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Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Saudi FM to make landmark visit to occupied West Bank
Prince Faisal bin Farhan will become the first Saudi foreign minister to visit the occupied West Bank on Sunday, a diplomatic source told AFP, as the Gaza war drags on and Riyadh pushes for Palestinian statehood. The Saudi top diplomat will lead a delegation to Ramallah, a Palestinian embassy source said, the first such trip since Israel first occupied the Palestinian territory in 1967. Prince Faisal's trip was revealed as Israel vowed to build a "Jewish Israeli state" in the West Bank, after doubling down on plans to expand settlements there. "A ministerial delegation led by the minister of foreign affairs will go to Ramallah on Sunday," the embassy source told AFP. Saudi Arabia sent a lower-level delegation to Ramallah in September 2023, its first since 1967, not long before Hamas's October 7 attack triggered the Gaza war. International backlash has been growing since Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza in March, with a humanitarian crisis spiralling and the UN warning of famine throughout the territory. Next month, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair an international conference meant to resurrect the two-state solution at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Nearly 150 countries recognise the State of Palestine, which has observer status at the UN but is not a full member as the Security Council has not voted to admit it. In May 2024, Ireland, Norway and Spain took the step of recognising a Palestinian state, but other European governments, including France, have not. President Emmanuel Macron said in April that France could recognise a Palestinian state in June. Macron said at the time that he wished to organise the New York conference to encourage recognition of the State of Palestine, "but also a recognition of Israel from states that currently do not". Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's holiest sites and the world's biggest oil exporter, was said to be close to recognising Israel before the start of the Gaza war. US President Donald Trump, during a visit to Riyadh this month, called Saudi normalisation with Israel "my fervent hope and wish, and even my dream". "You'll do it in your own time, and that's what I want, that's what you want," he said. Last September, de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated clearly that Saudi Arabia would not recognise Israel without an independent Palestinian state. This position was reaffirmed in November at a joint Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit where Israel was accused of "genocide" in Gaza. On Friday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed to build a "Jewish Israeli state" in the occupied West Bank, a day after the government announced the creation of 22 new settlements there.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
What the European right can learn from India
Earlier this week, I was in Budapest to address the annual conference of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a prestigious US-based group. It is influential in US politics and has close links with President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders. In Europe, CPAC also has an important role in creating a unified voice for conservative parties and leaders. This year's conference attracted major right-wing leaders from various countries in Europe and Latin America. Viktor Orban, the host country's Prime Minister, was there along with the Prime Minister of Georgia, several former prime ministers — including from the UK and the Czech Republic — several serving ministers, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), MPs and commentators. President Trump delivered a brief video message. As one of the speakers, an Arab-origin Congressman from Arizona, US, commented, the CPAC has become the Mecca of European conservatism. Through two days and dozens of speakers, the agenda of the conference revolved round the challenges faced by the European right from the opportunistic rainbow alliances that comprise traditionally centrist parties and liberal and left parties, whose sole aim is to prevent the rise of conservative politics on the continent. The last decade witnessed the unprecedented rise of right-wing parties in several European nations, including Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Hungary has been under the rule of Orban's right-wing Fidesz party for the past 15 years. In 2024, many political observers had predicted a right-wing-dominated European Parliament. However, the election results on June 6, 2024, did not provide that opportunity to the right-wing parties. They registered significant gains, but failed to emerge as the dominant force. They emerged as a strong voice and formed a pressure group called Patriots for Europe (PfE), which today boasts a membership of close to 100 MEPs. The rise of the right seems to have rattled the liberals who control the EU. Leaders like Orban have been subjected to severe criticism and his government was denied legitimate financial support from the EU on the flimsy grounds of citizens' rights and democratic downslide. When Orban took a firm stand against immigration, tightening borders and asylum laws, the EU leadership took the unusual measure of slapping a penalty of 1 million euros per day on his government. If the enthusiasm at the Budapest conference is any indication, such undemocratic and coercive measures by the EU, dominated by liberal groups, seemed to have had the opposite effect. A renewed vigour and determination to take on challenges like illegal immigration, radical Islam, globalism and woke forces was palpable through the conference, which had the 'Age of Patriots' as its main theme. Speaker after speaker reiterated their determination to fight back against what many described as 'liberal fascism'. Incidentally, I was the only non-Western speaker at the conference — this highlights the fact that while Western liberals have reached out systematically to all corners of the world, Western conservatives have limited their activism to Europe and the Americas. I told the conference that while our politics may not be the same, we, too, share some of the conservative values like God, religion, family, sovereignty and patriotism. Like the Western conservatives, the Indian right, too, sees illegal immigration as a threat to national sovereignty and woke liberalism as a danger to tradition and family values. Unfortunately, in India, the initial decades after Independence witnessed the dominance of Western liberal political ideas like socialism and globalism. A Nehruvian consensus was created, championing these ideas through not only state institutions but also the media and academia. Religiosity, cultural values, and national identity faced serious threats. Over several decades, a relentless battle was waged at the grassroots level to unshackle the country from left-liberal influence and build a strong cultural nationalist politics. It culminated in the election of the Narendra Modi government in 2014. In the last decade, the cultural nationalist project in India achieved significant successes. The Ram Temple in Ayodhya symbolises the defeat of pseudo-secular politics in the country, while the demise of Article 370 signified the death of liberal appeasement of separatism and radicalism. While Modi's market-friendly policies have catapulted India in just 10 years from the 11th biggest economy to the cusp of being the fourth biggest economy in the world, his zero tolerance for terror has resulted in the decimation of radical Islamist forces. The government has also clamped down on illegal immigrants. Indian media and academia, too, have turned nationalist and patriotic — substantially but not in full measure — pushing left-liberals to the fringe. In the wake of the recent terror attacks in Kashmir, Modi successfully mobilised the support of some liberals, who had been apologists for radical Islamists, in the war on terror. Understanding the nuances of India's experience in the revival of cultural nationalist politics can help the Western conservative movement in its struggle against the left liberal onslaught. The Indian right may not fully subscribe to the agenda of their counterparts in the West. European conservatives use God and religion in the singular, while Indian nationalists use them in the plural. Indian nationalists believe in values like pluralism, statism and environmental activism, which may sound very much like the liberal agenda to the right in the West. Yet, there is enough ground for engagement and dialogue. If the Western conservatives secure support from a big country like India, their power is bound to multiply manifold. Having India on their side is akin to having two Europes, four USAs or 140 Hungarys with them. The writer, president, India Foundation, is with the BJP
Scroll.in
4 hours ago
- Scroll.in
How case against Muslim teen accused of ‘love jihad' fell apart in UP court
On the night of December 14, 2020, Mohammad Saqib's life was upended. He had stepped out of his friend's home in Nasirpur village in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district after a birthday party. Outside, he saw a girl on a bicycle surrounded by a few men. When he walked up to the group to find out what was going on, the men attacked him. Saqib, a 16-year-old daily wager, did not return home in Kirar Kheri village that night. The next morning, his parents learnt that he had been arrested. The girl was also 16 and a Dalit. On December 15, her father lodged a first information report against Saqib at the Dhampur police station. Saqib was 16 too. He was accused of kidnapping and 'compelling' the minor 'for marriage'. He was also booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020, better known as the state's 'love jihad' law. 'Love jihad' is a conspiracy theory that accuses Muslim men of being part of an organised plot to trick unsuspecting Hindu women into romantic relationships to ultimately convert them to Islam. Saqib was one of the first men to be booked under the law, 18 days after it was brought in as an ordinance by the Adityanath government. Five years later, on May 21, a special court in Bijnor acquitted Mohammad Saqib, now 21, of all charges. 'This is the first case where a Muslim man in UP has been acquitted of charges under the anti-conversion law after a trial,' said Bijnor-based advocate Mashruf Kamaal, Saqib's counsel. In other cases, the Uttar Pradesh police has dropped charges against individuals after preliminary investigations, or they have been quashed by the courts. At least three cases that have ended in acquittals in Amroha, Bareilly and Azamgarh districts had tried mostly Dalit men for illegally converting others to Christianity. Saqib's case went through 74 hearings over five years. During the trial, the court found contradictions in the state's case and said that it could not prove its charges beyond reasonable doubt. 'The prosecution has failed to establish the basic facts,' said additional district and sessions judge Kalpana Pandey's judgement. The case The FIR against Saqib made serious claims. It invoked sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act involving sexual assault and accused him of luring a minor for illicit intercourse under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The complaint alleged that Saqib regularly spoke to the Dalit girl while pretending that he was a Hindu man named Sonu. Around 11 pm on December 14, 2020, he lured and abducted the girl from her house in Berkhara Chauhan village with the intention of marrying and converting her, it alleged. When she found out that he was Muslim, she escaped and returned home and narrated the ordeal to her parents. All offences in the complaint were non-bailable. On December 17, Saqib was sent to judicial custody. He spent six months in prison before the Allahabad High Court granted him bail on June 15, 2021. In submissions before the sessions court, Saqib said that he was innocent and had been falsely implicated because of a local dispute. The young man told Scroll that he worked as an understudy to a welder in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and had returned to his home in Bijnor days before the incident. He added that he did not know the girl and had never met or spoken to her before the night of December 14. Days after the FIR, the minor's father, the complainant in the FIR, told the Indian Express that the matter had been 'politicised' by the village pradhan, against whom he was going to contest in the panchayat polls in April 2021. 'This is all politics. They made videos of my daughter and falsely claimed that this was a case of love jihad,' he was quoted as saying, adding that his FIR was dictated by police officials. Poking holes Arif, Saqib's elder brother, told Scroll that the girl's village, Berkhara Chauhan, is a few hundred metres from his family village of Kirar Kheri. Saqib is the youngest of three brothers. 'Our father passed away in 2016,' Arif said. 'When Saqib was young, we sent him to school for a few months. But he could not adjust, so we took him out and put him to work.' During the trial, the minor's cross-examination by the defence counsel poked several holes in the FIR complaint. Three aspects of the prosecution's case were called into question: the location of the incident, the account of the complainant, and the claims of religious conversion. In her statement before the magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the girl had said that Saqib had lured her to a village called Nasirpur. When she asked his name, he said Saqib and revealed that he was Muslim. Then he tried to molest her. The girl added that she pushed him away and started running. She raised an alarm which led the residents of Nasirpur to catch Saqib. The court noted that according to the statement of her father, a witness, his wife had told him that their daughter had gone missing from their home after she went to the washroom on the night of December 14. The girl returned shortly after and recounted her ordeal to her parents, he said. However, the girl's mother, also a witness in the case, had a different version. She told the court that her daughter had gone missing after going to the washroom that night, but she only returned the next morning to recount her ordeal. Moreover, in her cross-examination, the mother said that her daughter had not told her anything about the incident that night. The girl's cross-examination gave yet another account. She said that she had gone to the washroom at her friend's house when Saqib took her to Nasirpur. The girl's statement was inconsistent in other aspects, the court noted. During her medical examination, she claimed that she had been abducted on the night of December 13 by three men while using the washroom in her home. The men threw her into a van and brought her to Nasirpur, she had said. They forced themselves on her but could not sexually assault her. She eventually escaped after locals intervened. The second problem in the prosecution's case was the father's account. In his court statement, he had alleged that on December 14, when the girl did not return home, he searched for her until she came back herself later that night. But during his cross-examination, the father said that he did not search for the girl after she went missing. He was instead informed about her whereabouts by a police official at the Nehtaur police station over a phone call. He added that the police handed over the minor to him the next morning. Third, and most importantly, the claim of conversion also fell apart during the cross-examination. The girl told the court that Saqib had not asked her to convert to Islam. She added that, contrary to her father's claim in court, she was not present in the police station when he had written out the FIR. Judge Pandey observed that these contradictions in the statements of the victim and her parents 'did not provide much benefit to the prosecution as they are contrary to the prosecution's story'. 'Doubtful evidence' The court found glaring weaknesses in the statements of circle officer Ajay Kumar Agarwal, who was the investigating officer in the case. For one, during his cross-examination, Agarwal could not recall where Saqib had allegedly taken the girl after kidnapping her, and where he had allegedly proceeded to molest her. This was a problem because he had drawn the map of the alleged scene of crime himself. 'He does not remember in which direction of the village is the site of the incident,' said the court. 'How many rooms were there in the location where he made the map? He does not remember. He does not remember what was east of the incident site. He said that the map only shows where the victim went; not where the incident took place…this makes the evidence doubtful.' The court also examined the doctor who conducted a medical examination of the minor on December 16. The doctor told the court that she found 'no external injuries on the victim's body'. She had also examined whether the minor was sexually assaulted, despite her claim that she was not. But Agarwal did not demand a supplementary report on sexual assault from the doctor. 'We prepare the supplementary report only when the investigating officer asks for it,' added the doctor. Taking these inconsistencies into account, judge Pandey ruled that the prosecution 'has failed to establish basic facts' since the statements of the victim, her father, her mother and the investigating officer are 'full of contradictions and hence not reliable'. 'The prosecution has failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt,' the judge said. The special court acquitted Saqib of all charges. 'Most cases result in acquittals' The UP anti-conversion became a law on March 5, 2021, and was amended with harsher punishments on August 6, 2024. Between November 2020 and July 2024, the UP police registered 835 cases under the law, with 1,682 arrests. However, lawyers said that convictions under the law have been few. Advocate Ramesh Kumar, who represented Saqib during his bail hearing in Allahabad High Court, told Scroll that it is difficult to prove charges under Uttar Pradesh's anti-conversion law during a trial because it is a bad law to begin with 'Mostly, these cases are applied under pressure from Hindu right-wing groups, who force a woman and their family to give false statements,' he said. 'But as the pressure eases with time and the trial goes on, the same people contradict their older statements in courts.' Kumar added that the hardest part is to prove a malafide intent of the person accused of illegal conversion. 'This is why most cases under this law result in acquittals,' he said. 'Mostly, there is no intent. Cases are filed because of the ruling party and its cadre's attempt to magnify anti-Muslim prejudices for political gain.' In July 2024, while acquitting two two men charged with sections of the anti-conversion law, a court in Bareilly directed 'appropriate legal action' against police officials for lodging the case 'under some pressure' and on the basis of a 'baseless, unfounded, fabricated and fantastical' story. In March 2024, the Supreme Court had remarked that parts of Uttar Pradesh's anti-conversion law may seem violative of Article 25 of the Constitution, which protects freedom of conscience and the free profession, practice, and propagation of religion. 'The case ruined us' Soon after he was granted bail in 2021, Saqib returned to Dehradun and resumed his welding job. 'I used to make Rs 7,000 a month when I got the job and today I make Rs 10,000,' he said. 'Most of that money was spent in fighting the case. Sometimes, I had to travel to Bijnor four times a month for hearings. I have not been able to save any money.' His brother, Arif, added that he and other family members had to pitch in when Saqib ran out of money. 'Hum toh bekaar ho gaye is case ki wajah se,' he said. The case ruined us. While the acquittal came as a relief to him, the trial has taken a toll. 'The case happened when I was 16. That is the age when others play and have fun,' said Saqib. 'The case is like a stain on me and my family. In Bijnor, some still believe that I did it.' Arif added that people in his village still look down on the family because of the trial. 'None of our ancestors ever went near a police station,' he said. 'But this [case] changed everything.'
Time of India
6 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Dibrugarh Sikh community observes Shaheedi Diwas with Chabeel & prayers
Dibrugarh: Sikh community in Dibrugarh observed Shaheedi Diwas, the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, with prayers and the traditional distribution of Chabeel (a sweetened cold drink) at the historic Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara on AT Road. Hundreds of devotees participated in the commemoration, honouring the supreme sacrifice of the fifth Sikh Guru. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was tortured to death on the orders of Mughal emperor Jahangir on June 16, 1606, for refusing to convert to Islam. His unwavering faith and sacrifice are remembered through devotional prayers and the centuries-old tradition of serving Chabeel — symbolising his suffering under the scorching sun during his torture. Sardar Gurdev Singh, president of the Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara committee, said, "Guru Arjan Dev Ji's martyrdom teaches us patience, sacrifice, and steadfastness in faith. By distributing Chabeel, we not only honour his suffering but also spread the message of selfless service, just as Guru Ji devoted himself to humanity." Throughout the day, the Gurdwara witnessed a steady stream of devotees attending Akhand Path (continuous scripture reading) and Ardas (prayers) in tribute to Guru Arjan Dev Ji. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cantanhede: Quanto vale a sua casa? Descubra agora! Valor da casa | Anúncios de pesquisa Saiba Mais Undo Volunteers prepared large quantities of Chabeel — a refreshing drink made with milk, sugar, and rose water — and offered it to pedestrians, bus passengers, and commuters outside the Gurdwara. "Every year, we serve Chabeel to hundreds of people. This is our way of keeping Guru Ji's teachings alive — serving others with love and humility," said Simmi Kaur, a volunteer. Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563-1606) holds a revered place in Sikh history. He compiled the Adi Granth, the first official version of Sikh scriptures, which later became the Guru Granth Sahib. He also laid the foundation for the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar and established the concept of langar (community kitchen), which continues to provide free meals to all.
Observer
9 hours ago
- Observer
No permit, no haj: Saudi intensifies crackdown
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is ramping up a crackdown on unregistered worshippers at next week's haj pilgrimage, a year after hundreds perished in scorching conditions. Regular raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts are aimed at rooting out unauthorised visitors hoping to mingle among the crowds in and around the holy city of Mecca. The simple message, "No haj without a permit", is being blared out in a relentless campaign promoted nationwide at shopping centres, on billboards and across media platforms. Last year, 1,301 pilgrims, most of them unregistered and lacking access to air-conditioned tents and buses, died as temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 degrees Fahrenheit). "Since the end of last season, we realised the biggest challenge is preventing unauthorised pilgrims from undermining the success of the haj season," said one official helping organise the haj, requesting anonymity. The haj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be completed by all Muslims with the means at least once. Yet official permits are allocated to countries through a quota system and distributed to individuals via a lottery. Even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs make the irregular route — which costs thousands of dollars less — more attractive. Saudi officials said 83 per cent of those who died last year did not have official haj permits. Temperatures of up to 44 °C (111 °F) are forecast next week. Security forces have also raided hundreds of apartments in search of people hiding out in the area. An Egyptian engineer living in Mecca, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said his building was raided multiple times in recent weeks. "Police officers in uniform came to my home twice and asked to see my wife's and my residency permits," he said. "Almost everywhere, we're being asked to show residency or work permits in Mecca. The security presence is unprecedented." Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have used family and tourist visas, instead of the designated haj visa, to enter the country each year. Meanwhile, fines for an illicit haj have doubled to 20,000 Saudi riyals ($5,333), with violators facing a 10-year ban from the country. Those found to be harbouring and helping unauthorised pilgrims can be fined up to 100,000 riyals ($26,666). "All of this is aimed at ensuring that Mecca is reserved exclusively for authorised pilgrims during the Haj season," the official added. — AFP
