Murder Of The Grandson Of The Prophet — Saudi Gazette

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31/10/2015

By Amal Al-Sibai

Regardless of the sect, the school of thought, or the fiqhi madhhab we follow, all Muslims have a deep love and veneration of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his family. We immensely love all whom the Prophet loved: his companions, his wives, his daughters, and especially his youngest daughter whom he called the flower, Fatimah, and her husband Ali bin Abi Talib and their two sons, Hasan and Hussain.

The Prophet’s Love for Hasan and Hussain

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) openly showed his affection for Hasan and Hussain. He (peace be upon him) was often seen with the boys on his lap. He kissed them fondly, hugged them close to his chest, allowed them to climb on his back when he prayed, and he repeatedly expressed his love for them.

He (peace be upon him) held the hands of Hasan and Hussain and said, “He who loves me and loves these two, their father and their mother, will be with me at my place on the Day of Resurrection.” (At-Tirmidhi)
How can we not love Hussain when the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Hussain is of me and I am his. Allah loves those who love Hussain. Hussain is a grandson among grandsons.”? (At-Tirmidhi)
Truly, this young Muslim hero, descendent of the Prophet (peace be upon him), is an important figure in our history. Some cultures exaggerate in mourning Hussain’s murder, which fell on the tenth of Muharram. We saw the images of people practicing self-mutilation last week in memory of his death, which makes no sense to the sound mind. However, on the other end, some Muslims have completely forgotten the tragedy, and still others truly lack in knowledge about Hussain, his life, and his death.

Early Life

Al-Hussain was born in Shabaan in the fourth year after the migration from Makkah to Madinah. He was only a year younger than his brother, Al-Hasan. The boys were called by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the chiefs of the youth of Paradise. They were raised in a pious family; they spent their childhood learning from the best of creation, their grandfather.

As a young man, when Hussain’s father, Ali bin Abi Talib, became the fourth Rightly Guided Caliph, he moved with his father to Kufa in Iraq. Hussain participated in the battles of Sifeen and Jamal. After Ali bin Abi Talib was assassinated, the people of Kufa gave the oath of allegiance to Hasan as the well-deserved Caliph, but the people of Syria gave their oath of allegiance to Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan. Although he had a right to the Caliphate, due to Hasan’s wisdom and in order to avoid further bloodshed among Muslims, he voluntary resigned from his position; Hasan gave up the Caliphate. Hasan, along with his family and his brother, Hussain, returned to Madinah.

According to reliable Sunni historians such as Ibn Kathir and Ibn Hajar, Hussain may not have agreed with this decision, but out of respect for his brother, he moved to Madinah and lived there a quiet life, spending his time in worship of Allah and helping the needy. Hussain was greatly loved and respected.

Many stories abound of his noble character and humble nature. He once passed by a group of poor men eating, and they invited him to join them. He dismounted his horse, saying, “Surely, Allah does not like the haughty.” He shared the meal with them and said, “I have accepted your invitation, won’t you accept mine?” Hussain took them to his house and asked his wife, Ar-Rabab to bring forth a meal for them.

It was said that Hussain had a mark along his back, and this mark was from the trace of the bag which he carried on his back, bringing food to the houses of the widows, orphans, and the poor.

Events Leading to the Murder of Al-Husayn

After Hasan died in the year 50 after Hijrah, Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan nominated his son, Yazid, as the next Caliph. This came as a shock to the Muslim nation because Yazid was not a companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him). There were companions who were older, wiser, more experienced, and more righteous than Yazid.

When Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan died in the year 60 after Hijrah, the bulk of the Muslim nation pledged allegiance to Yazid, but the people of Makkah and Madinah refused to accept Yazid as their Caliph.

The Muslims in Makkah and Madinah looked up to the following three men as rightful leaders: Abdullah bin Umar bin Al Khattab, Abdullah bin Zubayr (son of Asmaa bint Abi Bakr), and of course Hussain, grandson of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The Governor of Madinah, appointed by Yazid’s father, wanted to quell any uprising against the Umayyad Caliphate. He called Hussain to his house and insisted that Hussain proclaim the oath of allegiance to Yazid in public in the mosque. Hussain resisted and he asked for more time to think the matter over.
Sensing pressure from the Governor of Madinah, Hussain went home and told his family to pack; they were leaving to Makkah in two hours. In Makkah, Hussain would find more people who rejected Yazid’s rulership.

The news spread across the Muslim lands that Hussain had fled to Makkah without giving allegiance to Yazid. The news reached the people of Kufa; they rejoiced because they already harbored animosity towards Yazid. They started sending letters to Hussain in Makkah, inviting him to come to Kufa, to rise up, and lead a rebellion against Yazid.

Hussain received message after message from the people of Kufa; most were pleas but some were even threats. They promised Hussain that if he came, they would back him, support him, and help him.

Hussain sent his cousin, Muslim bin Aqeel, to Kufa to investigate the situation. When Muslim bin Aqeel arrived in Kufa, they greeted him warmly. More than 12,000 men gave the oath of allegiance to Muslim bin Aqeel on behalf of Hussain. With what looked like such staunch support and a large number of loyals, Muslim bin Aqeel sent a message to Hussain, telling him that the people were ready and that he should come to Kufa without delay.

Rumors of an uprising spread rapidly, and Yazid in Damascus learned of what was going on. He chose a shrewd, vicious man, known as Ibn Ziyad, to send to Kufa to replace the existing Governor of Kufa.

The first command that Ibn Ziyad gave was that Muslim bin Aqeel must be found and brought. Ibn Ziyad dispatched a spy, who was able to figure out that Muslim bin Aqeel was in Kufa. Hussain’s plot was exposed.

Muslim bin Aqeel cried out to the supporters of Hussain to join him and attack Ibn Ziyad’s fortress. Of the 12,000 men who had earlier promised to support Hussain, only 4,000 joined Muslim bin Aqeel.

Ibn Ziyad was scheming; he used threatening, violence, and bribery to convince even those men to leave Muslim bin Aqeel. Their numbers dwindled gradually and by nightfall, only 10 people stayed with bin Aqeel.
Finally, Muslim bin Aqeel was captured. Before he was dragged to Ibn Ziyad’s palace, he managed to make a man promise to send a final message to Hussain, warning him that he had been betrayed and that the people of Kufa abandoned him. Muslim bin Aqeel was thrown to his death from atop the palace, for all people of Kufa to witness.

In Makkah, Hussain was unaware of the dismaying developments; he had no idea that Muslim bin Aqeel had been betrayed by the people of Kufa, and then killed by Ibn Ziyad. The last message Husayn had received from Muslim bin Aqeel was that the time was right for Hussain to advance to Kufa.

When some of the companions begged Hussain not to go because they were sure that war would ensue, Hussain said, “I would rather die elsewhere than to open up the door for the Grand Mosque to become an area of bloodshed.” Hussain believed that if he remained in Makkah, Yazid would send forces to Makkah to fight him.

Hussain gathered his family members, the children of Hasan, and the children of Muslim bin Aqeel and they set out for Kufa; a party of around 100 people.

During the journey, Hussain sent a messenger to Kufa, but the messenger was intercepted and killed by Ibn Ziyad’s army. A second messenger met the same fate. The third messenger was able to yell out that Hussain was on his way, and then the messenger was killed.

Hussain received the message of what had happened to Muhammad bin Aqeel. Some family members advised Hussain to flee and go back to Makkah, but Hussain courageously marched on. He believed that the people would certainly support him; he was after all the grandson of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Ibn Ziyad re-directed an army of 4,000 troops who had been heading to Turkey to fight a Roman city, but he sent them instead in the direction of Hussain. They stopped Hussain in Karbala, which was only a stone’s throw from Kufa.

Hussain showed the leader of the army two large sacks filled with letters from the people of Kufa; asking him to be their leader. Hussain said that he would not give in to injustice and falsehood, and he would not give allegiance to Yazid. Hussain and his family members were under siege for approximately 6 days, during which Hussain led his party and even the troops of the enemy in prayer.

The army facing Hussain was reluctant to harm him; he was the grandson of the Prophet (peace be upon him). None wanted the blood of Hussain on their hands. Some troops even defected over to Hussain’s side.

None had the audacity to strike Hussain, until a bloodthirsty warrior, Shimr and a handful of archers and fighters with him attacked. Hussain fought bravely, just like the lion his father had been, until his last breath. It was a brutal murder, and Hussain’s head was separated from his body.

We weep for Hussain too. Hussain died a hero; he died a martyr. This part of Islamic history must never be forgotten; nor neglected in our educational institutions. Nor should this tragic event be remembered and honored by men and boys lashing their own flesh and beating themselves. Does self-mutilation honor Hussain? Or would it be better to tell his story, educate our children on the history, and send peace and blessings 1,000 times on Prophet Muhammad and his family and Hasan and Hussain?

Curled from Saudi Gazette

China Adopts Two Child Policy To Balance Population

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29/10/2015

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Beijing – The China’s ruling Communist Party has abolished the one child policy and declared that couples in the country are now allowed to have two children.

The policy had earlier barred them not to have more than a child for about three decades.

A communiqué issued at the end of a panel meeting of the party’s Central Committee, Thursday, explained that the decision was taken to improve the balanced development of population and to deal with an aging population – the meeting aimed to chart the country’s economic and social development through 2020.

The China one child policy was introduced in 1979 – with a population of 1.4 billion people; it was aimed at attaining a temporal measure to control its population growth in order to manage the available resources.

This restriction further led to force abortion (mostly of female fetuses), preference for the male child – imbalance sex ratio (male to female babies), and a decline in fertility rate which has made them to have fewer births than expected. Violation of this rule made Couples to be forced to pay a fee in proportion to their income.

In November 2013, the party announced that it would allow couples to have two children if one of the parents is a single child, the first substantial easing of the policy in nearly three decades.

However, the government credits the one-child policy with preventing 400 million births and helping lift countless families out of poverty by easing the strain on the country’s limited resources.

Nigeria: Government Sponsors 2500 Youths In Bee Farming

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28/10/2015

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Veronica Bazim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – 2500 youths are to be sponsored by the Kaduna state Government in bee farming. The effort is aimed at reducing unemployment among the teeming youths of the state.

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Manzo Daniel Maigari stated this while briefing journalists on its monthly media briefing in Kaduna, North West Nigeria.

Maigari explained that, contract has been signed with a private company to train the youths in bee farming (Apiculture), adding that the ‎company would produce enough bees for the youth after the training.

The commissioner further pointed out that the project is to be financed from a zero interest rate of N2billion loan secured by the State from Central Bank of Nigeria.

He noted also that 250 forest guards and rangers have been employed by the state government to monitor its forest resources and control all sharp practices – they would also be provided with 20 Hilux vans to ease movement in and around the forestry.

Maigari further disclosed that the state government is committed towards introduction and establishment of schools farms in secondary schools across the state; adding that the pilot farming project will ‎concentrate on 3 schools from the 3 Senatorial Zones of the state.

He emphasized that the project seeks to reawaken farming interest among the youths in order to encourage them take up farming as a business rather than waiting for white collar jobs.

Insurgency: Nigeria and British Army Trains 150 Officers

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28/10/2015

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By Longtong Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – The Nigerian Army in collaboration with its British counterpart is training 150 Warrant Officers and Senior Non-commissioned officers geared towards meeting-up with the Presidential declaration of ending insurgency in the North East by December, 2015 in the country.

The one week training course in Kaduna is targeted at that cadre of the force because it serves as the link between the officers and soldiers.

During the opening ceremony, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai said, the training aims at equipping the officers – as there cannot be a professionally responsive Nigerian Army without an effective Warrant and Senior Non-commissioned officers; he also described the participants as the bedrock of the Army.

The Army Chief who was represented by the Commander, Infantry Corps, Major General Sanusi Muazu, said the Army in its quest to attain its constitutional role has been involved in tackling security challenges in the country ranging from insurgency, terrorism, militancy, banditry, and vandalism.

He further stressed that Nigerian Army is committed to meeting up the December deadline to end insurgency.

He said, “The most potent security challenge facing Nigeria in the past five years is the Boko Haram terrorist driven insurgency in the North-East of the country. The Nigerian Army is the lead service in the counter insurgency operations in the North-East with a theatre command comprising of 3 Division, 7 Division and a Nigerian Air Force Air Component. On my assumption as COAS in July 2015, I looked at the operation in the North East and initiated a new directive to achieve the defeat of insurgency and restore normalcy to the North East.”

Leader of the British Military Advisory Training Team, Lt.Col Stewart Howells in a remark said Nigeria and British had cordial bilateral ties which necessitated the need for Britain to send a team of military expertise to assist Nigeria in the fight against insurgency.

He further assured the participants of receiving a best training.

That Was FAST: Yesterday It Was Gay Marriage; Now Look WhoWants Equal Rights”

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27/10/2015

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By Ashley Edwardson on June 27, 2015

I am not adding much commentary to this, because I really think little is necessary. I am busy trying to find a hand hold on our slippery slope, because I fear my nation is falling into an abyss.

Excerpted from the Northern Colorado Gazette:

Using the same tactics used by “gay” rights activists, pedophiles have begun to seek similar status arguing their desire for children is a sexual orientation no different than heterosexual or homosexuals.

Critics of the homosexual lifestyle have long claimed that once it became acceptable to identify homosexuality as simply an “alternative lifestyle” or sexual orientation, logically nothing would be off limits.

“Gay” advocates have taken offense at such a position insisting this would never happen. However, psychiatrists are now beginning to advocate redefining pedophilia in the same way homosexuality was redefined several years ago.

In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. A group of psychiatrists with B4U-Act recently held a symposium proposing a new definition of pedophilia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders of the APA.

B4U-Act calls pedophiles “minor-attracted people.” The organization’s website states its purpose is to, “help mental health professionals learn more about attraction to minors and to consider the effects of stereotyping, stigma and fear.”

In 1998 The APA issued a report claiming “that the ‘negative potential’ of adult sex with children was ‘overstated’ and that ‘the vast majority of both men and women reported no negative sexual effects from childhood sexual abuse experiences.”

Pedophilia has already been granted protected status by the Federal Government. The Matthew Shephard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act lists “sexual orientation” as a protected class; however, it does not define the term.

Republicans attempted to add an amendment specifying that “pedophilia is not covered as an orientation;” however, the amendment was defeated by Democrats. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fl) stated that all alternative sexual lifestyles should be protected under the law. “This bill addresses our resolve to end violence based on prejudice and to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability or all of these ‘philias’ and fetishes and ‘isms’ that were put forward need not live in fear because of who they are. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this rule.”

The White House praised the bill saying, “At root, this isn’t just about our laws; this is about who we are as a people. This is about whether we value one another – whether we embrace our differences rather than allowing them to become a source of animus.”

Earlier this year two psychologists in Canada declared that pedophilia is a sexual orientation just like homosexuality or heterosexuality.

Van Gijseghem, psychologist and retired professor of the University of Montreal, told members of Parliament, “Pedophiles are not simply people who commit a small offense from time to time but rather are grappling with what is equivalent to a sexual orientation just like another individual may be grappling with heterosexuality or even homosexuality.”

He went on to say, “True pedophiles have an exclusive preference for children, which is the same as having a sexual orientation. You cannot change this person’s sexual orientation. He may, however, remain abstinent.”

When asked if he should be comparing pedophiles to homosexuals, Van Gijseghem replied, “If, for instance, you were living in a society where heterosexuality is proscribed or prohibited and you were told that you had to get therapy to change your sexual orientation, you would probably say that that is slightly crazy. In other words, you would not accept that at all. I use this analogy to say that, yes indeed, pedophiles do not change their sexual orientation.”

Dr. Quinsey, professor emeritus of psychology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, agreed with Van Gijseghem. Quinsey said pedophiles’ sexual interests prefer children and, “There is no evidence that this sort of preference can be changed through treatment or through anything else.”

In July, 2010 Harvard health Publications said, “Pedophilia is a sexual orientation and unlikely to change. Treatment aims to enable someone to resist acting on his sexual urges.”
Linda Harvey, of Mission America, said the push for pedophiles to have equal rights will become more and more common as LGBT groups continue to assert themselves. “It’s all part of a plan to introduce sex to children at younger and younger ages; to convince them that normal friendship is actually a sexual attraction.”

Milton Diamond, a University of Hawaii professor and director of the Pacific Center for Sex and Society, stated that child pornography could be beneficial to society because, “Potential sex offenders use child pornography as a substitute for sex against children.”

Diamond is a distinguished lecturer for the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco. The IASHS openly advocated for the repeal of the Revolutionary war ban on homosexuals serving in the military.

The IASHS lists, on its website, a list of “basic sexual rights” that includes “the right to engage in sexual acts or activities of any kind whatsoever, providing they do not involve nonconsensual acts, violence, constraint, coercion or fraud.” Another right is to, “be free of persecution, condemnation, discrimination, or societal intervention in private sexual behavior” and “the freedom of any sexual thought, fantasy or desire.” The organization also says that no one should be “disadvantaged because of age.”

Note: the website also says in its mission statement: The Institute is dedicated to the belief that sexual rights are basic human rights and it is appropriate to help students understand that many people have been hurt, falsely imprisoned, harassed and persecuted because of laws and misinformation about the role and place of sexuality and its many expressions by individuals in our society.

Sex offender laws protecting children have been challenged in several states including California, Georgia and Iowa. Sex offenders claim the laws prohibiting them from living near schools or parks are unfair because it penalizes them for life.

Now here’s the scary part: This article from the Greeley Gazette was originally published in 2011. But now, there’s actually a constitutional argument that can be made in its favor. As we said yesterday, the ruling on same sex marriage has many unintended consequences.

Please pray for our nation.

[Note: this article was written by Ashley Edwardson]

Curled from http://www.allenbwest.com/2015/06/that-was-fast-yesterday-it-was-gay-marriage-now-look-who-wants-equal-rights/

Nigeria: Regional Governors Extend Security Operations To Tackle Criminalities

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27/10/2015

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By Longtong Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – The North-western governors in Nigeria have agreed to extend the special joint security operations beyond the six months earlier agreed on so as to ensure that all forms of criminalities in the region are tackled.

The Governors comprising Governor of Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna and Kano state met in Kaduna to review the progress of the operations that is going in and around communities and forests of the region in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the governors, Katsina state governor, Amino Bello Masari states that the joint military operations is aimed at tackling the menace of armed banditry, cow rustling, insurgency, herdsmen and farmers clashes and other form of criminality bedeviling the region especially within the Kamuku, Kuyambana, Rugu and Falgore forests among others.

Masari said, “In our meeting, we have unanimously agreed that the operation will continue beyond the six months earlier agreed upon in order to ensure further protection of lives and property. One of the challenges with the operation was the rain, but now that the rain has receded the operations can effectively continue.”

On the alleged Boko Haram members found in Jigawa state, Masari said security Agencies are working tirelessly to ensure that insurgents don’t have a safe haven in the region.

It should be noted that the state of insecurity in these region and northern part of the country has been an issue of great concern to many. Forests in this areas have also become a source of banditry and criminality.

Rotary Releases US$6.9 Million To Ensure Nigeria Remains Polio-Free

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26/10/2015

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Lagos (Nigeria) — On the heels of historic success against polio in Nigeria and across the continent of Africa, Rotary gives an additional US$6.9 million boost to Nigeria to support immunization activities and surveillance spearheaded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

This was the year when three became two, with the World Health Organization removing Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries, leaving just Afghanistan and Pakistan remaining. With no case of wild poliovirus (WPV) reported since 24 July 2014, more than a year has passed with no samples testing positive for WPV across the entire country. This achievement is a tribute to the hard work of countless health care workers, traditional leaders, over 400,000 volunteers and the government who managed to turn the programme in Nigeria around by reaching over 45 million children repeatedly with polio vaccines.

Polio is on track to become the second human disease ever to be eliminated from the world (smallpox is the first). To date, Rotary has helped 194 countries stop the transmission of polio through the mass immunization of children. Rotary’s new funding commitment, announced in advance of the Oct. 24 observance of World Polio Day 2015, targets countries where children remain at risk of contracting this incurable, but vaccine-preventable, disease.

“As we celebrate world polio day in a time when we have been removed from the list of polio endemic countries we must remain vigilant and ensure that all children are immunised again polio until Nigeria is certified polio free and indeed the world is certified polio free,” says the Chairman of Rotary’s Nigeria National Polio Plus Committee, Tunji Funsho. “No child is safe from the polio virus until no more polio virus exists on this planet.”

Rotary is contributing $26.8 million to African countries to ensure the disease never returns to the continent: Burkina Faso ($1.6 million), Cameroon ($2.7 million), Chad ($2.6 million), Democratic Republic of Congo ($499,579), Equatorial Guinea ($685,000), Kenya ($750,102), Madagascar ($562,820), Mali ($1.5 million), Niger ($3 million), Nigeria ($6.9 million), Somalia ($4.9 million) and South Sudan ($1.5 million).

Outside of Africa, Rotary also announced grants of $6.7 million for polio-endemic Pakistan, $400,000 to Iraq and $5.3 million to India. The remaining $990,542 will support immunization activities and surveillance.

In total, Rotary gives $40.4 million to end polio worldwide.

Rotary provides grant funding to polio eradication initiative partners UNICEF and the World Health Organization, which work with the governments and Rotary members in polio-affected and high-risk countries to plan and carry out immunization activities.

To date, Rotary has contributed more than $1.5 billion to fight polio. Through 2018, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match two-to-one every dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication (up to $35 million a year). Currently, there have been only 41 cases of polio reported in the world in 2015, down from about 350,000 a year when the initiative launched in 1988.

Source: APO

India To Host India-Africa Summit

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26/10/2015

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India is set to host one of the biggest India-Africa summits in New Delhi this week, aimed at boosting trade, political and economic ties.

Of the 54 countries invited, more than 40 are expected to be represented by their heads of state and government who, after a series of ministerial meetings, will hold a full summit on Thursday.

The Bilateral summit between India and Africa started since 2008, and has held two Summits in 2008 and 2011 which featured only 15 Africa countries. The two way annual trade has amounted to more than 70 billion dollars annually.

Energy will feature prominently in the talks as India imports 70 per cent of its oil, mostly from the politically volatile Middle East, and is looking to diversify its energy sources.

Indian diplomats said other areas of discussion include maritime security and counter-terrorism cooperation in the backdrop of a growing arc of terrorism from Nigeria to Somalia.

Ahead of the meeting, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, said the summit would mark the beginning of a new era of mutual partnerships.

Spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup said, “Our partnership is not focused on an exploitative or extraction point of view, but is one that focuses on Africa’s needs and India’s strengths.”

Foreign ministers from the countries planned to meet on Tuesday, followed by the main summit on Thursday.

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