Top Saudi journalist missing after visiting consulate in Istanbul
Ankara, Oct 3: A prominent Saudi journalist known as one of the country's most outspoken critic has gone missing after visiting its consulate in Turkey, raising concerns about his safety.
Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to the Washington Post, entered the Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday afternoon for a visit relating to filing a divorce before he can remarry, the Guardian reported on Wednesday.
"We don't know if he is being detained, questioned or when he will be released," the Post said.
His Turkish fiancee, who waited outside for him for 12 hours, said he had failed to come out and then she called the police.
She was accompanying him to the consulate but said she was not allowed to go inside with him. Khashoggi was also required to surrender his mobile phone.
Another close friend also said the 59-year-old journalist had not left the consulate, a claim disputed by a Saudi official. It was not known if Khashoggi was able to leave the mission or he was being held against his will or was taken elsewhere, reports say.
Qatar-based news outlet Al-Jazeera reported that Turkish police began a search for the missing writer.
Khashoggi has been living in self-imposed exile in the US and is an established critic of the Saudi government -- particularly the reform plans championed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
"With every supposed reform comes a wave of fresh arrests, prison sentences and increasingly repressive behaviour," said Jason Rezaian, a commentator for the Post.
"At each turning point, though, Jamal has offered readers of the Post insightful commentary and sharp criticism about the seemingly impenetrable country."
The BBC said that Khashoggi served as an adviser to the Saudi royal family and was for many years seen as an insider, until he left more than a year ago amid a reported clampdown on press freedom.
With over 1.6 million followers on Twitter, Khashoggi is a prolific commentator in print and on television. He was famous for interviewing Osama bin Laden several times and also served as a media aide under Prince Turki al-Faisal, when the latter was Director General of the Saudi intelligence agency.
A US state department spokesperson said they had seen the reports from Istanbul and were "seeking more information at this time".
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Instagram removes BJP’s post claiming Cong ‘will snatch wealth of non-muslims’ following backlash
New Delhi: An animated video post shared on BJP’s official Instagram handle, asserting that the Congress party would snatch wealth from non-Muslims to ‘distribute it to its favorite community of invaders,’ has sparked significant backlash. Following the uproar, the photo sharing platform has taken down the post, reports Newslaundry.com.
Meanwhile, it is uncertain whether the post was removed by the BJP or by Instagram following mass reporting by several users as “misinformation” and “hate speech”. The video depicted Rahul Gandhi holding the Congress manifesto which transforms into the logo of the Muslim league. Furthermore, it sought support for PM Modi from every ‘Bharatiya,’ who is also shown wearing a saffron turban.
According to the report, it also contained a clip of PM Modi alleging that the former PM Manmohan Singh had said, “Muslims have the first claim on our resources,” insinuating that if the Congress were to assume power, it would confiscate the money and assets of non-Muslims, redistributing them to Muslims, whom it favored. Labeling Muslims as ‘infiltrators’, the video depicted historical invaders as looters who plundered India's resources and suggested that the Congress party continues to empower individuals from the same community.
The video then communicated that the Congress party’s manifesto is “nothing but Muslim league’s ideology in disguise. If you are a non-Muslim, Congress will snatch your wealth and distribute it to Muslims.” It also slinged the BJP’s official slogan ‘abki baar, 400 paar,’ and called that it was the need of the hour, since Modi only has the “strength to stop the Congress party’s evil plans.”
Similar claims have also been made by several BJP leaders. Recently, Union Minister Anurag Thakur stated that the Congress intends to “Give your children's property to Muslims.”
