New
Age Islam News Bureau
08
March 2021
Civil
society groups urge EU to probe France on Islamophobia
-----
•
Aurat March Today in Lahore Dedicated to Healthcare Workers and Women’s Health
•
Women in Afghanistan Worry Peace Accord with Taliban Could Cost Them Hard-Won
Rights
•
In Iraq's Ruined City Of Mosul, Pope Francis Hears Of Life under Islamic State
•
Muslims Are the Least Polygamous, Data Proves It, Says Former CEC Quraishi
•
Biden’s Attack on Anti-Terror Forces in Syria, A Gift to Daesh Terrorists: US
Politician
•
UAE Breaks Ground For Sheikh Zayed Mosque Replica in Indonesia
•
Iran Warns To Demolish Tel Aviv, Haifa If Attacked By Israel
•
'Libya's Democratic Steps Pave Way for Permanent Peace'
Europe
•
A Global Coalition of 25 Civil Society Groups Urge EU to Probe France on
Islamophobia
•
Where ISIS Ruled, Pope Francis Calls on Christians to Forgive, Rebuild
•
Suspected ISIS member, Bataclan attack perpetrator arrested by Italian police
•
‘Syria crisis could see at least 6M more displacements’
--------
Pakistan
•
Aurat March Today in Lahore Dedicated to Healthcare Workers and Women’s Health
•
Chinese Embassy Official in Pakistan Faces Backlash For 'Hijab Off' Tweet
•
Gunmen ambush Pakistan Navy vehicle, killing 1, wounding 2
•
5-member Hindu family found dead under mysterious circumstances in Pakistan
•
Four terrorists killed in two operations, says ISPR
--------
South Asia
•
Women in Afghanistan Worry Peace Accord with Taliban Could Cost Them Hard-Won
Rights
•
45 Taliban Killed In Kandahar, Herat Provinces
•
US Secretary Of State Pens Letter to Ghani As ‘Transitional Gov’t’ Is Proposed
•
NDS kills key intelligence Daesh official in Nangarhar
•
Afghanistan conflict: US warns of new Taliban 'spring offensive'
--------
Arab World
•
In Iraq's Ruined City Of Mosul, Pope Francis Hears Of Life under Islamic State
•
Pope Francis meets father of drowned Syrian boy Alan Kurdi in Iraq’s Erbil
•
Pope urges peace over war as historic Iraqi tour ends
•
SDF militants kidnap more than 200 people in Syria’s Raqqah, Hasakah provinces
•
US Khashoggi report ‘abuse of the intelligence community’s power’: Former
policymaker
•
Russia calls on OPCW to unveil truth behind alleged 2018 chemical attack in
Syria's Douma
•
Saudi Arabia confirms Yemeni drone, missile attacks on oil facilities
--------
India
•
Muslims Are the Least Polygamous, Data Proves It, Says Former CEC Quraishi
•
If Shyama Prasad was not there, India would be an Islamic country: BJP Bengal
Leader
•
Iran behind Israel embassy attack in India, bomb planted by local Shia cell:
Report
•
Jaishankar, US' special envoy for Afghanistan discuss Afghan peace talks
•
India sets up holding centre for Rohingya in Kashmir
--------
North America
•
Biden’s Attack on Anti-Terror Forces in Syria, A Gift to Daesh Terrorists: US
Politician
•
US Secretary of State Blinken calls for a 90-day reduction in violence in
Afghanistan
•
US will do what is necessary after rocket attack on forces: Defence Secretary
•
US says 'all options on table' for Afghanistan, no decision on troop withdrawal
by May deadline
--------
Southeast Asia
•
UAE Breaks Ground For Sheikh Zayed Mosque Replica in Indonesia
•
PAS Committed To Unity of Ummah, Says Takiyuddin
•
Thailand gets tough on Myanmar asylum seekers
•
Ousted, but still popular – how past generosity keeps Najib ahead
•
Protect, defend the Constitution: In it is our right to a life with dignity
•
UAE to develop $500 million tourism resort in Indonesia’s Aceh
--------
Mideast
•
Iran Warns To Demolish Tel Aviv, Haifa If Attacked By Israel
•
Yemeni Minister Confirms Al-Qaeda Terrorists Fighting Alongside Saudi Forces In
Ma’rib
•
Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi oil heartland with drones, missiles
•
Deputy FM: US Should Show Honesty by Lifting Sanctions
•
Turkey is seeking to mend ties with Egypt, Gulf countries: Erdogan spokesman
•
Saeed Mohammad, head of IRGC’s biggest commercial enterprise, runs for
president
•
Iran says US approved release of $3 bln of Iran’s funds in Iraq, Oman, S. Korea
•
Fire at Houthi-controlled migrant facility in Yemen kills at least eight: UN
•
Israeli forces shoot Palestinian over alleged stabbing attack
--------
Africa
•
'Libya's Democratic Steps Pave Way for Permanent Peace'
•
Soldier, civilian dead, 4 hurt in Somalia suicide blast
•
Libyan MPs arrive at Sirte to debate proposed unity government
•
Tunisian prime minister refuses to step down, challenging president
•
Fire engulfs religious centre in Somaliland, 49 injured
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/a-global-coalition-25-civil/d/124491
--------
A
Global Coalition of 25 Civil Society Groups Urge EU to Probe France on
Islamophobia
Civil
society groups urge EU to probe France on Islamophobia
-----
Burak
Dag
08.03.2021
A
global coalition of 25 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has asked the
European Commission to investigate France for its state-sponsored support to
Islamophobia.
In
a petition to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, these
NGOs representing 11 countries have asked her to try the French government at
the European Court of Justice for imposing discriminatory practices.
"France
has implemented numerous laws designed to limit freedom of belief and punish
the manifestation of religion, “said the petition.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Samira Sabir from Sabir’s Legal Services who submitted the
petition to the European Commission on behalf of the alliance said Islamophobia
has become ingrained and mainstreamed in the European societies.
"Islamophobia
is not only a widespread and serious phenomenon in right-wing circles, but it
is also ingrained in the mainstream of European societies,” she said.
The
legal activist said that France provided an example of how state actors have
institutionalized and legitimized Islamophobia through hate speech targeting
Muslims.
Among
the organizations who have signed the petition included Representative Council
of France's Black Associations, Muslim Rights Watch Netherlands, the Islamic
Central Council Switzerland, and Muslim Association for Human Rights from
Spain.
"There
is a widespread failure to implement EU legislation and in particular human
rights related to religious integrity and the freedom to express political
beliefs in France," the petition said.
It
has also highlighted that French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan “against
separatism”, which according to these NGOs merely focuses on tightening
"political, ideological, theological and financial control on Muslim
communities”.
"There
is no real or effective remedy within the French legal system to stop the
continuation of structural and systemic Islamophobia by the French government
within the meanings established by European case law,” said these NGOs, while
explaining the reason of approaching the European Commission.
-
Do not set precedent
They
asked Von der Leyen to intervene for the sake of not allowing a precedent to be
set that would harm not only Muslims but other communities in France as well.
The
petition noted that the French government exploited the killing of French
middle-school teacher Samuel Paty to promote a racist, discriminative and
Islamophobic agenda.
Referring
to France’s interior minister’s statement, defending the raids against people
not linked to investigations into the killing of Paty to send a message, the
petition said that so far police have conducted 51 violent raids on homes of
Muslims.
Seeking
direct and urgent intervention from the European Commission, Sabir said it was
the responsibility of the EU to directly act upon the complaint.
"With
its enforcement powers, the European Commission must ensure the enforcement of
EU law," she said, adding that France has violated the EU Charter of Fundamental
Rights and regulations on the prohibition of discrimination, xenophobia,
racism, and protection of minorities and children’s rights.
The
French government has been criticized for its moves and rhetoric against Islam
and Muslims.
French
President Emmanuel Macron’s claim that Islam is “in crisis,” raids on mosques
and Islamic foundations and a proposed “anti-separatism” law that slap
wide-ranging restrictions on the Muslim community have also come under fire.
The
bill permits authorities to interfere with mosques and their administrators as
well as control the finances of associations and NGOs belonging to Muslims.
The
coalition had also petitioned the UN Human Rights Council, complaining against
systematic Islamophobic actions in France on Jan. 18, 2021.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/civil-society-groups-urge-eu-to-probe-france-on-islamophobia/2168451
--------
Aurat
March Today in Lahore Dedicated to Healthcare Workers and Women’s Health
Aurat
March in Pakistan on Women's Day
-------
March
8, 2021
LAHORE: The year’s march will be dedicated to healthcare
workers and women’s health in the light of the violence that marginalised
genders faced during the past year.
The
health of women and non-binary gender is massively ignored at both an
individual and structural level, says the manifesto. Other issues including
enforced disappearances are also expected to be given in-depth focus.
Those
in the core committee say that the manifesto of Aurat March was made with
collective effort, and came out after months of hard work, research, and
absorbing the opinions of different community members, including those women,
whose voices are silenced, women with disabilities, transgender groups, lady
health workers, etc.
This
point of the manifesto is to make marginalised voices mainstream and give them
space.
Enforced
Disappearances
One
of the most important issues that are expected to be given space this year is
that of enforced disappearances as well as accompanying human rights
violations, especially in Balochistan.
From
mid-2010 onwards, hundreds of dead bodies of those who went ‘missing’ began to
emerge. Besides Balochistan, Sindh’s families have also been victims of this
crime.
Bodies
are generally found, dumped in deserted areas, and most times are found to be
tortured badly.
Families
and those that have gone missing, have been victimised under the guise of the
war on terror, and of laws and policies pertaining to terrorism, while some
have been picked up over personal vendetta.
However,
while it is usually the men who are abducted, tortured and killed, the women of
the family are also victims in this crime, leaving them in a limbo and without
closure, resulting in psychological trauma, as well as economic issues.
Aurat
March will stand in solidarity with affected people, especially as the whole
trend of enforced disappearances has resulted in militarisation of communities,
seeping hatred, as well as discord.
Entry
Forms
Aurat
March Lahore has also raised concerns over the biased and sensationalised
coverage of the march, and has decided to issue media passes to encourage women
and transgender reporters to cover the event.
It
has taken this step in the light of many complaints of the participants in the
march where they were bullied and harassed by people claiming to be media
personnel.
A
member of the collective told Dawn that last year several people, mostly from
non-legacy digital media organisations, disrupted the safe and private space by
asking ‘extremely personal questions’ unrelated to the issues at hand. She said
that they not only imposed their questions on the marchers, they also jumped to
conclusions and did not allow them to speak either.
“We
are also trying to protect the privacy of those who are going to be there,” she
said. “There were certain video clips and images that ended up in harassing our
supporters not just that day, but all the year round.”
She
also reiterated three core principles of Aurat March Lahore including no NGO
funding or affiliation, no corporate funding or affiliation, and no political
party alliance or affiliation.
Demands
Article
38 of the Constitution says that the State must provide basic necessities of
life, (food, clothing, housing, education, and medical relief), for all such
citizens, irrespective of any differences of sex, caste, creed, etc. AM Lahore
has demanded the state fulfill its responsibility here and add that it is a
huge concern that the health budget has gone down.
The
demands include a better infrastructure given to survivors of abuse who need
access to mental as well as physical care within a rehabilitative framework in
order to adequately manage the long-term effects of the violence visited upon
them.
A
huge issue within the health sector is that of transgenders and PWDs (persons
with disabilities) to access health. According to a study, 92% of transgender
people report facing discrimination or harassment in healthcare settings in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while another study in Punjab reveals that 74% of
transgender persons prefer not to go to public hospitals.
Other
health issues concern are also raised in the document, including, educational
programs and training aiming to stop stigmatization and shame associated with
gendered bodies, breast cancer, reproductive health, the gender pain gap, more
gender sensitized medico-legal practitioners, charging for forensic services
(including from rape victims), HIV, access to free medicines, rights of PWDs,
implementation of the Transgender Act 2018, access to clean water and toilets,
especially to avoid contraction of Covid-19, healthcare for female prisoners,
and drug addicts and users, an end to underage marriage, and several other
issues associated with the health sector.
CM’S
message
Chief
Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said that the respect of women was a part of
Pakistan’s social and religious norm.
In
his message with regard to International Women Rights Day, the CM said that
women are approximately 50% of the population of Pakistan. He said that role of
women in practical life for the socioeconomic development of the country could
not be neglected.
Equal
opportunities have been provided to women in practical life and his party would
seek to further empower women. He said that 187 daycare centres have been
established throughout the province. Seven new centres have been inaugurated
last year, he added. A facility of hostel has been provided for the working
women. New hospitals are being established for ensuring quality treatment to
mother and child.
He
said new mother and child care hospitals would be set up with a a sum of Rs280
million in Attock, Rajanpur, Bahawalnagar, Sialkot and Layyah. He said that
work was being carried out on Mother and Child care hospital in Lahore and
Mianwali.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1611328/aurat-march-today-in-lahore-an-effort-to-mainstream-marginalised-womens-issues
--------
Women
in Afghanistan Worry Peace Accord With Taliban Could Cost Them Hard-Won Rights
Audience members listen to Afghan parliamentarian
Fawzia Koofi speak in 2014. Women’s access to politics increased greatly after
the Taliban’s 2001 ouster. Sha Marai/AFP via Getty Images
-----
Mona
Tajali and Homa Hoodfar
March
8, 2021
Three
Afghan women who worked at a media company were gunned down in Jalalabad in
early March. In January, unidentified gunmen killed two female Supreme Court
judges in Kabul.
These
are the latest victims on a long list of assassinations and attempted
assassinations of female politicians and women’s rights activists. Such attacks
have intensified since the government began peace negotiations with the Taliban
militant group in September 2020. In the past year, 17 human rights defenders
have been killed in Afghanistan.
The
Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 was the darkest time for Afghan
women. Assuming an austere interpretation of Islamic Sharia and Pashtun tribal
practices, the group limited women’s access to education, employment and health
services. Women were required to be fully veiled and have male escorts in
public.
We
are scholars of women’s rights in Muslim majority countries, including in
Afghanistan. We have been following Afghanistan’s peace talks with an eye on
gender, seeking to understand how Afghan women view the prospect of their
government striking a power-sharing agreement with the group that oppressed
them.
Seat
at the table
Women
are a pale presence in the on-again, off-again, US-brokered Afghanistan peace
process underway in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban, which still controls roughly 30%
of Afghanistan’s territory, has no women on its negotiating team. Only four of
the Afghan government’s 21 negotiators are women – even though several women
play prominent roles within the national government.
The
past six months of talks have demonstrated the contradictions between each
side’s stance on women’s equality and other central issues.
The
government intends to preserve Afghanistan’s democratic institutions and
constitution, which guarantees the rights of women and minorities as equal
citizens of an Islamic republic.
The
Taliban, on the other hand, is pushing for an Islamic emirate controlled by a
nonelected council of religious leaders who rule based on their conservative
interpretation of Islam, according to unpublished analysis by the nonprofit
Women Living Under Muslim Laws, where we are board members.
Roya
Rahmani, the Afghan ambassador to the US, says having women on its team gives
the Afghan government more leverage to negotiate on women’s rights. That’s
important because our research indicates that the Taliban maintain their
extremist stance on women.
“The
Taliban live in their 1990s universe and they refuse to see the reality of
Afghanistan and in particular the young generations today who see themselves
entitled to human rights, education, and an open public sphere,” Palwasha
Hassan, an Afghan women’s rights activist, told us in an interview in December
2020.
The
Taliban claims its views on women have evolved. But in some Taliban-controlled
regions of Afghanistan girls are barred from getting an education after puberty
– in violation of the Afghan constitution. And while women are elected and
appointed to high-level posts nationally, their political participation is
restricted in Taliban-controlled regions.
There
is a “gap between official Taliban statements on rights and the restrictive
positions adopted by Taliban officials on the ground,” according to the
international nonprofit Human Rights Watch.
Women
and war
Armed
conflicts may be primarily fought by men, who are killed or injured, but women
are war victims in a different way – and therefore have different needs when it
ends. Many lose their husbands and children, and thus their income, and are
disproportionately displaced by violence. Rape is one weapon of war, and in
some places women may be sexually assaulted en masse.
In
2000, the United Nations adopted a resolution emphasizing that women should be
included in all post-conflict reconstruction efforts.
Colombia
was the first country to ensure gender equity in its peace process. In its
landmark 2016 accord with the FARC insurgents, which was mediated by Sweden,
women were on both the insurgent and government negotiating teams, and the
final accord included a chapter outlining what assistance women in conflict
zones would need to start businesses, participate in politics, thrive in rural
areas and the like.
Afghanistan,
the first big globally brokered peace deal to follow Colombia’s, does not
follow this model.
In
interviews with more than 15 Afghan women’s rights leaders, we heard
frustration over women’s exclusion from the peace talks given that women are
the main victims of Afghanistan’s 40-year conflict.
These
women support the effort at national reconciliation. But they cited the
targeted killings of women over the past year as reason for concern that the
Taliban’s disregard for human rights jeopardizes the longevity of any peace
deal.
As
one interview subject put it, “Taliban’s win is a win for ISIS, Boko Haram and
other extremist groups.”
Targeting
women
Outspoken
critics of the Taliban’s undemocratic vision of peace have been threatened or
killed.
In
August 2020, Fawzia Koofi, an Afghan government negotiator and long-time Afghan
parliamentarian, was shot in the arm in an attempted assassination. The attack
is an instance of the gendered violence that women often face as a way to deter
them from participating in politics.
Koofi
refused to be silenced. Just days after her injury, she flew to Doha to attend
the peace talks.
The
Afghan government has made recent missteps on women’s rights, too.
In
2020, the Afghan government dissolved the State Ministry of Human Affairs, led
by Dr Sima Samar, a key advocate for women’s rights with nearly two decades of
experience at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
This
ministry, as the main body documenting and reporting on Afghanistan’s human
rights status, could have played an instrumental role in the negotiations.
After
the fall of the Taliban in the 2001 U.S. invasion, women eagerly embraced every
opportunity to advance professionally in diverse sectors, from politics to
social services. Today women compose around 27% of the Afghan Parliament, one
of the highest rates of women’s political representation in the region.
“There
is no going back,” Zarqa Yaftali, a women’s rights activist told us. “Women
intend to guide their country towards peace and stability.”The Conversation
Mona
Tajali, assistant professor in IR and WGSS, Agnes Scott College and Homa
Hoodfar, professor of anthropology, Emerita, Concordia University.
https://thewire.in/south-asia/women-afghanistan-peace-accord-taliban-hard-won-rights
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In
Iraq's ruined city of Mosul, Pope Francis hears of life under Islamic State
March
7, 2021
Muslim
and Christian residents in the ruined Iraqi city of Mosul told Pope Francis of
their lives under brutal Islamic State rule on Sunday as the pontiff blessed
their vow to rise up from ashes and told them that “fraternity is more durable
than fratricide.”
Francis
flew into the northern city by helicopter to encourage the healing of sectarian
wounds and to pray for the dead of any religion.
The
84-year-old pope saw ruins of houses and churches in a square that was the old
town’s thriving centre before Mosul was occupied by the Islamic State from 2014
to 2017. He sat surrounded by skeletons of buildings, dangling concrete
staircases, and cratered ancient churches, most too dangerous to enter.
“Together
we say no to fundamentalism. No to sectarianism and no to corruption,” the
Chaldean archbishop of Mosul, Najeeb Michaeel, told the pope.
Much
of the old city was destroyed in 2017 during the bloody battle by Iraqi forces
and an international military coalition to drive out Islamic State.
Francis,
who on a historic first trip by a pope to Iraq, was visibly moved by the
earthquake-like devastation around him. He prayed for all of Mosul’s dead.
“How
cruel it is that this country, the cradle of civilization, should have been
afflicted by so barbarous a blow, with ancient places of worship destroyed and
many thousands of people Muslims, Christians, Yazidis and others forcibly
displaced or killed,” he said.
“Today,
however, we reaffirm our conviction that fraternity is more durable than
fratricide, that hope is more powerful than hatred, that peace more powerful
than war.”
Intense
security has surrounded his trip to Iraq. Military pickup trucks mounted with
machine guns escorted his motorcade and plainclothes security men mingled in
Mosul with the handles of guns emerging from black backpacks worn on their
chests.
In
an apparent direct reference to Islamic State, Francis said hope could never be
“silenced by the blood spilled by those who pervert the name of God to pursue
paths of destruction.”
He
then read a prayer repeating one of the main themes of his trip, that it is
always wrong to hate, kill or wage war in God’s name.
Fighters
of Islamic State, a Sunni militant group that tried to establish a caliphate
across the region, ravaged northern Iraq from 2014-2017, killing Christians as
well as Muslims who opposed them.
‘AFRAID
TO RETURN’
Iraq’s
Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, has been particularly
devastated by the years of conflict, falling to about 300,000 from about 1.5
million before the U.S. invasion of 2003 and the brutal Islamist militant
violence that followed.
Father
Raid Adel Kallo, pastor of the destroyed Church of the Annunciation, told how
in 2014 he fled with 500 Christian families and how fewer than 70 families are
present now.
“The
majority have emigrated and are afraid to return,” he said.
“But
I live here, with two million Muslims who call me father and I am living my
mission with them,” he added, telling the pope of a committee of Mosul families
who promote peaceful coexistence among Muslims and Christians.
A
Muslim member of the Mosul committee, Gutayba Aagha, urged the Christians who
had fled to “return to their properties and resume their activities”.
Francis
then flew by helicopter to Qaraqosh, a Christian enclave that was overrun by
Islamic State fighters and where families have slowly returned and rebuilt
ruined homes.
In
Qaraqosh, he received the most tumultuous welcome so far on the trip, with
thousands of ecstatic people packing the roadsides to get of glimpse of their
religious leader.
Most
were not wearing masks despite a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the
country.
“I
can’t describe my happiness, it’s a historic event that won’t be repeated,” said
Yosra Mubarak, 33, who was three months pregnant when she left her home seven
years ago with her husband and son, fleeing the violence.
Francis
has stressed inter-religious peace from the start of his trip on Friday.
On
Saturday he held a historic meeting with Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric and visited
the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham, condemning violence in the name of God
as “the greatest blasphemy”.
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/in-iraq-s-ruined-city-of-mosul-pope-francis-hears-of-life-under-islamic-state-1776618-2021-03-07
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Muslims
are the least polygamous, data proves it, says former CEC Quraishi
6th
March 2021
Indian
Muslims hardly practise polygamy but they are willing to die for it, says S Y
Quraishi, whose just published book, The Population Myth: Islam, Family
Planning and Politics in India, on the issue of population and family planning
among Muslims is the subject of discussion these days in the country.
Quraishi,
who has served as India’s 17th Chief Election Commissioner, says Muslims should
not make polygamy an issue. “Let there be a ban across communities. There is no
harm in it,” he said in an interview to Clarion India. But what about the
Muslim leadership, especially Ulema, who are very sensitive about it? Quraishi
says their objection is understandable. “They say what is permissible in Islam
should not be taken away by the government. The courts and the government can’t
interpret the Quran,” Quraishi said, but added since Muslims don’t practise
polygamy there is no point being all worked up about it.
Polygamy
and population are highly politicised issues in India where right-wing
politicians stoke majoritarian fears by claiming that Muslims are growing more
children with intention to overtake the country. They also claim that Muslims
don’t practise family planning and keep four wives. But Quraishi challenges
such claims. “Show me a single Muslim with four wives… In fact Muslims are the
least polygamous community in India.”
He
quotes the Status of Women in India report of 1975, the only study on this so
far. He says it shows that all communities in India are polygamous.
“Interestingly, the least polygamous were the Muslims. I studied the census
from 1930 to 1961 and found that in every census, Muslims were the least
polygamous, followed by the Hindus,” he says, adding tribal communities have
16% polygamy, Hindus 5.8% and Muslims 5.7%.
Quraishi’s
book Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India, is an
eye-opener. He has investigated the subject from various angles. He talks with
facts and figures and also refers to the Quran and Hadiths (sayings of the
Prophet) to bust myths that have been created around the subject. He says
nowhere in the Quran family planning is prohibited. “In fact the Quran is
totally supportive of the concept. My conclusion is that Islam is the pioneer
of the concept of family planning. It is a marvel that 1,400 years ago when
there was no population pressure anywhere in the world Islam talked of quality
of upbringing, the importance of health and children.”
Quraishi
is a known public figure, who has been speaking and writing on various issues.
He commands respect for his balanced views on issues of public concerns. The
subject that he has dealt with in his book is political. But he has tried to be
objective in his analysis.
He
says the subject came to him “accidentally” 25 years ago when the country
director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) approached him to
write a strategy paper for family planning among Muslims.
The
paper that he wrote was an “eye-opener” for him and therefore he decided to
develop it into a book. He says this project was a learning experience for him.
When he began in 1995, he had a vague idea about the subject. He only knew that
Muslims had a bit of resistance to family planning. But as he studied various
government reports and surveys, he realised that facts don’t support the myths
that have been created about Muslims.
When
he started in 1995, the first National Family Health Survey (NFHS) had been
released. After that, till the time he finished the book, three more NFHSs
came. “Fortunately, every new data strengthens my hypothesis,” about population
and family planning, he says.
Quraishi’s
Population Myth, according to him, is four-in-one kind of a book. Part one of
it is written as a demographer, which talks only of statistics: how the
population grows across communities and across States. Part two is written as
an Islamic scholar quoting from the Quran and Hadiths.
Third
part is written as “an administrator, which I was. I used to implement various
government programmes like national population policy.” And finally, he says,
he has dealt the subject as “a communicator, which I claim to be because my
Ph.D is in communication, social marketing to be precise. How social issues
need to be communicated to audience.”
Has
he been challenged by anyone for making bold statements that go against certain
deep-rooted perceptions? His reply was in the negative. He says he has received
lots of appreciation from every corner. “I have spoken on the subject at
various places. At one of the places, it was Muslim audience, and I was a bit
worried. But the audience overwhelmingly supported me,” he said.
What
about the allegations of the Hindu right-wing? He says the claims made by the
Right about the Muslims have no basis. Data don’t support them. “They are rash
and false” he opines.
Quraishi
says, “We need to talk about it (the facts) more; to discuss it more; and to
disseminate it more.”
The
right-wing needs to be replied with facts and figures. “Mine is not the first
book. There are two to three demographers who have written about it. All the
authors are non-Muslims, they are Hindus,” Quraishi says.
Any
counter to his argument? So far, none, he says. But he has received “lots of
hate messages…they are very general. They are from illiterate trolls who have
not read my book.”
Quraishi
is used to such trolls. “It’s not new. It happens all the time for every
Muslim… typically like reminding him who made me the CEC.”
But
nobody has challenged the content of the book. “Let people read the book, and
come up with counter-argument, if any. I will be very happy to be educated,” he
said.
Shaheen
Nazar is the executive editor of Clarion India. With over 30 years of
experience in journalism he also teaches at India Today Media Institute at New
Delhi.
https://www.siasat.com/muslims-are-the-least-polygamous-data-proves-it-says-former-cec-quraishi-2104569/
--------
Biden’s
attack on anti-terror forces in Syria, a gift to Daesh terrorists: US politician
06
March 2021
US
President Joe Biden has aided the Daesh terrorists in Syria and Iraq after he
ordered airstrikes against facilities belonging to anti-terror resistance
groups on the Iraqi-Syrian border, a US politician says.
Biden
authorized the deadly strikes late last month, destroying facilities at a
Syrian border point used by Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known
as Hashd al-Sha’abi, including members of Kata'ib Hezbollah and Kata'ib Sayyid
al-Shuhada groups.
The
White House claimed without providing any evidence that the fatal raids were in
response to attacks against American and allied personnel in Iraq.
Richard
Black, a Republican member of the Virginia State Senate told Press TV that,
“The (Iraqi) PMU forces have mainly fought against Daesh, and they have been
highly effective against them. Therefore, when the US attacks the PMU, it
assists Daesh terrorists in Iraq and Syria.”
The
US fatal attack was carried out after rockets hit the Green Zone in Baghdad,
which houses the US embassy and other diplomatic missions in late February. The
American military base at the Erbil International Airport had also been
attacked in a similar fashion earlier.
“The
Biden Administration chose to use the rocket attacks on the Green Zone as a pretext
to attack Iraqi (anti-terror) forces, who were effectively blocking Daesh
militants from operating along the Syrian-Iraqi border. The attacks targeted
sovereign Syrian territory and were in clear violation of international law,”
Black said.
The
US politician noted that, “It is unlikely that the US really knows who fired
the rockets.”
The
Daesh remnants, who are seeking to make a comeback after the Takfiri terrorist
group was vanquished in Iraq in 2017, have switched to new tactics against the
anti-terror forces, Black said.
“A
(US) policy that always assumes that Iraqi anti-terror forces fired the rockets
gives Daesh the power to trigger an American airstrike against its enemies
whenever Daesh chooses. Daesh fires rockets; we blame the Iraqi militias; the
US bombs Iraqi forces. That strategy is unfair and immoral,” the US Republican
added.
He
said CNN quoted US officials, who falsely characterized Iraqi casualties as
militants. “This implied that Iraqis killed in the bombed facilities (on the
border with Syria) were “terrorists” rather than legitimate elements of the
Iraqi Armed Forces,” Black underlined.
President
Biden’s Syria attack has been sharply criticized by both US political parties
as he decided to launch the airstrikes without consulting Congress.
Black
told Press TV that Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, who serves on the
Senate Armed Forces Committee, demanded that Americans know the justification
for attacking targets without first coming to Congress. Kaine said,
"Offensive military action without Congressional approval is not
constitutional, absent extraordinary circumstances."
Republican
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the most ardent opponent of America's undeclared
wars against Syria and Iraq tweeted, "What authority does @POTUS have to
strike Syria?"
“Some
in Congress are criticizing the expansive use of the open-ended 2001 and 2002
authorizations for use of military force [AUMFs] that paved the way for the US
to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. They have since been used to justify 41 military
operations in 19 countries. No nation on earth conducts more military attacks
against foreign nations than the US,” Black pointed out.
Since
assuming office, Biden has not only followed in Trump’s footsteps regarding
Syria, but ratcheted up US interventionist policies in the war-torn country.
“Two
days after President Biden’s inauguration, US troops that Trump had ordered out
of Syria, were sent back in from Iraq. It is unclear whether President Biden
was even made unaware that troops were being reinserted back into Syria,” Black
said.
The
US politician slammed the US military industrial complex and “Deep State” for
reinforcing America's warmongering and hegemonic policies, and blocking ways to
peace.
“Elements
within the Deep State will work hard to block any movement toward peace. The
continuation of war is so lucrative that any move toward peace will encounter
stiff resistance,” Black pointed out.
“It
is within the power of the US President to stop these wars. However, he cannot
accomplish this without totally removing military forces from the region. The US has repeatedly used attacks on its
military forces as justification for new troop build-ups. If Joe Biden wanted
to create a lasting, positive, legacy, he would order all US troops to leave
the Middle East within 90 days. However, I do not expect this to happen,” the
US politician underlined.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/06/646697/US
--------
UAE
breaks ground for Sheikh Zayed Mosque replica in Indonesia
March
08, 2021
JAKARTA:
Top Emirati officials have broken ground for a replica of Sheikh Zayed Grand
Mosque in Indonesia.
The
mosque will be constructed in Solo in Central Java province, the hometown of
Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
The
replica of the UAE’s largest mosque was gifted to Widodo during the visit of
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to Jakarta in July 2019.
The
crown prince’s visit to Indonesia was the first by a UAE leader since that of
his father Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan in 1990.
On
the Emirati side, the ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Energy and
Infrastructure Minister Suhail Al-Mazroui, and General Authority of Islamic
Affairs and Endowments Chairman Dr. Mohammed Al-Kaabi.
On
the Indonesian side, it was attended by Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil
Qoumas, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir and Solo Mayor Gibran
Rakabuming Raka, who is Widodo’s eldest son.
“The
mosque will be almost 100 percent similar to the one in Abu Dhabi, but it will
also incorporate some Indonesian ornaments and will maximize the use of local
materials,” Husin Bagis, Indonesia’s ambassador to the UAE, told Arab News on
Sunday.
The
mosque, which will be built on a 3-hectare plot, will feature four minarets,
with the main dome surrounded by smaller domes. It will be able to accommodate
about 10,000 worshippers.
The
ambassador said it could become a major religious tourism destination in the
Muslim-majority Southeast Asian country. “Now worshippers can go to Solo to
marvel at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’s splendor,” he added.
The
$20 million mosque project is expected to be ready to welcome worshippers in
September 2022.
Construction
is being fully financed by the UAE, Qoumas said during the ground-breaking
ceremony.
“The
mosque, which has a contemporary historical value, will be dedicated to all
Muslims and will be managed by the Indonesian government,” he added.
The
mosque compound will include an Islamic center to provide UAE-sponsored
training for clerics to promote religious moderation.
The
ground-breaking ceremony capped a series of events as part of Indonesia-Emirati
Amazing Week in Jakarta, Solo, Bandung and Surabaya, which started on March 1
and witnessed the signing of a number of agreements.
The
visit by Al-Mazroui and his delegation is a follow-up to $22.9 billion worth of
UAE investment deals signed by Widodo during his visit to Abu Dhabi in January
2019.
The
agreements, which cover energy, infrastructure, defense and mining, are seen as
the biggest foreign investment in Indonesia’s history, and a major advancement
of its ties with the Gulf state.
In
October 2020, one of the roads in Abu Dhabi’s diplomatic quarters was renamed
President Joko Widodo Street.
The
Indonesian ambassador said: “Following the grand mosque construction in Solo,
the UAE will also construct a mosque named after President Widodo on a location
near President Joko Widodo Street.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1821616/world
--------
Iran
Warns to Demolish Tel Aviv, Haifa If Attacked by Israel
2021-March-7
“Although
sometimes their dogs speak bigger than their mouths out of desperation and
raise threats that are clearly out of desperation, the Supreme Leader of the
Islamic Revolution has responded well to the Zionists many years ago by saying
that the Zionist regime is not an arch foe of our size and is too small to show
hostility to the Islamic Republic. The Zionist regime knows, and if it does not
know, it should know, that if it makes a mistake, the Islamic Republic will
raze down Tel Aviv and Haifa,” General Hatami said on Sunday.
“This
order of the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces (the Leader) has been precisely
implemented by the Armed Forces, and it has turned into a plan and will be
implemented with a single command of the Commander-in-Chief. I advise them (the
Israelis) not to make this mistake, even in words,” he added.
General
Hatami also referred to Iran and the resistance groups’ power in the region,
saying that the Islamic Revolution has blocked Israel's schemes and made the
regime build a wall around itself.
His
remarks came after Israeli officials warned to attack the Iranian nuclear sites
in case of the country’s further development of its peaceful program.
Also,
reports said earlier this week that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has reached out certain Persian Gulf Arab states’ leaders, calling on them for
formation of a coalition against Iran.
Meantime,
Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based
International Organizations Kazzem Qaribabadi criticized the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for inaction towards the nuclear threat posed by
Israel, stressing that Tel Aviv enjoys the advantages of Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) while it is has never signed the pact.
Israel
enjoys more preferential advantages compared to the nuclear-armed states
because the latter are NPT members and have special commitments, while Israel
is out of it, is free of any commitments, and enjoys all the advantages of the
Agency which are relevant to the NPT, Qaribabadi said on Friday.
He
said that all regional countries are members of the NPT and have committed
themselves to accept the IAEA’s safeguards, adding, “Developing a secret
nuclear weapon program by the Zionist regime is a serious persisting threat not
only to the security and stability of the region and the world, but also for
the effectiveness of NPT and the Agency’s safeguards.”
“Needless
to mention, the Zionist regime is not a member of any of the other disarmament
and WMD non-proliferation treaties,” the envoy noted, adding, “the nuclear capabilities
of the Zionist regime and its threats have been put on the agenda of the UN
General Assembly while the IAEA has issued several resolutions in this regard.”
“But
the Zionist regime has neglected the international community by ignoring the
NPT, avoiding to join it, and refusing to put its facilities and nuclear
activities under IAEA’s safeguards inspections,” Qaribabadi stated.
He
warned that such conditions have emboldened Israel to ridicule the IAEA
authority and the mission for preventing deviation of materials and nuclear
activities.
“Most
importantly, it has been so emboldened that it distorts realities and
criticizes some of the NPT members, while they are committed but it is not,”
the diplomat added.
He
termed it ironic that the IAEA, its secretariat, Board of Governors, and
general conferences all focus on NPT members, while ignoring the materials and
the activities of the Zionist regime in the volatile West Asian region is a
chronic strategic mistake.
“In
such a condition, what is the advantage of being a NPT member and implementing
the safeguards? How can the global community see the IAEA as a serious,
professional, impartial partner while the comprehensive safeguards regime is
not applied to its members identically and justly and it doesn’t even seriously
discuss the necessity of verification and inspections of Israel’s nuclear
activities? Does the silence about the Israeli nuclear deal not send a message
to the NPT members that membership means accepting the strongest verification
and monitoring systems and staying out of it means freedom of any commitments
and even receiving bonuses?” he asked the IAEA.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991217000373/Iran-Warns-Demlish-Tel-Aviv-Haifa-If-Aacked-by-Israel
--------
'Libya's
democratic steps pave way for permanent peace'
Gözde
Bayar
06.03.2021
Libya's
democratic steps based on dialogue and national consensus in the political
process offered an important window of opportunity for permanent peace in the
country, the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Saturday.
Hami
Aksoy, responding to a question in a written statement, said the historical
opportunity in Libya should not be wasted for the sake of some ambitious
countries.
Turkey
will continue to provide the Government of National Unity with all kinds of
support, Aksoy said, noting that the country welcomed the election of Libya's
new interim leadership to govern the country.
Turkey
hopes that Prime Minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh's Cabinet will receive
a vote of confidence, he added.
The
government lineup will be debated by the Tobruk-based House of Representatives
(parliament) which will convene on Monday in the coastal city of Sirte for a
vote of confidence.
On
Feb. 5, Libyan delegates elected Mohammad Younes Menfi to head the three-member
Presidency Council and Dbeibeh the new prime minister. The new executive
authority will govern Libya in the lead-up to national elections on Dec. 24.
On
Oct. 23, 2020, the UN announced a permanent cease-fire agreement between
Libya’s warring rivals.
Libya
has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in
2011.
Turkey
supports the UN-recognized Government of National Accord based in the capital
Tripoli, as well as a peaceful resolution to Libya's problems.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/libyas-democratic-steps-pave-way-for-permanent-peace/2167239
--------
Europe
Where
ISIS Ruled, Pope Francis Calls on Christians to Forgive, Rebuild
March
7, 2021
Pope
Francis called on Iraq’s Christians to forgive the injustices committed against
them by Muslim extremists and to rebuild as he visited the wrecked shells of
churches and met ecstatic crowds in the community’s historic heartland, which
was nearly erased by the Islamic State group’s horrific reign.
At
each stop in northern Iraq, the remnants of its Christian population turned
out, jubilant, ululating, decked out in colourful dress, though heavy security
prevented Francis from plunging into the crowd as he would normally do.
Nonetheless,
they seemed simply overjoyed that they had not been forgotten.
It
was a sign of the desperation for support among an ancient community uncertain
whether it can hold on.
Traditionally
Christian towns dotting the Nineveh Plains of the north were emptied as
Christians — as well as many Muslims — fled the Islamic State group’s onslaught
in 2014.
Only
a few have returned to their homes since the defeat of IS in Iraq declared four
years ago, and the rest remain scattered elsewhere in Iraq or abroad.
Bells
rang out in the town of Qaraqosh as the pope arrived. Speaking to a packed
Church of the Immaculate Conception, Francis said “forgiveness” is a key word
for Christians.
“The
road to a full recovery may still be long, but I ask you, please, not to grow
discouraged. What is needed is the ability to forgive, but also the courage not
to give up.” The Qaraqosh church has been extensively renovated after being
vandalised by IS militants during their takeover of the town, making it a
symbol of recovery efforts.
For
the Vatican, the continued presence of Christians in Iraq is vital to keeping
alive faith communities that have existed here since the time of Christ. The
population has dwindled from around 1.5 million before the 2003 U.S.-led
invasion that plunged the country into chaos to just a few hundred thousand
today.
Francis
came to Iraq to encourage them to stay and help rebuild the country and restore
what he called its “intricately designed carpet” of faith and ethnic groups.
In
striking images earlier Sunday, Francis, dressed in white, took to a red carpet
stage in a square in the north’s main city, Mosul, surrounded by the grey
hollowed-out shells of four churches, nearly destroyed in the war to oust the
Islamic State group from the city.
It
was a scene that would have been unimaginable years earlier. Mosul, Iraq’s
second largest city, was at the heart of the IS so-called “caliphate” and
witnessed the worst of the group’s rule inflicted on Muslims, Christians and
others, including beheadings and mass killings.
“How
cruel it is that this country, the cradle of civilization, should have been
afflicted by so barbarous a blow,” Francis said, “with ancient places of
worship destroyed and many thousands of people — Muslims, Christians, Yazidis —
who were cruelly annihilated by terrorism and others forcibly displaced or
killed.”
He
deviated from his prepared speech to address the plight of Iraq’s Yazidi
minority, which was subjected to mass killings, abductions and sexual slavery
at the hands of IS.
“Today,
however, we reaffirm our conviction that fraternity is more durable than
fratricide, that hope is more powerful than hatred, that peace more powerful
than war.”
The
square where he spoke is home to four different churches — Syriac Catholic,
Armenian-Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Chaldean — each left in ruins.
IS
inflicted atrocities against all communities, including Muslims, during its
three-year rule across much of northern and western Iraq.
But
the Christian minority was hit especially hard. The militants forced them to
choose among conversion, death or the payment of a special tax for non-Muslims.
Thousands
fled, leaving behind homes and churches that were destroyed or commandeered by
the extremists.
Mosul,
Iraq’s second largest city, became IS’s bureaucratic and financial backbone.
It
was from Mosul’s al-Nuri mosque that then-IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made
his only public appearance when he gave a Friday sermon calling on all Muslims
to follow him as caliph.
It
took a ferocious nine-month battle to finally free the city in July 2017,
during which between 9,000 and 11,000 civilians were killed, according to an AP
investigation at the time.
Al-Baghdadi
was killed in a U.S. raid in Syria in 2019. The war left a swath of destruction
across Mosul and the north, and many Iraqis have been left on their own to rebuild
amid a years-long financial crisis.
The
Rev. Raed Kallo, was among the few Christians who returned to Mosul after IS
was defeated.
“My
Muslim brothers received me after the liberation of the city with great
hospitality and love,” he said on stage before the pontiff.
Before
IS, he had a parish of 500 Christian family. Most emigrated abroad, and now
only 70 families remain, he said.
“But
today I live among 2 million Muslims who call me their Father Raed,” he said.
Gutayba
Aagha, the Muslim head of the Independent Social and Cultural Council for the
Families of Mosul, encouraged other Christians to return.
“In
the name of the council I invite all our Christian brothers to return to this,
their city, their properties and their businesses.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/where-is-ruled-pope-calls-on-christians-to-forgive-rebuild-7218513/
--------
Suspected
ISIS member, Bataclan attack perpetrator arrested by Italian police
08
March ,2021
An
Algerian man has been arrested in the Italian town of Bari on suspicion of
belonging to the extremist militant group ISIS and helping the perpetrators of
a coordinated attack that killed 130 people in Paris in 2015, police said on
Monday.
A
statement said that the man, 36, was believed to have provided counterfeit documents
to the gunmen and bombers who attacked the Bataclan concert hall, restaurants
and the vicinity of the Stade de France sports stadium.
The
attack, in which hundreds more were wounded, was France’s deadliest since World
War Two.
Police
said they would hold a news conference later on Monday.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/08/Suspected-ISIS-member-Bataclan-attack-perpetrator-arrested-by-Italian-police
--------
‘Syria
crisis could see at least 6M more displacements’
Busra
Nur Cakmak
08.03.2021
At
least 6 million more displacements can occur in Syria if the crisis continues
for another decade, an independent humanitarian group said Monday.
“The
Syria crisis could see at least 6 million more displacements over yet another
decade if the conflict, insecurity, and economic deterioration continue
unabated,” Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in a statement announcing a new
report on the issue.
“Ten
years since the start of the biggest displacement crisis since World War 2,
analysis by NRC shows that on average, an estimated 2.4 million displacements
occurred in and outside Syria every year since the start of the conflict,” said
the statement.
Some
467,000 people have returned home in Syria in the past year while 1.8 million
people were newly displaced, meaning for every person who returned home nearly
four more people were displaced, according to NRC.
Displaced
Syrians around the region have lost hope for returning home and “were more
concerned about how they will put food on the table for their families, pay the
rent, or take care of medical expenses than envisioning a future back home.”
"The
longer this crisis is left unsolved, the more we expect economic destitution to
become the prominent push factor for further displacement," NRC Secretary-General
Jan Egeland said.
"And
yet, we know that more countries with influence are turning their back on
Syria. They need to step out of their complacency and constructively step in to
support the millions of Syrians who depend on vital aid and are clamouring for
an end to the conflict.”
Syria
has been embroiled in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Bashar
al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected
ferocity.
Turkey
hosts some 3.6 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the
world.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/-syria-crisis-could-see-at-least-6m-more-displacements-/2168434
--------
Pakistan
Chinese
embassy official in Pakistan faces backlash for 'Hijab off' tweet
Nayanika
Sengupta
March
7, 2021
China's
Cultural Counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, Zhang Heqing, faced a
backlash from people in Pakistan for tweeting a video of a dancing Chinese
girl, with the caption: "Off your hijab, let me see your eyes.#Xinjiang
dance."
It
didn't take long for Twitter users in Pakistan to ask Heqing to take down the
tweet immediately.
The
Chinese embassy realised the tweet had not gone down well with the people of
the country and deleted it.
Scores
of Twitter users in Pakistan slammed Heqing for "insulting" Islam.
One even said that the tweet might strain China-Pakistan relations.
"This
is an awful statement. But If Chinese goes on like these Islamophobic
statements than Pak-China relation will not end on good terms...But we must
realise that stupid people like him are there who want to create
misunderstandings. Better to reports him to Chinese government[sic]," the
Twitter user said.
Another
Twitter user reminded Heqing that Hijab is very much part of "our Islamic
values" and that ridiculing the same while holding a key position in
Pakistan is shocking.
One
user told Heqing that he had "crossed the red line" with his
"derogatory" tweet towards Muslim women, hoping that the Pakistan
foreign ministry takes up the issue.
"@zhang_heqin
sir know your place. We respect China as a country .But you crossed the Red
line with your derogatory tweet towards Muslim women. You should be ashamed of
your self & issue an apology for your shameful tweet . I hope
@ForeignOfficePk take up this issue [sic]," the tweet read.
@zhang_heqing
sir know your place. We respect China as a country .But you crossed the Red
line with your derogatory tweet towards Muslim women. You should be ashamed of
your self & issue an apology for your shameful tweet . I hope
@ForeignOfficePk take up this issue
—
Dr. Khan (@khannn666) March 7, 2021
Hijab
is a traditional headscarf worn by some Muslim women.Live TV
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/china-embassy-official-pakistan-zhang-heqing-controversial-tweet-hijab-off-1776682-2021-03-07
--------
Gunmen
ambush Pakistan Navy vehicle, killing 1, wounding 2
Mar
7, 2021
QUETTA:
Gunmen ambushed a vehicle transporting security forces killing a sailor and
wounding two others in the coastal town of Jewni in southwest Pakistan,
officials said Sunday.
The
Pakistan Navy vehicle came under attack Saturday evening while traveling from
Jewni to the Ganz area, said Zahoor Buledi, a Baluchistan provincial minister.
The
insurgent group Baluchistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the
attack.
Two
intelligence officials confirmed the minister's account, saying unidentified
attackers opened fire with automatic weapons on the vehicle, which was also
carrying Quick Response Force troops.
The
attack came a day after five laborers were killed and five others, including
two security personnel, were wounded when a roadside bomb went off between the
towns of Sibi and Harnai in the same province.
Intelligence
officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity under policy, said a sailor was
fatally shot while a barber and another sailor were critically wounded during
an exchange of fire with the attackers.
Baluchistan
Liberation Army spokesman, Azad Baluch, in a message to reporters, said the
group killed four Navy officers and wounded two others.
Buledi,
the provincial minister, condemned the attack saying the insurgents were trying
to demoralize security forces operating against them.
Officials
said soon after the incident, security forces rushed to the scene and
surrounded the area to try and locate the attackers.
Local
administrator Athar Abbas said the body of the sailor and the wounded were
shifted to the town hospital and there they were moved to Karachi.
Baluchistan
has been the locale of a long-running insurgency by Baluch separatist groups
who want independence for the mineral and gas rich province that borders Iran
and Afghanistan.
Also
Sunday, Pakistan's military said it killed four Islamic militants in two
different operations _ in the Datakhel area of North Waziristan and the Zoida
area of South Waziristan. The two tribal regions along the Afghan border have
long served as a safe haven for local and foreign Islamic militants.
Among
the slain militants were known suspects Adam Zeb, Maulvi Mahboob, and Mir
Salam, all accused of planning and executing attacks against military forces,
civilians and government installations, the military added in a statement.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/gunmen-ambush-pakistan-navy-vehicle-killing-1-wounding-2/articleshow/81380359.cms
--------
5-member
Hindu family found dead under mysterious circumstances in Pakistan
Mar
06, 2021
Pakistan's
Hindu community is in shock following the killing of a five-member family in
mysterious circumstances in Pakistan on Friday.
The
members of the family were found dead with their throats slit with some
sharp-edged weapon in their house in Abu Dhabi Colony, Chak No 135-P,
15-kilometre away from Rahim Yar Khan city, reported The News International.
Police
have recovered murder weapons including a knife and an axe. Social activist
Birbal Das in Rahim Yar Khan told The News International that Ram Chand was a
Meghwal Hindu and he was 35-36 years old.
He
used to run a tailor shop. He was a peaceful man and lived a happy life, and
the incident was shocking for everyone.
According
to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country. The majority
of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share
culture, traditions and language with Muslim residents. They often complain of
harassment by the extremists.
Meanwhile,
a report submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on February 5 has revealed
that most of the Hindu holy sites across the country were in a state of decay.
The
seventh report of the one-man Dr Shoaib Suddle commission submitted to the Apex
Court has depicted a dismal picture of most revered Hindu sites in the country.
The
Commission was set up by the apex court in 2019 to oversee implementation of
its judgement on minority rights.
It
regretted that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) 'failed to maintain most
of the ancient and holy sites of the minority Hindu community'.
Dr
Shoaib Suddle's one-man commission has been established by the Supreme Court
but it has three supporting members, Dr Ramesh Vankwani, Saqib Jillani and the
attorney general for Pakistan, who has nominated the deputy attorney general to
participate in fact-finding activities of the commission, the report said.
Some
of the major Hindu temples in Pakistan include Shri Hinglaj Mata temple
(Balochistan), Shri Ramdev Pir temple (Sindh), Umarkot Shiv Mandir (Sindh), and
the Churrio Jabal Durga Mata temple (Sindh).
In
December last year, a temple in Terri village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Karak
district was torched by members of radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party (Fazal ur
Rehman group).
The
attack on the temple drew strong condemnation from human rights activists and
the minority Hindu community leaders, prompting the Supreme Court to order its
reconstruction.
https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/5-member-hindu-family-found-dead-under-mysterious-circumstances-in-pakistan-368474
--------
Four
terrorists killed in two operations, says ISPR
March
8, 2021
NORTH
WAZIRISTAN: Four terrorists were killed when security forces conducted two
intelligence-based operations at Datakhel in North Waziristan tribal district
and at Zoida in South Waziristan tribal district, the Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.
According
to the ISPR, during an intense exchange of fire, terrorist commander Abdul Adam
Zeb alias Dung, who belonged to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s
Bismillah group, and terrorist commanders Molvi Mehboob alias Molvi and Mir
Salam alias Anas, who were associated with the TTP Sajna group, were killed.
Abdul
Adam Zeb had been involved in more than 20 terrorist activities against
security forces, law enforcement agencies and local population since 2014. He
was involved in IED attacks, firing, attacks on government buildings, targeted
killings, kidnapping for ransom, extortion and recruiting and organising
terrorists in Mohammad Khel, Boya and Datakhel areas of North Waziristan and
Zoida area of South Waziristan.
Molvi
Mehboob and Mir Salam were close associates of Baitullah Mehsud and TTP’s other
terrorist commanders. They were involved in attacks on security forces and law
enforcement agencies’ check-posts, military convoys, attack on Ladha Fort in
2007, IED attacks and other sabotage activities in South Waziristan.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1611305/four-terrorists-killed-in-two-operations-says-ispr
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South Asia
45
Taliban killed in Kandahar, Herat provinces
08
Mar 2021
Ministry
of defense in a released statement on Monday said at least 34 Taliban
insurgents were killed and seven others wounded during an infantry and air
operation in southern Kandahar province.
According
to MoD’s statement, Afghan national defense and security forces conducted
offensive operations in the Arghandab, Panjwai, and Zherai districts of
Kandahar province with the support of the Afghan Air Force.
During
the skirmish 34 Taliban-affiliated members were killed and seven others were
injured, ANDSF also destroyed a large number of the group’s weapons and
ammunition.
Mod
stated that the Taliban had also planted 20 landmines in Zhari and Arghandab
districts of the province in an intention to target military personnel and
civilians, the bombs were later discovered and defused by an ANA engineering
team which led to securing dozens of lives.
Taliban
have not yet commented on the incident.
This
comes as local sources in Herat province reported that 11 Taliban were killed
in the Zawul district of the province.
Herat’s
officials in a press release said that during a Joint clearance operation
backed by Air support in the region ANDSF inflicted heavy casualties on the
Taliban.
207th
Zafar corps commander, Colonel Esmatullah Gharwal said that “11 Taliban
terrorists were killed and 7 others were seriously wounded during the clashes”
and 11 mines placed in the area were also discovered and defused by the Afghan
security forces.
The
operation was launched to strengthen, stabilize and maintain security in the
villages of the district and other parts of the region.
The
operation will continue until the complete elimination of the enemies, Gharwal
told the media.
In
another similiar clash, 209th Shaheen corps said at least 12 Taliban militants
were killed and 4 more were wounded in a joint operation of Afghan air &
ground forces in Almar district of Faryab province,
This
comes as peace negotiations are ongoing in Doha, Qatar.
https://www.khaama.com/45-taliban-killed-in-kandahar-herat-provinces-646466/
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US
Secretary of State pens letter to Ghani as ‘transitional gov’t’ is proposed
07
Mar 2021
A
U.S draft plan for the transitional government and permanent cease-fire was
reported by media on Sunday.
According
to the plan Islam considered to be the official religion of Afghanistan and all
citizens will be granted immunity as Afghanistan is common to all ethnicities
and religions.
In
the first phase at the end of the Transitional Period, the President of
Afghanistan will be chosen through an election.
The
key points in the plan consists of three main features:
Executive
administration including a president, ministers, and independent directorates
The
legislature that includes Senate and Parliament and Taliban will also be given
a part in it.
The
judiciary in which includes the Independent High Council of Islamic
Jurisprudence and the Commission for Drafting a New Constitution.
The
council will be responsible to prepare Islamic guidance for social and cultural
affairs.
The
High Council of Islamic Jurisprudence will have 15 members 7 from the Taliban
side and 7 others from the government and one another individual will be chosen
by the government’s president.
Zalmay
Khalilzad, U.S special envoy also handed over the plan to the Taliban in Qatar,
Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem said the plan was being reviewed by the
group’s leadership in Qatar and a final decision is yet to be made in this
matter.
According
to Naeem, the drafted plan includes Turkey summit and ceasefire, and that the
Taliban has not yet taken a clear position based on the proposed plan.
The
draft has also been given to the Afghan government, Afghan officials told the
media that it needs serious and careful consideration.
Hamdullah
Mohib, National Security Advisor has reported said the plan handed over to
everyone is not an official US government’s scheme for the country.
The
plan is aimed at sharing power to find a solution to the current security
issues, Mohib said in a press conference.
Mohib
said the “negotiations with the Taliban alone will not bring lasting peace, it
results in a temporary peace”, adding that “if the war in Afghanistan had been
a civil war, it would not have been so difficult to end, but now the dimensions
of the war are beyond Afghanistan’s borders” some nations persuade and promotes
the conflict in the country.
This
comes as Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State in a leaked letter to President
Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, Head of High Council for National Reconciliation
suggested the Afghan government for accelerating the peace process.
In
the first suggested point Blink said the UN should convene a foreign ministers
meeting and envoys from the US, India, China, Iran, and Pakistan for discussing
a unified approach in supporting the Afghan peace process.
Second
is that Khalilzad US envoy should share the US planned political structure for
Afghanistan and discuss accelerating peace talks and ceasefire with President
Ghani and The Taliban, he wrote “These proposals reflect some of the ideas
included in the roadmap for the peace process,” and elaborated that “In sharing
these documents, we do not intend to dictate terms to the parties…. Rather the
documents will enable the Islamic Republic and the Taliban to move urgently to
the tasks of developing a) the foundational principles that will guide
Afghanistan’s future constitutional and governing arrangements b) a roadmap to
a new, inclusive government and c) the terms of a permanent and comprehensive
ceasefire”.
The
third suggestion is that Turkey will host a senior-level meeting of both sides
in the coming weeks to finalize a peace agreement, Blinken also urged Ghani and
his authoritative designees to attend the upcoming meeting.
Blinken
finally said that a revised proposal for a 90-day violence reduction has been
made “which is intended to prevent a spring offensive by the Taliban and to
coincide with our diplomatic efforts to support a political settlement between
the two parties”, President Ghani is asked to positively consider the proposal
for the reduction in violence.
“I
must also make clear to you Mr. President, that as our policy process continues
in Washington, The United States has not ruled out any option. We are
considering the full withdrawal of our forces by May 1st, as we consider other
options,” Blinken indicated in the letter adding that even with continuation of
US financial assistance to Afghanistan’s defense forces, following the
withdrawal the security situation could “worsen and that the Taliban could make
rapid territorial gains”.
Blinken
shared this as so President Ghani understands the urgency of his tone
“regarding the collective work outlined in this letter.”
https://www.khaama.com/us-secretary-of-state-pens-letter-to-ghani-as-transitional-govt-is-proposed-4654333/
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NDS
kills key intelligence Daesh official in Nangarhar
08
Mar 2021
In
a night operation in Nangarhar province, NDS killed the deputy intelligence
chief of ISIL for the province.
Afghan
National Directorate of Security in a press release says that the deputy
intelligence chief of Daesh (IS-K) was killed in a night raid in Nangarhar
province.
NDS
stated on Monday, that special forces of its unit carried out the night
operation in Adur area of Khogyani district in Nangarhar.
According
to the National Directorate of Security’s 02 unit, the operation lasted
resulting in the seizure of three AK-57 rifles, a shotgun, a tactical vest, and
a pistol.
Eastern
Nangarhar is one of the insecure provinces in the country and in addition to
the existence of Taliban fighters, Daesh-affiliated militants are also present
and active in some areas of the region.
In
recent years, Nangarhar province has been the main base of Daesh in
Afghanistan, the group carries similar attacks like Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and
other militant groups.
This
comes as Unknown gunmen shot dead a civilian prosecutor, Mirwais Samadi, in the
company area of PD 5, Kabul this morning.
Kabul
Police confirmed the incident and added that an investigation is underway to
determine the motive behind the assassination.
https://www.khaama.com/nds-kills-key-intelligence-daesh-official-in-nangarhar-4645333/
--------
Afghanistan
conflict: US warns of new Taliban 'spring offensive'
March
8, 2021
The
Taliban could make rapid military gains across Afghanistan when American and
Nato troops pull out, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has warned.
Under
a deal between the Taliban and the previous Trump administration, all remaining
US forces are due to leave the country by the end of next month.
But
in a letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Mr Blinken has warned of a
possible new "spring offensive".
US
soldiers invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to remove the Taliban from power.
The
American military operation was in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In
January, the Biden administration said it would review the peace agreement made
with the Taliban during Donald Trump's presidency.
Under
the deal, the remaining 10,000 US-led Nato forces in the country are due to
pull out by 1 May in exchange for Taliban security guarantees.
The
White House has now said that it wants to make sure the Afghan militant group
is "living up to its commitments", including reducing violence and
cutting ties with terrorists, before withdrawing.
Levels
of violence in the country remain high - with journalists, activists,
politicians and women judges among those killed in targeted assassinations.
In
Mr Blinken's letter, obtained by the BBC on Sunday, the US secretary of state
calls for a 90-day reduction in violence in Afghanistan and a new international
peace effort - overseen by the UN - to help reach a "permanent and
comprehensive ceasefire".
This,
he warns, is urgently needed to prevent the security situation from
deteriorating further.
The
UN will be asked to convene a meeting of foreign ministers and envoys of
regional powers, the letter says, adding that Turkey would be the venue for a
high-level meeting between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
The
BBC's chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, says the letter
underscores Washington's efforts to find a peaceful resolution to America's
longest war.
Mr
Blinken is stepping up pressure on President Ghani and the Taliban as the US
looks to avoid the spectre of a chaotic civil war - even the collapse of the
Afghan capital, Kabul - in the wake of its pull-out, our correspondent adds.
As
peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban remain stalled,
President Ghani on Saturday urged the militant group to renounce violence and
to consider holding fresh negotiations.
What
is the US-Taliban deal?
The
Trump administration made withdrawing troops from Afghanistan a priority.
The
deal signed in February 2020 said that the US and its Nato allies would
withdraw all troops in 14 months if the Taliban upheld its promises, including
not allowing al-Qaeda or other militants to operate in areas it controlled, and
proceeding with national peace talks.
Although
the Taliban, a hard-line Islamic movement, stopped attacks on international
forces as part of the historic agreement, it has continued to fight the Afghan
government.
As
a condition of starting negotiations with the Afghan government, the Taliban
also demanded that thousands of their men be released in a prisoner swap.
Direct
talks then began Doha in September 2020, but a breakthrough has still not been
reached.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56316649
--------
Arab World
Pope
Francis meets father of drowned Syrian boy Alan Kurdi in Iraq’s Erbil
07
March ,2021
Pope
Francis on Sunday met the father of Alan Kurdi, the boy whose body washed up on
a Turkish beach six years ago became an image of the suffering of Syrians
trying to escape war.
The
pontiff, winding up a historic trip to Iraq, met Abdullah Kurdi at the end of
Mass in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil, the Vatican said in a statement.
“The
pope spent a long time with him (Kurdi) and with the help of an interpreter was
able to listen to the pain of a father for the loss of his family,” it said.
Kurdi
thanked Francis for his closeness to the tragedy and to the pain of “all those
migrants who seek understanding, peace and security, leaving their country at
the risk of their lives,” it added.
Alan
Kurdi drowned along with his mother and brother when a smuggling boat taking
them to Europe capsized off the coast of Turkey in 2015.
An
image of his body washed up on the shore captured the world’s attention as
millions of Syrians fled the civil war there and many boarded unsafe ships
bound for a Europe that eventually began shutting its doors. Many drowned
trying to make the journey.
The
pope has long called for more compassionate treatment of migrants and refugees.
In Iraq, where Abdullah Kurdi now lives in the autonomous Kurdish region, the
pontiff preached for an end to conflict and sectarian violence.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/07/Pope-Francis-meets-father-of-drowned-Syrian-boy-Alan-Kurdi-in-Iraq-s-Erbil
--------
Pope
urges peace over war as historic Iraqi tour ends
March
8, 2021
BAGHDAD:
Pope Francis ended his historic tour of Iraq today, departing by plane from
Baghdad after visiting conflict-torn cities, meeting Muslim and Christian
leaders and preaching peace and coexistence over war.
Francis
waved one last time from before boarding a plane flying the Vatican and Iraqi
flags from its cockpit windows.
President
Barham Salih accompanied the 84-year-old pontiff down a red carpet to his
flight.
During
Francis’ trip, the first ever papal visit to Iraq, he toured four cities,
including Mosul, the former Islamic State stronghold where vast areas still lie
in ruins, telling Iraqis that “peace is more powerful than war”.
He
said Iraq would “always remain with me, in my heart”.
The
pontiff, who walked with a limp during parts of the frantic tour, also made a
historical first in meeting Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s top
Shi’ite Muslim cleric.
Iraqis
welcomed the pope and said it was a chance for the world to see their
perpetually crisis-hit nation in a new light.
Iraq
suffers from chronic mismanagement and corruption, and a steady level of
violence often linked to the region’s US-Iran rivalry 18 years after the US
invaded.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2021/03/08/pope-urges-peace-over-war-as-historic-iraqi-tour-ends/
--------
SDF
militants kidnap more than 200 people in Syria’s Raqqah, Hasakah provinces
07
March 2021
Militants
from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is supported by the
United States, have abducted more than 200 people in Syrian provinces of Raqqah
and Hasakah in an attempt to forcibly recruit them in the militant group.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA, citing local sources, reported on Sunday that the
US-backed SDF militants kidnapped the civilians during a wide raid campaign
that targeted a number of villages and towns in Raqqah and Hasakah countryside.
According
to the report, the SDF militants abducted over 200 young males in Raqqah during
the past two days in raids on mosques in villages in the province as part of
the so-called “compulsory recruitment” in the areas, which are currently under
the control of the American and SDF forces.
As
for Hasakah, the militants kidnapped a number of civilians during raids on the
town of Arisha and the village of Twaimin in the southern parts of the province
before forcibly taking them to their camps and positions in the same region.
Mine
blasts kill more than a dozen people in Hama
On
Sunday, at least 18 Syrian civilians were killed and three others wounded after
two landmines, left behind by terrorists, went off in the vicinity of Wadi
al-Azib in Salamyieh area in the west-central province of Hama, SANA reported.
It
added that the wounded sustained serious injuries and they were being treated
at al-Salamyieh Hospital.
Back
in February 27, at least five civilians were killed and more than a dozen wounded
in the explosion of an anti-tank mine in the same province.
The
deadly incident occurred when a vehicle, transporting a number of civilians,
was crossing during the harvest of truffles in Rasm al-Ahmar village of
Salamyieh countryside.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/07/646778/Syria-SDF-militants-abduction-Raqqah-Hasakah-Hama-mine-
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US
Khashoggi report ‘abuse of the intelligence community’s power’: Former
policymaker
Jennifer
Bell
07
March ,2021
The
latest report released by the Biden Administration on the murder of late
journalist Jamal Khashoggi was an “abuse of the intelligence community’s
power,” according to a former member of the US National Security Council.
In
a column published in the digital magazine Tablet, Eli Lake, a fellow at the
Clement Center for National Security at the University of Texas, Austin, said
she had recently interviewed Kirsten Fontenrose, who was serving as senior
director for Gulf affairs at the National Security Council at the time of
Khashoggi’s murder.
In
the interview, Fontenrose said she believed there was “insufficient evidence”
in the report declassified by US President Joe Biden which alleged that Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the 2018 operation that led
to the murder of Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate. Saudi Arabia’s
Foreign Ministry has denied the allegations following the report’s publication.
Fontenrose
had commented that the assessments targeting the Crown Prince offered no proof
of his involvement, instead citing it as “an abuse of the intelligence
community’s power,” according to the interview.
At
the time, Fontenrose was so concerned that she warned the CIA that if the
report was included in the president’s daily intelligence briefing, she would
attach a memo that warned him, “this is intelligence based on supposition and
triangulation and being used to force your hand,” the column read.
Fontenrose
also stressed there was nothing new in the repackaged Khashoggi report released
by the Biden team.
“The
only piece of this that is high confidence is the last paragraph,” said
Fontenrose, noting that this paragraph lists the names of the Saudi men who
were outed by Turkish intelligence at the time, but makes no mention of the
Crown Prince.
“Fontenrose
told me that the 2018 assessment provided no “smoking gun” proof of the Crown
Prince’s role in a murder plot,” Lake wrote.
“Without
that smoking gun there is insufficient justification to trash the US-Saudi
relationship when bin Salman is going to lead that country for decades unless
the US wants to get back into the business of regime change.”
After
Fontenrose’s argument with the CIA, the agency then deliberately produced a
less classified version of the report, making it possible to spread it far and
wide, Lake wrote.
“That
meant that every senior national security adviser on the hill now had access to
it. They released it on the day Congress came back into session, knowing that
these guys would all come back from recess and it would cause an explosion,”
Fontenrose said, according to the column.
Saudi
Arabia’s government has since released a statement saying it completely rejects
the negative, false, and unacceptable assessment made by the US following the
declassification of the report.
Khashoggi
was murdered on October 2, 2018, after a fistfight broke out at the Saudi
Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor had said at the
time. He was visiting the consulate to complete paperwork related to his
divorce.
At
the time, Saudi Arabian authorities arrested 18 Saudis for investigation in
connection with events surrounding Khashoggi’s murder.
The
Crown Prince told CBS “60 Minutes” in 2019 that he takes “full responsibility”
for the murder of Khashoggi but denied allegations that he ordered it.
“When
a crime is committed against a Saudi citizen by officials, working for the
Saudi government, as a leader I must take responsibility. This was a mistake.
And I must take all actions to avoid such a thing in the future,” he said at
the time.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/03/07/US-Khashoggi-report-abuse-of-the-intelligence-community-s-power-Former-policymaker
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Russia
calls on OPCW to unveil truth behind alleged 2018 chemical attack in Syria's
Douma
07
March 2021
Russia
has called on the global chemical weapons watchdog to conduct impartial and
reliable investigation into an alleged chemical attack in the Syrian city of
Douma near the capital Damascus on April 7, 2018.
Russia’s
Permanent Representative to the OPCW, Alexander Shulgin underlined the need for
launching a transparent technical inquiry aimed at clarifying the actual course
of events in Douma in 2018, Syria's
official news agency SANA reported on Sunday.
“Successful
work at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will be
impossible until trustworthy circumstances behind the incident in the Syrian
town of Douma in April 2018 are established,” the Russian official said.
Shulgin
added that this sad page could be over and an international dialogue could be
built at the OPCW only after receiving reliable conclusions on the issue.
Moscow
has for months cited dissent by two former OPCW employees who leaked a document
and an email as evidence that the OPCW doctored the conclusions of a report
which found that a toxic chemical containing chlorine was used in a 2018 attack
near Damascus.
According
to the Russian official, the results which the two inspectors have reached and
the violations they have uncovered have undermined the Western allegations.
In
late 2019, whistleblowing website WikiLeaks published several batches of
documents suggesting that the OPCW may have intentionally doctored its
findings, notably avoiding revelations which may point to terrorists having
been behind the alleged chemical attack.
One
of the published documents showed Sebastien Braha, chief of cabinet at the
OPCW, had ordered in an email that “all traces” of a report from Henderson be
erased from the body’s registries.
Ian
Henderson had found out that the gas cylinders at the site of the Douma
incident had been placed there manually most likely by militants given that the
area was not controlled by Damascus at the time.
Following
the suspected chemical attack, Western countries were quick to blame it on the
government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
On
April 14, 2018, the US, Britain and France launched a coordinated missile
attack against sites and research facilities near Damascus and Homs with the
purported goal of paralyzing the Syrian government’s capability to produce
chemicals.
Damascus,
however, said that no chemical attack had happened and that the incident had
been staged by foreign intelligence agencies to pressure the government in the
face of army advances against militants back then.
The
OPCW concluded that chlorine had most likely been used in the attack. However,
Syria and Russia both rejected the findings, saying they believed the incident
had been staged by the White Helmets, a group which claims to be a humanitarian
NGO but has long been accused of working with anti-Damascus militants and
staging false-flag gas attacks.
The
Syrian government also surrendered its stockpiles of chemical weapons in 2014
to a joint mission led by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which oversaw the destruction of the weaponry.
However, Western governments and their allies have never stopped pointing the
finger at Damascus whenever an apparent chemical attack has taken place.
Syria
has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government
says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri
terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.
Syrian
government forces have taken back many areas once controlled by the terrorist
groups.
Russia
on Wednesday also called for not politicizing and exploiting the work of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Syria.
The
IAEA in recent years has been investigating US claims that Syria allegedly
tried to build a secret nuclear reactor at a remote desert site in Dayr al-Zawr
in 2007, which no longer exists.
Syria
and some other regional countries have time and again denounced the US and its
Western allies for helping Israel develop its nuclear facilities and adopting
double-standards on the issue of non-proliferation policies when it comes to
Israel.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/07/646758/Syria-Douma-OPCW-Alexander-Shulgin-Russia-US-SANA--
--------
Saudi
Arabia confirms Yemeni drone, missile attacks on oil facilities
08
March 2021
Saudi
Arabia has confirmed that a Yemeni drone attack targeted a petroleum tank farm
at Ras Tanura port and a ballistic missile targeted Saudi Aramco’s facilities
in the city of Dhahran.
In
a statement on Sunday, a spokesman for the Saudi Energy Ministry acknowledged
that a drone coming from the sea hit one of the petroleum tank farms at the Ras
Tanura Port – one of the largest oil shipping ports in the world, in the
morning.
The
spokesman also said a "ballistic missile’s shrapnel" fell near Saudi
Aramco’s residential area in the city of Dhahran after it was intercepted.
None
of the attacks resulted in any injury or loss of life or property, the
spokesman added.
Saudi
Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki claimed in a
statement later on Sunday that both attacks were intercepted before reaching
their targets.
“The
attacking bomb-laden UAV that came via the sea was intercepted and destroyed
prior to reaching its target. The ballistic missile that was launched to target
Aramco facilities in Dhahran was intercepted and destroyed as well,” al-Malki
said, state news agency SPA reported.
The
oil market reacted to the news as details of the retaliatory attack trickled
in.
Brent
crude futures surged above $70 a barrel on Monday for the first time in more
than a year. While Brent jumped 2.65% to trade at $71.20, US crude futures also
rose 2.56% to $67.78.
US
urges citizens in Saudi Arabia to ‘stay alert’
The
US Consulate General in Dhahran urged US citizens to review precautions to take
in the event of an attack and "stay alert" in case of additional
attacks.
The
consulate general cited reports of possible missile attacks and explosions in
the area of Dhahran, Dammam, and Khobar, saying “regional actors hostile to
Saudi Arabia have conducted destructive and sometimes lethal attacks against a
variety of targets.”
Spokesman
for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the Yemeni army
launched eight ballistic missiles and 14 bomb-laden drones in a “wide operation
in the heart of Saudi Arabia”.
Saree
said the attacks hit Aramco facilities and military sites in Asir province and
the cities of Dammam and Jizan. He also said the Yemeni army shot down a Saudi
reconnaissance plane over Yemen’s Jawf Province.
The
attacks are the most serious against Saudi oil facilities since a September
2019 operation against a key processing facility and two fields. That attack
was claimed by the Ansarullah movement, while Riyadh and Washington put the
blame on Iran.
The
Sana’a government, which is run by the Ansarullah movement, says its attacks
against Saudi targets are retaliatory and come in response to the continuous
blockade and aggression on Yemen by Saudi Arabia and its allies.
“We
promise the Saudi regime painful operations as long as it continues its
aggression and blockade on our country,” said Saree, who termed the attacks as
“The Sixth Deterrence Balance Operation”.
Sana’a:
Criminalize Saudi war on Yemen
Mohammed
Ali al-Houthi, a member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, called on the
international community to criminalize the continuation of the Saudi-led siege
and aggression against Yemen.
“We
call on the international community to condemn the airstrikes of the American,
British, Saudi, and Emirati forces of the coalition and their allies,”
al-Houthi wrote in a tweet on Sunday.
“We
hold the aggressor states responsible for the crimes and the famine [in
Yemen],” he added.
Saudi
Arabia and some of its regional allies launched the war on Yemen in March 2015
with the goal of bringing the former Riyadh-friendly regime back to power. The
US and some other Western countries have also been involved in the war.
Nearly
six years later, however, Riyadh’s goal still remains as elusive as ever, with
tens of thousands of people killed, much of Yemen’s infrastructure destroyed
and horrifying outbreaks of cholera and hunger bordering on famine underway.
According
to the UN, by mid-2020, Yemen had returned to alarming levels of food
insecurity and acute malnutrition, with some 24 million Yemenis in need of some
form of assistance, and nearly 20 million teetering on the brink of starvation.
The
United States has had a particularly big hand in the Yemen war from the
beginning of the Saudi aggression. Back in 2018, then secretary of state Mike
Pompeo shocked the world when he said the war coalition was “undertaking
demonstrable actions” to reduce the risk of harm to civilians. He made the
remarks only weeks after a Saudi strike hit a school bus and killed 40
children.
Sana’a
rejects US call for unilateral end to war
Earlier
this month, Reuters reported that US President Joe Biden’s special envoy for
Yemen had met with officials from the Ansarullah movement in February.
“The
discussions, which have not been officially made public by either side, took
place in the Omani capital Muscat on February 26 between US Yemen envoy Timothy
Lenderking and the Houthis’ chief negotiator Mohammed Abdusalam,” Reuters
reported.
A
senior member of Ansarullah’s political bureau, said Sunday the meeting had not
been held directly but through a third party and an intermediary.
“The
atmosphere in the meeting was also not positive because the Americans wanted a
unilateral end to the war, which we rejected,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said in an
interview with al-Mayadeen.
Saudi
Arabia has recently stepped up its bombings as Yemeni forces are pushing ahead
with an offensive to liberate the strategic Ma’rib province from Takfiri
elements and militants loyal to former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/08/646801/Saudi-Arabia-confirms-attacks-on-oil-facilities
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India
If
Shyama Prasad was not there, India would be an Islamic country: BJP Bengal
Leader
MAR
07, 2021
Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting against West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nandigram seat in the upcoming
Assembly polls, on Saturday said the state will turn into Kashmir if Trinamool
Congress (TMC) comes back to power.
Addressing
a public meeting in Behala yesterday, Adhikari said, "If Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee was not there, this country would have been an Islamic country and we
would be living in Bangladesh. If they (TMC) came back to power, West Bengal
will become Kashmir."
"Nandigram
is not a challenge for me. I am going to Nandigram to defeat her (Mamata
Banerjee) and send her back to Kolkata. I thank the national party leadership
for the responsibility given to me. I will work to make lotus bloom in
Nandigram and across West Bengal. She (Mamata Banerjee) is going to lose this
election (in Nandigram) by over 50,000 votes," added Adhikari.
The
BJP on Saturday fielded Adhikari from Nandigram against TMC supremo Mamata
Banerjee, setting the stage for a high-profile contest from the seat in the
state assembly elections.
Adhikari's
name figured in the BJP's first list of 57 candidates for the March-April
assembly elections, out of which six are women and one seat ( Baghmundi) has
been given to the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).
TMC
had on Friday released its list of 291 candidates with Mamata Banerjee
announcing that she will be contesting from Nandigram.
Banerjee,
who has been representing Bhawanipur, had earlier announced that she will
contest from Nandigram. Adhikari, a former minister in the Trinamool Congress
government, had joined the BJP in December last year. He had earlier said that
BJP will defeat Mamata Banerjee by over 50,000 votes from Nandigram.
West
Bengal Assembly elections will be held in eight phases starting from March 27
with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes
in the state will take place on May 2.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/elections/west-bengal-assembly-election/if-shyama-prasad-was-not-there-india-would-be-an-islamic-country-adhikari-101615094523823.html
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Iran
behind Israel embassy attack in India, bomb planted by local Shia cell: Report
08
March ,2021
Iran’s
Quds Force was behind the January attack near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi,
but a local Shia cell in India planted the bomb, Indian media said central
counterterrorism agencies concluded on Monday.
A
small bomb exploded close to Israel’s embassy in New Delhi on January 29, an
incident that an Israeli official had said was being treated as terrorism.
“Although
there were no casualties, India and all elements in Israel regard the explosion
as a terrorist incident,” an Israeli official, speaking off the record, told
Reuters at the time.
The
blast occurred while Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi were participating in a military ceremony a kilometer away.
Investigations
found that the explosive device used in the attack was remote-controlled, and
triggered off by a bomber using line of sight, The Hindustan Times newspaper
reported.
According
to the counterterrorism agencies, the device contained ammonium powder and had
ball bearings, which shattered the windows of three cars parked nearby.
The
agencies also recovered a letter from the scene of the attack addressed to
Israel’s ambassador to India, Ron Malka, according to The Hindustan Times.
In
it, the ambassador was called a terrorist and a devil from a terrorist nation.
The
letter also swore revenge for the killing of Quds Force commander Qassem
Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the deputy commander of Iran-backed
militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Investigators
looked into the contents of the letter – including the style of writing and the
spelling of the names – which revealed that it was written by an Iranian, and
handed over to a local Shia module by an agent, the Indian newspaper reported.
A
US airstrike killed Soleimani and al-Mohandes at Baghdad’s International
Airport on January 3.
The
Iranian embassy in India did not respond to The Hindustan Times’ request for a
comment.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/08/Iran-behind-Israel-embassy-attack-in-India-bomb-planted-by-local-Shia-module-Report
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Jaishankar,
US' special envoy for Afghanistan discuss Afghan peace talks
Mar
8, 2021
NEW
DELHI: As the US ramps up its diplomatic efforts to advance the peace process
in Afghanistan, foreign minister S Jaishankar held talks with the US special
envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad on Sunday.
The
Biden administration has been doing its own review of the peace process in
Afghanistan, as a result, the US has advanced a five-point process to take this
forward, worried that the security situation in Afghanistan would deteriorate
after the US withdrawal on May 1, leading to the Taliban making “rapid
territorial gains.”
The
US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, in a letter to the Afghan president
Ashraf Ghani said “to move matters more fundamentally and quickly towards a
settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire”, the US would take
several steps — the first of which would entail asking the UN to convene a
meeting of foreign ministers from India, Pakistan, China, Iran, Russia and US
to discuss a unified approach to Afghanistan.
This
is significant — it would bring the regional powers with stakes but different
interests in Afghanistan to the same table, to chart a common way forward. It
is in context of such a meeting that Jaishankar held a phone conversation with
Zalmay Khalilzad.
Jaishankar
tweeted, “Received a call from US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad
@US4AfghanPeace. Discussed latest developments pertaining to peace talks. We
will remain in touch.”
Received
a call from US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad @US4AfghanPeace.
Discussed latest developments pert… https://t.co/zwztrAvF01
—
Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) 1615120659000
“Even
with the continuation of financial assistance from the United States to your
forces after an American military withdrawal, I am concerned that the security
situation will worsen and that the Taliban could make rapid territorial gains,”
Blinken said in his letter to Ghani.
The
US, as the letter shows, is keen that the Afghan government and Taliban work on
“a roadmap to a new, inclusive government”, and a permanent ceasefire. The
first is also known as an “interim” government which essentially brings the
Taliban at par with the Afghan government. The escalating violence in
Afghanistan over the past weeks make the idea of a ceasefire worthy but perhaps
unattainable at this point.
Ghani,
speaking to the Afghan parliament on Saturday, refused to step aside for an
interim government. “Any institution can write a fantasy on a piece of paper
and suggest a solution for Afghanistan” he said, demanding that any government
would have to come through elections. The Taliban is more amenable to an
interim government, with their officials saying they would choose people of
“good reputation” for the government. The fear in Kabul is such a government
would be undemocratic and essentially inserting the Taliban into sharing power
with the elected government.
The
Blinken letter conveyed a lot of the urgency of the Biden administration. A
similar urgency is not reflected on the Afghan side.
India
has maintained that Pakistan’s malafide interest in Afghanistan is the sole
cause of the continuing insurgency, since Islamabad/Rawalpindi continues to
support the Taliban and the Haqqani network, two of the top terror groups
responsible for a lot of the killing in Afghanistan. However, with a recent
India-Pakistan ceasefire in place, the two countries may be persuaded to sit
together at the same table, even though they might have very different
solutions to the Afghan peace process.
Blinken
told Ghani that he had asked Khalilzad to give written proposals “for
accelerating discussions on a negotiated settlement and ceasefire.” The Taliban
have mounted deadly violence in recent weeks, putting the Doha peace process
with the US under sever strain. The US, Blinken told Ghani, intends to leave by
May 1 — which could prompt the Taliban to continue doing what they’re best at,
waiting the US out.
Clearly
indicating that the Doha process may have run its course, Blinken said the US
would ask Turkey to convene a meeting of the two sides to “finalise a peace
agreement.” The Doha pact between US and Taliban was supposed to lead to
intra-Afghan talks. That did not happen, instead violence has only increased.
Blinken
also said the US had prepared a 90-day reduction-in-violence proposal which the
Afghan government and Taliban have been urged to abide by, “which is intended
to prevent a spring offensive by the Taliban.” Blinken said, “I urge you to
positively consider the proposal.” But there is no word whether the Taliban
would also obey.
Blinken,
importantly, reminded Ghani that disunity among Afghan leaders in the 1990s had
proved costly — he said Ghani should work with his CEO Abdullah Abdullah,
former president Hamid Karzai and Prof Sayyaf, even expand the group to make it
more representative of all Afghans.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jaishankar-us-special-envoy-for-afghanistan-discuss-afghan-peace-talks/articleshow/81381777.cms
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India
sets up holding centre for Rohingya in Kashmir
March
8, 2021
Authorities
in Indian-controlled Kashmir have sent at least 168 Rohingya refugees to a
holding center, police said Sunday, in a process that they say is for the deportation
of thousands of the refugees living in the region.
The
move began Saturday following a directive from the region’s home department to
identify Rohingya living in the southern city of Jammu said Inspector-General
Mukesh Singh. He said around 5,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in Jammu
in the past few years.
“All
of them are illegally living here and we have begun identifying them,” Singh
said. “This process is to finally deport them to their country.”
More
than 1 million Rohingya have fled waves of violent persecution in their native
Myanmar and are currently mainly living in overcrowded, squalid refugee camps
in Bangladesh.
Since
Saturday, officials have called hundreds of Rohingya to a stadium in Jammu,
taking their personal details and biometrics and testing them for the
coronavirus. A jail has been converted into a holding center in the outskirts
of the city, and at least 168 Rohingya have so far been sent there, Singh said.
The
refugees, who have previously faced hostility in the city, were not informed of
what was going on. Jammu is a Hindu-dominated area in Muslim-majority
Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Khatija,
a Rohingya Muslim woman who uses one name, said the Indian authorities took
away her son on Saturday and she didn’t know where he was being kept. Her
daughter-in-law gave birth on Sunday morning, she said.
An
estimated 40,000 other Rohingya have taken refuge in parts of India. Fewer than
15,000 are registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Many
have settled in areas of India with large Muslim populations, including the
southern city of Hyderabad, the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi.
Some have taken refuge in northeast India bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The
Indian government says it has evidence there are extremists who pose a threat
to the country’s security among the Rohingya and calls all of them “illegal
immigrants” who will be deported.
In
2018 and 2019, Indian authorities deported at least 12 Rohingya in two groups
to Myanmar. Rights groups have asked the Indian government to abandon plans for
deporting Rohingya and evaluate their asylum claims.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/india-sets-up-holding-center-for-rohingya-in-kashmir-jammu-rohingya-india-muslims-muslim-b1813593.html
--------
North America
US
Secretary of State Blinken calls for a 90-day reduction in violence in
Afghanistan
08
March ,2021
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a 90-day reduction in violence in
Afghanistan and a new United Nations-led peace effort as he warned the US could
withdraw all forces after May 1, according to a letter to Afghan President
Ashraf Ghani reported by several news outlets Sunday.
The
letter from Blinken was first published by TOLOnews, an Afghan news outlet, and
confirmed by the New York Times. A State Department spokeswoman declined to
confirm the letter’s veracity, but said the US has “not made any decisions
about our force posture in Afghanistan after May 1. All options remain on the
table.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/08/US-Secretary-of-State-Blinken-calls-for-a-90-day-reduction-in-violence-in-Afghanistan
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US
will do what is necessary after rocket attack on forces: Defence Secretary
07
March ,2021
The
United States will do what it views as necessary to defend its interests after
a rocket attack against Iraq’s Ain al-Sada airbase, which hosts American,
coalition and Iraqi forces, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday.
Speaking
on ABC’s “This Week” program, Austin said the United States was urging Iraq to
quickly investigate the incident and determine who was responsible.
“We’ll
strike, if that’s what we think we need to do, at a time and place of our own
choosing. We demand the right to protect our troops,” Austin said.
Asked
if Iran had been given a message that US retaliation would not constitute an
escalation, Austin said that Iran is fully capable of assessing the strike and
U.S activities.
“What
they should draw from this, again, is that we’re going to defend our troops and
our response will be thoughtful. It will be appropriate,” Austin said. “We
would hope that they would choose to do the right things.”
There
were no reports of injuries among US service personnel after the attack but an
American civilian contractor died after suffering a “cardiac episode” while
sheltering from the rockets, the Pentagon said.
Iraqi
officials said 10 rockets landed at the base but the Pentagon was more guarded,
saying there were 10 “impacts.” It said the rockets appeared to have been fired
from multiple sites east of the base, which also was targeted last year by a
ballistic missile attack directly from Iran.
US
forces carried out air strikes against facilities at a border control point in
Syria used by Iranian-backed militias including Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib
Sayyid al-Shuhada in February.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/07/US-will-retaliate-against-Iranian-attacks-on-Iraq-Defense-secretary
--------
US
says 'all options on table' for Afghanistan, no decision on troop withdrawal by
May deadline
08
March 2021
The
US government has said “no decisions” have been made regarding the withdrawal
of American troops from Afghanistan by a May 1 deadline it has negotiated with
the Taliban, adding “all options are on the table.”
“We
have not made any decisions about our force posture in Afghanistan after May
1,” the US State Department said in a statement on Sunday.
The
comments came after reports emerged that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
had made a new push for a United Nations-led peace effort that included a
“warning” to the Afghan government that the US military was considering exiting
Afghanistan by the set deadline.
In
a letter to President Ashraf Ghani, published by TOLO News and reported by the
New York Times, Blinken said that President Joe Biden had lost faith in
faltering negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban.
Negotiations
between the Afghan government and the Taliban began in September last year as
part of a February 2020 agreement between the militants and the administration
of former US president Donald Trump in the Qatari capital, Doha.
Under
that deal, all foreign troops were expected to leave Afghan soil within 14
months in exchange for a series of commitments by the Taliban, including a
reduction in violence.
The
Biden administration has said the Taliban have not lived up to their
commitments to reduce violence and to cut ties with terrorist groups such as
al-Qaeda and Daesh.
Violence
has escalated in Afghanistan over the past year, with persistent Taliban
attacks on government forces and a string of targeted assassination of
officials, civil servants and journalists.
Blinken
said in the letter that the US State Department, along with the UN, aimed to
launch high-level talks “to move matters more fundamentally and quickly toward
a settlement and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire” in Afghanistan.
Accordingly,
the US will ask Turkey to host the meeting of “both sides in the coming weeks
to finalize a peace agreement.” Representatives from Russia, Pakistan, Iran,
India and others will also be invited to “discuss a unified approach to
supporting peace in Afghanistan.”
The
letter said a 90-day violence reduction proposal was “intended to prevent a
spring offensive by the Taliban.”
Urging
President Ghani to “understand the urgency of my tone,” Blinken claimed he was
worried that a hasty military exit from Afghanistan would worsen the security
situation in the country and cause the Taliban to make “rapid territorial
gains.”
The
United States currently has 2,500 troops in Afghanistan.
President
Ghani has rejected a plan to forge an interim government in Afghanistan. As
part of the deal with the US, the Taliban agreed last year to negotiate a
permanent ceasefire and a power-sharing formula with Kabul.
The
Afghan president said on Saturday that he was opposed to any transfer of power
except through democratic elections, which he said were the only legitimate way
to gain political power.
The
US overthrew the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001. However, the occupation
forces have remained bogged down there and violence continues to take a heavy
toll on the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/08/646790/US-Blinken-UN-Afghanistan-Peace-Conference-Turkey
--------
Southeast Asia
PAS
committed to unity of ummah, says Takiyuddin
March
7, 2021
KOTA
BHARU: PAS is committed to its stance that unity of the ummah is vital in
forming a strong and stable government, its secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan
said.
He
added that unity in Islam, among the Malays, the bumiputera and all citizens of
the country is required to establish a strong government.
“In
the Malaysian context today, we have the Malay Muslim parties. So these parties
must unite to work together to enable effective administrative management of
the country.
“In
this context, we have seen how PAS, after decades of enmity with Umno had made
a firm stand to establish ties with the party after realising the need to work
together for the sake of the people and country and in following the unity of
ummah concept,” he told reporters after a meeting with former Kelantan football
players here yesterday.
Elaborating,
Takiyuddin who is also the de facto law minister said the unity of ummah is not
exclusive to PAS and Umno only.
“The
ummah unity charter states that parties that have the ambition to develop the
country, especially the Malay, Islamic and bumiputera parties, are allowed to
join in even though at the start the ummah involved only PAS and Umno.
Following
several new developments and with the existence of other Malay parties, he said
PAS decided that the ummah unity should be open to the other parties.
“Currently,
PPBM stands together with PAS and Umno but why is it that we cannot unite?” he
asked.
Takiyuddin
said PAS had always stressed the need for PPBM to stand together with PAS and
Umno, and if there are other parties with the common struggle to fight for the
interests of the Malays, Muslims and bumiputera willing to join them in future,
that would be all the better.
“In
Sabah and Sarawak, they are united, but why can’t parties in the peninsula such
as PAS, Umno and PPBM support the current government and be together in the
next general election.
“To
me, we should discuss this like a family and I am confident this matter will be
resolved amicably as the saying goes, ‘united we stand, divided we fall’.
“We
need a government with a stable and strong majority. PAS will continue to
strengthen Muafakat Nasional (MN) and defend Perikatan Nasional (PN),” he
added.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/03/07/pas-committed-to-unity-of-ummah-says-takiyuddin/
--------
Thailand
gets tough on Myanmar asylum seekers
March
08, 2021
Thai
authorities are refusing to grant asylum to people from Myanmar fleeing their
conflict-torn nation through stepped-up patrols along the two countries’ long
and porous border.
In
the latest incident, police in the Thai province of Kanchanaburi detained 33
Myanmar nationals who had entered the country illegally last week.
The
migrants, including nine Rohingya people from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, as well
as a three-year-old girl and an 11-month-old baby, were discovered in a forest
where they had sought refuge.
The
asylum seekers had reportedly paid smugglers to take them to Thailand from
where the nine Rohingya Muslim refugees were planning to head down south and
cross over into Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation that is a popular
destination for stateless Rohingya asylum seekers.
Thailand
does not recognize the right of stateless Rohingya to refugee status and
routinely detains them in overcrowded immigration detention centers.
Support
Asia's largest network of Catholic journalists and editors.
One
of the 33 migrants told police that a broker in Myanmar had promised to find
them jobs in Thailand and arranged for local guides to help them cross the
border through a clearing in a forest.
In
the forest the guides left with the promise that a van would arrive to pick
them up, but no one came for two nights, which indicated the migrants had been
abandoned to their fate.
They
were discovered after locals tipped police off about their presence in the
forest, where the migrants were reportedly dehydrated and going without food.
All
the migrants were taken to a hospital for checks before they were taken to a
police station where they were charged with entering Thailand illegally and
will likely be deported.
The
plight of these 33 people from Myanmar is yet another indication of the
desperation many citizens in the war-torn country feel after their economic
prospects have been severely limited back home by the Covid-19 pandemic as well
as severe repression in the wake of a military coup last month.
In
recent weeks and months, numerous migrants from Myanmar have been smuggled into
Thailand by unscrupulous people traffickers and left to their fate after
crossing the border.
Migrants
from Myanmar are widely seen as unwelcome in Thailand, where authorities have
repeatedly blamed them for the second wave of the coronavirus by accusing them
of bringing the virus in by evading disease control measures.
As
protests in Myanmar have been picking up steam against the military, which
seized power in a coup last month, Thai authorities have intensified border
controls even further to stop Myanmar nationals entering illegally.
Thailand
has closed several border crossings with Myanmar and stepped up border patrols
for fear that a flood of asylum seekers might try to enter.
The
chief of Thailand’s immigration police, Sompong Chingduang, said last week that
as many as 400,000 Myanmar nationals might try to enter Thailand in order to
escape a state of emergency back home and the military’s bloody crackdown on
anti-junta protesters.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/thailand-gets-tough-on-myanmar-asylum-seekers/91672#
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Ousted,
but still popular – how past generosity keeps Najib ahead
Minderjeet
Kaur
March
8, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: Political observers say Najib Razak’s popularity in a recent poll of
possible candidates to be prime minister is a result of effective public
policies and his ability to get on with people of all backgrounds.
Economist
Barjoyai Bardai and political analyst Kenneth Cheng both felt that Najib
remained influential because he had been a generous prime minister with
policies that favoured the people instead of the capitalist free market.
Another
analyst, Kartini Aboo Talib of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said Najib’s
“Bossku” campaign had been one of the most effective slogans on social media,
portraying him as the victim of a power struggle, especially at the hands of Dr
Mahathir Mohamad.
Najib
had garnered almost half the votes in a recent online poll by Utusan TV, in
which a total of 53,105 people had responded.
Almost
half picked Najib as their choice to be the next prime minister; PAS president
Abdul Hadi Awang came next with 11,050 votes, followed by PKR president Anwar
Ibrahim with 6,938 votes. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin received 3,262 votes,
while former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had 424 votes and Cabinet
minister Mohamed Azmin Ali garnered 176 votes.
Barjoyai,
of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, said Najib had started many welfare programmes
such as Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia or BR1M (now called Bantuan Sara Hidup) which
the country did not have previously.
Najib
had also changed Malaysia’s economic system from a capitalist free market
favouring privatisation, to a more social model.
Barjoyai
said he would not be surprised if more young people supported Najib because of
his public programmes. However, they needed to know that corruption was not
acceptable. Najib is currently undergoing trials for 1MDB corruption charges.
He
said Najib’s government was effective in its delivery process and “was
philosophical. He brought in the blue ocean strategy and had a long-term
development agenda.”
Hadi
only came second as some respondents have tasted a Muslim-led government
(Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu are run by PAS-led administrations) and “they
feel if this is enforced further, Malaysia can be an effective Islamic-led
country.”
However,
Cheng said there might be feelings of nostalgia for a politically stable government,
such as the one under Najib.
Aside
from the 1MDB scandal, Najib had been a competent prime minister with several
public projects that had benefitted the rakyat, such as mass rapid transit
projects and the 1Malaysia Klinik among others.
Cheng,
a member of the Agora Society network of intellectuals, said Chinese and Indian
voters viewed Najib as a liberal prime minister; “if you look carefully, there
is only the 1MDB case that is very damaging”.
However,
Barisan Nasional had lost the support of Chinese voters by the time Najib came
into power in 2009, Cheng said. “Najib tried to bring back the Chinese votes
but it was too late by then.”
He
said Najib then focused on his Bumiputera agenda; “he might as well, as it was
his support base”.
However,
Cheng felt it may be difficult for Najib to be the prime minister again. He
would need to be a party president, and go up against Umno president Ahmad
Zahid Hamidi. He might not, Cheng said. “His chances seem to be quite slim,” he
added.
Kartini
said she is not sure if Najib still remains the choice of the rakyat. “Umno has
factions and the response that one receives from different members would
produce different answers,” she told FMT.
However,
Najib’s public policies, such as the goods and services tax (GST), East Coast
Rail Link (ERCL) and a proactive diplomatic policy with China turned out to be
the right direction to boost Malaysia’s economic development.
“That
could be the reason behind the support,” she added.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/03/08/ousted-but-still-popular-how-past-generosity-keeps-najib-ahead/
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Protect,
defend the Constitution: In it is our right to a life with dignity
By
S. INDRAMALAR
08
Mar 2021
Today
is International Women's Day, a day where the world unites to celebrate the
achievements of women while pushing for greater equality, highlighting gaps in
policy that continue to isolate women and keep them from enjoying equality at
home, in the workplace and in society. StarLifestyle is highlighting the stories
of young women who are stepping up and taking action for causes they believe in
to make Malaysia a better and safe place for everyone
One
of the greatest challenges that human rights activist Firdaus Husni has in
carrying out her work is convincing Malaysians of the need for them to protect,
preserve and defend the Federal Constitution.
After
all, it is the Constitution that affirms our citizenship, gives us our rights
and the power to vote for our government.
“We
are Malaysian. That is enshrined in the constitution along with provisions
about our fundamental liberties or basic rights that allow us to live our lives
with dignity. I mean, we don’t want to wake up one day and find that we have
lost our rights, right?
“I
really want Malaysians to see that human rights isn’t something that is
‘liberal’ or ‘foreign’ or ‘secular’. Unfortunately, political propaganda can
sometimes feed the belief that the concept of human rights is incompatible with
Islam or religion. Sadly, many people buy into this kind of propaganda, ” she
says.
Also
a challenge, she admits, is encountering people who believe that Islam has no
place in a secular society like Malaysia.
“The
Federal Constitution is the highest authority of the land and within the
constitution is the recognition of Islam (as the religion of the country).
So
it is possible for Islam to exist within the structure, ” asserts Firdaus, 35,
who left the legal practice to focus on human rights activism in 2019.
As
the Chief Strategist Officer at the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and
Human Rights (MCCHR), FIrdaus and her “small team of five staff” run programmes
with lawyers, youth and the public on the constitution and human rights.
In
the past five years alone, the MCCHR has reached more than 8000 youths through
its public dialogues with youth through its UndiMsia! programme which provides
a safe platform for youths to discuss current issues to increase their
awareness and understanding of important issues affecting them as Malaysians.
“We
also try to get youth connected to their MPs. Youth are concerned about a lot
of issues but often aren’t sure who to address it to and we show them how they
can communicate with their MPs, ” says Firdaus.
MCCHR’s
Laporan Rakyat project (carried out from 2011 to 2012) which aimed to challenge
youths in Hulu Langat and the Klang Valley to assess their MPs and State
Assemblyperson, highlighted how little they knew about their elected
representatives, indicating a lack of concern by the voter population on who
they vote into power.
This
reinforced the relevance of UndiMsia!’s projects and led to the development of
an user-friendly and interactive online portal called MyMP.
The
organisation also develops strategic litigation training for lawyers which
introduces them to the fundamental liberties provisions within Federal
Constution and also human rights advocacy.
“Also,
after the 2018 elections, we had quite a lot of engagement from the government
and were consulted for policy reform, particularly in areas like statelessness,
citizenship and nationality provisions. Unfortunately, since the change of
government last year, that has taken a back seat, ” she notes.
All
kinds of stereotypes
Firdaus
admits that she is stereotyped “all the time” in the course of her work.
“Firstly
I am a woman. Add to that, a Malay, Muslim woman and one who wears a headscarf!
There are all sorts of stereotypes associated with all these intersectional
identities that make me me and it does affect how people interact with me or
whether they’d consider me for engagements.
“For
a while, it did bother me and I didn’t like it that people approached me to be
a part of a programme just because I appear to represent a certain segment of
society, rather than picking me for my merit.
“But
over time, I’ve learnt to accept that first impressions do matter but also that
I can use that to further a good cause, ” she says.
She
shares an instance when she was invited to talk about Hudud law and the
constitutionality of it to an audience in Terengganu.
“The
essence of my talk was to urge the audience not to get caught up with labels
but, rather, to consider whether or not such a law will achieve justice,
regardless of whether it is Islamic law or civil law. We have to look at the
substance and not the form or the rituals.
“I
was definitely more nervous than I would have been if the session had been
anywhere else but after the talk, a gentleman came up to me and asked me if I
would consider delivering the talk in other states.
I
was really happy to think hat maybe I’d played a small role in shifting
perspectives in that one person and that’s how I want to continue to push for a
mindset change, ” says Firdaus who is from Kuala Selangor and is the eldest of
six siblings.
Although
she admits it can be scary to go against the norm – “sometimes I fear that
someone will come barging through my door” – Firdaus is determined to do all
she can to make a positive change for society.
“Standing
for what is right is how we can find our sense of purpose. Living isn’t about
how we survive individually but how we can all exist together.
“If
we appreciate that everyone is entitled to human rights in equal measure,
wouldn’t it be a much better world to live in?” she concludes.
https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/family/2021/03/08/protect-defend-the-constitution-in-it-is-our-right-to-a-life-with-dignity
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UAE
to develop $500 million tourism resort in Indonesia’s Aceh
March
06, 2021
JAKARTA:
The UAE is to develop several major infrastructure projects in Indonesia,
including a multimillion-dollar tourism resort in its westernmost Aceh
province, top Emirati and Indonesian ministers have confirmed.
A
series of business agreements were signed by the two nations during a Jakarta
visit of UAE Energy and Infrastructure Minister Suhail Al-Mazroui on Friday.
The agreements are a part of a $22.9 billion deal signed during Indonesian
President Joko Widodo’s Abu Dhabi visit in January last year. The investment
deal, also covering energy, infrastructure and mining, is seen as the biggest
in Indonesia’s history.
The
tourism resort development project, which according to Indonesia’s Coordinating
Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan is valued at
between $300 million and $500 million, is expected to start in Aceh Singkil
district in May.
Aceh,
a semi-autonomous province on the northwest tip of Sumatra Island, is the only
region in Muslim-majority Indonesia that imposes Shariah.
“I
think within two months’ time, we can see the progress of this project in the
Singkil area,” Pandjaitan said during a joint conference with Al-Mazroui.
While
authorities have not revealed more details, in response to a question by Arab
News, Al-Mazroui said that some islands off the main coast of Aceh have been
identified for the resort.
“Hopefully
the team will finalize (it) and then we will be moving to the next stage of
having some definitive agreements,” he said.
The
project agreement was signed by Aceh Governor Nova Iriansyah and Amine Abide,
executive director of Murban Energy, a UAE company whose investment portfolio includes
the development of luxury resorts in the Maldives and Seychelles.
According
to a statement by the Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE, Husin Bagis, one of the
considerations for developing the project in Aceh is that it is only five hours
away from the UAE by plane. He said that Abide had visited nine islands in the
Aceh Singkil district that were shortlisted for the project.
Among
the agreements inked in Jakarta, which Al-Mazroui said are follow-ups to those
signed in Abu Dhabi last year, is a $1.2 billion deal between UAE’s logistics
company Dubai Port (DP) World and Indonesia’s Maspion group to develop a port
and an industrial zone in Gresik, East Java.
Other
deals signed on Friday, Panjaitan said, included an agreement between
Indonesia’s state-owned weapons manufacturer Pindad and UAE’s small-arms
manufacturer Caracal to develop assault rifles, drones and defense system
technologies.
LuLu
Group International is also expected to enter the Southeast Asian country, as
its president director also signed a property lease agreement on Friday to open
a hypermarket on the outskirts of Jakarta.
Minister
Al-Mazroui hinted that other deals may also follow in the wake of the newly
forged economic ties between the UAE and Indonesia.
“Some
new deals have been considered, which was not discussed before, and this is the
nature of the relationship,” he said.
Al-Mazroui
is the first high-level government official from the UAE to visit Indonesia
since the signing of a bilateral safe travel corridor agreement in July last
year.
He
and members of his delegation are in Indonesia to attend a series of events
during Indonesia-Emirati Amazing Week, held in Jakarta, Solo, Bandung and
Surabaya on March 1-8.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1820961/world
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Mideast
Yemeni
minister confirms al-Qaeda terrorists fighting alongside Saudi forces in Ma’rib
07
March 2021
Yemen’s
Interior Ministry has confirmed that the al-Qaeda terrorists are fighting
alongside Saudi-backed militants in Yemen's strategic Ma’rib province, as
Yemeni forces are pressing ahead with an offensive to liberate the city.
In
a statement carried by al-Masirah television network on Sunday, Yemen’s Deputy
Interior Minister Major General Abdul Majeed al-Murtadha said devices and
equipment owned by al-Qaeda were found in the central province of al-Bayda
after the Yemeni military managed to clear terrorists from there, which were
linked to foreign intelligence services.
Murtadha
said the United States was annoyed after the Yemeni armed forces and allied
fighters from popular committees managed to eliminate a-Qaeda in al-Bayda,
adding that this is the reason why Washington is calling on the Yemeni forces
to halt their offensive on the city.
"We
tell the people of Ma'rib, those who are fighting today are those affiliated
with this [terrorist] organizational outfit and our operation aims to rescue
the citizens from getting involved in their battles" he said.
The
Yemeni official further called on citizens to stand firm in the face of the
Takfiri intelligence groups, adding that their presence represents a threat to
Ma’rib’s security and safety.
The
remarks came after Yemen’s Security and Intelligence Service detailed the
operation of Takfiri terrorists in the city.
In
a report on Saturday, the agency pinpointed the hideouts of the terrorists,
hotels they hold their meetings as well as their arms depots and supply
warehouses in Ma’rib.
The
report marked out training and rehabilitation camps belonging to the al-Qaeda
terrorists, and the terrorists’ links with Saudi-backed militants loyal to
former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
The
Yemeni intelligence agency said it will publish the detailed report, which
includes maps and other information about the presence of the Takfiri
terrorists in Ma’rib.
Last
month, Yemeni officials said members of the al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorist groups
were using Ma’rib as a launchpad for attacks on other regions in the country,
and receiving training from Saudi military officers.
“Al-Qaeda
and Daesh groups have turned Ma’rib into a launch pad for attacks on the entire
Yemeni territory. They are under the command of a Saudi officer, and sending
car bombs and death squads across the country,” Director of Yemen’s Presidency
Office Ahmed Hamed said in the capital, Sana’a.
Chairman
of the Comprehensive National Reconciliation and Political Solution Team Yousef
Abdullah al-Fishi said Yemeni and foreign militants from Islah Party as well as
al-Qaeda and Daesh terror groups have come together in Ma’rib, displacing local
people after seizing their homes.
Over
the past few weeks, Ma’rib has been the scene of large-scale operations by the
Yemeni troops and allied Popular Committees fighters, who are pushing against
Saudi-backed militants.
Ma’rib
is the last stronghold of pro-Hadi forces in northern Yemen and the loss of the
province would mean the defeat of the Saudi-backed former regime.
In
recent weeks, numerous reports have emerged about civilians being used as human
shields and preventing them from leaving the city by the Takfiri terrorists and
Saudi-backed mercenaries in Ma’rib.
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched the war on Yemen in March
2015, with the aim of bringing Hadi back to power.
The
war has turned Yemen into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with hundreds
of thousands of Yemenis dead and many others facing famine and starvation. It
has taken a heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure, destroying hospitals,
schools, and factories.
The
ongoing Saudi military aggression has provided an opportunity for terrorist
groups such as Daesh and al-Qaeda to secure a foothold in impoverished Yemen.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/07/646751/Yemen-Ma-rib-al-Qaeda-terrorists-Daesh-Saudi-Arabia-Yemeni-forces-al-Bayda
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Yemen's
Houthis attack Saudi oil heartland with drones, missiles
March
8, 2021
Yemen’s
Houthi forces fired drones and missiles at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil
industry on Sunday, including a Saudi Aramco facility at Ras Tanura vital to
petroleum exports, in what Riyadh called a failed assault on global energy
security.
Announcing
the attacks, the Houthis, who have been battling a Saudi-led coalition for six
years, also said they attacked military targets in the Saudi cities of Dammam,
Asir and Jazan.
The
Saudi energy ministry said an oil storage yard at Ras Tanura, the site of an
oil refinery and the world’s biggest offshore oil loading facility, was
attacked with a drone coming from the sea. The defence ministry said the armed
drone was intercepted and destroyed prior to reaching its target.
Shrapnel
from a ballistic missile fell near a residential compound in Dhahran used by
state-controlled Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil company, the ministry
said, adding that neither attack resulted in casualties or loss of property.
The
attacks drove Brent crude prices above $70 a barrel to their highest since
January 2020, while US crude futures touched their loftiest since October 2018.
“Such
acts of sabotage do not only target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but also the
security and stability of energy supplies to the world, and therefore, the
global economy,” a ministry spokesman said in a statement on state media.
The
Saudi-led coalition earlier said it had intercepted 12 armed drones aimed at
“civilian targets” without specifying a location as well as two ballistic
missiles fired towards Jazan.
The
sites attacked on Sunday lie on the Gulf coast in Eastern Province, home to
most of Aramco’s production and export facilities. In 2019, Saudi Arabia, the
world’s top oil exporter, was shaken by a big missile and drone attack on oil
installations just a few kilometres from the facilities hit on Sunday, which
Riyadh blamed on Iran, a charge Tehran denies.
That
attack forced Saudi Arabia to temporarily shut more than half of its crude
output, causing a huge price spike.
Escalation
Houthi
military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Sunday that the group had fired 14
drones and eight ballistic missiles in a “wide operation in the heart of Saudi
Arabia”.
The
Houthis recently stepped up cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia at a time when
the United States and the United Nations are pushing for a ceasefire to revive
stalled political negotiations to end the war.
Last
Thursday, the movement said it fired a missile at an Aramco petroleum products
distribution plant in the Red Sea city of Jeddah which the Houthis had attacked
in November 2020, hitting a storage tank. Aramco and Saudi authorities have not
commented about Thursday’s claim.
The
military alliance intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis ousted
the Saudi-backed government from power in the capital, Sanaa. The conflict is
widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Colonel
Turki al-Malki, the spokesman of the Saudi defence ministry and of the
Saudi-led military coalition, said in a statement that the ministry would take
“all necessary, deterrent measures to safeguard its national assets”.
Earlier,
the coalition said it had conducted air strikes on Houthi military targets in
Sanaa and other Yemeni regions on Sunday and warned that “civilians and
civilian objects in the kingdom are a red line”.
It
said the Houthis had been emboldened after the new US administration revoked a
terrorist designation on the group in February that had been imposed by former
President Donald Trump’s administration and backed by Riyadh.
Last
week, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two Houthi military
leaders in the first punitive measures against the group by President Joe
Biden’s administration following the increase in attacks on Saudi cities and intensified
battles in Yemen’s Marib region.
In
Sanaa, a Reuters witness reported several air strikes. The Houthi-run Al
Masirah TV said coalition warplanes bombed al-Nahda and Attan districts.
In
February, Biden declared a halt to US support for offensive operations by the
coalition but said the United States would continue to help Saudi Arabia defend
itself.
The
war, which has been in a military stalemate for years, has killed tens of
thousands of people and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The Houthis say
they are fighting a corrupt system and foreign aggression.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1611381/yemens-houthis-attack-saudi-oil-heartland-with-drones-missiles
--------
Deputy
FM: US Should Show Honesty by Lifting Sanctions
2021-March-8
“If
the US is serious about returning to Iran nuclear deal it should put an end to
all the sanctions,” Araqchi said on Sunday in a meeting with Norwegian foreign
Minister’s Special Envoy for Iraq and Syria Hilde Haraldstad.
The
two sides discussed the latest developments of Syria and Iraq and ways to
confront factors of instability and insecurity, especially Takfiri terrorist
groups.
Haraldstad,
for her part, stressed Norway’s inclination to continue political consultations
on regional issues.
In
relevant remarks on Sunday, Tehran university professor and political analyst
Seyed Mohammad Marandi said contrary to the western media reports, it's
Washington that has withdrawn from the agreement and should, hence, send
promising messages to Iran by removing sanctions and returning to the deal.
“Releasing
media reports claiming that Iran has sent some promising messages (to resolve
differences with the US) and the EU-proposed meeting between Iran and the US
are all intended to divert attention from the main issue,” Marandi said on Sunday.
“The
main issue is that it is the US that should send promising messages these days,
not Iran, because the Islamic Republic of Iran has fulfilled its undertakings
within the framework of the nuclear deal for years and everyone knows that,” he
added.
Marandi
noted that Iran is now waiting for the US to act upon its nuclear deal
undertakings, and added, “What the Biden administration needs to do is to
cancel what Trump has done and live up to its undertakings, so the path is very
clear.”
He
also blasted the European countries for breaching their undertakings, and said,
“The sanctions and damages the Europeans inflicted on the Iranian people for
the US sake are as criminal as Trump's acts.”
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991218000277/Depy-FM-US-Shld-Shw-Hnesy-by-Lifing-Sancins
--------
Turkey
is seeking to mend ties with Egypt, Gulf countries: Erdogan spokesman
08
March ,2021
Turkey
is sending its strongest signal yet that it’s ready to mend ties with Egypt and
other Gulf countries that have been strained by Ankara’s support for
extremist-rooted governments.
“A
new chapter can be opened, a new page can be turned in our relationship with
Egypt as well as other Gulf countries to help regional peace and stability,”
Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said
in an interview in Istanbul on Saturday.
Turkey‘s
Defense Minister had said on Saturday that his country shared common values
with Egypt which may bring about “different developments” in the coming days.
“We
have many historical and cultural values in common with Egypt. When they are
put in use, we consider that there may be different developments in the coming
days,” state news agency Anadolu cited Hulusi Akar as saying.
Ties
between the two countries have been strained since Egypt’s army ousted Erdogan
ally Mohammed Morsi in 2013.
Erdogan’s
extremist-rooted AK Party supported Morsi’s short-lived Egyptian government.
Many Muslim Brotherhood members and their supporters have fled to Turkey since
the group’s activities were banned in Egypt.
Turkey
and Egyp have also clashed over maritime jurisdiction and offshore resources,
as well as differences in Libya, where they backed opposing sides in the civil
war.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/08/Turkey-is-seeking-to-mend-ties-with-Egypt-Gulf-countries-Erdogan-spokesman
--------
Saeed
Mohammad, head of IRGC’s biggest commercial enterprise, runs for president
Ismaeel
Naar
08
March ,2021
Saeed
Mohammad, the head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters run by the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has resigned from his position to run in
Iran’s June presidential elections.
The
Khatam al-Anbiya (PBUH) Construction Headquarters is behind some of Iran’s
largest domestic infrastructure projects.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
Iranian Students’ News Agency reported his resignation on Sunday via a letter
he penned to the IRGC in which he described himself as the “soldier of the
Revolution’s Supreme Leader.”
“As
a soldier of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, I will always be proud to
serve the holy people of Iran in the service of the holy system of the Islamic
Republic and in the light of the Imam, the leadership and the precious martyrs
of the Revolution,” Mohammad wrote.
Mohammad
is considered a veteran of the IRGC with and close links to the office of
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In
recent months, Mohammad has spent time raising his public profile by touring
key Iranian cities like Ahwaz and Tabriz, cities which saw significant protests
in recent weeks by angry retirees who say their pension funds no longer provide
them with a decent life amid high inflation and unemployment.
“Mohammad
is not only the first ‘second generation’ Guardsman to head Khatam al-Anbiya,
he is also the first with no military background or fighting experience in the
IRGC. With a PhD in civil engineering, he represents the Guard’s technocratic
and educated class and has been at the forefront of driving the economic
expansion of the IRGC, which now controls as much as 40 percent of Iran’s
economy,” Iran expert Kasra Aarabi wrote in a profile on Mohammad for the Tony
Blair Institute for Global Change.
“This
experience and the absence of a military background would enable Mohammad to
present himself as both a loyal Guardsman and ‘civilian’ technocrat,
potentially appealing to regime supporters beyond the IRGC’s traditional
sphere,” Aarabi added.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/08/Iran-military-Saeed-Mohammad-head-of-IRGC-s-biggest-commercial-enterprise-runs-for-president
--------
Iran
says US approved release of $3 bln of Iran’s funds in Iraq, Oman, S. Korea
Yaghoub
Fazeli
07
March ,2021
The
United States has agreed to the release of $3 billion in Iranian funds that
have been frozen in Iraq, Oman and South Korea due to Washington’s sanctions,
Iranian trade official Hamid Hosseini told the semi-official Fars news agency
on Sunday.
Hosseini,
board member of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, had tweeted on Friday
that Washington approved the release of frozen Iranian assets at the Trade Bank
of Iraq, without mentioning the value of the assets.
Hosseini
on Sunday confirmed that the US agreed to the release of $3 billion in Iranian
frozen assets in the three countries.
US
sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump have prevented Iran from
accessing tens of billions of its assets in foreign banks.
Iranian
frozen assets in Iraq amount to more than $6 billion, according to Iranian
officials.
The
head of the Iran-South Korea Chamber of Commerce said in October Iranian frozen
funds in South Korea are worth $8.5 billion and added that their release
depended on the outcome of the US presidential election.
Iranian
officials have not commented on the value of Iran’s frozen assets in Oman.
Iran’s
economy has been hit hard since 2018 when Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear
deal between Tehran and world powers and reimposed sweeping sanctions on the
country.
Iran’s
chances of gaining access to billions of dollars of its frozen assets abroad
have risen significantly since Trump, who pursued a policy of “maximum
pressure” against Tehran, left the White House.
Under
President Joe Biden, Washington has signalled its willingness to return to
talks to revive the nuclear deal, which saw Iran limit its nuclear program in
return for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.
The
Biden administration revoked snapback sanctions claimed by the Trump
administration against Iran and also revoked travel restrictions on senior
Iranian diplomats at the United Nations.
Last
month, South Korea said it reached an agreement with Iran over the release of
Tehran’s frozen funds in its banks but signalled that the agreement was
effectively subject to US approval.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/07/Iran-says-US-approved-release-of-3-bln-of-Iran-s-funds-in-Iraq-Oman-S-Korea
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Fire
at Houthi-controlled migrant facility in Yemen kills at least eight: UN
08
March ,2021
A
fire at a holding facility for migrants in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa,
controlled by the Houthi militia killed at least eight people, including
guards, and injured more than 170 others on Sunday, the United Nations
Migration Agency (IOM) said.
The
total death toll from the fire, whose cause remains unclear, could be higher,
the IOM regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Carmela Godeau,
said in a Twitter post.
It
was not immediately clear how many people were being held at the facility.
IOM
was providing emergency healthcare for the injured, more than 90 of whom were
in serious condition, and distributing food to those affected, Godeau added.
The
organization estimates that thousands of migrants became stranded in Yemen
after movement restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic across
the Gulf region and Horn of Africa.
Alongside
refugees, about 100,000 migrants arrive in Yemen each year by sea from the Horn
of Africa hoping to trek north into wealthy Saudi Arabia and beyond.
The
six-year war in Yemen between the Arab Coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi
militia group has left Yemen a land of displacement, with 80 percent of the
population reliant on aid.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/03/08/Fire-at-Houthi-controlled-migrant-facility-in-Yemen-kills-at-least-eight-UN
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Israeli
forces shoot Palestinian over alleged stabbing attack
08
March 2021
Israeli
forces have shot a Palestinian man over an alleged stabbing attack in the
occupied West Bank.
The
Israeli military said on Monday that a soldier shot the Palestinian who
allegedly tried to stab another soldier during an overnight operation.
According
to the Times of Israel, the statement did not provide details on the
Palestinian man’s health condition.
The
military claimed that the incident occurred while the soldiers were trying to
make an arrest, without elaborating.
Many
Palestinians have sustained injuries or lost their lives in similar incidents
due to allegations that they attempted stabbing or car-ramming attacks.
The
Tel Aviv regime has been criticized for its extensive use of lethal force and
extrajudicial killings against Palestinians who do not pose an immediate threat
to the occupation forces or to Israeli settlers.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli
occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem
al-Quds.
All
Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. The UN Security
Council has condemned Israel's settlement activities in the occupied
territories in several resolutions.
Palestinians
want the West Bank as part of their future independent state with East
Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/08/646804/Israeli-forces-shoot-Palestinian-alleged-stabbing-attack
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Africa
Soldier,
civilian dead, 4 hurt in Somalia suicide blast
06.03.2021
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
A
soldier and a civilian were killed and four more people injured in a suicide
attack in southwestern Somalia on Saturday.
A
bomber blew himself up outside a small but busy restaurant in the town of
Waajid in the Bakol region, according to Mohamud Kheyrow, a police official.
The
town is located some 350 kilometers (218 miles) southwest of the capital
Mogadishu, where a suicide attack by the al-Shabaab terror group killed over 20
people and wounded more than 30 just hours earlier.
“At
least four people, including two paramilitary soldiers, were injured in the
blast,” he told Anadolu Agency, adding that all the wounded have been shifted
to a hospital in Baidoa, the administrative capital of Somalia's South West
State.
While
no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Dahir Ali Mohamed, a senior
military official in Waajid, said a security operation has started in the area
and several suspected al-Shabaab members have been arrested.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/soldier-civilian-dead-4-hurt-in-somalia-suicide-blast/2166874
--------
Libyan
MPs arrive at Sirte to debate proposed unity government
07
March ,2021
Scores
of Libyan parliament members from both sides of the divided country arrived in
the frontline city of Sirte on Sunday for a session this week to debate a
proposed unity government.
The
parliament has been split - as have most state institutions - since soon after
it was elected in 2014, as Libya broke between warring factions in the east and
west.
It
is meeting this week to debate giving confidence to a government announced by
Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, who was designated as prime minister last month through a
political dialogue held in Geneva by the United Nations.
Under
that process, his government is intended only to oversee the run-up to an
election planned for the end of this year and then to cede power to the new
authority it creates.
A
military ceasefire under the same UN process has held since the fall between
the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) led
by Khalifa Haftar.
The
ceasefire was supposed to include reopening the main coast road through Sirte,
which is held by the LNA. However, groups on the GNA side have refused to do
so, saying pro-LNA foreign mercenaries remain near the frontline.
It
is not clear how many of the 200 parliament members elected in 2014 will attend
the session, with about 75 having arrived by late on Sunday, parliament
spokesman Abdullah Belhaq said. Some members have died, others have resigned
and some have threatened to boycott the meeting.
Debate
on Monday will include discussion of what constitutes a legitimate quorum, and
what majority is needed to confer confidence, the parliament rapporteur Saleh
Galma said.
If
parliament is unable to agree on approving the new government, the UN talks
forum has said it can do so instead.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/north-africa/2021/03/08/Libyan-MPs-arrive-at-Sirte-to-debate-proposed-unity-government
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Tunisian
prime minister refuses to step down, challenging president
07
March ,2021
Tunisia’s
Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi has refused to step down from his post,
challenging Tunisian President Kais Saied’s conditions to resume talks, local
media reported on Saturday.
Mechichi
said submitting his resignation is not on the table.
Tunisia
needs stability and a government that responds to the aspirations of the
people, the prime minister said, adding that he will not abandon his
responsibility towards the country, its democratic institutions and the
people’s entitlements, according to local media reports.
The
reports added that the Noureddine Taboubi, the Secretary-General of the
Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), said that President Saied had informed
him that national dialogue sessions will not start until PM Mechichi resigns.
Last
month, Tunisia’s powerful UGTT labor union called for four proposed new cabinet
ministers to stand aside as a step towards resolving a political crisis.
Parliament
had earlier approved a cabinet reshuffle put forward by Mechichi with 11 new
ministers. But Saied rejected the reshuffle, saying four of the appointments
were believed to have conflicts of interest.
The
dispute has caused a political logjam as the government struggles to combat the
coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. Protests have been going on for
nearly three weeks over the political and social crisis.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/north-africa/2021/03/07/Tunisian-prime-minister-refuses-to-step-down-challenging-president
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Fire
engulfs religious centre in Somaliland, 49 injured
Mohammed
Dhaysane
08.03.2021
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
At
least 49 people were injured late Sunday when a fire broke out at an Islamic
learning center in Hargeisa, the capital of Somalia’s breakaway Somaliland
region.
The
wounded include 40 women and eight men as well as a firefighter, the Somaliland
Fire Brigade said in a statement.
"Hundreds
of students were studying at the institute, and all of them were rescued by the
Somaliland Fire Brigade. The building consisted of two floors of 20 rooms and a
mosque," said the statement.
The
reason for the fire is unknown, but the fire brigade said the police are
currently investigating the incident.
A
former British protectorate, Somaliland got its independence in 1960 but days
later joined Somalia. In 1991, it declared independence from the rest of the
country following a war with the government in Mogadishu.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/fire-engulfs-religious-center-in-somaliland-49-injured/2168020
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/a-global-coalition-25-civil/d/124491
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