Riots broke out in Pakistan's Charsadda district after the alleged burning of the Holy Quran at a mosque. The ob further set the police station on fire after the officials refused to hand over the suspect.

Pakistan: Mob sets police station on fire over alleged Quran desecration

On the request of officials, Apple has deleted one of the world's most popular Quran apps in China from its store. &nbsp;

The app, which is called Quran Majeed, is available across the world on the App Store. It has nearly 150,000 reviews and is used by millions of Muslims. &nbsp;

It seems to have been removed for hosting illegal religious texts, as per a BBC report. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/evergrande-risks-controllable-says-chinas-central-bank-420980" hreflang="en">Evergrande risks 'controllable', says China's central bank</a>

The app’s deletion was first noticed by Apple Censorship, a website, which monitors the apps available on Apple's App Store globally. &nbsp;

In a statement, the app's maker, PDMS, said, "According to Apple, our app Quran Majeed has been removed from the China App store because it includes content that requires additional documentation from Chinese authorities." &nbsp;

"We are trying to get in touch with the Cyberspace Administration of China and relevant Chinese authorities to get this issue resolved," added the company. &nbsp;

As per the app's maker, it had around one million users in China. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/satellite-images-show-china-has-upgraded-military-bases-facing-taiwan-420955" hreflang="en">Satellite images show China has upgraded military bases facing Taiwan</a>

Meanwhile, an employee of Apple, who led a fellow workers movement against alleged patterns of discrimination, racism and sexism at the tech company, was fired. &nbsp;

Janneke Parrish, an Apple program manager and one of the leaders behind the #AppleToo movement, said she was terminated for “non-compliance” after she deleted personal files from her work device amid an internal investigation, according to the Guardian. &nbsp;

Parrish, who worked at Apple for five years, claims that she was fired for speaking out publicly about "issues within the company". &nbsp;

“I’ve been very vocal, I’ve been very public. I have not been afraid to put my name and attach my face to #AppleToo,” she told the Guardian. “This feels very much like retaliation for having the courage to speak out.” &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

On the request of officials, Apple has deleted one of the world's most popular Quran apps in China from its store. The app, which is called Quran Majeed, is available across the world on the App Store.

On the request of officials, Apple has deleted one of the world's most popular Quran apps in China from its store. The app, which is called Quran Majeed, is available across the world on the App Store. It has nearly 150,000 reviews and is used by millions of Muslims. It seems to have been removed for hosting illegal religious texts, as per a BBC report. Also Read: Evergrande risks 'controllable', says China's central bank The app’s deletion was first noticed by Apple Censorship, a website, which monitors the apps available on Apple's App Store globally. In a statement, the app's maker, PDMS, said, "According to Apple, our app Quran Majeed has been removed from the China App store because it includes content that requires additional documentation from Chinese authorities." "We are trying to get in touch with the Cyberspace Administration of China and relevant Chinese authorities to get this issue resolved," added the company. As per the app's maker, it had around one million users in China. Also Read: Satellite images show China has upgraded military bases facing Taiwan Meanwhile, an employee of Apple, who led a fellow workers movement against alleged patterns of discrimination, racism and sexism at the tech company, was fired. Janneke Parrish, an Apple program manager and one of the leaders behind the #AppleToo movement, said she was terminated for “non-compliance” after she deleted personal files from her work device amid an internal investigation, according to the Guardian. Parrish, who worked at Apple for five years, claims that she was fired for speaking out publicly about "issues within the company". “I’ve been very vocal, I’ve been very public. I have not been afraid to put my name and attach my face to #AppleToo,” she told the Guardian. “This feels very much like retaliation for having the courage to speak out.” (With inputs from agencies)

After officials’ request, Apple pulls down Quran app in China

The prosecution in Sweden has decided to drop the preliminary investigation into the burning of the Quran, arguing that burning of the holy book is "not illegal".&nbsp;

The case is related to a protest on the streets of Malmo where far-right demonstrators burned a copy of the Quran in late August.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/norway-sweden-must-lead-by-example-on-how-to-uphold-the-interest-of-all-groups-324365">Norway &amp; Sweden must lead by example on how to uphold the interest of all groups</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Over 300 people participated in the protest where they threw stones at the police and also burnt tyres.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/riot-breaks-out-in-southern-sweden-after-anti-islam-actions-323819">Riot breaks out in southern Sweden after 'anti-Islam' actions</a>

"It is not possible to prove that a crime has been committed, burning a Quran in itself is not illegal", said chamber prosecutor Sofia Syrén to national broadcaster SVT, as quoted by Sputnik News.&nbsp;

She added that they went through evidence from the scene of the protest, including witness accounts and videos.&nbsp;

Several people from Swedish media and most politicians condemned the incident, but the prosecution did not find any legal ground against the accused.&nbsp;

"We have looked at what is happening around, how the person expresses themselves, and so on", said Syrén.&nbsp;

"From the material, it appears that there were people who expressed themselves in a way that may be judged as incitement against ethnic groups, but these cannot be identified."

The prosecution in Sweden has decided to drop the preliminary investigation into the burning of the Quran, arguing that burning of the holy book is "not illegal".

The prosecution in Sweden has decided to drop the preliminary investigation into the burning of the Quran, arguing that burning of the holy book is "not illegal". The case is related to a protest on the streets of Malmo where far-right demonstrators burned a copy of the Quran in late August. Also read | Norway & Sweden must lead by example on how to uphold the interest of all groups Over 300 people participated in the protest where they threw stones at the police and also burnt tyres. Also read | Riot breaks out in southern Sweden after 'anti-Islam' actions "It is not possible to prove that a crime has been committed, burning a Quran in itself is not illegal", said chamber prosecutor Sofia Syrén to national broadcaster SVT, as quoted by Sputnik News. She added that they went through evidence from the scene of the protest, including witness accounts and videos. Several people from Swedish media and most politicians condemned the incident, but the prosecution did not find any legal ground against the accused. "We have looked at what is happening around, how the person expresses themselves, and so on", said Syrén. "From the material, it appears that there were people who expressed themselves in a way that may be judged as incitement against ethnic groups, but these cannot be identified."

Swedish prosecution says Quran burning not 'illegal', decides not to press charges

Hundreds of people in a Bangladesh town on Thursday lynched a man who had allegedly desecrated the Quran.

Two men were accused of stepping on the Muslim holy book in the main mosque of the town of Burimari, near the frontier with India. One was beaten to death, and the second man escaped with injuries.

Police took the two men into protective custody in a municipal office after the allegations were made by worshippers at the Burimari Jame Masjid mosque.

They said more 1,000 people stormed the council office and police fired 17 live shotgun rounds in a bid to calm the crowd but could not stop them seizing the 35-year-old man. The victim was beaten to death before the crowd torched the office and burned the body in the street.

The incident came amid mounting anger in the Muslim majority country over comments about Islam made by France's President Emmanuel Macron.&nbsp;

Hundreds of people in a Bangladesh town on Thursday lynched a man who had allegedly desecrated the Quran. Two men were accused of stepping on the Muslim holy book in the main mosque of the town of Burimari, near the frontier with India.

Hundreds of people in a Bangladesh town on Thursday lynched a man who had allegedly desecrated the Quran. Two men were accused of stepping on the Muslim holy book in the main mosque of the town of Burimari, near the frontier with India. One was beaten to death, and the second man escaped with injuries. Police took the two men into protective custody in a municipal office after the allegations were made by worshippers at the Burimari Jame Masjid mosque. They said more 1,000 people stormed the council office and police fired 17 live shotgun rounds in a bid to calm the crowd but could not stop them seizing the 35-year-old man. The victim was beaten to death before the crowd torched the office and burned the body in the street. The incident came amid mounting anger in the Muslim majority country over comments about Islam made by France's President Emmanuel Macron.

Man lynched for desecration of Quran in Bangladesh

Clashes broke out at an anti-Islam rally in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The situation came to a head when a female member of SIAN ripped pages from the Quran and spat on them.

Norway: Anti-Islam protester ripped pages from Muslim holy book

Protesters threw stones at police and burned tyres in southern Swedish town of Malmo late on Friday, hours after an anti-Muslim Danish politician was blocked from attending a Koran-burning rally nearby.

At least 300 people had gathered to protest against anti-Islam activities.

The demonstration was connected to an incident earlier in the day in which protesters burned a copy of the Islamic holy book, police spokesman Rickard Lundqvist told Swedish tabloid Expressen.

Rasmus Paludan, who leads the far-right Danish anti-immigration party Hard Line, was due to travel to Malmo to speak at that event, which was being held on the same day as weekly prayers for the Muslim sabbath.

But authorities pre-empted Paludan's arrival by announcing he had been banned from entering Sweden for two years. He was later arrested near Malmo.

The demonstrations had escalated in the same place where the Quran had been burned.

Daily Aftonbladet said several anti-Islam activities had taken place in Malmo on Friday, including three men kicking a copy of the Quran between them in a public square.

Paludan last year attracted media attention for burning a Koran wrapped in bacon -- a meat that is anathema for Muslims.

Protesters threw stones at police and burned tyres in southern Swedish town of Malmo late on Friday, hours after an anti-Muslim Danish politician was blocked from attending a Koran-burning rally nearby.

Protesters threw stones at police and burned tyres in southern Swedish town of Malmo late on Friday, hours after an anti-Muslim Danish politician was blocked from attending a Koran-burning rally nearby. At least 300 people had gathered to protest against anti-Islam activities. The demonstration was connected to an incident earlier in the day in which protesters burned a copy of the Islamic holy book, police spokesman Rickard Lundqvist told Swedish tabloid Expressen. Rasmus Paludan, who leads the far-right Danish anti-immigration party Hard Line, was due to travel to Malmo to speak at that event, which was being held on the same day as weekly prayers for the Muslim sabbath. But authorities pre-empted Paludan's arrival by announcing he had been banned from entering Sweden for two years. He was later arrested near Malmo. The demonstrations had escalated in the same place where the Quran had been burned. Daily Aftonbladet said several anti-Islam activities had taken place in Malmo on Friday, including three men kicking a copy of the Quran between them in a public square. Paludan last year attracted media attention for burning a Koran wrapped in bacon -- a meat that is anathema for Muslims.

Riot breaks out in southern Sweden after 'anti-Islam' actions

New editions of the Quran and the Bible are to exclude content that goes against the beliefs of China’s leading Communist Party as part of a project calling for a "comprehensive evaluation of the existing religious classics aiming at contents which do not conform to the progress of the times,’’ it said citing a top party official. #Bible #Quran #China #Uighurs #WION

Reports: China planning to re-write the holy books Bible & Quran

A video footage of a man insulting a Muslim woman wearing Niqab in California coffee shop has gone viral on social media recently.

The video is recorded by the woman herself and has been seen by at least 1.6 million times on Twitter.

In video woman name Kathleen Amina Deady was asked by a man standing next to her in line "Is this Halloween or something?" to which Deady responds asked why he would say that. The unidentified man answers her that "because I want to".&nbsp

He then continues saying that he knows she is Muslim and that he does not "like" her religion.

"It says to kill me and I don't want to be killed by you, how's that?",he then asks.

The man and Deady then engage in back and forth during which she draws a comparison between the Bible and The Quran after which the man refuses to respond to her. She also tells him that he is aware that he committing hate speech.&nbsp

After the comments, the supervisor &nbsprefuses to serve the man &nbspas he says that he is "disrupting public place and being very racist."

An off-camera male voice can also be heard yelling at the man and asking him to leave the place.

The footage went viral on social media and has gathered support from people around the world.

The video was posted on Twitter on May 12 by a journalist name CJ Werleman.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
"I'm a Muslim [woman]." 
 
"I know your religion and I don't want to be killed by you." 
 
This took place at a cafe in California yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/4WAWKcQDh8">pic.twitter.com/4WAWKcQDh8</a>
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) <a href="https://twitter.com/cjwerleman/status/995336596781121536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp

The video is recorded by the woman herself and has been seen by at least 1.6 million times on Twitter

A video footage of a man insulting a Muslim woman wearing Niqab in California coffee shop has gone viral on social media recently. The video is recorded by the woman herself and has been seen by at least 1.6 million times on Twitter. In video woman name Kathleen Amina Deady was asked by a man standing next to her in line "Is this Halloween or something?" to which Deady responds asked why he would say that. The unidentified man answers her that "because I want to". He then continues saying that he knows she is Muslim and that he does not "like" her religion. "It says to kill me and I don't want to be killed by you, how's that?",he then asks. The man and Deady then engage in back and forth during which she draws a comparison between the Bible and The Quran after which the man refuses to respond to her. She also tells him that he is aware that he committing hate speech. After the comments, the supervisor &nbsprefuses to serve the man &nbspas he says that he is "disrupting public place and being very racist." An off-camera male voice can also be heard yelling at the man and asking him to leave the place. The footage went viral on social media and has gathered support from people around the world. The video was posted on Twitter on May 12 by a journalist name CJ Werleman. "I'm a Muslim [woman]." "I know your religion and I don't want to be killed by you." This took place at a cafe in California yesterday. pic.twitter.com/4WAWKcQDh8 — CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) May 12, 2018 ×

Watch: Coffee place refuses to serve man insulting woman in Niqab

After the memorial to former President APJ Abdul Kalam found itself in the middle of a controversy, visitors to the site have been prevented from taking photographs.&nbsp;

The DNA newspaper reported that visitors were stopped from taking photographs by police personnel stationed at the memorial.&nbsp;

DNA added that Rameshwaram district administration officials said the restrictions might have been imposed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation which is overseeing the upkeep of the premises.&nbsp;

&quot;We have not got any information on the imposition of restrictions on taking photographs inside the memorial,&quot; DNA reported sources in the district administration as saying.

The memorial to Kalam was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27.&nbsp;

The controversy erupted after one of the statues of Kalam -- of the former president playing the veena -- unveiled by Modi was found to include the Bhagavad Gita. The sculpture of the Gita was placed in front of Kalam.&nbsp;

MDMK chief Vaiko was the first to say that that was inappropriate considering Kalam&#39;s reputation as a man who was &quot;above religion&quot;.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/row-over-kalam-statue-with-gita-next-to-it-snowballs-18412" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Row over Kalam statue with Gita next to it snowballs</a>

He added that it would have been better to associate Kalam with the Thirukural, a classic of Tamil literature, and which Kalam was reportedly fondest of.&nbsp;

Other political parties also chimed in, saying pretty much the same thing.&nbsp;

Following the furore, Kalam&#39;s grandnephew APJM Sheik Saleem placed copies of the Quran and the Bible near the sculpture of the Gita.&nbsp;

That then -- the placing of the Quran and Bible next to the sculpture of the Gita -- was objected to by the Hindu Makkal Katchi.&nbsp;

Visitors were stopped from taking photographs by police personnel stationed at the memorial

After the memorial to former President APJ Abdul Kalam found itself in the middle of a controversy, visitors to the site have been prevented from taking photographs. The DNA newspaper reported that visitors were stopped from taking photographs by police personnel stationed at the memorial. DNA added that Rameshwaram district administration officials said the restrictions might have been imposed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation which is overseeing the upkeep of the premises. "We have not got any information on the imposition of restrictions on taking photographs inside the memorial," DNA reported sources in the district administration as saying. The memorial to Kalam was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27. The controversy erupted after one of the statues of Kalam -- of the former president playing the veena -- unveiled by Modi was found to include the Bhagavad Gita. The sculpture of the Gita was placed in front of Kalam. MDMK chief Vaiko was the first to say that that was inappropriate considering Kalam's reputation as a man who was "above religion". Also read: Row over Kalam statue with Gita next to it snowballs He added that it would have been better to associate Kalam with the Thirukural, a classic of Tamil literature, and which Kalam was reportedly fondest of. Other political parties also chimed in, saying pretty much the same thing. Following the furore, Kalam's grandnephew APJM Sheik Saleem placed copies of the Quran and the Bible near the sculpture of the Gita. That then -- the placing of the Quran and Bible next to the sculpture of the Gita -- was objected to by the Hindu Makkal Katchi.

After Gita row, visitors to Kalam memorial not allowed to take photographs

The row over former President APJ Abdul Kalam&#39;s memorial has snowballed further with the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) objecting to the placing of a Quran and Bible next to a sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita.&nbsp;

The books were placed there by President Kalam&#39;s family.&nbsp;

Their intention was to say that the former president was &quot;above religion&quot;.&nbsp;

The memorial to Kalam -- in his hometown of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu -- was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27.&nbsp;

The controversy erupted after one of the statues of the former president unveiled at the inauguration ceremony showed Kalam playing the veena with a copy of the Gita placed before him.&nbsp;

The row was initially triggered by protests by MDMK chief Vaiko who questioned the appropriateness of placing the Gita before the statue of Kalam given his image as someone who was above religion.

The Hindu newspaper reported Vaiko as saying associating Kalam with Thirukural, a classic of Tamil literature -- Kalam was reportedly fondest of it -- would have been more appropriate.

Following which, the Hindu reported, Kalam&#39;s grandnephew APJM Sheik Saleem placed a copy of the Quran and the Bible near the sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita.&nbsp;

The Hindu Makkal Katchi has objected to the placing of a Quran and Bible next to a sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita

The row over former President APJ Abdul Kalam's memorial has snowballed further with the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) objecting to the placing of a Quran and Bible next to a sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita. The books were placed there by President Kalam's family. Their intention was to say that the former president was "above religion". The memorial to Kalam -- in his hometown of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu -- was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27. The controversy erupted after one of the statues of the former president unveiled at the inauguration ceremony showed Kalam playing the veena with a copy of the Gita placed before him. The row was initially triggered by protests by MDMK chief Vaiko who questioned the appropriateness of placing the Gita before the statue of Kalam given his image as someone who was above religion. The Hindu newspaper reported Vaiko as saying associating Kalam with Thirukural, a classic of Tamil literature -- Kalam was reportedly fondest of it -- would have been more appropriate. Following which, the Hindu reported, Kalam's grandnephew APJM Sheik Saleem placed a copy of the Quran and the Bible near the sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita.

Row over Kalam statue with Gita next to it snowballs

One of the jihadists who murdered an elderly French priest smiled as he carried out the attack, and nuns who witnessed the grisly murder said the killers spoke about the Quran. 
 
The two nuns who were in the church when Father Jacques Hamel was killed, his throat slit on the altar, said the men appeared aggressive and nervous during the attack at the Eglise Saint-Etienne in Normandy on July 26. 
 
Then, one of the attackers seemed pleased. 
 
&quot;I got a smile from the second (man). Not a smile of triumph, but a soft smile, that of someone who is happy,&quot; nun Sister Huguette Peron told Catholic newspaper La Vie on Friday. 
 
Abdel Malik Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, both 19, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and both were killed by police in the shock attack. 
 
The men stormed the 17th-century stone church during mass in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, taking several hostages before killing the priest and seriously wounding another captive. 
 
One nun fled the scene and alerted the police, leaving Sister Huguette and Sister Helene Decaux, both in their 80s, in the church with the jihadists. At one point, Sister Helene got tired and asked to sit down. &quot;I asked for my cane, he gave it to me,&quot; she said. 
 
Then the men started talking about religion, asking the nun if she was familiar with the Quran. &quot;Yes, I respect it like I respect the Bible, I&#39;ve read several suras. And those that hit me in particular are the suras about peace,&quot; Sister Helene responded. 
 
One of the attackers replied: &quot;Peace, it&#39;s what we want... as long as there are bombs on Syria, we will continue our attacks. And they will happen every day. When you stop, we will stop.&quot; 
 
Neighbours and acquaintances said Kermiche was &quot;obsessed&quot; with going to Syria, where an international coalition including France is carrying out air strikes against the IS jihadist group. 
 
&quot;Are you afraid to die?&quot; one of the attackers asked. The nun said no, then he said: &quot;Why?&quot; &quot;I believe in God, and I know I will be happy&quot; Sister Helene said, as she quietly prayed to herself. 
 
Then they started talking about God. 
 
&quot;Jesus cannot be God and a man. It is you who are wrong,&quot; one of the men said. &quot;Maybe, but too bad,&quot; Sister Huguette replied. At that moment, she prepared for her own death, not knowing what was coming next. 
 
&quot;Thinking I was going to die, I offered my life to God&quot; she added. 
 
(AFP)

The two nuns who were in the church when Father Jacques Hamel was killed said the attackers appeared aggressive and nervous

One of the jihadists who murdered an elderly French priest smiled as he carried out the attack, and nuns who witnessed the grisly murder said the killers spoke about the Quran. The two nuns who were in the church when Father Jacques Hamel was killed, his throat slit on the altar, said the men appeared aggressive and nervous during the attack at the Eglise Saint-Etienne in Normandy on July 26. Then, one of the attackers seemed pleased. "I got a smile from the second (man). Not a smile of triumph, but a soft smile, that of someone who is happy," nun Sister Huguette Peron told Catholic newspaper La Vie on Friday. Abdel Malik Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, both 19, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and both were killed by police in the shock attack. The men stormed the 17th-century stone church during mass in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, taking several hostages before killing the priest and seriously wounding another captive. One nun fled the scene and alerted the police, leaving Sister Huguette and Sister Helene Decaux, both in their 80s, in the church with the jihadists. At one point, Sister Helene got tired and asked to sit down. "I asked for my cane, he gave it to me," she said. Then the men started talking about religion, asking the nun if she was familiar with the Quran. "Yes, I respect it like I respect the Bible, I've read several suras. And those that hit me in particular are the suras about peace," Sister Helene responded. One of the attackers replied: "Peace, it's what we want... as long as there are bombs on Syria, we will continue our attacks. And they will happen every day. When you stop, we will stop." Neighbours and acquaintances said Kermiche was "obsessed" with going to Syria, where an international coalition including France is carrying out air strikes against the IS jihadist group. "Are you afraid to die?" one of the attackers asked. The nun said no, then he said: "Why?" "I believe in God, and I know I will be happy" Sister Helene said, as she quietly prayed to herself. Then they started talking about God. "Jesus cannot be God and a man. It is you who are wrong," one of the men said. "Maybe, but too bad," Sister Huguette replied. At that moment, she prepared for her own death, not knowing what was coming next. "Thinking I was going to die, I offered my life to God" she added. (AFP)

France church attackers spoke about Quran, gave a 'soft smile'

Republic of Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, on the occasion of the country&rsquo;s 51st Independance day celebrations, said that it was the aim of the government to ensure that each primary school graduate in the country reads the book of Holy Quran in its entirety, starting next year. He added the government gave top priority to teaching Islam in schools because&nbsp;it was imperative to teach Quran to establish a &#39;modern society&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;It is important that the government ensures that all students in the country complete reading the Quran by the time they graduate primary school, starting from 2017,&rdquo; said the President&nbsp;during the flag raising ceremony held on Monday night. 
 
He admitted to the government being pressured to allow for religious freedom in the country, and also to receiving threats for trying to impose relgious prohibitions by teaching Islam in schools. The President, however,&nbsp;maintained that establishing Maldives Islamic University was a major step taken towards strengthening the hold of Holy Quran and Islam in the Maldivian society. 
 
Former Maldivian president and leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on the other hand, pointed to loss of religious sovereignity being a factor that could cost the country its independence.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;The country could lose its independence, not just from an attack from another army, but from wave of extremism that is spreading across the world,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
In a press statement released on Monday, he pointed that political instability and influence of major economic powers were other factors that could shake the national unity.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s stated in Article 4 of the Maldivian Constitution that all powers of the State stem from the people. And that these powers are maintained through the people. There are national and individual rights and freedom that are guaranteed. I note that the challenges to the independence of the country that have come from some Maldivians, and express sadness over the fact,&rdquo; said Maumoon. 
 
He said that preserving the independance and sovereignity was of the highest national interest.&nbsp;

A former Maldives president, however, said loss of religious sovereignty could cost the country its independence

Republic of Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, on the occasion of the country’s 51st Independance day celebrations, said that it was the aim of the government to ensure that each primary school graduate in the country reads the book of Holy Quran in its entirety, starting next year. He added the government gave top priority to teaching Islam in schools because it was imperative to teach Quran to establish a 'modern society'. “It is important that the government ensures that all students in the country complete reading the Quran by the time they graduate primary school, starting from 2017,” said the President during the flag raising ceremony held on Monday night. He admitted to the government being pressured to allow for religious freedom in the country, and also to receiving threats for trying to impose relgious prohibitions by teaching Islam in schools. The President, however, maintained that establishing Maldives Islamic University was a major step taken towards strengthening the hold of Holy Quran and Islam in the Maldivian society. Former Maldivian president and leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on the other hand, pointed to loss of religious sovereignity being a factor that could cost the country its independence. “The country could lose its independence, not just from an attack from another army, but from wave of extremism that is spreading across the world,” he said. In a press statement released on Monday, he pointed that political instability and influence of major economic powers were other factors that could shake the national unity. “It’s stated in Article 4 of the Maldivian Constitution that all powers of the State stem from the people. And that these powers are maintained through the people. There are national and individual rights and freedom that are guaranteed. I note that the challenges to the independence of the country that have come from some Maldivians, and express sadness over the fact,” said Maumoon. He said that preserving the independance and sovereignity was of the highest national interest.

Will ensure each primary school graduate has read Quran: Maldives President

With an excavation in southern Israel unearthing a Philistine cemetery for the first time, bones of the biblical giant Goliath&#39;s people can finally shed new light on mysteries of their culture. 
 
The cemetery&#39;s discovery marks the &quot;crowning achievement&quot; of some three decades of excavations in the area, the expedition&#39;s organisers say. 
 
Some of the site&#39;s finds were going on display on Sunday at the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum in Jerusalem. 
 
Almost three millennia since the Philistines were wiped off the face of the earth by Babylonian armies, a US archaeologist was hard at work crouched in one of their funeral chambers at the excavation in the Mediterranean city of Ashkelon. 
 
Brush in hand he delicately extracted from the sandy soil the complete skeleton of a Philistine buried with a terracotta perfume flask, fused to the skull with the passage of time. 
 
&quot;This discovery is a crowning achievement, the opportunity to finally see them face to face,&quot; said archaeologist Daniel Master, in charge of the site excavated since 1985 under the Leon Levy Expedition, affiliated with Harvard University&#39;s Semitic Museum, among other institutions. 
 
&quot;With these 145 corpses we hope not only to understand their funeral customs, but to collect clues in the bones to understand how they lived, to bring the Philistines to life again,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
Bone samples taken from the site are currently undergoing DNA, radiocarbon and other tests to try to shed fresh light on the Philistines&#39; origin. 
 
The first graves were discovered in Ashkelon in 2013 on the site of its ancient Philistine port city, which had 13,000 inhabitants at its peak. 
 
Today the area lies in a national park popular with Israeli families from modern Ashkelon who come for a stroll along the seaside lawns and paths. Who were the Philistines? The origins of this &quot;sea people&quot;, a term also used to describe their Phoenician contemporaries - remain a mystery. 
 
Their red-and-black pottery suggests they may have come from the Mycenaean civilisation of the Aegean. 
 
&quot;What is certain is that they were strangers in the Semitic region,&quot; where their presence between 1200 and around 600 BC is evident on a thin coastal strip running from present-day Gaza to Tel Aviv, said Master. 
 
Traders and seafarers, they spoke a language of Indo-European origin, did not practice circumcision and ate pork and dog, as proven by bones and marks found on them in the ruins of the other four Philistine cities: Gaza, Gath, Ashdod and Ekron. 
 
Beyond the previously scanty archaeological record, the Philistines are known mostly from the Old Testament account given by their neighbours and bitter enemies, the ancient Israelites. 
 
The book of Samuel describes the capture by Philistine fighters of the Ark of the Covenant and the duel between their giant warrior Goliath felled by a stone from David&#39;s sling. 
 
From these biblical descriptions of savage marauders comes the modern usage of &quot;philistine&quot; to mean a person without culture or manners.A few hundred metres (yards) from the dig, at its outdoor laboratory, anthropologist and pathologist Sherry Fox told the skeletons` story. 
 
&quot;In their teeth, we can see that they did not have an easy life,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;We see these lines that indicate a growth interruption as the teeth are forming. There were problems in childhood with either fever or malnutrition.&quot; 
 
&quot;We also see from their bones that they were hard workers, they practised inbreeding and they used their teeth as tools, probably in the weaving industry,&quot; she said softly, holding up a skull. 
 
She said they were &quot;normal size&quot; with no evidence of any Goliath-sized giants. 
 
Master said that, despite similar-sounding names, there is no connection between the Philistines and today&#39;s Palestinians. 
&quot;The words are similar, but not the people,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We know here in Ashkelon that these Philistines were completely destroyed by (Babylonian king) Nebuchadnezzar in December of 604 BC,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Everything that came after was very different and a very different group of people.&quot; 
 
The 30 years of excavations at the Ashkelon cemetery come to an end this summer, when the dig will be reburied. 
 
(AFP)

In the Bible, Goliath is a giant Philistine warrior who was defeated by David. An excavation in south Israel unearthed a Philistine cemetery

With an excavation in southern Israel unearthing a Philistine cemetery for the first time, bones of the biblical giant Goliath's people can finally shed new light on mysteries of their culture. The cemetery's discovery marks the "crowning achievement" of some three decades of excavations in the area, the expedition's organisers say. Some of the site's finds were going on display on Sunday at the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum in Jerusalem. Almost three millennia since the Philistines were wiped off the face of the earth by Babylonian armies, a US archaeologist was hard at work crouched in one of their funeral chambers at the excavation in the Mediterranean city of Ashkelon. Brush in hand he delicately extracted from the sandy soil the complete skeleton of a Philistine buried with a terracotta perfume flask, fused to the skull with the passage of time. "This discovery is a crowning achievement, the opportunity to finally see them face to face," said archaeologist Daniel Master, in charge of the site excavated since 1985 under the Leon Levy Expedition, affiliated with Harvard University's Semitic Museum, among other institutions. "With these 145 corpses we hope not only to understand their funeral customs, but to collect clues in the bones to understand how they lived, to bring the Philistines to life again," he told AFP. Bone samples taken from the site are currently undergoing DNA, radiocarbon and other tests to try to shed fresh light on the Philistines' origin. The first graves were discovered in Ashkelon in 2013 on the site of its ancient Philistine port city, which had 13,000 inhabitants at its peak. Today the area lies in a national park popular with Israeli families from modern Ashkelon who come for a stroll along the seaside lawns and paths. Who were the Philistines? The origins of this "sea people", a term also used to describe their Phoenician contemporaries - remain a mystery. Their red-and-black pottery suggests they may have come from the Mycenaean civilisation of the Aegean. "What is certain is that they were strangers in the Semitic region," where their presence between 1200 and around 600 BC is evident on a thin coastal strip running from present-day Gaza to Tel Aviv, said Master. Traders and seafarers, they spoke a language of Indo-European origin, did not practice circumcision and ate pork and dog, as proven by bones and marks found on them in the ruins of the other four Philistine cities: Gaza, Gath, Ashdod and Ekron. Beyond the previously scanty archaeological record, the Philistines are known mostly from the Old Testament account given by their neighbours and bitter enemies, the ancient Israelites. The book of Samuel describes the capture by Philistine fighters of the Ark of the Covenant and the duel between their giant warrior Goliath felled by a stone from David's sling. From these biblical descriptions of savage marauders comes the modern usage of "philistine" to mean a person without culture or manners.A few hundred metres (yards) from the dig, at its outdoor laboratory, anthropologist and pathologist Sherry Fox told the skeletons` story. "In their teeth, we can see that they did not have an easy life," she said. "We see these lines that indicate a growth interruption as the teeth are forming. There were problems in childhood with either fever or malnutrition." "We also see from their bones that they were hard workers, they practised inbreeding and they used their teeth as tools, probably in the weaving industry," she said softly, holding up a skull. She said they were "normal size" with no evidence of any Goliath-sized giants. Master said that, despite similar-sounding names, there is no connection between the Philistines and today's Palestinians. "The words are similar, but not the people," he said. "We know here in Ashkelon that these Philistines were completely destroyed by (Babylonian king) Nebuchadnezzar in December of 604 BC," he said. "Everything that came after was very different and a very different group of people." The 30 years of excavations at the Ashkelon cemetery come to an end this summer, when the dig will be reburied. (AFP)

Old bones cast new light on Goliath's people

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