Latest news with #Islamic
Memri
23 minutes ago
- Politics
- Memri
Urgent Appeal - Support MEMRI In Our Time Of Need
Following the 12-day Israel/U.S.-Iran war, and to the continued war in Gaza for nearly two years, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) continues to provide vital research, primary source translations, original analysis, and vital early warnings to the governments of the U.S. and its allies and to their counterterrorism officials, law enforcement agencies, militaries, and other authorities. As the region resets, with never-before seen changes as well as increased tensions, MEMRI's work is more important and more needed now than ever before. Meanwhile, the last Iranian proxy standing, the Houthis, are renewing their disruption of shipping in the Red Sea and their launching of drones and missiles at Israel; China continues efforts to expand to the South China Sea and Taiwan; and civil wars continue in Sudan and Libya. MEMRI is working around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, monitoring and translating, providing cutting-edge research and open-source intelligence (OSINT). As always, our wide-ranging work focuses on the most recent and most critical events and developments in these regions. No other organization does the work that we are doing. But this work is resource intensive, and we need your help today. Since MEMRI's establishment nearly 30 years ago, we have become one of the world's most productive nonprofit think tanks focusing on the Middle East and South Asia and on threats from these regions to the U.S. and the West. Our research output equals or surpasses that of similar organizations many times our size with many times our budget. In the past decade, not one day has passed without new MEMRI research being posted on our website and sent out in emails to hundreds of thousands of subscribers. MEMRI research is filling a major void; in our 27th year, we again prove ourselves leaders in this field. But during these eventful times, our research and translation teams remain stretched to the limit. There is so much more of this primary source material that MEMRI needs to monitor, translate, and distribute. As we face so many more challenges this year, we continue to produce ever more research and distribute it to governments, legislatures, media, and you, our readers. We are appealing to you, our donors and readers, to help support our work. Areas we are closely monitoring, with a focus on statements by governments, terrorist and rebel groups, and their leaders, include: Iran: Following the war, Iranian regime officials and clerics ramp up their assassination threats against President Trump, as they withdraw from all international nuclear oversight organizations and vow to double down on the country's nuclear program, moving toward nuclear ambiguity. At the same time, Iran's non-Persian ethnic groups call for the downfall of the Islamic regime and for a new democratic future for the country. Qatar: Qatar, the foremost sponsor of terrorism worldwide that pretends to be a U.S. ally continues to position itself also to be an "honest broker" in negotiations, amid its ongoing efforts to buy influence in the West, including in U.S. higher education. Gaza and Lebanon: As Hamas continues to attempt to thwart the distribution of humanitarian aid that it once exclusively controlled – thus forcing Gaza's civilian population to stand by it – the Lebanese government, under U.S. pressure, demands that Hizbullah disarm, but Hizbullah's compliance is not assured. Syria : Amid President Trump's lifting of all remaining U.S. sanctions on Syria, and removal of Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham – the organization led by Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa that took over the country in December – from the list of designated terrorists, Syrian forces unleash brutal attacks on the Druze region in southern Syria. Yemen's Houthis: Ansar Allah (the Houthis), the last Iranian proxy left standing, resumes its disruption of shipping in the Red Sea and missile and drone launches toward Israel. Jihadi activity: There are increased threats and chatter about lone wolf attacks in the West, from ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other jihadi organizations. Russia-Iran-China Alliance: The 12-day Israel/U.S.-Iran war laid bare the limits of Russia's and China's support for Iran, and Iran now seeks to acquire Chinese military technology, including 40 advanced fighter jets for its airforce. Extremist imams and Islamist organizations in the U.S. and West: In addition to all these regions, MEMRI focuses on exposing the continuing extremism emanating from mosques and Islamist organizations in the U.S. We continue our mission to "bridge the language gap" and to make it possible for U.S. officials and the public to understand what is happening both outside the U.S. and inside it (such as in extremist sermons in mosques). We are appealing to you, as a reader and donor who is aware of our vital work, to continue with a greater effort to support our work. Your donation will also support these special projects: MEMRI TV – The MEMRI TV project scours hundreds of channels and online broadcasting outlets – Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, and Korean – for relevant, important content to record, translate, subtitle, and publish. To date, MEMRI TV clips, numbering nearly 12,000, have had over 350 million views across the web. No other research like this is being carried out by any intelligence community anywhere in the West. Lantos Archives on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial – Named after the late honorable Congressman and Holocaust survivor Tom Lantos, this project exposes Muslim antisemitism in the Arab and Muslim world and the West, and also monitors online propaganda, incitement, threats, and recruitment activity by violent neo-Nazi groups and individuals. It maintains the world's largest archives on these subjects. Our linguists and analysts – experts in the field – have been exposing extremism, antisemitism, and jihadi threats for over a quarter of a century, helping law enforcement agencies all over the U.S., and have thwarted numerous actual planned attacks. We ask you today to help us continue our essential, unique, and vital work. We cannot do this without you. With gratitude,
32 minutes ago
- Politics
The Taliban criticize neighboring countries for their mass expulsion of Afghans
ISLAMABAD -- The Taliban on Wednesday criticized neighboring countries for the mass expulsion of Afghans, as Iran and Pakistan expel foreigners who they say are living there illegally. The two countries set deadlines and threatened them with arrest or deportation if they did not comply. They deny targeting Afghans, who make up significant numbers in both countries. Abdul Rahman Rashid, the Taliban government's deputy minister for refugees and repatriation, rebuked host countries for the mass expulsions and described the removal of Afghans as a 'serious violation of international norms, humanitarian principles, and Islamic values.' 'The scale and manner in which Afghan refugees have been forced to return to their homeland is something Afghanistan has never before experienced in its history," Rashid told a press conference in Kabul. Nearly 1.8 million Afghans were forcibly returned from Iran in the past three months alone. A further 184,459 were sent back from Pakistan and over 5,000 were deported from Turkey since the beginning of the year. Additionally, nearly 10,000 Afghan prisoners have been repatriated, mostly from Pakistan. The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said some 6 million Afghan refugees remain overseas. Natural disasters have swelled Afghanistan's refugee population. The ministry's director for policy and planning, Mahmood al Haq Ahadi, said some 13,500 families were internally displaced due to droughts, floods, and storms. 'When combined with prior displacements, the total number of internally displaced families in Afghanistan has now reached nearly 2.5 million," Ahadi said. The ministry planned to send delegations to hold meetings with host countries focusing on legal support and resolving the challenges faced by Afghan asylum seekers. 'Our goal is to find sustainable solutions through dialogue and cooperation,' Ahadi said.
News18
an hour ago
- Politics
- News18
70-year-old Ahmadi community worship place demolished in Pak's Punjab
Lahore, Jul 30 (PTI) A 70-year-old worship place of the minority Ahmadi community was demolished by police in Pakistan's Punjab province, an organisation representing the community said on Wednesday. 'The police on the pressure of religious extremists have not only demolished the mihrab (prayer niche) of a 70-year-old Ahmadi worship place but also desecrated two Ahmadi graves by breaking their tombstones," the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan (JAP) said in a statement. The incident took place at Butala Sharm Singh village in Gujranwala district, some 80 kilometres from Lahore, on Tuesday. It said during the operation to demolish the Ahmadi worship place, the police also entered the adjacent Ahmadi graveyard and broke the tombstones of two graves that bore sacred inscriptions. Amir Mahmood, spokesperson for JAP, strongly condemned the 'illegal action", saying the police 'unjustifiably vandalised the 70-year-old Ahmadi place of worship". He said it is the duty of the police to protect the lives, property and religious sites of all citizens, regardless of their faith. The spokesperson called on senior police officials to take immediate notice of the incident and ensure that those responsible for damaging the worship place and desecrating Ahmadi graves are held accountable under the law. On the other hand, a police officer said that the Ahmadi community of the area had been asked to demolish the prayer niche of its worship place and tombstones of the graves as they had Islamic verses inscribed. Besides, many locals had also objected to Islamic verses inscribed on an Ahmadi worship place and tombstones, he said. 'When the Ahmadi community did not comply with the order, police acted on their own," he said. Although Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, Pakistan's Parliament in 1974 declared the community as non-Muslims. A decade later, they were not just banned from calling themselves Muslims but also barred from practising aspects of Islam. These include constructing or displaying any symbol that identifies them as Muslims such as building minarets or domes on mosques or publicly writing verses from the Quran. Amnesty International has called upon the Pakistani authorities to immediately end the harassment, intimidation and attacks on the Ahmadi community and uphold their right to freedom of belief and religion. PTI MZ GSP GSP view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 19:30 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.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad arrests female Al Qaeda operative in Bengaluru's Manorayanapalya area
ANI Sama Parveen (File photo) The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a woman in Bengaluru for her alleged involvement with Al Qaeda, according to police sources cited by IANS. The 30-year-old, identified as Sama Parveen (also referred to as Shama Parveen in some accounts), is originally from Jharkhand and was apprehended during a joint operation conducted on Tuesday by the Gujarat ATS and local police. Following the arrest, intelligence agencies have increased surveillance across Bengaluru. Suspect allegedly supported Al Qaeda ideology online According to IANS, Sama Parveen had been living in the Manorayanapalya locality of Bengaluru for the past three years with her brother, a software engineer. She is a graduate and is alleged to have supported the ideology of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) on social media platforms, including Instagram. Police sources stated that she had shared videos of a key Al Qaeda operative and encouraged young people to engage in terrorism. During the arrest, authorities recovered a laptop, mobile phones, and other digital equipment from her possession. The Gujarat ATS had earlier detained four other individuals with suspected AQIS links, and further investigation reportedly uncovered Parveen's connection to the group. She was produced before a court and transported to Gujarat after a transit warrant was obtained, police sources told IANS. DIG confirms arrest part of broader operation Gujarat ATS Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sunil Joshi confirmed to ANI that Sama Parveen was arrested for her alleged connections to Al Qaeda. Her detention followed the July 23 arrest of four other suspects linked to AQIS. The four accused were identified as Mohd Faiq from Delhi, Mohd Fardeen from Ahmedabad, Sefullah Kureshi from Modasa in Aravalli district, and Zeeshan Ali from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. DIG Joshi said all four had been under surveillance for activities suspected to be associated with AQIS, which is a banned terror outfit affiliated with Al Qaeda. He added that the arrests were made following specific intelligence inputs and coordinated surveillance efforts. Separate NIA arrest at Bengaluru airport In a separate case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested another terror suspect from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on August 31, 2024. The individual was identified as Aziz Ahamad—also known as Aziz Ahmed or Jaleel Aziz—a resident of Tamil Nadu and a key accused in the Tamil Nadu Hizb-ut-Tahrir case. According to IANS, the case involves alleged efforts to radicalise youth and establish an Islamic caliphate in India. The NIA said, 'The case in this regard was registered by the NIA against six accused, influenced by extremist, radical and fundamental ideology of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an international pan-Islamist and fundamental organisation which has been fighting to establish an Islamic caliphate and enforce the constitution written by Hizb-ut-Tahrir's founder Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani.' Ahamad was apprehended while attempting to flee the country.(With inputs from ANI and IANS)
Time Business News
3 hours ago
- Time Business News
Safe & Affordable Rides in Makkah & Madinah
Performing Umrah is a deeply spiritual journey. But let's face it — dealing with transportation during such a sacred trip can sometimes be a nightmare. That's where Umrah cab services step in. These specialized transportation services help pilgrims focus on their ibadah while someone else handles the roads. Understanding Umrah Travel Needs Umrah isn't just a quick visit. Pilgrims move across major holy cities like Makkah, Madinah, and frequently land at Jeddah International Airport. Reliable transport isn't a luxury — it's a necessity. After a long flight, the last thing you want is to haggle with a driver or get lost in translation. What is an Umrah Cab Service? An Umrah cab service is a dedicated transportation option for pilgrims traveling between Islamic holy cities in Saudi Arabia. Unlike typical taxis, these cabs are tailored to meet the specific needs of Umrah travelers — from ensuring timely pickups to understanding the significance of prayer times and sacred stops. Types of Umrah Cab ServicesShared vs. Private Cabs Shared cabs: More affordable and best for solo travelers on a budget. Private cabs: Ideal for families or groups seeking privacy and flexibility. VIP and Luxury Options If comfort is your priority, luxury Umrah cab services come with plush interiors, bottled water, and English-speaking drivers. Some even offer in-car Quran recitations and prayer alerts. Common Features of Umrah Cabs Expect more than just a ride. Many services offer: Multilingual drivers (Arabic, English, Urdu) Wi-Fi-enabled vehicles GPS tracking for security Luggage assistance at both pick-up and drop-off points Benefits of Using a Dedicated Cab ServiceConvenience and Peace of Mind No waiting. No bargaining. Just hop in and relax. Time-Saving for Pilgrims Punctuality matters when you've got Umrah rituals scheduled. These cabs operate with prayer and prayer timings in mind. Safety and Reliability All vehicles are licensed and regularly inspected. Plus, the drivers are trained to assist pilgrims respectfully and responsibly. Door-to-Door Pickup and Drop This feature is a game-changer. Your cab picks you up right from your hotel or airport terminal and drops you directly at your destination — whether that's Masjid al-Haram or your next hotel in Madinah. Easy Booking Systems Today, most cab services offer: Mobile apps for booking Websites with instant quotes Local kiosks in airports and hotels Some even allow WhatsApp bookings with instant confirmations — simple, fast, and effective. Major Routes Covered by Umrah Cab Services Here are the three most popular travel routes: Jeddah to Makkah Distance: ~85 km Duration: 1-1.5 hours Makkah to Madinah Distance: ~450 km Duration: 4.5 to 6 hours Round Trips and Tours Many services offer city tours, ziyarah trips, and return rides. Costs and Pricing of Umrah Cab Services Pricing varies based on: Vehicle type (Sedan vs SUV vs Van) Number of passengers Distance and location Sample Price Ranges Jeddah to Makkah (Sedan): $50–$80 Makkah to Madinah (Van): $200–$300 Hidden Charges to Watch Always ask about: Toll charges Luggage fees (if any) Waiting time charges Tips to Choose the Right Umrah Cab Service Read reviews on Google and TripAdvisor Compare 3–5 providers before booking Ask for pictures of the vehicle Check if the company is licensed by Saudi authorities How to Avoid Scams and Overpricing Unfortunately, fake agents and unlicensed cabs are common. Here's how to dodge them: Only book through verified platforms or hotel counters Always ask for a booking confirmation Never pay in full upfront unless through a reputable provider Alternatives to Cab Services Not into cab services? Here are a few other ways to get around: Ride-Sharing Apps Uber and Careem work in major Saudi cities Hotel Shuttles Some hotels offer free or paid shuttles to Haram or other landmarks Public Buses Cheaper but slower and not recommended for first-timers or elderly pilgrims Real Experiences from Pilgrims 'I used an Umrah cab from Jeddah to Makkah, and the driver was not only polite but also guided me on the miqat dua.' — Zahra K., UK 'We traveled with kids and elderly parents. Booking a private cab made everything smoother.' — Imran S., Pakistan Stories like these show that the right cab service can truly enhance your Umrah experience. Final Thoughts Planning Umrah is stressful enough. Don't let transportation be the reason you miss your prayers or get lost in a foreign city. A reliable Umrah cab service gives you the freedom to focus on what truly matters — your connection with Allah. Book in advance, compare your options, and let professionals take the wheel while you travel with peace and purpose. FAQs Can I pre-book my Umrah cab from outside Saudi Arabia? Yes, most services allow online booking and payment before arrival. Are Umrah cabs available 24/7? Absolutely. Pilgrimage doesn't sleep, and neither do these services. What if my flight gets delayed? Many cab providers track your flight and adjust pickup times accordingly. Is tipping expected in Umrah cab services? Not mandatory, but appreciated if service was exceptional. Can I use the same cab for my entire Umrah trip? Yes, you can book multi-day packages with the same driver and vehicle. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
