutdown

On February 1, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that it will block Wikipedia if it fails to take down content deemed to be blasphemous within 48 hours. PTA did not, however, specify which Wikipedia content it viewed to be “blasphemous.”

According to a press release dated February 1 and issued by PTA, it has degraded Wikipedia services in the country for the next 48 hours on account of not blocking/removing sacrilegious content from its platform. 

Wikipedia has, however, neither taken the alleged sacrilegious content down nor did it appear before the Pakistani telecommunication authority.

“Wikipedia was approached for blocking/removal of the said contents by issuing a notice under applicable law & court order(s). An opportunity for a hearing was also provided, however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared before the Authority. Given the intentional failure on part of the platform to comply with the directions of PTA, the services of Wikipedia have been degraded for 48 hours with the direction to block/remove the reported contents,” the press release read.

Press release issued by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority

PTA has warned Wikipedia that its services will be blocked in Pakistan in case it fails to comply with its directions.

According to Wahaj-us-Siraj, Chief Executive Officer of internet service provider Nayatel, “there is slowness and surely it will impact especially those who use Wikipedia for education and information purposes.”

Blasphemy laws in Pakistan

Notably, amidst widespread riots over foodgrains and severe power outages as a result of the ongoing economic crisis in Pakistan, the country’s parliament has recently tightened the country’s draconian anti-blasphemy law.

In January, the Parliament reinforced Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws, which are regularly applied to settle personal scores or to persecute minorities.

The laws, which currently carry the death penalty for anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad, can now also be used to punish those found guilty of insulting those associated with him.

The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023, which was unanimously approved by the Pakistan National Assembly last week, increased the minimum sentence for individuals who disrespect the holy figures of Islam.

Crisis in Pakistan

Pakistan is experiencing its worst economic crisis in years as the country is dealing with a shortage of food, a shortage of power, sky-high inflation, and a collapsing currency. The economy of Pakistan has been spiralling out of control due to the vicious cycle of debt and partial payments. In addition to running out of money, Pakistan has also run out of flour to feed its population, and the country is facing massive power cuts as well.

With expanding debt, rising energy import costs, depleted foreign reserves, political instability, a protracted decline in GDP growth, and millions losing jobs, the country desperately needs a bailout.

The situation in several cities of Pakistan is so grave that flour is being rationed and guarded by armed guards. Prices of flour and wheat have witnessed a dramatic surge. 

Sweden: As migrant influx fuels gang wars and street crime, one-fifth of the population now wants the right to bear arms

OpIndia Staff
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Sweden: As migrant influx fuels gang wars and street crime, one-fifth of the population now wants the right to bear arms

In the latest survey conducted by Novus in Sweden it has been revealed that a large number of Swedish people would feel safer if they could shoot, the respondents also expressed the need for more opportunities to practice shooting skills. 

Novus conducted this survey over 1043 people who belong to the 18-24 age group. Torbjörn Sjöström, CEO of Novus said that the purpose behind conducting this survey was to amidst daily reports on shootings investigate the role of citizens in the connection between weapons, marksmanship, and serious violent crimes.

Sjöström stated that for Sweden, the percentage of people (almost 20%) who said they would feel safer if they had access to a firearm was very high.

This is not the United States, and the fact that more than a million Swedes would feel safer if they could arm themselves represents a significant shift from the normal in Sweden, he continued.

Notably, ownership of firearms for hunting and sports shooting is common in Sweden, however, owning firearms for self-defence is not very common. As per some reports, Sweden has become the country with the highest amount of gun violence within a decade, from its earlier position at the bottom.

‘Integration of migrants has failed’

Since 2000, Sweden has witnessed a dramatic surge in gun violence.  According to a report by The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention released in 2021 [PDF English Summery], the country, which was once considered one of the safest countries in the world, now stands at the number one position in Europe in terms of fatal shootings. 

In April 2022, the Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson said that the integration of immigrants has failed, and it has fuelled gang crimes in the Scandinavian country. PM Andersson had back then also announced multiple initiatives to tackle this. The announcement came after violent riots in Sweden left over 100 police officers injured.

The failure of the authorities to integrate the immigrants the country has received in recent years has led to the formation of parallel societies. Gang violence is much more prevalent in the country now compared to other European countries, data suggests.

Blaming criminals for the law and order situation, PM Andersson said extremism on both sides, i.e. Islamic and right-wing, was allowed to grow in Sweden. She said, “Segregation has been allowed to go so far that we have parallel societies in Sweden. We live in the same country but in completely different realities.”

Back in 2016, it was reported that the Swedish Police had lost control over 55 No-Go Zones where the police struggled to enforce law. 

Interestingly, in 2016, World Bank’s Chief Economist Paul Romer suggested that the best way to deal with ‘migrant problem’ is to create a state-within-a-state where the Swedish national laws will not be applicable. Homer had suggested “rent out a land area the size of HongKong.”

Baba Ramdev takes on Abrahamics: From how some Muslims become terrorists but don’t forget Namaz to Christians trying to convert everyone

OpIndia Staff
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Baba Ramdev takes on Abrahamics: From how some Muslims become terrorists but don’t forget Namaz to Christians trying to convert everyone

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev has lambasted Islamists and Christian evangelists who are hell-bent on forcibly converting the entire world to Islam and Christianity.

During his recent visit to the Barmer district in Rajasthan, the Hindu spiritual leader addressed a religious gathering and remarked, “Ask any Muslim what does his religion say? He will tell you that you offer 5 times Namaz and then do whatever you like – be it abducting a Hindu woman or committing any evil (paap).”

He emphasised, “They believe that the meaning of Islam is Namaz and some of our Muslim brothers commit heinous crimes. But they will never forget to offer Namaz because this is what they have been taught i.e. Offer Namaz and do whatever you want.”

Baba Ramdev emphasised, “Many of them became terrorists, and some turned into hardened criminals but do not forget to offer Namaz… This is not how Sanatan Dharma operates. Christians go to Church, light candles, and stand before the idol of Jesus Christ to rid themselves of sins.”

He further added, “For Muslims, the meaning of Heaven is limited to wearing pyjamas, removing moustaches, and wearing skull cap (topi). I am not saying that Islam or the Quran ask them to do it but they are doing it anyhow.”

The Yoga Guru pointed out, “And they believe that they will secure a place in paradise (Jannat) where they will meet alcohol-drinking virgins (hoors). Such a concept of Heaven is worse than living in Hell.”

“This is madness… They are busy converting other people to Islam. In Christianity, they wear a cross and recite their prayers. One group wants to convert the whole world to Christianity and the other to Islam,” he concluded.

People insulting great men of Sanatan tradition are Anti-India: Baba Ramdev

  • Last month, Baba Ramdev told reporters that religious terrorism is on the rise in India. He added the ones who are making inappropriate remarks and carrying out character assassination of “great men” of Sanatan tradition are all “anti-India” and should be opposed.

“Insulting remarks are being passed by many people against great men associated with the Sanatan tradition… They are all anti-India and are acting at the behest of international forces by showing disrespect to the country. They should be strongly opposed,” Ramdev told reporters in reply to a question about the controversy surrounding Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.

His statement drew the ire of the All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi for linking terrorism with religion.

Notorious human trafficker Shamsher Khalifa arrested in Bihar, used to run prostitution business by holding minor girls and women hostage

OpIndia Staff
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Notorious human trafficker Shamsher Khalifa arrested in Bihar, used to run prostitution business by holding minor girls and women hostage

Notorious women trafficker Shamsher Khalifa, who held women and minor girls hostage and pushed them into prostitution, has been arrested by Bihar Police. The notorious criminal Khalifa used to run his illegal work in the Begusarai area in Bihar. However, his crime network is spread over other districts of Bihar including Katihar and Purnia.

Begusarai police tweeted, “Notorious criminal Shamsher Khalifa, who held minor girls and women hostage and trafficked in prostitution, has been arrested by the police on Tuesday, 31 January 2023. Last month, two minor girls were rescued from the hideout of Shamsher Khalifa by the police during a raid.”

However, Shamsher Khalifa managed to escape during the police action at that time. The police then arrested seven women and eight men. Since then, the police had been continuously pressing for the arrest of Khalifa.

Begusarai’s Superintendent of Police Yogendra Kumar said, “Shamsher Khalifa used to run a flesh trade business by holding minor girls and women hostage. This is his ancestral business. We had formed teams to nab him. He had escaped during a raid at his hideout in the Ballia police station area last month, but this time we kept a close watch on him. We succeeded in arresting him.”

SP Yogendra Kumar further said, “He has one case of murder and three cases of prostitution registered against him. He is among the top ten wanted criminals in the district. Shamsher has amassed a lot of wealth through the flesh trade. Now his properties will also be investigated. It is expected that after the arrest of this notorious criminal, the flesh trade in the area will decrease.”

Attempted rape charges against Manchester United and England footballer Mason Greenwood dropped

OpIndia Staff
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Attempted rape charges against Manchester United and England footballer Mason Greenwood dropped

Charges of attempted rape and assault against Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood have been dropped. The 21-year-old Greenwood was arrested last January after images and audio of the alleged assault emerged online. He got out on bail but was arrested again in October last year for violating his bail conditions.

Explaining the decision to drop the charges, a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said, “A combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”

The spokesperson further said that they have explained the decision to all parties involved. A trial date had previously been set for November 27, but now the prosecution has decided to drop the charges.

Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr of Greater Manchester Police said that it was only fair that they publicly declare the latest development due to the significant media coverage of the case.

She added, “The investigation team has remained in regular contact with the legal team, providing any updates of note, and so understand the rationale for the discontinuation of proceedings at this stage, and that this decision has not been taken lightly.”

Once the allegations against Greenwood surfaced online, he was suspended by his club, Manchester United. Greenwood made his competitive debut for United in 2019, and has scored 35 goals for the Old Trafford club till now. He also made his debut for England in 2020, but couldn’t add to his debut cap before he was arrested.

Jammu and Kashmir: LeT terrorist Arif Ahmed teaching in a govt school arrested with a perfume bottle IED, was working under Pakistani handlers

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: LeT terrorist Arif Ahmed teaching in a govt school arrested with a perfume bottle IED, was working under Pakistani handlers

On Thursday, February 2, Jammu and Kashmir police arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba-terrorist Arif Ahmed Ahmed and recovered a perfume bottle bomb from him. The terrorist, who was teaching in a government school, is a resident of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.

Arif was working at the behest of his Pakistani handlers, the police informed, adding that this type of bomb has been found for the first time in the valley.

According to reports, the arrest was made while the police were investigating the twin blasts that rocked the Narwal area of Jammu in which nine people were injured on January 21.

Speaking about the arrest, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh told the media, “This is the first time we have recovered a perfume IED. We have not recovered any perfume IED before. The IED will blast if anyone tries to press or open it. Our special team will handle that IED.”

“Arif had links with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. A perfume bottle that had been converted into an improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered from him,” he added.

“The accused got the supply of three IEDs towards the end of December. He used two IEDs in the Marwal area. He is working under the influence of Qasim, a Lashkar-E-Taiba terrorist operating from Pakistan. He is responsible for recent terror activities in the area,” Singh further added.

The police also confirmed that Arif had admitted to his role in the attack on a bus carrying Vaishno Devi pilgrims in which four people were killed in May last year.

Giving further details about Arif’s alleged link with the twin blasts that rocked the Narwal area of Jammu in which nine people were injured on January 21, Dilbag Singh was quoted by ANI as saying, “Two bombs were planted on 20th Jan. Two blasts occurred on 21st Jan at a gap of 20 minutes to kill as many people as possible. 9 people were injured after the first IED blast. Police have arrested one terrorist Arif, who was in contact with Pakistan handlers for 3 years.”

“Pakistan is infamous for propagating terrorism from its land and for killing hundreds of innocent people across the world. Jammu and Kashmir is on target for some time. They (Pakistan) want to create a communal divide among the people in Jammu and Kashmir,” the DGP added.

Dilbag Singh further spoke about Arif’s role in last year’s Katra bus fire incident that killed four people and injured 24 others. “The Katra bus fire that occurred in May last year was also an act of terror in which Arif was involved. Two sticky IEDs were planted near the oil tank of the bus for maximum damage,” said the DGP.

Arif’s maternal uncle Kamar Din is based in Pakistan, where he met a LeT terrorist named Qasim, who is also from Reasi but now lives in Pakistan.

Arif was also responsible for another bombing in Jammu’s Shastri Nagar in February of last year.

Arif burned his clothes and shoes shortly after planting IEDs in Narwal, and he also damaged the mobile phone he brought with him, the DGP revealed.

Uttar Pradesh: Ex-MLC and mining mafia Haji Iqbal’s passport seized, notice issued to family members

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Ex-MLC and mining mafia Haji Iqbal’s passport seized, notice issued to family members

The passport of Haji Iqbal has been seized on the basis of police reports in two cases registered against the former Saharanpur mining mafia and his family at Behat police station and Mirzapur (Mirzapur), while notices have been issued for confiscation of the passports of his wife, younger brother former MLC Mehmood Ali and sons.

On the report of Saharanpur Police, the Regional Passport Office Ghaziabad has seized the passport of Haji Iqbal. Notices have been issued to confiscate the passports of his wife Farida Begum, younger brother Mehmood Ali and sons Afzal, Alishan, and Wajid Ali. Haji Iqbal and his family also have criminal cases registered against them.

SSP Vipin Tada told about the action taken against the mining mafia Haji Iqbal, “Haji Iqbal has several criminal cases registered against him and his family members also have criminal cases registered against them, and Saharanpur police are continuously following up the cases. In this sequence, the report was sent by the police to the Passport Office Ghaziabad.”

SSP Vipin Tada added, “Citing the criminal history of Haji Iqbal, it was requested that his passport be confiscated so that he can not travel anywhere. Acting on this, the Passport Office has informed that orders have been issued for confiscation of Haji Iqbal’s passport and notices have also been issued to other members. Advance action will also be taken as soon as the notice is filed.”

It must be mentioned that Haji Iqbal, his brother Mehmood, and his children have been booked in several cases. His son Javed, who was wanted in a 10,000 crore scam case, was arrested in May 2022 by the Special Investigation Team of Saharanpur Police. Haji Iqbal, who was a BSP MLC between 2010 and 2016, and his brother Mehmood were booked in June 2022 for the rape and assault of a minor girl. A case was lodged against the duo and 4 others under the IPC Section 376 and provisions of the POCSO Act.

Supreme Court has been working an average of 222 days in a year: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju

ANI
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Supreme Court has been working an average of 222 days in a year: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the Supreme Court has been working an average of 222 days in a year.

The Minister said that number of working hours, working days and vacations of the courts are prescribed as per rules framed by the respective courts.

The Supreme Court Rules, 2013, inter-alia, provided that the period of summer vacation shall not exceed seven weeks and the length of the summer vacation and the number of holidays for the court and the offices of the court shall be such as may be fixed by the Chief Justice and notified in the official Gazette so as not to exceed one hundred and three days, excluding Sundays not falling in the vacation and during court holidays, the Minister said.

The Supreme Court of India, in the exercise of the powers conferred on it under Article 145 of the Constitution of India, makes rules for regulating the Court’s practice and procedures which includes its sittings and vacations, etc. Accordingly, the Supreme Court has framed the ‘Supreme Court Rules, 2013 which was notified on May 27, 2014. Order II of Part I of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013 provides for sittings of the Supreme Court, length of summer vacation and the number of holidays of the Court and also the Benches of the Hon’ble Judges during summer vacation and winter holidays, Rijiju said.

The Central Government has no role in fixing the minimum number of compulsory working hours and working days for courts. Further, there is no proposal at present to increase the number of working days or working hours of the Supreme Court. However, the Government is fully committed to the independence of the judiciary and constantly endeavours to provide a conducive environment for judges to discharge their judicial functions smoothly, stated the Law and Justice Minister in Parliament.

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

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui gets attacked, abused by Islamists for offering prayers to Lord Hanuman as he announces his Telugu debut ‘Saindhav’

OpIndia Staff
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Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui gets attacked, abused by Islamists for offering prayers to Lord Hanuman as he announces his Telugu debut ‘Saindhav’

Recently, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui came under the vicious attack of Islamists after he shared pictures on his social media accounts where he was seen folding his hands and paying obeisance to Lord Hanuman.

On Saturday, January 28, Nawazuddin Siddiqui announced his Telugu debut, Saindhav, also starring Telugu superstars Rana Daggubati and Naga Chaitanya. Nawazuddin took to Twitter and Instagram to share the news with his fans, sharing a number of pictures.

Nawazuddin captioned the post, “It’s super to collaborate with the ever so energetic @VenkyMama for his 75th film Saindhav to be directed by @KolanuSailesh. Thank You @vboyanapalli and @NiharikaEnt. Looking forward to this Telugu Debut. @RanaDaggubati @NameisNani @chay_akkineni.”

One of the three pictures that grabbed the attention of several Islamists on Instagram was where he was seen paying obeisance to Lord Hanuman’s picture.

Picture shared by actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui on Twitter

After sharing the photo, the Bollywood star was chastised by his fellow co-religionists for committing the ‘sin’ of idolatry. “Why did you sell your faith for few bucks,” wrote one Islamist. Another Islamist commented, “don’t you know who can’t pray to they’re gods aren’t you shame of yourself? Just for some money you doing like this…You will go to hell for sure unfollowing you.”

One Instagram user royal_razak07 suggested, “ye lo kardi na SHIRIK (Here you committed idolatry).”

Screengrab of the abusive comments by Islamists (Photo Credits: Instagram/Nawazuddin Siddiqui)

Several other Islamists hurled expletives and called him a blot in the name of Muslims for bowing before a Hindu deity.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui criticises lack of Hindi in the Hindi film industry

It may be recalled that last year, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui slammed ‘The bollywood film industry’ for holding the English language high in regard and ignoring Hindi. Siddiqui, speaking at the special session named ‘Aspiration to Action’ at Times Network India Economic Conclave on April 23, 2022, stated that the ‘Bollywood’ industry lacks in maximising creative talents because the communication among the artists is never clear which leads to confusion in the execution of the required actions. The video of the incident got viral over social media.

Siddiqui stated that while the movies are made in Hindi, the scripts the actors get are printed in ‘Roman letters’. He added that he would prefer to read scripts written in Devanagari, which is the common script for many Indian languages including Hindi.

You are indulging in arm-twisting: Supreme Court slams Kerala State Waqf Board

OpIndia Staff
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You are indulging in arm-twisting: Supreme Court slams Kerala State Waqf Board

On Thursday, February 2, the Supreme Court slammed the Kerala State Waqf Board for engaging in ‘arm-twisting’ while hearing a case on the retrospective operability of section 52A of the Waqf Act, 1995, which carries penal consequences on anyone ‘encroaching’ on Waqf land.

As per a report by LawBeat, the case was being heard by a bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta. In the case, Kerala High Court had earlier refused to terminate criminal proceedings against the petitioner firm even though the tenancy on the waqf land had expired in 2005 and the eviction order had been suspended. Even though the amendment making ‘encroachers’ criminals had come into effect only in 2013, the Kerala High Court had refused to dismiss the criminal proceedings against the petitioner.

Senior Advocate Besant R, appearing for the petitioner(s) explained that the Waqf board’s conduct was convoluted and retrospective in nature.

The State Waqf Board was strongly criticized by the bench at today’s hearing for using coercion and using the ‘draconian’ law against the petitioner(s) in question.

“This is draconian! I am aghast! Absolutely aghast! If the Constitution of India were written today, Article 21 (right to life) would not find itself in it,” Justice S. Ravindra Bhat said while pointing out that people who have not even committed a crime cannot be subjected to legal action. The tenancy had been declared unlawful in 2005, he noted, but the matter was left open until the amendment mandating criminal prosecution took effect, at which point the Kerala State Waqf Board used the ‘draconian’ act against the petitioner(s).

During the hearing, the state Waqf board insisted that they are not a private group and derive their power from legislation. They also said that they are only performing ‘public service.’

At this point, the bench said, “I understand you have lacs and lacs of acres of land but you cannot prosecute persons like this. There are civil remedies and this is nothing but arm-twisting.”

At the conclusion of the hearing, the Waqf Board’s attorney notified the court that a 2013 provision mandating criminal prosecution had now been repealed by a 2015 amendment. Taking notice of this, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat said, “So for those two years, they were offenders!”

The petition, submitted through their attorney Senthin Jagadeesan, argues that the Kerala High Court should have used its inherent authority to prevent abuse of the legal system and halted the proceedings under section 52A of the Waqf act, given that the state board’s eviction decision had already been stayed by the court and that the issue of whether the petitioner is an ‘encroacher’ is still under appeal. The Court has reserved its judgment in the case.

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