Kerala Catholic body urges Christian youth to enter mainstream politics
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Rest house staff faces action in Pakistan for using judges crockery
Lahore, Jul 21 (PTI) Four employees of a rest house in Pakistan are facing punitive action for eating in the crockery designated for 'honourable judges, sparking a debate over class divide and discriminatory practices in the country. The Lahore High Court had ordered a probe into the use of 'forbidden" crockery meant for judges of the superior court against four suspects — Samuel Sandhu (waiter), Faisal Hayat (coolie), Shahzad Masih (sweeper) and Muhammad Imran (counter staff). Two of the accused were Christians. During a probe conducted by the LHC Additional Registrar, the staffers in question were found using crockery while having lunch in the Judges Rest House," a court official said, adding that the accused have denied any wrongdoing. The official said the probe body on Friday recommended that Christian waiter Samuel should be removed from service while the other three be issued 'censure" letters. As the inquiry focuses on administrative discipline, this case has sparked legal and ethical debate on social media. One netizen named Samrina Hashmi on her X account criticised the move and asked, 'Are these judges royal that none else could eat in their crockery…are these accused employees animals? 'Eating food has become a crime. Those who feast on the nation's wealth took notice of the staff's 'crime" of eating from the plates bought with the staff's own earnings," another social media user posted on X. Another person named Ali Hasan lambasted the LHC for treating a Christian staffer differently. 'If all accused committed the same basic act of violating crockery use rules, and only one belonging to a religious minority is singled out for removal, it could be viewed as discriminatory. The inquiry must ensure procedural fairness," he demanded. PTI MZ NSA NSA NSA view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 15:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
6 hours ago
- India Today
Nimisha Priya isn't off the hook, but politics of credit has peaked
Seven years after Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death in Yemen in 2018 for the murder of a Yemeni national, she was scheduled to be executed on July 16. But hours before the death sentence was to be carried out, reports said that the execution had been postponed due to the intervention of Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, also known as Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker deferment, credited to the Kerala-based Musliyar, the 'Grand Mufti of India', may have provided temporary relief for Priya and her family through his intervention. But as her fate remains uncertain and further negotiations continue in Yemen, a battle, political in nature, over Musliyar's credit for the reprieve has erupted on Kerala's social media. Political parties, religious groups, and organisations, including the Nimisha Priya Action Council, are clashing online over who deserves the credit and also who does ruling CPM, which is considered close to the influential AP group led by Musliyar, swiftly praised his humanitarian intervention in securing the postponement, and showing "the real Kerala story". Meanwhile, Samuel Jerome, who heads the Nimisha Priya Action Council, and had been advocating for her release for years, claimed that no religious leader played a role in delaying her death sentence, and all talks happened at the government PRIYA CASE AND MUSLIYAR INTERVENTIONNimisha Priya, a 38-year-old nurse from a Christian family in Kerala's Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 to pursue better job prospects. She later partnered with Talal Abdo Mahdi to establish a clinic in Sanaa. The relationship soured when Mahdi allegedly harassed her, claimed her as his wife publicly, and withheld her 2017, attempting to retrieve her passport, Priya sedated Mahdi, leading to his death from an overdose, according to Yemeni authorities. She was convicted of murder in 2018, and Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council upheld the death sentence in November 2023. With India lacking diplomatic relations with Yemen's Houthi-controlled government, efforts to save Priya relied on unconventional channels, including negotiations for "diyya" (blood money) to secure a pardon from Mahdi's AP Aboobacker Musliyar, a prominent Sunni scholar and leader of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, emerged as a key figure in delaying Priya's execution."I intervened as a human being. In our dealings with society, we do not consider religion or caste," Musliyar told the media, adding about his outreach to Yemeni Islamic scholars to explore legal possibilities under Sharia law. He noted that the scholars assured cooperation, and an official court notification, which Musliyar's office watermarked and circulated, confirmed the network included ties with former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and other top Middle Eastern PRAISED MUSLIYAR, HIGHLIGHTED 'TRUE KERALA STORY'Back in Kerala, the postponement sparked a debate over who should claim credit, and who should CPM, which is aligned with the Musliyar-led AP group, one of the half-dozen Muslim community-based groups in Kerala, was quick to crown him the "favourite Musliyar" for delaying the State Secretary MV Govindan praised him, saying, "No amount of appreciation is enough for what Kanthapuram Musliyar has done. He has truly become everyone's favourite Musliyar".Govindan highlighted Musliyar's humanitarian efforts and Kerala's secular values. He, for obvious reasons, also noted the CPM state government's proactive role, including memoranda sent to the Prime Minister and Union Foreign posts on X reveal a polarised narrative. One user criticised the Kerala media for overemphasising Musliyar's role, arguing it overshadowed India's diplomatic efforts."Kerala media is bending over backwards to praise religious leader Kanthapuram as if a religious figure holds more sway than an entire nation's diplomacy. What nonsense," wrote a the MEA said it had no information to share about "Musliyar's role".advertisementOn being asked about the Musliyar's role in negotiations, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday said, "As for the role of the entity you have mentioned, I have no information to share on this account"."This is a sensitive matter, and the Government of India has been offering all possible help," Jaiswal said, adding that legal aid was provided, a lawyer appointed, and regular consular visits arranged for Priya. We're in touch with local authorities and the family to resolve the issue. Efforts were made recently to get more time for Nimisha Priya's family to reach a settlement. Her execution, scheduled for July 16, has been postponed. We're following the matter closely and also speaking with friendly governments," he RELIGIOUS LEADER INVOLVED: NIMISHA PRIYA ACTION COUNCILSamuel Jerome, who led the Nimisha Priya Action Council advocating for years for the nurse's release and respite, said that no religious leader was involved in the postponement of Nimisha Priya's death sentence. He clarified that all discussions were held at the government level. Jerome had been working closely with Priya's family back in India for years also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, the Ministry of External Affairs, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Indian Embassy officials, MLA Chandy Oommen, and Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar for their efforts in postponing Nimisha Priya's Nimisha Priya Action Council further clarified that the central government acted through the Saudi Embassy. Samuel also said that Sheikh Abdul Malik Mehaya from Saudi Arabia played a key role in engaging with the Yemeni government.'CRORES FOR RAHIM, NOT A RUPEE FOR PRIYA,' SAID CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION IN 2024The Christian Association and Alliance for Social Action (Casa), which shares a cordial relationship with the BJP, previously supportive of Priya's plea, faced backlash for reversing its stance after reports of Musliyar's intervention came Casa's Malappuram unit had criticised the lack of support for Priya compared to another case. "There are people ready to spend crores on Rahim, but no one seems willing to raise even a rupee for Nimisha Priya," it said in Casa President Kevin Peters has questioned government intervention with convicted citizens abroad, asking, "What message does a country like Bharat send when it intervenes to help people convicted of crimes overseas?"The change of stance of the Casa was spotted by people, from strong support for Nimisha Priya, a fellow Christian, to sudden silence after reports of Musliyar's intervention, with some raising questions about CASA's alignment and selective the politics over credit and the postponement of the hanging, Priya's fate still hangs in the balance, with no final decision yet on her execution. But the politics of credit-taking has peaked in Kerala.- Ends(with inputs from Ajmal Abbas)Tune InMust Watch
NDTV
16 hours ago
- NDTV
Shigeru Ishiba, Japan's Rapidly Diminishing PM
Shigeru Ishiba likes the nitty gritty of policy and making military models, but his dream job as Japanese prime minister looked at risk of coming unstuck on Sunday. According to media projections after elections, Ishiba's coalition was projected to have lost its majority in the upper house, a result that might push him to resign. Late on Sunday, he was tight-lipped about his future. "It's a difficult situation, and we have to take it very humbly and seriously," Ishiba told broadcaster NHK. "We can't do anything until we see the final results, but we want to be very aware of our responsibility," Ishiba added. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed Japan almost continuously since 1955, but whether anyone wants to replace Ishiba is another matter. "I wonder who else wants the job," Masahisa Endo, politics professor at Waseda University, told AFP before the election result. Ishiba, 68, a self-confessed defence "geek", is the son of a regional governor and is from Japan's small Christian minority. Seen as a safe pair of hands, he won the party leadership in September, on his fifth try, to become the LDP's 10th separate prime minister since 2000, all of them men. Ishiba pledged to "create a new Japan" and revitalise depressed rural regions, and to address the "quiet emergency" of Japan's shrinking population. He immediately called lower house elections for October but that backfired spectactularly, with the LDP suffering its worst result in 15 years. That robbed the LDP and its coalition party Komeito of their majority, forcing them to bargain with opposition parties to pass legislation. Ishiba's policies on bringing down inflation and spurring growth have "flip-flopped", Stefan Angrick at Moody's Analytics said last week. The government "boxed itself in, promising only some belated and half-hearted financial support that will do little to improve the demand outlook," Angrick said. The government's popularity ratings have plummeted, with voters angry about price rises, especially for rice that is twice as expensive as a year ago. Clumsy Ways Ishiba, the father of two daughters, also appointed only two women to his cabinet, down from five under predecessor Fumio Kishida. Ishiba's sometimes clumsy ways -- ranging from the less-than-perfectly tidy arrangement of his tuxedo to his table manners -- have also been rich fodder for social media memes. He drew ridicule after being snapped apparently napping in parliament and for failing to stand up to greet other world leaders at a gathering in South America. Worse was a video that emerged of Ishiba eating an onigiri rice ball -- a popular snack -- whole and munching on it without closing his mouth. "He eats like a three-year-old," wroter one user on social media platform X. No Deal A major challenge has been dealing with US President Donald Trump, who has imposed painful tariffs on Japanese cars, steel and aluminium. Further levies of 25 percent on other Japanese imports -- up from 10 percent currently -- will come into force on August 1 if there is no trade agreement. Ishiba secured an early invitation to the White House in February and has sent his tariffs envoy to Washington seven times, but there has been no deal yet. Then-premier Shinzo Abe -- dubbed a "Trump whisperer" -- fared better during Trump's first term, managing to shield Japan from any tariffs. Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, gifted Trump a gold-coloured golf club and was a frequent guest of the US president. According to Trump, Abe even nominated him for the Nobel prize. "There will never be another like him," he said after Abe's death.
