Worshippers in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi made a last minute dash for food as they prepare to begin the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Muslims in Pakistan buy food before holy month starts

Expressing confidence that the opposition alliance will decimate the ruling NDA in Bihar, senior leader Sharad Yadav claimed Sunday that the Modi government is on its way out due to the BJP's poor show in Hindi heartland states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Yadav, who is contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Madhepura in Bihar as an RJD candidate, asserted that polarisation of most of the backward castes, Dalits and Muslims have taken place in favour of the opposition alliance in the state.

The alliance of the Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD, Congress and Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP among others will clinch as many seats as the NDA had in 2014, Sharad Yadav told PTI in an interview, asserting that there is anger among the poor due to agrarian distress.

The NDA had won 31 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 in Bihar, while the opposition alliance had got nine.

Yadav dismissed the claims of top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that the NDA is set to retain power at the Centre. He alleged a section of media has been "used" by the BJP leaders to "beat their drums" but the reality on the ground is vastly different from what is shown on TV.

"Where is the BJP winning? Their seats will be reduced significantly in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The SP-BSP alliance is far ahead of them in UP. They are losing in Bihar and also in Jharkhand. That the Modi government will be out of power on May 23 is certain," he said.

Four phases of the seven-phase general election have been held so far and the counting of votes is scheduled for May 23.

Asked about the BJP's campaign plank of nationalism and national security, Yadav alleged the nationalism for the saffron party is all about Hindu-Muslim issues under the garb of Kashmir and Pakistan.

"Their nationalism is all sentiments and exclude people. Are farmers' welfare, employment for youths and reducing poverty of Dalits and backwards not nationalism? But it is of no concern to the BJP," Yadav said.

India had divided Pakistan in 1971 and its forces had marched closer to Lahore in 1965 under the Congress governments, he said, adding that Sikkim had merged with India in 1975 when Indira Gandhi was prime minister.

"This is nationalism. What is their nationalism? It is all Hindu-Musalman for them," he said, attacking the BJP.

He alleged the Modi government's policies have caused massive distress among farmers and the farmers in Bihar were forced to sell maize for as low as Rs 900 per quintal against its MSP of close to Rs 1425.

The government's claim of 'Vikas' (development) is a sham, he alleged, adding that unemployment, lack of opportunities and farm distress will result in the BJP's loss. Demonetisation caused a loss of over four crore jobs, he alleged.

In Bihar, he said the entry of leaders like Upendra Kushwaha, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Mukesh Sahni has broadened the base of the opposition alliance and led to a consolidation of Dalit and backward castes in its favour.

Expressing confidence that the opposition alliance will decimate the ruling NDA in Bihar, senior leader Sharad Yadav claimed Sunday that the Modi government is on its way out due to the BJP's poor show in Hindi heartland states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Expressing confidence that the opposition alliance will decimate the ruling NDA in Bihar, senior leader Sharad Yadav claimed Sunday that the Modi government is on its way out due to the BJP's poor show in Hindi heartland states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Yadav, who is contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Madhepura in Bihar as an RJD candidate, asserted that polarisation of most of the backward castes, Dalits and Muslims have taken place in favour of the opposition alliance in the state. The alliance of the Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD, Congress and Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP among others will clinch as many seats as the NDA had in 2014, Sharad Yadav told PTI in an interview, asserting that there is anger among the poor due to agrarian distress. The NDA had won 31 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 in Bihar, while the opposition alliance had got nine. Yadav dismissed the claims of top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that the NDA is set to retain power at the Centre. He alleged a section of media has been "used" by the BJP leaders to "beat their drums" but the reality on the ground is vastly different from what is shown on TV. "Where is the BJP winning? Their seats will be reduced significantly in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The SP-BSP alliance is far ahead of them in UP. They are losing in Bihar and also in Jharkhand. That the Modi government will be out of power on May 23 is certain," he said. Four phases of the seven-phase general election have been held so far and the counting of votes is scheduled for May 23. Asked about the BJP's campaign plank of nationalism and national security, Yadav alleged the nationalism for the saffron party is all about Hindu-Muslim issues under the garb of Kashmir and Pakistan. "Their nationalism is all sentiments and exclude people. Are farmers' welfare, employment for youths and reducing poverty of Dalits and backwards not nationalism? But it is of no concern to the BJP," Yadav said. India had divided Pakistan in 1971 and its forces had marched closer to Lahore in 1965 under the Congress governments, he said, adding that Sikkim had merged with India in 1975 when Indira Gandhi was prime minister. "This is nationalism. What is their nationalism? It is all Hindu-Musalman for them," he said, attacking the BJP. He alleged the Modi government's policies have caused massive distress among farmers and the farmers in Bihar were forced to sell maize for as low as Rs 900 per quintal against its MSP of close to Rs 1425. The government's claim of 'Vikas' (development) is a sham, he alleged, adding that unemployment, lack of opportunities and farm distress will result in the BJP's loss. Demonetisation caused a loss of over four crore jobs, he alleged. In Bihar, he said the entry of leaders like Upendra Kushwaha, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Mukesh Sahni has broadened the base of the opposition alliance and led to a consolidation of Dalit and backward castes in its favour.

Polarisation among most backward castes, Dalits, Muslims in favour of Opposition alliance: Sharad Yadav

President Donald Trump is seeking to blacklist the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/osama-bin-ladens-mother-blames-muslim-brotherhood-for-influencing-his-son--156908">Muslim Brotherhood</a> as a terrorist group, a far-reaching step that would place the United States firmly on the side of its authoritarian allies in the Middle East.

"The president has consulted with his national security team and leaders in the region who share his concern, and this designation is working its way through the internal process," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

The Brotherhood, a nearly century-old Islamist movement born in Egypt with pockets of support across the Arab world, was designated a terrorist organisation by Cairo after the military in 2013 ousted Mohamed Morsi, a democratically elected president with roots in the movement.

Placing the Muslim Brotherhood on Washington's list of foreign terrorist organisations would make it a crime for any American to assist the group and would ban from the United States its members, who are active in political parties in several countries.

The move comes three weeks after Trump welcomed Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has cracked down heavily on the Muslim Brotherhood as well as other movements ranging from Islamic State extremists to secular activists.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-stance-on-muslims-fox-host-in-spotlight-after-mosque-shootings-203927">Trump stance on Muslims, Fox host in spotlight after mosque shootings</a>

During their White House talks, Trump praised Sisi for "doing a great job," saying the United States and Egypt had "never had a better relationship."

The terrorist designation would delight Sisi as well as Saudi Arabia, which despite its ultra-conservative Wahabi ideology disdains the Muslim Brotherhood due to its support for political change in the kingdom, including over Riyadh's alliance with Washington.

But targeting the movement would be a major new impediment in US ties with NATO ally Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pushed an Islamist foreign policy that includes support for the Muslim Brotherhood inside Egypt.

Another US ally friendly toward the Muslim Brotherhood is Qatar, with the issue becoming a key source of friction with its neighbors Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Signature cause for US conservatives

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been a longtime supporter of designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, co-sponsoring legislation with fellow conservatives to take the step when he was a member of Congress.

The Muslim Brotherhood has emerged in recent years as a favorite bugbear for the US far-right, with numerous social media users on Tuesday hailing Trump's push by sharing unfounded conspiracy theories that the group had infiltrated former president Barack Obama's administration or was attempting to impose Islamic sharia law in the United States.

But the proposal has seen pushback from policymakers who say that it is inaccurate to lump together the Muslim Brotherhood, which includes more moderate and democratic strains, with groups set on apocalyptic violence such as the Islamic State movement and Al-Qaeda.

Human Rights Watch has argued that a terrorist designation would "unfairly taint anyone alleged to be linked to the Muslim Brotherhood," meaning that people based in the United States could face prosecution -- or, if not citizens, deportation -- for backing charities or advocacy groups accused of ties to the movement.

Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which generally backs hawkish policies in the Middle East, doubted that the whole Muslim Brotherhood could be declared a terrorist group under normal processes.

"There is near zero likelihood of the entire network, with all its disparate parts, meeting legal criteria," he tweeted.

"But targeting the violent branches is certainly viable. That, in turn, can enable further designations based on financial ties."

The debate comes less than a month after the Trump administration took the sweeping decision to declare Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards a terrorist group, the first time it has designated a unit of a government.

Egypt is one of the biggest US strategic partners -- an Arab country that made peace with top US ally Israel 40 years ago and remains one of the largest recipients of US aid, at more than $1 billion a year.

Trump has all but ended criticism of Egypt's rights record. When Sisi took over in 2013, security forces killed some 700 protesters who had assembled in two Cairo squares -- with courts then sentencing to death 75 people, including Muslim Brotherhood leaders, over the uprising. 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump is seeking to blacklist the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, a far-reaching step that would place the United States firmly on the side of its authoritarian allies in the Middle East.

President Donald Trump is seeking to blacklist the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, a far-reaching step that would place the United States firmly on the side of its authoritarian allies in the Middle East. "The president has consulted with his national security team and leaders in the region who share his concern, and this designation is working its way through the internal process," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. The Brotherhood, a nearly century-old Islamist movement born in Egypt with pockets of support across the Arab world, was designated a terrorist organisation by Cairo after the military in 2013 ousted Mohamed Morsi, a democratically elected president with roots in the movement. Placing the Muslim Brotherhood on Washington's list of foreign terrorist organisations would make it a crime for any American to assist the group and would ban from the United States its members, who are active in political parties in several countries. The move comes three weeks after Trump welcomed Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has cracked down heavily on the Muslim Brotherhood as well as other movements ranging from Islamic State extremists to secular activists. Also read: Trump stance on Muslims, Fox host in spotlight after mosque shootings During their White House talks, Trump praised Sisi for "doing a great job," saying the United States and Egypt had "never had a better relationship." The terrorist designation would delight Sisi as well as Saudi Arabia, which despite its ultra-conservative Wahabi ideology disdains the Muslim Brotherhood due to its support for political change in the kingdom, including over Riyadh's alliance with Washington. But targeting the movement would be a major new impediment in US ties with NATO ally Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pushed an Islamist foreign policy that includes support for the Muslim Brotherhood inside Egypt. Another US ally friendly toward the Muslim Brotherhood is Qatar, with the issue becoming a key source of friction with its neighbors Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Signature cause for US conservatives Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been a longtime supporter of designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, co-sponsoring legislation with fellow conservatives to take the step when he was a member of Congress. The Muslim Brotherhood has emerged in recent years as a favorite bugbear for the US far-right, with numerous social media users on Tuesday hailing Trump's push by sharing unfounded conspiracy theories that the group had infiltrated former president Barack Obama's administration or was attempting to impose Islamic sharia law in the United States. But the proposal has seen pushback from policymakers who say that it is inaccurate to lump together the Muslim Brotherhood, which includes more moderate and democratic strains, with groups set on apocalyptic violence such as the Islamic State movement and Al-Qaeda. Human Rights Watch has argued that a terrorist designation would "unfairly taint anyone alleged to be linked to the Muslim Brotherhood," meaning that people based in the United States could face prosecution -- or, if not citizens, deportation -- for backing charities or advocacy groups accused of ties to the movement. Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which generally backs hawkish policies in the Middle East, doubted that the whole Muslim Brotherhood could be declared a terrorist group under normal processes. "There is near zero likelihood of the entire network, with all its disparate parts, meeting legal criteria," he tweeted. "But targeting the violent branches is certainly viable. That, in turn, can enable further designations based on financial ties." The debate comes less than a month after the Trump administration took the sweeping decision to declare Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards a terrorist group, the first time it has designated a unit of a government. Egypt is one of the biggest US strategic partners -- an Arab country that made peace with top US ally Israel 40 years ago and remains one of the largest recipients of US aid, at more than $1 billion a year. Trump has all but ended criticism of Egypt's rights record. When Sisi took over in 2013, security forces killed some 700 protesters who had assembled in two Cairo squares -- with courts then sentencing to death 75 people, including Muslim Brotherhood leaders, over the uprising.

Trump seeks to declare Muslim Brotherhood terrorists

In probably the first, the UAE government has given a birth certificate to a nine-month-old girl who was born to an Indian Hindu father and a Muslim mother, setting aside the country's marriage rules for expatriates during the Year of Tolerance, according to a media report.

As per the marriage rules for expatriates in UAE, a Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman but a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man.

Sharjah-based expat Kiran Babu and Sanam Saboo Siddique, who got married in Kerala in 2016, faced an unusual situation when their daughter was born in July 2018, the Khaleej Times reported.

"I have an Abu Dhabi visa. I get my insurance coverage there and got my wife admitted to Medeor 24X7 Hospital in the emirate. But after the baby's delivery, the birth certificate was rejected as I am a Hindu," Babu said.

"I then applied for a no-objection certificate through the court. The trial went on for four months but my case was rejected," he added.

Babu said that since his daughter had no legal documents, he pinned his hopes on the amnesty period.&nbsp;

The UAE has declared 2019 as the Year of Tolerance to highlight UAE as an exemplary example of a tolerant nation, bridging the communication gap between different cultures and build an environment where people accept each other as they are.

"Those days were stressful and the amnesty was a window of hope. The Indian Embassy helped with the provision of an out pass. But the baby was denied immigration clearance as there was no data or registration number to prove her birth," he said.

Babu said that Indian Embassy counsellor M. Rajamurugan supported them throughout the process.&nbsp;

"The judicial department made my case an exception. I was told that from now on, in such cases, we have to put together a request letter, get it approved by the chief justice, and take it to the health authority for the issuance of a birth certificate," he said.

Babu again went to court and, this time, his case was approved.&nbsp;

The couple was given the birth certificate of their daughter Anamta Aceline Kiran on April 14, a day before the Hindu festival of Vishu.

"I am told that this is the first case where the rule has been amended," he said.&nbsp;

Rajamurugan said the ground-breaking ruling from the court will serve as a precedent for future cases.&nbsp;

In probably the first, the UAE government has given a birth certificate to a nine-month-old girl who was born to an Indian Hindu father and a Muslim mother, setting aside the country's marriage rules for expatriates during the Year of Tolerance, according to a media report.

In probably the first, the UAE government has given a birth certificate to a nine-month-old girl who was born to an Indian Hindu father and a Muslim mother, setting aside the country's marriage rules for expatriates during the Year of Tolerance, according to a media report. As per the marriage rules for expatriates in UAE, a Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman but a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man. Sharjah-based expat Kiran Babu and Sanam Saboo Siddique, who got married in Kerala in 2016, faced an unusual situation when their daughter was born in July 2018, the Khaleej Times reported. "I have an Abu Dhabi visa. I get my insurance coverage there and got my wife admitted to Medeor 24X7 Hospital in the emirate. But after the baby's delivery, the birth certificate was rejected as I am a Hindu," Babu said. "I then applied for a no-objection certificate through the court. The trial went on for four months but my case was rejected," he added. Babu said that since his daughter had no legal documents, he pinned his hopes on the amnesty period. The UAE has declared 2019 as the Year of Tolerance to highlight UAE as an exemplary example of a tolerant nation, bridging the communication gap between different cultures and build an environment where people accept each other as they are. "Those days were stressful and the amnesty was a window of hope. The Indian Embassy helped with the provision of an out pass. But the baby was denied immigration clearance as there was no data or registration number to prove her birth," he said. Babu said that Indian Embassy counsellor M. Rajamurugan supported them throughout the process. "The judicial department made my case an exception. I was told that from now on, in such cases, we have to put together a request letter, get it approved by the chief justice, and take it to the health authority for the issuance of a birth certificate," he said. Babu again went to court and, this time, his case was approved. The couple was given the birth certificate of their daughter Anamta Aceline Kiran on April 14, a day before the Hindu festival of Vishu. "I am told that this is the first case where the rule has been amended," he said. Rajamurugan said the ground-breaking ruling from the court will serve as a precedent for future cases.

UAE gives birth certificate to girl born to Hindu father and Muslim mother

Sri Lankan police have been left red-faced after wrongly identifying a female American Muslim activist as a suspect in the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-blasts-two-colombo-suicide-bombers-identified-as-millionaire-businessmans-sons-213324&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjy9vr_m-3hAhWE73MBHWidA2sQFjAAegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0sk9DpWFODEQxPBlsJoIx5">deadly Easter bombings.</a>

On Thursday, police issued a flyer with the names and photos of six people, three men and three women&nbsp;wanted in connection with attacks that killed over 250 people.

Among those listed was a woman identified as Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya, accompanied by a photo of a woman in a headscarf purported to be the individual wanted for questioning.

But the photo, in fact&nbsp;showed Amara Majeed, an American Muslim whose parents are Sri Lankan immigrants and who penned an open letter to President Donald Trump in 2015 about his rhetoric on Muslims.

"Hello everyone! I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka," Majeed wrote on her Facebook page.

"What a thing to wake up to! This is obviously completely false and frankly, considering that Muslim communities are already greatly afflicted with issues of surveillance, I don't need more false accusations and scrutiny."

Sri Lankan police on Thursday issued a statement confirming that the photo published alongside the name "Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya" was not in fact of the suspect.

"The individual pictured is not wanted for questioning," the statement signed by police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

It added that an individual called Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya was however still wanted for questioning.

The blunder comes after Sri Lankan authorities dramatically revised the death toll in the attacks, from nearly 360 dead to 253.

The revision came after authorities said some victims had been "double-counted" because bodies were blown apart in the attacks and misidentified.

Sri Lankan police have been left red-faced after wrongly identifying a female American Muslim activist as a suspect in the deadly Easter bombings. On Thursday, police issued a flyer with the names and photos of six people, three men and three women wanted in connection with attacks that killed over 250 people.

Sri Lankan police have been left red-faced after wrongly identifying a female American Muslim activist as a suspect in the deadly Easter bombings. On Thursday, police issued a flyer with the names and photos of six people, three men and three women wanted in connection with attacks that killed over 250 people. Among those listed was a woman identified as Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya, accompanied by a photo of a woman in a headscarf purported to be the individual wanted for questioning. But the photo, in fact showed Amara Majeed, an American Muslim whose parents are Sri Lankan immigrants and who penned an open letter to President Donald Trump in 2015 about his rhetoric on Muslims. "Hello everyone! I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka," Majeed wrote on her Facebook page. "What a thing to wake up to! This is obviously completely false and frankly, considering that Muslim communities are already greatly afflicted with issues of surveillance, I don't need more false accusations and scrutiny." Sri Lankan police on Thursday issued a statement confirming that the photo published alongside the name "Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya" was not in fact of the suspect. "The individual pictured is not wanted for questioning," the statement signed by police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. It added that an individual called Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya was however still wanted for questioning. The blunder comes after Sri Lankan authorities dramatically revised the death toll in the attacks, from nearly 360 dead to 253. The revision came after authorities said some victims had been "double-counted" because bodies were blown apart in the attacks and misidentified.

Sri Lanka police wrongly identify American Muslim over Easter day attacks

An exhibition in Jerusalem brings in a sign of resemblance, showing how women from the three monotheistic religions wear similarly modest dresses. It is not uncommon to see women, Muslim, Jews or Christians, walking in veil in the Holy City, and it is sometimes harder to tell who is following which faith.

Jerusalem veil exhibition uncovers similarities between faiths

At least 33 of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-executes-37-in-connection-with-terrorism-report-212955">37 Saudis executed by the kingdom</a> in a single day belonged to the Sunni-dominated country's Shia&nbsp;minority, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

The men were executed on Tuesday after being convicted of terrorism, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

"Thirty-three we know for sure are Shia," HRW researcher Adam Coogle told AFP.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/saudi-arabia-and-the-wests-right-wing-a-dubious-alliance-187880">Saudi Arabia and the West’s right-wing: A dubious alliance</a>

The interior ministry said some of those executed were accused of "inciting sectarian strife", a charge often used in Saudi Arabia against Shia&nbsp;activists.

Rights group Amnesty International also said most of those executed were Shia&nbsp;men.

They were "convicted after sham trials that violated international fair trial standards (and) which relied on confessions extracted through torture", it said in a statement.

The executions were "yet another gruesome indication of how the death penalty is being used as a political tool to crush dissent" from within the Shia minority, said Amnesty's Middle East research director Lynn Maalouf.

The rights watchdog said 11 of those executed were convicted of spying for Iran, while at least 14 others were sentenced in connection with anti-government protests in the Eastern Province between 2011 and 2012.

Among those executed was Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, who was only 16 at the time of his arrest, it said.

At least 100 people have been executed in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rights-groups-condemn-saudi-arabia-over-trial-of-women-activists-200733">Saudi Arabia </a>since the start of the year, according to data released by SPA.

The Eastern Province -- home to the country's Shia&nbsp;minority -- has seen bouts of unrest since 2011 when protesters emboldened by the Arab Spring took to the streets demanding an end to alleged discrimination by the Sunni-dominated government.

Although no official figures exist, Shia&nbsp;make up an estimated 10-15 per cent of the ultra-conservative kingdom's population of 32 million.

At least 33 of the 37 Saudis executed by the kingdom in a single day belonged to the Sunni-dominated country's Shia minority, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. The men were executed on Tuesday after being convicted of terrorism, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

At least 33 of the 37 Saudis executed by the kingdom in a single day belonged to the Sunni-dominated country's Shia minority, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. The men were executed on Tuesday after being convicted of terrorism, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. "Thirty-three we know for sure are Shia," HRW researcher Adam Coogle told AFP. Also read: Saudi Arabia and the West’s right-wing: A dubious alliance The interior ministry said some of those executed were accused of "inciting sectarian strife", a charge often used in Saudi Arabia against Shia activists. Rights group Amnesty International also said most of those executed were Shia men. They were "convicted after sham trials that violated international fair trial standards (and) which relied on confessions extracted through torture", it said in a statement. The executions were "yet another gruesome indication of how the death penalty is being used as a political tool to crush dissent" from within the Shia minority, said Amnesty's Middle East research director Lynn Maalouf. The rights watchdog said 11 of those executed were convicted of spying for Iran, while at least 14 others were sentenced in connection with anti-government protests in the Eastern Province between 2011 and 2012. Among those executed was Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, who was only 16 at the time of his arrest, it said. At least 100 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since the start of the year, according to data released by SPA. The Eastern Province -- home to the country's Shia minority -- has seen bouts of unrest since 2011 when protesters emboldened by the Arab Spring took to the streets demanding an end to alleged discrimination by the Sunni-dominated government. Although no official figures exist, Shia make up an estimated 10-15 per cent of the ultra-conservative kingdom's population of 32 million.

Almost all Saudis in mass execution were Shia minority: Human Rights Watch

Tens of millions of Indonesians will vote in presidential and parliamentary <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesians-to-vote-in-worlds-biggest-single-day-election-210259&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjExKrzotHhAhULMo8KHa_HDHYQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw36Vtlpp0m2PRPV_wBB8dM6">elections</a> this week after campaigns focused on the economy, but with political Islam looming ever larger in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.

President <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/indonesia-presidential-election-prabowo-subianto-vs-joko-widodo-209329&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjExKrzotHhAhULMo8KHa_HDHYQFggHMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mpgOl_VBgeV8CYn51Uflk">Joko Widodo</a>, a former furniture salesman who launched his political career as a small-city mayor, is standing for re-election in a contest with ex-general Prabowo Subianto, whom he narrowly defeated in 2014.

Most opinion polls give Widodo a double-digit lead but the opposition has disputed survey findings. It has also said it has uncovered data irregularities affecting millions on the electoral rolls and has vowed to take legal action or use "people power" if its complaints are not resolved.

Some analysts say an unexpected win for the challenger would probably cause a brief slump in Indonesian markets, while a very close race could elevate the risk of a disputed vote.

"In a scenario in which Widodo wins by an unexpectedly narrow margin, large and prolonged protests in Jakarta would elevate tensions and pressure the currency," Kevin O'Rourke, a political analyst and author of Reformasi Weekly, said in the Indonesia-focused newsletter last week.

While most polls have put the president ahead, they could not be taken for granted, a senior government official said.

"Absolutely everybody is flying blind because we don't know how far the opinion polls can be respected," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Widodo ended his six-month campaign with a mass rally at Jakarta's main stadium at the weekend, where festive crowds overflowed into a surrounding park and streets.

Running ran out on stage in sneakers, to the cheers of the crowd after an hours-long concert by local bands, he struck an optimistic tone for the future of the world's third-largest democracy.

That was a stark contrast to his opponent, who has repeatedly warned Indonesia is on the verge of collapse.

Prabowo, as he is usually known, held a similarly big rally the previous weekend where supporters, many dressed in Islamic robes, held a mass prayer before a fiery speech about how Indonesia was being pillaged by foreigners and the elite.

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Widodo has touted a record infrastructure drive and deregulation as major successes during his tenure, calling it a first step to tackle inequality and poverty in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

In a televised weekend debate, Widodo and his running mate, Islamic cleric Ma'ruf Amin, said their opponents, neither of whom has served in public office for more than a few months, did not understand managing macrolevel economics.

Widodo, a moderate Muslim from central Java, has had to burnish his Islamic credentials after smear campaigns and hoax stories accused him of being anti-Islam, a communist or too close to China, all politically damaging in Indonesia.

Prabowo, who has close links to some hardline Islamist groups, and his running mate, business tycoon Sandiaga Uno, have pledged to boost the economy by slashing taxes as much as 8 percentage points and focus on key infrastructure projects.

Nearly 500,000 police and military will fan out across the vast archipelago to safeguard the vote. In Jakarta, the capital, officers will guard polling station to deter voter intimidation or clashes, national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said.

More than 192 million will also vote in national and regional legislative elections, being contested by more than 245,000 candidates, in what is being described as the world's biggest single-day election.

Overseas voting is already underway, with thousands lining up outside Indonesian missions in Singapore and Australia.

On Wednesday (April 17), polling stations will open at 7 am&nbsp;(2200 GMT Tuesday) in eastern Indonesia and close at 1 pm (0600 GMT) on the western side of the country.

Voters will manually punch five separate paper ballots for president and vice president, and legislative candidates.

Unofficial "quick counts", based on vote samples from polling stations, will be released hours after polling ends and the winning presidential candidate is expected to be apparent by late Wednesday.

The General Election Commission is expected to announce an official result in May.

Candidates have 72 hours after the official result to complain to the Constitutional Court. A nine-judge panel has 14 days to reach a decision, which cannot be appealed.&nbsp;

Tens of millions of Indonesians will vote in presidential and parliamentary elections this week after campaigns focused on the economy, but with political Islam looming ever larger in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.

Tens of millions of Indonesians will vote in presidential and parliamentary elections this week after campaigns focused on the economy, but with political Islam looming ever larger in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation. President Joko Widodo, a former furniture salesman who launched his political career as a small-city mayor, is standing for re-election in a contest with ex-general Prabowo Subianto, whom he narrowly defeated in 2014. Most opinion polls give Widodo a double-digit lead but the opposition has disputed survey findings. It has also said it has uncovered data irregularities affecting millions on the electoral rolls and has vowed to take legal action or use "people power" if its complaints are not resolved. Some analysts say an unexpected win for the challenger would probably cause a brief slump in Indonesian markets, while a very close race could elevate the risk of a disputed vote. "In a scenario in which Widodo wins by an unexpectedly narrow margin, large and prolonged protests in Jakarta would elevate tensions and pressure the currency," Kevin O'Rourke, a political analyst and author of Reformasi Weekly, said in the Indonesia-focused newsletter last week. While most polls have put the president ahead, they could not be taken for granted, a senior government official said. "Absolutely everybody is flying blind because we don't know how far the opinion polls can be respected," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Widodo ended his six-month campaign with a mass rally at Jakarta's main stadium at the weekend, where festive crowds overflowed into a surrounding park and streets. Running ran out on stage in sneakers, to the cheers of the crowd after an hours-long concert by local bands, he struck an optimistic tone for the future of the world's third-largest democracy. That was a stark contrast to his opponent, who has repeatedly warned Indonesia is on the verge of collapse. Prabowo, as he is usually known, held a similarly big rally the previous weekend where supporters, many dressed in Islamic robes, held a mass prayer before a fiery speech about how Indonesia was being pillaged by foreigners and the elite. QUICK COUNTS Widodo has touted a record infrastructure drive and deregulation as major successes during his tenure, calling it a first step to tackle inequality and poverty in Southeast Asia's biggest economy. In a televised weekend debate, Widodo and his running mate, Islamic cleric Ma'ruf Amin, said their opponents, neither of whom has served in public office for more than a few months, did not understand managing macrolevel economics. Widodo, a moderate Muslim from central Java, has had to burnish his Islamic credentials after smear campaigns and hoax stories accused him of being anti-Islam, a communist or too close to China, all politically damaging in Indonesia. Prabowo, who has close links to some hardline Islamist groups, and his running mate, business tycoon Sandiaga Uno, have pledged to boost the economy by slashing taxes as much as 8 percentage points and focus on key infrastructure projects. Nearly 500,000 police and military will fan out across the vast archipelago to safeguard the vote. In Jakarta, the capital, officers will guard polling station to deter voter intimidation or clashes, national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said. More than 192 million will also vote in national and regional legislative elections, being contested by more than 245,000 candidates, in what is being described as the world's biggest single-day election. Overseas voting is already underway, with thousands lining up outside Indonesian missions in Singapore and Australia. On Wednesday (April 17), polling stations will open at 7 am (2200 GMT Tuesday) in eastern Indonesia and close at 1 pm (0600 GMT) on the western side of the country. Voters will manually punch five separate paper ballots for president and vice president, and legislative candidates. Unofficial "quick counts", based on vote samples from polling stations, will be released hours after polling ends and the winning presidential candidate is expected to be apparent by late Wednesday. The General Election Commission is expected to announce an official result in May. Candidates have 72 hours after the official result to complain to the Constitutional Court. A nine-judge panel has 14 days to reach a decision, which cannot be appealed.

192 million voters, 245, 000 candidates: Indonesia to vote in world's biggest single-day election on April 17

Pope Francis visits Morocco in 34 years, to boost Christian-Muslim relations

Women in Christchurch wore makeshift hijabs as a statement of peace and solidarity on Friday, a week after a white supremacist killed 50 Muslims at two mosques in the southern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-are-one-says-pm-ardern-as-new-zealand-mourns-with-prayers-silence-204796">New Zealand city</a>.

Rafaela Stoakes, a 32-year-old mother of two, said wearing the Islamic head covering gave her an insight into what it means to stand out and feel part in the minority.

On Friday morning she covered all but a few locks of her dark chestnut-coloured hair in a loose red and white scarf, crossed neatly beneath her chin and tucked into a black hiking jacket.

She is one of many women in New Zealand who is embracing #HeadScarfforHarmony, to make a stand against the hate espoused by the Australian man accused of killing dozens of worshippers.

Headscarves are also being worn as a mark of respect by policewomen and non-Muslim volunteers directing the crowds around the site in Christchurch holding communal prayers on Friday.&nbsp;

Many are wearing a headscarf for the first time.

"It is amazing how different I felt for the short time I was out this morning," Stoakes told AFP.

"There were a lot of confused looks and some slightly aggressive ones," she said.

"I did feel a sense of pride to honour my Muslim friends, but I also felt very vulnerable and alone as I was the only person wearing one."

"It must take a lot of courage to do this on a daily basis."

Women have flooded Twitter, Facebook and other social media -- which played a key role in allowing the gunman to spread his message -- with their images.

Kate Mills Workman, a 19-year-old student from Wellington, posted a selfie on Twitter wearing a green headscarf.

"If I could I would be attending the mosque and standing outside to show my support for my Muslim whanau but I've got lectures and I can't really skip them," she told AFP, using a Maori language term for an extended family.

"Obviously this is all spurred on by the terrible tragedy in Christchurch, but it's also a way of showing that any form of harassment or bigotry based on a symbol of religion is never okay," she added.

"As New Zealanders, we have to make a really strong stand."

Although the headscarf has been the subject of contentious debate over gender rights in the Islamic world, for Stoakes the day has been a lesson in how pious Muslim women often do not have the option to melt away into the background when they feel vulnerable.

"We can nod and pretend to agree with people who we are afraid of, or plead ignorance if we feel in danger of confrontation," she said.

"But a Muslim is just right out there. Like a bullseye. Their hijabs and clothing speak before they do."

Women in Christchurch wore makeshift hijabs as a statement of peace and solidarity on Friday, a week after a white supremacist killed 50 Muslims at two mosques in the southern New Zealand city.

Women in Christchurch wore makeshift hijabs as a statement of peace and solidarity on Friday, a week after a white supremacist killed 50 Muslims at two mosques in the southern New Zealand city. Rafaela Stoakes, a 32-year-old mother of two, said wearing the Islamic head covering gave her an insight into what it means to stand out and feel part in the minority. On Friday morning she covered all but a few locks of her dark chestnut-coloured hair in a loose red and white scarf, crossed neatly beneath her chin and tucked into a black hiking jacket. She is one of many women in New Zealand who is embracing #HeadScarfforHarmony, to make a stand against the hate espoused by the Australian man accused of killing dozens of worshippers. Headscarves are also being worn as a mark of respect by policewomen and non-Muslim volunteers directing the crowds around the site in Christchurch holding communal prayers on Friday. Many are wearing a headscarf for the first time. "It is amazing how different I felt for the short time I was out this morning," Stoakes told AFP. "There were a lot of confused looks and some slightly aggressive ones," she said. "I did feel a sense of pride to honour my Muslim friends, but I also felt very vulnerable and alone as I was the only person wearing one." "It must take a lot of courage to do this on a daily basis." Women have flooded Twitter, Facebook and other social media -- which played a key role in allowing the gunman to spread his message -- with their images. Kate Mills Workman, a 19-year-old student from Wellington, posted a selfie on Twitter wearing a green headscarf. "If I could I would be attending the mosque and standing outside to show my support for my Muslim whanau but I've got lectures and I can't really skip them," she told AFP, using a Maori language term for an extended family. "Obviously this is all spurred on by the terrible tragedy in Christchurch, but it's also a way of showing that any form of harassment or bigotry based on a symbol of religion is never okay," she added. "As New Zealanders, we have to make a really strong stand." Although the headscarf has been the subject of contentious debate over gender rights in the Islamic world, for Stoakes the day has been a lesson in how pious Muslim women often do not have the option to melt away into the background when they feel vulnerable. "We can nod and pretend to agree with people who we are afraid of, or plead ignorance if we feel in danger of confrontation," she said. "But a Muslim is just right out there. Like a bullseye. Their hijabs and clothing speak before they do."

Kiwi women don headscarves in solidarity with Muslim victims

US-backed Syrian forces were sweeping on Thursday through the final enclave that had been held by Islamic State fighters and said they would declare the group defeated once a search for hidden mines and jihadist holdouts was complete.

"Our forces are still conducting combing and search operations and as soon as they are finished we will announce the liberation," Mustafa Bali, spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, said in a note to journalists.

Bali told Reuters the operation included sweeping for mines and combing for fighters still hidden in trenches and tunnels beneath Baghouz, the last patch of Islamic State territory.

The last clashes reported by the SDF were on Tuesday, indicating that major fighting is over in the last big battle of a five-year international campaign against a self-proclaimed caliphate that once comprised a third of both Iraq and Syria.

The SDF, backed by US air power, swept on Tuesday into a camp where hundreds of fighters had been making their last stand with thousands of civilians, many their own wives and children.

The situation in Baghouz appeared calm for a second consecutive day, a Reuters journalist in Baghouz said. Warplanes with the US-led coalition, including drones, could be seen overhead.

A news outlet with close ties to the Syrian Kurdish-led authorities, Hawar, reported that the operation was now finished and Islamic State defeated. But an SDF denial swiftly made clear it was not quite prepared to declare victory yet.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said another 2,000 women and children had arrived late on Wednesday at the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria that has received tens of thousands of people who have poured out of the shrinking Islamic State territory.

"These women and children are in the worst condition we have seen since the crisis first began. Many have been caught up in the fighting and dozens have been burnt or badly injured by shrapnel," Wendy Taeuber, IRC’s Iraq and northeast Syria country director, said in a statement.

"We are expecting another 3,000 to arrive soon and we are very worried that they may be in even worse shape."

The camp is now holding more than 72,000 people, including more than 40,000 children, IRC said. The total number of deaths on the way to al-Hol or shortly after arriving there now stood at 138, the overwhelming number of them babies and infants.

Though the defeat of Islamic State at Baghouz ends its grip overpopulated territory, it remains a threat, with fighters operating in remote territory elsewhere and capable of mounting insurgent attacks.

The US military has warned that Islamic State may still count tens of thousands of fighters, dispersed throughout Iraq and Syria, with enough leaders and resources to present a menacing insurgency.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on a visit to Jerusalem, told reporters victory was "close".

He was proud of "the work that the United States did, the Department of Defense did, that the folks fighting down in the Euphrates river valley did," he said. "The threat from radical Islamic terrorism remains. We need to finish out the last few square metres there, in Syria. Still work to do."

The Pentagon's internal watchdog released a report last month saying Islamic State remained an active insurgent group and was regenerating functions and capabilities more quickly in Iraq than in Syria.

It warned the group could resurge in Syria within six to 12 months and regain limited territory without sustained pressure.

The United States believes Iraq is the location of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who stood at the pulpit of the great medieval mosque in Mosul in 2014 to declare himself caliph, sovereign over all Muslims.

US-backed Syrian forces were sweeping on Thursday through the final enclave that had been held by Islamic State fighters and said they would declare the group defeated once a search for hidden mines and jihadist holdouts was complete.

US-backed Syrian forces were sweeping on Thursday through the final enclave that had been held by Islamic State fighters and said they would declare the group defeated once a search for hidden mines and jihadist holdouts was complete. "Our forces are still conducting combing and search operations and as soon as they are finished we will announce the liberation," Mustafa Bali, spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, said in a note to journalists. Bali told Reuters the operation included sweeping for mines and combing for fighters still hidden in trenches and tunnels beneath Baghouz, the last patch of Islamic State territory. The last clashes reported by the SDF were on Tuesday, indicating that major fighting is over in the last big battle of a five-year international campaign against a self-proclaimed caliphate that once comprised a third of both Iraq and Syria. The SDF, backed by US air power, swept on Tuesday into a camp where hundreds of fighters had been making their last stand with thousands of civilians, many their own wives and children. The situation in Baghouz appeared calm for a second consecutive day, a Reuters journalist in Baghouz said. Warplanes with the US-led coalition, including drones, could be seen overhead. A news outlet with close ties to the Syrian Kurdish-led authorities, Hawar, reported that the operation was now finished and Islamic State defeated. But an SDF denial swiftly made clear it was not quite prepared to declare victory yet. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said another 2,000 women and children had arrived late on Wednesday at the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria that has received tens of thousands of people who have poured out of the shrinking Islamic State territory. "These women and children are in the worst condition we have seen since the crisis first began. Many have been caught up in the fighting and dozens have been burnt or badly injured by shrapnel," Wendy Taeuber, IRC’s Iraq and northeast Syria country director, said in a statement. "We are expecting another 3,000 to arrive soon and we are very worried that they may be in even worse shape." The camp is now holding more than 72,000 people, including more than 40,000 children, IRC said. The total number of deaths on the way to al-Hol or shortly after arriving there now stood at 138, the overwhelming number of them babies and infants. Though the defeat of Islamic State at Baghouz ends its grip overpopulated territory, it remains a threat, with fighters operating in remote territory elsewhere and capable of mounting insurgent attacks. The US military has warned that Islamic State may still count tens of thousands of fighters, dispersed throughout Iraq and Syria, with enough leaders and resources to present a menacing insurgency. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on a visit to Jerusalem, told reporters victory was "close". He was proud of "the work that the United States did, the Department of Defense did, that the folks fighting down in the Euphrates river valley did," he said. "The threat from radical Islamic terrorism remains. We need to finish out the last few square metres there, in Syria. Still work to do." The Pentagon's internal watchdog released a report last month saying Islamic State remained an active insurgent group and was regenerating functions and capabilities more quickly in Iraq than in Syria. It warned the group could resurge in Syria within six to 12 months and regain limited territory without sustained pressure. The United States believes Iraq is the location of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who stood at the pulpit of the great medieval mosque in Mosul in 2014 to declare himself caliph, sovereign over all Muslims.

Victory over Islamic State to be announced after enclave searched: SDF

The US State Department on Wednesday slammed human rights violations in China, saying the sort of abuses it had inflicted on its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-official-rejects-criticism-over-xinjiang-muslim-camps-says-it-will-gradually-disappear-202913">Muslim minorities</a> had not been seen "since the 1930s."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted abuses in Iran, South Sudan, Nicaragua and China in the department`s annual "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices," but told reporters that China was "in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations."&nbsp;

"For me, you haven’t seen things like this since the 1930s," Michael Kozak, the head of the State Department`s human rights and democracy bureau told the same briefing, referring to abuses of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-allow-un-officials-in-xinjiang-if-they-follow-proper-procedure-china-188790">China`s Muslim minority in the Xinjiang </a>region.

"Rounding up, in some estimations ... in the millions of people, putting them into camps, and torturing them, abusing them, and trying to basically erase their culture and their religion and so on from their DNA. It’s just remarkably awful."

"It is one of the most serious human rights violations in the world today," he said.

While Kozak did not elaborate on his comment about the 1930s, he was apparently referring to the policies of persecution of Hitler`s Germany and Stalin`s Soviet Union.&nbsp;

China had initially denied there even were camps, Kozak said, adding its explanation now that they were for voluntary labour training "does not match the facts."

"But at least we`re starting to make them realize there is a lot of international scrutiny on this," he said.

China`s Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment on the report, which comes at a time of closely-watched trade negotiations between the United States and China aimed at resolving a tit-for-tat tariffs dispute.

Xinjiang Governor Shohrat Zakir said on Tuesday that China was running boarding schools, not concentration camps, in the country`s far western region as the US ambassador for religious freedom called the situation there "completely unacceptable," and said sanctions against Chinese officials under the Global Magnitsky Act remained a "possibility."

The administration of President Donald Trump has weighed sanctions against senior Chinese officials in Xinjiang, including the Communist Party boss there, Chen Quanguo, who as a member of the powerful politburo is in the upper echelons of China`s leadership. Beijing has warned of retaliation if Washington were to target Chen and the administration has yet to act despite complaints from US lawmakers.

The State Department report said Chen had replicated in Xinjiang policies similar to those credited with reducing opposition to Communist Party rule in Tibet, where he was previously stationed.

INTENSIFIED DETENTION CAMPAIGN&nbsp;

The report said that in the past year, China had significantly intensified its campaign of mass detention of members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang.

It said authorities there were reported to have arbitrarily detained from 800,000 to possibly more than two million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslims in camps with the aim of erasing religious and ethnic identities.

Pompeo said the Iranian government had killed more than 20 people and arrested thousands without due process for protesting for their rights "continuing a pattern of cruelty the regime has inflicted on the Iranian people for the last four decades."

In South Sudan, he said, military forces had inflicted sexual violence against civilians based on their political allegiances and ethnicity, while in Nicaragua, peaceful protesters had faced sniper fire and government critics had "faced a policy of exile, jail or death."

The report also revised its usual description of the Golan Heights from "Israeli-occupied" to "Israeli-controlled."

A separate section on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas that Israel captured along with the Golan Heights in a 1967 war in the Middle East, also did not refer to those territories as being "occupied," or under "occupation."

In Myanmar, the report said press freedom had declined and journalists had reported that self-censorship had became more pronounced because of the trial and conviction of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were jailed for seven years after being convicted in September of breaking a colonial-era official secrets law.

The reporters had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in Myanmar`s Rakhine State.

Responding to the US report, Amnesty International criticized the Trump administration for engaging with governments, including that of Saudi Arabia, "regardless of their human rights record, if doing so will advance US interests."&nbsp;

The State Department report highlighted Saudi Arabia`s killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and said it had not provided a detailed explanation of the direction or progress of the investigation.

A CIA assessment and a Senate resolution have blamed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering the killing, something Saudi officials deny, but President Donald Trump has said Washington will remain a "steadfast partner" of Saudi Arabia even though the prince may have known about the plan.

Republican and Democratic US senators said this month they were frustrated with the Trump administration`s failure to provide more information about the case and vowed to push for a stronger response.

The US State Department on Wednesday slammed human rights violations in China, saying the sort of abuses it had inflicted on its Muslim minorities had not been seen "since the 1930s.

The US State Department on Wednesday slammed human rights violations in China, saying the sort of abuses it had inflicted on its Muslim minorities had not been seen "since the 1930s." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted abuses in Iran, South Sudan, Nicaragua and China in the department`s annual "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices," but told reporters that China was "in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations." "For me, you haven’t seen things like this since the 1930s," Michael Kozak, the head of the State Department`s human rights and democracy bureau told the same briefing, referring to abuses of China`s Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region. "Rounding up, in some estimations ... in the millions of people, putting them into camps, and torturing them, abusing them, and trying to basically erase their culture and their religion and so on from their DNA. It’s just remarkably awful." "It is one of the most serious human rights violations in the world today," he said. While Kozak did not elaborate on his comment about the 1930s, he was apparently referring to the policies of persecution of Hitler`s Germany and Stalin`s Soviet Union. China had initially denied there even were camps, Kozak said, adding its explanation now that they were for voluntary labour training "does not match the facts." "But at least we`re starting to make them realize there is a lot of international scrutiny on this," he said. China`s Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment on the report, which comes at a time of closely-watched trade negotiations between the United States and China aimed at resolving a tit-for-tat tariffs dispute. Xinjiang Governor Shohrat Zakir said on Tuesday that China was running boarding schools, not concentration camps, in the country`s far western region as the US ambassador for religious freedom called the situation there "completely unacceptable," and said sanctions against Chinese officials under the Global Magnitsky Act remained a "possibility." The administration of President Donald Trump has weighed sanctions against senior Chinese officials in Xinjiang, including the Communist Party boss there, Chen Quanguo, who as a member of the powerful politburo is in the upper echelons of China`s leadership. Beijing has warned of retaliation if Washington were to target Chen and the administration has yet to act despite complaints from US lawmakers. The State Department report said Chen had replicated in Xinjiang policies similar to those credited with reducing opposition to Communist Party rule in Tibet, where he was previously stationed. INTENSIFIED DETENTION CAMPAIGN The report said that in the past year, China had significantly intensified its campaign of mass detention of members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang. It said authorities there were reported to have arbitrarily detained from 800,000 to possibly more than two million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslims in camps with the aim of erasing religious and ethnic identities. Pompeo said the Iranian government had killed more than 20 people and arrested thousands without due process for protesting for their rights "continuing a pattern of cruelty the regime has inflicted on the Iranian people for the last four decades." In South Sudan, he said, military forces had inflicted sexual violence against civilians based on their political allegiances and ethnicity, while in Nicaragua, peaceful protesters had faced sniper fire and government critics had "faced a policy of exile, jail or death." The report also revised its usual description of the Golan Heights from "Israeli-occupied" to "Israeli-controlled." A separate section on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas that Israel captured along with the Golan Heights in a 1967 war in the Middle East, also did not refer to those territories as being "occupied," or under "occupation." In Myanmar, the report said press freedom had declined and journalists had reported that self-censorship had became more pronounced because of the trial and conviction of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were jailed for seven years after being convicted in September of breaking a colonial-era official secrets law. The reporters had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in Myanmar`s Rakhine State. Responding to the US report, Amnesty International criticized the Trump administration for engaging with governments, including that of Saudi Arabia, "regardless of their human rights record, if doing so will advance US interests." The State Department report highlighted Saudi Arabia`s killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and said it had not provided a detailed explanation of the direction or progress of the investigation. A CIA assessment and a Senate resolution have blamed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering the killing, something Saudi officials deny, but President Donald Trump has said Washington will remain a "steadfast partner" of Saudi Arabia even though the prince may have known about the plan. Republican and Democratic US senators said this month they were frustrated with the Trump administration`s failure to provide more information about the case and vowed to push for a stronger response.

US says China's treatment of Muslim minority worst abuses 'since the 1930s'

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday hit out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for playing the nuclear and Muslim cards against India and denounced Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfits, describing these as “demon” outfits.

Attacking Khan, he said the Pakistan Prime Minister makes “weird” comments in his country’s Parliament.“He (Khan) says we have atom bomb, etc. Do we not have those? We also have,” Owaisi said addressing a gathering in Hyderabad.

He also asked Khan to desist from playing the Muslim card to target India.“Muslims of this country know better. Handle your ‘Lashkar-e-Shaitaan’ (a reference to Lashkar-e-Taiba) and Jaish-e-Shaitaan (a reference to Jaish-e-Mohammad),” the Lok Sabha member said, in his message to the Pakistan Prime Minister.

The Muslim leader also denounced JeM chief Masood Azhar, saying he should not be called a “Maulana” but a “devil’s dog and butcher of humanity”.

“Exploding bombs, attacking people is not Islam,” the MP from Hyderabad said, adding “India’s enemies are our (Muslims’) enemies too.”

Owaisi also slammed Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who said yesterday that Masood Azhar is in Pakistan but “too ill”.

“He (Qureshi) asked for evidence. What more evidence do they need? His organisation (Jaish-e-Mohammad) is banned,” he said.

Owaisi said Khan was also misrepresenting the role of Tipu Sultan and Bahadur Shah Zafar in his speeches.

“Tipu Sultan was never against Hindus but against the regimes, whosoever led those,” he said.

He expressed happiness over the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was in Pakistan’s captivity after his MiG-21 fighter plane was shot down on February 27.

The AIMIM chief also went on to add, “We praised the government over air strikes (on JeM camp in Balakot) in response to the Pulwama terror attack. But, now the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) needs to answer, how the terrorists were able to procure explosives? How they got hold of American weapons? Why was there intelligence and diplomatic failures? ”

Addressing a gathering in Hyderabad on the occasion of 61st revival day of AIMIM, he said, “Sixty years ago, at this very place, Jinnah came. We didn’t accept Jinnah’s message. We said India is our country.Those who understood Islam, stayed in India while the ‘razakars’ (volunteers), who adhered to the message of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, went to Pakistan,” the AIMIM chief said.

Owaisi also claimed that all sorts of allegations were levelled against him in the last four years. “What was our mistake? Are we against Hindus? Are we against Dalits?” he questioned.

“You may doubt because I am a Muslim but if BJP is saying ‘mera booth, sabse mazboot (my booth is the strongest), then I am saying ‘mera sarhad majboot toh desh mazboot (if my borders are protected, then my country is protected’.

So when you vote, keep in mind what is good for the nation and not the strength of someone’s booth,” AIMIM chief told the gathering. He also vowed to `finish BJP from Secundarabad and Congress from entire Telangana`.

&nbsp;

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday hit out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for playing the nuclear and Muslim cards against India and denounced Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfits, describing these as “demon” outfits.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday hit out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for playing the nuclear and Muslim cards against India and denounced Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfits, describing these as “demon” outfits. Attacking Khan, he said the Pakistan Prime Minister makes “weird” comments in his country’s Parliament.“He (Khan) says we have atom bomb, etc. Do we not have those? We also have,” Owaisi said addressing a gathering in Hyderabad. He also asked Khan to desist from playing the Muslim card to target India.“Muslims of this country know better. Handle your ‘Lashkar-e-Shaitaan’ (a reference to Lashkar-e-Taiba) and Jaish-e-Shaitaan (a reference to Jaish-e-Mohammad),” the Lok Sabha member said, in his message to the Pakistan Prime Minister. The Muslim leader also denounced JeM chief Masood Azhar, saying he should not be called a “Maulana” but a “devil’s dog and butcher of humanity”. “Exploding bombs, attacking people is not Islam,” the MP from Hyderabad said, adding “India’s enemies are our (Muslims’) enemies too.” Owaisi also slammed Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who said yesterday that Masood Azhar is in Pakistan but “too ill”. “He (Qureshi) asked for evidence. What more evidence do they need? His organisation (Jaish-e-Mohammad) is banned,” he said. Owaisi said Khan was also misrepresenting the role of Tipu Sultan and Bahadur Shah Zafar in his speeches. “Tipu Sultan was never against Hindus but against the regimes, whosoever led those,” he said. He expressed happiness over the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was in Pakistan’s captivity after his MiG-21 fighter plane was shot down on February 27. The AIMIM chief also went on to add, “We praised the government over air strikes (on JeM camp in Balakot) in response to the Pulwama terror attack. But, now the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) needs to answer, how the terrorists were able to procure explosives? How they got hold of American weapons? Why was there intelligence and diplomatic failures? ” Addressing a gathering in Hyderabad on the occasion of 61st revival day of AIMIM, he said, “Sixty years ago, at this very place, Jinnah came. We didn’t accept Jinnah’s message. We said India is our country.Those who understood Islam, stayed in India while the ‘razakars’ (volunteers), who adhered to the message of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, went to Pakistan,” the AIMIM chief said. Owaisi also claimed that all sorts of allegations were levelled against him in the last four years. “What was our mistake? Are we against Hindus? Are we against Dalits?” he questioned. “You may doubt because I am a Muslim but if BJP is saying ‘mera booth, sabse mazboot (my booth is the strongest), then I am saying ‘mera sarhad majboot toh desh mazboot (if my borders are protected, then my country is protected’. So when you vote, keep in mind what is good for the nation and not the strength of someone’s booth,” AIMIM chief told the gathering. He also vowed to `finish BJP from Secundarabad and Congress from entire Telangana`.

Exploding bombs, attacking people is not Islam: Asaduddin Owaisi to Masood Azhar

A man was arrested on charges of hate crime in the state of California, US after he punched a Sikh clerk and threw hot coffee on him as he believed the victim was a Muslim, according to a media report.

The man, identified as John Crain, threw the hot coffee at the clerk then punched him in the face before fleeing just before 2 am on Wednesday in Marysville, the Sacramento Bee reported.

The Sikh clerk told officers that John Crain had prepared himself a cup of coffee and attempted to leave without paying, according to a Marysville Police Department press release.

He is seen in the CCTV footage confronting John Crain at the front door before being attacked. The victim suffered injuries from the hot coffee, as well as a contusion on his face, police said.

Police said officers were dispatched to the same store later that afternoon for another reported assault and spotted John Crain walking away from the area.

Later that day, officers responded to another assault in the area and found a suspect walking away matching the description of the man from the earlier incident. The suspect was arrested.

John Crain admitted to the officers that he had assaulted the clerk during the previous night's incident.

He told police he "hated Muslims" and attacked the Sikh clerk because he believed he's Muslim. He was later booked into Yuba County Jail for theft, assault and hate crimes charges.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its allies from the Sikh community condemned the attack.

"We condemn this attack on an individual because of his faith. This hate crime represents yet another attack on our Sikh brothers and sisters fuelled by Islamophobia and those emboldened by this administration's xenophobic policies and sentiments," CAIR-SV's Civil Rights Attorney Saad Sweilem said in a statement.

"We welcome the hate crime charges and encourage law enforcement to continue to take these clear incidents of bias seriously."

A man was arrested on charges of hate crime in the state of California, US after he punched a Sikh clerk and threw hot coffee on him as he believed the victim was a Muslim, according to a media report.

A man was arrested on charges of hate crime in the state of California, US after he punched a Sikh clerk and threw hot coffee on him as he believed the victim was a Muslim, according to a media report. The man, identified as John Crain, threw the hot coffee at the clerk then punched him in the face before fleeing just before 2 am on Wednesday in Marysville, the Sacramento Bee reported. The Sikh clerk told officers that John Crain had prepared himself a cup of coffee and attempted to leave without paying, according to a Marysville Police Department press release. He is seen in the CCTV footage confronting John Crain at the front door before being attacked. The victim suffered injuries from the hot coffee, as well as a contusion on his face, police said. Police said officers were dispatched to the same store later that afternoon for another reported assault and spotted John Crain walking away from the area. Later that day, officers responded to another assault in the area and found a suspect walking away matching the description of the man from the earlier incident. The suspect was arrested. John Crain admitted to the officers that he had assaulted the clerk during the previous night's incident. He told police he "hated Muslims" and attacked the Sikh clerk because he believed he's Muslim. He was later booked into Yuba County Jail for theft, assault and hate crimes charges. The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its allies from the Sikh community condemned the attack. "We condemn this attack on an individual because of his faith. This hate crime represents yet another attack on our Sikh brothers and sisters fuelled by Islamophobia and those emboldened by this administration's xenophobic policies and sentiments," CAIR-SV's Civil Rights Attorney Saad Sweilem said in a statement. "We welcome the hate crime charges and encourage law enforcement to continue to take these clear incidents of bias seriously."

US man punches Sikh thinking he's Muslim, arrested

A Muslim man was executed in Alabama on Thursday, as originally scheduled, after the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow the execution, denying his request for an imam's presence in the execution chamber.

Attorneys for Dominique Ray, 42, had argued that Alabama's execution policy favoured Christian inmates because a chaplain is allowed in the room, often kneeling next to the death row prisoner, and praying with the inmate if requested.

Ray was executed by lethal injection at 10:12 pm, a spokesman of the Department of Corrections told Reuters in an email. No other information was immediately available.

Ray's imam, Yusef Maisonet, watched the execution from an adjoining witness room, multiple media reports said, including the Birmingham News.

Ray's execution was to have been temporarily delayed because he asked his imam to replace the chaplain in the death chamber.

On Wednesday, the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to stay the planned execution to weigh Ray's arguments, but the state of Alabama quickly appealed that decision to the Supreme Court, which overturned the Circuit Court.

Ray was sentenced to death in 1999 for the killing of Tiffany Harville, 15, who disappeared from her Selma, Alabama home in July 1995.

A Muslim man was executed in Alabama on Thursday, as originally scheduled, after the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow the execution, denying his request for an imam's presence in the execution chamber.

A Muslim man was executed in Alabama on Thursday, as originally scheduled, after the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow the execution, denying his request for an imam's presence in the execution chamber. Attorneys for Dominique Ray, 42, had argued that Alabama's execution policy favoured Christian inmates because a chaplain is allowed in the room, often kneeling next to the death row prisoner, and praying with the inmate if requested. Ray was executed by lethal injection at 10:12 pm, a spokesman of the Department of Corrections told Reuters in an email. No other information was immediately available. Ray's imam, Yusef Maisonet, watched the execution from an adjoining witness room, multiple media reports said, including the Birmingham News. Ray's execution was to have been temporarily delayed because he asked his imam to replace the chaplain in the death chamber. On Wednesday, the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to stay the planned execution to weigh Ray's arguments, but the state of Alabama quickly appealed that decision to the Supreme Court, which overturned the Circuit Court. Ray was sentenced to death in 1999 for the killing of Tiffany Harville, 15, who disappeared from her Selma, Alabama home in July 1995.

Muslim man executed after US Supreme Court denies request for imam's presence

A Dutch former far-right MP and right-hand man of anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders has set tongues wagging in the Netherlands after revealing he has converted to Islam, news reports said Tuesday.

For years Joram van Klaveren fought a relentless campaign in the Lower House against Islam in the Netherlands as a lawmaker for Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV).

At the time, the "hardliner pleaded for banning the burqa and minarets, saying 'we don't want any Islam, or at least as little as possible in the Netherlands'," the daily tabloid Algemeen Dagblad (AD) said.

But the 40-year-old Van Klaveren said he had changed his mind halfway through writing an anti-Islam book, which he Tuesday told the respected NRC daily "became a refutation of objections non-Muslims have" against the religion.

"If everything I wrote up to that point is true, and I believe that, then I am a de facto Muslim," he told the NRC.

Van Klaveren converted to Islam on October 26 last year, the NRC added in the interview piece ahead of the release of Van Klaveren's book titled: "Apostate: From Christianity to Islam in the Time of Secular Terror."

The former politician who grew up in an orthodox Protestant Christian environment said of his conversion that he "has been searching for a long time."

"It feels a bit like a religious homecoming for me," he told Dutch newspapers.

Van Klaveren could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.

'Surprise'

"His conversion has surprised both friend and enemy," the AD newspaper said.

Van Klaveren split with Wilders in 2014 after the PVV leader's controversial comments that year when asking supporters whether they wanted "fewer or more Moroccans in your city and the Netherlands".

Wilders in 2016 was found guilty on discrimination charges. The sentence is currently being appealed.

Van Klaveren then went on to form his own far-right party called "For Netherlands" (VNL) but left politics after failing to win a single seat in the 2017 elections.

"If this really isn't a PR stunt to promote his book, then it really is an extraordinary choice for somebody who had a lot to say about Islam," his former VNL co-founder Jan Roos told the AD.

"But we have religious freedom in the Netherlands. He can worship whomever he wants," Roos added.

Said Bouharrou, who serves on the Board of Moroccan Mosques in the Netherlands, praised Van Klaveren.

"It is great when somebody who has been so critical of Islam... realises that it is not so bad or perverse," he told the AD.

"It is brave that he's prepared to do it in public," Bouharrou said.

Around five percent of the Dutch population of 17 million people or some 850,000 are Muslim, according to the Dutch Central Statistics Bureau (CBS).

But despite Wilders' objections, the religion is growing, with experts expecting that number to double by 2050.

The Netherlands also last year introduced a partial burqa ban from some public places such as schools and hospitals, ending years of discussions on the hot-button issue.

Van Klaveren is not the first high-profile PVV member to convert to Islam, and follows in the footsteps of Arnoud van Doorn, a former Hague-based PVV city councillor who switched in 2013.

A Dutch former far-right MP and right-hand man of anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders has set tongues wagging in the Netherlands after revealing he has converted to Islam, news reports said Tuesday.

A Dutch former far-right MP and right-hand man of anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders has set tongues wagging in the Netherlands after revealing he has converted to Islam, news reports said Tuesday. For years Joram van Klaveren fought a relentless campaign in the Lower House against Islam in the Netherlands as a lawmaker for Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV). At the time, the "hardliner pleaded for banning the burqa and minarets, saying 'we don't want any Islam, or at least as little as possible in the Netherlands'," the daily tabloid Algemeen Dagblad (AD) said. But the 40-year-old Van Klaveren said he had changed his mind halfway through writing an anti-Islam book, which he Tuesday told the respected NRC daily "became a refutation of objections non-Muslims have" against the religion. "If everything I wrote up to that point is true, and I believe that, then I am a de facto Muslim," he told the NRC. Van Klaveren converted to Islam on October 26 last year, the NRC added in the interview piece ahead of the release of Van Klaveren's book titled: "Apostate: From Christianity to Islam in the Time of Secular Terror." The former politician who grew up in an orthodox Protestant Christian environment said of his conversion that he "has been searching for a long time." "It feels a bit like a religious homecoming for me," he told Dutch newspapers. Van Klaveren could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday. 'Surprise' "His conversion has surprised both friend and enemy," the AD newspaper said. Van Klaveren split with Wilders in 2014 after the PVV leader's controversial comments that year when asking supporters whether they wanted "fewer or more Moroccans in your city and the Netherlands". Wilders in 2016 was found guilty on discrimination charges. The sentence is currently being appealed. Van Klaveren then went on to form his own far-right party called "For Netherlands" (VNL) but left politics after failing to win a single seat in the 2017 elections. "If this really isn't a PR stunt to promote his book, then it really is an extraordinary choice for somebody who had a lot to say about Islam," his former VNL co-founder Jan Roos told the AD. "But we have religious freedom in the Netherlands. He can worship whomever he wants," Roos added. Said Bouharrou, who serves on the Board of Moroccan Mosques in the Netherlands, praised Van Klaveren. "It is great when somebody who has been so critical of Islam... realises that it is not so bad or perverse," he told the AD. "It is brave that he's prepared to do it in public," Bouharrou said. Around five percent of the Dutch population of 17 million people or some 850,000 are Muslim, according to the Dutch Central Statistics Bureau (CBS). But despite Wilders' objections, the religion is growing, with experts expecting that number to double by 2050. The Netherlands also last year introduced a partial burqa ban from some public places such as schools and hospitals, ending years of discussions on the hot-button issue. Van Klaveren is not the first high-profile PVV member to convert to Islam, and follows in the footsteps of Arnoud van Doorn, a former Hague-based PVV city councillor who switched in 2013.

Dutch former anti-Islam MP says he's become a Muslim

Lawyers defending the suspected conspirators behind the murder of a prominent Muslim lawyer in Myanmar on February 1&nbsp;proclaimed their clients' innocence, or asked the court for lesser charges, as the landmark case drew to a close.

Ko Ni, a close adviser to Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was shot dead at Yangon International Airport just over two years ago. The gunman, Kyi Lin, was apprehended at the scene after being tackled by taxi drivers moments after the shooting. Kyi Lin is also accused of shooting dead one of his pursuers, driver Nay Win.

He has admitted to killing Ko Ni, but says he acted under duress. Two out of three former military officers accused by police of organizing Ko Ni's assassination have pleaded not guilty. The third has evaded capture.

Police have said the three ex-officers acted in isolation. A Reuters report in December uncovered close and enduring links between the security establishment and one of the former military officers on trial, Captain Zeyar Phyo, accused of bankrolling the plot. Zeyar Phyo's lawyer has rejected allegations that her client remained connected to the military.

The brazen murder of 63-year-old Ko Ni, who worked to reform the military-drafted constitution that entrenches its political power, sent shockwaves through the ruling National League for Democracy party and the Muslim community. The judge said the verdict would be announced on Feb. 15.

Lawyers defending the suspected conspirators behind the murder of a prominent Muslim lawyer in Myanmar on February 1 proclaimed their clients' innocence, or asked the court for lesser charges, as the landmark case drew to a close.

Lawyers defending the suspected conspirators behind the murder of a prominent Muslim lawyer in Myanmar on February 1 proclaimed their clients' innocence, or asked the court for lesser charges, as the landmark case drew to a close. Ko Ni, a close adviser to Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was shot dead at Yangon International Airport just over two years ago. The gunman, Kyi Lin, was apprehended at the scene after being tackled by taxi drivers moments after the shooting. Kyi Lin is also accused of shooting dead one of his pursuers, driver Nay Win. He has admitted to killing Ko Ni, but says he acted under duress. Two out of three former military officers accused by police of organizing Ko Ni's assassination have pleaded not guilty. The third has evaded capture. Police have said the three ex-officers acted in isolation. A Reuters report in December uncovered close and enduring links between the security establishment and one of the former military officers on trial, Captain Zeyar Phyo, accused of bankrolling the plot. Zeyar Phyo's lawyer has rejected allegations that her client remained connected to the military. The brazen murder of 63-year-old Ko Ni, who worked to reform the military-drafted constitution that entrenches its political power, sent shockwaves through the ruling National League for Democracy party and the Muslim community. The judge said the verdict would be announced on Feb. 15.

In Myanmar, final arguments made in Muslim lawyer's murder case

Gunmen in Thailand's deep south shot dead two Buddhist monks and wounded two others inside a temple, police said Saturday, capping a week of deadly violence as the prime minister vowed to "punish" those responsible.

Black-clad assailants carrying rifles crept into Rattanaupap temple in Narathiwat province near Malaysia's border on Friday evening and started firing, local superintendent Pakdi Preechachon told AFP.&nbsp;

"The attack took place around 7:30 pm (1230 GMT) when an unknown number of gunmen dressed in black entered the temple through a rear area via a creek," Pakdi said.

"Two monks were shot dead at the temple while two others were wounded."

Since 2004 clashes between ethnic Malay-Muslim rebels and the Buddhist-majority Thai state that annexed the region a century ago have killed nearly 7,000 people, mostly civilians of both faiths.

The death toll in the south dropped to a record low last year as Thailand's junta tightened its security web but violence has boiled over in recent days, raising concerns about soft targets at schools and religious institutions.

In the past, Buddhist monks have been targeted only infrequently.

But they have been told to suspend morning alms collection starting from Saturday in three southern provinces and the southern army commander has instructed security officials to step up safeguards of Islamic leaders who could also be at risk.

Junta leader and prime minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha condemned the temple shootings.

"The prime minister denounced such a brazen attack and instructed officials to investigate and find the assailants to punish them," said government spokesman Buddhipongse Punnakanta.

Human Rights Watch, which said in a statement that at least 23 monks had been killed since the outbreak of the insurgency in 2004, called the assault "ghastly" and a war crime because gunmen went after civilians and a place of worship.

The Sheikhul Islam Office, a national representative of Muslim communities in Thailand, denounced the violence against the monks and expressed sorrow over the incident.&nbsp;

"There are no religions that teach people to kill innocent people, it's the work of some group of people who want to create divisiveness," it said in a statement Saturday.

Pictures taken in the aftermath show monks standing next to heavily armed Thai soldiers and an alms bowl inside the temple compound with bullet holes in it.

No one has claimed responsibility, but that is not unusual for the conflict.

Last week, an imam in the same province was shot dead but it was unclear if the temple attack was related.

Friday's shooting came the same day as four security officials were wounded by two separate roadside bombs and an insurgent was shot dead in a clash near a school that sent students home for the day.

Four civil defence volunteers were also killed in a drive-by shooting outside a school on January 10 in the south's Pattani province, with security forces injuring a boy as they gunned down rebels believed to be responsible.

In a rare public statement dated January 4 the main Malay-Muslim rebel group — the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) — which has command and control over most of the insurgent foot soldiers, swore to "keep fighting".

"Siam (Thailand) can't hold out," the BRN wrote, signing off with a warning: "Do not help and support Siam."

Security analyst Don Pathan said the uptick in violence was connected to efforts from Thai negotiators and Malaysian facilitators across the border to "pressure the BRN ruling council to come to the table without offering possible concessions."

Black-clad assailants carrying rifles crept into Rattanaupap temple in Narathiwat province near Malaysia's border on Friday evening and started firing, local superintendent Pakdi Preechachon said.

Gunmen in Thailand's deep south shot dead two Buddhist monks and wounded two others inside a temple, police said Saturday, capping a week of deadly violence as the prime minister vowed to "punish" those responsible. Black-clad assailants carrying rifles crept into Rattanaupap temple in Narathiwat province near Malaysia's border on Friday evening and started firing, local superintendent Pakdi Preechachon told AFP. "The attack took place around 7:30 pm (1230 GMT) when an unknown number of gunmen dressed in black entered the temple through a rear area via a creek," Pakdi said. "Two monks were shot dead at the temple while two others were wounded." Since 2004 clashes between ethnic Malay-Muslim rebels and the Buddhist-majority Thai state that annexed the region a century ago have killed nearly 7,000 people, mostly civilians of both faiths. The death toll in the south dropped to a record low last year as Thailand's junta tightened its security web but violence has boiled over in recent days, raising concerns about soft targets at schools and religious institutions. In the past, Buddhist monks have been targeted only infrequently. But they have been told to suspend morning alms collection starting from Saturday in three southern provinces and the southern army commander has instructed security officials to step up safeguards of Islamic leaders who could also be at risk. Junta leader and prime minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha condemned the temple shootings. "The prime minister denounced such a brazen attack and instructed officials to investigate and find the assailants to punish them," said government spokesman Buddhipongse Punnakanta. Human Rights Watch, which said in a statement that at least 23 monks had been killed since the outbreak of the insurgency in 2004, called the assault "ghastly" and a war crime because gunmen went after civilians and a place of worship. The Sheikhul Islam Office, a national representative of Muslim communities in Thailand, denounced the violence against the monks and expressed sorrow over the incident. "There are no religions that teach people to kill innocent people, it's the work of some group of people who want to create divisiveness," it said in a statement Saturday. Pictures taken in the aftermath show monks standing next to heavily armed Thai soldiers and an alms bowl inside the temple compound with bullet holes in it. No one has claimed responsibility, but that is not unusual for the conflict. Last week, an imam in the same province was shot dead but it was unclear if the temple attack was related. Friday's shooting came the same day as four security officials were wounded by two separate roadside bombs and an insurgent was shot dead in a clash near a school that sent students home for the day. Four civil defence volunteers were also killed in a drive-by shooting outside a school on January 10 in the south's Pattani province, with security forces injuring a boy as they gunned down rebels believed to be responsible. In a rare public statement dated January 4 the main Malay-Muslim rebel group — the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) — which has command and control over most of the insurgent foot soldiers, swore to "keep fighting". "Siam (Thailand) can't hold out," the BRN wrote, signing off with a warning: "Do not help and support Siam." Security analyst Don Pathan said the uptick in violence was connected to efforts from Thai negotiators and Malaysian facilitators across the border to "pressure the BRN ruling council to come to the table without offering possible concessions."

Two monks shot dead as violence flares in Thailand's deep south

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/anger-at-malaysia-textbook-telling-girls-to-protect-sex-organs-190755">Malaysia</a>'s foreign minister said Wednesday the Muslim-majority country will not host any more events involving Israel, as he reiterated that swimmers from the Jewish state were barred from a forthcoming competition.

Malaysia is one of several predominantly Muslim states that have no formal diplomatic ties with Israel, with entry to the country on an Israeli passport forbidden.

Last week Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Israeli swimmers would not be allowed in for a tournament later this year in eastern Sarawak state, which will serve as a qualifying event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Despite a plea from the International Paralympic Committee to find a solution to the row, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah doubled down on Malaysia's opposition to the Jewish state.

The cabinet has decided that "Malaysia will not host any event which has Israel participation or representation," he said.

"This is a decision by the government to demonstrate our tough stance over the issue of Israel."

"It is about fighting on behalf of the oppressed," he added.&nbsp;

He made the comments after meeting Muslim groups, who praised the ban on the swimmers and urged the government to stick to its policy of not allowing in Israeli passport holders.

The Palestinian cause has widespread support in Malaysia, with thousands taking to the streets in protest when US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017.

Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.

Malaysia has stopped Israeli athletes from competing to sports events before. Two Israeli windsurfers pulled out of a competition in Langkawi after they were refused visas in 2015. Kuala Lumpur also refused to host a FIFA conference in 2017 as an Israeli delegation was due to attend.

But the previous government allowed a high-level Israeli delegation to attend a UN conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2018, sparking public anger.

Mahathir, now 93 and in his second stint as premier, has in the past attracted criticism for his verbal attacks on Jews, including calling them "hook-nosed".

About 60 per cent of Malaysia's 32 million inhabitants are Muslim, and the country is also home to substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, who do not usually follow Islam.

Malaysia's foreign minister said Wednesday the Muslim-majority country will not host any more events involving Israel, as he reiterated that swimmers from the Jewish state were barred from a forthcoming competition.

Malaysia's foreign minister said Wednesday the Muslim-majority country will not host any more events involving Israel, as he reiterated that swimmers from the Jewish state were barred from a forthcoming competition. Malaysia is one of several predominantly Muslim states that have no formal diplomatic ties with Israel, with entry to the country on an Israeli passport forbidden. Last week Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Israeli swimmers would not be allowed in for a tournament later this year in eastern Sarawak state, which will serve as a qualifying event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Despite a plea from the International Paralympic Committee to find a solution to the row, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah doubled down on Malaysia's opposition to the Jewish state. The cabinet has decided that "Malaysia will not host any event which has Israel participation or representation," he said. "This is a decision by the government to demonstrate our tough stance over the issue of Israel." "It is about fighting on behalf of the oppressed," he added. He made the comments after meeting Muslim groups, who praised the ban on the swimmers and urged the government to stick to its policy of not allowing in Israeli passport holders. The Palestinian cause has widespread support in Malaysia, with thousands taking to the streets in protest when US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital. Malaysia has stopped Israeli athletes from competing to sports events before. Two Israeli windsurfers pulled out of a competition in Langkawi after they were refused visas in 2015. Kuala Lumpur also refused to host a FIFA conference in 2017 as an Israeli delegation was due to attend. But the previous government allowed a high-level Israeli delegation to attend a UN conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2018, sparking public anger. Mahathir, now 93 and in his second stint as premier, has in the past attracted criticism for his verbal attacks on Jews, including calling them "hook-nosed". About 60 per cent of Malaysia's 32 million inhabitants are Muslim, and the country is also home to substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, who do not usually follow Islam.

Malaysia not to host any more events with Israel

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/singapore-warns-malaysia-as-maritime-tensions-flare-190206&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiCz_S_kPLfAhUJfn0KHeIzBBQQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Bt_FgmO8BcLf5PsGxadP2">Malaysia</a>'s government will alter an elementary-school textbook which suggested girls should dress modestly to prevent sexual assault, authorities said Wednesday, after it sparked widespread anger.

Social media exploded with outrage after images circulated of a section of the book, which is used by nine-year-olds, entitled "Saving one's modesty". 
It featured a series of pictures of a fictional girl called Amira, whose parents advise her to protect "the modesty of her sexual organs" by wearing the correct attire.

They also tell her to keep the door of her room closed when changing clothes, and to avoid spending time in quiet locations alone.

If she fails in her efforts to prevent an assault, Amira would bring shame to her family, be shunned by her friends and face emotional problems, the book said.

Activists said the book was teaching children from a young age that female victims of sex attacks only had themselves to blame.

"We are appalled," said Meera Samanther, vice president of rights group Women's Aid Organisation.

"The educational material sexualises nine-year-old girls, teaches them to be ashamed of their bodies, and shifts the blame from the perpetrator to the survivor of sexual assault."&nbsp;

Following the outcry, the education ministry said the controversial section of the book would be covered over using stickers.

It is not the first time authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia have been accused of taking a poor approach to issues of gender or sexuality.

The health ministry was criticised in 2017 for offering cash prizes for the best videos explaining how to "prevent" homosexuality.&nbsp;

The competition was amended following an outcry.

Malaysia's government will alter an elementary-school textbook which suggested girls should dress modestly to prevent sexual assault, authorities said Wednesday, after it sparked widespread anger.

Malaysia's government will alter an elementary-school textbook which suggested girls should dress modestly to prevent sexual assault, authorities said Wednesday, after it sparked widespread anger. Social media exploded with outrage after images circulated of a section of the book, which is used by nine-year-olds, entitled "Saving one's modesty". It featured a series of pictures of a fictional girl called Amira, whose parents advise her to protect "the modesty of her sexual organs" by wearing the correct attire. They also tell her to keep the door of her room closed when changing clothes, and to avoid spending time in quiet locations alone. If she fails in her efforts to prevent an assault, Amira would bring shame to her family, be shunned by her friends and face emotional problems, the book said. Activists said the book was teaching children from a young age that female victims of sex attacks only had themselves to blame. "We are appalled," said Meera Samanther, vice president of rights group Women's Aid Organisation. "The educational material sexualises nine-year-old girls, teaches them to be ashamed of their bodies, and shifts the blame from the perpetrator to the survivor of sexual assault." Following the outcry, the education ministry said the controversial section of the book would be covered over using stickers. It is not the first time authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia have been accused of taking a poor approach to issues of gender or sexuality. The health ministry was criticised in 2017 for offering cash prizes for the best videos explaining how to "prevent" homosexuality. The competition was amended following an outcry.

Anger at Malaysia's elementary-school textbook telling girls to 'protect sex organs'

Police raid Muslim prayer hall in France

An FIR has been registered against unknown persons after Assam BJP MLA Aminul Haque Laskar received a letter, along with two bullets, directing him to leave the party within 15 days as he is a "Muslim".

The letter to Laskar, representing the Sonai constituency in Cachar district, came from an unknown group 'Save Secure and Development Protection Force of Muslim, Barak Valley Zone', police said.

"We have registered an FIR against unknown persons for a threatening letter to Laskar on Sunday. Two live cartridges of .32 pistol also came with the letter," Silchar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Indrajit Chakraborty said.

The case was registered under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

"I received the letter by post. It said the BJP and the RSS are communal organisations and they are working against the Muslims. So, being a Muslim, I should not be in that party," he added.

He said the letter told him to quit the party within 15 days.

Laskar, however, doubted the authenticity of the demand, saying it might be a handiwork of syndicate mafias involved in urea, drugs and land "against which I have been fighting".

The MLA said he will continue his fight against anti-social elements and demanded a thorough probe by the police.&nbsp

Police said the letter to Aminul Haque Laskar was sent by the so-far unknown group 'Save Secure and Development Protection Force of Muslim, Barak Valley Zone'

An FIR has been registered against unknown persons after Assam BJP MLA Aminul Haque Laskar received a letter, along with two bullets, directing him to leave the party within 15 days as he is a "Muslim". The letter to Laskar, representing the Sonai constituency in Cachar district, came from an unknown group 'Save Secure and Development Protection Force of Muslim, Barak Valley Zone', police said. "We have registered an FIR against unknown persons for a threatening letter to Laskar on Sunday. Two live cartridges of .32 pistol also came with the letter," Silchar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Indrajit Chakraborty said. The case was registered under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. "I received the letter by post. It said the BJP and the RSS are communal organisations and they are working against the Muslims. So, being a Muslim, I should not be in that party," he added. He said the letter told him to quit the party within 15 days. Laskar, however, doubted the authenticity of the demand, saying it might be a handiwork of syndicate mafias involved in urea, drugs and land "against which I have been fighting". The MLA said he will continue his fight against anti-social elements and demanded a thorough probe by the police.

Leave BJP in 15 days: Assam Muslim MLA gets threat letter along with 2 bullets

US President Donald Trump hosted his first Iftar dinner at the White House during which he sought co-operation from the Muslim world to achieve a future of security and prosperity for all, a move that surprised many in the community after he skipped hosting such a party last year.

Last year, Trump broke with decades of precedent by not hosting the annual Iftar dinner? a bipartisan tradition that formally began with Bill Clinton in the 1990s but has conceptual roots tracing as far back as under Thomas Jefferson in 1805.

Trump, who has frequently engaged in anti-Muslim rhetoric, wished Muslims around the world a "Ramadan Mubarak" - a blessed holiday and sought co-operation from them to achieve a future of security and prosperity for all.

"Only by working together can we achieve a future of security and prosperity for all," Trump told a gathering of diplomats and officials at the iftar dinner last evening.

"For this reason, I was proud to make my first foreign trip as President to the heart of the Muslim world, where I addressed an assembly of more than 50 leaders of Muslim-majority countries. That was something," he said.

"The partnership and solidarity that we established over the past year has only deepened with time. So many friendships. So many meetings, even in the Oval Office. And we've made a lot of progress, I think, a lot of tremendous progress," Trump said.

After delivering his remarks, Trump sat on the head table which among others included Saudi Ambassador Prince Khalid Ben Salman and Jordanian envoy Dina Kawar. The Indonesian Ambassadors was also seated on the same table.

Envoys from several Muslim countries including the UAE, Egypt, Tunisia, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Kuwait, Gambia, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Bosnia were invited.

"A very warm welcome to all of the ambassadors here&nbsp;tonight&nbsp;representing Muslim-majority nations. We're greatly honoured by your presence, and thank you very much for being here. Some very good friends. To each of you and to the Muslims around the world: Ramadan Mubarak," Trump said.

Vice President Mike Pence and several of his Cabinet members, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross attended the Iftar dinner.&nbsp;

"Tonight, as we enjoy a magnificent dinner at the White House, let us strive to embody the grace and goodwill that mark the Ramadan season. Let us pray for peace and justice, and let us resolve that these values will guide us as we work together to build a bright and prosperous future that does honour and glory to God," Trump said.

"In gathering together this evening, we honour a sacred tradition of one of the world's great religions," he said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, members of the some of the Muslim groups held their own Iftar outside the White House in protest against the alleged anti-Muslim rhetoric of the Trump administration.

Several Muslim civil rights groups pushed back, organising a "NOT Trump's Iftar" protest at a park across from the White House. The groups say Trump's heated rhetoric has contributed to an increase in bullying and discrimination against Muslim Americans.

The Iftar dinner was completely opposite from the inflammatory rhetoric Trump used during his campaign, when he called for a "complete and total shutdown" of Muslims entering the country, compared Syrian refugees fleeing civil war to a deadly snake and declared.

He has also imposed a travel ban, targeting travellers from five countries with overwhelmingly Muslim populations - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

Trump, who has frequently engaged in anti-Muslim rhetoric, wished Muslims around the world a "Ramadan Mubarak

US President Donald Trump hosted his first Iftar dinner at the White House during which he sought co-operation from the Muslim world to achieve a future of security and prosperity for all, a move that surprised many in the community after he skipped hosting such a party last year. Last year, Trump broke with decades of precedent by not hosting the annual Iftar dinner? a bipartisan tradition that formally began with Bill Clinton in the 1990s but has conceptual roots tracing as far back as under Thomas Jefferson in 1805. Trump, who has frequently engaged in anti-Muslim rhetoric, wished Muslims around the world a "Ramadan Mubarak" - a blessed holiday and sought co-operation from them to achieve a future of security and prosperity for all. "Only by working together can we achieve a future of security and prosperity for all," Trump told a gathering of diplomats and officials at the iftar dinner last evening. "For this reason, I was proud to make my first foreign trip as President to the heart of the Muslim world, where I addressed an assembly of more than 50 leaders of Muslim-majority countries. That was something," he said. "The partnership and solidarity that we established over the past year has only deepened with time. So many friendships. So many meetings, even in the Oval Office. And we've made a lot of progress, I think, a lot of tremendous progress," Trump said. After delivering his remarks, Trump sat on the head table which among others included Saudi Ambassador Prince Khalid Ben Salman and Jordanian envoy Dina Kawar. The Indonesian Ambassadors was also seated on the same table. Envoys from several Muslim countries including the UAE, Egypt, Tunisia, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Kuwait, Gambia, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Bosnia were invited. "A very warm welcome to all of the ambassadors here tonight representing Muslim-majority nations. We're greatly honoured by your presence, and thank you very much for being here. Some very good friends. To each of you and to the Muslims around the world: Ramadan Mubarak," Trump said. Vice President Mike Pence and several of his Cabinet members, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross attended the Iftar dinner. "Tonight, as we enjoy a magnificent dinner at the White House, let us strive to embody the grace and goodwill that mark the Ramadan season. Let us pray for peace and justice, and let us resolve that these values will guide us as we work together to build a bright and prosperous future that does honour and glory to God," Trump said. "In gathering together this evening, we honour a sacred tradition of one of the world's great religions," he said. Meanwhile, members of the some of the Muslim groups held their own Iftar outside the White House in protest against the alleged anti-Muslim rhetoric of the Trump administration. Several Muslim civil rights groups pushed back, organising a "NOT Trump's Iftar" protest at a park across from the White House. The groups say Trump's heated rhetoric has contributed to an increase in bullying and discrimination against Muslim Americans. The Iftar dinner was completely opposite from the inflammatory rhetoric Trump used during his campaign, when he called for a "complete and total shutdown" of Muslims entering the country, compared Syrian refugees fleeing civil war to a deadly snake and declared. He has also imposed a travel ban, targeting travellers from five countries with overwhelmingly Muslim populations - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

Trump hosts first iftar dinner at White House, seeks co-operation from Muslim world

Unrest-gripped Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir is in being talked about for a completely different reason. A video clip from the region, showing a Sikh man beating drums and waking his Muslims neighbours for Sehri,&nbsp;is going viral.&nbsp;

The 21-second video clip features an unidentified old Sikh man who is urging Muslims to wake up and start their fasting.

"Those who are loved by Allah, his messengers, those who seek paradise, wake up to start your fast," the man shouts.

The heart-warming incident of communal harmony from the valley is being lauded by netizens from all across the country.

<iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W6BxyKCgXFg" width="560"></iframe>

Usually, a person from the Muslim community takes up the&nbsp;task of waking up others for Sehri (the pre-fasting meal that is consumed before dawn). The Seharkhwaan&nbsp;beat drums and go around waking up Muslims for Sehri and prayers.

The 21-second video clip features an unidentified old Sikh man who is urging Muslims to wake and start their fasting

Unrest-gripped Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir is in being talked about for a completely different reason. A video clip from the region, showing a Sikh man beating drums and waking his Muslims neighbours for Sehri, is going viral. The 21-second video clip features an unidentified old Sikh man who is urging Muslims to wake up and start their fasting. "Those who are loved by Allah, his messengers, those who seek paradise, wake up to start your fast," the man shouts. The heart-warming incident of communal harmony from the valley is being lauded by netizens from all across the country. Usually, a person from the Muslim community takes up the task of waking up others for Sehri (the pre-fasting meal that is consumed before dawn). The Seharkhwaan beat drums and go around waking up Muslims for Sehri and prayers.

Watch: Sikh man wakes up Muslim neighbours for Sehri in Jammu and Kashmir

In an example of communal harmony and brotherhood, the Hindu and Muslim communities in Faizabad's Dehriyawan village, have been living together peacefully for 40 years here.

"We have a mutual understanding amongst ourselves to not interfere during each other's prayer time. Our namaz time is fixed and our Hindu friends never disturb us. You cannot find a village as peaceful as ours," a local, Haji Mohammad Wasim told ANI.

The village located at Ganga Jamuna Tahajib under Bikapur Tehsil has a temple and a mosque, adjacent to each other where both communities pray peacefully without being disturbed by the other.

Even in 1992, when the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya, no riot broke out among people here.

The Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is a century-old point of a tussle between Hindus and Muslims.

The mosque was demolished by Hindu Karsevaks on December 6, 1992, in Ayodhya. Following which the country witnessed massive riots that claimed lives of over 2,000 people.

"Hindus and Muslims have always peacefully coexisted here. Even when the Babri Masjid incident took place there was no riot here" said a resident, Gaya Pati.

"There is no conflict between the two communities here. We respect each other's prayer practices," said another.

People in this village visit each other's houses, celebrate all festivals together and live as one, restoring faith in Humanity.&nbsp;

They have a mutual understanding amongst ourselves to not interfere during each other's prayer time

In an example of communal harmony and brotherhood, the Hindu and Muslim communities in Faizabad's Dehriyawan village, have been living together peacefully for 40 years here. "We have a mutual understanding amongst ourselves to not interfere during each other's prayer time. Our namaz time is fixed and our Hindu friends never disturb us. You cannot find a village as peaceful as ours," a local, Haji Mohammad Wasim told ANI. The village located at Ganga Jamuna Tahajib under Bikapur Tehsil has a temple and a mosque, adjacent to each other where both communities pray peacefully without being disturbed by the other. Even in 1992, when the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya, no riot broke out among people here. The Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is a century-old point of a tussle between Hindus and Muslims. The mosque was demolished by Hindu Karsevaks on December 6, 1992, in Ayodhya. Following which the country witnessed massive riots that claimed lives of over 2,000 people. "Hindus and Muslims have always peacefully coexisted here. Even when the Babri Masjid incident took place there was no riot here" said a resident, Gaya Pati. "There is no conflict between the two communities here. We respect each other's prayer practices," said another. People in this village visit each other's houses, celebrate all festivals together and live as one, restoring faith in Humanity.

Faizabad village sets an example of Hindu-Muslim unity

It takes a few moments to sift through the years of chaos and dislocation before Rohingya refugee Robi Alam settles on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, August 2012, as the last time he saw his seven brothers together in Myanmar.

"We were still a family then under one roof, in one country," the 16-year-old says, from his current home -- a bamboo shack in a Bangladesh refugee camp.

By then Myanmar had already lurched into a dark new phase of an old conflict between their Muslim Rohingya minority and the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine.

Violence unravelled after the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by Rohingya men neighbour turned on the neighbour as villages across Rakhine state were set ablaze.

Still, where they could, Rohingya families celebrated Eid, the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Robi recalls being carried on his older siblings' shoulders as they went door-to-door through the village of Yale Twin Kyun in Maungdaw district gorging on snacks.

Nearly six years on, the eight brothers are now split across four countries: Bangladesh, India, the United States and Myanmar.

One is in a Myanmar jail, another has vanished on the treacherous trafficking route south -- a painful family history that traces the key events in the dispossession of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and their dispersal overseas.&nbsp;

When the brothers were last united, in 2012, there were around 1.2 million Rohingya living in Rakhine state.

Now fewer than a third remain.

Myanmar, which denies the Rohingya citizenship, drove most of the minority out in October 2016 and August 2017 in army-led crackdowns that the United Nations has said may amount to "ethnic cleansing".

Separated from their four older brothers, the younger siblings - Robi, Jaber, 18, Hashim, 17, and Faiz, 12 -- are starting new lives as refugees.

For now, the home remains a 10-metre (30 foot) hut covered by a UN-branded tarpaulin in the Kutupalong camp, which the brothers share with 15 other relatives including their mother.

"We can't work here, it's a place we know nothing about," says Robi. "But how do we go back to Myanmar again?"

Mohammad Rashid

The first of the brothers to flee Rakhine was Mohammad Rashid.

It was early 2013, and by then conditions described as "apartheid-like" by Amnesty International were biting hard, with Rohingya locked out from hospitals, schools and their own farms.

Worn down by the asphyxiating security controls, Rashid crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh, paying a broker 30,000 Taka ($355) to take him to Malaysia, where menial jobs await Rohingya.

Robi shows a photo on his mobile phone of the 25-year-old on the day of his departure -- staring confidently back, an arm slung around a cousin.

"We haven't heard from him since."

Rashid disappeared as a transnational trafficking network was at its peak, spinning a fortune carrying a desperate human cargo of Rohingya and Bangladeshi economic migrants south by sea.

They docked in Thailand, where gangs -- including a powerful southern army general -- corralled the migrants overland to Malaysia.&nbsp;

That escape route collapsed in May 2015, when shallow graves of migrants were found pitting the hills along the Thai-Malaysia border.

Authorities closed in on the traffickers, who abandoned migrant boats in the Andaman Sea, leaving starving and dehydrated passengers to drift south, hoping for rescue by Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian authorities.

No one knows exactly how many died in the migrant camps or at sea.

Abdur Rashid

His older brother had disappeared, but Abdur Rashid chose the same escape route.

"I tried to stop him, I begged him," his mother Khadija Begum says.

"But he is stubborn. He said 'I will swim to Malaysia if I can't get a boat' and so he went."

His months-long odyssey, which began around early 2014, eventually led to resettlement in the United States, via detention in Thai immigration facilities.

"I wasn't scared. It was pre-destined," the 23-year-old told AFP from Colorado, where he is now learning English and working in a cake factory.

"After 10 days at sea we were near Thailand... we came to shore in smaller boats, 50-60 people on each, but when we landed Thai police, military and even journalists were there," he said.

Thailand does not accept refugees and so, after several months in immigration detention, the UNHCR secured the US move -- but resettlement is open to only a tiny number of Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;

He moved in 2017 and, when he can, sends money to his brothers 8,000 miles away in the world's biggest refugee camp.

Abul Kashim

Violence and repression have hit the Rohingya in waves since the late 1970s.

In 1982 Myanmar's ruling junta stripped the Muslim minority of citizenship, stirring up hatred towards the group and casting them as "Bengali" infiltrators to the Buddhist-majority country.

As such, life in Rakhine has always been hard, says Jaber, the oldest of the four brothers in the Kutupalong camp.

"But after the violence started in 2012, the "Moghs" (a pejorative word for ethnic Rakhine) gradually took everything."

Rohingya who strayed from their villages were frequently lynched or beaten, he says -- allegations backed up by rights monitors.&nbsp;

One of the brothers, Abul Kashim, now 19, suffered a beating while fishing with friends.

A teenager at the time, he was jolted into leaving by the brutality of the attack, first for Bangladesh, then overland to join an uncle in India.

For now, he has a made a decent life -- he is married and works as a mason in Haryana state.

But India has threatened to deport 40,000 of the minority.&nbsp;

"I miss my family," he told AFP, saying each phone call leaves a yearning to travel to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

"But I can't. I don't have any travel documents."

Hamid Hussein

On October 9, 2016, Rakhine again went up in flames as a nascent Rohingya militant group -- known now as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) -- raided border posts.

The army response was swift and unforgiving.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya were driven into Bangladesh, fleeing murders, rapes and mass arrests.

The crackdown visited more tragedy on Robi Alam's family.

Their 60-year-old father Nagu Miah was arrested and, the family alleges, beaten to death in police custody.

Confined to their homes with food running scarce, the oldest brother Hamid Hussein, 28, defied a strict curfew and went fishing after his children complained of eating rice every day.

He was arrested by soldiers and taken to Buthidaung jail.

Soon after, soldiers swarmed their village, ordering Rohingya residents to sit hands on their heads in a field as they ransacked homes.&nbsp;

"Then they started to burn our homes, they raped some women and pushed them inside burning homes," says 17-year-old Mohammad Hashim, from Kutupalong camp.

"We could not stay any longer."

Over the next six weeks, the extended family crept over to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

In August 2017, another 700,000 others began to join them after an even more ferocious army crackdown.

With their land taken and security still parlous, Robi and his family have little expectation of returning to Rakhine.

Instead, they are preparing for long-term life as refugees.

And in their freshly trimmed haircuts, football shirts and fixation with mobile phones, there are even flickers of teenage normality in the most abnormal of circumstances.

But the fragmentation of their family is never far away.

Through the smudged memories of life in Rakhine, the youngest brother Abul Faiz recalls flecks of freedom -- playing football or fishing -- as a child in Rakhine.

"My older brothers would hug me, give me money for the shop," the watchful youngster adds in a near-whisper.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

"I miss them."

It takes a few moments to sift through the years of chaos and dislocation before Rohingya refugee Robi Alam settles on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, August 2012, as the last time he saw his seven brothers together in Myanmar

It takes a few moments to sift through the years of chaos and dislocation before Rohingya refugee Robi Alam settles on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, August 2012, as the last time he saw his seven brothers together in Myanmar. "We were still a family then under one roof, in one country," the 16-year-old says, from his current home -- a bamboo shack in a Bangladesh refugee camp. By then Myanmar had already lurched into a dark new phase of an old conflict between their Muslim Rohingya minority and the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine. Violence unravelled after the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by Rohingya men neighbour turned on the neighbour as villages across Rakhine state were set ablaze. Still, where they could, Rohingya families celebrated Eid, the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Robi recalls being carried on his older siblings' shoulders as they went door-to-door through the village of Yale Twin Kyun in Maungdaw district gorging on snacks. Nearly six years on, the eight brothers are now split across four countries: Bangladesh, India, the United States and Myanmar. One is in a Myanmar jail, another has vanished on the treacherous trafficking route south -- a painful family history that traces the key events in the dispossession of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and their dispersal overseas. When the brothers were last united, in 2012, there were around 1.2 million Rohingya living in Rakhine state. Now fewer than a third remain. Myanmar, which denies the Rohingya citizenship, drove most of the minority out in October 2016 and August 2017 in army-led crackdowns that the United Nations has said may amount to "ethnic cleansing". Separated from their four older brothers, the younger siblings - Robi, Jaber, 18, Hashim, 17, and Faiz, 12 -- are starting new lives as refugees. For now, the home remains a 10-metre (30 foot) hut covered by a UN-branded tarpaulin in the Kutupalong camp, which the brothers share with 15 other relatives including their mother. "We can't work here, it's a place we know nothing about," says Robi. "But how do we go back to Myanmar again?" Mohammad Rashid The first of the brothers to flee Rakhine was Mohammad Rashid. It was early 2013, and by then conditions described as "apartheid-like" by Amnesty International were biting hard, with Rohingya locked out from hospitals, schools and their own farms. Worn down by the asphyxiating security controls, Rashid crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh, paying a broker 30,000 Taka ($355) to take him to Malaysia, where menial jobs await Rohingya. Robi shows a photo on his mobile phone of the 25-year-old on the day of his departure -- staring confidently back, an arm slung around a cousin. "We haven't heard from him since." Rashid disappeared as a transnational trafficking network was at its peak, spinning a fortune carrying a desperate human cargo of Rohingya and Bangladeshi economic migrants south by sea. They docked in Thailand, where gangs -- including a powerful southern army general -- corralled the migrants overland to Malaysia. That escape route collapsed in May 2015, when shallow graves of migrants were found pitting the hills along the Thai-Malaysia border. Authorities closed in on the traffickers, who abandoned migrant boats in the Andaman Sea, leaving starving and dehydrated passengers to drift south, hoping for rescue by Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian authorities. No one knows exactly how many died in the migrant camps or at sea. Abdur Rashid His older brother had disappeared, but Abdur Rashid chose the same escape route. "I tried to stop him, I begged him," his mother Khadija Begum says. "But he is stubborn. He said 'I will swim to Malaysia if I can't get a boat' and so he went." His months-long odyssey, which began around early 2014, eventually led to resettlement in the United States, via detention in Thai immigration facilities. "I wasn't scared. It was pre-destined," the 23-year-old told AFP from Colorado, where he is now learning English and working in a cake factory. "After 10 days at sea we were near Thailand... we came to shore in smaller boats, 50-60 people on each, but when we landed Thai police, military and even journalists were there," he said. Thailand does not accept refugees and so, after several months in immigration detention, the UNHCR secured the US move -- but resettlement is open to only a tiny number of Rohingya refugees. He moved in 2017 and, when he can, sends money to his brothers 8,000 miles away in the world's biggest refugee camp. Abul Kashim Violence and repression have hit the Rohingya in waves since the late 1970s. In 1982 Myanmar's ruling junta stripped the Muslim minority of citizenship, stirring up hatred towards the group and casting them as "Bengali" infiltrators to the Buddhist-majority country. As such, life in Rakhine has always been hard, says Jaber, the oldest of the four brothers in the Kutupalong camp. "But after the violence started in 2012, the "Moghs" (a pejorative word for ethnic Rakhine) gradually took everything." Rohingya who strayed from their villages were frequently lynched or beaten, he says -- allegations backed up by rights monitors. One of the brothers, Abul Kashim, now 19, suffered a beating while fishing with friends. A teenager at the time, he was jolted into leaving by the brutality of the attack, first for Bangladesh, then overland to join an uncle in India. For now, he has a made a decent life -- he is married and works as a mason in Haryana state. But India has threatened to deport 40,000 of the minority. "I miss my family," he told AFP, saying each phone call leaves a yearning to travel to Bangladesh. "But I can't. I don't have any travel documents." Hamid Hussein On October 9, 2016, Rakhine again went up in flames as a nascent Rohingya militant group -- known now as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) -- raided border posts. The army response was swift and unforgiving. Tens of thousands of Rohingya were driven into Bangladesh, fleeing murders, rapes and mass arrests. The crackdown visited more tragedy on Robi Alam's family. Their 60-year-old father Nagu Miah was arrested and, the family alleges, beaten to death in police custody. Confined to their homes with food running scarce, the oldest brother Hamid Hussein, 28, defied a strict curfew and went fishing after his children complained of eating rice every day. He was arrested by soldiers and taken to Buthidaung jail. Soon after, soldiers swarmed their village, ordering Rohingya residents to sit hands on their heads in a field as they ransacked homes. "Then they started to burn our homes, they raped some women and pushed them inside burning homes," says 17-year-old Mohammad Hashim, from Kutupalong camp. "We could not stay any longer." Over the next six weeks, the extended family crept over to Bangladesh. In August 2017, another 700,000 others began to join them after an even more ferocious army crackdown. With their land taken and security still parlous, Robi and his family have little expectation of returning to Rakhine. Instead, they are preparing for long-term life as refugees. And in their freshly trimmed haircuts, football shirts and fixation with mobile phones, there are even flickers of teenage normality in the most abnormal of circumstances. But the fragmentation of their family is never far away. Through the smudged memories of life in Rakhine, the youngest brother Abul Faiz recalls flecks of freedom -- playing football or fishing -- as a child in Rakhine. "My older brothers would hug me, give me money for the shop," the watchful youngster adds in a near-whisper. "I miss them."

One family, four countries: The dispossession of the Rohingya

Campaign group Amnesty International said on Tuesday it had gathered evidence that insurgents from a Rohingya Muslim armed group killed scores of Hindu civilians in August last year, amid a surge in violence in western Myanmar.

A military response to insurgent attacks on 30 police posts and an army base in northern Rakhine state the early hours of Aug. 25 pushed almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border to Bangladesh, many accusing security forces of killings, rape and arson.

Senior UN&nbsp;officials have said the response amounted to ethnic cleansing and that Myanmar's security forces may have committed genocide.

Amnesty International's research is the first published by an international human rights group to document in detail alleged atrocities by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

It said masked ARSA fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote village named Kha Maung Seik shortly after launching the coordinated attacks on security posts.

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Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media including Reuters that their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors.

Myanmar is majority Buddhist, and the Rohingya are Muslim. The country also has a Christian minority and a smaller number of Hindus.

Myanmar authorities in September unearthed 45 bodies near Kha Maung Seik and accused the ARSA of carrying out the killings.

Reuters was unable to reach an ARSA representative for comment on Tuesday. ARSA said in a Sept. 27 statement it "categorically denies that any of its members or combatants perpetrated murder" and other abuses in villages including Kha Maung Seik.

Myanmar's main government spokesman Zaw Htay said he could not comment on Tuesday evening as he had not seen the report.

Amnesty International also said it had documented a separate killing of six Hindus by ARSA fighters on Aug. 26 near the town of Maungdaw.

“It’s hard to ignore the sheer brutality of ARSA’s actions, which have left an indelible impression on the survivors we’ve spoken to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's crisis response director, said in a statement.

"Accountability for these atrocities is every bit as crucial as it is for the crimes against humanity carried out by Myanmar’s security forces in northern Rakhine State."

ARSA emerged as a group with earlier attacks on border posts in 2016. Its leader, Ata Ullah, has said it is fighting for the rights of the Rohingya, who have long complained of persecution as a stateless minority in Myanmar.

Reporters have been unable freely to visit parts of northern Rakhine for more than 18 months.

"After careful review of evidence obtained in Bangladesh and Rakhine State, Amnesty International has concluded that ARSA fighters are responsible for the massacre," Amnesty said, calling for Myanmar to grant U.N. investigators access to the conflict area to document atrocities by both ARSA and the military.

Amnesty said masked Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote Myanmarese village named Kha Maung Seik

Campaign group Amnesty International said on Tuesday it had gathered evidence that insurgents from a Rohingya Muslim armed group killed scores of Hindu civilians in August last year, amid a surge in violence in western Myanmar. A military response to insurgent attacks on 30 police posts and an army base in northern Rakhine state the early hours of Aug. 25 pushed almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border to Bangladesh, many accusing security forces of killings, rape and arson. Senior UN officials have said the response amounted to ethnic cleansing and that Myanmar's security forces may have committed genocide. Amnesty International's research is the first published by an international human rights group to document in detail alleged atrocities by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). It said masked ARSA fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote village named Kha Maung Seik shortly after launching the coordinated attacks on security posts. Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors × Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media including Reuters that their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors. Myanmar is majority Buddhist, and the Rohingya are Muslim. The country also has a Christian minority and a smaller number of Hindus. Myanmar authorities in September unearthed 45 bodies near Kha Maung Seik and accused the ARSA of carrying out the killings. Reuters was unable to reach an ARSA representative for comment on Tuesday. ARSA said in a Sept. 27 statement it "categorically denies that any of its members or combatants perpetrated murder" and other abuses in villages including Kha Maung Seik. Myanmar's main government spokesman Zaw Htay said he could not comment on Tuesday evening as he had not seen the report. Amnesty International also said it had documented a separate killing of six Hindus by ARSA fighters on Aug. 26 near the town of Maungdaw. “It’s hard to ignore the sheer brutality of ARSA’s actions, which have left an indelible impression on the survivors we’ve spoken to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's crisis response director, said in a statement. "Accountability for these atrocities is every bit as crucial as it is for the crimes against humanity carried out by Myanmar’s security forces in northern Rakhine State." ARSA emerged as a group with earlier attacks on border posts in 2016. Its leader, Ata Ullah, has said it is fighting for the rights of the Rohingya, who have long complained of persecution as a stateless minority in Myanmar. Reporters have been unable freely to visit parts of northern Rakhine for more than 18 months. "After careful review of evidence obtained in Bangladesh and Rakhine State, Amnesty International has concluded that ARSA fighters are responsible for the massacre," Amnesty said, calling for Myanmar to grant U.N. investigators access to the conflict area to document atrocities by both ARSA and the military.

Rohingya militants killed Hindu villagers in Myanmar: Amnesty International

Marvel president Kevin Feige has said that a film based on Muslim superhero Ms&nbsp;Marvel is in development at the studio.&nbsp;

In an interview with a leading channel, Feige said the studio has plans for the character whose real name is Kamala Khan.&nbsp;

"Ms&nbsp;Marvel, which is another character in the comic books, the Muslim hero who is inspired by Captain Marvel, definitely sorts of in the works. We have plans for that once we've introduced Captain Marvel to the world," Feige said.

Khan is a teenage Pakistani American from New Jersey and possesses the power of shapeshifting and healing factor.&nbsp;

Feige did not provide further details but suggested that Ms Marvel appearance will follow the "Captain Marvel", starring Brie Larson and due for release in March 2019.&nbsp;

Kevin Feige wishes more development at the studio through a Muslim superhero

Marvel president Kevin Feige has said that a film based on Muslim superhero Ms Marvel is in development at the studio. In an interview with a leading channel, Feige said the studio has plans for the character whose real name is Kamala Khan. "Ms Marvel, which is another character in the comic books, the Muslim hero who is inspired by Captain Marvel, definitely sorts of in the works. We have plans for that once we've introduced Captain Marvel to the world," Feige said. Khan is a teenage Pakistani American from New Jersey and possesses the power of shapeshifting and healing factor. Feige did not provide further details but suggested that Ms Marvel appearance will follow the "Captain Marvel", starring Brie Larson and due for release in March 2019.

Marvel plans film on first Muslim superhero

A Lucknow man triggered a huge debate on social media Sunday after he tweeted about cancelling his Ola cab because the driver had been Muslim.

The man concerned, Abhishek Mishra, said he was associated with&nbsp;the right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad. News reports said he was the VHP's Uttar Pradesh social media adviser.

Mishra posted a screenshot of his cancellation request on Twitter, saying he did not want to give his money to "jihadi people".

Mishra's tweet expectedly set off a firestorm on Twitter,&nbsp; with people accusing him of spreading hatred. Some people however came out in support of him.

The taxi&nbsp;aggregator issued a statement saying: ''Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed."

"We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all time," it added.

Mishra, who describes himself as a Hindutva thinker, is reportedly followed by a number of Indian ministers, including&nbsp;defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and culture minister Mahesh Sharma.

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Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed. We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times.
— Ola (@Olacabs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olacabs/status/988042395756482567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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If this views acceptable then why my views are not acceptable ? <a href="https://t.co/170MWQuBpn">pic.twitter.com/170MWQuBpn</a>
— Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) <a href="https://twitter.com/Abhishek_Mshra/status/987979035560038400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The man concerned, Abhishek Mishra, said he was associated with the right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad. News reports said he was the VHP's Uttar Pradesh social media adviser

A Lucknow man triggered a huge debate on social media Sunday after he tweeted about cancelling his Ola cab because the driver had been Muslim. The man concerned, Abhishek Mishra, said he was associated with the right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad. News reports said he was the VHP's Uttar Pradesh social media adviser. Mishra posted a screenshot of his cancellation request on Twitter, saying he did not want to give his money to "jihadi people". Mishra's tweet expectedly set off a firestorm on Twitter, with people accusing him of spreading hatred. Some people however came out in support of him. The taxi aggregator issued a statement saying: ''Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed." "We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all time," it added. Mishra, who describes himself as a Hindutva thinker, is reportedly followed by a number of Indian ministers, including defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and culture minister Mahesh Sharma. Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed. We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times. — Ola (@Olacabs) April 22, 2018 × If this views acceptable then why my views are not acceptable ? pic.twitter.com/170MWQuBpn — Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) April 22, 2018 ×

'Secular', like country, says Ola after man cancels ride because driver is Muslim

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday said that Bollywood actor Salman Khan was jailed in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case because he belongs to the minority community.

In an interview with Hamid Mir of Pakistan's Geo TV, Asif said, "Salman Khan has been sentenced because he's a minority. To sentence him in a case that is twenty years old goes on to show that lives of those who are Muslims, 'untouchables' or Christians are not valued in India."

"Maybe if he belonged to the religion of the ruling party of India he would not have been given such a harsh sentence and the court might have been lenient with him," he claimed.

Earlier on Thursday, a Jodhpur court convicted Salman for five years in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. A penalty of Rs 10,000 has also been levied on him.

Other accused in the case - Tabu, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam - were acquitted, while Salman was held in the court.

In October 1998, total three cases in connection with poaching and one under the Arms Act were registered against Salman. The 52-year-old actor allegedly shot two blackbucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in Kankani village near Jodhpur during the shooting of 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.

Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam were also present in the vehicle Salman allegedly used for hunting the endangered species protected under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Act.

Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif attributed Salman Khan's sentencing in the blackbuck poaching case today to his religion.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday said that Bollywood actor Salman Khan was jailed in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case because he belongs to the minority community. In an interview with Hamid Mir of Pakistan's Geo TV, Asif said, "Salman Khan has been sentenced because he's a minority. To sentence him in a case that is twenty years old goes on to show that lives of those who are Muslims, 'untouchables' or Christians are not valued in India." "Maybe if he belonged to the religion of the ruling party of India he would not have been given such a harsh sentence and the court might have been lenient with him," he claimed. Earlier on Thursday, a Jodhpur court convicted Salman for five years in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. A penalty of Rs 10,000 has also been levied on him. Other accused in the case - Tabu, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam - were acquitted, while Salman was held in the court. In October 1998, total three cases in connection with poaching and one under the Arms Act were registered against Salman. The 52-year-old actor allegedly shot two blackbucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in Kankani village near Jodhpur during the shooting of 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam were also present in the vehicle Salman allegedly used for hunting the endangered species protected under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Act.

Salman Khan jailed because he is a minority: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said on Sunday he had lifted a nationwide state of emergency imposed on March 6 after Buddhist-Muslim clashes.

&ldquo;Upon assessing the public safety situation, I instructed to revoke the State of Emergency from midnight yesterday,&rdquo; Mr Sirisena said on his Twitter feed.

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Returned from a very successful tour of Japan, that brings many short and long terms benefits to us. Upon assessing the public safety situation, I instructed to revoke the State of Emergency from midnight yesterday.
&mdash; Maithripala Sirisena (@MaithripalaS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaithripalaS/status/975178597345513472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He declared a state of emergency to rein in the spread of communal violence after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the Indian Ocean island&#39;s central district of Kandy.

Two people were killed and hundreds of Muslim-owned properties and more than 20 mosques were damaged, media reported.

Tension has been growing between the two communities over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites.

Some Buddhist nationalists have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.

Maithripala Sirisena declared a state of emergency to rein in the spread of communal violence after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in Kandy

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said on Sunday he had lifted a nationwide state of emergency imposed on March 6 after Buddhist-Muslim clashes. “Upon assessing the public safety situation, I instructed to revoke the State of Emergency from midnight yesterday,” Mr Sirisena said on his Twitter feed. Returned from a very successful tour of Japan, that brings many short and long terms benefits to us. Upon assessing the public safety situation, I instructed to revoke the State of Emergency from midnight yesterday. — Maithripala Sirisena (@MaithripalaS) March 18, 2018 × He declared a state of emergency to rein in the spread of communal violence after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the Indian Ocean island's central district of Kandy. Two people were killed and hundreds of Muslim-owned properties and more than 20 mosques were damaged, media reported. Tension has been growing between the two communities over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites. Some Buddhist nationalists have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.

Sri Lanka lifts nationwide state of emergency

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