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Monday, August 31, 2026

Over 100-Year-Old Hindu Temple Demolished In Pakistan's Punjab, Minorities Allege Land Grab For Madrassa

A Hindu temple believed to be more than 100 years old was demolished in Pakistan's Punjab province, with local residents, minority organisations and a political party alleging that extremists sought to incorporate its land into a nearby madrasa. The government, however, has maintained that the old temple collapsed on its own following heavy rain. The temple, estimated to be between 100 and 125 years old, was located in Siraj village in Narowal district, around 130 kilometres from Lahore. It covered an area of about 1,000 square metres. <h3 data-start="903" data-end="947">Temple Demolished On August 21</h3> According to local residents, minority organisations and the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP), the temple was demolished on August 21 by people allegedly linked to the banned extremist Islamist organisation Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The PMMP has urged the Punjab government to take action against those allegedly involved and ensure that the temple is reconstructed. PMMP president Aslam Parvez Sahotra said he met the Punjab additional home secretary on August 28 and submitted a written application seeking action against the alleged accused as well as officials who allegedly failed to protect the temple. Sahotra also alleged that metal from the temple's spire, other material and bricks from the debris were subsequently removed from the site. ALSO READ: <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/pm-modi-meets-iranian-president-pezeshkian-at-sco-summit-in-bishkek-1864632">‘India Committed To Strengthening Long-Standing Friendship’: PM Modi Meets Iran President Pezeshkian In Bishkek</a> <h3 data-start="1713" data-end="1753">Hindu Community Seeks Reconstruction</h3> Hindu community leader Ratan Lal condemned the demolition and called for the reconstruction of the ancient temple. He alleged that the district administration and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) failed to adequately secure the site or remove alleged encroachers. 'The district administration and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) failed to take adequate steps to secure the temple site or remove the alleged encroachers, which ultimately led to the temple being demolished.' Sahotra also demanded that the temple be reconstructed in its original form and that the government ensure protection of Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras and Christian churches in Punjab, along with their associated properties. ALSO READ: <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/india-rejects-court-of-arbitration-s-award-on-indus-waters-treaty-calls-it-illegal-1864649">India Rejects Court Of Arbitration’s Award On Indus Waters Treaty, Calls It ‘Illegal’</a> <h3 data-start="2473" data-end="2521">Officials Say Temple Collapsed In Heavy Rain</h3> Senior ETPB official Rana Iftikhar said the structure had collapsed because of heavy rain. "There is no name of the temple recorded in our records. However, it is a very old temple... it was more than 100 to 125 years old," he said. Iftikhar said the land adjoining the temple had been leased for setting up a madrasa, but the temple's land had not been leased to anyone. He added that senior ETPB officials would decide on the reconstruction of the temple. Ratan Lal, who is a member of the Narowal district peace committee and the Pak Dharmasthan Hindu Committee, said the Hindu community remained concerned about visiting the site. "We are even afraid to go to that place because the madrasa is still operating there," he said.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/over-100-year-old-hindu-temple-demolished-in-pakistan-s-punjab-minorities-allege-land-grab-for-madrassa-1864676

Cameroon Youths Lured By Jobs, Citizenship Into Russian Military, Sent To Ukraine Frontlines

Edited by: Sertan Sanderson Cameroon has emerged as one of the leading sources of African recruits for the Russian military, with young men lured by false promises of jobs and fast-tracked Russian citizenship, only to find themselves on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say that nearly 3,000 citizens from various African countries are known to have fought — or were still fighting — for Russia as of May this year; Cameroon, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya and Uganda were identified as major source countries. In April, the Cameroonian government confirmed that Russia had reported the deaths of 16 Cameroonian nationals, seven of whom died in military action in Ukraine. <h2>Poverty driving youths into Russia's duplicitous schemes</h2> The actual death toll is likely higher, according to DW correspondent Dorcas Ekupe, reporting from Bamenda in northwestern Cameroon. "When you look at other publications and see what is happening — even seeing families who are grieving their loved ones — the number is really much higher than what the government had earlier said," Ekupe told DW's AfricaLink program. She described two forces causing this worrying phenomenon: economic desperation and deliberate deception. Many recruits, she said, travel to Russia believing they have secured jobs in construction or as security guards, or that they are participating in study programs. "Once in Russia, they then end up on the battlefield," Ekupe said. Russia's perceived appeal meanwhile is also being amplified by highly structured influence campaigns: Banjo Herman, a lecturer and political analyst at the University of Bamenda, pointed to the key role of the the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group as well as its successor, the Africa Corps, as Moscow's primary instrument for expanding its presence and reputation across Africa. <h2>Military recruitment dressed up as 'cultural' outreach</h2> He also cited Russian government programs such as the "African Initiative" and "Alabuga," which present themselves as cultural or educational exchange schemes but have been linked to military recruitment. "On the surface, sometimes it looks like cultural outreach," Banjo said. "Sometimes Cameroonians are lured thinking it is for work, not necessarily knowing what is beneath the surface," adding that offers of Russian nationality within six months are also a particularly powerful draw. France has previously described the African Initiative as a front administered by Russian intelligence services, designed to spread propaganda. <h2>Why young men continue to risk their lives</h2> Banjo stresses, however, that the economic situation of the recruits is typically the main motivator. "Imagine that you are a carpenter in Cameroon who cannot even earn 100,000 CFA francs (€150; $175) a month, but somebody is promising you 3 million CFA francs to come and work," he explains. "It is very attractive." Meanwhile, he also highlighted the fact that not all Cameroonians in Russia are the victims of deception: Some have lived there for years, were absorbed into the military over time, and are, by all accounts, doing reasonably well. Yet the promise of financial reward combined with the prospect of gaining Russian citizenship explains why even people aware of the risks continue to accept recruitment offers to fight in Ukraine, he believes. Ekupe corroborated this, noting a prevailing attitude of fatalism among some youth: "Sometimes people say, 'If I die, I die,'" and agree to join Russian forces. <h2>Those left behind often suffer the most</h2> Families left behind meanwhile are forced to bear the cost in silence: Ekupe described cases in which mothers only learned of their sons' deaths years after the fact — in one instance, when a fellow soldier called home to report that a 35-year-old Cameroonian had been killed in combat. She added that many families have received no financial compensation from the Cameroonian government, and that some of the men who died had left behind their pregnant wives as well as their children. Contact between recruits and their families is often severed abruptly. "When they get there and discover it was not as promised, it is really difficult to inform their family," Ekupe said. "Sometimes they have to take time to adjust to the new environment and the situation, in which they find themselves." <h2>Russia ducking from responsibilty</h2> On the question of legal responsibility, Banjo noted that international law does not, in principle, prohibit a foreign national from voluntarily enlisting in another state's armed forces. Legal liability arises, however, when recruitment involves fraud, coercion, trafficking or mercenary activity. Banjo cited Article 47 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, which defines a mercenary as someone who agrees to take direct part in hostilities with private financial gain as their main motivation. Under current frameworks, the responsibility for the death of a foreign fighter in another country's war rests largely with the individual and their family, not the recruiting state. <h2>Cameroon: insufficient campaigns to fight recruitement</h2> Cameroon's government has stated publicly that it does not deploy troops abroad outside international mandates, and has warned citizens against joining foreign conflicts. Analysts are nevertheless calling on the Cameroonian government, and African governments more broadly, to pursue a three-pronged response to stop more people from risking their lives in Russia. This approach would include economic reforms to create opportunities and reduce the conditions that make deceptive recruitment attractive; direct diplomatic engagement with Russia to hold recruitment networks accountable; and a public awareness campaign that issues clear, proactive public warnings to citizens about the dangers of following such schemes. Ghana meanwhile has already formally raised the issue with Russia, demanding an end to the recruitment of its nationals. However in Cameroon's case, there might be another major hurdle in the country's longstanding military ties with Russia, which President Paul Biya moved to renew in 2014 and 2015. Banjo also said the absence of an official Cameroonian policy response to date reflects, at least in part, the government's awareness that the recruitment is carried out by private actors — limiting the state's formal grounds and opportunities for intervention. "For the government to stop this," Banjo said, "it has to go back to its governance policy and have a policy that is inclusive, transparent, and in which people can find opportunities within the system." Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/cameroon-youths-lured-by-jobs-citizenship-into-russian-military-sent-to-ukraine-frontlines-1864668

China’s Tibet Flood Censorship: How Beijing Suppressed Videos Of Deadly Disaster

Edited by: Keith Walker When a catastrophic flash flood swept through the rugged China-Nepal border on August 26, the physical devastation was immediate. In Nepal, a black torrent of mud and rock tore through communities, leaving hundreds dead and thousands more missing along the borderlands. But across the frontier in Tibet, an autonomous region of China, the physical disaster was almost instantly followed by a digital one: the rapid, high-tech erasure of the catastrophe's visual evidence. As survivors tried to upload raw footage of the deluge, China's state-backed information control apparatus swung into action, executing a sophisticated, precision operation to shape the public narrative and bury inconvenient truths. The contrasting realities — a tragic humanitarian crisis in Nepal and a tightly sanitized, triumphant rescue narrative in China — reveal the evolving mechanics of Beijing's modern censorship machine. Rather than imposing a blunt, blanket blackout, authorities deployed advanced image-recognition technology and "saturated information" tactics to drown out domestic scrutiny while deflecting diplomatic friction abroad. <h2>Collapse of the border gate</h2> In the immediate aftermath of the flood-triggered mudslide, local residents captured dramatic footage of the torrent engulfing Gyirong Port, a critical overland trade hub between China and Nepal. The most striking video showed a black wall of water and debris crashing into and destroying the "national" border gate. In an article titled "An Unrecorded Mudslide Rushes into Gyirong Port" on China's WeChat, a universal app that combines messaging with payment options and social media functions, local blogger "Matou Qingnian" described the chaotic scene. "The most terrifying moment happened at the Gyirong Port," the author wrote, describing video footage of crowds, including children, fleeing in panic before a pitch-black torrent swallowed the camera's view. Within hours, both the article and the raw video footage had vanished from Chinese social media. According to China Digital Times (CDT), an independent watchdog that tracks Chinese internet censorship, the video of the collapsing border gate was systematically blocked from being shared on WeChat, even in private messages. "The footage itself contained no graphic violence, no protests, and no political slogans," explained Mira, a CDT editor who specializes in tracking sensitive keywords and media. "The target of the censorship was the symbol itself: the National Gate." Digital analysts note that this censorship highlights a significant upgrade in China's internet policing tools. Instead of merely filtering text-based keywords, platforms now rely heavily on video fingerprinting, image hashing and machine-learning models to recognize specific visual scenes. Once a visual sequence is blacklisted, it is intercepted before it can ever be posted. <h2>Satiety as a shield: the art of 'saturated' censorship</h2> The suppression of the Gyirong Port disaster reflects a broader shift in Beijing's strategy: from mass deletion to "precision surgery" and narrative flooding. A search for "Tibet mudslide" on Xiaohongshu — China's popular lifestyle and search platform — reveals the mechanics of this "saturated information environment." Rather than showing an empty search page, the platform's algorithm feeds users a carefully curated stream of state-media reports from China's state broadcaster CCTV and news agency Xinhua. The visual landscape is dominated by high-resolution, sterile graphics: "before-and-after" comparisons, maps of high-altitude glacial collapses — the official scientific cause of the disaster — and state-approved aerial drone footage. The raw, chaotic cellphone videos recorded by eyewitnesses at the border are entirely absent. By filling the digital space with a high volume of "safe" and visually appealing official content, the state satisfies the public's immediate curiosity while preemptively suffocating independent reporting or organic discussions, analysts note. On Weibo, China's microblogging giant, the narrative arc was similarly managed. While "Tibet mudslide" briefly trended on August 26, the domestic casualty figures were quickly frozen the next morning at three dead and 558 missing. Almost immediately, the platform's trending topics were redirected toward the government's swift response. Two heavily publicized, lengthy official reports dominated the news cycle: Chinese President Xi Jinping convening a Central Politburo meeting to coordinate rescue and relief efforts, and Premier Li Qiang arriving in Gyirong to personally direct operations on the ground. These headlines effectively turned a major human tragedy into a highly orchestrated exhibition of state competence. <h2>Dangerous 'half-year' question</h2> Beneath the veneer of efficient state rescue efforts lies a deeper, systemic vulnerability that Beijing was desperate to hide: a history of structural negligence. On August 27, a hashtag briefly slipped through the censors and trended on Weibo: "Gyirong Port Reopened Only Half a Year Ago." It amassed over 347,000 views in less than an hour before it was abruptly deleted. The hashtag pointed to a damning timeline of infrastructure failures. In July 2025, Gyirong Port was completely shut down after being devastated by another severe flash flood. It took nearly six months to rebuild and reopen the port on January 1 of this year. Eight months later, the port has been destroyed again. As the deleted "Matou Qingnian" article noted, Gyirong Port has now suffered mudslides during the flood seasons of 2024, 2025 and now 2026. In 2025, several Chinese personnel went missing or were killed. By erasing the "half-year" trend, censors blocked an inevitable and dangerous train of public inquiry. If the state-of-the-art border facility was destroyed twice in 14 months, it raises critical questions about site selection, shoddy infrastructure construction, and the complete failure of glacial lake monitoring and early-warning systems in Tibet. These questions are especially sensitive in Tibet, a region under intense security and political control since the 1950s. Foreign journalists are strictly barred from entering the region outside of highly choreographed government-led tours. According to human rights groups, local Tibetans who attempt to speak with foreign journalists or share independent accounts online face immediate detention or arrest. <h2>High-altitude friction</h2> The informational firewall does not stop at China's borders; it has also created a diplomatic rift with neighboring Nepal, which has borne the brunt of the disaster's human toll. Parshuram Kaphle, a prominent Nepalese foreign policy journalist, publicly accused Beijing on X (formerly Twitter) of failing to share critical trans-boundary data. "Nepal has been addressing the legitimate security concerns of our neighbors," Kaphle wrote in a post that has since been deleted. "However, it must be said with sadness that our northern neighbor has significantly undermined us. By failing to provide early warning of such a massive disaster, we suffered immense loss of human life." He further wrote: "We have continually faced crises originating from their territory, while we continue to address all their concerns, necessary or unnecessary. Why must Nepal alone pay the price of one-sided love?" The Chinese government has rejected any accountability. On August 27, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal issued a statement on Facebook, dismissing accusations of failing to issue warnings or causing the disaster through upstream dam failures as "fake news." "Accusation helps nothing," the embassy statement read. "Cooperation saves lives." But for families searching for the thousands of missing loved ones along the muddy banks of the Himalayan border, cooperation remains as obscured as the truth behind the digital firewall. This article was originally written in Chinese. Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/china-s-tibet-flood-censorship-how-beijing-suppressed-videos-of-deadly-disaster-1864667

Sunday, August 30, 2026

US Strikes Iranian Launch Systems On Larak Island; Tehran Vows Retaliation

The United States struck two Iranian launch systems on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to a US official cited by Reuters. The attack marks the first known US strike on Iranian territory since late July, adding another flashpoint to an already escalating conflict. “I can confirm that earlier today US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into Strait of Hormuz,” the official said, as quoted by Reuters. The strikes came after US forces allegedly detected members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps preparing the launchers to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strategically important waterway. ALSO READ | <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/world/pakistan-saudi-arabia-turkey-to-hold-first-mecca-defence-pact-meeting-in-istanbul-on-monday-1864515">Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey To Hold First Mecca Defence Pact Meeting In Istanbul On Monday</a> <h2>What US Said About Larak Island Strike</h2> Larak Island is located south of Hormuz Island and east of Qeshm Island. It is roughly 1,100 kilometres south-east of Tehran. According to the US official, American forces acted after observing IRGC personnel preparing the launch systems for an attack involving sea mines. The development is particularly significant because the Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important maritime route. The strike also comes after US President Donald Trump warned last week that Washington would take action against any attempt by Iran to lay new mines in the Strait of Hormuz. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z7eGjI9t25s?si=PIPsuIWIf8665qKe" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <h2>Iran Confirms Attack, Warns Of Retaliation</h2> Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that Larak Island had come under attack. The Guards said several military personnel and civilians had been killed or wounded. Iranian state media quoted the IRGC as warning that the US attack would receive a “response and punishment”, raising the prospect of further escalation between Washington and Tehran. The latest strike follows a wider conflict that began when the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran on February 28. Iran subsequently responded with strikes against Israel as well as Gulf states that host US military installations. ALSO READ | <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/world/enemy-of-islam-wants-to-sow-division-muslim-nations-mojtaba-khamenei-message-for-gulf-countries-1864497">‘Enemy Of Islam Wants To Sow Division...’: Mojtaba Khamenei’s Message To Gulf Rulers</a> <h2>Strike Follows Khamenei's Message </h2> Sunday’s US attack also came just hours after Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, called on Muslim-majority countries across the region to unite against the United States and Israel. Khamenei issued the written message to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, six months after the start of the war. “The solution to the problems of the Islamic nations is unity of words, friendship, and cooperation on the path of goodness. Anyone, in any position, who does anything that leads to division among Muslims and creates conflict in the Muslim community, knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, has served the purpose of the enemies of Islam,” he said. “Recognise your real enemy, understand its plan, and confront it,” he added.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/us-iran-war-us-attacks-launch-system-on-larak-island-in-strait-of-hormuz-tehran-vows-retaliation-1864526

Pak, Saudi Arabia agree to boost agricultural, food exports to USD 3 billion

Islamabad, Aug 30 (PTI): Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to increase Islamabad’s agricultural and food exports to Riyadh to USD 3 billion over the next two years, according to a joint statement on Sunday. The agreement was reached during Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman A Al-Fadley’s visit to Pakistan from August 26 to 28. He held delegation-level talks with Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met the Saudi delegation and discussed potential areas of cooperation in agriculture and food security. According to a joint communiqué issued after the visit, rice, red meat, fruits and fruit concentrates, green fodder and water-efficient agricultural technologies have been identified as priority areas for enhanced cooperation, particularly with the Saudi private sector. “Both countries expressed a shared commitment to increasing Pakistan's exports of agricultural and food products to Saudi Arabia to USD 3 billion, with efforts to achieve this target over the next two years,” according to the statement. The two sides noted that Pakistan supplied around 169,000 tonnes of rice, worth around USD 163 million, to Saudi Arabia in 2025. The Saudi side expressed interest in further increasing rice imports from Pakistan in the coming years. Both sides also reviewed Pakistan's annual supply of around 30,000 tonnes of red meat to Saudi Arabia, worth USD 167 million. The two countries also agreed to encourage greater business-to-business linkages and matchmaking between their private sectors and promote mutual recognition of quality certifications to increase exports of fruits and fruit concentrates. Green fodder was identified as another promising area for expanding trade and establishing long-term supply partnerships. The two sides welcomed the successful completion of the first phase of a water-efficient irrigation programme in Bhakkar, Punjab, and expressed interest in the proposed second phase for small farmers. The Saudi delegation also encouraged Pakistan to join the International Dates Council. Investment proposals presented by Pakistan's private sector in livestock, agri-food processing and the rice value chain were also reviewed. During the visit, the Saudi delegation was briefed on the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agriculture and Food Strategic Plan and held meetings with the Special Investment Facilitation Council, Fauji Foundation and the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agri-Business Forum. It also visited the National Agricultural Research Centre. Pakistan has also welcomed an invitation to participate in the 43rd Saudi Agriculture Exhibition, scheduled to be held in Riyadh from October 19 to 22. Both sides expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the visit and agreed to maintain close coordination to translate the understandings reached into practical cooperation, the statement said. PTI SH GSP GSP(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/pak-saudi-arabia-agree-to-boost-agricultural-food-exports-to-usd-3-billion-1864520

Germany Election: Churches Warn Against Far-Right Party As It Gains Ground

Flags flutter in the wind outside Magdeburg's Catholic cathedral. "Love thy neighbor, dialogue, human dignity, solidarity. VOTE CONSCIOUSLY!", they proclaim. Just a few minutes' walk away, a sign on the building of the Protestant Cathedral Congregation reads: "DIVERSITY IS DIVINE." Other Protestant churches across the region display banners reading "Heart Instead of Hate." For many months now, warnings about the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is particularly strong in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, have been part of everyday church life. During a sermon at a pilgrimage event in September 2025, Magdeburg Bishop Gerhard Feige remarked almost in passing that pilgrims of hope do not cast their votes on a whim, "into the blue." He was interrupted by prolonged applause — blue is the AfD's party color. The AfD holds a commanding lead in the polls ahead of the state election on September 6. The prospect of a government led by the party alone appears increasingly plausible. At the same time, Germany's domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch as a "confirmed right-wing extremist" organization. <h2>Churches speak out against AfD</h2> In Saxony-Anhalt, 10% of the population is Protestant and 3% is Catholic; only a few thousand people belong to the Muslim or Jewish faiths. More than 85% of the state's 2.1 million residents have no religious affiliation, compared with a national average of 47%. Nevertheless, the churches play an important role as defenders of democracy — and that, apparently, is precisely what troubles the AfD. With its so-called government program, adopted at a state party conference in April, the party launched a broadside against both the Protestant and Catholic churches. The program calls for an end to all state payments to the two churches and for the abolition of church tax collection by public authorities, a service for which the churches themselves pay. In cases of so-called church asylum, where refugees seek shelter on church premises for fear of renewed persecution in their countries of origin, the AfD is calling for churches to be held financially accountable on a "permanent" basis. The Protestant Academy of Saxony-Anhalt should also no longer receive any state funding whatsoever. The reason, according to the AfD, is its "political agitation in line with the established parties: climate dogma, gender ideology, and the rainbow cult." The academy is said to advocate "unchecked mass immigration." Yet in scarcely any German federal state is the proportion of foreign nationals as low as it is in Saxony-Anhalt. <h2>From estrangement to open confrontation</h2> The sharpness of the criticism goes far beyond anything typically heard from other regional branches of the Alternative for Germany or from the party's national leadership. Long gone are the days when representatives of the then-emerging party complained about not being invited to church congresses or Catholic conventions. In February 2024, the plenary assembly of the German Catholic Bishops' Conference unanimously adopted a declaration entitled "Ethnic Nationalism and Christianity are Incompatible." In it, the bishops identified an ethnonationalist mindset within the AfD and spoke of a "genuine right-wing extremism." The document was prompted by the state elections scheduled to take place later that year in the eastern German states of Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg. Now, in September 2026, elections are due to follow in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. At present, the confrontation between the AfD and the churches is nowhere more intense than in Saxony-Anhalt. For Bishop Feige, the AfD's current direction is "without question" an expression of ethnonationalism. "Until now, Saxony-Anhalt's motto has been 'Thinking Modern'. The AfD wants to replace it with 'Thinking German'," he told DW. "The AfD's election posters speak a very clear language: 'Save your country', 'Take your country back', 'Deport from day one!' What else could that be but ethnonationalism?" The 74-year-old said he "could never have imagined that so many people today could once again be so easily led astray, or that arsonists, pied pipers and respectable-looking agitators could emerge, and that so many would fall for them." As an example, Feige cited the so-called flag assembly that the AfD wants to reintroduce in the state's schools: the raising of the flag and the singing of the national anthem. "This existed during the Nazi era and was later adopted by the GDR," he said, referring to the former East Germany. "And now it is supposed to return? I find that inconceivable." Both major Christian churches emphasize they are speaking out not against a particular party, but in defense of a Christian view of humanity. Whether the issue is climate protection and the safeguarding of creation or the treatment of strangers, the churches' interventions are "primarily not political messages, but Christian ones, and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any particular political party," Friedrich Kramer, bishop of the Protestant Church in central Germany, recently told the online magazine Die Eule. <h2>Religious freedom, according to the AfD</h2> Jews and Jewish life, incidentally, are never mentioned in the government program. By contrast, Islam appears repeatedly. According to the AfD, it will "restore religious freedom to appropriate limits." Islam is described as a "religion alien to our culture." Freedom of religion, the party argues, does not oblige Germans to "fulfill every demand of the Islamic lobby." Representatives of the state's Jewish association, which includes the synagogue of the Jewish community of Halle targeted in a 2019 right-wing extremist attack, as well as representatives of the largest mosque congregation in the state, declined to comment when asked. Notably, the AfD's platform speaks of a "Christian mission" that, in its view, the churches supported by church tax, which it labels the "church-tax churches," no longer fulfill. This evokes the support that US President Donald Trump receives from influential evangelical and conservative Christian groups in the United States. In Saxony-Anhalt, however, there is only a limited presence of comparable religious milieus. <h2>Why bishops are sounding the alarm</h2> "A government involving the AfD would have devastating consequences," Kramer said. That is why, he added, cultural institutions and civil society organizations are joining forces to warn against the AfD. His Catholic counterpart, Feige, likewise cautioned against "downplaying" the prospect of an AfD-led government. During the election campaign, he said, the party is presenting itself "with messianic ideas" and promoting slogans such as "Everything will be fine" or "Anything is possible." Because the AfD's lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, "comes across as highly polished and enthusiastic," some people ask what could possibly be "right-wing extremist or dangerous" about him. "But behind him stand forces that give cause for concern," said Feige. "If an AfD single-party government comes to power here, it will be a pilot project. Then Saxony-Anhalt will become a gateway to national politics." Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/devastating-consequences-german-churches-warn-against-afd-government-in-saxony-anhalt-1864519

Saturday, August 29, 2026

'If Hindus Want No Muslims In Bharat, They Are Not Hindus': RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat In US

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said a Hindu who believes Muslims should have no place in Bharat would cease to be a Hindu, stressing that Hindutva does not advocate discrimination based on religion. Bhagwat made the remarks while addressing the One World: One Humanity Faith Leaders’ Summit in New York, where he spoke about India’s tradition of accommodating people of different denominations and the RSS’ belief in the unity of humanity. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/463wLPCn1jY?si=s1kenwD2LipjFoVn" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <h3 data-start="810" data-end="854">‘Bharat Has Given Shelter To Everybody’</h3> Bhagwat said people belonging to different denominations live in Bharat and highlighted the country’s tradition of providing refuge to those who could not find safety elsewhere. “By tradition, Bharat has given shelter to everybody. Those who could not find a safe place in the world came to Bharat, where they found their place,” he said. He said the RSS believes it has a responsibility to communicate the idea that humanity remains united despite differences. “We as RSS think, because we have this knowledge that world humanity is one, it is our duty to go all over the world and tell everybody that, in spite of diversities, we are one,” he said. ALSO READ: <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/india/congress-has-anti-dalit-face-bjp-hits-back-at-rahul-gandhi-over-shuddhikaran-row-1864410">‘Congress Has Anti-Dalit Face’: BJP Hits Back At Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Shuddhikaran’ Row</a> <h3 data-start="1511" data-end="1538">‘We’ And ‘Ours’ Is The Solution'</h3> Recalling a question from Muslims about the RSS’ idea of Hindu Rashtra, Bhagwat said he had been asked whether Muslims would be driven out. “Muslim brothers asked me a question: You are a Hindu organisation, you see Hindu Rashtra, what about us Muslims? Would you drive us out? I said, no, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu,” he said. He further emphasised the importance of collective identity over individual interests. “Where there is ‘me’ and ‘mine’, there is no solution. ‘We’ and ‘ours’ is the solution,” he added. <h3 data-start="2141" data-end="2182">RSS Claims 1.3 Lakh Service Projects</h3> Bhagwat also spoke about the RSS’ service activities, saying its volunteers do not discriminate while helping people in need. “We (RSS) are serving. While serving, we don’t see discrimination. Whoever is in need, we are serving. One lakh thirty thousand service projects are being run by our Swayamsevaks with the help of society. They served everywhere and served equally,” Bhagwat said. ALSO READ: <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/india/operation-sindoor-marked-major-shift-in-india-s-pakistan-policy-former-army-chief-mm-naravane-1864406">Operation Sindoor Marked Major Shift In India’s Pakistan Policy: Former Army Chief MM Naravane</a> <h3 data-start="2575" data-end="2611">Bhagwat On Global Outreach Tour</h3> Bhagwat arrived in the US on Tuesday as part of the RSS’ global outreach programme marking its centenary year. His tour also covers Canada and the UK. During his US visit, he has held meetings and discussions with members of the diaspora, Indian-American business executives and community leaders. He is scheduled to address a gathering of around 5,000 people at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden. Bhagwat also visited the Bhakti Centre in New York and paid tributes to Indian spiritual leader Srila A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/if-hindus-want-no-muslims-in-bharat-they-are-not-hindus-rss-chief-mohan-bhagwat-in-us-1864427