Latest news with #Mahdi
Memri
3 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
Atlanta Imam Dawud Mahdi: America Is 'Not the Big Dog Anymore,' the Judeo-Christian Ideology Just Doesn't Work – Islam Will Prevail and Achieve Dominance; Zionists Control Everything in the World but
Atlanta imam Dawud Mahdi said in a lecture at Masjid Al‑Mu'minun in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 11, 2025, that Muslims do not 'turn the other cheek,' that the Quran teaches them to fight, and that they must stand up to oppression. He said that Islam does not seek dominance, but rather it is a perfect lifestyle that will prevail and achieve dominance, as shown by the rapid growth of Islam in the world. Mahdi also said that America is 'not the big dog anymore,' that it is being recognized as the bully that it is, and that its Judeo‑Christian ideologies do not work. In addition, he said that the Islamic nation has 'failed miserably' by having allowed the Zionists, whose numbers are small, to control 'everything in the world,' but added that it is 'not too late.'
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Why bringing back Nimisha Priya, Kerala nurse on death row in Yemen, is a diplomatic rigmarole
Last week, Priya's execution was postponed after efforts of the government of India at the diplomatic level. The efforts are aimed at allowing the families to reach a 'mutually agreeable solution'. Priya allegedly sedated Talal Abdo Mahdi in an attempt to retrieve her passport to leave the country in 2017. However, Mahdi overdosed and died, according to reports. Priya has been in prison in Yemen's capital Sana'a since 2017, convicted of killing her business partner. Sana'a is governed by the separatist organisation—Ansar Allah—also known as the Houthis. India does not recognise nor maintain ties with the Iran-backed movement that has controlled Sana'a since 2014. Rather it recognises the government operating in the port city of Aden to the South, which is recognised internationally as the regime in-charge of Yemen. New Delhi: The complexities of Yemen—a fractured nation, in the midst of a civil war for over a decade, with rival regional powers jockeying for influence, combined with a lack of diplomatic representation from New Delhi—are all playing a role in the fate of Nimisha Priya, the Kerala-born nurse on death row in the West Asian nation. Born in Kerala's Palakkad district, Nimisha moved to Yemen in 2008 for work. Three years later, she married Tomy Thomas and the two moved back to Yemen and continued working in the West Asian nation. However, by early 2012, Yemen witnessed a major political change due to the impact of the Arab Spring, with its long-time leader Ali Abdullah Saleh lost his grip on power, after 22 years in control of Sana'a. Within two years, the Houthis, from the North of the country, swept across Yemen, capturing Sana'a and dislodging Saleh's successor Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi from the city. It was around this time that Priya decided to open her own clinic in the West Asian nation. For a foreigner to operate a business in Yemen, the law requires a local partner. Mahdi entered the situation, even though Priya eventually opened the clinic with her former boss Abdul Lateef, according to media reports. But Mahdi managed to become a shareholder, and allegedly created documents to show that Priya was his wife, and even took away her passport. Facing torture at the hands of Mahdi, Priya eventually decided to sedate him, retrieve her documents and leave the country, according to reports. However, Mahdi died and Priya was arrested attempting to flee the country. In 2020, Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death, which was upheld in 2023 by the Supreme Judicial Council. In April 2024, Premakumari, Nimisha Priya's mother finally travelled to Yemen and met her daughter in prison in Sana'a. There were negotiations over the payment of blood money between Mahdi's family and Priya's family. However, by September 2024 the negotiations were said to have hit a roadblock. Prominent businesspersons from Kerala including M.A. Yussuff Ali of the LuLu Group and Bobby Chemmanur have offered up to Rs 1 crore each for any potential settlement leading to the release of Priya. The efforts are being coordinated by the 'Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council'. Last week, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed that New Delhi has been in touch with the 'local authorities'—the Houthis—in Sana'a as it continues to diplomatically seek her release. The only other option for Priya's release is the payment of 'diyah' or blood money to the family of the murdered Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Also read: Setback for efforts to save Nimisha Priya from execution in Yemen as victim's family refuses pardon The situation in Yemen Since September 2014, Yemen has been fractured by a civil war fought primarily between the internationally recognised government, currently led by Rashad al-Alimi, and the Houthis. The Houthis are known currently for their efforts to disrupt trade through the Red Sea, in response to Israel's military actions in the Gaza strip. The civil war in Yemen has regional implications, with Saudi Arabia leading a coalition to dislodge the Houthis from power. Iran, however, supports the Houthis, a Shi'ite revivalist movement, with a history of rising up against the Sunnis in power in the country. Yemen became the latest flash point for the proxy struggle between Riyadh and Tehran for control over West Asia. In April 2015, after evacuating its citizens from Yemen, New Delhi shut down its mission in the West Asian nation, with all issues with regards to the country handled through its embassy in Riyadh. Furthermore, India has no official ties with Ansar Allah, which has been in control of Sana'a, where Nimisha Priya has been imprisoned since 2018. In January 2025, Iran offered its assistance to India for the release of Priya. Last week, however, a source in the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi pointed to the current situation in West Asia, which has led to Tehran's inability to be involved in the diplomatic process to see Priya's return. When Priya first moved to Yemen in 2008, the country had been under the control of Ali Abdullah Saleh for over 18 years. Saleh, born in 1946, in a town outside Sana'a, rose through the ranks in the military of North Yemen. The country, which was divided between Monarchists and Republicans, was led by a number of military juntas, till Saleh arrived in the political scene in 1978. For the next 12 years, the Yemeni strongman consolidated power and led the country's reunification with the Communist South Yemen in 1990, following the collapse of the USSR. Saleh remained in power for the next 22 years, until the effects of the Arab Spring led to his downfall in 2012. He was replaced by his long-standing vice-president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. In September 2014, the Ansar Allah occupied Sana'a, demanding lower fuel prices and the formation of a new government. The rebel movement swept South from its stronghold in the North and within months had captured Sana'a. Hadi and the Houthis engaged in fraught negotiations to find a political agreement. However, this failed in January 2015, Hadi resigned and fled Yemen for Saudi Arabia. In February of that year, Hadi rescinded his resignation and a month later Saudi Arabia along with a coalition of Gulf states began their war in Yemen to dislodge the Houthis through both economic isolation and air strikes along with logistical support from the US. The Houthis during the initial stages received support from Saleh, as well as military aid from Tehran. The movement soon controlled territory consisting roughly 70 percent of the population, according to some estimates. The proxy war continued for years, with the frontlines largely stabilising following the Saudi-led intervention, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Eventually the Hadi government stabilised its control over Aden, while the Houthis held Sana'a and large swathes of North and North-Western Yemen. Eventually in 2022 a ceasefire was agreed to by both parties, which has been maintained since. Hadi resigned in 2022 after a decade in power, leading to a Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) consisting of eight members and led by al-Alimi. The PLC is the internationally recognised regime, and operates out of Aden. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Day before her execution, a ray of hope for Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nimisha Priya
The clock seems ticking for 37-year-old Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is on death row at the Central prison in Yemen's capital Sanaa for the alleged murder of Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni national. Media reports that emerged two weeks ago had stated that her execution was scheduled on July 16. Her family members and well-wishers felt a glimmer of hope after last-minute diplomatic and other interventions resulted in the postponement of her sentence. However, it remained short-lived as a social media post by the victim's brother Abdul Fatah Mahdi said 'justice would prevail', and affirmed that 'retribution would come regardless of any delays in the execution'. A nurse from Kerala, Nimisha has been imprisoned in Sanaa's central jail since 2017, convicted of murdering Mahdi, her business partner. A native of Kollengode in Palakkad district, she left for Yemen in 2008 with dreams of securing a better future for her parents, who worked as domestic helps. She landed a job at a government-run hospital in Sanaa. She worked there until 2011, before returning to Kerala to marry Tomy Thomas, a daily-wage labourer and native of Thodupuzha in Idukki district. The civil war in Yemen that resulted in the Houthi rebels gaining control over Sanaa in 2014 shattered Nimisha's dreams. The Government of India issued an advisory in April 2015 asking Indian nationals not to travel to Yemen owing to the adverse political and security situation. In 2015, Nimisha quit her low-paying hospital job to start her own clinic. However, Yemeni law required nationals to own and operate businesses, forcing her to partner with Mahdi to set up the venture. The same year, Mahdi accompanied her to Kerala when she came home for a month-long holiday. A petition filed by Nimisha's 58-year-old mother, Premakumari, in December 2023 before the Delhi High Court, seeking the Centre's permission to visit her daughter, stated that her relationship with Mahdi deteriorated over time after he allegedly began torturing her and siphoned off all the clinic's revenue. In July 2017, desperate for a way-out, Nimisha sought advice from a jail warden near her clinic where Mahdi had previously been allegedly imprisoned for various offences. The warden allegedly suggested sedating Mahdi to recover her passport. However, an apparent overdose resulted in his death, says the petition. Nearly a month later, Nimisha was arrested near Yemen's border with Saudi Arabia after Mahdi's dismembered body was discovered in a water tank. Death penalty She was sentenced to death by a trial court in Sanaa in 2020 and the Houthi Supreme Political Council dismissed her appeal in November 2023. The appeal court kept open the option of paying blood money (diyah) — in accordance with Shariah law — to the murdered man's family and be pardoned for the crime. The efforts to release her from prison gained momentum after the formation of Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, a collective comprising elected representatives, lawyers and human rights activists. But the case had posed significant challenges in view of India's lack of official ties with the Houthis. Ms. Premakumari met her daughter after a long gap at the prison in Sanaa on April 24, 2024 following the Delhi High Court's directive in December 2023 asking the Centre to relax its 2017 notification that barred Indian passport holders from travelling to Yemen. She has been staying in Sanaa since then amid hopes of securing the release of her daughter. As the deadlock continues, the Indian government says it is in contact with 'local authorities' in Sanaa, as well with some 'friendly governments' in the region to push for her release. Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar, a religious leader from Kerala, who had reportedly intervened through his friend and Yemeni Sufi scholar Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz to convince the victim's family to pardon Nimisha, says 'talks had been under way with Talal's family despite their strong desire for retribution'.
Hans India
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Indian Government Works To Secure Safe Return Of Death Row Nurse From Yemen
The Indian government has emphasized its commitment to securing the safe return of Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse facing capital punishment in Yemen, while cautioning against unauthorized interventions that could potentially undermine ongoing diplomatic negotiations. Attorney General R Venkataramani informed the Supreme Court on Friday that the government prioritizes bringing Priya back safely and warned that parallel efforts by private organizations or individuals attempting to negotiate directly with the victim's family could prove counterproductive. The court was hearing a petition from the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, which sought permission to travel to Yemen to continue engagement with the deceased's relatives. The Supreme Court declined to grant travel permission to the organization and instead directed them to approach the government directly with their proposal. The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, allowed the organization to submit a formal representation to the government, which will be evaluated on its merits. The case is scheduled for further hearing on August 14. Recent developments brought hope when Yemeni authorities postponed Priya's execution, originally scheduled for July 16, following intervention by respected Islamic clerics. However, the victim's family has remained steadfast in their demand for capital punishment, with the brother of the murdered man declaring their unwillingness to consider alternative arrangements. Under Yemen's implementation of Sharia law, death row convicts can avoid execution if the victim's family accepts diyat, a form of compensation payment, and waives their right to retributive justice. Priya's supporters had hoped to negotiate such an arrangement, but the victim's family has consistently rejected all overtures, viewing the matter as a question of honor. The 38-year-old nurse from Kerala's Palakkad district was convicted for the 2017 murder of her former business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. According to the prosecution, Priya had partnered with Mahdi to establish a medical clinic in Yemen in 2015, but escalating personal and financial disputes led to fatal consequences. The prosecution alleged that Priya administered sedatives to Mahdi in an attempt to retrieve her confiscated passport, resulting in a fatal overdose. A trial court in Sanaa convicted Priya in 2020, and Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council upheld the death sentence in November 2023. President Rashad al-Alimi subsequently approved the execution order in 2024. Throughout the legal proceedings, Priya's family has maintained that she suffered physical, financial, and emotional abuse at Mahdi's hands, arguing that the death was not premeditated but resulted from desperation and entrapment. The case has presented unique diplomatic challenges for India, as the country does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Yemen, where significant portions of the territory, including the capital Sanaa, remain under Houthi rebel control. Despite these obstacles, Indian officials have pursued multiple diplomatic channels and enlisted the assistance of influential Islamic clerics to advocate for clemency. Attorney General Venkataramani previously informed the court that India had exhausted all available formal and informal diplomatic avenues in the case. The government's efforts have included engaging respected religious leaders to intercede with Yemeni authorities, demonstrating the extent of India's commitment to securing Priya's release. Priya's mother, Prema Kumari, a domestic worker from Kochi, has been residing in Sanaa for over a year, making persistent efforts to reach the victim's family and appeal for mercy. The Delhi High Court granted her permission to travel to the conflict-affected region in December 2023, highlighting the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the case. The ongoing diplomatic efforts reflect the complex intersection of legal, cultural, and religious considerations in international criminal cases, particularly in regions affected by armed conflict and political instability.
Yemen Online
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Family of Yemeni murder victim calls for execution of Indian nurse
The family of Yemeni citizen Talal Mahdi have called for the execution of an Indian nurse convicted of his murder to go ahead, after she was granted a reprieve by authorities. Nimisha Priya, a nurse from India's southern Kerala state, was scheduled to be executed in Sanaa on Wednesday. She was granted a postponement after a petition submitted by her family was accepted by Yemeni authorities. She faces the death penalty for the murder of Mr Mahdi after police found his dismembered body in a water tank in 2017. She has been in jail ever since. Abdel Fattah Mahdi, the Yemeni national's brother, on Wednesday described the stay of execution as an 'unfortunate surprise' and said it was 'only a matter of time' before a new date was set. He spoke of the family's anguish and said they would not change their stance despite the pressure they had endured over the past eight years. 'Blood cannot be bought, justice will not be forgotten and retribution will come, no matter how long the road. It is only a matter of time,' said the elder Mr Mahdi about the death penalty for Priya in a Facebook post on Wednesday. 'Our demand is clear: retribution, no more, no less, no matter what. 'The recent postponement came as an unfortunate surprise, especially considering that those who stayed the execution were fully aware of our absolute refusal of reconciliation of any kind and by any means.' He said the family was not surprised by attempts to mediate as there had been 'considerable efforts' through the years for reconciliation and this was natural. Mr Mahdi said the family would not be deterred by delays and would 'see this through until the very end'. He also denied his younger brother had seized the nurse's passport or exploited her and criticised the Indian media for portraying her as 'the victim in an attempt to justify a crime'. Yemen's public prosecution authority accepted a petition from Priya's mother Prema Kumari and Indian social worker Samuel Jerome Baskaran. Mr Baskaran, in Sanaa with Ms Kumari to support the Indian nurse on death row, was not hopeful about the length of the postponement. 'I feel all bridges have been burnt and the work we have done has vanished into thin air,' Mr Baskaran told The National. While initially optimistic about a breakthrough, he said negotiations were derailed by the media focus on the offer of $1 million in diya, or blood money, as compensation for Mr Mahdi's death and a lack of sensitivity by different groups in India attempting to reach members of the Yemeni family. 'This family has lost a son, we need to be in their shoes and feel their pain,' he said. 'People in India should understand the sentiment of the people of Yemen. I asked for forgiveness and apologised to Talal's brothers and his father when I met them. The only thing we can ask for is pardon and we tried to build trust with them. But just focusing on the blood money, this shows no respect for the family.' Under Sharia, the only way to halt an execution is an unconditional pardon by the victim's family or acceptance of blood money that is usually paid by the party responsible for the death. Family's pain While Priya's mother appealed for prayers so her daughter would live, the Mahdi family in Yemen has called for justice. Mr Mahdi has told how his brother was murdered in a 'gruesome manner' by the Indian national, who drugged him, cut his body into pieces, hid it in plastic bags and buried it in an underground tank. He said the family wanted 'god's justice' to be implemented for the chilling crime. "Retribution is inevitable," he said in a post before the execution was stayed. "The pens have been lifted, and the pages have dried. Our hearts are watchful, waiting with a mix of urgency and patience for the moment that has long been delayed.' Lawyers for Priya said she had injected Talal Mahdi with sedatives to retrieve her passport that he had confiscated, leaving her unable to travel to India to see her husband and young daughter. Her defence was that he died accidentally of a sedative overdose. During the trial in Yemen, Priya's lawyer alleged she was physically and mentally abused by Mr Mahdi. But his family has maintained that she was married to Mr Mahdi and denied any abuse. A court in Sanaa sentenced her to death in 2020, an appeal from her family was rejected in 2023 by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council and her execution was approved in January this year.
