102 Muslim Brotherhood supporters jailed for 10 years

An Egyptian criminal court on Saturday sentenced 102 defendants it describes as Muslim Brotherhood supporters to 10 years in prison each on charges of violent rioting in a Cairo neighbourhood and possession of weapons.

Egypt’s state news agency said the ruling puts the defendants under police surveillance for a period of five years after the end of their prison sentences. Two other defendants were jailed for seven years in the case.

The prosecutors charged the defendants with gathering illegally with intent to inflict material and moral harm to others and public property, which led to one death.

683 Muslim Brotherhood supporters sentenced to death

An Egyptian court has added yet another dimension to the ongoing crackdown against the supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsy by sentencing to death 683 backers of the Muslim Brotherhood, including the organisation’s Supreme Guide, Mohamed Badie.

A court in the city of Minya, found the defendants guilty of attacking a police station on August 14, 2013, which led to the killing of a police officer. The assault apparently followed the crackdown on two pro-Morsy encampments in Cairo that led to the deaths of at least 1,000 supporters of the deposed President.

The defendants were also found guilty of inciting and committing violence, rioting, and destroying public and private property. The Grand Mufti of the country must now ratify the verdict, before the sentences can be carried out. The final judgment will be passed on June 21, after the Grand Mufti has arrived at a conclusion.

On Monday, intervention by the Grand Mufti spared the lives of 492 people out of a group of 529 who had been sentenced to death by the same court in March. The Minya court pronounced that only 37 will now face capital punishment, while the rest will spend the remaining part of their lives in jail.

In the shadow of the court verdict, the interim Egyptian administration is engaged in hectic preparations for fresh Presidential elections next month in the hope of overriding the storm that has been stirred by its heavy crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters.

Seeking legitimacy, Field Marshall Abel Fattah El-Sisi — the mastermind behind Mr. Morsy’s exit — is standing in the two-day presidential elections that commence on May 26. Analysts say that there is little doubt that the former military chief will win the polls, where he has to contend with only one candidate — Hamdeen Sabahi, who had stood third in the elections that had brought Mr. Morsy to power. The deposed President’s supporters and pro-Brotherhood political parties have called for a boycott of the upcoming elections.

Top Nigerian Islamic body accuses military over Muslim deaths

ABUJA: A leading Nigerian Islamic group has accused the country´s military of summarily executing Muslims in the name of counter-terrorism, prompting a swift and strongly-worded denial on Tuesday from top brass.

The Jama´atu Nasril Islam (JNI) umbrella group of Muslim organisations said followers of the faith had "become endangered species, murdered and maimed indiscriminately in the guise of fighting terrorism".

"The dimension of extra-judicial killing of Muslims by the military on a mere whim of unsubstantiated suspicion leaves much to be desired," it said in a statement signed by its secretary-general, Khalid Aliyu.

The JNI´s accusation, which follows claims that troops summarily executing hundreds of suspected Islamist fighters, came after a military operation in Nigeria´s central Nasarawa state last Thursday.

The state government said "scores" of Fulani tribesmen, a mainly Muslim ethnic group primarily made up of cattle herders, were killed as troops tried to disarm locals and enforce a peace deal.

The JNI said 15 died, adding that the incident was the latest example of orchestrated state violence where "innocent Muslims were mercilessly massacred".

Tit-for-tat violence between the Fulani and farmers has been commonplace in central Nigeria, where the mainly Christian south meets the largely Muslim north. The violence, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives since 1992, according to Human Rights Watch, has been attributed to disputes over grazing rights but ethnicity and religion have also been blamed.

Narendra Modi turns to Muslim voters

LUCKNOW: Narendra Modi, the Hindu nationalist leader tipped as India's next prime minister, appealed to Muslim voters on Sunday and hit out at rivals accusing him of bias against the country's largest religious minority.
Addressing hundreds of thousands of mainly Hindu supporters at a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Modi said his economic policies meant Muslims were better off in Gujarat, the western state he governs, than other parts of India.
The rally in the state capital Lucknow, where a third of the population is Muslim, was attended by a sea of people clad in orange, the colour associated with Hinduism. The ground, which can hold some 400,000, was not totally full.
Modi, 63, has a strong lead in opinion polls ahead of the regionally phased general election voting due in April and May, but the surveys suggest he may still struggle to gather enough seats to form a government.
Muslim votes could help. "We believe in economic development, while you play the politics of votes, letting Muslims languish in poverty," Modi said, in a jibe at the government of Uttar Pradesh, which relies on Muslim support and has a poor development record.
Modi is dogged by allegations he did not stop religious riots in Gujarat over a decade ago, when at least 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, were killed in retaliation for the death of Hindu pilgrims in an attack on a train.
He denies the allegations and a Supreme Court inquiry concluded there was not enough evidence to try him.
WOOING MUSLIMS;
Modi's comments were his most direct attempt to woo Muslim voters since being named last year as the candidate of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or prime minister.
Hindu-Muslim relations have been a central part of Indian politics for centuries. The Hindu nationalist BJP made its name 20 years ago by whipping up tensions between the communities. Because of that history, most Indian Muslims are still wary of Modi, but some are convinced by his message of economic development for all.
"We want people to unite, if that happens, India will be much more prosperous and more secure for Muslims," said Amir Uddin, a scholar of Islam sporting a "Modi for PM" cap who travelled 200 km in a BJP bus to attend the rally.
Muslims are among the most economically deprived sections of Indian society. Hindus make up about 80 percent of India's population while Muslims account for some 13 percent. Modi's message is unlikely to win over Muslim voters in droves, but it may help convince other Indians who are drawn to his strong economic record but fear he is a divisive leader.
His speech came just a few days after BJP President Rajnath Singh made conciliatory remarks to Muslims, saying the party was ready to apologise for mistakes it may have made. He called on Muslims to give the BJP a chance.
FOCUS ON ECONOMIC RECORD:
Singh also struck a soft note on Sunday, making reference to Lucknow's religious tolerance in the 18th and 19th centuries under its Muslim Nawab rulers, who built a famous Hindu temple in the city.
Modi has roots in hard line pro-Hindu politics, but he has focused his election campaign almost entirely on his economic achievements in Gujarat, which has witnessed double-digit economic growth for a decade.
He has the strong support India's corporate sector and investors, who hope he will replicate Gujarat's economic model on a national scale.
On Sunday, Modi contrasted tension between religious communities in Uttar Pradesh, which has seen dozens of riots in the past two years, with a period of peace in Gujarat.
BJP leaders blame the spate of riots in Uttar Pradesh on the state government, run by the regional Samajwadi Party, but concede privately that the resulting polarisation has helped their party draw Hindu voters.
Dates for the general election are likely to be announced next week. A new government must be formed by the end of May.