Page 4 - Mosques

'China expanding its crackdown on mosques to regions outside Xinjiang'

The Chinese government has expanded its campaign of closing mosques to regions other than Xinjiang, where for years it has been blamed for persecuting Muslim minorities, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday. Authorities have closed mosques in the northern Ningxia region as well as Gansu province, which are home to large populations of Hui Muslims, as part of a process known officially as consolidation, according to the report, which draws on public documents, satellite images and witness testimonies. Local authorities also have been removing architectural features of mosques to make them look more Chinese," part of a campaign by the ruling Communist Party to tighten control over religion and reduce the risk of possible challenges to its rule. President Xi Jinping in 2016 called for the Sinicization of religions, initiating a crackdown that has largely concentrated on the western region of Xinjiang, home to more than 11 million Uyghurs and other Muslim ...

China expanding crackdown on mosques to regions outside Xinjiang: Report

The Chinese government has expanded its campaign of closing mosques to regions other than Xinjiang, where for years it has been blamed for persecuting Muslim minorities, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday. Authorities have closed mosques in the northern Ningxia region as well as Gansu province, which are home to large populations of Hui Muslims, as part of a process known officially as consolidation, according to the report, which draws on public documents, satellite images and witness testimonies. Local authorities also have been removing architectural features of mosques to make them look more Chinese," part of a campaign by the ruling Communist Party to tighten control over religion and reduce the risk of possible challenges to its rule. President Xi Jinping in 2016 called for the Sinicization of religions, initiating a crackdown that has largely concentrated on the western region of Xinjiang, home to more than 11 million Uyghurs and other Muslim ...

Gyanvapi row: ASI seeks 15 days from court for survey report submission

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sought 15 more days from a court here on Friday to submit its report of a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. According to the Centre's counsel, Amit Srivastava, the ASI has moved an application in the court of Varanasi District Judge A K Vishvesh, stating that though the survey work has been completed, the technical reports are still awaited and therefore, the additional time has been sought. The court will hear the matter later in the day, Srivastava said. On November 2, the ASI told the court that it had "completed" the survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, but it may take some more time to compile the report, along with the details of the equipment used in the survey work, following which additional time till November 17 was granted for the submission of the document. On October 5, the court had granted four more weeks to the ASI and said the duration of the survey would not be extended beyond this.

Israel-Hamas war: More terror bases uncovered in mosques, universities

During the operation, Israeli forces confiscated dozens of weapons, combat equipment and operative plans of the terrorist organization Hamas

Gyanvapi survey: Varanasi court gives additional time to ASI till Nov 17

A Varanasi court on Thursday gave additional time till November 17 to the ASI to complete scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex here and submit its report. Accepting the request of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), District Judge A K Vishvesh passed the order, Central government counsel Amit Srivastava said. The court was informed that the ASI has completed its survey, but it may take some more time for compiling the report along with the details of the equipment used in the survey work and requested for additional time, Srivastava said. On October 5, the court granted four more weeks to the ASI and said that the duration of the survey will not be extended.

Gyanvapi row: Court junks plea seeking inclusion of wazookhana in survey

A Varanasi court on Saturday rejected a plea seeking the inclusion of the "wazookhana" in an ongoing ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex here. "Rejecting the petition, District Judge A K Vishvesh said the area duly protected under the Supreme Court's orders should not be subjected to the survey because it may amount to a violation of the court's orders," District Government Counsel Rajesh Mishra said. The plea was filed by Rakhi Singh, one of the petitioners in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case. The district court concluded the hearing in the matter and reserved its order on October 19. At present, the "wazookhana" (a small reservoir for Muslim devotees to perform ritual ablutions), where a structure claimed by Hindu litigants to be a "Shivling" exists, is not part of the survey being conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) due to a Supreme Court order protecting that spot in the complex. During the hearing in the wazookhana case on Thursday, the Hindu side's ...

Supreme Court committee orders protection of religious buildings in Manipur

386 religious structures have been vandalised over the course of the ongoing unrest, including 254 churches and 132 temples

Submit objects related to Hindu religion: Court's order on Gyanvapi case

The Hindu side had demanded an evidence room to preserve the 'proofs' collected during the ASI survey, in addition to reserving the Gyanvapi mosque premises

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Gyanvapi row: Varanasi Court grants 4 more weeks to ASI to complete survey

As per the order, ASI has been granted time till October 6, 2023, to complete the survey and submit the report

Court grants 8 more weeks to ASI to complete Gyanvapi mosque's survey

A Varanasi court on Friday granted eight more weeks to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to complete the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex and submit its report, government counsel Rajesh Mishra said. District Judge A K Vishvesh dismissed the mosque management committee's objection and provided the additional time to the ASI, Mishra said. The ASI is carrying out a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, next to Kashi Vishwanath temple here, to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. The survey began after the Allahabad High Court upheld a Varanasi district court order and ruled that the step is "necessary in the interest of justice" and will benefit both the Hindu and Muslim sides. Advocate of the Hindu side Madan Mohan Yadav said the court had earlier given time till September 4 to survey the Gyanvapi complex except the Wazoo khana and submit its report. As the survey work was not .

Gyanvapi management opposes ASI plea for more time to complete survey

The Gyanvapi mosque management committee has objected to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) seeking eight more weeks to complete the survey of the complex. The Varanasi district court had on July 21 directed the ASI to conduct a "detailed scientific survey" - including excavations, wherever necessary -- to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple is built upon a temple. The Muslim side in the case has claimed the ASI is digging in the basement and other places in the Gyanvapi complex without permission, and is removing the debris next to the western wall, endangering the structure. Government counsel Rajesh Mishra said the ASI has given an application in the court of District Judge A K Vishvesh seeking an eight-week extension for the survey. The Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee filed its objection on Monday. According to Mishra, the Muslim side has objected to the ASI seeking extra time for the removal of debris and garbage and argued tha

ASI may seek more time from court on Gynavapi survey report, say lawyers

Sudhir Tripathi, an advocate representing the Hindu side, said they think "the survey is not completed yet"

Hindu outfit calls for out-of-court settlement of Gyanvapi mosque dispute

A Hindu outfit on the forefront of a legal battle on Gyanvapi complex located next to Kashi Vishwanath temple has written an open letter advocating an out-of-court settlement of the dispute. The letter has come at a time when a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex is underway on the order of the Varanasi district court. Jitendra Singh Bisen, chief of Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, has written an open letter inviting the Hindu and Muslim sides to hold talks to settle the Gyanvapi complex dispute with mutual consent. Bisen said that the letter has been issued on behalf of the Hindu side after the consent of Rakhi Singh, the main litigant in the case. "If this matter can be resolved by mutual consent, then nothing can be better than that," he added. Bisen in his letter said some anti-social elements want to take advantage of this constitutional fight between Hindus and Muslims for their personal gains which can prove to be harmful for both, the country and the society. In such a ..

Out-of-court settlement in Gyanvapi case not possible: Hindu side Advocate

He further added that "None of our parties or clients are ready for a settlement"

Gunman opens fire at Shia shrine in Iran, leaves 1 dead, 8 injured

A gunman opened fire Sunday night at a prominent shrine in southern Iran, killing one person and wounding eight others in an attack that followed another assault there months earlier, authorities said. Officials offered no immediate motive for the attack in the city of Shiraz at Shah Cheragh, which draws Shiite pilgrims to its domed mosque and the tomb of a prominent member of the faith from its earliest days. However, Iran has faced attacks in the past from the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group, who view Shiites as heretics. Iran also faces lingering unrest and economic turmoil amid tensions with the West. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted Ismail Qezelsofla, a deputy governor for security in the country's Fars province, as offering the casualty toll. Fars province Gov. Mohammad Hadi Imanieh told Iranian state television that a single gunman carried out the attack and later was detained by security forces. He did not offer any motive for the attack in his brief ...

ASI survey continues at Gyanvapi Mosque on Day 7, both sides cooperating

While speaking to ANI, Advocate Shubhash Nandan Chaturvedi said," The ASI survey is proceeding smoothly and in a systematic way

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ASI team to continue survey of Gyanvapi mosque complex today in Varanasi

Today is the fourth day of the ongoing survey by ASI

ASI begins survey at Gyanvapi mosque, possibility of radar usage likely

A heavy police force was also deployed in the area before arrival of the ASI team