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Indonesia: Foreign tourists concerned after the Muslim majority country bans sex outside of marriage

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Indonesia: Foreign tourists concerned after the Muslim majority country bans sex outside of marriage

Tourists are concerned about Indonesia’s new criminal code that includes a ban on sex outside of marriage, reported NHK World. 

The controversial revisions of the colonial-era penal code are leaving some in the tourism industry worried travellers may be deterred from visiting as the tourism sector still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. Indonesian President Joko Widodo approved the revision earlier this week. It will apply to both citizens and foreigners in the country, including tourists, reported NHK World. 

Violators will face up to a year in prison or fines. The code also prohibits unmarried couples from living together. Some local authorities have been cracking down on sex outside marriage, such as raids on hotels. 

There are worries that the law will scare away tourists and investors, even before it goes into effect in three years, reported NHK World. 

The national government says under the code, local authorities won’t be free to do so, meaning the code will actually be protecting everyone, including foreign tourits. Only the families of those involved will be able to alert authorities. 

There are worries in the tourism industry in Bali that the code will take another bite out of visitor numbers. 

With foreign arrivals to Bali expected to reach pre-pandemic levels of 6 million by 2025, Indonesia’s national tourism board has described the new code as “totally counterproductive”. 

Chairman of the Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agency Bali, I Putu Winastra, said, “Especially in European countries, many people live together without getting married and even have children. We must protect their privacy.” 

He is calling on the government to explain the code so people in other countries can fully understand it, reported NHK World. 

Simon Butt — a professor and director of the centre for Asian and Pacific law at the University of Sydney’s law school — said the sex ban for unmarried couples was unlikely to affect tourists. 

“Provided that no such complaints are made to Indonesian police,” Professor Butt warned. 

“Police cannot proceed with investigating adultery or cohabitation without a complaint. Not just anyone can make a complaint,” he 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)

Uttar Pradesh: Tutor Afzal lures a minor Hindu girl, rapes her, and forces her to convert to Islam, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Tutor Afzal lures a minor Hindu girl, rapes her, and forces her to convert to Islam, arrested

A sensational case of sexual exploitation of a minor girl and her rape has come to light in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh. A youth named Afzal, who used to teach tuition to the victim minor girl, lured her into a love trap and then raped her. Acting on the family’s complaint, the police rescued the victim and arrested the accused Afzal.

Afzal, who used to give tuition in Banda, lured the minor Hindu girl into a love trap and then ran away with her. After this, he raped her. Not only this, but he also pressurized her to change her religion. The minor’s father had lodged a missing person’s report following the disappearance of his child.

Acting on the complaint, the police arrested the accused Afzal who committed this crime. A case has been registered against the accused under sections of rape, POCSO, and the Religion Conversion Act.

The case is from an area under the Atarra police station area. According to the victim’s family, Afzal, a resident of the Hamirpur district, lured their 14-year-old daughter into a love trap and took her away on Monday afternoon. On the complaint of the father, the police registered a case. Following this, on Friday, the girl’s location was traced and police reached the spot. When police reached the spot, the girl was found standing at a station wearing a burqa.

The girl told the police that the accused Afzal had raped her. At the same time, he also pressurized her to change religion. Based on the girl’s statement, the police registered a case and arrested the accused, and sent him to jail. 

According to the police, the accused Afzal used to teach tuition to the minor. At the same time, she was trapped in love by the accused. SP Abhinandan said that strict action will be taken against the accused Afzal.

Afghanistan: Ministry of Education of Taliban government tests the knowledge of Islam of their employees through an exam

OpIndia Staff
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Afghanistan: Ministry of Education of Taliban government tests the knowledge of Islam of their employees through an exam

The ministry of education of the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan recently conducted an examination for its employees to test their knowledge of Islam. The Ministry of Education said on Twitter that a test was held for the employees of its central departments about their knowledge of Islam. Abdulhai Hazm, an official of the ministry, said the exam is aimed at building employees’ knowledge about Islamic rules and orders.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education also tweeted on 7th January 2023 in this regard. According to them, the religious exams are taken by the Ministry of Education staff. Officials of the Ministry of Education’s Invitation and Guidance Department said, “The first phase of jurisprudence and religious sciences was taken from the staff of the central branches of the Ministry of Education in the mosque of the Ministry.”

Sheikh Mawlawi Abdulhai Hazm, head of the ministry’s invitation and guidance department, said, “The questions of this exam were compiled from the content of the lectures that were taught to the employees of this institution every day. The purpose of this assessment is to fully familiarize the employees with the rules and principles of the blessed religion of Islam.”

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education’s Invitation and Guidance Department said, “At the same time, religious examinations have started in all the departments of education in the center and provinces of the country.”

According to Sheikh Hazm, those who get the highest scores on the test are praised and those who cannot get standardized grades should study very religiously to prepare for the upcoming tests.

Ever since the Taliban have taken hold of Afghanistan, strict Islamic rules are being imposed in Afghanistan. Recently, the Taliban government in Afghanistan ruled that women would be banned from working in the NGOs actively operating in Afghanistan. After this decision, three big international NGOs announced that they are suspending their work in Afghanistan.

Diesel gets costlier in Himachal Pradesh within one month of Congress forming govt, had promised no fuel price hike earlier

OpIndia Staff
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Diesel gets costlier in Himachal Pradesh within one month of Congress forming govt, had promised no fuel price hike earlier

On Sunday, January 8, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh increased the value-added tax (VAT) on diesel from 6.40 per cent to 9.96 per cent per litre. With an increased VAT, diesel prices would surge by 3 rupees per litre now. Earlier the VAT on diesel was Rs 4.40 per litre, however, after the state government’s decision, it would now go up to Rs 7.40 per litre.

Notification issued by the government of Himachal Pradesh

Apparently, the newly-elected Congress government has forgotten its pre-poll promise that the Congress party, if voted to power, will not increase fuel prices in the state. 

Ahead of assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress party had promised multiple freebies to the people of Himachal Pradesh if voted to power. Some of the freebies promised by Congress included 300 units of free electricity to household consumers, and financial assistance of Rs 1500 per month to all women aged between 18 and 60 years. 

When asked by the media about the availability of funds to provide for the freebies announced, Congress party’s election observer for Himachal Pradesh Bhupesh Baghel said that the Congress party will make arrangements for it in the same way as it has been doing in other party-ruled states. He added that his party will not increase the prices of petrol and diesel for the same. 

“We will make arrangements in the same way that other party-ruled states do. It will not be accomplished by raising the prices of petrol and diesel, as the incumbent government has done”, Baghel said.

The increase in diesel prices comes as CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu today expanded his cabinet and appointed seven MLAs as cabinet ministers, including Shimla MLA Vikramaditya Singh, son of former CM Virbhadra Singh.

Apart from Vikramaditya Singh, Shillai MLA Harshwardhan Chauhan, Kinnaur MLA Jagat Singh Negi, former chief parliamentary secretary and Jubbal Kotkhai MLA Rohit Thakur, Solan MLA Dhani Ram Shandil, Jawali MLA Chandra Kumar, and Anirudh Singh also took the oath as ministers.

Social Media star Uorfi Javed meets Javed Akhtar, shares photograph online

OpIndia Staff
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Social Media star Uorfi Javed meets Javed Akhtar, shares photograph online

Uorfi Javed, one of the most famous online personalities, is currently in Delhi in connection with a fashion show. On Sunday, 8th January 2023, the social media star met veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar and shared a picture of it on social media, along with the caption ‘The Legend’. She also wrote that she has finally met her grandfather.

Uorfi Javed shared the photo with Javed Akhtar on her Instagram and Twitter handles. Image Source: Instagram Handle @urf7i

In her Instagram stories, Uorfi posted a picture of her with Javed Akhtar. Uorfi, who is often in the news for her sartorial choices, wore a blue overcoat for the meeting, while Javed wore a grey kurta with a black shawl. Javed Akhtar can also be seen smiling and posing before the camera for Uorfi.

Uorfi wrote in the caption along with the picture, “I finally met my grandfather today. Also, he is a legend, in the morning so many people lined up to take selfies, but he did not say no to anyone, laughed, and interacted with everyone. He was so warm! I was scared.” She added rose, laugh, and heart emojis to her caption.

It is notable that when Uorfi Javed became a social media sensation after Bigg Boss OTT, people started saying that she is Javed Akhtar’s granddaughter. This news spread like wildfire and Shabana Azmi also reacted to it that she has no connection with Uorfi.

Uorfi Javed is often in news about her unique outfits. Recently, Maharashtra BJP Mahila Morcha president Chitra Wagh filed a police complaint against her, claiming that the actress’ dressing sense was vulgar and a threat to society. She also demanded that Uorfi Javed should be arrested.

Not only this, Uorfi Javed is often canceled by Islamists for her choice of clothes. She was targeted even this time when she shared her photo with Javed Akhtar. One Shadab Salmaniac wrote, “You wore all the clothes in your cupboard today. Shameless.”

Mohammad Irshad replied to Uorfi Javed, “Do you know what is decency?”

Another Twitter handle @theWolvosaga said, “You wear his clothes and give your clothes to him.”

Uorfi Javed said in 2021 that she does not believe in Islam and will not marry a Muslim.

Rahul Gandhi compares his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ to Swayamvar of Draupadi in this bizarre analogy

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi compares his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ to Swayamvar of Draupadi in this bizarre analogy

On Sunday (January 8), Congress scion Rahul Gandhi drew bizarre analogies between his ambitious ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and the Swayamvar of Draupadi from the Hindu epic ‘Mahabharata.’

In a video shared very proudly by the official Twitter handle of the Congress party, he was heard as saying, “When Arjuna was focusing on the eye of the fish, did he announce his future course of action to everyone?”

Rahul Gandhi made the remarks upon being asked about his plans, following the conclusion of his political foot pilgrimage. He had compared himself to Arjuna and erroneously claimed that the warrior did not know about the fruits of his actions (the task to hit the eye of a fish).

“The story of Arjuna (not announcing his plans in advance) has a profound meaning. It is also mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. You focus on the work and do not think about the results. This is the thinking behind the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he claimed.

Rahul Gandhi further added, “After the Yatra ends, there will be another task in hand and then possibly another. You will get to know about my plans at that time.”

Instead of directly answering the question of a journalist, the Congress scion chose to invoke Hindu scriptures to draw parallels with his political foot pilgrimage. However, in doing so, Rahul Gandhi seems to have goofed up once again. It must be mentioned that Arjuna was aware of the outcome of hitting the fish in the eye, given that the competition of the task was crucial to marry Draupadi, the daughter of the King of Panchal.

‘BJP will make saffron the national flag, remove the tricolour’: Mehbooba Mufti demands restoration of old situations in Kashmir

OpIndia Staff
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‘BJP will make saffron the national flag, remove the tricolour’: Mehbooba Mufti demands restoration of old situations in Kashmir

Ever since Article 370 was abolished in Jammu and Kashmir, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has been inconsolable. Sometimes she threatens that people may pick up guns, sometimes she shows fear of the government trying to change demography. This time she has expressed fear of changing the flag of the country to saffron.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said that the BJP government took away the flag of Jammu and Kashmir, snatched the Constitution, removed special status by removing Article 370, and now it is going to change the constitution of the country soon. She alleged that the BJP will change the country’s national flag to saffron.

Mehbooba Mufti, who has run a coalition government with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir between 2015 and 2018, said that the BJP has crushed the constitution of the country with a bulldozer. She also cried her grief over separating the union territory Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir. Mehbooba said Ladakh is an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir. She demanded the restoration of the old situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mehbooba Mufti also demanded the systematic withdrawal of armed forces and AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir. She, however, did not mention the attacks by Islamist militants in the state and the target killings against Hindus, nor how they would be protected once the security forces are withdrawn.

Paying tributes to her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on his death anniversary, she said Jammu and Kashmir went with Mahatma Gandhi’s India and not with Nathuram Godse’s India. Regarding her father, the founder of PDP, Mehbooba said that he was a pure Indian.

Iran executes 2 more youths involved in anti-hijab protests, 11 sentenced to jail

OpIndia Staff
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Iran executes 2 more youths involved in anti-hijab protests, 11 sentenced to jail

Two more protesters in Iran were executed on Saturday, January 7, 2023, for protesting against the government. The two youths were accused of protesting against the atrocities committed against Mahsa Amini during which several Iranians lost their lives.

According to reports, the judiciary said while sentencing the two protesters, “Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Syed Mohammad Husseini, the two men whose crimes led to the martyrdom of Ruhollah Azmin, have been hanged to death today.”

Top diplomats of the European Union have condemned the incident. They asked Iran to immediately stop the execution of the protesters. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, “Iran should immediately stop the execution of its people.”

Earlier on December 12, 2022, a 23-year-old youth was hanged during an anti-hijab protest. The name of the young man was Majidrega Rehanward. He was hanged in public and in the final video, Rehan said that his death should not be mourned. He also said that no one should read the Quran after his death. The video was shared by Mahmood Amiri, director of an Iranian human rights NGO, from his Twitter handle. In the video, Rehanward was blindfolded and two masked guards surrounded him.

Protests against the government in Iran began on September 16 after the death of a 22-year-old girl, Mahsa Amini. Police arrested Mahsa for not wearing a hijab. She lost her life in custody. When protests broke out in Iran, young people were publicly hanged to create fear among the people.

Joshimath Landslide scare: Cracks develop in Shankaracharya Math

Shraddha Pandey
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Joshimath Landslide scare: Cracks develop in Shankaracharya Math

As the holy town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand faces a major threat of land subsidence, the Shankaracharya Math located in Joshimath has also developed cracks in many places. The Jyotirmath administration informed that these cracks have increased in the last 15 days. 

Highlighting the cause of the calamity, Swami Vishwapriyanand, the chief of the Math, said that this development is a cause behind the looming threat.

While speaking to ANI, the Math chief Swami Vishwapriyanand said, “Development has now become a reason for destruction as hydroelectric power projects, and tunnels have affected our town. There were no cracks 15 days back, but these days the cracks are continuously increasing in Math.”

Notably, cracks have appeared in the Shivling of Shankaracharya Madhav Ashram temple.  

Meanwhile, the state government and district administration have made arrangements for the families affected by the landslide. 

The CM Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government has assured that the affected people will be provided with pre-fabricated houses. 

According to the District Disaster Management Department, 561 houses in Joshimath have developed cracks due to the continued subsidence of land. So far, 66 families have reportedly migrated from Joshimath. 

Notably, the Uttarakhand government has formed a team of scientists to find out the reason behind the occurrence of land subsidence in Joshimath and the resultant damage reported to the houses.

Why is Joshimath sinking?

Joshimath is located on the middle slopes of the hill, bounded on the west and east by Karmanasa and Dhaknala, respectively, and on the other sides by Dhauliganga and Alaknanda.

With increasing urbanization, this small Himalayan town has come under increased strain. According to the researchers, urbanization has historically aggravated these issues because it disrupts natural water drainage, slopes, and results in an uncontrolled flow of water.

Mishra Committee Report 1976 and the warning ignored

It is pertinent to note that the alarm for an expected landslide was raised as far back as 1976, in the Mishra Committee report. The report stated that Joshimath is situated in a landslide zone and it is sinking. The Mishra Commission recommended that construction activities in the area should be banned. Ignoring the warnings, several hydroelectric projects were sanctioned around Joshimath and Tapovan. The Mishra Committee, named after MC Mishra, the then commissioner of Garhwal, in the erstwhile Uttar Pradesh stated that for the construction of roads, boulders should not be removed by digging or blasting the hillside. It added that the trees in the region should be “nurtured like children.”

Despite providing a scientific basis, the Mishra Committee’s recommendations were ignored by the governments for years. 

Notably, in 2009, a similar situation prevailed when a head race tunnel was excavated using a tunnel boring machine (TBM). It punctured water-bearing strata about 3 kilometres inward of the left bank of the Alaknanda near Shelong village. According to project officials, the site was more than a kilometre below the surface, somewhere below Auli. According to reports, the water discharge rate was between 700 and 800 litres per second. The aquifer discharge was approximately 60-70 million litres per day, which is enough to sustain 2-3 million people. The aquifer had not dried out even after a month. 

Referring to the 2009 incident, Anjal Prakash, IPCC author and faculty at ISB said that the hydropower projects in the Joshimath area should be reconsidered. “This is not the first time this has happened, and the Joshimath area is where the groundwater has nowhere to go and will sink the area that it has. Second, it is an active seismic zone,” Prakash said.

Joshimath has been sinking for years, even before any of the current construction projects, the government is trying their best to save it, hopefully, we don’t lose this town forever

PM Modi to launch Ganga Vilas luxury ship from Varanasi to Dibrugarh on Friday, world’s longest river cruise to carry Swiss and German tourists

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi to launch Ganga Vilas luxury ship from Varanasi to Dibrugarh on Friday, world’s longest river cruise to carry Swiss and German tourists

On January 13 this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off a river cruise named ‘Ganga Vilas’, which will travel from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam. While earlier the launch date was announced as 10 January, now it will be launched on 13 January.

Dubbed the world’s longest river cruise, it will cover a distance of a whopping 3200 km in 50 days. During the course of its journey, ‘Ganga Vilas’ will pass through 27 river systems in both India and Bangladesh, including the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. This longest voyage by a river ship will mark the entry of India and Bangladesh into the world’s river cruise map.

The river cruise will be flagged off from the boarding point located opposite the Ravidas Ghat. The cruise will pass through Ghazipur, Buxar, Patna, Kolkata, and Guwahati before reaching the final destination of Dibrugarh.

Preparations are underway for the maiden journey of ‘Ganga Vilas’ on January 13 this year. The Culture Department, Inland Waterways Transport, and Tourism Department officials along with Varanasi District Magistrate S Rajalingam and Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma are overseeing the preparations.

Divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said, “The PM will flag off Varanasi-Dibrugarh river ship ‘Ganga Vilas’ through video conferencing on January 13 while CM and Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal will be present at the flag off ceremony at Ravidas Ghat.” UP CM Yogi Adityanath will also be present at the occasion. The CM will launch the second tent city on the sand bed on the opposite bank of Ganga. 

Reportedly, Ganga Vilas will leave for Dibrugarh with 33 tourists including 32 from Switzerland and one from Germany. The tour’s standouts include witnessing the ancient “Ganga Aarti,” exploring the natural wonders of the world’s largest mangrove forest, visiting Mayong, India’s cradle of “black magic,” and exploring the vast cultural treasure of the world’s largest river island Majuli.

Reportedly, it will provide an opportunity for passengers to visit world heritage sites and about 50 architecturally important places. The river cruise will be equipped with facilities such as personalised butler service, gym, spa, and open-air observation deck, convertible beds, French balconies, a restaurant, music systems, and sundeck.

Measuring 62.5 m (length), 12.8 m (width), and 1.35 m (draft), this is the first river cruise ship built in India, according to authorities. The river cruise contains 18 suites and has the capacity to carry 80 passengers at one time.

‘Ganga Vilas’ will also pass through the Sundarbans Delta, Kaziranga National Park (famous for one-horned rhinoceros) and several other national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. During the Bangladesh leg of the trip, the passengers can visit the ghost city of Sonargaon and the 1400-era Sixty Dome Mosque in Bagerhat.

Earlier in November 2022, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, had tweeted “The world’s longest river cruise will commence its journey in January next year.”

“Ganga Vilas will set sail from sacred Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh covering 4,000 km on the two greatest rivers of India, Ganga and Brahmaputra,” he further added. Reportedly, ‘Ganga Vilas’ was first advertised in 2018 and was scheduled to start its services in 2020. However, the plans were derailed due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

While the pricing has not yet been disclosed, the same company (Antara Luxury River Cruise) that will run the ‘Ganga Vilas’ offers a 4-day ‘Incredible Benaras package’ at ₹1.12 lakh per person. According to a Livemint report, Kashif Siddiqui, Director Sales and Strategic Marketing India of Antara Luxury River Cruise, said that the reason why the price has not been revealed is that all the suits have already been booked by Swiss tourists for the next couple of years. He also said that the Swiss tourists have paid a whopping ₹38 lakh for each suite, that too 1.5 years ago when the deal was closed.

“This will be a unique cruise in the world and a reflection of growing cruise tourism in India. I request the people of West Bengal to take the benefit of this,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier said about ‘Ganga Vilas’.

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