ISRAELI ‘FLAG MARCH’ FEATURES RACIST CHANTS
Thousands of Israelis participated in the ultra-nationalist “Flag March” in occupied Jerusalem, marching through the streets of the city chanting “Death to Arabs” and other racist anti-Palestinian slogans. An estimated 5,000 Israelis, primarily youth, belonging to far-right and ultra-nationalist groups participated in the provocative parade, which is held every year in commemoration of Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967 – a move celebrated by Israelis as the “unification” of Jerusalem, though recognised by the international community as illegal annexation. Hordes of Israeli demonstrators, under the protection of hundreds of armed Israeli troops, waved Israeli flags and chanted nationalist slogans as they marched from West Jerusalem to the eastern part of the city.
MUSLIM GROUP TO PETITION FOR BURIAL SITES IN JAPAN
A Muslim group in Japan is planning to submit a petition to the government, requesting burial sites for Muslims. The group based in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is aiming to remedy a shortage of burial sites for Muslims as their religion does not allow cremation, which is a widespread practice in Japan. The group purchased a plot of land in neighbouring Hiji Town three years ago and tried to obtain the town’s permission to build a cemetery. But the plan has been stalled, partly due to residents’ opposition. The group’s leader Khan Muhammad Tahir Abbas, who has acquired a Japanese nationality, noted that the number of foreign residents in Japan was increasing. He said a shortage of cemeteries that meet their cultural and religious needs was a serious problem.
OUTCRY AS ILHAN OMAR LIKENS U.S., ISRAEL TO TALIBAN
US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar faced broad condemnation, including from her Democratic Party’s leadership after she accused the United States and Israel of “unthinkable atrocities” comparable to those of Hamas and the Taliban. Omar, who in 2016 became one of the first two Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress, has antagonised members of her party in the past with comments denounced as anti-Semitic or anti-Israel. But top Republicans and Democrats alike have seized on her recent criticism of the United States to demand she clarify her remarks. Omar issued a statement insisting her comments were “not a moral comparison…. I was in no way equating terrorist organisations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.”
SAUDI ARABIA BARS FOREIGN TRAVELLERS FROM HAJJ
The government of Saudi Arabia said the annual Muslim pilgrimage, or Hajj, will be restricted to its own citizens and residents for the second year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It announced that this year’s Hajj, which will begin next month, will be limited number of people from within the kingdom. The kingdom also said only those who have been vaccinated will be able to take part in view of the country’s situation where variants of the virus have been confirmed.
BANK SYARIAH INDONESIA AIMS TO TARGET RELIGIOUS MILLENNIALS
Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI), the country’s biggest Islamic lender, plans to cater to a growing community of more religious millennials to help double its assets within three to four years. BSI was formed this year via a merger between the Islamic banking units of state-controlled Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Mandiri and Bank Negara Indonesia , making it Indonesia’s seventh-biggest bank. The lender plans to double its 240 trillion rupiah ($16.84 billion) of assets in the next few years to become the No. 5 lender, while targeting the highest return on equity among local banks by 2025, Chief Executive Hery Gunardi said in an interview. BSI plans to address this by targeting a community of more pious, middle class millennials. The strategy includes developing a better online banking experience connected to popular e-wallets and e-commerce platforms, which also has religious features, he said.
MUSLIM WORLD MUST ENSURE PROPER STUDY OF WORLDVIEW OF ISLAM
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin of Malaysia said universities in Malaysia must produce scholars and professionals who not only can extend the dominant Western achievements but also be brave to criticise the shortcomings in existing sciences, ideologies and technologies, and create original contributions in various fields. The Muslim world must play a more proactive role to ensure the “Worldview of Islam” or Islam’s vision of existence continues to be properly studied to ensure God’s pleasure remains to be a bigger concern in the march towards the future, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He said it is for this reason the government had adopted the Manhaj Rabbani – the Divine Path or Approach – which is now an overarching government policy framework for Islamic affairs in Malaysia to give more authenticity and substance to the development of the country in the 21st century.
JOURNALISTS OPEN LETTER ON US BIAS MEDIA COVERAGE OF PALESTINE
More than 500 journalists working at US media outlets released an open letter about American media coverage of Palestine. Journalists spoke up against the narrative used by the media that “obscures the most fundamental aspects of the story: Israel’s military occupation and its system of apartheid.” It was signed by 514 journalists, including reporters from leading organisations such as The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. Underlining the need to change course in the American media for the sake of readers, viewers and the truth, the letter said: “We have a duty to change course immediately and end this decades-long journalistic malpractice. The evidence of Israel’s systematic oppression of Palestinians is overwhelming and must no longer be sanitised.”
ERDOGAN OFFERS AZERBAIJAN JOINT ENERGY OPERATIONS IN LIBYA
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is reported to have made an offer to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to conduct joint drilling and exploration operations in Libya. The offer has apparently been accepted. Following his participation in the NATO summit in Brussels, Erdogan travelled to Azerbaijan where he met with President Aliyev. After visiting the Azeri-controlled region of Nagorno-Karabakh, captured by Azeri forces from Armenia last year with Turkish support, Erdogan is reported to have held a meeting with journalists in the capital Baku. When asked whether Turkey and Azerbaijan have any plans to explore jointly for gas and oil in areas such as the Black Sea, Erdogan replied: “Just as we are together in the TAP [Trans Adriatic Pipeline] and TANAP [Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline], we can take such a step with my dear friend Ilham Aliyev in Libya.” Adding that he had made such an offer, Erdogan said that, “The same steps can be taken on refining [oil].”
VOLUNTEER GROUP EFFORTS TO ENSURE PROPER BURIAL
With the Covid-19 death toll mounting in Malaysia, a volunteer group led by a religious teacher has doubled its efforts to lend a hand to Muslim families who are often at a loss in navigating health protocols and a proper burial for their loved ones. “What many people do not know is the amount of time and work that goes into managing a funeral. At a crucial time like this, having the right contacts is very necessary for a smooth funeral process,” said Mr Muhammad Rafieudin Zainal Rasid, who spearheads the Malaysian Funeral Management Squad (SPJM). Mr Muhammad started SPJM around five years ago. It has since grown to around 2,000 volunteers nationwide. He said that once a family who has lost someone to Covid-19 contacts his team for assistance, they will as far as possible oversee the entire preparation process, so as allow the family more space to mourn.