Islamic Revolution

PFI wanted to create Islamic movement, start civil war through 'jihad': ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said the Popular Front of India (PFI), a proscribed terrorist organisation, was working to create an Islamic movement in India through a "jihad" that included non-violent air raids and "guerilla theatre", apart from various methods of cruelty and subjugation. The federal agency issued a statement, saying it has attached fresh assets worth more than Rs 35 crore that are "beneficially-owned and controlled" by the PFI "in the name of various trusts, companies and individuals" as part of its ongoing probe against the outfit and entities linked to it. The PFI was banned by the Centre in September 2022 after the ED, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and various state police forces carried out countrywide raids against its office-bearers and establishments. The ED alleged that the real objectives of the PFI, formed in 2006 in Kerala but headquartered in Delhi, are "different" from the ones stated in its constitution. "Real objectives of PFI

Islamic radicals want to make B'desh another Afghanistan: Activist Nasreen

Expressing concern that Bangladesh might go the Afghanistan way, writer-activist Taslima Nasreen has said that Islamic radicals are brainwashing and indoctrinating youths to make them "anti-India, anti-Hindu and pro-Pakistan". Nasreen said she and others had initially supported the students' movement in Bangladesh against an "autocratic government". However, the recent actions like violence against Hindus, targeting of journalists and the release of "terrorists" from jails showed it was not a students' movement but was "planned and funded by Islamic jihadis", she said. "When students protested against the quota system in July, we supported them... people who believe in women's rights, human rights and freedom of expression. "Sheikh Hasina was an autocrat who always encouraged fundamentalists and curbed freedom of expression. People were angry with her, she told PTI in an exclusive interview. She said they had hoped that a fair election would be conducted to democratically form a n

Iran marks 45th anniversary of Islamic Revolution as tensions escalate

Iran marked on Sunday the 45th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution amid tensions gripping the wider Middle East over Israel's continued war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Iranians marched through major streets and squares decorated with flags, balloons and banners with revolutionary and religious slogans. In Tehran, crowds waved Iranian flags, chanted slogans, and carried placards with the traditional Death to America and Death to Israel written on them. Some burned US and Israeli flags, a common practice in pro-government rallies. There was a heavy security presence in the major cities across the country. The anniversary came a month after a deadly attack by the extremist Islamic State group in the central city of Kerman that left at least 95 people dead during the commemoration for prominent Iranian general Qassem Soleimani whom the US killed in a 2020 drone strike. Iran has tried to blame the US and Israel for the attack as the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Str

What we know about Iran's notorious 'morality police' and how it operates

This force has been patrolling the streets of Iran since 2006, arbitrarily enforcing its strict dress code

Fresh crackdown against PFI: More than 170 held across seven states

More than 170 people allegedly linked with the Popular Front of India (PFI) were detained or arrested in raids across seven states on Tuesday, five days after a similar pan India crackdown against the group often accused of being linked to radical Islam. Conducted mostly by state police teams, the raids were spread across Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam and Madhya Pradesh. On September 22, multi-agency teams spearheaded by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 106 leaders and activists of the PFI in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. The NIA is investigating 19 cases involving the PFI. As police teams fanned out across their respective states on Tuesday, seemingly synchronised, the action was swift. While 25 people each were arrested in Assam and Maharashtra, 57 were detained in Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The count of those detained in Delhi was 30, Madhya Pradesh was at 21 followed by 10 in Gujarat and si

Hijab protests: Iranian women publicly remove veils to raise their voices

For months, protests against the hijab have been gaining traction in Iran. Human rights foundations had urged women to use '#No2Hijab' on social media, along with the videos

Nearly 40 yrs later, Iran's clerics are facing a religious backlash

Critics say that decisions based on a rational assessment of the circumstances should not be tagged as "Islamic"