NEW YORK: A Sikh combat soldier has sued the US defence department saying his beard and turban had subjected him to religious discrimination. He claimed the army was putting him through arduous helmet and gas mask tests that no other soldier goes through. Captain Simrat Pal Singh filed the complaint in a federal district court in Washington. He said that unlike other soldiers he had been ordered to undergo three days of performance tests that “target him solely because of his religious beliefs”. The lawsuit asks for an injunction forcing the army to stop what the complaint called “extraordinary, targeted, repetitive testing.”
Harvard Law School agrees to replace Issac Royall's crest
Harvard: The Harvard Law School has agreed to replace the crest following agitation by students because it includes the seal of Issac Royall, a brutal plantation and slave-owner who paved the way for the creation of the school in 1817. The school yielded to students' demands after five months of sit-ins by them. The demonstrators at Harvard were inspired by the “Rhodes Must Fall” campaign at Oxford University, which had failed to persuade Oriel College to take off a Cecil Rhodes’ statue from the campus. Just like “Rhodes Must Fall” campaign at Oxford, the student protesters at Harvard had styled themselves the “Royall Must Fall” group.
Pope accepts invitation to visit Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The Pope has accepted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's invitation to visit the country this year, as per a media report. In a message received from the Vatican, the invitation was extended by Ports and Shipping Minister Kamran Michael and Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yusuf. Michael led a high-level delegation from Rome to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican City where the Catholic priest also offered special prayers for Pakistan and the Pakistanis who have fallen victim to terrorism. The last pope to visit the Asian country was Pope John Paul II in February 1981. There are around 2.8 million Christians in Pakistan.
Sikh assaulted in Oz for wearing turban
MELBOURNE: In a recent incident of racist bullying, a 13 year old Sikh boy in Australia, travelling in a bus, was assaulted, mocked and threatened and stabbed for wearing a turban. Harjeet Singh was riding the bus home when two males and a female ringleader mocked him. The boy's turban was pulled and the female demanded to know why he was wearing a “towel” on his head. The ordeal lasted until Harjeet got off the bus early with school friends, at Eltham. The victim's mother Rajinder Kaur Gill said, “My son was so scared and he was crying. I'm just scared if it's safe for him on the bus. It's not just my son- we are worried it will be other people as well.” Victoria police spokesman Paul Turner said they were investigating into the assault and were on the lookout for the two males and the female.
Naked man vandalises US gurdwara
WASHINGTON: A Gurdwara in Washington was vandalised by a “naked” man who desecrated sacred items of the Sikh place of worship. Jeffrey Pittman, 44, broke into the Gurdwara in Spokane wearing nothing but a sheet taken from the temples' furnishings. He was caught holding the temple's ceremonial sword. Pittman has been booked in Spokane County Jail under charges of burglary, malicious mischief and malicious harassment. Priest Gurjwet Singh Augla said he and another man were able to detain Pittman until the police arrived.
Eight killed in Pakistan court bomb attack
ISLAMABAD: A suicide attack in the premises of a court in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, killed at least eight people and injured 14. The attacker was intercepted by police stationed in the premises as he attempted to enter the court, district police officer Sohail Khalid said. The police fired at the attacker who detonated explosives, Khalid said. Security and emergency teams reached the site and cordoned off the area, the officer added. The injured were transferred to nearby hospital.
IS bomber kills 60 near Baghdad
HILLAH (IRAQ): A suicide bomber drove his fuel truck full of explosives, into a security checkpoint, south of Baghdad, killing at least 60 people and wounding more than 70. Claiming responsibility for the attack, the Islamic State, in a statement, named the bomber as Abu Islam al-Ansari. “The Rafidha must understand that the battle has just begun and that the worst is yet to come.” The group said the explosion killed and wounded more than 90 people. The third massive bombing in and around Baghdad, the attack was the deadliest bombing in Iraq this year. A security official, Falah alKhafaji said, “The blast has completely destroyed the checkpoint and its buildings. Over 100 cars have been damaged.”
Iran billionaire gets death in graft case
DUBAI: An Iranian court has sentenced businessman Babak Zanjani and two other accomplices to death, for embezzlement. The Islamic court convicted the defendants of “spreading corruption on earth”, which is a capital offence, and ordered them to repay funds embezzled from companies, including state-run National Iranian Oil Company, as per judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Zanjani's trial caught the whole nation's eye as he is widely known for his prominent role in helping the government evade oil sanctions. Zanjani, according to his own account, arranged billions of dollars of oil deals through a network of companies stretching from Turkey to Malaysia, over the years.
US govt notifies F-16 sale to Pak
WASHINGTON: Despite a massive opposition from India, and several top American lawmakers, the US administration published a federal notification for the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. The notification read, “This proposed sale contributed to US foreign policy objectives and national security goals by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in South Asia.” It also stated that the total cost of the F-16s is estimated to be nearly $700 million. Disagreeing with Washington's rationale, India has openly opposed the sale. Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul has asked colleagues to join in opposing the deal. As per the notification, the proposed sale improves Pakistan's capability to meet current and future security threats.
Pakistan hands over 87 freed prisoners to India
ISLAMABAD: Eighty-seven Indians arrested in Pakistan for allegedly violating its territorial waters were handed over to India at the Wagah Border after releasing them from prison. A Pakistan Rangers official said, “We have handed 87 Indians, mostly fishermen, to the Border Security Force.” He said the Indian nationals were handed over to the authorities after verifying their documents. Landhi Jail's deputy superintendent Shakir Shah said, “After releasing 87 Indians, we now have a total of 457 more in the prison, and most of them are fishermen arrested for territorial violation. Some 86 more Indians are likely to be released on March 20.”
