Tag: Observes

Same-sex marriage: Genitals don’t define absolute concept of man or woman, observes SC

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New Delhi: While hearing a batch of petitions seeking legal sanction to same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court on Tuesday orally observed that there is no absolute concept of a man or a woman and it cannot be only about the genitals, rather it is far more complex.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted before a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud that there is a legislative intent that a marriage can only happen between a biological man and a biological woman, including Special Marriage Act.
Chief Justice Chandrachud told Mehta, “Very important judgement you are making. That very notion of a biological man is absolute and the notion of biological woman is also absolute…” Mehta said a biological man is a biological man and it is not a notion.

The Chief Justice said, “There is no absolute concept of a man or a woman at all…it cannot be the definition of what your genitals are, it is far more complex. Even when the Special Marriage Act (SMA) says man and woman, the very notion of a man and notion of a woman is not an absolute, based on what genitals you have….”
During the hearing, Mehta stressed that his preliminary objections against the maintainability of the petitions seeking same-sex marriage should be decided first and added that all states should be issued notices before a decision is made by the top court.
Mehta submitted that the institution of marriage affects personal laws. The Hindu Marriage Act is a codified personal law and Islam has their own personal law, and part of them is not codified. The bench – comprising justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S. Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli, and P.S. Narasimha – replied that it is not getting into personal laws.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing one of the petitioners seeking recognition of same-sex marriage, submitted that his clients seek a declaration that “we have a right to get married.” The counsel said the state will recognise that right under the Special Marriage Act and the marriage will be recognised by the state after the declaration of this court.
Rohatgi contended that this is because even now we are stigmatised, and this is even after the Article 377 judgment, and that the Special Marriage Act should mention ‘spouse’ instead of man and women.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for one of the parties in the matter opposing same-sex marriages, argued that marriage between man and woman is not a gift of law, but existed since time immemorial and marriages are necessary to perpetuate the human race itself. Dwivedi contended that even SMA has provisions reflective of personal laws and talks about different marriageable age for a man and a woman. How would one reconcile with these (who is man and who is woman)?
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that he is all for such relationships but is concerned about the societal severe consequences, which may follow after declaration and questioned, what happens if they adopt a child and later want to separate? Who gets maintenance?
Sibal stressed that if piecemeal arrangement is done then it will create more complications, which will hurt the community and in other countries where same-sex marriages were recognised, they overhauled the entire legal framework.
The arguments in the matter will continue after 2 p.m. The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the demand for same-sex marriage is a “mere urban elitist views for the purpose of social acceptance,” and recognising the right of same-sex marriage would mean a virtual judicial rewriting of an entire branch of law.
The Centre’s response came on a batch of petitions challenging certain provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act, Foreign Marriage Act and the Special Marriage Act and other marriage laws as unconstitutional on the ground that they deny same-sex couples the right to marry or alternatively to read these provisions broadly so as to include same-sex marriage.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 18, 2023
March 15: UN Observes First International Day Against Islamophobia

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SRINAGAR: The United Nations commemorated the first-ever International Day to Combat Islamophobia with a special event in the General Assembly Hall, where speakers upheld the need for concrete action in the face of rising hatred, discrimination and violence against Muslims. The event took place a few days ahead of March 15, the day fixed for International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
A crowd of pigeons outside the Dargah-e-Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
The observation follows the unanimous adoption of an Assembly resolution in 2022 that proclaimed 15 March as the International Day, calling for global dialogue that promotes tolerance, peace and respect for human rights and religious diversity. The day is also the anniversary of the 2019 attack on two mosques in New Zealand which left 51 people dead.
As the UN Secretary-General stated, the nearly two billion Muslims worldwide – who come from all corners of the planet – “reflect humanity in all its magnificent diversity”. Yet, they often face bigotry and prejudice simply because of their faith.
Furthermore, Muslim women can also suffer “triple discrimination” because of their gender, ethnicity, and faith.
Everyone has a role
The President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, noted that Islamophobia is rooted in xenophobia, or the fear of strangers, which is reflected in discriminatory practices, travel bans, hate speech, bullying and targeting of other people.
He urged countries to uphold freedom of religion or belief, which is guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“All of us carry a responsibility to challenge Islamophobia or any similar phenomenon, to call out injustice and condemn discrimination based on religion or belief – or the lack of them,” he added.

Kőrösi said education is key to learning why these phobias exist, and it can be “transformative” in changing how people understand each another.
Hatred on the rise
The growing hate that Muslims face is not an isolated development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told attendees.
“It is an inexorable part of the resurgence of ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazi white supremacist ideologies, and violence targeting vulnerable populations including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities and others,” he said.
“Discrimination diminishes us all. And it is incumbent on all of us to stand up against it. We must never be bystanders to bigotry.”
Stressing that “we must strengthen our defences”, Guterres highlighted UN measures such as a Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites. He also called for ramping up political, cultural, and economic investments in social cohesion.
Curb online bigotry
“And we must confront bigotry wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head. This includes working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet,” he added.
To this end, the UN is working with governments, regulators, technology companies and the media “to set up guardrails, and enforce them.”
Compassion and solidarity
Other policies already launched include a Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, and the Our Common Agenda report, which outlines a framework for a more inclusive and secure “digital future” for all people.
The Secretary-General also expressed gratitude to religious leaders across the world who have united to promote dialogue and interfaith harmony.
He described the 2019 declaration on ‘Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’ – co-authored by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb – as “a model for compassion and human solidarity.”
Interestingly, China and US attacked each other on the day at UN event.
China accused the US of “abusing” a UN event to mark an international day against Islamophobia after the American ambassador in New York used it to draw attention to Beijing’s persecution of its Uyghur minority.
Speaking at the event, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said that the US had formally recognised that Muslims are increasingly subject to “discrimination and violence”, and cited the treatment of the Uyghurs in China and the Rohingya in Myanmar.
China’s persecution of the Uyghurs has been documented by human rights organisations and by the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and has been widely condemned by western governments.
A Letter
Meanwhile, as many as 15 organisations across the world, including the Muslim Council of Britain, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Committee for Justice and Liberty in France, Asociacion Musulmana por los Derechos Humanos in Spain and the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, have written a letter to UN calling for action against Islamophobia.
“We call on governments to recognize the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, condemn anti-Muslim bigotry and racism, dismantle Islamophobic policies and laws, and ensure that all of their citizens receive fair treatment under the law,” the first call to action said.
“We know that Islamophobia has gone global. The Christchurch shooter who murdered 51 Muslim men, women and children in New Zealand on March 15th four years ago was just one horrific example of how dangerous anti-Muslim extremism can become,” the letter said.
(Part of the news item was sourced from a report from UN official website)

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#March #Observes #International #Day #Islamophobia
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 15, 2023
UN observes first anti-Islamophobia day

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United Nations: The United Nations marked the first-ever International Day to Combat Islamophobia with a special event, where speakers upheld the need for concrete action in the face of rising hatred, discrimination and violence against Muslims.
The observation on Friday follows the unanimous adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution in 2022 that proclaimed March 15 as such an international day, calling for global dialogue that promotes tolerance, peace and respect for human rights and religious diversity, Xinhua news agency reported.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide, who come from all corners of the world, “reflect humanity in all its majestic diversity”. Yet, they often face bigotry and prejudice simply because of their faith.
Moreover, Muslim women might face “triple discrimination” because of their gender, ethnicity, and faith.
The growing hate that Muslims face is not an isolated development, the UN chief stressed.
“It is an inexorable part of the resurgence of ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazi white supremacist ideologies, and violence targeting vulnerable populations including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities and others,” he said.
“Discrimination diminishes us all. And it is incumbent on all of us to stand up against it. We must never be bystanders to bigotry.”
Stressing that “we must strengthen our defenses,” Guterres highlighted UN measures such as a Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites.

He also called for ramping up political, cultural, and economic investments in social cohesion.
“And we must confront bigotry wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head. This includes working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet,” he added.
To this end, the UN is working with governments, regulators, technology companies and the media “to set up guardrails, and enforce them.”
Other policies already launched include a Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, and the Our Common Agenda report, which outlines a framework for a more inclusive and secure “digital future” for all people.
The UN chief also expressed gratitude to religious leaders across the world who have united to promote dialogue and interfaith harmony.
The high-level event was co-convened by Pakistan, whose Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari underlined that Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and pluralism.
Despite Islamophobia not being new, he described it as a “sad reality of our times.”
“Since the tragedy of 9/11, animosity and institutional suspicion of Muslims and Islam across the world have only escalated to epidemic proportions. A narrative has been developed and peddled which associates Muslim communities and their religion with violence and danger,” said Zardari, who is also chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers.
“This Islamophobic narrative is not just confined to extremist, marginal propaganda, but regrettably has found acceptance by sections of mainstream media, academia, policymakers and state machinery,” he added.
Csaba Korosi, president of the UN General Assembly, pointed out that Islamophobia is rooted in xenophobia, or the fear of strangers, which manifests in discriminatory practices, travel bans, hate speech, bullying, and other forms of abuse.
He urged countries to uphold freedom of religion or belief, which is guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“All of us carry a responsibility to challenge Islamophobia or any similar phenomenon, to call out injustice and condemn discrimination based on religion or belief – or the lack of them,” he added.
Korosi said education is crucial to understanding why these phobias exist and can transform how people perceive each other.
On March 15, 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution by consensus which was introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that proclaimed March 15 as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia.” The date was chosen as it is the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque shootings, in which 51 people were killed.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 11, 2023
Islamic University Observes ‘National Science Day’

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SRINAGAR: The Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora commemorated National Science Day, marking the discovery of the Raman effect, with a program themed “Global Science for Global Wellbeing.”
The event aimed to promote scientific temper among young people and encourage the advancement of science and technology. Attendees included students from various departments and the Mantaqui Higher Secondary School.
The program featured lectures and technical sessions delivered by renowned experts, including Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Malik (Dean Academic Affairs IUST), Prof. M.A Khuroo (Dean, School of Sciences), Dr. Muzafar Rasool Bhat from School of Technology, and Dr. Niyaz Ahmad Rather (Head of Department, Physics).
The speakers highlighted Nobel laureate CV Raman’s contributions to science and technology in India and discussed various scientific advancements, such as harnessing renewable energy, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in various aspects of human activity.

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#Islamic #University #Observes #National #Science #Day
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

February 28, 2023