US officials raise concern over rising religious attacks in India
June 3, 2022, 8:35 am

US officials raise concern over rising religious attacks in India

Crowded street in Delhi, India (File photo: Pixabay)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited rising attacks on people at places of worship in India among ongoing violations of freedom of religion around the world.

According to the We For News, a senior US State Department official went further and accused Indian officials of “ignoring or even supporting” these attacks.

Neither official named names or made any specific mention of incidents. Their remarks came at the release of the State Department’s 2021 annual report on the state of freedom of religion around the world.

Also mentioned by US officials were China, for its repression of Uyghur Muslim minorities, Myanmar, for its treatment of Rohingyas, and Pakistan, for its continued use of the draconian blasphemy law that is punishment by death.

Shiva god, a Hindu statue in India - Pixabay

Blinken said: “In India, the world’s largest democracy, and home to a great diversity of faiths, we’ve seen rising attacks on people in places of worship."

He did not specify them, but the 2000-page report indicated these attacks were carried out at Christian and Muslim places of worship.

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Rashad Hussain, the State Department’s Ambassador-at-Large for international religious freedom, said at the release of the report that was brought out under his leadership, that: “In India, some officials are ignoring or even supporting rising attacks on people and places of worship.”

The State Department report did not, however, go as far as to name India as a “country of particular concern”, disregarding a recommendation from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an American watchdog on global religious rights, for the second successive year.

This body has been a strident critic of India in the past and even attempted to send officials to India on fact-finding missions that were blocked by New Delhi.

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Blinken’s criticism of Indian will irk New Delhi which has bristled at such remarks and observations from American officials in the past.

Lately, India has gone on the offensive, saying it also harbours concerns about rights and freedoms in the United States.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue of racial equality with erstwhile US President Donald Trump at the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020.

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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar put it bluntly at a joint press briefing with Secretary Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh here in April.

Jaishankar had said: “People are entitled to have views about us. But we are also equally entitled to have views about their views, and about the interests and the lobbies and the word banks which drive that."

He added: “Whenever there is a discussion, I can tell you that we will not be reticent about speaking out. I would also, just so that I round off that point, tell you that we also have views on other people’s human rights situation, including that of the United States. So we take up human rights issues when they arise in this country, especially when they pertain to our community and in fact, we had a case yesterday.”

Source: wefornews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.