Aamir Khan's Advertisement Urging People Not To Burst Firecrackers On The Streets Creating Unrest Among Hindus: BJP MP
New
Age Islam News Bureau
22
October 2021
Screengrab
of the Ceat ad featuring actor Aamir Khan
-----
• US
Lawmakers Put India, China In Same List For Alleged Atrocities Against Muslims
In New Bill
• Forty-Three
Countries Call On China At The UN To "Ensure Full Respect" With
Regard To The Muslim Uyghur Community In Xinjiang
• UN
Human Rights Experts To Pakistan: Release Man Charged With Blasphemy And Believed
To Be Mentally Ill
• Muslim
World League And World Jewish Congress Urge UN Secretary General To Promote
Religious Freedom
India
• Police
Rushed To A Mosque After A Hoax Call Of Some Suspicious Persons Hiding And Speaking
In An Unusual Language, In A Mosque Saraspur, Ahmedabad
• Grandson
Of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Hit Back At Trolls Who Took A Dig At Him For Posting
Photos Of Lakshmi Puja Celebrations At His Residence
• Hyderabad:
Congress Leader Hanumanth Rao Participates In Milad Rally
• How
Meerut’s Deepak Tyagi Became Yati Narsinghanand
• We
can never live in peace, unless talks are held with Pakistan: Farooq
--------
North America
• First
time in 7 years: US minesweepers enter Red Sea amid increased Houthi aggression
• Biden
climate envoy Kerry to visit Saudi Arabia next week
• Afghan
detainee held illegally by US government: Federal judge
--------
Southeast Asia
• Malaysian
Scholar: Muslims' Power Dependent Upon Faith, Unity
• Minister:
Islamic tourism entrepreneurs urged to raise understanding of halal aspects
--------
Pakistan
• Familiarising
Youth With Islamic History Through Multimedia Can Prove Helpful: Imran Khan In
A Meeting With Turkish Producer
• Pakistan
Desires Peace, Stability In Afghanistan: Qureshi Meets Interim Afghanistan PM
• Pakistan,
Turkey to produce TV series on Salahuddin Ayubi
• Pakistan
Army prepared to defend territorial integrity, sovereignty of Pakistan against
all odds: COAS
• Three
Afghans from IS killed near border: police
--------
Arab World
• Saudi
Arabia calls for international efforts to stop Libya becoming terrorist haven
• Geagea:
Military court should first question Hezbollah’s Nasrallah on Beirut violence
• Syria
says 24 executed over starting wildfires
• Lebanon
Christian leader summoned over deadly violence
--------
Europe
• Pakistan
To Remain On Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ‘Grey List’, Turkey New
Addition
• British
Muslim group releases 6-step guide to keeping mosques safe amid heightened
concerns
• New
Zealand’s Chief Coroner Opens New Inquiry Into Mosque Attacks
• Man
charged with UK lawmaker's murder, court hears he supported IS
• UN
Security Council condemns Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia
• Greek
court ‘shelves’ prison term of Turkish religious leader
• Afghan
refugees may be housed in hotels for up to a year, say UK councils
• Putin
says Afghanistan's financial assets should be unfrozen
--------
South Asia
• Senior
Bangladeshi Shia Cleric Calls For Practical Measures For Islamic Unity
• Bangladesh
Arrests Hundreds For Violence Against Hindus
• Seven
killed in Rohingya refugee camp attack: police
• UN
sets up trust fund for ‘people’s economy’ in Afghanistan
• NATO
to convene meeting on Afghanistan in Brussels
--------
Mideast
• 'Turkey
Leads Fight Against Islamophobia Via International Organizations'
• Grand
Mufti Fatwa Banning Trade Of Flour For Bread Stirs Anger In Gaza
• Spokesman:
Terrorist Attacks Not to Undermine Syria’s Determination in War on Terrorism
• Islamic
Jihad threatens to expand hunger strike in Israeli prisons
• Istanbul
Finance Centre Will Be Islamic Finance Hub: Turkish President
• Erdogan
threatens to expel 10 Western ambassadors
• Iranian
Army Air Force Starts Massive Drills
• Iran,
Turkey Reiterate Joint Fight against Terrorism
• Iran,
Russia Confer on Situation in Syria’s Idlib, Eastern Euphrates Region
--------
Africa
• Mali
Has Not Asked Any Group To Negotiate With Islamist Militants
• Tunisia’s
president promises ‘dialogue’ on changing political system
• Mass
protests in Sudan against prospect of military rule
• Libyan
PM Dbeibah supports holding national election on Dec. 24
• African
envoys make Libya ‘conciliation’ trip before December presidential vote
• Putin
admits presence of Russian private military companies in Mali
• French
army says leading member of al-Qaeda affiliate killed in Mali
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/aamir-advertisement-bjp-firecrackers-/d/125624
--------
Aamir
Khan's Advertisement Urging People Not To Burst Firecrackers On The Streets
Creating Unrest Among Hindus: BJP MP
Oct
22, 2021
Screengrab
of the Ceat ad featuring actor Aamir Khan
-----
KARWAR:
Even as the ruckus over naming of a festive line of clothing refuses to die
down, BJP MP from Uttara Kannada in Karnataka Anantkumar Hegde has objected to
a Diwali advertisement featuring Aamir Khan, in which the actor urges people
not to burst firecrackers on the streets.
The
advertisement, stressing road safety and social awareness, was issued by CEAT
tyre company as part of a series. The company did not comment on the matter.
Hegde,
a former minister in the Union Cabinet, wrote to CEAT MD and CEO Anant Vardhan
Goenka on October 14, saying the company’s concern for public issues is to be
applauded but along with raising awareness around bursting of firecrackers on
roads, it needs to address “blocking (of) roads in the name of namaaz on
Fridays and other important festive days by Muslims”.
“It
is a very common scene in many Indian cities where Muslims block busy roads and
perform namaaz. At that time, ambulances and firefighter vehicles are also
stuck in traffic, causing grave losses,” Hegde said.
The
letter, posted on Facebook, drew angry responses for and against the MP’s
comments across social media. The MP said the advertisement is creating “unrest
among the Hindus”, and hoped that the company will respect “Hindu sentiment” in
the future.
He
also urged Goenka to highlight the issue of noise pollution in the company’s
advertisements. “Every day, loud noise is emitted from mikes arranged on top of
mosques in our country during azan. That sound is beyond permissible limits. On
Fridays, it is prolonged for some more time. It is causing great inconvenience
to people suffering from different ailments...people working in different
establishments and teachers teaching in classrooms,” he wrote.
In an
indirect reference to Aamir Khan, the letter said, “Nowadays, a group of
anti-Hindu actors always hurt Hindu sentiments whereas they never try to expose
the wrongdoings of their community.”
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
US
Lawmakers Put India, China In Same List For Alleged Atrocities Against Muslims
In New Bill
22
Oct 2021
US
Lawmaker Ilhan Omar | AP
----
A
group of over 30 American lawmakers led by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has
introduced a bill in the House of Representatives against growing incidents of
Islamophobia worldwide.
The
bill urges the State Department to include state-sponsored Islamophobic
violence and impunity in its annual human rights reports.
The
creation of the Special Envoy will help policymakers better understand the
interconnected, global problem of anti-Muslim bigotry, the group of over 30
lawmakers said.
It
will also establish a comprehensive strategy for establishing US leadership in
combating Islamophobia worldwide.
Proponents
of the bill, which requires the State Department to create a Special Envoy for
monitoring and combating Islamophobia, have put India in the category of China
and Myanmar for alleged atrocities against Muslims.
The
Ministry of External Affairs in the past has asserted that “India is proud of
its secular credentials, its status as the largest democracy and pluralistic
society with a longstanding commitment to tolerance and inclusion.”
The
Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens,
including its minority communities, it has said.
It is
widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution
protects religious freedom, and where democratic governance and the rule of law
further promote and protect fundamental rights, the MEA has maintained.
Congresswoman
Omar said: “We are seeing a rise in Islamophobia in nearly every corner of the
globe”.
A
press statement issued by her office said that there has been a staggering rise
in incidents of violent Islamophobia.
“Whether
it is the atrocities being committed against the Uyghurs in China and the
Rohingya in Burma (Myanmar), the crackdowns on Muslim populations in India and
Sri Lanka, the scapegoating of Muslim refugees and other Muslims in Hungary and
Poland, the acts of white supremacist violence targeting Muslims in New Zealand
and Canada, or the targeting of minority Muslim communities in Muslim-majority
countries like Pakistan, Bahrain and Iran, the problem of Islamophobia is
global in scope,” it said.
The
Combating International Islamophobia Act is endorsed by several organisations,
including the American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN), the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the South Asian Americans Leading
Together (SAALT).
“For
over a decade, we have seen increasing incidents of violent Islamophobia both
in the US and worldwide – from the genocide of the Rohingya in Burma (Myanmar)
and Uyghurs in China to the attacks on Muslim refugees in Canada and New
Zealand,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
Nihad
Awad from CAIR said that while global Islamophobia, anti-Muslim state policies
and hate incidents have increased for the past two decades, the American Muslim
community has consistently called for the creation of a special envoy position
to monitor and combat this rising tide of hate.
“Our
nation needs better tools to combat Islamophobic state policies and violence in
countries like China, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the European Union and
elsewhere,” he said.
“Global
Islamophobia is not only a threat to the safety and security of Muslims here
and abroad, it is also a threat to international religious freedom and
democratic principles.
“CAIR
is calling on congressional leadership and the Biden-Harris administration to
support the Combating International Islamophobia Act and make this special
envoy position a reality," Awad added.
Source:
Outlook India
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Forty-Three
Countries Call On China At The UN To "Ensure Full Respect" With
Regard To The Muslim Uyghur Community In Xinjiang
October
22, 2021
Demonstrators
from the Uyghur Community take part in a protest near the Belgium parliament in
Brussels. (AFP)
-----
Forty-three
countries on Thursday called on China at the UN to "ensure full respect
for the rule of law" with regard to the Muslim Uyghur community in
Xinjiang, where respect for human rights remains "particularly"
worrying.
"We
call on China to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang
for independent observers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
and her office," the countries said in a joint statement, read at the
United Nations by France.
"We
are particularly concerned about the situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region," the statement said, citing "credible"
reports that "indicate the existence of a large network of 'political
reeducation' camps where over a million people have been arbitrarily
detained."
The
declaration, signed by the United States, European countries, Asian states and
other spoke of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, forced
sterilization, sexual and gender-based violence and forced separation of
children, which it said "disproportionately continues to target Uyghurs
and members of other minorities."
China's
ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun denounced what he termed the
"lies" and "a plot to hurt China." He quickly stepped in to
reject "unfounded accusations."
"Xinjiang
enjoys development and the people are emancipating themselves every day and are
proud of the progress made," he said, supported by Cuba, which criticized
any interference in China's internal affairs.
In
2019 and 2020, a similar declaration was made public in the same way by Britain
and Germany. After garnering 23 backers two years ago, the declaration gained
the support of 39 countries last year. They were joined this year by Turkey,
Eswatini, Portugal and the Czech Republic, according to diplomats.
On
the other hand, Haiti dropped its backing for the declaration after its
relations with China were complicated by Port-au-Prince recognizing Taiwan.
Switzerland
also dropped its signature from the statement because, diplomatic sources said,
it recently hosted a high-level meeting between the United States and China and
decided to prioritize its role as facilitator between these two powers rather
than signing the annual declaration calling for respect human rights in
Xinjiang.
According
to diplomats, China is increasing pressure every year to dissuade UN members
from signing the declarations, threatening not to renew a peace mission in a
given country or preventing others from building a new embassy in China.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
UN
Human Rights Experts To Pakistan: Release Man Charged With Blasphemy And
Believed To Be Mentally Ill
Oct
21, 2021
(Photo
courtesy: India News Republic
-----
ISLAMABAD:
United Nations human rights experts urged Pakistan on Thursday to release a
Christian man who was detained two years ago for insulting Islam's Prophet
Muhammad and is believed to be mentally ill.
Stephen
Masih, who was arrested in March 2019, has yet to face trial, the experts said.
He is a Pakistani jailed in Sialkot, a city in the eastern Punjab province
where he lived. Masih's family has denied the blasphemy charge and said he was
mentally ill.
The
UN experts also said they were concerned about the lack of medical care he has
received. They said medical reviews to assess Masih's mental health and fitness
to stand trial have been "repeatedly delayed," and that Masih was
being kept with Muslim prisoners in a jail cell, putting him in danger.
In
Thursday's statement, the U.N. experts said they were "seriously concerned
by the persecution and ongoing detention of Masih on blasphemy grounds, and by
his treatment at the hands of the judicial and prison authorities who are aware
of his psychosocial disability and health condition."
Pakistan
has been under pressure over the country's blasphemy laws. Rights groups say
that blasphemy allegations have often been used to intimidate religious
minorities and settle personal scores.
Thursday's
demand comes as thousands of Islamists are rallying in the eastern city of
Lahore in another case, demanding the release of Saad Rizvi, the leader of a
radical Islamist political party who was arrested in April amid protest against
France over depictions of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Police in Lahore were
preparing for a crackdown Thursday night to disperse Rizvi's supporters, who
had warned that they will march toward Islamabad on Friday if Rizvi is not
freed under a recent court order.
Authorities
say they already challenged the court order about Rizvi's release and Rizvi's
supporters should wait for a final court order. Rizvi's party in recent years
has held violent rallies in support of blasphemy laws.
In
Masih's case, the U.N. experts urged Pakistan to drop charges against him and
ensure protection for the man and his family. They said Masih was arrested
following an argument with one of his neighbors in Sialkot where he was
attacked by a group of Muslims who accused him of committing blasphemy.
Masih's
family home was also set on fire.
A
court rejected Masih's request for the bail in August. Another court will hear
Masih's bail application on Friday.
The
U.N. experts urged Pakistan to "comply with its international human rights
obligations," to repeal its anti-blasphemy laws and to "take measures
to combat the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to
discrimination and violence."
A
Punjab governor in Islamabad was shot and killed by his own guard in 2011,
after he defended a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, who was accused of blasphemy.
She was acquitted after spending eight years on death row and left Pakistan for
Canada to join her family after receiving threats.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
World League and World Jewish Congress urge UN secretary general to promote
religious freedom
October
21, 2021
The
secretary general of the MWL and the president of the WJC meet the secretary
general of the UN. (Supplied)
------
LONDON:
The secretary general of the Muslim World League and the president of the World
Jewish Congress have urged the secretary general of the UN to advocate for
religious freedom and an end to violence against houses of worship.
During
a meeting with Antonio Guterres at the UN on Tuesday, the two faith leaders
urged the secretary general to promote interfaith dialogue and coexistence as a
way to forge consensus on many of the world’s greatest challenges.
They
emphasized that religions have a unique power to unite individuals given that
their common source is mercy and peace.
“The
world is under threat from pernicious individuals and groups that seek to use
hatred, violence and discrimination to target Muslims, Jews and many other
global communities,” Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa said.
“Fortunately,
however, we are seeing interfaith partnerships blossom more than ever before as
we unite to fight the scourge of racism and extremism, and build bridges of
tolerance, understanding, peace and harmony,” he said.
Meanwhile,
the president of WJC Ronald S. Lauder said the world must stand together
against racism.
“Campaigns
against racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and other manifestations of hate
will be infinitely more effective if they are united, both by the Abrahamic
faiths and other religions worldwide,” Lauder said.
“We
believe in working toward a better world, for generations to come,” he added.
The
two faith leaders renewed their commitment to working together to promote
religious tolerance around the globe and leveraging their influence as leaders
of independent, global organizations that are apolitical but wield significant
moral standing.
The
MWL and WJC issued a joint statement before the UN Human Rights Council in
Geneva on Oct. 4 pledging an interfaith commitment to promoting and protecting
human rights for all.
It
marked the first time a coordinated statement
was
presented by Jewish and Muslim representative groups before a UN body.
Both
organizations reiterated the need to safeguard religious freedom globally and
the right of individuals to practice their religion as a basic human right.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1952726/saudi-arabia
--------
India
Police
Rushed To A Mosque After A Hoax Call Of Some Suspicious Persons Hiding And
Speaking In An Unusual Language, In A Mosque Saraspur, Ahmedabad
Oct
22, 2021
AHMEDABAD:
Teams of three police stations — Kalupur, Shaherkotda and Madhupura — rushed to
a mosque in the Saraspur area after a hoax call was made that some suspicious
persons were hiding in a mosque and were speaking in an unusual language.
The
call was made on Thursday morning after which police teams reached there and
checked the mosque but did not find any suspicious person or thing inside.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Grandson
Of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Hit Back At Trolls Who Took A Dig At Him For Posting
Photos Of Lakshmi Puja Celebrations At His Residence
Priyanka
Dasgupta
Oct 22,
2021
KOLKATA:
Sarod player Shiraz Ali Khan, grandson of legendary musician Ustad Ali Akbar
Khan, hit back at trolls who took a dig at him for posting photos of Lakshmi
Puja celebrations at his residence. Shiraz had married Atrayee Sengupta in
January 2020. This is the first year that Atrayee celebrated Lakshmi Puja at
their Ranikuthi residence.
Atrayee
told TOI that she had grown up watching her mother offer prayers to goddess
Lakshmi. “I am happy that Shiraz supported me when I expressed a desire to perform
this puja. My mother would perform the puja herself and read the ‘panchali’. I
did the same on Wednesday. We want our child to grow up in an environment where
he respects all religions,” she said.
Though
many appreciated the puja photo Shiraz clicked and shared as his Facebook
story, trolls jumped into the fray. “I was upset and disappointed to find a
family friend from Bangladesh ridiculing my gesture. I do not support such
behaviour. That’s why I wrote a post stating that whoever believes that this is
the way to stand up for any community should unfriend me. They should not
connect with me or my family in future,” Shiraz told TOI.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hyderabad:
Congress leader Hanumanth Rao participates in Milad rally
21st
October 2021
Hyderabad:
An Hindu-Muslim solidarity was witnessed in Hyderabad when the senior state
Congress leader Hanumanth Rao participated in the procession rally taken out to
mark the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi on Tuesday in the old city.
While
returning from the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana memorial event which was held in the
vicinity of the historical Charminar, Rao joined the Milad rally near the
Gulzar house. He took part in the rally by touring some of the localities while
sitting on a motorbike.
The
public in the rally appreciated Hanumanth Rao’s gesture of participating in the
rally and the youth welcomed him.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/hyderabad-congress-leader-hanumanth-rao-participates-in-milad-rally-2212436/
--------
How
Meerut’s Deepak Tyagi became Yati Narsinghanand
Avishek
Kumar Dubey
Oct
22, 2021
GHAZIABAD:
Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, a priest who has been openly communal in his
public statements targeting Muslims, will now hold a prestigious position in
the Juna akhara, which has inducted him as a ‘mahamandaleshwar’.
The
elevation comes barely a week after he likened a 10-year-old boy from the
minority community who had wandered into the compound of the Dasna Devi temple
in Ghaziabad to “a trained killer” and alleged he had been sent for “a recce”
of the premises. Police had later clarified that the boy was headed for the
adjoining health centre but had lost his way.
Another
boy from the minority community, who had entered the temple compound this March
to drink water, was thrashed by an aide of Yati. The Dasna Devi temple, of
which Yati is head priest, has a banner at the gate prohibiting entry of
Muslims.
The
Meerut-born priest, now in his mid-50s, has been at the Dasna Devi temple since
2007. The 10 years preceding this were transformative, according to those who
have known him a long time, drawing him to the views that he today espouses and
vows to defend. Deepak Tyagi before he took ‘sanyas’, he renamed himself
Deependra Narayan Singh during this period before settling on Yati
Narsinghanand Saraswati. “In 1998, he met BJP’s BL Sharma. It changed him as a
person,” said Anil Yadav, a friend of Yati.
Yati,
who studied at Chaudhary Tara Chand inter college in Hapur, claims to have left
India in 1989 to pursue a chemical technology course in Moscow. He says he
graduated in 1994 and worked as an engineer before returning to India in 1997
when his mother fell ill. Yati says his younger brother is still in Moscow.
“When my mother's health was failing, both of us wanted to return to India. But
later, we decided that I will come back and take care of our parents and my
younger brother will stay there and take care of the family financially,” Yati
told TOI on Thursday.
His
father, he says, worked in the central government and his grandfather was
associated with Congress. After his return to India, he was briefly associated
with the Samajwadi Party, according to his friend Yadav. “For some time, Yati
taught maths to students of class 10 & 12. But later, he developed interest
in politics and joined Samajwadi party,” said Yadav. During those years, he
worked out of an ‘office’ near Shambu Dayal PG College in Ghaziabad. Local
Samajwadi functionaries said they did not know if Yati had been a member.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
We
can never live in peace, unless talks are held with Pakistan: Farooq
Oct
22, 2021
JAMMU:
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Thursday batted strongly for
talks with Pakistan and said "unless you do not talk to Pakistan, we can
never live in peace in J&K".
He
said that if there would have been friendship between India and Pakistan,
people would have come here (in Jammu and Kashmir) to eat and drink tea from
Sialkot (Pakistan).
"We
would have gone there (Sialkot). In the past, this was happening. People used
to come in trains before Independence", Abdullah said
"I
confidently say, even today, unless you (India) don't talk to Pakistan and
shake hands of friendship with each other, we can never live in peace, never,
take it from me in writing", he said while addressing a party meeting
here.
He
said that wars have taken place between Indian and Pakistan.
"Only
the poor got killed in these four wars. In future war, this will happen again.
Both have nuclear bombs. It will be more disastrous," Abdullah added.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
First
time in 7 years: US minesweepers enter Red Sea amid increased Houthi aggression
21
October ,2021
US
mine countermeasures (MCM) ships transited the Red Sea's strategic Bab
el-Mandeb strait for the first time in seven years to enhance efforts to secure
international shipping lines and global trade routes amid heightened aggression
by Yemen’s Houthi militia.
“Mine
countermeasures ships USS Sentry and USS Gladiator arrived in the Red Sea on
Monday, marking the first transit in seven years by 5th Fleet’s MCMs from the
Gulf to the Red Sea,” the US 5th fleet said on Wednesday.
“Sentry
and Gladiator are conducting Maritime Security ops and training alongside
regional partners,” it added.
This
marks the first time the Pentagon places this type of naval vessel in the
region since the start of the war between Yemen’s internationally recognized
government and the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.
The
threat posed by the Houthis’ mines to shipping lanes near the Bab el-Mandeb
strait have recently increased, endangering one of the world's busiest oil
shipping routes.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Biden
climate envoy Kerry to visit Saudi Arabia next week
22
October ,2021
US
President Joe Biden's climate envoy, John Kerry, will travel to Saudi Arabia
next week for meetings with government counterparts and business leaders on
efforts to address the climate crisis, the State Department said on Thursday.
Kerry
will visit Riyadh on Oct. 24 and 25 before the UN climate change convention in
Glasgow that starts Oct. 31, the department said in a statement.
In
Riyadh, Kerry will participate in the Middle East Green Initiative Summit which
will discuss ways to reduce emissions, reverse desertification and grow
forests.
The
US and the EU are trying to get Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter,
to join a global initiative on slashing emissions of methane 30 percent by 2030
from 2020 levels. More than 30 countries including Germany, Canada and Japan
have joined the partnership which covers 60 percent of global GDP and 30
percent of global methane emissions.
It is
uncertain whether the kingdom will sign on. Saudi Arabia Minister of Energy
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Wednesday that the world must pay attention
to energy supply security, which should not be compromised in the fight to curb
climate change.
Kerry
and Saudi Arabia share an interest in developing hydrogen as an alternative
fuel. Saudi Arabia is building a $5 billion plant to produce ‘green hydrogen’
by extracting the gas from water using electrolyzers powered by solar and wind
power. Hydrogen can be used in fuel cell vehicles or be blended with natural
gas to create a cleaner-burning fuel, but today most hydrogen is extracted
using fossil fuels that produce large amounts of planet-warming emissions.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Afghan
detainee held illegally by US government: Federal judge
Andy
Roesgen
21.10.2021
CHICAGO,
United States
An
Afghan detainee who was held for 14 years at the US detention camp at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will soon be released after a federal judge ruled his
detention was illegal.
Asadullah
Haroon Gul, 40, was captured in 2007 as part of the US’ war in Afghanistan
after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Gul was a member of a paramilitary
group allied with al-Qaeda, but he was never charged with a crime and the
group, Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), reached a peace agreement with Afghanistan's
US-backed government in 2016.
Prosecutors
argued that Gul's ties to al-Qaeda and terrorism ran deeper than just his
association with HIG and his detention was justified.
But
his defense was bolstered by a finding by a board of review made up of members
of the US national intelligence. That board ruled this year that Gul does not
pose a significant threat to national security.
Separately,
the US determined that transferring Gul from Guantanamo Bay did not pose a
security risk and the Afghanistan government, prior to its collapse in August,
had also argued for Gul's release, saying that his continued detention was bad
for US-Afghanistan relations.
Additionally,
his defense team argued that he was a prisoner of war and should have been
released upon the announcement that the US was ending the war in Afghanistan.
US
District Judge Amit Mehta of Washington D.C. made the final ruling on Gul's
release this week, although he did not announce the basis for his decision.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Southeast Asia
Malaysian
scholar: Muslims' power dependent upon faith, unity
October
21, 2021
Chairman
of the Islamic Party of Malaysia warned that the weakness of Muslims is due to
estrangement from their religion, making speech on the first webinar held for
the 35th International Islamic Unity Conference held on Tuesday.
Sheikh
Abdul Hadi Awang, senior Malaysian cleric highlighted materialization of a
united Islamic Ummah as a universal mission that does not end with demise of
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
He
said, "The mission of our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) continues until the end
of time and world, and it knows no limit, borders, ethnicity, chronology and
patriotism."
He
said," The Ummah of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) has two unique
characteristics: First, it is the Ummah to be asked for faith in God and
includes all people, both Arabs and non-Arabs, to whom the Prophet was sent,
and [the other is] that his mission is for the whole world."
The
cleric reiterated that the religion of Islam unites all Islamic denominations
in a single Ummah that continues its Islamic mission in the Eastern and Western
corners of the world.
He
warned of an era of weakness for the entire world of Islam stressing that the
reason behind this weakness is disunity and estrangement of Muslims from their
religion.
Our
power depends on our faith and Islamic unity and the source of Islamic unity
among Muslims
Abdul
Hadi Awang noted that the source of Islamic unity is referring to the
principles that exist among the scholars of the Islamic schools of thought and
that the sub-matters of ijtihad and the dispute that does not end due to
changes in circumstances, time and place, are the responsibility of scholars.
He
stressed the issue of Palestine and liberation of the al-Aqsa Mosque as topics
which lead to a unified stance by the entire Islamic Ummah and said," But
a group of members who refrain from confrontation and resistance and move
towards normalization of relations with the Zionist regime are a bad seed among
the Ummah."
Chairman
of the Islamic Party of Malaysia expressed his views in his speech on the first
day of the 35th International Islamic Unity Conference.
Source:
ABNA24
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--------
Minister:
Islamic tourism entrepreneurs urged to raise understanding of halal aspects
21
Oct 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Entrepreneurs in the Islamic tourism segment need to improve
their understanding of the halal aspects to enable them to identify unique
selling points for their respective tourism products.
Minister
of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said this would also give
the assurance that their products were not contravening the Islamic tenets.
To
attract more entrepreneurs to venture into the Islamic tourism segment, she
also encouraged cooperation between the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) and
Department of Standards Malaysia in drawing up clear guidelines and standards
pertaining to Islamic tourism products and services.
“This
is for the existing and new entrepreneurs to receive continued assistance,
besides raising the standards in quality of Islamic tourism while the products
generated can also compete with the other tourism products,” she said in her
keynote address at the Islamic Tourism Entrepreneurship and Leadership Seminar,
held virtually, today.
“The
scope of Islamic tourism is wide, covering Muslim-friendly products and
services, hospitality and accommodation but the venturing into this is still at
an early stage, hence the need to expose the entrepreneurs to the new business
opportunities.
“Venturing
into new businesses is important, considering the Global Muslim Tourism Index
(GMTI) 2021 expecting the number of Muslim tourists to reach 26 million at the
year end if the states’ and international borders are opened.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan
Familiarising
Youth With Islamic History Through Multimedia Can Prove Helpful: Imran Khan In
A Meeting With Turkish Producer
OCTOBER
21, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday stressed the need to familiarise the
younger generation with Islamic history and said the use of multimedia could
prove helpful in this regard.
In a
meeting with filmmaker Shehzad Nawaz and Turkish producer Emre Konuk, the prime
minister said it was high time to create dramas and films based on historical
narrative rather than opting for the routine topics.
In
view of the upcoming Pakistan and Turkey’s joint production of television
series on Muslim warrior Salahuddin Ayubi, the prime minister said even the
West quotes him as the great personality of the history.
The
prime minister mentioned that Salahuddin Ayubi had announced a general amnesty
after the historic conquest of Jerusalem.
The
series on the life of Salahuddin Ayubi will make the youth aware of his
historical role, he added.
Source:
Daily Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Desires Peace, Stability In Afghanistan: Qureshi Meets Interim Afghanistan PM
October
22, 2021
Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday met interim Afghanistan Prime
Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund and conveyed Pakistan’s commitment to
extending humanitarian assistance to its Afghan brothers.
Qureshi
was visiting Afghanistan for the first time after the Taliban took over in
mid-August. In the meeting with Akhund, issues of mutual interest were
discussed. The foreign minister said Pakistan wanted lasting peace and
stability in Afghanistan.
He
mentioned in this regard several steps by the government including visa
facilities for Afghan citizens, especially traders, and the establishment of
new border points to facilitate movement.
Qureshi
said Pakistan, in collaboration with Afghanistan’s neighbours, was committed to
playing a constructive role for peace and stability in the region.
The
interim prime minister received Qureshi at the Arg Presidential Office, where
they had a meeting in the presence of the Afghan leadership, Ambassador of
Pakistan to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan said.
The
discussions focused on facilitating people-to-people interaction, trade,
transit, and connectivity between two brotherly nations, ?the ambassador said.
Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki was also present.
Prime
Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq,
Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor
Ahmad Khan, senior military leadership, and other members of the Pakistani
delegation were present in the meeting.
Deputy
prime minister Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi hosted a banquet in honour of Foreign
Minister Qureshi and his delegation at the Arg Palace.
Qureshi
is the third foreign minister after those of Qatar and Uzbekistan to visit
since the Taliban took power after ousting Ashraf Ghani’s regime.
In a
statement issued earlier, the Foreign Office said Qureshi is in Kabul for a
day-long visit and is set to hold important talks with the Afghan leadership.
During
his meetings with top Afghan officials, the foreign minister will share
Pakistan’s perspective on issues of regional peace and stability, the statement
said.
The
statement added that Pakistan has always stood by Afghanistan and kept the
border crossing points open for trade and pedestrian crossing under Covid protocols.
Facilitative
visa regime for Afghan nationals and border crossing procedures for trade and
cargo have been instituted, it added.
In
recent months, Pakistan has provided humanitarian aid and assistance in the
form of food stuffs and medicines.
The foreign
minister held a meeting with Afghanistan’s interim Prime Minister Mullah Hassan
Akhund. “Pakistan is determined to help Afghan brethren on humanitarian
grounds.
He
said Pakistan wants to enhance bilateral trade with Afghanistan,” FM Qureshi
said during the meeting with Akhund.
“Pakistan
resolves to play a constructive role, in collaboration with Afghanistan’s
neighbouring countries, for peace and stability in the region,” the FM said.
Views
were also exchanged on matters of bilateral interest, enhancing cooperation in
economic sector, including trade and commerce, as well as various options to
bring the Afghan people out of the economic crisis.
The
Afghan interim prime minister thanked the Pakistani leadership for extending
timely humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
Source:
Pak Observer
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan,
Turkey to produce TV series on Salahuddin Ayubi
October
22, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Turkey will jointly produce a television series on the life of
warrior Salahuddin Ayubi as Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday stressed the
need to familiarise the young generation with Muslim history and expressed the
hope that the use of multimedia could prove helpful in this regard.
“The
series on the life of Salahuddin Ayubi will make the youth aware of his
historic role,” the prime minister said while meeting filmmaker Shehzad Nawaz
and Turkish producer Emre Konuk.
“It
is high time to make dramas and films based on historical narrative rather than
opting for routine topics,” he said.
In
view of the upcoming Pakistan-Turkey joint production of the television series
on Salahuddin Ayubi, the prime minister said even the West regarded him as a
great man.
PM
stresses need for familiarising the young generation with Muslim history
The
prime minister said that Salahuddin Ayubi had announced a general amnesty after
the historic conquest of Jerusalem.
Senator
Faisal Javed, Syed Junaid Ali Shah and Dr Kashif also attended the meeting.
During
the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on details of the joint project of
the television series between Pakistan and Turkey.
It
was highlighted that the planning of the series had been finalised, while
shooting of the series will commence in April next year.
Chashma
Canal
Prime
Minister Khan also chaired a meeting on integrated agriculture and development
plan for KPK, especially the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC), and said: “The
construction of Lift-cum-Gravity project of Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC)
would be a real game-changer for the socio-economic uplift of a vast area in
southern KPK.”
“Once
completed, the project would irrigate around 300,000 acres of barren land in
the KPK. This would not only ensure food security in the region but would also
earn huge foreign exchange for the country by exporting agricultural produce to
the Middle East,” he said.
The
prime minister directed authorities concerned to adopt effective measures to
boost up corporate farming in the area.
“It
would not only raise income levels of farmers in the area but would also
kick-start integrated development by eradicating poverty, eliminating hunger
and ensuring good education, health care and other civic facilities for the
local population,” the prime minister said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1653287/pakistan-turkey-to-produce-tv-series-on-salahuddin-ayubi
--------
Pakistan
Army prepared to defend territorial integrity, sovereignty of Pakistan against
all odds: COAS
October
22, 2021
RAWALPINDI:
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Thursday said Pakistan
Army was prepared to defend territorial integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan
against all odds.
The
Army Chief visited Bahawalpur and witnessed training activities of formation at
Asrani and Khairpur Tamewali (KPT), said an ISPR news release here received.
Interacting
with the troops, the COAS emphasized on realistic training in line with the
emerging threats and challenges to defeat nefarious designs of our adversaries.
The
mechanized troops demonstrated battle drills involved in the operational cycle
of the formation including offensive maneuvers.
The
COAS also witnessed field firing of different weapon systems at KPT ranges. It
included integrated firepower display of various components including Armour,
Mechanized Infantry,
Artillery,
Air Defence, ATGMs duly supported by Pakistan Air Force and combat aviation.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Three
Afghans from IS killed near border: police
October
21, 2021
PESHAWAR:
The counter-terrorism forces said they killed three Afghan militants who
belonged to the Islamic State group during a raid on a hideout near the border
with Afghanistan.
The
gunbattle was the latest episode of violence in Pakistan involving extremist groups
that appear to have been emboldened by the return to power of the Taliban in
Afghanistan.
The
dawn raid was carried out in Peshawar, said Javed Khan, an officer with the
provincial Counter-Terrorism Department. The branch is a special police unit that
fights local and foreign militant groups.
Khan
said the slain militants were Afghans, and that the raid foiled a possible
terrorist attack. Two other fighters managed to flee, he said, giving no
further details.
Pakistan
has witnessed scores of terrorist attacks in recent months, most of which were
claimed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the IS group. Both organisations
have been emboldened by Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan, where TTP militants
are still believed to be hiding.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/10/21/three-afghans-from-is-killed-near-border-police/
--------
Arab World
Saudi
Arabia calls for international efforts to stop Libya becoming terrorist haven
October
21, 2021
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia supports all efforts aimed at achieving stability in Libya, the
Kingdom’s foreign minister said on Thursday.
During
the Libya Stabilization Conference, Prince Faisal bin Farhan praised efforts
made by the new unified authority in Libya to meet the aspirations and hopes of
the Libyan people towards achieving a united and sovereign state that enjoys
security, stability, and development.
Prince
Faisal added that the Kingdom’s participation in the conference is a
continuation of its policy aimed at reaching solutions that are in the interest
of the Arab community and benefit the peoples of the region and the world.
“The
Kingdom stresses the importance of concerted international efforts to combat
terrorism and extremist militias so that Libya will not be a safe haven for
these groups, through which they threaten the stability of this country and its
regional and international surroundings,” the foreign minister said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1952721/saudi-arabia
--------
Geagea:
Military court should first question Hezbollah’s Nasrallah on Beirut violence
21
October ,2021
The
Leader of Lebanese Forces party Samir Geagea said on Thursday the military
court should listen to Hezbollah’s chief Hassan Nasrallah’s statement about
last week’s violence in Beirut before they question him.
A
judicial official said earlier that Geagea has been summoned for questioning
about last week’s events after a protest organised by Hezbollah and its ally Amal
to demand the judge investigating the Beirut blast, Tarek Bitar, be removed,
turned violent.
Fadi
Akiki, a representative of the military court, had “instructed the army
intelligence to summon Geagea and take his statement based on information
provided by arrested LF members,” a judicial official said according to AFP.
Geagea
said in a TV interview that if the military court would ask him, he would
happily give a statement on the condition that they “listen to Nasrallah”
before him.
“For
one small reason, the Lebanese Forces party, since the end of the civil war,
has committed no violations,” Geagea added, pointing that his party is
registered with ministry of interior, unlike Hezbollah.
Tensions
over the investigation into the Beirut blast that rocked the country in August
2020 ignited street violence in the capital last week, leading to the death of
seven Shias. It was the worst street violence in over a decade.
The
Iran-backed Hezbollah militia held the Christian Lebanese Forces, led by
Geagea, responsible. The Lebanese Forces denied the accusation and pointed the
finger of blame at Hezbollah for sending its supporters into the Christian
neighborhood of Ain al-Remmaneh.
Nasrallah
accused the Lebanese Forces on Monay of seeking to ignite a “civil war”, demanded
there be an investigation into the events of last Thursday and threatened to
take action if the judiciary did not.
The
powerful Shia militia’s leader also revealed for the first time that the group
had 100,000 armed and trained fighters.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Syria
says 24 executed over starting wildfires
21
October ,2021
The
Syrian government has executed 24 people accused of involvement in starting
deadly wildfires last summer, state media reported on Thursday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Lebanon
Christian leader summoned over deadly violence
October
21, 2021
BEIRUT:
The head of the Lebanese Forces Christian group, Samir Geagea, has been
summoned for questioning over deadly violence that erupted at a Shiite rally
last week, a judicial official said Thursday.
Seven
people were killed in Beirut on October 14 during a protest organized by the
Shiite movements Amal and Hezbollah to demand Tarek Bitar, the judge
investigating Beirut’s powerful port blast, be removed.
Hezbollah
and Amal accused the Lebanese Forces (LF), which supports the probe, of being
responsible for sniper fire against the protesters that ignited street clashes.
The
Christian group denies the charges.
Fadi
Akiki, a representative of the military court, had “instructed the army
intelligence to summon Geagea and take his statement based on information
provided by arrested LF members,” the judicial official said.
Twenty-six
people were arrested after the violence in the heart of the Lebanese capital,
most of them LF members, the official said on Thursday.
The
exact circumstances of the violence remain unclear.
Geagea
has denied responsiblity for the deaths, saying that residents of Beirut’s
Christian neighborhood of Ain Al-Remmaneh had “defended” themselves against
“Hezbollah militiamen who tried to enter their homes.”
Hezbollah
chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday that his Iran-backed movement had 100,000
armed fighters at its disposal, and warned it is against sparking any “civil
war.”
On
Thursday, Geagea told the Lebanon’s MTV channel he was not aware of the
summons.
“I am
ready to appear before the judge, on one condition: that Hassan Nasrallah does
it before me,” he said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1952736/middle-east
--------
Europe
Pakistan
To Remain On Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ‘Grey List’, Turkey New
Addition
Oct
21, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Pakistan will remain on the 'grey list' of the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF) as it needs to "further demonstrate" that action is
being taken against UN-designated terrorists like India's most wanted Hafiz
Saeed and Masood Azhar, and groups led by them, the global body against terror
financing said on Thursday.
FATF
president Marcus Pleyer said the decision was taken at the conclusion of the
three-day virtual plenary of the organisation. It is scheduled to meet again in
April 2022.
Pakistan
continues to remain on "increased monitoring list", Marcus said at a
virtual press conference from Paris.
"Increased
monitoring list" is another name for the 'grey list'.
"Pakistan
has taken a number of important steps but needs to "further demonstrate
that investigations and prosecutions are being pursued against the senior
leadership of UN-designated terror groups," Marcus said.
"All
these changes are about helping authorities prevent terrorism, stop corruption
and prevent organised criminals from profiting from their crimes," he
added.
Pakistan
was placed on the grey list by the FATF in June 2018 for failing to check money
laundering, leading to terror financing.
The
FATF had given Islamabad a 27-point action plan that was to be completed by
October 2019. Six more points were added later.
Terror
groups
The
country continues to be on the grey list due to its failure to comply with four
of action points, including: to investigate and prosecute senior leaders and
commanders of UN-designated terror groups, including Hafiz Saeed and Masood
Azhar. Masood was involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, 2016 Pathankot
attack, and 2019 Pulwama attack.
After
the announcement by the FATF in June 2021, of keeping Pakistan on the grey
list, Islamabad had said it would implement the action points within “3-4
months”.
The
latest US Congressional report on terrorism "Terrorist and Other Militant
Groups in Pakistan", says that at least 12 groups designated as
"foreign terrorist organizations" by the US are based in Pakistan,
including five that are India-centric. As per the US administration, Islamabad
continues to remain a base of operations for numerous non-state militant
groups, many with global reach.
Financial
aid at risk
With
Pakistan's continuation in the grey list, it is increasingly becoming difficult
for the country to get financial aid from the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union, thus
further enhancing problems for the country.
Pakistan
has so far avoided being on the blacklist with the help of China, Turkey and
Malaysia.
The
FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money
laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of
the international financial system. It currently has 39 members, including two
regional organisations: the European Commission and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
British
Muslim group releases 6-step guide to keeping mosques safe amid heightened
concerns
21
October, 2021
The
Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has created a six-step guide on how to keep
mosques safe following the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, as
concerns on Islamophobia continue to grow.
The
10-page guidance is aimed at helping congregations, mosque goers and religious
religious leaders protect the premises as well as the local community at large.
Muslims
are encouraged to prepare a safety plan, ensure security systems are
up-to-date, and report hate crime and abuse.
The
creation of the guide comes as recent data released by the Home Office finds
that nearly half of recorded religious hate crime offences (45 per cent) in
England and wales targeted Muslims in 2021.
“The
tragic murder of Sir David Amess has left British Muslim communities feeling
shocked and apprehensive," said MCB Secretary-General, Zara Mohammed.
She
added: “There is precedence for hate crime offences targeting visibly Muslim
women, mosques and their congregations, in particular.”
Last
month, the British government was accused of neglecting its responsibility to
Muslim citizens after failing to produce a definition of Islamophobia, two
years after pledging to do so.
In a
2018 enquiry, MPs urged a working definition of Islamophobia to make it easier
to convict such offences. However the Conservative government rejected the
proposal in 2019 and promised to appoint an independent commission to come up
with a definition – which it has not done.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/british-muslim-group-releases-guide-keep-mosques-safe
--------
New
Zealand’s Chief Coroner Opens New Inquiry Into Mosque Attacks
By Charlotte
Graham-McLay
Oct.
21, 2021
WELLINGTON,
New Zealand — The name of the man who waged a terrorist attack on two
Christchurch mosques in 2019 has been all but erased from New Zealand’s
collective memory. Most details of his mass shooting never became public. An
official investigation held behind closed doors concluded that the authorities
could not have prevented, except by chance, the massacre of 51 Muslims at
prayer by the attacker, Brenton Tarrant.
But
nearly a year after the end of a high-level commission inquiry, New Zealand’s
chief coroner, Judge Deborah Marshall, said that she had begun a fresh
investigation into the attack of March 15, 2019, citing unanswered questions.
Judge Marshall’s announcement on Thursday followed pleas from dozens of families
of those killed.
The
new inquiry was opened because of matters relating to the deaths that earlier
investigations had not resolved, Judge Marshall said in written comments sent
to the families and seen by The New York Times. She did not specify which
matters warranted further investigation, and her office declined to comment
further.
The
promise of a new inquiry comes more than a year after Mr. Tarrant, 30 — an
Australian who was radicalized online and moved to New Zealand, where he easily
amassed a cache of weapons before the attack — was sentenced, in August 2020,
to life in prison without the chance of parole. Months earlier, reversing an
earlier denial of guilt, he had abruptly admitted to all the charges he faced:
51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism.
His
confession averted the need for a trial. The prosecution case against him —
including witness statements; psychological, forensic and other expert reports;
accounts by emergency workers of their actions in the aftermath of the attack;
lists of exhibits; and police officers’ interviews with him — remained secret.
An
independent commission tasked with examining whether the authorities could have
prevented the massacre published an 800-page report last December, saying that
although New Zealand’s security agencies had scrutinized Muslims at the expense
of monitoring white supremacist threats, the attack could not have been
stopped. Testimony to the commission, including from lawmakers and officials,
was given in private and suppressed for 30 years. The level of secrecy, unusual
even in a country that takes a cautious approach to public information, was
intended to encourage people to speak openly and to protect matters of national
security, those heading the commission said at the time.
In
the months since that investigation, called a Royal Commission, ended, the
government has begun to enact the 44 recommendations it made, and many New
Zealanders considered the matter closed. But relatives of those killed in the
attack have called for a public hearing that would allow them to hear for
themselves what those officials said.
Judge
Marshall has not decided whether a public hearing should be part of the new
inquiry, and she has not set a time frame for it.
The
Royal Commission was ordered to exclude from its deliberations any examination
of the attack’s aftermath, including the actions of emergency workers at both
mosques and at Christchurch’s nearby hospital. Its parameters, which were set
by the government, also ruled out gathering evidence from the tech platforms
where Mr. Tarrant was radicalized, and from Facebook, where he live-streamed
his massacre.
When
Judge Marshall invited the bereaved families to suggest what a further inquiry
would cover, many asked for the matters excluded from the first inquiry to be
raised, according to some of those who submitted requests.
Her
concession that the criminal process and Royal Commission had not answered all
outstanding questions was “significant” said Nigel Hampton, a lawyer for 29 of
the families.
“It
would be difficult to resist now, I think, having taken this step,” he said,
referring to the prospect of a public inquest, which is a type of court hearing
in New Zealand.
“Survivability
is a big question for all families,” said Maysoon Salama, whose son, Atta
Elayyan, 33, died at Masjid An-Noor, the first mosque attacked. She referred to
an earlier report by the police that said none of the 51 people killed in the
attacks could have survived their injuries, even if they had been taken to hospitals
sooner — a finding that led many families to urge the coroner to investigate
each victim’s death individually.
Aya
Al-Umari, whose brother, Hussein Al-Umari, 35, also died at Masjid An-Noor,
said she was among those who received an abridged and generic forensic report
nearly two years after the attack. She described emailing various authorities
repeatedly since 2019 in an effort to draw out details one at a time about her
brother’s last moments.
At
times information had been withheld because officials told Ms. Al-Umari it
would distress her, she said.
“Even
at the outset, we were drip-fed the information, so it was like, ‘Here’s the
evidential report, and here’s this report, please let us know if you want this
and this,’” she said, referring to documents the coroner and the police had
provided about her brother’s death. “Why don’t you just give me the whole thing
and I’ll choose what to read and what not to read?”
Ms.
Salama, Ms. Al-Umari and other relatives of those killed said questions also
remained about the exact progress of the killer’s online radicalization, his
internet history and the route to extremism that others in New Zealand who
share his views have followed.
Source:
New York Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/world/australia/new-zealand-christchurch-investigation.html
--------
Man
charged with UK lawmaker's murder, court hears he supported IS
OCTOBER
21, 2021
By
Michael Holden
LONDON
(Reuters) -British police on Thursday charged a 25-year-old Londoner of Somali
heritage with stabbing a lawmaker to death in a church, a case that has raised
fears about the safety of elected politicians.
Prosecutor
James Cable told the court that Ali Harbi Ali, the son of an ex-media adviser
to a former prime minister of Somalia, had described himself as affiliated to
Islamic State and had planned for years to kill a member of parliament.
The
killing of 69-year-old David Amess - five years after another British member of
parliament was murdered on the street - has prompted calls for better
protection of lawmakers.
Amess,
a member of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party, was knifed
repeatedly on Friday in the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea,
northeast of London, where he had been meeting constituents. Paramedics tried
to save him on the floor of the church, but in vain.
Ali
has been charged with murder and preparing acts of terrorism, police said.
Appearing
at Westminster Magistrates Court, Ali spoke only to confirm his name, age and
address. He was remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey criminal
court on Friday.
“He
described himself as being affiliated with Islamic State,” Cable told the
court.
Earlier,
Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter
Terrorism Division, said in a statement the murder “has a terrorist connection,
namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations”.
‘SUBSTANTIAL
THREAT’ TO LAWMAKERS
British
lawmakers regularly hold “surgeries”, or one-to-one meetings with voters in
their constituencies, a tradition considered a bedrock of democracy. But with
little or no security and an emphasis on access for all, surgeries can make
lawmakers vulnerable.
On
Wednesday, interior minister Priti Patel said the terrorism threat level to
lawmakers was now deemed substantial, which means an attack is considered
likely.
Source:
Reuters
Please
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UN
Security Council condemns Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia
21
October ,2021
The
United Nations Security Council on Wednesday condemned the attacks against
Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, according to a press release.
The
council highlighted the October 8 attack on King Abdullah Airport and the drone
attacks striking Abha civilian airport in Saudi Arabia.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
UN Security Council also condemned the increasing number of incidents off the
coast of Yemen, including attacks on civilian and commercial ships, “which pose
a significant risk to the maritime security of vessels in the Gulf of Aden and
Red Sea,” according to the release.
The
statement added that the council stressed the need for de-escalation by all,
including an “immediate end to the Houthi escalation in Marib. They condemned
the recruitment and use of children, and sexual violence, in conflict.”
The
council demanded an immediate nationwide ceasefire, in accordance with
resolution 2565 (2021), and called for the resolution of differences through
inclusive dialogue and the rejection of violence to achieve political goals.
“The
members of the Security Council reaffirmed the need for all parties to comply
with their obligations under international humanitarian law,” the press release
said.
“They
condemned in the strongest terms violations of international humanitarian law
and international human rights law, as well as human rights abuses,” it added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Greek
court ‘shelves’ prison term of Turkish religious leader
Tevfik
Durul and Derya Gulnaz Ozcan
21.10.2021
ATHENS
A
Greek court on Thursday “shelved” the prison term of a religious leader from
the country's Muslim-Turkish community.
The
80-day prison sentence given by the lower court in northern port city of
Thessaloniki was suspended on Oct. 21 by the Court of Appeals, said Ibrahim
Serif, the elected mufti of Komotini (Gumulcine) in northeastern Greece, on
Twitter.
Serif
was charged in March 2018 by Greek authorities with "usurping office"
of the country's mufti - a Muslim legal expert with the authority to issue
religious rulings – for a religious ceremony he attended in 2016.
Serif's
lawyer, Ercan Ahmet, told Anadolu Agency that the prosecutor's suggestion has
resulted in the case file being "shelved."
Serif
was elected mufti of Komotini in 1990 by the local Muslim-Turkish community.
Ahmet
Mete, the current Mufti of Xanthi (Iskece), and his predecessor Mehmet Emin Aga
had also previously been convicted by Greek courts on the same charges.
The
Western Thrace region of Greece is home to a Muslim-Turkish minority of around
150,000 people, where muftis have legal jurisdiction over family and
inheritance matters in the local community.
Since
1991, the mufti election has been a vexing issue in the country.
The
election of muftis by Muslims in Greece was regulated in the 1913 Treaty of
Athens with the Ottoman Empire and was later included in Greek law.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/greek-court-shelves-prison-term-of-turkish-religious-leader/2399010
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Afghan
refugees may be housed in hotels for up to a year, say UK councils
October
21, 2021
LONDON:
Local politicians across the UK are making contingency plans to house Afghan
refugees in hotels for up to a year, as progress on finding them long-term
accommodation slows.
So
far, around 1,500 of the 8,500 Afghans airlifted out of Kabul by British forces
more than two months ago have been provided long-term accommodation, leaving
roughly 7,000 without a permanent home in the UK, and with no guidance on when
they will be provided, the Guardian reported.
Many
of those brought to the UK had worked alongside British or coalition forces as
interpreters or in other support roles.
Prime
Minister Boris Johnson previously committed to supporting them, saying: “We
will never forget the brave sacrifice made by Afghans who chose to work with
us, at great risk to themselves.”
But
local councils across Britain are struggling to deal with the influx of
refugees and the logistical challenges they pose.
Some
councils, the Guardian reported, said they had received no support from the
Home Office in providing immediate needs assessment on arrivals, and an
official from one said they were given no notice that the government was
block-booking hotels in the area for refugees.
“We’re
planning for a year, to be honest,” said one unnamed central London hotel
official. “We don’t think it will be quick.”
Nick
Forbes, the leader of Newcastle City Council, who heads the UK’s Local
Government Association Asylum, Refugees and Migration Task Group, told the
Guardian: “I get no sense that the government sees this as an urgent priority.
I’m concerned that now they are in hotels they are out of sight and out of
mind.”
There
have also been warnings that hotel conditions are not suitable for the many
children to have been evacuated to Britain.
“There
are kids in lots of hotels with nothing to do; their mental health wellbeing is
not being met, they are becoming frustrated and playing up. We could and should
be doing better,” one charity worker said after visiting several London hotels,
where 4,000 people are being housed.
Source:
Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/1952756/world
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Putin
says Afghanistan's financial assets should be unfrozen
Oct
21, 2021
MOSCOW:
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Afghanistan should receive
economic support and get its financial assets unfrozen as its stability was in
the interest of all its neighbours.
Washington
has said it has no plans to release billions in Afghan gold, investments and
foreign currency reserves parked in the United States that it froze after the
Taliban seized power in August, despite pressure from humanitarian groups and
others who say the cost may be the collapse of Afghanistan's economy.
Source:
Times of India
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South Asia
Senior
Bangladeshi Shia cleric calls for practical measures for Islamic unity
October
21, 2021
Delivering
speech at the webinar held on the first day of the 35th International Islamic
Unity Conference, Seyyed Ebrahim Khalil Rizvi, director of the center for
Islamic studies in Khulna, called on the Sunni clerics to explicitly state
their opinion on Islamic unity.
He
referred to the view by the late founder of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah
Khomeini, following the victory of 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran that the
discord they create in Iraq and other countries will destroys the enemies.
"The
sinister groups that divide Shias and Sunnis in Islamic countries are neither
Shias nor Sunnis. These are the arms of colonialism" said the cleric and
added," They act on behalf of colonialism. They want to take the Islamic
countries away from them."
Bangladeshi
scholar hailed late Imam Khomeini (RA) for firstly inviting all Muslims to
commemorate Islamic Unity Week and lauded the Supreme Leader of the Revolution
for emphasizing solidarity among Muslims.
He referred
to the historical fatwa by Ayatollah Khamenei and said," Even to preserve
Islamic unity, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution issued a fatwa that
the sanctities of the Sunnis are respected by us (Shias)" and added,"
The Leader issued the decree in order to create an atmosphere of unity."
Ayatollah
Sistani, regarding the Sunnis, said: “These are not just our brothers; these
are our souls.”
Seyyed
Ebrahim Khalil Rizvi criticized weakness of Muslims as the reason for arrogant
powers' oppression of Muslims and said, "They are constantly insulting the
sanctities of Islam."
Director
of the center for Islamic studies in Khulna highlighted importance of annual
Islamic Unity Conference and said," Holding such events is certainly a
must, but it is not enough. We must take practical action" calling on all
centers that can play a role in this issue to be activated.
He
concluded," In this regard, we also invite the Sunni Muftis to come and
explicitly state their opinion that the Muslim nation can be united and
preserve the sanctities of Islam with dignity and strength."
Seyyed
Ebrahim Khalil Rizvi made the comments in the first webinar held at the 35th
International Islamic Unity Conference held on Tuesday.
Source:
ABNA24
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--------
Bangladesh
arrests hundreds for violence against Hindus
Oct
19, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Bangladeshi police said on Tuesday that 450 people had been arrested in
the Muslim-majority nation after attacks against Hindus in some of the worst
such unrest for over a decade.
At
least six people have died, local media reported, as police have fought to
restrain angry mobs.
The
violence began on Friday when hundreds of Muslims protested in the southeastern
Noakhali district accusing Hindus of a blasphemous incident involving the Koran.
Several
Hindu religious sites have been vandalised, and homes attacked.
Authorities
have filed 71 cases in connection with the violence during the Hindu festival
of Durga Puja, a Bangladesh police spokesman said. Investigations were ongoing
after the arrest of 450 suspected culprits, he added.
Communal
tensions have long simmered in Bangladesh, whose constitution designates Islam
as the state religion but also upholds the principle of secularism.
Hindus
make up around 10% of the population.
Source:
Times of India
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Seven
killed in Rohingya refugee camp attack: police
Oct
22, 2021
BALUKHALI,
BANGLADESH: Attackers killed at least seven people in an assault Friday on an
Islamic seminary in a Rohingya refugee camp on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border,
police said.
The
attackers shot dead some victims and stabbed others with knives, a regional
police chief told AFP. The killings came amid mounting tensions after a
Rohingya community leader was shot dead outside his office in the camps three
weeks ago.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/seven-killed-in-rohingya-refugee-camp-attack-police/articleshow/87200933.cms
Human
Rights Watch asks for protecting Bangladesh Hindus, but calls for law
enforcement 'restraint'
IANS
/ Oct 22, 2021
NEW
YORK: While asking Bangladesh authorities to protect Hindus, the international
group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said law enforcement should act "with
caution and restraint".
"The
authorities need to be de-escalating violence, not shooting live ammunition
into a crowd," HRW's Asia Director Brad Adams said in a statement issued
by the group here.
Bangladesh
authorities are dealing with an extremely stressful situation that could easily
escalate into even more bloodshed, unless law enforcement acts with caution and
restraint," he added.
HRW's
statement did not identify or directly condemn those carrying out the attacks
on Hindus in Bangladesh, but turning to India it said that Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina has "called on Narendra Modi's government to quell communal
violence in India, where the ruling party has fueled violence targeting the
minority Muslim community".
However,
HRW acknowledged that "Hindus, who make up about 10 per cent of
Bangladesh's Muslim-majority population, have repeatedly come under
attack".
"Since
the first attacks, mobs have torched dozens of Hindu homes and vandalized
temples and statues throughout the country."
The
HRW statement quoted a Bangladeshi human rights group, Ain o Salish Kendra, as
reporting that "at least 3,679 attacks on the Hindu community since
January 2013, including vandalism, arson, and targeted violence" have
taken place.
Adams
said that Hasina "is facing a critical moment to show in words and action
that she is serious about her party's commitments to democracy and human
rights" and "her calls for an end to the violence should lead to
transparent investigations and real legal protections for the Hindu community
in Bangladesh".
Source:
Times of India
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--------
UN
sets up trust fund for ‘people’s economy’ in Afghanistan
October
22, 2021
GENEVA:
The United Nations said on Thursday it had set up a special trust fund to
provide urgently needed cash directly to Afghans through a system tapping into
donor funds frozen since the Taliban takeover in August.
With
the local economy “imploding”, the aim is to inject liquidity into Afghan
households to permit them to survive this winter and remain in their homeland,
it said.
Achim
Steiner, the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) administrator said Germany, a
first contributor, had pledged 50 million euros ($58 million) to the fund, and
that it was in touch with other donors to mobilise resources.
Some
97pc of Afghan households could be living below the poverty line by mid-2022,
according to UNDP.
“We
have to step in, we have to stabilise a ‘people’s economy’ and in addition to
saving lives we also have to save livelihoods,” Steiner told a news briefing.
“Because
otherwise we will confront indeed a scenario through this winter and into next
year where millions and millions of Afghans are simply unable to stay on their
land, in their homes, in their villages and survive,” he said.
The
International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s economy was set
to contract this year and this was likely to further fuel a refugee crisis that
would affect neighbouring countries, Turkey and Europe. The Taliban takeover
saw billions in central bank assets frozen and international financial
institutions suspend access to funds, although humanitarian aid has continued.
Banks are running out of money, civil servants have not been paid and food
prices have soared.
Steiner
said the challenge was to repurpose donor funds already earmarked for
Afghanistan, where the Taliban, the de facto authorities, are not recognised
internationally. The fund allows the international community to be “confident
enough that these funds are not meant as government-to-government funding”, he
said.
The
UN has discussed the programmes with the Taliban, he said, noting that 80pc of
the micro-businesses being helped were led by women.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1653317/un-sets-up-trust-fund-for-peoples-economy-in-afghanistan
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NATO
to convene meeting on Afghanistan in Brussels
21
Oct 2021
NATO
chief Gens Stoltenberg said that the organization plans to convene a summit of
defense ministers of the state members in which Afghanistan will be
concentrated upon.
The
meeting is reportedly being held in headquarter of NATO, Brussels on Thursday
and Friday.
The
defense ministers of NATO state members will discuss potential terror threats
evolving from Afghanistan.
Gens
Stoltenberg has acknowledged that the state members have the capability to
maintain terrorism from the distance.
“Taliban
are accountable to NATO and their allies in terms of their commitments over
addressing terrorism, human rights, and providing a safe route for people to
leave Afghanistan.’ Said Stoltenberg.
Source:
Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/nato-to-convene-meeting-on-afghanistan-in-brussels-36346346/
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Mideast
'Turkey
leads fight against Islamophobia via international organizations'
Fuat
Kabakcı
21.10.2021
Turkey
is leading the fight against Islamophobia and all other forms of discrimination
through international organizations, the country’s deputy foreign minister said
Wednesday.
“We
are leading the fight against Islamophobia and all other forms of
discrimination within the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the UN,”
Yavuz Selim Kiran said in a session on “Racism, Culture Wars, and the
Polarization of Global Politics” at the TRT World Forum 2021.
Kiran
said Muslims in Europe are blamed by the far right for economic problems,
irregular migration and terrorism, but Muslims themselves are the victims of
these problems.
Discrimination
in employment, education and social life triggers a tendency to withdraw in
immigrant communities, he said, adding this leads to a “more fragmented and
polarized society.”
He
said racist and anti-Islamic attacks in Europe and the US have increased in the
last five years, and the number of people killed in these attacks has risen
sevenfold.
Racism,
populism and anti-Islamism have become the main obstacles to the integration of
Muslims into Europe, he added.
He
stressed that the threats that fuel polarization and discrimination can no
longer be ignored and that these threats require urgent action at both national
and international levels.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Grand
Mufti Fatwa Banning Trade Of Flour For Bread Stirs Anger In Gaza
Mervat
Ouf
October
22, 2021
Arwa
Farroukh, was shocked to hear about the recent fatwa banning the exchange of
flour for bread from bakeries. She had been making the exchange at her local
bakery for months while the energy crisis prevented her from making her own
bread at home.
Exchanging
flour for bread at bakeries has become a common practice in the Gaza Strip.
Women from middle and poor classes in Gaza traditionally bake their own bread
at home. The UNRWA gives out food vouchers to the needy in Gaza every three
months. Each voucher includes one bag of flour for each member of a family.
But
the energy crisis plaguing the Gaza Strip has made it difficult to make and
keep bread at home. Many people reached deals with local bakeries to give the
flour they receive from UNRWA to the baker, who gives bread in exchange for one
shekel (31 cents) per kilogram of bread.
Now a
fatwa banning the exchange has raised concerns among many poor families in
Gaza. On Oct. 18, Grand Mufti of Khan Yunis Sheikh Ihsan Ibrahim Ashour
prohibited the practice in a fatwa, which said this practice falls under usury,
which is prohibited in Islam.
Farroukh,
who lives in al-Shati refugee camp in the west of the Gaza Strip, told
Al-Monitor, “After I heard about the fatwa banning the exchange of flour for
bread, I stopped to wait to make sure this practice is allowed under Sharia
law.”
The
fatwa also worried Umm Mahmoud Mutair, who has been exchanging flour for bread
at her local bakery for two years now.
Mutair
had turned to this practice after two loaves were ruined when she was unable to
bake them in time due to the power outage in the Badr camp in south Gaza. Other
loaves she did bake repeatedly spoiled in the refrigerator, off for long hours.
Shadi
Awad told Al-Monitor that he receives seven bags of flour from UNRWA each year.
He has also been exchanging the flour for bread from his local bakery. Awad,
who has been unemployed for years, said he was surprised by the fatwa, which
came at a time when nearly 2 million Gazans are living below the poverty line.
He said that the clergy should better consider the people's needs.
Amid
the popular outrage, the Fatwa Department of the Islamic University of Gaza
issued another ruling allowing the exchange, citing Muslim scholars who see no
harm in it. Department head Atef Abu Harbid told Al-Monitor that after the
mufti issued the fatwa, people asked his department for another judgment. An
advisory council that includes experts in various disciplines including in
jurisprudence discussed the matter, and the fatwa was issued to allow the
practice.
Abu
Harbid stressed that differences among Muslim scholars are common. “The dispute
over this issue is not new, and we saw it was necessary to make people’s lives
easier and not embarrass them by controlling this practice. People are free to
choose whatever opinion they are comfortable with.”
Abdullah
Abu Alyan, secretary of the Council of Jurisprudence at the Ministry of
Endowments and Religious Affairs in Gaza, said the fatwa troubled Gazans
because it directly affects their basic needs.
Source:
Al Monitor
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Spokesman:
Terrorist Attacks Not to Undermine Syria’s Determination in War on Terrorism
2021-October-21
"The
blind and cowardly acts of terrorism are doomed to failure and certainly cannot
undermine the determination of the Syrian government and people in the fight
against terrorism and the liberation of the occupied territories and the
stability of this country," Khatibzadeh said on Wednesday.
He
also sympathized with the Syrian people and government and the families of the
victims.
A
blast on an army bus in Damascus on Wednesday killed 14 people, state media
reported, the deadliest bombing in the Syrian capital in years.
The
bus carrying troops was blown up near a bridge in the center of Damascus. A
military source quoted by state media said two bombs had been attached to the
vehicle in advance. Army engineers defused a third.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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--------
Islamic
Jihad threatens to expand hunger strike in Israeli prisons
By
KHALED ABU TOAMEH
OCTOBER
21, 2021
Palestinian
Islamic Jihad said on Thursday that its prisoners will not halt their hunger
strike unless their demands are met by the Israeli authorities.
The
Iranian-backed terrorist group said that dozens of its inmates are expected to
join 250 PIJ prisoners who have been on hunger strike in Israeli prisons for
the past nine days. PIJ has at least 400 prisoners in Israeli prisons.
The
PIJ prisoners are protesting a series of punitive measures imposed on them by
the Israel Prison Service following the escape of six inmates from Gilboa Prison
last month.
Five
of the escapees, who were recaptured days after the prison break, belong to
PIJ. The sixth, Zakariya Zbeidi, is a member of the ruling Fatah faction headed
by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Mahmoud
al-Ardah, described as the “commander and mastermind” of the prison break, has
joined the hunger strikers, his brother, Shaddad al-Ardah, said on Thursday.
The
PIJ inmates are demanding that the authorities rescind their decision to
transfer them to various prisons. They claim that some of the PIJ prisoners
have been placed in solitary confinement as a punishment for the escape of
their friends.
Thabet
Mardawi, a veteran PIJ prisoner, was quoted as saying his group is considering
escalating the protests in light of the Israeli authorities’ refusal to comply
with the demands of the inmates. Mardawi said dozens of PIJ prisoners are
expected to join the hunger strike if the demands are not met by Thursday.
Palestinian
sources said that prisoners belonging to Fatah, Hamas and other Palestinian
factions have thus far refused to join the hunger strike.
The
factions, however, said their prisoners may join the hunger strike at a later
stage, the sources said, adding that PIJ officials in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip expressed “disappointment” over the decision.
PIJ
representatives claimed that the hunger strike launched by the prisoners was
taken “with the consent of all Palestinian factions.”
“Islamic
Jihad is preparing to expand the hunger strike so that it would include
prisoners from all Palestinian factions,” said one PIJ representative. “They
are protesting a series of abusive measures imposed by the authorities,
including the transfer of many prisoners to other prisons and holding several
others in solitary confinement.”
The
PIJ representative claimed that the prisoners are facing immense pressure from
the authorities to end the hunger strike.
Meanwhile
PIJ Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah and senior Hamas official Khalil
al-Hayya briefed Iranian officials on the latest developments surrounding the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the conditions of Palestinian prisoners
held in Israeli prisons.
Nakhalah
and Hayya arrived in Tehran earlier this week to attend the 35th International
Conference on Islamic Unity. The two held a series of meetings with Iranian
officials on the margins of the conference.
Attended
by Islamic “scholars” from 52 countries, the one-week conference was held under
the banner “Peace and Avoiding Division and Conflict in the Islamic World.”
Addressing
the conference, al-Nakhalah praised Iran for its ongoing support for the
Palestinians in their fight against Israel.
“The
support of Iran, and the continuation of this support at all levels, has played
the most prominent and important role in our ability to confront and continue
the resistance against the Zionist enemy,” he said.
Nakhalah
said that “the hostile US-led Western attack [on Muslims] targets all
components of our nation and constitutes an imminent danger to our nation and
our civilization.”
He
called on all Muslim countries to support the Palestinian “resistance” and
“mobilize all their energies towards liberating Jerusalem in order to foil the
[US-led] onslaught.”
Source:
The Jerusalem Post
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--------
Istanbul
Finance Centre Will Be Islamic Finance Hub: Turkish President
Mehmet
Tosun and Kaan Bozdogan
21.10.2021
With
Istanbul Finance Center, a project expected to be launched by early 2022,
Turkey targets to be a hub for Islamic finance, the nation's president said on
Thursday.
"We
are seeking to become one of the important centers in the world with the
Istanbul Finance Center. We want this project to become a center for Islamic
finance as well," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video message to an
economy event -- Regional Finance Conference -- held in Istanbul.
The
president added that the legislative work regarding the landmark project will
be completed soon.
The
Istanbul Finance Center project is set to serve as a global hub for financial
systems and non-banking financial methods.
Turkey,
Erdogan said, has a lure for foreign investors with tax exceptions and
discount.
He
also mentioned steps to improve the infrastructure environment and moves to
link transportation corridors which create opportunities for investors.
"There
are many fields in which we can cooperate, from energy to transportation,
defense industry, technology, finance, and food. We expect investors to make
the most of these opportunities."
Erdogan
said it is an important gain that Turkey's name comes to the fore for
alternative destinations to the Asian-based production and supply network.
"As
a government that has carried out historical reforms in every field for the
last 19 years, we are determined not to let this trust in Turkey fail," he
pledged.
-
Turkey's economic growth despite pandemic
Amid
the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has been struggling with a global crisis which
has both economic and health-related fallouts, the Turkish leader said, adding
last year's economic data clearly showed what kind of a storm the world is
being dragged into.
He
recalled that the world economy narrowed by 3.5%, the global trade decreased by
nearly 10%, international direct investments dropped by 42%, and global debts
reached the record level of $282 trillion last year.
Most
of the countries are trying to get through this crisis by retreating into their
own shells, instead of opening up and sharing the burden, he criticized.
Disruptions
especially in production and supply chains will cause problems of which effects
will take long years, he warned.
Turkey,
he said, did not suspend production, logistics, employment, and industrial
activities in this process by adopting a different method in fight against the
pandemic.
With
support for the business world, traders, small and medium-sized enterprises,
and farmers, Turkey closed 2020 with a positive growth rate – 1.8% – despite a
negative economic climate and supply chain problem, Erdogan stressed.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Erdogan
threatens to expel 10 Western ambassadors
October
22, 2021
ISTANBUL:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday threatened to expel the US,
German and eight other Western ambassadors after they issued a rare joint
statement in support of a jailed civil society leader.
Parisian-born
philanthropist and activist Osman Kavala, 64, has been in jail without a
conviction since 2017, becoming a symbol of what critics see as Erdogan’s
growing intolerance of dissent.
The
10 ambassadors issued a highly unusual joint statement on Monday — distributed
widely on their Turkish social media accounts — saying Kavala’s continued
detention “cast a shadow” over Turkey.
“I
told our foreign minister that we cannot have the luxury of hosting them in our
country,” Erdogan told reporters in comments published by Turkish media.
Kavala
has faced a string of alternating charges linked to 2013 anti-government
protests and a failed military coup in 2016.
In
their statement, the US, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden called for a “just and speedy
resolution to (Kavala)’s case”.
The
10 envoys were summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry on Tuesday.
Erdogan
sounded incandescent with rage in a conversation with Turkish reporters on
board his return flight from a tour of Africa.
“Is
it within your boundary to teach such a lesson to Turkey? Who are you?” he
demanded in comments carried by the private NTV broadcaster.
The
Turkish lira extended its fall into record-low territory against the dollar
within moments of Erdogan’s comments on fears of a new wave of Turkish tensions
with the West.
Speaking
from his jail cell last week, Kavala said he felt like a tool in Erdogan’s
attempts to blame a foreign plot for domestic opposition to his nearly
two-decade rule.
“I
think the real reason behind my continued detention is that it addresses the
need of the government to keep alive the fiction that the (2013) Gezi protests
were the result of a foreign conspiracy,” Kavala said in the interview.
“Since
I am accused of being a part of this conspiracy allegedly organised by foreign
powers, my release would weaken the fiction in question and this is not
something that the government would like,” he said.
Kavala
was acquitted of the Gezi charges in February 2020, only to be re-arrested
before he could return home and thrown back in jail over alleged links to the
2016 coup plot.
The
Council of Europe, the continent’s top human rights watchdog, has issued a
final warning to Turkey to comply with a 2019 European Court of Human Rights
order to release Kavala pending trial.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1653325/erdogan-threatens-to-expel-10-western-ambassadors
--------
Iranian
Army Air Force Starts Massive Drills
2021-October-21
In
the main and operational phase of the 10th Fada’eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat
military wargames on Thursday, vital targets of hypothetical enemy were
destroyed by the indigenized ‘Yasin 90’ bombs.
The
drills are participated by all bases of Army Air Force and with a focus on
airbases of Shahid Babayee in Isfahan, Shahid Yasini in Bushehr, Shahid
Abdolkarimi in Bandar Abbas, Vahdati in Dezful and Shahid Fakouri in Tabriz
under the direct command of the Army Air Force Headquarters.
On
the first day of the operational phase of the military exercises, F-4 and F-5
bombers equipped with pinpointing, smart and precision-guided missiles and F-7
aircraft equipped with ‘Yasin 90’ bombs and home-made rockets with innovative
techniques successfully destroyed the critical and vital targets of
hypothetical enemy both on land and sea, Iran’s Army Air Force Commander
Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi said on Thursday.
Also,
F-5 and MiG-29 fighter jets conducted air operations successfully in real-time
combat, in which the missile fired by hypothetical enemy was intercepted and
destroyed by air-to-air missiles of Iran’s Army Air Force, he added.
During
the military exercises, the Command Center will communicate directly with
pilots in fighter jets to carry out their mission, so that targets of fighter
jets will be determined from the Command post, General Vahedi said, adding that
shooting against air targets with high speed and in various altitudes and
air-to-ground bombardment were practiced at the first stage of the drills,
using smart, indigenous and upgraded heavy and semi-heavy bombs as well as use
of laser missiles, thermal television, radar and various rockets and bombs
produced by the young Iranian experts.
The
main phase and operational stage of the 10th Air Force drill entitled
Fada’eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat started on Thursday with the participation of
manned and unmanned aircrafts of Iran’s Army Air Force in the presence of
Commander-in-Chief of Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Deputy Commander of
Armed Forces and a number of senior commanders and officials of Khatam al-Anbia
Central Headquarters.
A
wide range of aircraft and drones, including dozens of fighter jets, bombers,
military transport aircraft, and reconnaissance aircraft, will be employed in
the main and operational phase of the one-day drills.
On
Wednesday, General Vahedi said the drilling squadrons would be flying Sukhoi
Su-24 attack aircraft, long-range supersonic F-4 fighter bombers, F-5 fighter
aircraft, F-7 fighter jets, RF-4 fighter
bombers, Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets, F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft, as well as
indigenously-developed Sa’eqeh (Lightning) fighters during the exercises.
He
added that the aerial maneuvers would be backed by Boeing-707 and -747 aerial
refueling airplanes, transport and freight aircraft, in addition to homegrown
Karrar (Striker), Kian, Ababil (Bird Flock), Arash, and Kaman-12 (Bow-12)
unmanned aerial vehicles that are equipped with rockets, precision-guided
missiles, long-range smart bombs and radar jamming devices.
General
Vahedi said the military hardware have been deployed to five bases across the
country, including Shahid Babayee Airbase in the Central Isfahan province and
Shahid Fakouri Airbase in the Northwestern province of East Azarbaijan
Province, over the past few days.
The
maneuvers, he said, are aimed at “assessment of combat capabilities of IRIAF
units, increasing preparedness of interceptors, practicing the implementation
of reconnaissance and operational plans, and establishment of a right model
that would suit real-life battle.”
The
commander said that long-range endurance of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air
Force fighter jets outside their defensive spheres, pinpoint accuracy of bombs
and rockets in air-to-surface strikes as well as surveillance of the
operational zone will be put to test during the massive drills.
Moreover,
air-to-air missiles will be fired to test their high destructive power.
General
Vahedi said all kinds of homegrown and upgraded systems and ammunition,
including heavy and semi-heavy smart bombs, plus all kinds of laser-guided,
thermal and radar-evading missiles will be used during the exercise.
He
emphasized that Fada’eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat-10 aerial drills will be commanded
by the IRIAF Command Center in Tehran, using sophisticated, multi-layered and
secure communication systems.
Iranian
military experts and technicians have in recent years made great progress in
developing and manufacturing a broad range of domestically-manufactured
equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in this regard.
Earlier
this month, the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
started large-scale aerial drills aimed at enhancing preparedness for defending
the country’s skies against threats.
The
operational phase of the joint large-scale drill, codenamed Modafe’an-e
Aseman-e Velayat 1400 (Defenders of Velayat Skies 1400), was held in the
Central desert areas of Iran.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Iran,
Turkey Reiterate Joint Fight against Terrorism
2021-October-21
The
agreement inked on Wednesday is aimed at broadening neighborly cooperation on
security issues and emphasizes determination to expand strategic ties and
jointly fight terrorism and trafficking.
The
MoU also foresees prevention of all kinds of terrorist and illegal acts
concerning the two countries, especially in the border regions, and the mutual
development of all kinds of law enforcement activities.
Later
in the day, the two ministers briefed media on the content of their talks at a
press conference.
Vahidi
said they discussed ways to improve relations in all fields, including the
fight against terrorism, international crimes, and arms and drug trafficking as
well as cross-border exchanges and interactions.
Moreover,
he said, “more general issues such as the destructive role of the US and the
Zionist regime [Israel] in the region, the many problems they have caused for
regional nations, [including] the problems they have created in Afghanistan,
and the conspiracies they pursue in the region were also discussed”.
“The
two countries are resolved to expand strategic relations and new horizons are
opening for joint cooperation in all areas. This is a good start for deepening
ties with Turkey,” Vahidi said.
“Iran-Turkey
ties will speed up. The two states will together end regional stability and
foil enemy plots. The two countries will not allow others to disrupt their
relations,” he added.
The
Turkish minister, for his part, said he held important talks in Tehran.
Soylu
added that Iran and Turkey cooperate on the battle against the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and other terrorist groups and are determined to
eradicate terrorism.
The
PKK, designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European
Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people
have been killed in the conflict, focused in southeast Turkey.
Pointing
to the new influx of many Afghan refugees into Iran and Turkey, Soylu said the
two countries are firm in fighting illegal immigration and added that Ankara
would examine a proposal by Tehran to set up a joint working group in this
regard.
In a
relevant development in September, Vahidi in a telephone conversation with
Soylu had described Tehran and Ankara as two key regional powers that can play
a significant role in the establishment of peace and stability in the region.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000729000191/Iran-Trkey-Reierae-Jin-Figh-agains-Terrrism
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Iran,
Russia Confer on Situation in Syria’s Idlib, Eastern Euphrates Region
2021-October-21
During
the meeting on Wednesday, the two sides exchanged views on bilateral ties and
the latest developments in Syria, specially Eastern Euphrates and Idlib as well
as other issues of mutual interests.
Khaji
referred to holding the sixth round of meetings of members of Syrian
Constitutional Committee, and expressed the hope that the meeting would yield
good and positive results.
He
also lauded the positive attitude of certain countries towards the Syrian
government and people, and expressed the hope that this issue would accelerate
the delivery of humanitarian aid, reconstruction and return of refugees to
their country.
In a
relevant development on Wednesday, Khaji had called on Qatar to dispatch
humanitarian aid to Syria and participate in the war-ravaged country’s
reconstruction.
Khaji
made the remarks in a meeting with the Qatari envoy for regional affairs and
Syria on the sidelines of the Syria Constitutional Committee meeting sponsored
and backed by the UN in Geneva.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Africa
Mali
has not asked any group to negotiate with Islamist militants
October
22, 2021
BAMAKO,
Oct 21 (Reuters) - The Malian government on Thursday said it had not officially
asked any organisation to negotiate with Islamist insurgents on its behalf.
This
week, a spokesperson for the ministry of religious affairs said it had asked
the High Islamic Council (HCI) to open peace talks with leaders of al Qaeda's
local affiliate in an effort to end a decade of conflict. read more
"The
Government informs the national and international public that to date, no
national or international organisation has been officially mandated to carry
out such an activity," the government said in a statement.
Source:
Reuters
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Tunisia’s
president promises ‘dialogue’ on changing political system
21
October ,2021
Tunisia's
president said on Tuesday he would launch a “national dialogue” on changing
electoral law and the political system, but gave no detail on how he would
allay international concerns about his seizure of near total power.
President
Kais Saied assumed executive authority in July then last month brushed aside
most of the constitution. Critics called the moves a coup and the European
Union this week joined other donors in calling for a restoration of democratic
order.
In a
speech streamed on the presidential Facebook page, Saied said the dialogue
would include the country's young people, but kept up a defiant tone.
He
said the discussions would not include “those who stole the people's money and
traitors”. He also criticized what he called foreign interference, telling
world powers to “return smuggled Tunisian money to European and international
banks”.
Critics
say his moves have cast doubt over the democratic gains of Tunisia's 2011
revolution. But his supporters have hailed the changes, saying they have
reclaimed the revolution from an entrenched, corrupt elite.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Mass
protests in Sudan against prospect of military rule
21
October ,2021
Huge
crowds of people marched in different parts of the Sudanese capital and other
cities on Thursday in demonstrations to reject military rule as the crisis in the
country's troubled transition from authoritarian rule deepened.
The
military has shared power with civilians in a transitional authority since the
removal of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 in a popular uprising after three
decades in power.
A
coalition of rebel groups and political parties have aligned themselves with
the military, which has accused the civilian parties of mismanagement and
monopolizing power, and are seeking to dissolve the cabinet.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Civilian
leaders say this would amount to a coup and say the military aims to install a
government it can control.
Thursday's
protest took place on the anniversary of the 1964 October Revolution and was
preceded by days of smaller neighborhood protests.
Reuters
journalists estimated the number of participants to be in the hundreds of
thousands, making it the biggest demonstration of the transition.
In
the city of Omdurman, protesters were met with heavy tear gas to prevent them from
crossing a bridge leading to central Khartoum, witnesses told Reuters.
Plumes
of smoke could be seen across the city as protesters burned tires and waved
Sudanese flags.
Many
chants were critical of head of the ruling Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah
Al-Burhan, accusing him of being loyal to Bashir. Some demanded he hand over
leadership to civilians and others demanded his removal.
“This
country is ours, and our government is civilian,” one chant said.
Several
government ministers were seen marching in different parts of Khartoum.
“October
21 is a lesson for any tyrants, loyalists, or opportunists deluded into
thinking they can turn back the hands of time,” wrote Sovereign Council member
Siddig Tawer, one of several civilian officials who endorsed the protests.
Neighborhood
resistance committees said in a statement they were protesting the entire
power-sharing agreement and demanded sole civilian rule.
Many
businesses in central Khartoum were closed in anticipation of the protest and
there was an extensive police presence.
The
military says it is committed to the transition to democracy and elections at
the end of 2023.
Prime
Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who leads the cabinet under a military-civilian
power-sharing agreement, remains popular despite an economic crisis. He has
said he is speaking to all sides in the crisis in order to find a solution.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Libyan
PM Dbeibah supports holding national election on Dec. 24
21
October ,2021
Libyan
Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah suported on Thursday the holding of a
national election on Dec. 24 as envisaged in a UN-backed peace plan.
Speaking
at the Libya Stabilization Conference in Tripoli, he said it was possible to end
the lengthy crisis since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled former
Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi.
“We
support the efforts of the higher election committee to hold (the vote) on the
planned date. I call for a wide and effective participation of Libyans in the
elections,” Dbeibah said.
The
election, agreed under a UN-supported peace process, has been viewed as a key
step in efforts to end a decade of violence by creating a new political
leadership whose legitimacy is widely accepted.
Wrangling
over the constitutional basis for an election, the rules governing the vote and
questions over its credibility have threatened to unravel the peace process.
The
United Nations process has called for presidential and parliamentary elections
for December 24.
However,
although the parliament has issued a law for the presidential election on that
date, it has issued a separate law saying the parliamentary election will
happen at a later date. Other political institutions in Libya have rejected the
parliament’s proposals.
Non-interference
Libya
has had little stability since the uprising against Gaddafi and the legitimacy
of its various political institutions have been questioned repeatedly since
then.
Any
move to hold an election without widespread acceptance by rival political
institutions could lead major factions to reject the vote, potentially
triggering another violent schism.
Unifying
the country’s fragmented armed forces, divided between a host of groups split
between two broad coalitions in east and west, as well as resolving the role of
foreign powers and mercenaries in Libya, is also crucial.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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African
envoys make Libya ‘conciliation’ trip before December presidential vote
20
October ,2021
Congolese
President Denis Sassou Nguesso, the African Union (AU) pointman on Libya,
dispatched a “conciliation” mission to the conflict-ridden North African
country on Monday ahead of presidential elections there set for December,
official sources said.
The
AU mission will cover “information, evaluation but also conciliation on the
process ahead of the presidential vote due at the end of the year,” the
Republic of Congo’s Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso told AFP by telephone.
The
delegation will meet senior political players, religious leaders and opinion
makers in Tripoli, Benghazi, Tobruk, and Misrata, the minister said.
“We
envisage also meeting Libyans in the diaspora in Cairo and Tunis,” where the AU
group of a dozen figures arrived on Monday.
They
will return to Brazzaville to brief Sassou Nguesso who will attend a Libya
summit in France on November 12, the minister added.
Sassou
Nguesso met Libyan leader Mohamed al-Menfi in Congo last July to discuss the election
arrangements.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Putin
admits presence of Russian private military companies in Mali
Elena
Teslova
21.10.2021
Russian
private military companies could be active in Mali, President Vladimir Putin
admitted on Thursday.
Such
contractors could be serving in roles connected to guarding mining operations,
Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the resort city of
Sochi in southern Russia.
"This
is a private business, private interests, related to -- among other things --
the extraction of energy resources and other resources -- gold, gems," he
said.
The
president stressed that as private companies, private military companies do not
represent the interests of the Russian state and are not deployed by Russian
authorities.
If
their activities contradict the interests of Russia as a state, however,
Russian officials will take action.
Russia,
US move forward on Geneva decisions
Turning
to Russia-US relations, Putin said a summit in Geneva with US President Joe
Biden earlier this year had been "productive" and boosted impetus
towards normalization.
"Though
the set of issues we agreed on (in Geneva) is small, we're still on the right
track. These are today's most important issues and in general, the
administration on the American side and Russia on the other side are fulfilling
their plans and moving forward on this path," he said on the meeting held
in June.
Putin
added that he had the impression that Washington aimed to build and revive
relations in some important areas.
Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that a new meeting between the
Russian and US leaders could take place by the end of the year.
Thawing
Armenia-Turkey relations
Addressing
the settlement last year of the conflict for the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Putin
said that despite all obstacles, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had managed to stop the bloodshed.
"It
is necessary to create conditions for a long-term settlement in the region as a
whole, which can be created if the parties accept the agreements on Karabakh as
long-term, to be able to assess the benefits of peace," he said.
Putin
underlined that both sides would benefit from the peace, with Azerbaijan now
able to have normal connections with its exclave Nakhchivan and Armenia
profiting from building economic relations.
"Armenia
is interested in establishing normal economic activity, including with
Azerbaijan, to unfreeze its relations with Turkey, to give them a modern
character," he said.
The
main point will be to create a situation of security and build relationships
between Armenia and Azerbaijan in a positive way, he added.
Another
important thing, said Putin, will be to settle the situation on the border,
adding that this would be impossible without Russia.
Liberation
of Karabakh
Relations
between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense
since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as
Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan,
and seven adjacent regions.
When
new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on
civilians and Azerbaijani forces, and violated several humanitarian cease-fire
agreements.
During
the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300
settlements and villages from the nearly three-decade occupation.
On
Nov. 10 last year, the two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement to end
the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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French
army says leading member of al-Qaeda affiliate killed in Mali
James
Tasamba
21.10.2021
The
French military Thursday announced the killing of Nasser Al Tergui, a leading
member of the Katiba Serma terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda, last week
in Mali.
In a
statement, the French military said he was killed in an airstrike carried out
by Barkhane military forces on Oct. 15.
There
was no immediate reaction from the government in Mali on the announcement.
Katiba
Serma, an armed group affiliated with al-Qaeda, is operating along Mali's
troubled border with Burkina Faso.
Al
Tergui was number two in the Gourma-Serma brigade of the Support Group for
Islam and Muslims (Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin), the statement said.
Al
Tergui is believed to have joined al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in 2012.
He
had “major operational responsibilities in the group, notably planting
improvised explosive devices,” the statement said, adding: “His death will
reduce the capacity to cause harm of an armed terrorist group known for
carrying out attacks against local forces and the local population.”
A
drone reportedly spotted a vehicle believed to be carrying Al Tergui and five
other members of the brigade about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Gossi
town on Oct. 15.
An
operation was launched to intercept the vehicle, but it refused to stop.
“Two
airstrikes were unleashed, destroying the vehicle and neutralizing the five
occupants,” the army said.
Mali
has been battling an insurgency linked to the al-Qaeda and Daesh/ISIS terror
groups since 2012 when unrest erupted in the north of the West African country.
Mali’s
transition government said Tuesday it asked the High Islamic Council to open
peace talks with leaders of the al-Qaeda-linked groups to end a decade of
conflict, a move not backed by the country’s chief military ally, France.
France
has maintained about 5,100 soldiers in West Africa as part of its Operation
Barkhane anti-terrorism force, with its headquarters in Chad’s capital,
N’Djamena. The force is being drawn down.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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