Islah Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen, in a statement on 2 April announced support for ongoing operation Decisive Storm led by Saudi Arabia and coalition countries to restore security and stability in Yemen, placing on the Houthis and their allies full responsibility for the crisis.
The Yemeni Congregation for Reform (YCR) of which Islah Party is a part, also said it witnessed the results of the Houthis’ hard-headed attitudes, their rejection of national dialogue and their use of force to impose their vision on the Yemeni people and political stakeholders.
“The Houthis’ vanity and belligerence led them to execute a coup against legitimacy, imposing house arrest on the legitimate elected President as well as the head and members of the technocrat government agreed upon. They also disrupted state institutions’ official business and invaded and took control of various areas, YCR said in a statement on 2 April.
RUSSIA URGES ‘HUMANITARIAN PAUSE’ IN YEMEN
Russia on 4 April called on the U.N. Security Council to push for a pause in Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen to allow humanitarian access, according to Russian media sources. The 15-member Council held an emergency session on Yemen amid growing concerns over civilian casualties in Saudi Arabia-led military campaign on Yemen, now in its 10th day.
During the meeting, Russia presented a draft resolution calling for a “humanitarian pause” in the strikes, state-run Sputnik news agency said. Moscow’s move echoes a call by the International Committee of the Red Cross earlier for an immediate 24-hour pause in air strikes to “bring in desperately needed medical supplies and personnel.”
TURKEY WELCOMES IRAN AGREEMENT
Turkey has welcomed an initial agreement between Iran and world powers on curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme but said on 3 April it hoped Tehran would go further by the deadline for a final deal at the end of June. Iran and six world powers, known as the P5+1, agreed a framework deal in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 2 April which is contingent on reaching a final agreement by June 30.
“When we look at the positions (of the) P5+1 right now, Iran is still below the line we were able to bring in 2010, but we hope Iran will come to that line,” Turkish Foreign Minister MevlutCavusoglu said during a trip to Lithuania.
MUSLIMS PROJECTED TO OUTNUMBER CHRISTIANS AFTER 2070
Islam will be the world’s largest religion after 2070 if current demographic trends continue, projections released on 2 April by a leading research group show. Between 2010 and 2050, Muslims are projected to increase by 73 per cent while the number of Christians is projected to grow by 35 per cent, at about the same rate as the global population, Pew Research Centre said.
As of 2010, Christianity was the world’s largest religion with an estimated 2.2 billion adherents, 31 per cent of all 6.9 billion people on Earth, according to Pew demographers. Islam was second, with about 1.6 billion followers, or 23 per cent of the world population. According to the projections, by 2050 there will be near parity between Muslims and Christians, possibly ending two millennia of Christian dominance in the world.
PALESTINIANS MARK ‘LAND DAY’
Palestinians on 30 March marked “Land Day,” which commemorates Palestinian persistence in defending their land and existence. Land Day, celebrated on 30 March each year, dates back to 1976, when six Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire during demonstrations that broke out against Israel’s seizure of thousands of square kilometres of Arab land. Israel seized territory in the northern Galilee region, where Palestinians constitute an overwhelming majority. Galilee residents responded by declaring a general strike that prompted Israeli troops to invade the region and clash with residents.
A variety of marches and activities commemorating the incident were planned across the Palestinian territories on Land Day, including in West Bank cities, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and regions inside Israel where Arabs reside.
EX-ISRAELI PM OLMERT CONVICTED OF GRAFT
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on 30 March was convicted of fraud following accusations that he had received envelopes of money from American Jewish businessman Morris Talansky. The decision reversed an earlier ruling acquitting the former premier in the so-called “Talansky case,” which was first opened in 2008. A sentencing hearing has been set for May 5, Israel’s Jerusalem Post reported, noting that Olmert could face up to five more years in prison.
Olmert was accused of having illegally received – and concealed – cash payments from Talansky in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, during his tenure as Jerusalem mayor and trade minister. In return, Olmert allegedly facilitated Talansky’s business interests. The former premier was acquitted in the same case in July 2012, but new evidence based on recordings prompted a retrial.
RIGHTS REPORT DOCUMENTS EGYPT STUDENTS FORCED DISAPPEARANCE
With the passage of every day, the number of students subjected to enforced disappearances continues to increase, while total silence on the part of Egypt’s current regime as well as local and international human rights organisations has helped these violations to escalate to frightening proportions, threatening the very future and personal security of Egyptian students, a report said on 31 March.
This Freedom Seekers Monitor (FSM) report details some cases of students who are still subjected to enforced disappearances by Egyptian security forces in places of detention is unknown until this moment.
RED JUMA MOSQUE OPENS AFTER 90 YEARS
The Red Juma Mosque, located in the Tomsk region of Russia has opened for worship once again after 90 years, a report said on 2 April. The mosque has been returned to the delight of the Muslim population in an official ceremony. Tomsk Governor Sergey Jvachkin, Mayor Ivan Kleyin, Chechen Republic Parliament Speaker DukuvahAdurakhmanov, and Chechen Republic Mutfi Salah HaciMecievofficiated the ceremony which was also attended by numerous representatives of the Islamic community as well as hundreds of Muslims that were part of the congregation.
The guests were greeted at the entrance to the mosque by Russias Asia Representative Mufti SeyhNfigullahAsirov and Tomsk Regional Mufti and Red Juma Mosque Imam NizomutdinJumaev. Tomsk Regioal Imam OzotmutdinUmayev opened the ceremony with a recitation from the Qur’ān and Sheikh NafigullahAhsyrov gave a speech, thanking the attendees.
EU TO SUPPORT RE-OPENING OF TATAR TV
The world’s only Crimean Tatar TV channel is now off-air after Russia’s broadcast regulator refused to renew the channel’s licence. The European Union considers the shutdown of the Crimean Tatar media a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of expression and calls for the restoration of ATR television programmes broadcast, a report said on 2 April.
“The Crimean people deserve easy access to media pluralism,” according to EU. The statement calls for respect for fundamental rights and freedoms of people of Crimea.
BUHARI WINS NIGERIAN PRESIDENCY
MuhammaduBuhari has been officially declared the winner of Nigeria’s hotly-contested presidential elections, edging out incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan by more than 2.5 million votes. “MuhammaduBuhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and stands elected,” AttahiruMuhammaduJega, the chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), told a news briefing in the early hours of 1 April.
He said Buhari commanded 15,424,921 votes out of a total of 28,587,564 valid votes cast in the elections, while Jonathan received 12,853,162 votes. Jega added that 844,519 votes were rejected. The election commission chief asserted that Buhari had obtained 25 per cent, or more, of votes in 27 states. Nigeria’s newly elected president will be sworn in on May 29, which is the handover date of the outgoing president.