June 2017
Tension erupts as Chinese troops enter Indian territory destroying bunkers
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: A major scuffle has erupted along the India-China border as Chinese troops entered the Indian state of Sikkim and destroyed two Indian bunkers. Chinese troops also engaged in a fight with Indian troops, who were guarding the border at the location. Read More
Major American Muslim civil advocacy group receives extermination threat
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) said Wednesday (June 28) it received a letter threatening extermination, torture, and rape just hours before receiving an award from the New York City Council for the civil rights organization’s work helping hate crime victims, mobilizing against President Trump’s ‘Muslim Bans,’ and fighting for social justice. Read More
The Supreme Court partially unblocks Trump's Muslim Travel ban
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: The Supreme Court Monday (June 25) allowed parts of President Donald Trump's controversial Muslim ban to go into effect and will hear oral arguments on the case this fall. The apex Court ruled that despite rulings in two different federal courts - that the ban should be put on hold while judges decide whether it’s constitutional - the Trump administration should be allowed to enforce the ban starting on Thursday, June 29, 72 hours after the court’s ruling was issued. However, people from the six countries listed in President Trump’s travel ban ― Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Sudan, Yemen ― can travel to the U.S. if they possess a “bona fide” relationship with the U.S. Read More
In a major power shakeup: Saudi king appoints his son as new crown prince
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Saudi Arabia's king Wednesday (June 21) appointed his son Prince Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince, replacing his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, as first in line to the throne. King Salman bin Abdulaziz is 81 and reportedly not in the best of health. Read More
American Muslims alarmed at killing of worshipers in Virginia and United Kingdom
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: The seven-million strong American Muslim Community was alarmed at the killings of worshippers in Virginia and the British capital, London. The Washington Post reported Monday (June 19) police found remains of a missing Virginia teenager who was assaulted and disappeared overnight after leaving a mosque in the Sterling area, and a 22-year-old man has been charged with murder in connection with the case. And across the Atlantic, in the British capital, London, one man died and 10 others were injured when a man drove a van into worshippers leaving a London mosque after prayers early on Monday (June 19). Read More
Saudi-Qatari diplomatic crisis deepens: Qatar rejects any talks until blockade is lifted
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Qatari Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Monday (June 19) ruled out any talks to resolve the current Saudi-Qatari diplomatic crisis unless blockade is lifted. "Qatar is under blockade, there is no negotiation. They have to lift the blockade to start negotiations," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying. "Until now we didn't see any progress about lifting the blockade, which is the precondition for anything to move forward." Sheikh Al Thani’s statement came as the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash said in Paris Sunday that Qatar's diplomatic isolation could "last years." Read More
Qatari-Saudi diplomatic crisis explained: Saudi Arabia in talks with Israel to establish economic ties
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: The British newspaper Times reported Saturday (June 17) that in a dramatic move Saudi Arabia and Israel are in talks to establish economic ties that perhaps explains why Saudi Arabia and its allies have imposed a sweeping blockade on Qatar, in an effort to force the Gulf state to drop its support for Hamas, who control Gaza. The Times quoted Arab and American sources as saying that the links would start small: allowing Israeli businesses to operate in the Gulf, for example, and letting El Al, the Israeli airline, fly over Saudi airspace. Read More
Qatar signs $12 billion deal to buy 35 F-15 jets as US warships arrive in Qatar for military exercise
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: In a paradoxical development in the current Saudi-Qatari dispute, Qatar and the United States Wednesday signed a deal to buy F-15 fighter jets for $12 billion while two US warships arrived in Qatar for joint exercise. Tellingly, the $12 billion deal was signed despite Qatar being criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump for supporting “terrorism.” Read More
Saudi Arabia teams up with Israel in anti-Qatar lobbying in the US Congress
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: US proposed legislation - Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act of 2017 - threatening to sanction Qatar for its support of the so-called "Palestinian terror" was sponsored by 10 lawmakers who received more than $1m over the last 18 months from lobbyists and groups linked to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, Al Jazeera reported Friday (June 9). The HR 2712 bill was introduced to the US House of Representatives on May 25, but the text wasn't available until Friday morning, hours after Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt put 59 people and 12 institutions linked to Qatar on a "terror list", Al Jazeera said. Read More
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan backs Qatar in dispute with Saudi Arabia
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended Qatar after Saudi Arabia and several other countries severed diplomatic ties with it for supporting Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. President Erdogan is the Chairman of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Ironically, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya and Maldives are members of the OIC. Read More
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to revive Muslim travel ban
By Abdus-Sattar Ghazali: The Trump administration on Thursday (June 1) asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive his controversial Muslim travel ban executive order which was blocked by lower courts that found it discriminatory. The Justice Department asked the apex court to temporarily lift injunctions that bar officials from carrying out Trump's March 6, 2017 directive to suspend visa issuance to citizens of six Muslim countries and halt the flow of refugees to the U.S. from across the globe. Read More
President Trump’s 9-day Trip
By HabibSiddiqui: President Donald Trump had an eventful week visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and some European cities including the Vatican City where he met with the Pope. He was bestowed with the highest civilian/national award in the Kingdom. There, as brilliantly noted by the veteran journalist Robert Fisk,Trump said he was not in Saudi Arabia to “lecture” – but then told the world’s Islamic preachers what to say, condemned “Islamist terrorism” as if violence was a solely Muslim phenomenon and then announced like an Old Testament prophet that he was in “a battle between good and evil”. There were no words of empathy, none of sympathy, absolutely not a word of apology for his racist, anti-Muslim speeches of last year, let alone the ‘Muslim-ban. Read More
To avoid straining ties with Iran:
Pakistan may quit command of Saudi-led Muslim military alliance
By Abdus-Sattar Ghazali: Pakistan is reconsidering its position on the so-called 41-nation Islamic military alliance, led by Saudi Arabia, to avoid straining its relationship with neighboring Iran, according to Pakistan media reports. The military alliance was to be commanded by General Raheel Sharif, the former commander-in-chief of Pakistan army who retired from the Pak army last year. Read More
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
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