Latest news with #Islamists'
News18
19 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
How Assam Is Fighting Back In The 1,000-Year Demographic War Against India
Last Updated: Using a 1950 law, Assam has so far cleared more than 42,000 acres of encroached land and reportedly pushed back thousands of illegal Bangladesh and Rohingya infiltrators. In perhaps the bluntest way possible for any politician, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has made Assam a test case in countering the 1,000-year demographic war against India and over 100 years of spontaneous influx and targeted takeover of his state. Using a 1950 law, the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, the state government has so far cleared more than 42,000 acres (think 32,000 international-size football grounds) of encroached land and reportedly pushed back thousands of illegal Bangladesh and Rohingya infiltrators across the border. The Sarma's government is now planning to launch another major eviction drive in Golaghat to clear approximately 3,300 acres of land in the Rengma reserve forest at Assam's Uriamghat, bordering Nagaland. These came alongside Himanta Biswa Sarma's public statement that the Muslim population in the state had surged to 40 per cent now from 12 per cent in 1951. The drive has given voice to local marginalised tribes. Thousands of them gathered in Dhemaji district, Assam, carrying fire-torches and raising slogans of 'Bangladeshis go back". Demonstrators issued a 15-day ultimatum to illegal settlers in the forest to vacate the region, warning of consequences if the demands are not met. Assam, the rest of Northeast, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar have long been part of Al Qaeda and other Islamists' plan to create a greater Bangladesh and complete the green arc from sub-Saharan Africa to the Gulf to Af-Pak to central Asia, Kashmir and downwards. Rampant demographic takeover, Indian official slumber, and liberal whitewash of the threat have made things easy for the Islamists. But Sarma's counterattack should be a reminder of Assam's centuries-old glorious tradition of standing unconquered against invaders. Only after a decade of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, the world is coming to know about Lachit Barphukan, Assam's iconic commander who had defeated the Mughal army in the Battle of Saraighat on the waters of Brahmaputra in March 1671. Even before that, Qutb ud-Din Aibak, soon after conquering Delhi, had dispatched Ikhtiyar al-Din Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji on a mission to central and eastern India. 'After conquering Bihar and Bengal in 1203 AD, Khilji headed for Assam. But such was the counter-attack by the Kamrup (Assam) king Viswasundardeva that Bakhtiyar Khilji somehow managed to get back to Bengal after his entire army was literally wiped out on the banks of the Brahmaputra. The Kamrup king's victory over the first-ever Muslim invaders of Assam has been recorded in a rock inscription at Kanai-Barasi-Bowa near Guwahati," writes veteran journalist Samudra Gupta Kashyap, who has recently authored a book titled, Assam's Great Heroes Who Fought the Muslim Invasions. It also mentions the heroism of kings and chiefs like Indra Narayan, Chakradhwaj, Nilambar, Chilarai, Indrapratap Narayan, Parikshit, Sonatan, Balinarayan, Madhusudan, Parasuram, Jadu Nayak, Susengpha, Momai-Tamuli Barbarua, Tangchu Sandikui and several others who had vanquished invaders who had superior firepower. Today, Sarma claims that land more than the area of Chandigarh has been freed from encroachers in Assam, and much more action is coming up. Assam could be the test case for the rest of Bharat, especially West Bengal, where demographic change encouraged by the ruling TMC could some day bring the state to the brink of a third, bloody Partition. 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.
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Business Standard
20-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Sequoia partner's social media post on Mamdani sets off chain reaction
Roelof Botha, managing partner at Sequoia Capital, attended the Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley last week amid a storm back home. Attendees repeatedly questioned him about colleague Shaun Maguire's July 4 post on X accusing Zohran Mamdani, a progressive Democrat and NYC mayoral candidate, of pushing an 'Islamist agenda' and being part of a 'culture that lies about everything.' Maguire's remarks were quickly condemned as Islamophobic. Over 1,000 technologists signed an open letter urging Sequoia to take action, while others defended his right to free speech. Botha remained neutral at Sun Valley, but the controversy has thrust Sequoia into a political firestorm it long tried to avoid. For years, Sequoia maintained institutional neutrality while rivals like Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund leaned into politics. But as Maguire's inflammatory views — including saying diversity, equity and inclusion 'kills people' — gained attention, that position has become harder to hold. Sequoia, which backed giants like Apple, Google, and Nvidia, has historically let its founders shine while partners stayed low-profile. But with Silicon Valley's evolution, political commentary by investors has become more common. Though Maguire's outspokenness is unusual at Sequoia, it reflects a broader trend seen in figures like Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel. Sequoia has remained silent on the issue. Internally, senior partner Doug Leone appeared to defend Maguire, distinguishing between 'Islamists' and 'Muslims' in emails. 'Sequoia is backed into a corner and only has bad options,' said Paul Biggar, founder of Tech for Palestine. In a recent video, Maguire reiterated his comments, calling Mamdani 'an Islamist' and 'a wolf in sheep's clothing,' while offering a limited apology to Muslims not aligned with Islamism. Mamdani's campaign didn't comment. Founded in 1972, Sequoia built its reputation on early bets in firms like Cisco, YouTube, and Zoom. But as new investors flooded Silicon Valley, standing out meant being more vocal — including on politics. In recent years, Sequoia partners have broken from tradition: Michael Moritz criticised Trump in 2016, while Leone donated to and later denounced him. Maguire helped secure Sequoia's investment in SpaceX and other Elon Musk ventures. He has over 275,000 followers on X. After Hamas' October 7 attack, Maguire, a self-described 'Jew and a Zionist,' defended Israel and warned of rising antisemitism. Maguire's post on Mamdani came after The New York Times reported that the mayoral hopeful had described himself as 'Asian and African American' on a college application. The backlash included an open letter accusing Maguire of promoting anti-Muslim stereotypes. A counterletter supporting him, signed by Bill Ackman and others, called him a 'principled thinker.' Sequoia partners have tread cautiously. On July 10, partner Pat Grady posted on X, expressing support for both the Muslim community and Maguire, calling Sequoia's culture of 'healthy conflict of ideas.' Now, activists are pressuring Sequoia's financial backers — including major universities — to hold the firm accountable. 'If we're serious about building an inclusive future, it starts with holding power accountable,' the letter said.
New York Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Who'll end Christian slaughter, grad schools will survive loan caps and other commentary
Foreign desk: Who'll End Christian Slaughter? 'On Friday June 13, over 500 Christians' were murdered by Islamic terrorists in Nigeria, reports The Free Press' Madeleine Kearns. 'The jihadists broke into homes and shelters, murdering people with machetes,' then 'doused their victims' bodies and homes in petrol and set them ablaze.' And, 'though exceptional in scale and barbarity,' it's just 'part of a pattern of persecution that Christians in Nigeria have come to expect.' Consider: 'Since 2009, Islamists' across Nigeria 'have destroyed over 18,000 churches,' 'murdered over 50,000 Christians' and displaced 'a further 5 million Christians.' Yet Western governments and media 'have turned away from the issue.' Will anyone move to stop the carnage? Libertarian: Grad Schools Will Survive Loan Caps Advertisement A provision in the Republican Big Beautiful Bill 'may make considerable inroads to correcting a decades-long student loan policy that has driven expensive programs and large debt burdens for students,' cheers Reason's Emma Camp. The House bill 'eliminates the Graduate PLUS loan program, which allows graduate students to borrow an unlimited sum of money from the government,' instead capping grad-student borrowing at $100,000, 'with a $150,000 limit for professional programs, and a lifetime cap of $200,000 for all students.' These caps could 'force colleges to lower their prices once their students no longer have access to an infinite pile of government money.' Indeed, If we want more affordable medical schools, 'the first step should involve actually incentivizing medical schools to stop overcharging students.' Conservative: Dems' NYC-led Coastal Elitism 'One interesting aspect of the rise of' socialist Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani 'is what it says about New York City's dominance of national Democratic politics at this moment,' muses the Washington Examiner's Byron York. 'The New York contingent essentially is the leadership of the Democratic Party today,' since congressional leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer as well as stars Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders are all current or former New Yorkers. 'After the 2024 election, Democratic pollster Mark Penn wrote that Trump was elected by 'Americans who feel abandoned by the coastal elites and a Democratic Party that moved too far from mainstream America.'' 'There are probably a lot of things Democrats might do to broaden their appeal beyond the coastal areas, but' elevating Mamdani 'is definitely not one of them.' Advertisement Antisemitism beat: 'Kosherizing' Jew-Haters Just before New York's mayoral primary, late-night host Stephen Colbert's guests were Zohran Mamdani and City comptroller Brad Lander, notes Commentary's Seth Mandel. 'All three were there' to 'help elect Zohran Mamdani mayor.' Mamdani — 'the poster child for progressive anti-Zionism's conquest of the mainstream Democratic Party' — had defended the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' which calls for violence against Jews, and 'Colbert can be effective at shielding left-wing anti-Semites from criticism.' Then again, the TV host doesn't 'hold a candle in that department to Brad Lander': Indeed, the comptroller's 'alliance with Mamdani' is the 'culmination of years of Lander's efforts to kosherize anti-Semitism.' He's part of the story of 'the collapse of New York's Jewish-political establishment.' Sen. Chuck Schumer, who kissed 'Mamdani's ring,' is 'the capstone of this project.' From the right: Lefties' Chronic Mental Misery Advertisement Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) 'said last week that Donald Trump supporters are mentally ill,' but 'it's her side that is not well,' snarks the Issues & Insights editorial board. 'Nine in 10 conservatives self-report their mental health to be excellent (51%)' versus only 20% of liberals. Meanwhile, 'only 19% of conservatives say their mental health is poor, while 45% of liberals say they have poor mental health.' 'This is not a new development related to Trump returning to the White House. A decade ago, University of Toronto researchers similarly 'found that conservatives are more emotionally stable than liberals.' 'Democrats, progressives, socialists, anti-capitalists, and the rest who reside under the leftist umbrella are unhappy, and they want everyone else to be just as miserable as they are.' — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
Ya Biladi
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan MPs demand action on right to inform amid cybersecurity concerns
On Monday, May 5, the parliamentary group of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) expressed concern over the lack of scheduled speaking slots under the «right to inform», as outlined in Article 163 of the House of Representatives' internal regulations. Mustapha Ibrahimi pointed out that «under the two previous governments, this right was exercised four times during each weekly oral question session, whereas under the current government, it has been used only four times since the start of this legislature». He noted that his group had specifically requested to speak about the cyberattack targeting the CNSS database. In a surprising turn, the PAM group—part of the ruling majority—backed the Islamists' request. Ahmed Touizi, head of the PAM's parliamentary group, called on the Akhannouch government to respond to MPs' requests to speak at the end of oral question sessions. «The majority is not afraid», he declared emphatically. Article 163 of the lower house's internal rules defines this right: «Deputies may speak at the end of the weekly oral question session to address a topic of general and urgent interest that should be brought to the attention of national public opinion. The president of the parliamentary group must notify the President of the House in writing of any such request at least twenty-four hours before the session begins». The article further states: «The government may provide data, statements, and clarifications on the issues raised. A total of sixteen minutes is allocated for this purpose. The number of speakers is limited to two from the opposition and two from the majority, alternating between parliamentary groups, while respecting the rights of unaffiliated representatives. Based on these criteria, the Bureau establishes the list of speakers before each session. Each topic is presented in a two-minute intervention».
Ya Biladi
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan MPs demand action on right to inform amid cybersecurity concerns
On Monday, May 5, the parliamentary group of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) expressed concern over the lack of scheduled speaking slots under the «right to inform», as outlined in Article 163 of the House of Representatives' internal regulations. Mustapha Ibrahimi pointed out that «under the two previous governments, this right was exercised four times during each weekly oral question session, whereas under the current government, it has been used only four times since the start of this legislature». He noted that his group had specifically requested to speak about the cyberattack targeting the CNSS database. In a surprising turn, the PAM group—part of the ruling majority—backed the Islamists' request. Ahmed Touizi, head of the PAM's parliamentary group, called on the Akhannouch government to respond to MPs' requests to speak at the end of oral question sessions. «The majority is not afraid», he declared emphatically. Article 163 of the lower house's internal rules defines this right: «Deputies may speak at the end of the weekly oral question session to address a topic of general and urgent interest that should be brought to the attention of national public opinion. The president of the parliamentary group must notify the President of the House in writing of any such request at least twenty-four hours before the session begins». The article further states: «The government may provide data, statements, and clarifications on the issues raised. A total of sixteen minutes is allocated for this purpose. The number of speakers is limited to two from the opposition and two from the majority, alternating between parliamentary groups, while respecting the rights of unaffiliated representatives. Based on these criteria, the Bureau establishes the list of speakers before each session. Each topic is presented in a two-minute intervention».
