REMAINS OF BRITISH MUSLIMS STILL NOT RETURNED AFTER 20 YEARS
A vigil was held outside the Indian High Commission in London to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the murder of 2,000 Muslims, including three Britons. Imran Dawood, the only survivor, told The Muslim News he wants “an acknowledgement of the loss, and maybe even some comfort and closure.” The British government has done little to help the Dawood family to get the remains of their loved ones, Saeed Dawood and first cousin Shakeel Dawood back for closure. Four British Muslim tourists were on their way back from visiting the Taj Mahal. Shakeel and Saeed were accompanied by their 18-year-old nephew, Imran, a childhood friend named Mohammed Aswat, and their hired driver, Yusuf Peragar. They were stopped by Hindu mobs and asked about their religion. They told them they were Muslims, and that they were British nationals on holiday. Only Imran survived to tell the story. The rest of them were beaten to death and parts of their remains were burnt. Shakeel, Saeed, Mohammed, and their driver were all killed.
UN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADOPTS FIRST RESOLUTION ON PALESTINE
The United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously voted on March 31 in favour of a Resolution on ensuring accountability and achieving justice in Palestine. 37 countries have voted in favour of the Resolution, including sister Arab and European countries, China and important countries in Africa and Asia, while seven countries have abstained namely, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Cameroon, the Marshall Islands, India, Nepal and Honduras. Malawi, Brazil, and the United States voted against the resolution. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the UNHRC Resolution, thanking the member states that had voted in favour of the draft resolution submitted by the State of Palestine. The Ministry said in a statement that the unanimous vote reflects “the principled position of the member states on the importance of accountability of the Israeli colonial and apartheid regime”.
INDIAN RESTAURANT IN BAHRAIN SHUT DOWN OVER WEARING HIJAB
Authorities in the Bahraini capital, Manama, have shut down an Indian restaurant after it allegedly denied entry to a woman wearing the hijab. The incident caused outrage after video footage of restaurant staff preventing a veiled woman in the Muslim-majority country went viral on social media. In a widely-shared video the friend of the woman in question explained what happened. “The restaurant, “Lanterns” is telling her you cannot enter because you are wearing a hijab. Can you imagine?” the woman said. “The restaurants should not be making these types of decisions, because we are in a Muslim country.” According to the Daily Tribune, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) has since launched an investigation into the matter. BTEA has asked “all tourism outlets to comply with regulations and avoid enforcing policies that violate the laws of the Kingdom”, BTEA stated, adding that “We reject all actions that discriminate against people, especially regarding their national identity.” The Lantern restaurant’s duty manager has also been taken into custody and he was suspended.
THOUSANDS MARCH IN JORDAN IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINE
Thousands of protesters in Jordan marched in Amman on April 1, chanting slogans in support of the Palestinian resistance and rejecting Arab normalisation with Israel. Jordanians gathered in front of the Grand Husseini Mosque in central Amman following Friday prayer, while Secretary-General of the Islamic Action Front Murad Adayleh and former Islamic MP Ali Abul Sukkar headed the march. The participants chanted in support of the Palestinian resistance and called for the continuation of Palestinian action against the Israeli occupation. “With Soul and Blood, we sacrifice for Al-Aqsa Mosque,” protesters chanted. They also chanted for Jordan, the Palestinian resistance and against the Israeli occupation. Protesters also called for Amman to expel the Israeli ambassador and expressed their rejection of the peace treaty signed between Jordan and Israel in 1994. Adayleh expressed: “This march rejects the normalisation of ties between Israel and the Arab nations that want to consider this entity (Israel) as a normal country.”
SUDAN CALLS FOR MILITARY FORCE TO RESOLVE DARFUR LAWLESSNESS
The Sovereignty Council of Sudan on April 1 issued directives to use military force to resolve the lawlessness in South Darfur State. This was reported in a statement issued by the Vice-President of the Sovereignty Council Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, coinciding with the escalation of violence in the Sudanese state. The statement announced: “The issuance of strict orders to the government of South Darfur State and the state security committee to resolve the tribal attacks militarily and strike anyone who violates the law with an iron fist.” It added that orders were given: “To disperse and prevent any tribal gatherings by military force and apply the emergency law immediately to resolve tribal conflicts in South Darfur.” On Tuesday and Wednesday, local media, including the Sudan Tribune website, revealed that at least 30 people had been killed due to fighting between the Rizeigat and Falata tribes in South Darfur.
DISSOLVING TUNISIA PARLIAMENT ‘SERIOUS AND VOID’: GHANNOUCHI
Speaker of the dissolved Tunisian Parliament Rached Ghannouchi confirmed on April 1 that the people of his country are “well and resist autocracy”, describing President Kais Saied’s decision to dissolve Parliament as “serious and void”. This came in a statement to press correspondents after the Anti-Terrorism Unit investigated him in Tunis. “We are committed to the constitution and democracy. We have confidence in the people who dawn the Jasmine Revolution (which toppled the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011) that they will preserve it,” Ghannouchi expressed. Meanwhile, leader of the Ennahda Movement Noureddine Bhiri on April 1 accused Tunisian President Kais Saied and Minister of Interior Taoufik Charfeddine of “attempting to assassinate” him. On 31 December, 2021, the Tunisian authorities placed Bhiri under house arrest on suspicion of his “involvement in a serious threat to public security” before releasing him on 8 March.
1 KILLED, 24 INJURED IN EXPLOSION IN AZERBAIJANI CAPITAL
One person was killed and 24 others injured in an explosion at an entertainment venue in Azerbaijani capital of Baku, the Health Ministry reported on April 3. The explosion and resulting fire broke out in a nightclub on Terlan Aliyarbeyov Street in central Baku at about 3 a.m. local time, said the ministry. It noted that fire and rescue teams were dispatched and the fire was soon extinguished. Deputy Minister Etibar Mirzeyev went to the scene and conducted investigations.
Dozens of injured people were taken to hospitals. Internal Ministry spokesman Ehsan Zahidov said that according to preliminary determinations, the explosion occurred due to a natural gas leak.
A statement from a gas company in the country, Azerigaz, said the incident occurred due to a tube explosion. Apartments in the building where the venue is located and vehicles near the scene were decimated by the explosion.
FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER DEFENDS HIS RAMADAN GREETING MESSAGE
France’s interior minister on April 2 denounced racist comments and defended his greetings to French Muslims commemorating the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Gerald Darmanin took to social media to post a message condemning “ordinary racism” for his tweet April 1 that wished all Muslims in France a “happy Ramadan.” “Yesterday I wished a happy Ramadan to our Muslim compatriots. Since then, many comments, a bit racist, evoked that I did not wish a happy birthday to Christians or Jews. This is obviously wrong,” wrote Darmanin, adding links to his previous greetings for Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah celebrations. “I hope those who share this fake information with an extremist mind apologise for these unjust attacks. In the meantime, yes, happy Ramadan,” he added.