Author: islamnewsday
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and several other officials were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest, state media reported. The crash comes as the Middle East remains unsettled by the Israel-Hamas war, during which Raisi, who was 63, under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel just last month. During Raisi’s term in office, Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels, further escalating tensions with the West as Tehran also supplied bomb-carrying…
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) — The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister, Dr Hossein Amirabdollahian in the helicopter crash on Sunday is a great loss to the world of Islamic leadership and the people of Iran, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He expressed sorrow over the news of the demise of Raisi, Amirabdollahian and other passengers in the helicopter crash that occurred in the mountainous region of northwestern Iran. Mohamad said the last time he met Amirabdollahian was during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Ministerial-Level Open Debate in New York in January and had a…
The sudden helicopter crash on Sunday that claimed the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has thrown the Islamic Republic into a period of uncertainty.With the loss of top political figures, Iran finds itself grappling with internal and geopolitical challenges on multiple fronts, especially in the wake of regional tension owing to the ongoing war in Gaza.READ MORE: Iran President News LIVE: Ebrahim Raisi Dies In Helicopter Crash; Vice President Mohammad Mokhber To Succeed HimSuccession Plans Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (File Photo/AP)Raisi’s death comes at a critical juncture for Iran, already grappling with a…
Committed to advancing fintech adoption with digital-first protection products in Malaysia The partnership offers Shariah-compliant solutions for customers’ financial, personal security In a move towards financial inclusion aligned with Islamic banking principles, Zurich Malaysia through its family takaful business, Zurich Takaful Malaysia Berhad (ZTMB) and its general takaful business, Zurich General Takaful Malaysia Berhad (ZGTMB) has entered into a strategic partnership with Aeon Bank (M) Berhad, Malaysia’s first Islamic digital bank. Zurich Malaysia’s collaboration with Aeon Bank reflects a shared pursuit of Syariah-compliant solutions to safeguard the personal and financial wellbeing of local customers. The tripartite partnership signifies all parties’…
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on foreigners in central Afghanistan in which three Spanish citizens and three Afghans were killed.Seven people were wounded in the attack Friday in Bamiyan province, a major tourist area, according to Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the interior minister. He said seven suspects were arrested at the scene.The Islamic State group issued statements on its Aamaq news agency late Sunday that said IS fighters attacked a bus carrying tourists and their guides. “The attack was in response to the IS leaders’ directions to target citizens of…
By Muhyideen Jimoh The Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society (AIS), an Islamic NGO, has tasked Islamic scholars and Imams to champion the fight against corruption in Nigeria through sustained sensitisation and sermons to their congregation. The executive director and national Chief Imam of AIS, Sheik Fuad Adeyemi gave the admonition on Sunday in Abuja, at the end of 2-day sustainability workshop on anti-corruption organised by the AIS in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation. Adeyemi, who decried the endemic nature of corruption in the country stressed the need for a holistic solution to the problem. He said the anti-corruption training…
ISLAMABAD — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on foreigners in central Afghanistan in which three Spanish citizens and three Afghans were killed.Seven people were wounded in the attack Friday in Bamiyan province, a major tourist area, according to Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the interior minister. He said seven suspects were arrested at the scene.The Islamic State group issued statements on its Aamaq news agency late Sunday that said IS fighters attacked a bus carrying tourists and their guides. “The attack was in response to the IS leaders’ directions to target citizens of the…
AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo, FileThe world’s largest mud-brick building, the Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali, awaits its annual replastering, Friday, May 10, 2024. AP 15:54 JST, May 19, 2024 DJENNE, Mali (AP) — Kola Bah used to earn a living as a tour guide in Mali’s historic city of Djenné, once a center of Islamic learning known for the sprawling mud-brick mosque that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage in Danger list since 2016. The Grand Mosque of Djenné — the world’s largest mud-brick building — used to draw tens of thousands of tourists to central Mali every year.…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi has long been seen as a protégé to Iran’s supreme leader and a potential successor for his position within the country’s Shiite theocracy. News of his helicopter making what state media described as a “hard landing” on Sunday immediately brought new attention to the leader, who already faces sanctions from the U.S. and other nations over his involvement in the mass execution of prisoners in 1988. Raisi, 63, previously ran Iran’s judiciary. He ran unsuccessfully for president in 2017 against Hassan Rouhani, the relatively moderate cleric who as president…
BEIRUT – The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran’s president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region. Details remained scant in the hours after the incident, and it was unclear if Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the other officials had survived. Here’s what we know so far. Who was on board the helicopter and where were they going? The helicopter was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other officials and bodyguards, according to the state-run IRNA news…
Ebrahim Raisi, 63, a hard-line religious cleric, was elected president of Iran in 2021. In his tenure as president, he has overseen a strategy to expand his country’s regional influence — backing militant proxies across the Middle East, expediting the country’s nuclear program and bringing the country to the brink of war with Israel.But in the same period, Iran experienced some of its largest antigovernment protests in decades and a severe economic downturn driven by international sanctions and high unemployment.Mr. Raisi has been seen as a possible successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, the highest political and religious…
DUBAI — Iranian state television said Monday there is “no sign of life” at the crash site of a helicopter that was carrying President Ebrahim Raisi and others.The site was across a steep valley, and rescuers had yet to reach it, state media reported.As the sun rose Monday, rescuers saw the helicopter from a distance of about 1.25 miles, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, told state media. He did not elaborate. The officials at that point had been missing for more than 12 hours.The helicopter crashed Sunday and was carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollhian…
By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. The likely crash came as Iran under Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month and has enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. Iran has also faced years of mass protests against its Shiite theocracy over an ailing economy and women’s…
Kolkata, May 19 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the West Bengal Chief Minister of ‘succumbing to Islamic fanatics’ and maligning the saints of iconic institutions who are engaged in human services. PM Modi said the appeasement politics is prompting Trinamool Congress to malign and threaten iconic institutions like Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha and ISKCON. “From this platform, I am directly accusing the Chief Minister of succumbing to the Islamic fanatics and maligning the saints of these iconic institutions who are engaged in human services. Trinamool Congress is also maligning the Ram Mandir.…
Kolkata, May 19 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the West Bengal Chief Minister of ‘succumbing to Islamic fanatics’ and maligning the saints of iconic institutions who are engaged in human services. PM Modi said the appeasement politics is prompting Trinamool Congress to malign and threaten iconic institutions like Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha and ISKCON. “From this platform, I am directly accusing the Chief Minister of succumbing to the Islamic fanatics and maligning the saints of these iconic institutions who are engaged in human services. Trinamool Congress is also maligning the Ram Mandir.…
The jihadists said they attacked a “bus of tourists who are citizens of coalition countries”, referring to a US-led coalition that has battled Isis in the Middle East.The ruins of a 1,500-year-old Buddha statue in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Photo: EPA-EFE“The attack comes in line with the directives of the leaders of the Islamic State to target nationals of coalition countries wherever they may be,” the statement added.Taliban officials said on Saturday they had arrested seven suspects in the aftermath of the attack.The number of bombings and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has reduced dramatically since the Taliban authorities took power.However, a number…
The Islamic State group on Sunday claimed responsibility for an attack targeting tourists in Afghanistan that killed three Spaniards and three Afghans. The jihadist group said in a statement on its Telegram channels that “fighters shot at Christian tourists and their Shiite companions with machine guns” in the mountainous city of Bamyan on Friday. The tour group was fired on while shopping in a market in Bamyan, around 180 kilometres (110 miles) west of the capital Kabul. The jihadists said they attacked a “bus of tourists who are citizens of coalition countries”, referring to a US-led coalition that has battled…
Key PointsA helicopter carrying Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog.State TV reported that the helicopter had been found.The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged Iranians to “not worry” about the leadership of the Islamic republic.Iran was thrown into uncertainty as search and rescue teams scoured a fog-shrouded mountain area after President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter went missing in what state media described as an “accident”.Fears grew for the 63-year-old ultraconservative after contact was lost with the aircraft carrying him as well as Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and others in…
Should it become clear that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have died in Sunday’s helicopter crash, those hoping that their sudden demise would lead to a regime change in the Islamic Republic are likely to be disappointed, experts said.This does “nothing” for regime change, said Dr. Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian lecturer at Reichman University, as he explained that the impact would largely be domestic.Nor did experts believe that their deaths could impact Iran’s enmity with Israel, its support of the proxy groups Hamas and Hezbollah, who are at war with Israel, or its push to…
Arvin Nathaniel Ghahremani received an 11th-hour stay of execution on Sunday amid a high-stakes global campaign to save his life from the Islamic Republic’s brutal justice system. He was slated to be executed on Monday.New details about Ghahremani, held in Kermanshah Central Prison in Western Iran, indicated that his execution was postponed until next month.Calling for execution On Friday, a Norway-based Iran Human Rights group (IHRNGO) called for an urgent stay for his and other death row prisoners’ execution. The organization said that an informed source told IHRNGO that “Arvin Ghahremani was arrested for the murder of Amir Shokri –…
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran’s president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.Details remained scant in the hours after the incident, and it was unclear whether Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the other officials had survived.Here’s what we know so far.Who was on board the helicopter and where were they going?The helicopter was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other officials and bodyguards, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Raisi was returning from a trip to Iran’s border with…
In this photo provided by Moj News Agency, rescue teams’ vehicles are seen near the site of the incident of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. (Azin Haghighi/Moj News Agency via AP) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other…
Topline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, an ultra-conservative with a history of atrocity accusations who is widely considered a potential future supreme leader of Iran, remains missing Sunday afternoon after a helicopter transporting him and several other government officials crashed in a rural area of the country and could not be located due to fog and bad weather, state news agencies reported. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi.Getty Images Key Facts At least 40 search and rescue teams were dispatched to the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan in search of the helicopter Sunday, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported, which was carrying Iranian…
BY ABBY SEWELL, Associated Press 59 mins ago In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes off at the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. (Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA via AP) BEIRUT (AP) — The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran’s president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock…
BY ABBY SEWELL, Associated Press 47 mins ago In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes off at the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. (Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA via AP) BEIRUT (AP) — The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran’s president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock…