A US Citizen Is Among 44 Tablighi Activists Of Foreign Origin Who Chose To Face Trial
 India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, AUGUST 9—A 42-year old US citizen, Ahmad Ali, is among 44 foreign activists of Tablighi Jamaat, who has decided to face the trial instead of opting a plea bargain and paying fines ranging from Rs 5,000-10,000 to leave his country.       Ali, New York based pharmacist, is not accepting that he has violated visa rules and COVID 19 regulations as he had left the Markaz Tablighi Jamaat well before the announcement of lockdown on March 24.   In an interview to The Indian Express, he says that he has taken a tough decision. But this is not first time that he has taken this kind of decision.   He originally belongs to Myanmar where he as university student had led an underground movement against military regime of Myanmar. He was residing at Yangon in Mayanmar. He had to pay a heavy price of the movement as in 2005 he had to leave Yangon and took shelter in a refugee camp in Thailand leaving his parents b...

Supreme Court Adjourns Hearing In Foreign Tablighis Case Till July 24
Syed Ali Ahmed | India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, JULY 14—The Supreme court has adjourned hearing till July 24 in a case pertaining to blacklisting and cancellation of visas of foreign Tablighi Jamaat activists who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Markaz Nizamuddin in March this year.    A three-judge bench adjourned the hearing on a request from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who demanded one week’s more time to submit details to the apex court’s notice in the case.    At the previous hearing, the top court observed that if the visas of foreign nationals were cancelled why were they not deported.    When the SG informed that there were criminal cases pending against them and they can’t be deported without completion of the trial, the apex court asked if the foreign nationals were issued notices regarding visa cancellation and their blacklisting individually or through a general order.    SG submitted...

"Erdogan Is Legally Correct To Restore Hagia Sophia Into A Mosque": Turkish University Professor Dr. Omair Anas
Syed Khalique Ahmed | India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI,JULY 12—A decree by the Council of State, the highest administrative court of Turkey, on July 10, restoring the status of Hagia Sophia (pronounced as Ayasophia) museum into a mosque after 85 years, has come under strong criticism by most of the countries, particularly the Christian world, in the so-called ‘civilised world’.   The court gave its order on a petition by an Istanbul-based NGO, the Permanent Foundations Service to Historical Artifacts and Environment Association.   The NGO had demanded that 1934 decree converting Hagia Sophia into a museum under the reign of Kemal Ataturk be overturned and the museum be restored to its pre-1934 glory when it was used as a mosque. The building was used as a mosque for about 500 years. (Hagia Sophia was built as a church in the year 537 by Byzantine emperor Justinian. However, it went into the hands of Catholic crusaders in 1204. Byzantines, who were Ortho...

OIC Has No Locus Standi on Jammu and Kashmir: Ministry of External Affairs
India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, JUNE 26—The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) has no locus standi on internal affairs relating to India, including Jammu and Kashmir.   MEA’s statement came on Thursday after a virtual meeting of OIC Contact Group on Kashmir a few days ago expressed concern over ceasefire violations along Line of Control (LoC) and called on India “to halt security operations against the people of Jammu and Kashmir immediately, respect basic human rights, refrain from changing the demographic structure of the disputed territory, and settle the conflict under the relevant UNSC's resolutions”.   MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “Our position is consistent on this matter and has no ambiguity. OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India, including that of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. We have in the past also reiterated that OIC should r...

Haryana Court Acquits 57 Foreign Tablighi Jamaat Activists, Embassies Concerned To Make Arrangements For Return To Their Home Countries
Syed Ali Ahmed | India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, MAY 27—With the acquittal of 57 Tablighi Jamaat activists of foreign countries by Nuh district court in Haryana, embassies concerned are doing arrangements for their air travel to their respective countries. At present, they are in a quarantine centre at Nuh.   There were a total of 59 Tablighis against whom the Haryana Police had filed the charge-sheet. Of them, one each were from Lucknow and Nepal. Besides, 24 activists were from Sri lanka, 11 from Bangladesh, 5 from South Africa,  11 from Indonesia and 6 Thailand.      They were in India to attend a Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Markaz Nizamuddin and later, they fanned for Tablighi mission in March this year in various districts in the state. They were stranded after  lockdown from March 24 and were arrested by the Haryana Police from Mewat region.     They were booked under sections 269, 270, 188, 120B of the Indian...

Press Freedom in India Faces a Rapid Downward Spiral, Says International Media Watchdog
India Tomorrow  NEW DELHI, APRIL 25— A global media watchdog, in its latest report on Friday, charged that “Press freedom in India faces a rapid downward spiral as journalists are being targeted by the government in a bid to control the narrative in the country on the COVID-19 pandemic.”   “While India’s Supreme Court rightly declined to go along with a backhanded effort to control the narrative around COVID-19, officials at various levels of government have continued to target journalists, who have refused to bow to pressure”, said Scott Griffen, Deputy Director of International Press Institute (IPI), referring to March 31 petition of the government.   “Independent journalism is an essential partner in protecting public health. We urge the Indian authorities to ensure that all journalists are able to do their job of informing the public at this critical time,” he said.   The IPI report mentions several cases ...

Gulf News Editor in Dubai Receives Threats for Exposing Indian Islamophobes
Features Editor at Gulf News, Dubai, who is accused of reporting on Islamophobic social media posts by Indian nationals in UAE and Gulf countries, is receiving threats from Indian social media users  NEW DELHI, APRIL 24—An Indian journalist working with Gulf News at Dubai, has been threatened that his passport would be impounded and he would be arrested as and when he returned to India.   His crime? He had apparently written reports exposing Islamophobic social media posts by Indian expatriates working in UAE and Gulf countries. The reports had led in some cases to police action and some of the Indian expatriates had been sacked.   Mazhar Farooqui, Features Editor looking after Special Reports, claims he was inundated with abusive and threatening messages forwarded to his mail, on WhatsApp, on Facebook Messenger and on Twitter. He also claimed that while some of the accounts have been deactivated and some tweets deleted, several threats were issued from verif...

OIC Condemns Coronavirus-Driven Islamophobic Campaign against Muslims in India
India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, APRIL 21— The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the 2nd largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, has condemned the “vicious Islamophobic campaign” against Muslims in India in the wake of the spread of Coronavirus or COVID-19.   The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), an expert body of OIC, on Sunday tweeted: “OIC-IPHRC condemns the unrelenting vicious Islamophobic campaign in India maligning Muslims for spread of COVID-19 as well as their negative profiling in media subjecting them to discrimination & violence with impunity.”   Since after the end-March tragedy at the mosque-cum-headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat in New Delhi, which saw hundreds of stranded people getting infected with COVID-19, there has been massive hateful debates on TV channels and malicious campaign on social media, holding Tablighi in particular and Muslims in general responsible fo...

US-Based Advocacy Groups Condemn Scapegoating of Muslims in India After Spread of COVID-19
India Tomorrow  NEW DELHI, APRIL 15— The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Hindus For Human Rights (HfHR) have condemned the scapegoating of Muslims in India after the spread of COVID-19 in different parts of the country.   IAMC is a Washington-based advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant culture and HfHR is also a US-based advocacy group for inclusive and egalitarian Hinduism.   In a joint statement, the two groups said that “the horrifying levels of vitriol poured on Muslims by several media outlets and some public figures has resulted in an alarming increase in assaults on Muslims. In parts of the country the social and economic boycott of Muslims is being openly pursued as a response to a healthcare and humanitarian crisis that requires a unified response from the entire populace”.   Escalation of Islamophobia After Spread of COVID-19 “Islamophobia in India has risen exponentiall...

57 Foreigners Linked With Tablighi Jamaat Arrested in Bihar, Sent to Jail
India Tomorrow   PATNA/NEW DELHI, APRIL 15—The Bihar police have arrested 57 foreign nationals for violating visa rules and sent them to jail.   All of them, according to police, had attended the Tablighi Jamaat ‘ijtema’ or congregation at Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi and fanned into different areas of Bihar.   Police said that they were first detained and quarantined for 14 days and then tested for coronavirus. They have all been found corona negative and now sent to jail.   According to police, all of them had come on tourist visa but were indulging in religious preaching in different mosques which was not allowed under visa rules.   Any foreigner willing to do preaching work must obtain a visa for this purpose. A senior police official said that the foreigners arrested for violating the visa norms could be jailed for a maximum period of five years.  ALSO READ: 17 Foreign Tablighis Sent to Jail After Quarantine Ends&nb...

Indian Professor at Kuwait University Allegedly Endorses Facebook Post for Global Genocide of Muslims, Clamour Grows for Action Against Him
India Tomorrow  NEW DELHI, APRIL 6—Islamophobic hashtags like #CoronaJihad and #TablighiJamaatVirus appeared on social media immediately after the news surfaced on March 29 that about 4,000 people were staying at the Tablighi Jamaat headquarters at Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi despite a total lockdown to combat the dreaded coronavirus.   And the government officials immediately linked it to the spread of coronavirus in India and media calling the Markaz as ‘hotspot’ or ‘epicentre’ of Covid-19 disease, directly holding Muslims responsible for the spread of the virus throughout the length and breadth of the country. The reports say that tweets with #CoronaJihad appeared at least 4 lakh times and seen by more than 170 million people on the twitter, an indication of the anti-Muslim hatred that resulted in discrimination against Muslims, particularly fruit and vegetable vendors and other small traders and their boycott at different places i...

Eight Malaysians, Part of Tablighi Jamaat Congregation Detained, Quarantined
India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, APRIL 6—The Delhi Police has detained eight Malaysians, who were part of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi last month and put them in quarantine.   They were intercepted and detained by the immigration authorities at Delhi’s IGI Airport while they were trying to board a special flight to Kuala Lumpur arranged by Malaysian government on Sunday.   They will be released after 14 days of quarantine period to leave their country, the sources said.   COVID-19 cases in India have spiked ever since members of the Tablighi Jamaat who attended the gathering tested positive. Over 33 per cent of positive cases across the country have been traced to the Delhi congregation.   Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia in a TV programme today, accepted that out of 500 infected persons, 303 are Tablighis.   The eight Malaysians were intercepted by immigration authorities following a Delhi Poli...

Govt Identifies US, French, Italians among 1300 Tablighi Foreign Activists, 960 Foreigners Blacklisted
India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, APRIL 3—Thousands of Tablighi Jamaat activists including 1, 300 foreigners from the US, France and Italy, who took part at a congregation in Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin, have been identified in different parts of the country and most of them have been put in quarantine, government officials said on Thursday.   Besides, under the direction of Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, the government has blacklisted 960 foreigners present in the country on tourist visas for their involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities. The Home Ministry has also directed DGPs of all states concerned and UTs and Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to take necessary legal action against all such violators on priority, under relevant sections of the Foreigners Act 1946 and Disaster Management Act, 2005, an official statement said.  This has been done after the Tablighi Jamaat's Markaz in Nizamuddin West is reported to have emerged as a hotspot of coronavi...

Muslim Leaders Write Joint Condolence Letter to Jathedar Akal Takht, Condemn Kabul Gurudwara Attack
India Tomorrow  NEW DELHI, MARCH 31— The Indian Muslim leaders have “fully and unconditionally” condemned the terror attack on a Gurudwara in the Afghanistan capital Kabul on March 25 which claimed the lives of 25 Sikhs. In their joint letter to Giani Dr Harpreet Singh, Jathedar Akal Takht Amritsar, and all Sikh brothers and sisters, the Muslim leaders have offered their condolences.   “The criminal murderous attack on a Kabul gurudwara on 25 March, leading to the martyrdom of 25 innocent and blameless Sikh brothers, is a matter of sorrow and grief for us just as it is for our Sikh brothers and sisters. We fully and unconditionally condemn this criminal act,” reads the letter signed by 20 prominent faces of Indian Muslims.   The Muslim leaders said that the attackers called themselves Muslims but “they have nothing to do with Islam or Muslims.”   “We, on behalf of the Muslims of India, offer our condolences to o...

British PM Boris Johnson in Isolation After Testing Positive for Coronavirus
India Tomorrow  NEW DELHI, MARCH 27— United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus or COVID-19 and is self-isolating.   “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus,” Johnson announced on Twitter around 5 PM on Friday.   “I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government's response via video conference as we fight this virus,” he vowed.   A Downing Street spokesman told Al Jazeera that Johnson, aged 55, experienced mild symptoms on Thursday - a day after he attended the prime minister's weekly question time in the chamber of the House of Commons. In keeping with the guidance, the Prime Minister is self-isolating in Downing Street. He is continuing to lead the government’s response to coronavirus, the spokesperson said.   Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished him a speedy recovery.   In early February, as ...

SC Notice to Centre on Plea for Evacuation of 850 Indian Pilgrims Stranded in Iran
India Tomorrow  NEW DELHI, MARCH 27— The Supreme Court of India on Friday issued notice to the central government on a plea seeking urgent evacuation of 850 Indian pilgrims stranded in the Iranian city of Qom due to the Coronavirus outbreak and subsequent ban on international flights. The top court has sought reply on Monday (March 30). The hearing took place through video conferencing.   “The contents of the petition under Article 32 do indicate that there is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance to be provided to the pilgrims who are stranded in Qom. In order to facilitate their welfare, we are of the view that notice is required to be issued to the Union of India. We make the notice returnable on Monday", said the SC bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant.   Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde averred that most of the pilgrims from a poor financial background and were required to return home in the b...

Muslim, Sikh and Christian Leaders Condemn Terror Attack on Kabul Gurudwara, Demand Thorough Probe to Expose Perpetrators
Mumtaz Alam | India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, MARCH 26—Strongly condemning the dastardly attack on a Sikh Gurudwara in Afghanistan capital Kabul on Wednesday resulting into the killing of about 25 innocent Sikhs, leaders belonging to Muslim, Sikh and Christian community expressed their sympathy with the victim families and the entire Sikh community and demanded independent probe into the attack to bring out the truth behind the gory crime.   Reacting to the incident, Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, National President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, India’s largest Muslim socio-cultural organisation, said, “We are extremely saddened by the brutal attack on the Sikh community in Kabul, Afghanistan. Violence is the weapon of those who are weak. These types of attacks are an open violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and deserve maximum condemnation. Those who are behind this attack must be brought to justice and deserve strict punishment.” &nbs...

Global Coronavirus Death Toll Crosses 10,000; Countries Struggle to Contain the Outbreak
India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, MARCH 20 –  New cases of the novel coronavirus that emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December are being reported daily around the world. At least 10,000 people globally have died from COVID-19, as the illness is officially known, while more than 145,000 infections have been confirmed in at least 158 countries and territories, according to the World Health Organization. Italy has is now ahead of China as the country with the most deaths from the pandemic reports TRT World.   The number of infections and deaths in the rest of the world has surpassed those in China, which appears to have staunched the virus with strict measures including a complete quarantine of Wuhan since January. The coronavirus toll in Spain rose to 1,002 on Friday following the deaths of 235 people in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said.      Iran has announced 149 more fatalities from the new coronavirus, bri...

276 Indians Infected with Covid-19 Abroad -- 255 in Iran alone: Govt. Tells Lok Sabha
India Tomorrow  NEW DELHI, MARCH 18— The Central government on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that at least 276 Indians have been infected with Covid-19 or Coronavirus abroad – 255 of them are in Iran. Of the 276, some 12 people have been infected with the virus in UAE, 5 in Italy, and 1 each in Hong Kong, Kuwait, Sri Lanka and Rwanda.   Till Wednesday, India has brought back 591 of its citizens from Iran by special flights, including 205 pilgrims.   Media reports say that over 800 Indians were currently stranded in the Iranian city of Qom.   Back home, till Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus had risen to 137 -- Maharashtra with 39 confirmed cases, followed by Kerala (29). The infection claimed its third life in India on Tuesday as a 64-year-old man, who was tested positive in Maharashtra, passed away at Kasturba Hospital.

US Think Tank Advises WhatsApp, Social Media Cos To Oppose Modi 'Repression' In India
 US, Congress, civil society, private sector should take lead, push India to ease repression, live up to its position as the world’s largest democracy...US think tank Freedom House. Rajiv Shah | India Tomorrow   AHMEDABAD, MARCH 12—The top United States think tank, Freedom House, based in Washington DC, has sought a series of measures, including from top social media companies like WhatsApp, against the Modi government as retaliation against the alleged crackdown in the country’s only Muslim-majority state Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and the “discriminatory” Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which has sparked nationwide protests, which are sought to be suppressed by Modi administration. An article posted on its site, and written by the nonpartisan think tank’s research analyst, Allie Funk, says that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “nearly six years in office have been marred by an increasing nationalist and authoritarian tur...