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പാക്കിസ്ഥാനിലെ മതന്യൂനപക്ഷങ്ങളുടെ സ്വത്ത് പിടിച്ചെടുക്കാൻ മതപരിവർത്തന നിയമങ്ങൾ ദുരുപയോഗം ചെയ്യുന്നു
പാക്കിസ്ഥാനിലെ മതന്യൂനപക്ഷങ്ങളുടെ സ്വത്ത് പിടിച്ചെടുക്കാൻ മതപരിവർത്തന നിയമങ്ങൾ ദുരുപയോഗം ചെയ്യുന്നതായി ഹ്യൂമൻ റൈറ്റ്സ് വാച്ചിന്റെ റിപ്പോർട്ടിൽ പറയുന്നു. മതന്യൂനപക്ഷങ്ങളെ ലക്ഷ്യം വച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ദരിദ്രരെ പുറത്താക്കുന്നതിനും, വ്യക്തിപരവും സാമ്പത്തികവുമായ നേട്ടങ്ങൾക്കായി പാക്കിസ്ഥാനിലെ മതപരിവർത്തന നിയമങ്ങൾ ദുരുപയോഗം ചെയ്യപ്പെടുന്നുണ്ടെന്ന് ഹ്യൂമൻ റൈറ്റ്സ് വാച്ച് (HRW) ന്റെ റിപ്പോർട്ടിൽ വെളിപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു.
ജനക്കൂട്ട അക്രമത്തിന് പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിനും, ദുർബല സമൂഹങ്ങളെ കുടിയിറക്കുന്നതിനും, ശിക്ഷാനടപടികളില്ലാതെ അവരുടെ സ്വത്തുക്കൾ പിടിച്ചെടുക്കുന്നതിനും ദൈവദൂഷണ ആരോപണങ്ങൾ ആയുധങ്ങളായി ഉപയോഗിക്കപ്പെടുന്നുണ്ടെന്ന് ജൂൺ ഒമ്പതിന് പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയ ‘ഭൂമി പിടിച്ചെടുക്കാനുള്ള ഗൂഢാലോചന: ബ്ലാക്ക് മെയിലിംഗിനും ലാഭത്തിനും വേണ്ടി പാകിസ്ഥാന്റെ മതപരിവർത്തന നിയമങ്ങൾ ചൂഷണം ചെയ്യൽ’ എന്ന 29 പേജുള്ള റിപ്പോർട്ട് പറയുന്നു.
“മുൻകാലങ്ങളിൽ പ്രേരണയ്ക്കും ആക്രമണങ്ങൾക്കും ഉത്തരവാദികളായവരെ പ്രോസിക്യൂട്ട് ചെയ്യുന്നതിൽ പരാജയപ്പെടുന്നത് മതത്തിന്റെ പേരിൽ പണം തട്ടിയെടുക്കാനും ബ്ലാക്ക് മെയിൽ ചെയ്യാനും ഈ നിയമങ്ങൾ ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നവരെ ധൈര്യപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്,” HRW യുടെ ഏഷ്യയിലെ അസോസിയേറ്റ് ഡയറക്ടർ പട്രീഷ്യ ഗോസ്മാൻ പറഞ്ഞു. മതന്യൂനപക്ഷങ്ങൾ ആയുധമാക്കുന്നത് തടയാൻ പാക്കിസ്ഥാൻ സർക്കാർ അതിന്റെ ദൈവദൂഷണ നിയമങ്ങൾ അടിയന്തിരമായി പരിഷ്കരിക്കണമെന്ന് അവർ പറഞ്ഞു.
2024 മെയ് മുതൽ ജനുവരി വരെയുള്ള കാലയളവിൽ, മതനിന്ദ ആരോപിക്കപ്പെട്ട 14 പേരെയും, പഞ്ചാബ് പ്രവിശ്യയിലെ ലാഹോർ, ഗുജ്രൻവാല, കസൂർ, ഷെയ്ഖുപുര എന്നിവിടങ്ങളിലും ഫെഡറൽ തലസ്ഥാനമായ ഇസ്ലാമാബാദിലുടനീളമുള്ള അഭിഭാഷകർ, ജഡ്ജിമാർ, പ്രോസിക്യൂട്ടർമാർ, മനുഷ്യാവകാശ സംരക്ഷകർ, പത്രപ്രവർത്തകർ എന്നിവരുമായി HRW ഗവേഷകർ അഭിമുഖം നടത്തി.
Sources:azchavattomonline.com
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are being systematically misused to target religious minorities, dispossess the poor and settle personal and economic disputes, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report.
Blasphemy accusations are increasingly weaponized to incite mob violence, displace vulnerable communities and seize their property with impunity, states the 29-page report, “A Conspiracy to Grab the Land: Exploiting Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws for Blackmail and Profit,” issued on June 9.
“Failure to prosecute those responsible for incitement and attacks in the past has emboldened those who use these laws to extort and blackmail in the name of religion,” said Patricia Gossman, HRW’s associate Asia director.
The Pakistani government should urgently reform its blasphemy laws to prevent them from being weaponized, she said.
HRW researchers interviewed 14 people accused of blasphemy, as well as lawyers, judges, prosecutors, human rights defenders, and journalists across Lahore, Gujranwala, Kasur and Sheikhupura in Punjab Province and the federal capital Islamabad between May 2024 and January.
A 52-year-old Christian beautician in Lahore told HRW that in July 2019 she decided to quit her job at a local salon and set up her own business. She pooled her life’s savings and obtained loans from people she knew to start her own salon. Her previous employer tried to dissuade her by offering a raise. When the woman refused, the previous employer threatened her, saying that “the consequences of this will not be good for you.”
In November 2019, a mob led by a local cleric barged into the Christian woman’s salon, beat her and her staff and ransacked and vandalized the premises. They claimed she had desecrated the Quran, and that a boy in the neighborhood had found pages of the Quran in the trash. The woman told HRW that the allegation was false.
“I respect all religions and didn’t even have a copy of the Bible at the salon,” she said. “Why would I have a copy of the Quran? I would have to be completely mad and suicidal to even think about disrespecting it.”
Another Christian who runs a private school with both Muslim and Christian students in a low-income neighborhood of Lahore told HRW that in February 2021 he received a call from an angry parent alleging “blasphemous” comments by a teacher.
The 43-year-old Christian said that he offered to meet the parent and also asked the teacher for an explanation. The teacher denied making any blasphemous comments. A few days later, a group of people affiliated with a local Muslim organization threatened to “burn down the school” if an apology was not made.
“The teacher resigned, but that was not enough to appease the religious group,” the Christian said. “It soon became clear to me that it wasn’t about any remark or ‘blasphemy.’”
They told him to donate 200,000 rupees ($800 USD) to their religious charity to “atone” for his “sin,” he said.
“Of course, they realized that since I was a Christian, just a murmur of blasphemy would mean that my school and possibly I too would be set on fire by a mob,” he said. “No one would ask any questions. My religion made me additionally vulnerable. However, a blasphemy accusation could also result in burning down of a school run by a Muslim. The truth of the allegation doesn’t matter. Now, I have started a cycle of blackmail, and they can extort me whenever.”
Blasphemy remains a capital offense in Pakistan, punishable by death. Although the state has not executed anyone under the law, mere accusations have triggered mob violence resulting in dozens of deaths over the past decade. The accused often endure long pretrial detentions, unfair trials and constant threat of extrajudicial killing.
The HRW report underscored that marginalized communities – especially Christians, Ahmadis and the poor – bear the brunt of the abuse. Many live in informal settlements without legal land titles, making them particularly vulnerable to forced evictions following blasphemy-related violence. HRW found that entire neighborhoods have been emptied after mobs attacked, with community members fleeing in fear, leaving their homes and businesses behind.
In several cases, blasphemy accusations were used to target business rivals or coerce property transfers. The law’s broad and vague provisions allow it to be exploited with minimal or no evidence, creating a climate of fear among vulnerable groups.
HRW also criticized Pakistan’s criminal justice system for enabling these abuses. It said that authorities rarely hold perpetrators of mob violence accountable, while police often fail to protect the accused or investigate allegations. In some instances, officers who intervene face threats themselves. Political and religious actors accused of inciting violence frequently escape arrest or are acquitted due to lack of political will or intimidation.
HRW called on the Pakistani government to repeal the blasphemy laws, immediately release those imprisoned under such charges and investigate all blasphemy-related violence, particularly incidents leading to displacement and property seizure. The report also urged authorities to implement safeguards against coerced sales or transfers of land and businesses following accusations.
“The government’s indifference to the abuses under the blasphemy law and the violence it provokes is discriminatory and violates the rights to fundamental freedoms,” Gossman said. “By failing to act, Pakistani authorities are not just tolerating injustice – they are enabling it.”
Pakistan ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.
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നൈജീരിയയിൽ തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോയ കുട്ടികൾക്കായി സമരം ചെയ്ത് മാതാപിതാക്കൾ
നൈജീരിയ: നൈജീരിയയിലെ ബോർണോ (Borno) സംസ്ഥാനത്ത് നിന്ന് തീവ്രവാദികൾ തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോയ കുട്ടികളെ മോചിപ്പിക്കാൻ നടപടി സ്വീകരിക്കണമെന്നാവശ്യപ്പെട്ട് മാതാപിതാക്കൾ തെരുവിലിറങ്ങി പ്രതിഷേധിച്ചു. കുട്ടികളെ തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോയിട്ട് നൂറ് ദിവസമായിട്ടും വിട്ടയ്ക്കുകയോ രക്ഷിക്കാനുള്ള ശ്രമത്തിൽ പുരോഗതിയോ ഉണ്ടാകാത്തതിനാലാണ് മാതാപിതാക്കൾ പ്രതിഷേധവുമായി തെരുവിലിറങ്ങിയത്. മെയ് 15 നാണ് സംബിസ വനമേഖലയ്ക്കു സമീപമുള്ള മുസ്സ (Mussa) ഗ്രാമത്തിലെ ക്ലാസ് മുറികളിൽ നിന്ന് കുട്ടികളെ തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോയത്.
ഇസ്ലാമിക് സ്റ്റേറ്റ് വെസ്റ്റ് ആഫ്രിക്ക പ്രൊവിൻസ് (ISWAP), ബൊക്കോ ഹറാം തുടങ്ങിയ തീവ്രവാദി ഗ്രൂപ്പുകൾ സാധാരണക്കാർക്കും സ്കൂളുകൾക്കും നേരെ നടത്തുന്ന ആക്രമണങ്ങൾ നൈജീരിയയിൽ തുടരുകയാണ്. മുസ്സയിൽ നിന്ന് തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോയവരിൽ 45 ഓളം കുട്ടികൾ ഇനിയും തിരിച്ചെത്താനുണ്ട്.
മുസ്സയ്ക്ക് സമീപമുള്ള ലാസ്സയിൽ ജൂൺ 29 ന് നടന്ന ആക്രമണത്തിൽ 36 വിദ്യാർഥികളെയും ഒരു അധ്യാപകനെയും കാണാതായിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഇവർ ഇപ്പോഴും ഭീകരരുടെ തടവിലാണ്. മൂന്നരയും എട്ടരയും വയസ്സുള്ള തങ്ങളുടെ രണ്ട് മക്കളെ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട പീസ് നിക്കോളസ് ഉൾപ്പെടെയുള്ള രക്ഷിതാക്കൾ വലിയ മാനസിക സംഘർഷത്തിലൂടെയാണ് കടന്നുപോകുന്നത്. “ഞങ്ങൾ ദിവസവും ഭയത്തിലാണ്. ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കാൻ പോലും കഴിയുന്നില്ല. മക്കളെ രക്ഷപെടുത്താൻ സർക്കാരിനോട് അപേക്ഷിക്കുകയാണ്,” പീസ് പറയുന്നു.
വർഷങ്ങളായി സൈനിക നടപടികൾ തുടരുന്നുണ്ടെങ്കിലും വടക്കുകിഴക്കൻ നൈജീരിയയിൽ ഇത്തരം തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോകലുകൾക്ക് ഒരു കുറവും വന്നിട്ടില്ല. കമ്മ്യൂണിറ്റി നേതാക്കൾ പറയുന്നത്, പിഞ്ചുകുട്ടികളെ മാതാപിതാക്കളിൽ നിന്ന് വേർപെടുത്തി കൊണ്ടുപോകുന്നതിനേക്കാൾ വലിയൊരു വേദന മറ്റൊന്നില്ലെന്നാണ്.
Sources:azchavattomonline.com
Parents of children abducted from Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state protested in Uba town on Thursday, demanding the federal government secure their release nearly 100 days after they were taken.
The children were seized from their classrooms on May 15 in Mussa, a community on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, a long-time stronghold of Islamist militants.
The protest underscored families’ frustration as kidnappings persist despite years of military operations against Boko Haram and its Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) offshoot in northeastern Nigeria. While the insurgency has weakened since its peak, both groups continue to stage attacks on civilians, schools and security forces across Borno and neighbouring states.
The abduction was followed by another attack in nearby Lassa on June 29, where 36 students and a teacher also remain captive. Last month, authorities secured the release of schoolchildren abducted by gunmen from schools in southwest Oyo state after nearly two months in captivity.
A police spokesperson said the military is “on top of the situation” but declined further comment, directing enquiries to the military. A spokesperson for the military did not respond to requests for comment.
“We still have not seen them,” said Chinda Buba, whose child was among those abducted. “We do not know where our children are. We don’t know whether they are healthy or going through difficult conditions.”
Peace Nicolos, whose two children, aged 3-1/2 and 8-1/2, are among the missing, said families lived in constant anxiety.
“We worry every day and struggle to eat,” she said. “We are pleading with the government to rescue them.”
Orbet Lawan Yakubu, representing the traditional ruler of Mussa, said around 45 children remained unaccounted for.
“There is nothing more painful than separating very young children from their parents,” he said. “The entire community is affected because almost every family is connected to those who were taken.”
http://theendtimeradio.com
world news
Haitian Pastor in New Jersey Fears Return to Haiti as Asylum Case Remains Pending
A Haitian pastor now living in New Jersey says he fears he will be killed if he is forced to return to Haiti, as legal protections for many migrants come to an end.
Pastor Samuel Dupré, his wife, and their two children are seeking political asylum in the United States. While they wait for a decision, Dupré continues to preach a message of faith, hope, and compassion.
Dupré delivers sermons in Creole centered on God’s grace and mercy to churches throughout Philadelphia and South Jersey. But those themes are deeply personal for him now. He says he is praying for compassion for his own family as they try to remain in the United States.
Dupré’s fears have intensified after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the end of Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of migrants, including roughly 300,000 Haitians. He says deportation to Haiti would put his life in immediate danger.
“I cannot go back,” Dupré said.
Asked why, he answered: “The gangs — they will kill me. Anywhere I go, they will kill me. They have connections, and we have gangs everywhere.”
Dupré said he cannot rely on police protection in Haiti.
“The police are not going to do anything,” he said. “When I was in Haiti and the gangs came after me, I reported that to the police, and they didn’t do anything for me.”
His journey to this point began in France, where he earned two master’s degrees at the University of Strasbourg. While teaching there, he decided to return to Haiti to serve his country. He taught at a college, started a Bible school, and founded a church.
But instead of finding opportunity to serve, Dupré says he found corruption and violence. He alleges that at the college where he worked, female students were trading sex with teachers in exchange for passing grades. After reporting those cases to authorities, he says he became a target.
Dupré said gang members later came to his home intending to kill him. He was not there, but he says they left behind a death threat letter and bullets on his plate as a warning.
“They control the government because a lot of people in the government are members of those gangs,” Dupré said. “That’s why they control the government and the people.”
After fleeing Haiti in 2020, Dupré reunited with his sister in New Jersey. But her home did not have enough space for his family of four. A church eventually took them in, housing them in a small storage room where they had no privacy and no way to cook or shower.
“We were not happy, but we didn’t know where to go,” Dupré said.
The family’s circumstances began to improve with help from HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. The organization connected them with Congregation Kol Ami and several churches in South Jersey. Through that network, attorney Steven Janove, a HIAS volunteer, began helping the family secure better housing and navigate the asylum process.
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Janove said Dupré has followed every rule required of him.
“What’s so frustrating is that Pastor Samuel, like so many other Haitians, followed the rules and did exactly what they were asked to do,” Janove said. “He came here fearing persecution. He filed an asylum application, paid the fee, filed for work authorization, was granted work authorization, got a job, paid taxes, and continued to follow the law while starting a life here.”
Janove said it would be cruel to send Dupré back to Haiti, where conditions remain dire. The U.S. State Department currently warns Americans not to travel to Haiti because of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest, and limited health care.
That danger is one reason Fervent Church in Voorhees, New Jersey, joined a coalition of churches and synagogues supporting the family. Pastor Mike Rosado said helping immigrant families is central to the church’s mission.
“What are the simple ways we can express the gospel? By being there for Samuel and his family,” Rosado said. “We do that through prayer. We do that through food. We do that through support in any way possible.”
Dupré’s family is also receiving help from the Multi-Faith Refugee Assistance Program, a coalition assisting more than 100 immigrant families facing possible deportation.
Even as his future remains uncertain, Dupré continues his ministry. He teaches a weekly Bible school over Zoom for people in Haiti, allowing him to serve from a safe distance. He also speaks at churches and synagogues across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, encouraging others to hold on to faith during hardship.
Asked what he and his family would offer America if allowed to stay, Dupré said they would contribute through ministry, teaching, and work.
“I’m a pastor. We can share the gospel of God. We can also share God’s compassion with people,” he said. “And I am a teacher. I can become a college teacher here, and I can help people. I have a Ph.D., and I can also pay taxes. There are a lot of things we can do for America.”
As the Trump administration pushes former TPS holders to leave the country or face arrest and forced repatriation, advocacy groups are urging Congress to extend protections for immigrants who could be sent back to life-threatening conditions.
For now, Dupré says he is praying his family will be allowed to stay in the United States. Until then, he says his mission is unchanged: keep serving others while he waits.
Sources:CBN News
world news
പ്രവാസികൾക്ക് അനുവദിച്ചിരുന്ന പ്രത്യേക വിസ ഇളവ് കുവൈത്ത് പിൻവലിച്ചു
കുവൈത്ത് സിറ്റി: മേഖലയിലെ സംഘർഷ സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ പ്രവാസികൾക്ക് അനുവദിച്ചിരുന്ന പ്രത്യേക വിസ ഇളവ് കുവൈത്ത് പിൻവലിച്ചു. വ്യോമപാത അടച്ചതും വിമാന സർവീസുകൾ തടസ്സപ്പെട്ടതും കണക്കിലെടുത്ത് ഫെബ്രുവരി 28നാണ് കുവൈത്ത് ആഭ്യന്തര മന്ത്രാലയം ഈ പ്രത്യേക ഇളവുകൾ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചത്. സന്ദർശന വിസകളും പെർമിറ്റുകളും സ്വയമേവ നീട്ടിനൽകുന്ന നടപടിയും, കുവൈത്തിന് പുറത്തുള്ളവരുടെ വിസകൾക്ക് അനുവദിച്ചിരുന്ന മൂന്ന് മാസത്തെ അധിക കാലാവധിയുമാണ് ഇപ്പോൾ അവസാനിപ്പിക്കുന്നത്. വരും ദിവസങ്ങളിൽ പഴയ വിസ ചട്ടങ്ങൾ പൂർണമായും പുനഃസ്ഥാപിക്കുമെന്ന് ആഭ്യന്തര മന്ത്രാലയം ഔദ്യോഗികമായി അറിയിച്ചു.
ആഗസ്റ്റ് 31നകം കുവൈത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പുറത്തുപോകുന്നവർക്ക് നിലവിലെ പ്രത്യേക ഇളവുകൾ ബാധകമായിരിക്കുമെന്ന് മന്ത്രാലയം വ്യക്തമാക്കി. എന്നാൽ സെപ്റ്റംബർ ഒന്നുമുതൽ മുൻകാല വിസ നിയമങ്ങൾ കർശനമായി നടപ്പിലാക്കുമെന്നതിനാൽ, അവധിക്ക് നിശ്ചയിച്ചിട്ടുള്ള തീയതികൾ പ്രവാസികൾ കൃത്യമായി പാലിക്കണമെന്ന് അധികൃതർ നിർദേശിച്ചു. റസിഡൻസ് പെർമിറ്റ് സംബന്ധിച്ച ഔദ്യോഗിക രേഖകളും വിശദാംശങ്ങളും ‘സഹൽ’ ആപ്പിലൂടെ ലഭ്യമാകുമെന്നും ആഭ്യന്തര മന്ത്രാലയം കൂട്ടിച്ചേർത്തു.
Sources:globalindiannews
Kuwait has announced an end to the visit visa and absence permit extensions earlier put in place due to Iranian attacks and airspace closures in the region.
The Ministry of Interior in Kuwait said that effective September 1, 2026, the original regulations governing legal durations for entry visas and absence permits will be reinstated.
Kuwait and other Gulf countries were targeted by drone and missile strikes after the US-Iran war broke out in February 2026. In March, Kuwait announced that visitors who had entered the country would receive automatic extensions due to the exceptional circumstances. Practical issues such as airspace closures in the region and security concerns were accounted for in the decision.
Three-month absence permits were given to residents who were outside Kuwait and unable to return to the country, with no in-person processing required and full exemption from fees.
An absence permit in Kuwait is an authorisation required for expats, typically arranged via the Sahel app or Residency Affairs departments, to remain outside the country for more than six months without invalidating their residency.
On August 20, the Ministry of Interior said that the regular legal periods for entry visas and absence permits will be reinstated from September 1 onwards. However, the additional period for absence permits will remain in effect for residents who left the country on or before August 31, 2026.
The residency permit certificate issued through the Sahel app is “the official and approved reference” that will be used to determine when a resident’s absence permit will expire. “Residents must adhere to the specified period upon their return to the country,” the ministry added.
http://theendtimeradio.com
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