News and Analysis (6/19/20)

While other Muslim-American’s issue statements demanding justice for George Floyd, Keith Ellison does something about it:

• Americans Want Justice for George Floyd. Keith Ellison Is in Charge of Getting It (Washington Post)

“Erdogan … learned by experience that getting the United States on board by making Trump his personal friend is easier than any other way” — veteran Turkish journalist Cengiz Candar:

• Fragile Big Power Relationships Add to Middle Eastern Uncertainty (Countercurrents)

“The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that it has a lawsuit against Stafford County challenging “overly restrictive zoning regulations” that blocked the creation of a Muslim cemetery”:

• Justice Department Sues Stafford over Muslim Cemetery (Fredericksburg.com)

The U.N. declares, “The annexation of occupied territory is a serious violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions” …

• Israel’s West Bank Annexation Plan Condemned by UN Experts (BBC)

… and retired Israeli military Commander Shaul Ariel estimates that “Palestinians would lose up to 70,000 acres of private land” including farms and grazing land:

• Palestinians Fear Displacement from an Annexed Jordan Valley (Al-Jazeera)

A dissenting justice denies that the 1986 Act intended “to deprive divorced Muslim women … litigant friendly procedures of the family courts Act and denude it of jurisdiction to decide applications for maintenance”:

• SC’s Larger Bench to Decide on Divorced Muslim Woman’s Plea for Maintenance (Deccan Herald)

Some observers are reported to think the U.S. may be backing away from a military confrontation after the launch of Noor satellite that improved Iran’s capability to track and monitor oil tankers in its surroundings:

• Iran Plans Monthly Gasoline Shipments To Venezuela: Report (Kashmir Observer)

The minister’s rejection of “joint committee of Hindu and Muslim leaders of the area to further probe these incidents” gives credence to charges that reports aim “to defame a particular community and an area” …

• After VHP Campaign on ‘Atrocities’ in Muslim-Majority Nuh, Khattar Promises New Conversion Law (The Print)

… “[i]n accepting a distorted and manipulated version of events that took place during the bloodiest days New Delhi has seen in decades, the Modi government is essentially normalising ethnic violence”:

• Absurd Fact-finding Report on Delhi Riots Whitewashes Anti-Muslim Violence (TRT World)

To reinforce its opposition to US sanctions on Iran, and show that Istanbul is not obliged to implement them, Turkey’s Foreign Minister on Monday announced August 1 to reopen borders with Iran:

• Turkey Renews Opposition to US Sanctions on Iran (VoA)

US Representative for Iran Brian Hook says he hopes for talks with Iran over prisoners and other issues, but Tehran demands US return to the nuclear deal before in-person meetings …

• US to Seek In-Person Meetings with Iran Over Prisoner Releases (Al-Jazeera)

… while Iran protests IAEA demands to open sites for inspection “where activities are believed to have taken place earlier this century, before Iran agreed to the 2015 nuclear pact with global powers”:

• UN Calls on Iran for Access to Suspected Nuclear Sites (VoA)