Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Lionel Messi has been suspended for two weeks after an unauthorised trip for two days to Saudi Arabia.
The Argentina World Cup winner is banned from playing or training with the team, and his pay will be docked during his suspension, a media report in Paris stated on Tuesday.
Messi will miss the upcoming Ligue 1 matches against Troyes and Ajaccio but may return for the match against Auxerre on May 21.
PSG are top of the standings with 75 points from 33 matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo could be deported from Saudi Arabia after indulging in what seem to be counted as offensive in the Islamic nation.
According to Ronaldo’s club, Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo was suffering with a groin issue as he faces deportation calls for grabbing his crotch in front of fans.
The Portuguese star endured a frustrating night as his Saudi outfit were beaten 2-0 by Al-Hilal, which saw them lose ground in the title race. Ronaldo was booked for a WWE-style tackle and also found himself in hot water after appearing to respond to Lionel Messi-related taunts.
Ronaldo seemed to grab his genitals in front of a section of the crowd, which caused mass offence through the Kingdom. It led to a trend emerging online wanting Ronaldo ejected from the country, with the theme “Expelling the fan’s abuser”.
Lawyer Nouf bin Ahmed has reacted and wants Ronaldo to be reprimanded for his actions. He said on social media: “It is considered a crime of public dishonor, and it is one of the crimes that entails arrest and deportation if committed by a foreigner,” he also signalled his intent to file a complaint to the Saudi Prosecutor’s Office for his “crime of public indecency”.
Al-Nassr though has cited a “sensitive” injury in that area of the body as they attempt to play down the gesture. The club’s board clarified the incident to journalist Muhammed Al-Enezi, who said in a statement on Wednesday: “Ronaldo suffers from an injury. His challenge with Gustavo Cuellar, the Al-Hilal player, started with a blow in a very sensitive area. This is confirmed information. As for the fans’ explanations, they are free to think whatever they want.”
The challenge the club referred to was heavily criticised and earned a yellow card from English referee Michael Oliver. Whilst his side were trailing 1-0, Ronaldo seemed to let frustration get the better of him as he leapt up and pulled his opponent from behind after grabbing him around the neck.
The crescent moon has been sighted in Saudi Arabia as Muslims start Eid festivities tomorrow. Eid-el-Fitr will be celebrated on Friday 21st April 2023.
On Eid-el-Fitr, Muslims gather in mosques or open spaces to offer special prayers, known as Eid prayers.
They also give gifts, share food with family and friends, and perform acts of charity.
The precise date of this festival is decided by the sighting of the crescent moon.
The International Astronomy Center has announced that Islamic countries are expected to sight the crescent of Shawwal on Saturday, April 22, which will likely be the end of Ramadan, reported Worldtopnewsng.
President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after an eight-day official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he also performed the Umrah (Lesser Hajj).
The Nigerian leader departed Saudi Arabia via King Abdulaziz International Airport Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.
Saudi Government officials, traditional and spiritual leaders from Nigeria as well as some senior staff of the Nigerian Embassy in the Kingdom were at the airport to bid farewell to the president.
The president had successfully performed Umrah rituals, amid tight security, upon his arrival at the Grand Mosque in Makkah from Madinah on Thursday morning.
The president had along side members of his entourage as well as some traditional and religious leaders from the six geopolitical zones of the country were led by a delegation from the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque in the performance of the rituals.
The Nigerian leader had earlier visited some historic religious places in Madinah on Tuesday and Wednesday before he proceeded to Makkah for the Umrah.
The president also received updates on developments at home from some government officials including Governors of Borno and Yobe States.
Also while in Makkah, President Buhari hosted some traditional and religious leaders to Iftar dinner (breaking of fast).
The Emirs of Kano and Bichi in Kano State, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero who spoke after the event both said only a united country could move forward and attain its goals.
The religious leaders in attendance were Malam Abubakar Sulaiman, the Chief Imam of the Aso Rock Villa, Sheikh Al-Kanawi Alhassan Ahmed, Dr. Bashir Umar, Muhammad Kamaluddeen Lemu and Nuruddeen Danesi Asunogie.
The others were Alhaji Ibrahim Kasuwar Magani, Prof. Shehu Galadanchi, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Adiatu, Sheikh Haroun Ogbonnia Ajah and Alhaji Bala Lau.
The president had also met the Otaru of Auchi, Dr. Aliru Momoh, Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Mamman Bage, Emir of Bauchi, Rilwan Adamu Sulaiman, Akadiri Saliu Momoh, Abdulfatah Chimaeze Emetumah, Fatima Ijeoma Emetumah and Alhaji Isa Sanusi Bayero.
Prayer were offered for peace in the country, the successful end of term of the President and for the success of the incoming administration.
President Buhari had earlier visited and prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
He also met with elder statesman, philanthropist and patriarch of the Dantata family, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, in Makkah where he once again expressed his condolences over the demise of his wife, Hajiya Rabi Dantata.
The Kano-based businessman had on April 9 lost his wife, Rabi Dantata, at a medical centre in Saudi Arabia.
…vows to carry along colleagues
A top contender for the position of the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara has assured all Members-elect across party lines of his resolve to carry everybody along if elected.
Hon. Betara who doubles as the incumbent Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations gave the assurance during the expanded consultation with various leaders and members of State Caucuses during the Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting was attended by returning and newly elected National Assembly members from Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa and Bauchi States, respectively.
The House Appropriation Committee Chairman who is currently in the holy land to perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah) ahead of the completion of the Ramadan Fast is using the opportunity to meet and consult members-elect to advance his campaign
Photographs sighted shows the Borno-lawmaker meeting and interacting with fellow lawmakers at his apartment in the holy city of Makkah on Monday evening.
A statement by his campaign office in Abuja quoted some of the Members-elect who attended the meeting as pledging their “unflinching” support for Hon. Betara, just as they applauded his leadership quality and support provided over the years to his contemporaries irrespective of religious, ethnic and party affiliation.
The statement also quoted one of the lawmakers (unnamed) after the meeting saying: “We are here on solidarity support for our Leader and esteemed Colleague for heeding to the clarion call to provide quality leadership.
“We are all aware of the significant roles played by Rt. Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara in the emergence of successive Speakers and Principal Officers in the current and successive Assemblies.
“Most of us are also aware of his resolve to shelve his ambitions of becoming the Speaker in the previous Assemblies and as a loyal party-man aligning with the Party’s zoning arrangement.
“For those in the know of how things panned out in the outgoing Assembly, I can tell you for free that Honourable Betara played significant role in averting serious crises, which helped in stabilizing this Assembly.
“But as human beings, we are not too surprised what is playing out now. As you can see, so many of them forget so soon.
“Let me ask you this question, have you ever seen Honourable Betara bully any of his Colleagues either as the Chairman of Defence or Appropriations? But all we are asking for is that the Members-elect should be allowed to exercise their franchise as provided by the Standing Order and relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“For us as a formidable team and Caucuses, we have all it takes to rally required support for Honourable Betara and of the assurance that whatever plays out will be in his favour In Sha Allah during the inauguration of the 10th Assembly,” the statement quoted the unnamed lawmaker.
The lawmakers who are expected to be sworn-in in June, 2023 acknowledged the high sense of humility demonstrated by Hon. Betara whom they described as “an achiever, bridge-builder, unifying factor, team player, detribalised leader of uncommon virtues and role model.”
They maintained that Hon. Betara remains the most popular aspirant in the the speakership race, given his generous disposition and responsiveness to members’ welfare, hence the resolve of making the returning and newly elected to support his ambition.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in the course of the week, embarked on an official and spiritual journey to Saudi Arabia to thank Almighty Allah as he prepares to handover the mantle of leadership to President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, on May 29.
President Buhari departed Nigeria on Tuesday for Saudi Arabia on official visit from April 11 to 19.
An earlier statement issued in Abuja by Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman, said the journey would be Buhari’s last trip to the Kingdom as President.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, and Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman, who spoke to newsmen on the significance of the President’s trip, said Buhari was in the Holy Land to thank Almighty Allah for the successful eight years in service of his country.
The president, who was accompanied by his aides, first visited Madinah where he toured some historic religious places, including the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilisation in the city as part of his engagement in the Holy City.
While at the Museum, the president maintained that ”the spread of true knowledge of the religion of Islam is the most important task now facing global Muslims.”
He commended the Saudi government for deploying latest technological tools in presenting the core of Islam, its lofty purposes, and qualitative teachings.
According to the President, the Muslim community needs a system that is futuristic, bringing knowledge and education in a new system that will make for a good understanding of the very features of the religion.
Buhari observed the five daily prayers as well as Taraweeh prayer at the Masjid Nabawi before departing for Makkah via Jeddah, late on Wednesday, for the lesser pilgrimage.
The president, alongside his aides, some traditional rulers, and religious leaders successfully performed Umrah rituals, amid tight security, upon his arrival at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
THE world seems unaware that a peace process of seismic proportions is under way. Islam is a religion with over 1.8 billion followers but its two broad movements, the Sunnis led by Saudi Arabia and the Shiites led by Iran have been in disagreement for long, sometimes leading to violent confrontations. A major difference between the movements is that while the Shiites believe that the religion should be led by descendants of the Prophet (SAW), the Sunnis do not. Over the ages, other differences emerged. However, the 1979 Iranian Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeni which abolished the 2,500 old monarchy and radicalised the populace, led to a further divide with the Iranians being anti-America and the Saudis being pro-monarchy and pro-America.
This polarisation has led to violent conflicts in parts of the world, one of the bloodiest being the Yemeni Civil War now in its eighth year. The war saw the Houthis who are minority Zaydiyyah Shiite Muslims, overrunning the capital, Sanaa and large parts of the country. Only the military intervention by Sunni-dominated countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, UAE, stopped the march of the Houthis to the sea.
Those countries carried out crimes against humanity such as deliberately bombing schools, school buses, markets, hospitals, marriages, funerals and other civilian targets. But holding off the Houthis has also come at high costs for the Saudis who have had to endure missile attacks on their towns. Also, the UAE has broken off from the alliance by backing anti-Saudi rebels in South Yemen.
One of the most devastating wars today is the Syrian Civil War which began on March 11, 2011. It is a war in which the majority Sunni groups led by the terrorist al-Nustra Front and the Islamic State, ISIS, with the backing of the US, some Western allies and Gulf States, tried to uproot the government of President Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite Shiite. The latter was able to rally minorities in the country, including other Shiite groups, Jews and Christians. It also has the backing of Russia and Iran.
The war has claimed some 600,000 lives and reduced the country to ruins. The Syrian War witnessed one of the greatest mistakes in world history. In planning the war, a Western-Gulf States alliance established a Sunni organisation, the ISIS which was trained in Jordan, funded by the Gulf States and armed with weapons purchased mainly from the US. It was intended to take out the Shiites.
But like a Frankenstein monster, the ISIS spun-out of control and like a mad dog, not only attacked the Syrian government and its supporters, but also the Iraqi government put in place by the US. ISIS which was also peopled by international fighters initially encouraged by the West, created an Islamic Caliphate from lands it grabbed mainly from Iraq. It became a mission of America to put down the monster it had helped to create.
The Civil War in Iraq was triggered by the invasion of Western powers led by US and Britain under the false premises that that the country led by President Saddam Hussien had weapons of mass destruction which it was about to use. Hussein was from the minority Sunni which accounted for 35 per cent of the population. The invasion led to the majority Shiites and the minority Kurds reaching for power.
The ‘Arab Spring’ revolt which actually started from Tunisia before spreading to the Gulf, made a windfall in Bahrain where the populace demanded democracy. The problem was that neither the Western powers nor the Gulf States would allow democracy in a country where the Shiites are the majority and the ruling Al Khalifa monarchy is a minority Sunni. Democracy would mean the end of the monarchy and minority Sunni rule.
Since the Bahrain military, despite its violent crackdown could not overwhelm the populace, a decision was taken to bring in the overwhelming firing power of the Saudi and UAE against the civil society. The foreign invasion began on March 14, 2011. While the Saudis sent in their national guard, the Emiratis sent in armed policemen, the Kuwaitis sent their navy, while a 7,000-strong American military force waited in their base 10 miles from the centre of the pro-democracy protests.
Three years later, the invaders were still in Bahrain. Seven years ago, Saudi Arabia and Iran decided to severe relations while their proxy wars escalated. So, you can imagine the shock waves around the world on March 10, 2023 when it was announced that both countries had decided to restore diplomatic ties and work towards peace. It was the outcome of a four-day discussion by both sides in China!
Both countries agreed to resume diplomatic relations, re-open their embassies and missions within two months, respect each other’s sovereignty, and ensure non-interference in internal affairs of states.
The agreement also provided for a meeting by their foreign ministers to implement the agreement, arrange for the return of their ambassadors, and discuss means of enhancing bilateral relations. They also reached back to the old Security Cooperation Agreements they signed in the fields of economy, trade, investment, technology, science, culture, sports, and youth, and agreed to implement them. China, the peacemaker joined the two countries in their pledge to work towards enhancing regional and international peace and security.
The immediate implication of this is the prospects for peace in parts of the world, including Yemen, Syria and Iraq and better cooperation amongst Muslims in places like Lebanon where the Hassan Nasrallah-led Shiite group, Hezbollah, has built a formidable military force. In a quick follow-up to the peace deal, a Saudi delegation was on April 9 in Sanaa, capital of the Houthi-controlled half of Yemen for peace talks, the most promising so far. The talks with an Omani delegation as observer, aim to stabilise a truce and cease-fire, complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Yemen, lifting of restrictions on air and sea ports, prisoner exchange, resumption of Yemeni oil exports, and a comprehensive peace plan for Yemen.
These peace talks would be a prelude to a wider one that would bring in the rival Saudi-backed Yemeni government in Aden and a rebel offshoot funded by the UAE. Reconciliation still seems far off as the two different economies, central banks and currencies would need to be merged. There does not seem to be much enthusiasm for the Iran-Saudi Peace deal in the West mainly because it has strived to portray China, the peacemaker, as a belligerent country and a danger to world peace. Secondly, the agreement signifies a major shift of Saudi Arabia from the Western orbit. Whatever be the case, the face of universal Islam will change with the Iran-Saudi Arabia Peace Agreements.
President Muhammadu Buhari successfully performed Umrah rituals, amid tight security, upon his arrival at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
The president alongside members of his entourage were led by a delegation from the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Nigerian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami in performing the rituals.
The Nigerian leader had earlier visited some historic religious places in Madinah on Tuesday and Wednesday before he proceeded to Makkah for the Umrah.
President Buhari had also visited and prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque.
He arrived in the Kingdom on an eight-day official visit on Tuesday.
The Gulf nations of Qatar and Bahrain have announced an end to their age-long diplomatic row since 2017.
Both countries have now re-established diplomatic relations six years after both countries severed relations.
Recall that Bahrain in 2017 joined Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in imposing a diplomatic blockade on Qatar. The countries’ rivalry goes back even further, however, and Bahrain is the last to renew ties.
Agreement on the reconciliation was reached in talks at the Gulf Cooperation Council headquarters in Saudi Arabia, Qatar’s foreign ministry said.
The blockade was lifted at the start of 2021, and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have restored ties with Qatar since then, with top leaders paying official visits in recent months.
The neighbours “decided to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries according to the principles of the United Nations charter”, said a foreign ministry statement.
“The two sides affirmed that this step stems from the mutual desire to develop bilaterally
relations and enhance Gulf unity and integration,” it added.
Bahrain’s foreign ministry released a similar statement, the country’s state news agency reported.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a blockade in 2017, accusing Qatar of supporting extremist organisations in the region and becoming too close to Iran.
Employees in Saudi Arabia can prepare for a long Eid al-Fitr holiday after the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has officially announced the dates.
In a post on Twitter, the ministry said that employees in the private and non-profit sectors will enjoy four days off that will begin at the end of working hours on Thursday, April 20.
Employees will hence enjoy a long holiday in addition to the usual Friday-Saturday weekend before work at some offices is expected to resume on Thursday, April 27.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which began on March 23.
Employees will also get to enjoy another long holiday later this year, where Eid al-Adha will be marked for four days at the end of June, according to the executive regulations of the labor law.