Habib Siddiqui

By Sameer Hashmi         BBC News, Kashmir Security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir have been accused of carrying out beatings and torture in the wake of the government's decision to strip the region of its autonomy. The BBC heard from several villagers who said they were beaten with sticks and cables, and given electric shocks. Residents in several villages showed me injuries. But the BBC was not able to verify the allegations with officials. The Indian army has called them "baseless and unsubstantiated". Unprecedented restrictions have put Kashmir into a state of lockdown for more than three weeks and information has only trickled out since 5 August when Article 370 - as the provision giving the region special status is known - was revoked. Tens of thousands of extra troops have been deployed to the region and about 3,000 people - including political leaders, businesspeople and activists - are reported to have been detained....

To read Prime Minister Imran Khan's article in the NY Times, click here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/opinion/imran-khan-kashmir-pakistan.html

Tariq A. Al-Maeena                  My columns on the recent events in Kashmir have prompted a flurry of letters, some supportive of my views while others vehemently opposed to them and accusing me of being ignorant on the subject as I am not an Indian. While that is a fair enough charge in terms of my nationality, I have studied some subcontinent history and would venture to say that I write it as I see it based on historical facts. However, it is time to allow Indians to vent their opinions and provide some more insight. One such response to my writings was from Habib who writes: “The recent happenings in Kashmir have motivated me to write the following: “I was born in Barabanki a small town near Lucknow, the capital of United Provinces (a Hindu majority province) in British India some 87 years ago. I remember living for some years in Agra (the 1940s) where ...

Islamophobia is spreading across the globe like wildfire. In Kashmir, Burma, India, and China, Muslims are subjected to inhumane treatment at the hands of authoritarian governments. Murderous bigots take the lives of dozens of innocent Muslims, as in April’s mass-shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. Now, more than ever, Muslims need to know how to respond to these growing dangers, and take responsibility for building a brighter future. ISNA convention takes place this long weekend:   Hena Zuberi, the Director of Justice For All, Washington DC office will be speaking at the following panels while the rest of the time she will be available at Justice For All booths: Rape & Sexual Harassment: Islamic Perspective & Rulings Speakers: Yasir Qadhi, Hena Zuberi, Saba Syed, Reem Shaikh Saturday 11:30 AM – 12:30 • Room: 372A & 372D What can you do to help the Muslims in China? Speakers:   Hena Zuberi, Shaykh...

Here is the link to keynote speech by Dr Yanghee Lee at a conference in South Korea: Day 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1btJt4A6FHI&feature=youtu.be Note: Ms. Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea) is a professor at Sungkyunwan University. She is highly recognized nationally, regionally, and internationally for her expertise in human rights and served as member (2003-2013) and chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2007-2011). She has also served as chairperson of the Meeting of Chairpersons of Treaty Bodies (2010-2011). Nationally, Ms. Lee currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. She is the founding President of International Child Rights Center. In 2009, she received the Order of Civil Merit, the highest recognition given to a civilian for her work in human rights. More recently, she was the UN special rapporteur on Myanmar. Speeches and testimonies from others in the conference can also be viewed in that...

Testimonies of a Massacre: Tula Toli  Shafiur Rahman Aug 30, 2019 Testimonies Of A Massacre: Tula Toli

The Daily Star: It is evident that the repatriation process of Rohingya refugees has reached a stalemate not for any fault of Bangladesh, but because of Myanmar’s failure to convince them that it is safe to return. Although Myanmar has tried to blame Bangladesh for the failure, the truth is that Bangladesh has been sincere and patient in trying to facilitate the repatriation process. It has submitted a verified list to the Myanmar authorities, but this has not resulted in anything positive, mainly because Myanmar has not been able to provide assurance to the Rohingya refugees that the conditions in Myanmar have changed in any way. Hence, when the UNHCR interviewed over a thousand refugees, they all expressed their unwillingness to go back without the guarantee of their security, status or the return of their homes and property. In such circumstances only the international community can step up efforts to pressurise Myanmar to create a conducive environment for the refugees to return...

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu (Shealah D. Craighead) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) by Ali Rizk A recent report from the Pentagon inspector general, warning of the “resurgence” of the Islamic State (IS or ISIS), highlights a fact that has become abundantly clear: Washington’s “war on terror” is a failure. Despite the formation of a “Global Coalition” to fight ISIS back in September 2014, the Pentagon report estimates that there are still between 14,000 and 18,000 ISIS combatants in Iraq and Syria. The report also argues that the terrorist group has enhanced its insurgent capabilities. These estimates and assessments are the latest piece of evidence showing that the U.S. has adopted the wrong approach to counterterrorism. Terrorist Groups Rem...

It is becoming clear since at least 9/11 that the Kurdish regions are becoming territories for Zionist and anti-Muslim campaigns anywhere. Israel has been promoting the Kurdish regional aspirations to divide and sow its influence. Many in the US Capitol Hill are activists for the Kurdish cause. As the report below shows Saudi Arabia under crown prince MBS has been an active supporter for such Zionist causes. ================== Officials believe Saudi Arabia is backing attacks    Jason Ditz    Now that the fact Israel has been attacking targets across Iraq for the past few weeks, Iraqi intelligence is starting to weigh in on details related to the strikes, which seem to be targeting Shi’ite militias. Iraqi intelligence services now say that they believe the Israeli attacks are being launched not from Israel, but from eastern Syria, more specifically bases belonging to the Kurdish SDF. This would certainly make it easier for Israeli drones ...

By MICHAEL McGRATH | FRONTIER ON AUGUST 25, the world’s attention turned to marking the plight of more than 740,000 Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh two years ago to escape a savage Tatmadaw “clearance operation” in Rakhine State that was launched in response to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Survivors reaching Bangladesh told of extrajudicial killings – including of children – as well as the rape of women and girls, and the torching of their villages. They joined about 300,000 Rohingya who fled Rakhine after earlier waves of violence. Since then, the world’s media has mainly focused on the teeming refugee camps at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh that are home to almost a million refugees, and for good reason. A profound sense of hopelessness prevails among the refugees, who are confined to makeshift huts and dependent on aid handouts. The 500,000 children in the camps see no way to make a life for themselves in Bangladesh, or to one day return home. Although...

Independent human rights groups and journalists are blocked by the government from entering the camps or to investigate alleged human rights abuses in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. But VOA managed to speak to women inside the internally displaced camps. Maw Mura* wrings her hands constantly as she describes her difficulties living as a Rohingya woman, in one of Myanmar’s forgotten segregated camps. “Living in the camp is like living in a prison or a chicken coop, it’s not appropriate for teenagers, married parents and elders to live inside a small room,” pointing to the clutter of tin roofed shelters. Her eyes are empty, there’s no anger or fire, just resignation. Thirty-seven-year-old Maw Mura has been forced to live in the barbed wire confined camps since 2012, after violence erupted in the town of Sittwe in western Myanmar. Buddhist mobs took to the streets with machetes, burning down houses where Maw Mura’s shop was also looted. A few months after arriving in the camp, M...

Radhika Coomaraswamy, member of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar today said, “It is our firm belief that there will be no meaningful return of the Rohingya population, no sustainable and secure development in any of the ethnic regions of Myanmar and no long-term peace unless there is an accountability and transformation of the Burmese military.” To view the press release, click here: UN / MYANMAR CRIMES UN / MYANMAR CRIMES Radhika Coomaraswamy, member of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar today said,“It ... 23-Aug-2019 00:02:41

Muslim refugees cannot abandon squalid camp life and return home in shadow of fears and insecurity. "Genocides perpetrated in Myanmar: Where do we stand with regard of accountability?" was title of a statement addressed by the permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, to a Security Council session on Myanmar. This session, held three years after break-out of violence in the State of Rakhine, Myanmar, aims to shed light on accountability as a main demand supposed to be heeded by the Government of Myanmar, said Al-Otaibi during the session, co-organized by Kuwait, Germany and Peru. Thousands from this community were killed in widespread violence that also forced 742,000 Muslims to flee Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh spare themselves brutal attacks. According to latest statistics by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are more than one million Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, a port city in southeastern Bangladesh. Ambassador...

No repatriation without full citizenship, rights and justice   Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are once again living in fear that they will be forced to return to Burma despite The Burmese government had taken no genuine steps to ensure safe return.   “The international community keep saying that there must be safe, voluntary and dignified return, but are doing nothing to pressure Aung San Suu Kyi to make that a reality,” said Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “Safe voluntary and dignified return means full citizenship, an end to discrimination, and justice and accountability, such as referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.”   Bangladesh and Burma have begun the process of attempting to return more than 3,000 Rohingya refugees to Burma, just days before the second anniversary of the Burmese military’s genocidal military the offensive which forced more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh.   Since that time the civ...

BANGKOK (AP) — Sexual violence carried out by Myanmar’s security forces against the country’s Muslim Rohingya minority was so widespread and severe that it demonstrates intent to commit genocide as well as warrants prosecution for war crimes and crimes against humanity, a U.N. report charged Thursday.  The U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar said it found the country’s soldiers “routinely and systematically employed rape, gang rape and other violent and forced sexual acts against women, girls, boys, men and transgender people in blatant violation of international human rights law.” Its report on sexual and gender-based violence in Myanmar covers the Kachin and Shan ethnic minorities in northern Myanmar as well as the Rohingya in the western state of Rakhine. The report, released in New York, charges that the genocidal intent of Myanmar’s military toward the Rohingya was demonstrated “by means of killing female members of the Rohingya communit...

By Olivia Enos On Aug. 25, two years will have passed since that fateful August day when the Myanmar military came to drive the Rohingya people away. Their so-called clearing operations displaced close to 800,000 people . Conservative estimates suggest that at least 10,000 were killed. In the intervening two years, the U.S. government has drawn no official conclusions about what happened. Some might dismiss this as a matter of bureaucratic nuance. Yet, it is anything but. A genocide determination would properly recognize the scale and severity of atrocities committed against the Rohingya and has the potential to galvanize international aid and attention at a time when donor fatigue is setting in. Such a determination is not only the right thing to do, it is the strategic next step to take if there is to be any hope of justice for Rohingya. We owe this to the Rohingya woman who watched as her baby was snatched from her arms by the Myanmar military to be thrown into a ...