Women Working In Afghan Government Must Cover Up 'Even With a Blanket', Say Taliban
New Age Islam News Bureau
23 February 2022
• Germany Home to 1,950 Potentially Violent Islamist
Extremists
• Mosque Loudspeaker Rule to Balance Religious, Social
Harmony: Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry
• Saudi Arabia’s First ‘Founding Day’ Celebrations Mix
Tradition with the Future
• Lucknow Shia Cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad's Support
for BJP Finds Little Resonance in Community
South
Asia
• Taliban Faces Renewed Resistance in Afghanistan’s
Bamiyan
• Silent int'l recognition of Afghan govt underway,
claims Taliban
• Mullah Fazel asked Mujahideen to have Good
Interaction with People
• UN special envoy meets acting Taliban foreign
minister, talks about rights
• US restricts import of Afghan cultural items to
prevent ‘pillage’
--------
Europe
• Mosque Terror Attacks: Muslims Still At Risk of
Being Targets For Violence, Coronial Hearing Told
• Iran nuclear talks ‘nearing end’, outcome ‘still
uncertain:’ EU coordinator
• Iran urges ‘restraint’ in Ukraine crisis, blames US,
NATO
• Turkish lira driven to mid-January low by
Ukraine-Russia crisis
• NATO warns Russia readying for ‘full-scale attack’
on Ukraine
• Sweden battles disinformation on ‘kidnappings’ of
Muslim children
--------
Southeast
Asia
• PAS wants Shariah courts to have a say on religious
conversions
• The need to move from personality to policy-based
politics
• Court dismisses Tajuddin’s defamation suit against
Khalid Samad, NSTP, KiniTV
• Cops probe Islamic groups, supporters for breaching
SOPs outside court
--------
Arab
World
• Syrian regime supports Russia’s recognition of
Ukraine’s breakaway regions
• Israel fires missiles on border positions inside Syria:
Syrian military
• Lebanon orders investigation into legality of two
Houthi TV channels in Beirut
• UN ends Iraq’s requirement to pay victims of Kuwait
invasion
• Saudi Arabia, Pakistan conduct joint military
exercise
• Arab nations condemn Houthi drone attack on Saudi
Arabia
• 1 dead in northern Syria car bombing
• El-Sisi affirms Egypt’s keenness on Kuwait, Gulf’s
stability and security in confronting internal and regional challenges
--------
India
• Bihar: UCO Bank Employee Apologises to Muslim Woman
for Denying Cash for Wearing Hijab
• PFI, like SIMI, knows riding the communal tiger is
perilous. Jihadists are reared on hate
• At least 40 Indians who joined ISIS now in
Middle-East prison camps, find there’s no way home
• India to get technical help from Malaysia to
increase its palm oil plantation footprints
• India Has Always Opposed Terror: Lok Sabha Speaker
Om Birla to UAE Council
• Andhra school principal asks girls to remove hijab,
backtracks after stir
• Right to wear hijab not under Article 25: Govt
• Hijab row: FIR against journalist for barging into
Muslim girl’s house
--------
North
America
• US Politician, Ed Durr, Who Previously Denounced
Islam Now Wants Muslim Holidays To Be Recognised
• US approves potential foreign military sale to Kuwait
for $1 bln for defence HQ
• Canada must repatriate dying woman and child from
Daesh camp: HRW
• US lawmakers: Biden must ask Congress before sending
troops to Ukraine
--------
Africa
• Archaeologists Find 9,000-Year-Old Shrine In Jordan
Desert
• South Africa Sending Fresh Troops to Mozambique to
Fight Islamist Insurgents
• Yobe: Chief Judge warns Magistrates, Sharia Alkalis
against corrupt practices, misconduct
• Libya’s Dbeibah promises legislative elections by
end of June
• Kenya condemns Russian recognition of Ukraine's
separatist regions
--------
Pakistan
• International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation
approves $1.2bn for Pakistan
• Pakistan: Journalists union challenges PECA
amendments in Islamabad HC
• Pakistan's opposition rejects toughened new social
media law
• Pakistan's Imran Khan wants TV debate with PM Modi
to resolve issues
• Balochistan Assembly adopts resolution about relief
for Afghanistan
• Operation Raddul Fasaad Ensures Country’s Transition
to ‘Peace’: Army Chief
• Regional Countries Need To Work Collectively For
Enduring Peace: COAS Gen Bajwa
• Pakistan and Uzbekistan agree to further expedite
Trans Afghan Railway project
• KPC flays govt for imposing ‘fresh curbs’ on media
freedom
--------
Mideast
• Turkiye's Erdogan Hailed For Raising Voice for
Oppressed Muslims
• Over 190 Jewish settlers defile Aqsa Mosque under
police guard
• Iranian President: Sanctions No More Effective
against Free Nations
• Iran Blasts Canada for Using LRADs against
Protestors
• Iran Urges All Sides in Ukraine Crisis to Practice
Restraint
• Palestinian boy killed by Israeli fire after alleged
attack
• Israel court freezes eviction order of Palestinian
family in Sheikh Jarrah
• Iran nuclear deal to be ‘worse’ than 2015 accord:
Netanyahu
• Yemen 'graveyard' of Saudi-led aggressors, says
parliament
• Israel withholding bodies of Palestinian children:
Rights group
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/afghan-taliban-women-islamist-extremists/d/126435
--------
Women Working In Afghan Government Must Cover Up 'Even
With A Blanket', Say Taliban
February 22, 2022
Kabul: Women working in Afghan government departments
must cover up -- even with a blanket if necessary -- or they may lose their
jobs, the Taliban's religious police said Tuesday.
Most women have been barred from their government
jobs, since the Taliban retook power in August, though Afghanistan's new rulers
claim they will be allowed to return once some conditions are in place -- such
as segregated offices.
On Tuesday, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue
and Prevention of Vice issued a statement saying women should not go to work
unless they were properly covered, and they could be fired if they did not
follow guidelines.
The ministry earned notoriety during the Taliban's
first stint in power from 1996 to 2001 for policing the leadership's strict
interpretation of Islam.
It was unclear why they issued Tuesday's statement, as
most women in Afghanistan have always covered their heads in public -- with a
loose shawl at least.
"They can follow the hijab the way they
want," ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP when
reached for clarification.
But when asked if this meant they had to wear the
all-covering burqa that the Taliban made compulsory during their previous rule,
he demurred.
They can wear "any other sort of hijab, it is up to
them, but they must (cover up) properly... even wear a blanket", he said.
During the Taliban's previous stint in power, a strict
interpretation of Islam meant policing people's day-to-day habits, actions, and
clothing.
Western clothing was prohibited, men were ordered not
to shave, and people were thrashed if they did not hurry along to prayers.
Despite promising a softer version of their rule this
time around, some strict prohibitions have crept back in -- including banning
TV dramas featuring women unless they have an Islamic theme, and forbidding
music in public.
There have been few national edicts issued, however,
and regulations appear to have been introduced around the country based largely
on the whim of local officials, or according to traditional customs in
conservative areas.
Source: ND TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/women-workers-must-cover-up-even-with-a-blanket-say-taliban-2782411
--------
Germany
Home To 1,950 Potentially Violent Islamist Extremists
About
29,000 people with Islamic extremist tendencies are estimated to live in
Germany. AFP
----
Feb
22, 2022
The
German government has revealed there are about 1,950 potentially violent
Islamist extremists in the country.
These
people were assessed by the Interior Ministry as both extreme in their beliefs
and either known to be violent or showing a willingness to commit violent acts.
They
were the most dangerous of the roughly 29,000 people believed to have Islamist
extremist tendencies in Germany, who in turn are a minority of the
approximately 5.5 million Muslims in the country.
Ministers
have described right-wing extremism as the main threat to Germany’s
constitutional order, but sporadic Islamist extremist attacks, including an
attack at a Berlin Christmas market in 2016, have rattled the country.
In
a written answer to a question from MPs, the ministry said those identified did
not necessarily belong to Islamist extremist organisations but were tallied up
when evidence of their violent tendencies emerged.
German
intelligence services say the Salafist scene is the main ideological
underpinning for violent extremism, although it has stagnated in size in recent
years.
The
foreign intelligence service separately raised the alarm this month about
extremists in Germany travelling to Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.
About
1,150 people have left Germany to travel to Syria and Iraq in recent years, as
the influence of ISIS has grown.
Source:
The National News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Mosque
Loudspeaker Rule to Balance Religious, Social Harmony: Indonesian Religious
Affairs Ministry
The
country's Religious Affairs Ministry released a decree in 1978, which serves as
guidelines on the use of mosque loudspeakers. (Shutterstock)
-----
23
Feb 2022
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - The Religious Affairs Ministry’s regulation prescribing a volume
limit for mosque loudspeakers is aimed at balancing religious and social
harmony given the nation’s heterogeneous makeup, a ministry official has said.
"We
must ensure that mosques not only become centres of religious activities, but
also partake in maintaining social harmony and order," the ministry's
Director for Islamic Affairs and Sharia Development, Adib, said during a
virtual discussion, accessed online from Jakarta on Tuesday.
The
ministry’s Regulation No. 5 of 2022, which regulates loudspeaker systems in
mosques, has a precedent: the ministry's Directorate General for Islamic
Community Guidance had issued a similar directive in 1978, he informed.
The
then-State Minister of Environment had also restricted the noise level at
religious premises to 55 decibels via a regulation issued in 1996, while
regulation No. 5 of 2022 permits sound levels of up to 100 decibels, the
director noted.
"The
regulation is meant to complement the directorate general's 1978 directive that
remains relevant to this day as our guidance (in performing religious
activities)," Adib remarked.
Meanwhile,
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas highlighted that while the
loudspeaker system is essential for congregational religious activities
performed frequently by Muslims, its usage must be regulated to maintain social
harmony and brotherhood given the nation’s heterogeneous society.
The
ministry regulation also dictates that the internal loudspeaker system
installed inside mosques be separated from the external loudspeaker system, he
added.
According
to chairperson of the Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) Fatwa department,
Asrorun Niam, the ministry’s Regulation No. 05 of 2022 is consistent with the
resolution of the Ulema meeting last year.
The
council concurred that while some Islamic congregational activities and the
obligatory daily calls of prayer necessitate the utilization of a loudspeaker
system, the system needs to be regulated to prevent harm to others, he said.
"Hence,
we need a regulation on the loudspeaker system at religious premises to
establish common benefits, ensure public order, and prevent harm to
others," Niam added.
Source:
Antara News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia’s First ‘Founding Day’ Celebrations Mix Tradition with the Future
Saudi
Arabia celebrated its first Founding Day across the countr
-----
23
February, 2022
Saudi
Arabia celebrated its first Founding Day across the country as traditional
celebrations met modern instalments that dazzled the Kingdom’s citizens, residents
and visitors.
The
events were reminiscent of the country’s past and the subsequent growth it has
seen as Vision 2030 goals continue to be realized.
In
Wadi Namar, the Governor of Riyadh Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz oversaw an event
that featured 3,500 performers who presented a three-century long history of
the country through their art, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on
Wednesday.
The
Minister of Commerce and Minister of Information in charge Dr. Majid al-Qasabi,
and Prince Faisal bin Ayyaf, Mayor of Riyadh, were also reportedly present at
the showcase.
Meanwhile,
King Fahd Park in Dammam celebrated Founding Day by bringing back shops from
the past displaying traditional clothing and food, according to SPA.
The
market was complemented by a mini-art exhibition consisting of old photos from
each of the five regions, supported by actors who were narrating stories from
the past.
Park
visitors reportedly witnessed cultural seminars, an exhibition specialized in
Saudi coffee, fireworks and hologram displays.
‘NajNaj
al-Riyadh’ had a similar series of activities.
Additionally,
travelers who entered the Saudi Arabia were greeted with souvenirs and roses
and had a special one-day-only entry-stamp added to their passports.
A
light show, that will feature fireworks and drones, will light up the Riyadh
sky on February 24.
The
National Museum in Riyadh will host several interactive workshops and
discussions on the Kingdom’s culture and history until February 24.
Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz also voiced pride in the Kingdom’s history
as the country celebrated its first ever ‘Founding Day’ on Tuesday.
“Celebrating
[Founding Day] is a celebration of the history of the state, the unity of its
people, the steadfastness against challenges and [aspiration] to the future,”
the King said on Twitter.
The
UAE rulers, Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim
bin Hamad al-Thani, and others sent their congratulations and best wishes on
the occasion.
The
Legacy
The
first Saudi state was established by Imam Muhammed bin Saud in 1727 in the city
of Diriyah, to the northwest of Riyadh.
The
historic capital was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 and has been
revitalized with a series of restoration projects giving visitors a glimpse of
the old palaces and mosques.
Imam
Muhammed bin Saud was born in 1679 in Diriyah. He oversaw, as ruler, an
expansion of the state, and repelled attacks from eastern Arabian armies while
also battling with an outbreak of the plague among the population, according to
SPA.
Around
200 years later, his descendant King Abdulaziz unified the kingdom of Najd,
centered around Diriyah, and the western kingdom of Hejaz, to form the modern
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.
This
unification was made into a holiday by King Abdullah in 2005 and is now
recognized as Saudi National Day on September 23.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Lucknow
Shia Cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad's Support for BJP Finds Little Resonance in
Community
Representative
image. People going about their lives in Lucknow. Photo: Varun Shiv
Kapur/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
-----
Asad
Rizvi
FEBRUARY
23, 2022
Lucknow:
On February 20, 2022, a video showing the prominent Lucknow Shia cleric Maulana
Kalbe Jawad went viral.
In
the video, the maulana can be heard showering praises on the government of
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath and bashing Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh
Yadav and Congress.
“You
may have seen that the new system has been made up after weeding out many
dishonest people. The attempt [of the Adityanath regime] was to bring honest
people. This has also happened. We thank Yogi sahib for his help in this
regard,” he is heard saying.
He
further said, “Yogi gave a chance to the good people. This is especially why we
want to thank him.”
This
statement came a month after the maulana’s meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party
leader and Uttar Pradesh law minister, Brajesh Pathak.
Lucknow
goes to polls in the fourth phase later this week. The city also has a sizeable
Shia population. However, the Shia cleric’s views, The Wire found, are not
singularly reflected by the community in Lucknow, where, like in any other
community, political views are diverse.
Maulana
Dr. Kalbe Sibtain “Noori” said that the community “would never vote for
communal forces” and criticised what he said was Jawad’s support for those who
had endorsed a “Muslim genocide.” Noori is Jawad’s cousin, had been a critic of
the Citizenship Amendment Act and had featured in a controversial hoarding put
up by the Adityanath government. Noori said Jawad’s popularity has diminished
since he voiced support for BJP.
Jawad’s
late uncle and another prominent cleric, Dr Kalbe Sadiq had also extended
support to the anti-CAA protestors.
Others
felt that clerics should avoid offering political pointers to the community.
“A
community is wise enough to decide whom to elect,” said one Shahid Hussain, a
resident of Lucknow central.
Hussain
added that not just a local cleric’s, but even the decree of the Ayatollah is
unlikely to work in political matters.
A
video of columnist Tahira Hasan condemning the maulana’s statement has also
been shared on social media. “Don’t narrow down Shias to Waqf board politics.
We follow Imam Husain and his message of justice,” she can be heard saying in
the video.
Sadaf
Jafar, the Congress central seat candidate, recently met Jawad at his
residence. While Jafar was blessed by the cleric, who also praised her role in
the anti-CAA movement, she was surprised by his pro-BJP appeal.
“Maulana
Jawad has been ill for a few days. May the Almighty bless him with physical and
mental health,” said Jafar.
A
popular Lucknow satirist asked how someone can tell the tale of Hussain by
siding with Yazeed, the antagonist in Hussain’s story.
Samajwadi
Party leader and Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudamadi said that BJP
was active in attempting to drive a wedge between Shias and Sunnis.
“It
is important to note that the BJP administration has no sympathy for any Muslim
sect, as is clear from the current chief minister’s speeches, and nor do mobs
distinguish between Barelvis, Shias or Deobandis when there is violence.
Muslims also know this. The ‘80 versus 20‘ threat included everyone and was not
just limited to one sect,” the professor added.
Young
Shias The Wire spoke to also seemed keen to distance themselves from the
cleric’s stand. Chartered secretary Syed Mohammad Abbas of Tulsidas Marg says
such opinions make less of an impact on younger people.
A
Shia journalist who writes in a reputed media organisation and has closely
followed the cleric’s family, recalled the declining popularity of Jawad, who
he remembered as having enjoyed hero-like status in his childhood.
“Over
the years, he has lost credibility because of his growing proximity with the
Yogi government. It is sad to see this decline. How can one who claims to
spread the message of Imam Husain align with such outright violent hate
mongering?” he asked, adding that close members of the cleric’s family are
active BJP members now.
This
was echoed by Zainul, a final year law student from Lucknow who said that the
cleric’s “compromise” was a betrayal to the message of Imam Husain.
Zainul
said that “Shia youths like all Muslim youths want jobs” and wondered if
leaders were not aware of this.
“Has
Yogi helped Shia weavers in Lucknow? Where was the maulana when an old Shia
cleric was assaulted in Muzaffarnagar or when Shias were harassed during the
citizenship agitation? Does the maulana agree with hate speeches by BJP leaders
against Muharram or insults against the Prophet?” he asked.
The
majority of Shia community members are seen as loyal to opposition parties,
says Kazim Raza of Abbas Nagar in Lucknow North. According to Raza, the
livelihoods of thousands of Shias is dependent on Zardozi work, which has lost
its market after the imposition of the GST.
Ali
Hasnain Abidi of Lucknow West’s Rustam Nagar locality said he does not want a
communal divide, nor is he keen to follow a dictum on who to vote for.
“The
need of the hour is schools, hospitals and fair tariff for electricity,” Abidi
added.
Renowned
Shia social activist Imdad Imam highlighted the effect of hate speech on the
community.
“Perhaps
Maulana Jawad forgot the CM’s rhetoric against the revered Muslim figure Hazar
Ali and the ban on Azadari (the annual mourning of Imam Hussain) for two years
in a row in the name of COVID-19, at the time of the issuing the appeal for the
BJP.”
Electoral
history has shown that political appeals by religious leaders, in support of a
particular group, have not been successful across India. It appears that
Maulana Jawad has lost his popular appeal among a sizeable section of the
community after his portrayed proximity with Adityanath, who has left few
opportunities unturned when it comes to bashing Muslims.
Masoodul
Hasan, a former bureau chief of Hindustan Times, says the Shia Ulema (clerics)
should refrain from issuing such appeals. “Shias always vote for secular
parties and stand with other Muslims on political issues,” says Hasan.
He
also went on to say, “If clerics want to protect their dignity, they should
avoid creating rifts among various sects of Muslims by issuing such appeals.”
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://thewire.in/politics/lucknow-shia-clerics-support-for-bjp-finds-little-resonance-in-community
--------
South
Asia
Taliban
faces renewed resistance in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan
22
February, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], February 22 (ANI): Taliban officials on Monday alleged that they
are facing renewed resistance from “some groups” in Bamiyan province in Central
Afghanistan.
“There
is talk of a second resistance, we ask all the people of Bamiyan to work with
us so that the security of Bamiyan is not compromised,” said Allah Mohammad
Bakhtyar, head of Planning and Operations of Taliban’s Fifth Brigade of
Mansouri Corps as quoted by Tolo News.
A
number of Bamiyan residents are criticizing the persecution of the people by
the Talibani forces.
“Everyone
who came here, created checkpoints, nobody listened to the governor’s speeches,
the people were harassed,” Tolo News cited an elder of a tribe as speaking.
There
have also been reports of increased resistance against the Taliban regime in
the provinces of Panjshir, Kapisa and Parwan. Taliban officials maintain that
they will counter the activities of the resistance.
On
February 7, armed clashes broke out between residents and the Taliban in
Panjshir province after a Taliban vehicle was hit by a mine explosion.
The
humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the
Taliban took control of Kabul last year in mid-August.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/taliban-faces-renewed-resistance-in-afghanistans-bamiyan/842027/
--------
Silent
int'l recognition of Afghan govt underway, claims Taliban
Feb
23 2022
Kabul,
Feb 23 (IANS): A senior Taliban member has claimed that silent international
recognition of the Islamic Emirate government of Afghanistan is currently
underway, adding there have been positive improvements in the country's
political sector.
"This
is the result of the political efforts that Kabul is full of embassies today,
and in many countries we have opened our own embassies, which is a silent
process of recognition," TOLO News quoted Anas Haqqani as saying in an
address to tribal leaders in Khost province on Tuesday.
He
said differences should not harm the country's national values and that
security forces should abide by the amnesty decree of the Islamic Emirate
leader.
Despite
Haqqani's claim, no country has recognised the Taliban regime in Afghanistan
yet after their take over of the country in August last year.
Source:
Daiji World
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=929577
--------
Mullah
Fazel asked Mujahideen to have Good Interaction with People
2022-02-22
KABUL
(BNA) Mullah Fazel Mazlum, First Deputy Minister of National Defence, in a
visit from first Brigade Mansouri Corps, called on the Mujahideen to have
strong relations and good interaction with the people and the youth.
The
Ministry of National Defense on a press release today states, that Mullah Fazel
Mazlum, First Deputy Minister of National Defense, visited the First Brigade of
Mansouri Corps in Khost.
Source:
Bakhtar News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://bakhtarnews.af/mullah-fazel-asked-mujahiden-to-have-good-interaction-with-people/
--------
UN
special envoy meets acting Taliban foreign minister, talks about rights
February
23, 2022
Ahead
of a Security Council briefing on Afghanistan, UN Special Representative
Deborah Lyons met with the acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban regime, Amir
Khan Muttaqi.
The
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement on
Wednesday that discussions focused on the rights and protection of all Afghans,
the return of boys and girls to schools, and economic challenges.
Lyons
also met the former state minister for peace of the Afghan government, Abdul
Salam Rahimi and discussed "the importance of all Afghans coming together
to build a more stable and inclusive future," the UNAMA statement said.
The
Security Council briefing comes at a time when the Taliban regime is facing
renewed resistance in the provinces of Panjshir, Bamiyan, Kapisa and Parwan,
Tolo News reported on Monday.
A
combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government
assets and international sanctions on the Taliban have plunged the country,
already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis.
More
than half of the country's poverty-stricken population, or an estimated 24
million Afghans, face an acute food shortage and some one million children
under five years of age could die from hunger by the end of this year,
according to UN estimates.
Source:
Business Standard
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
restricts import of Afghan cultural items to prevent ‘pillage’
22
Feb 2022
The
United States has restricted the import of cultural and historical items from
Afghanistan, hoping to prevent “terrorists” from profiting, the State
Department said on Tuesday, but experts voiced fears about unintended
consequences.
The
decree, which was implemented on an “emergency” basis and took effect on
Friday, includes restrictions on bringing ceramics, paintings, glass, ivory,
ancient textiles, tiles and wood pieces, among others, into the country,
according to a government list.
“These
import restrictions are intended to prevent illicitly trafficked materials from
entering the US art market, thus reducing the incentive for pillage of
Afghanistan’s cultural heritage and combating profit from the sale of these
cultural objects by terrorists and criminal organizations,” the State
Department said in a statement.
The
State Department said it was taking unilateral action to impose the emergency
import restrictions because of “circumstances in Afghanistan”.
The
US move follows an April 2021 request from the US-backed Afghan government when
a collection of 33 artefacts seized from a New York-based art dealer – who
authorities say was one of the world’s most prolific smugglers of antiquities –
was returned to Afghanistan.
“Can
the State Department act based on a ‘request’ of a government that no longer
exists?” ancient coin collector and advocate Peter Tompa asked in a post on his
blog, Cultural Property Observer.
“The
real question is how these restrictions are going to be enforced and if any
material that may be seized will be repatriated to the Taliban once diplomatic
relations [with the US] are restored,” he wrote.
Taliban
‘investigating’ looting
Restricted
archaeological material dates from the year 50,000 BC through 1747, and
restricted cultural material includes items from the ninth century through
1920, the government said.
The
new regulations could create logistics issues for collectors or curators who
already have items on their way to the US as auction houses prepare to sell
pieces during Asia Week New York next month, art publication The Art Newspaper
pointed out.
For
Tompa, one upside to the import rules, which are set to remain in force until
April 2026 and could be extended, is that they do not seem to include bans on
modern textiles.
“If
it did, such import restrictions would potentially devastate the livelihoods of
Afghan women who make a living weaving textiles for export,” he wrote.
Last
year, UNESCO called on the Taliban to help preserve Afghanistan’s cultural
heritage.
Shortly
before their first stint in power came to an end in 2001, the Taliban destroyed
two giant centuries-old Buddha statues carved out of a cliff face in Bamiyan,
sparking global outrage.
And
local officials and former UNESCO employees formerly based in Afghanistan told
the AFP news agency that about 1,000 priceless artefacts once stored in warehouses
near the statues were stolen or destroyed following the 2021 Taliban takeover.
“I
confirm that looting did take place, but it was before our arrival,” local
Taliban member Saifurrahman Mohammadi told AFP in October, blaming the thefts
on the vacuum left by the old authorities after they fled.
“We
are investigating and we are trying to get them back,” he added.
The
group has promised a softer version of rule this time around, and Taliban
fighters now guard what remains of the Buddhist statues
Source:
Al Jazeera
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Mosque
terror attacks: Muslims still at risk of being targets for violence, coronial
hearing told
23
February 2022
The
coronial hearing is examining the final moments in the lives of 51 Muslims
murdered in the Christchurch terror attacks on 15 March 2019.
The
inquiry was opened to address any unanswered questions following the criminal
investigation and prosecution process and the Royal Commission of Inquiry.
Its
purpose is to establish the circumstances of the deaths and make
recommendations to reduce the chance of other attacks happening in similar
circumstances.
The
Islamic Women's Council has asked Coroner Brigitte Windley to examine the role
of radicalisation on digital platforms as part of the inquiry.
The
Australian gunman who carried out the attacks immersed himself in far-right
content online.
Council
national coordinator Aliya Danzeisen told the coronial hearing today that the council
believes innocent lives could have been saved if authorities had delved into
the virtual life of the terrorist.
"Had
the full digital footprint of the terrorist been looked into and effectively
moderated by these platforms, they would have noticed a concerning pattern of
behaviour and they could have either redirected him to socially accepted
content or alerted authorities but it appears they chose to ignore that for
their bottom line."
She
said Muslims are still in danger of being targeted by terrorists in New
Zealand.
The
council's leadership has been threatened with poisoning, rape and being killed
since the massacre.
"There
is a clear and present danger within New Zealand that another attack similar to
March 15 can occur again.
"Authorities
have confirmed this over the past months and even within the last two weeks. An
example - the Wellington police commander recognised such a risk," she
told the hearing.
The
council has repeatedly raised an alarming rise in hatred and harassment online
with the government and media companies, she said.
However,
digital platforms have been unwilling or unable to tackle online
radicalisation.
The
Federation of Islamic Associations wants the coroner to further scrutinise
police gun licensing failures.
The
Royal Commission into the mass shooting found police failed to properly
administer the licensing system, which was lax, open to easy exploitation and
gamed by the gunman.
Federation
spokesman Abdur Razzaq told the hearing the gunman might have abandoned his
plans if he did not have a licence.
Source:
RNZ News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
nuclear talks ‘nearing end’, outcome ‘still uncertain:’ EU coordinator
22
February ,2022
Negotiations
between Iran and world powers on salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal are “nearing
the end,” the talks’ coordinator said on Tuesday, adding that the outcome of
the negotiations is “still uncertain.”
The
nuclear talks “are at a crucial moment. We are nearing the end after ten months
of negotiations. The result is still uncertain,” Enrique Mora of the European
Union said in a Twitter post.
“Key
issues need to be fixed. But all delegations are fully engaged. Intense work in
Coburg,” Mora added, referring to the hotel in Vienna where talks between the
remaining signatories to the 2015 deal – Iran, Russia, China, France, Germany
and Britain – are currently taking place.
The
US is participating indirectly in the talks due to Iran’s refusal to negotiate
directly with Washington.
Western
officials have for months warned that there are only weeks left to save the
deal. Their primary concern is that the agreement would soon become obsolete
due to Iran’s nuclear advances.
The
Vienna talks, which began in April 2021, aim to bring Iran back into compliance
with the deal and facilitate a US return to the agreement. The deal offered
Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
Washington
withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, reimposing
sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
urges ‘restraint’ in Ukraine crisis, blames US, NATO
22
February ,2022
Iran
urged “restraint” from both Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday while blaming the
United States and NATO for the sharp escalation of tensions.
President
Vladimir Putin announced late Monday that Russia recognized the independence of
Ukraine’s separatist-held Donetsk and Lugansk regions, paving the way for the
deployment of Russian troops.
Moscow’s
move triggered international condemnation and a promise of targeted sanctions
from the United States and the European Union.
“The
Islamic Republic of Iran calls on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid
any action that could aggravate tensions,” a foreign ministry statement said.
Ministry
spokesman Said Khatibzadeh added that “unfortunately, the interventions and
provocative actions of NATO and mainly the US have complicated the situation in
the region.”
“We
are following the issues related to this country with sensitivity.”
Tehran
and Washington have been bitter foes since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled
the US-backed monarch and Iranian students took more than 50 US embassy staff
hostage for over a year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish
lira driven to mid-January low by Ukraine-Russia crisis
22
February ,2022
The
Turkish lira weakened as much as 1.5 percent against the dollar on Tuesday,
nearing its weakest level this year, after Russia escalated tensions in eastern
Ukraine, posing a risk to Turkey's macroeconomic stability.
The
losses came as Russia's parliament approved treaties with two breakaway regions
in eastern Ukraine, opening the way for a Russian troop deployment despite the
threat of Western sanctions, including blocking a major new pipeline.
NATO
member Turkey faces a tough balancing act in the crisis as it has good ties
with both Ukraine and Russia. Ankara has criticised Russia's decision to
recognise the independence of the two regions, but opposes sanctions.
The
lira slid as far as 13.9025, suffering its biggest daily losses since early
January. It has traded in a narrow range since then as Ankara acted to
stabilise the currency. It trimmed its losses to 13.85 by 1325 GMT.
The
threat of war between Turkey's Black Sea neighbours Russia and Ukraine could
harm the country's already ailing economy after a currency crisis in December.
“A
prolonged conflict...could keep energy prices high throughout the year, or may
even propel them higher. The energy shock is already advancing through various channels
to make life miserable in Turkey,” said Atilla Yesilada, Istanbul-based analyst
at GlobalSource Partners.
Any
prolonged conflict could also cut tourist flows to Turkey by around $2 billion
this summer, assuming Russian and Ukrainian tourist arrivals stay the same as
in 2021 or dip a bit, he wrote in a note.
Last
year, the lira dropped 44 percent against the U.S. currency, tumbling after the
central bank pushed through 500 basis points of unorthodox interest rate cuts
from September under pressure from President Tayyip Erdogan.
Costly
state interventions in the forex market and a scheme to protect lira deposits
against depreciation has bolstered the currency since it touched a record low
of 18.4 last year.
The
lira slide late last year has in turn triggered a surge in annual inflation to
nearly 50 percent for Turkey's import-dependent economy, adding to the concerns
regarding energy import costs.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
NATO
warns Russia readying for ‘full-scale attack’ on Ukraine
22
February ,2022
NATO
chief Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Russian forces continue to prepare for
a potential attack on Ukraine after Moscow recognised two separatist regions as
independent.
“Every
indication is that Russia continues to plan for a full-scale attack on
Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said after an urgent meeting with Ukraine's envoy.
“We
see that more and more of the forces are moving out of the camps and are in
combat formations and ready to strike.”
Stoltenberg
said “further Russian troops” had already moved across the Ukrainian border
overnight into the Kremlin-backed territories.
“What
we see is further invasion of a country which was already invaded,” Stoltenberg
said.
Moscow
seized the Crimea peninsula peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and has fuelled a
separatist conflict in eastern areas for eight years that has killed over
14,000 people.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin attempted Monday to again rewrite his pro-Western
neighbour's borders by recognising the breakaway regions as independent states.
Putin
has warned he could now send his forces across into the rebel territories
depending on how the situation develops.
The
recognition has drawn condemnation from the West. Europe and the US are posied
to impose sanctions on Moscow.
NATO
allies spearheaded by the US have already sent thousands of additional troops
to bolster their eastern flank as tensions have soared with Moscow.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sweden
battles disinformation on ‘kidnappings’ of Muslim children
February
23, 2022
Stockholm:
Swedish authorities are fighting back against claims its social services are
“kidnapping” Muslim children, denouncing a “disinformation campaign” of viral
videos spreading mistrust among immigrant families.
Videos
began appearing on Arabic-language social media sites in late 2021 of real
interventions by child welfare services, showing crying children being
separated from distraught parents.
With
limited context about the situations portrayed, the videos accuse Sweden of
being a fascist state where social services place Muslim children in Christian
homes with paedophiles or where they are forced to drink alcohol and eat pork.
After
Mideastern media outlets reported on the claims, Swedish government officials
and social services have come out in force to deny the allegations.
“We
absolutely do not do that,” Migration and Integration Minister Anders Ygeman
told AFP, stressing the main goal was to support families.
Ygeman
said the campaign was being fueled in part by “frustrated parents who have
failed in their parenting” and were projecting their anger at authorities.
“There
are also malevolent forces that want to exploit these parents’ frustration to
spread mistrust and division,” he said.
Sweden’s
newly created Psychological Defense Agency has described many of the videos as
old, presenting a false context with a “purpose to polarize.”
Magnus
Ranstorp, a terrorism expert at the Swedish Defense University, told AFP the
campaign was primarily based on a Facebook group called “Barnens Rattigheter
Mina Rattigheter” (Children’s Rights My Rights), where parents share
experiences of having their children “unfairly” removed from their care.
Radical
imams in Sweden and abroad picked up on the stories, as did a new fringe
political party Nyans (Nuance), which has made the forced removal of children a
rallying cry ahead of the general election in September.
Muslim
online influencers with millions of followers also joined the fray, as well as
Arabic site “Shuoun Islamiya” (“Islamic Affairs“), which has published around
20 videos.
Several
protests have also been held across Sweden.
Ranstorp
said that while there may be some legitimate criticism against social services,
the harsh rhetoric in the media posts was “inciting.”
Julia
Agha, head of the Arabic-language news outlet Alkompis based in Stockholm, has
followed the campaign closely.
“Starting
out, it was probably intended as a campaign where families of those whose
children have been taken into custody have felt unjustly treated and wanted to
criticize social services,” she told AFP.
“What’s
happened is that this campaign has ended up in the hands of forces abroad that
have put a religious filter over it and are spreading disinformation, which now
looks more like a hate campaign against Sweden and Swedish society.”
Sweden’s
National Board of Health and Welfare, which oversees social services, insists
that removing children from their homes is always a last resort.
It
is only done “when voluntary measures are not possible and there is a
considerable risk that the child’s health or development is harmed,” the agency
told AFP in an email.
In
2020, a total of 9,034 children were in state-ordered care without their parents’
consent, official statistics show.
Researchers
and social workers have noted that while more immigrant children are removed
from their homes than ethnic Swedes, immigrant families are also less likely to
accept earlier stages of assistance from social workers.
Sweden
is often hailed as a pioneer in children’s rights and was the first country to
ban corporal punishment of children, including spankings, in 1966.
But
critics say that dismissing the issue as disinformation ignores real issues
with social services.
Mariya
Ellmoutaouakkil, 35, who immigrated to Sweden 12 years ago from Morocco,
organized a protest outside the social services office in her hometown of
Gallivare last year, after two of her three children were removed from her
care.
She
told AFP her son, aged 10, and daughter, six, were taken after social services
alleged violence in the home.
She
said the decision was not based on evidence, only on social workers’ interviews
with the children that she has never been allowed to see.
Social
services typically do not comment on individual cases.
Ellmoutaouakkil
said she understood her children had not been “kidnapped,” but did understand
why some people use the term.
“It
can start to feel like a kidnapping for me as a mother,” she said. “When we as
parents don’t get answers, I can understand that they call it that.”
Sweden
has struggled for years to integrate immigrants.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2030196/world
--------
Southeast
Asia
PAS
wants shariah courts to have a say on religious conversions
February
22, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: PAS has proposed a constitutional amendment to allow shariah courts to
have judicial review powers for cases involving religious conversions.
In
a statement, the party’s Ulama wing also called on religious authorities in all
states to amend the terms for conversions, so that children can be converted
unilaterally rather than requiring the consent of both parents, which is the
practice in some states.
This
comes after the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on single mother Loh Siew
Hong’s case.
Loh’s
three children were converted to Islam without her permission. Yesterday, the
court ordered that the children be returned to her, in accordance with a
previous court order granting her custodial rights following her divorce from
her husband.
The
Ulama wing also urged all parties to respect the choice made by the children to
remain Muslims.
“Stop
making accusations that they were forced to convert to Islam when it was done
with their father’s consent,” it said.
“We
are pushing the government and other parties to prioritise the interests of the
children who have chosen Islam so that they would not be proselytised.
“We
do not want the long-preserved religious harmony in this country to be
jeopardised by such matters.”
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
The
need to move from personality to policy-based politics
February
23, 2022
Malaysian
politics has notoriously been based upon personalities rather than policy. For
decades, personality politics has failed to serve the best interests of
Malaysia, currently in recession, and facing growing poverty and inflation.
Shifting
from personality to policy-based politics would be the single most important
reform that could be made to enhance the nation’s democratic system.
However,
the tragedy for Malaysia is that the proliferation of new political parties
arriving on the scene are making the same mistake as the incumbent parties.
It
can be strongly argued that over the last two decades, Malaysia has been
dominated by personality-based politics. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi came into the
prime ministerial office in 2003 after Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s retirement from
office. Malaysians showed Abdullah, or Pak Lah, resounding support in the 2004
general election in the hope that he would make a difference to the government,
dominated by Mahathir for 20 years.
Similarly,
Najib Razak succeeded Abdullah as the prime minister in 2009. He initially
brought with him good personal goodwill with the 1Malaysia slogan. However,
Najib’s personal reputation rapidly slipped over the 1MDB financial scandal,
leading to his 2018 electoral defeat to Mahathir.
Once
again, the rakyat pinned their hopes on Mahathir, who was at that time
perceived as a changed man willing to “right the wrongs of the past”. With
around 20 months as prime minister, Mahathir dominated his Cabinet and became
the prime political face of the nation once again.
In
2020, Muhyiddin Yassin took over the government from Mahathir after the
Sheraton putsch, where it became a Muhyiddin regime labelled Perikatan Nasional.
Last year, Ismail Sabri Yaakob took over from Muhyiddin with a Cabinet of
basically re-arranged deckchairs.
Likewise,
on the opposition side, PKR is equated with Anwar Ibrahim with policy almost
totally reflective upon his ideas. DAP has been strongly aligned with the Lim
leadership, which has passed from father to son.
Abdul
Hadi Awang has been the face of PAS for more than a decade now, steering it
away from the days where “PAS for all” resonated with the electorate.
In
effect, all six administrations over the last 20 years carried the same set of
policies. The only difference was narrative and style.
Since
2019, politics has been focused on the tussle for the top position in
government. All the same leaders who have occupied political leadership for
decades have been fighting for power. Political crises in Malaysia haven’t been
over any fundamental differences in policy. They are simply about who, with
which group will rule.
Malaysian
political mindset
Most
of Malaysia’s political leaders over the last two decades have shared the same
trait – a need for power. They have all been driven to the top of their
respective parties by their sense of being able to control and manipulate the
political domain so they can take over governance.
This
has created erroneous situations where the federal Cabinet was expanded to a
cumbersome size of 32 ministers and 38 deputy ministers over the last two
administrations. Gone out the window is the concept of efficiency of
government. Malaysia has the largest political Cabinet in the world. Cabinet
jobs are not about governing, but rather awarding those who pledge loyalty to
the sitting prime minister.
The
second trait of most Malaysian leaders is their low sense of altruism. A
prominent leader once told the author that he entered politics for business
opportunities. People tend to become politicians to pursue their own
self-gratification rather than serve in the interests of the people. There are
so many examples of this, they need not be repeated here.
It
is often the case that the rakyat comes off second best when political
decisions are made. Too many decisions are made to benefit political business
interests, where many of these decisions fall under the Official Secrets Act,
and can’t be exposed. National security in Malaysia is too often about
protecting the secrets of politicians.
Thirdly,
there is a sense of grandeur with Malaysian leaders. All have their own “gaya”
or style, which is expected to be acknowledged and respected by others. For
this reason, it has to be questioned whether Malaysia’s leaders are of the
people, or of the elite? Even some Pakatan Harapan politicians who came to
power inside the Cabinet displayed distinct changes in personality that they
will have to answer to the people in the coming general election. Even the PAS
executive councillors in the poor state of Kelantan needed Mercedes-Benz as
official cars.
The
final aspect of Malaysian leaders is their rhetoric. Many are too easily
stirred to hold up a kris and proclaim the Malay cause, but in action do so
very little, where poverty, drug abuse, unemployment, and poor access to
amenities among Malays is on the increase.
The
country has seen its share of Hollywood style launches – multimedia corridor,
regional corridors, biotechnology, and now Industry 4.0 – that lead nowhere.
When the rakyat needed an indigenous vaccine, there wasn’t one. The only people
who benefitted were the event organisers, consultants, directors of NGOs set up
for the occasion, and contractors.
The
country has been served up numerous white elephants, while certain people run
away with the loot. In Malaysia, massive infrastructure projects, industrial
parks and buildings are sometimes nothing more than monuments to greed.
Inconvenient
questions about how the government is going to tackle growing poverty, growing
unemployment and inflation are not answered. The 12th Malaysia Plan has
elaborate plans to build a new aerospace hub, national biometric identification
system, and the development of numerous new agencies, but is very thin on
issues of growing unemployment and poverty. Inflation is not even acknowledged.
There
is now a national food crisis, but all that can be done is give out APs to
selected firms to profit from the scarcity. Instead of solving the nation’s
problems, the country’s politicians have embarked upon a two-year theatre of
power struggles that put Frank Underwood and the House of Cards to shame.
Top
of the agenda for the next 12 months will be winning party elections and
heading for a general election. “Rugilah rakyat”, who are finding it difficult
to put food on the table.
Enter
the new parties of hope
Many
of Malaysia’s political pundits – and there are now more pundits than
politicians in town – are pinning some hope on a new array of political
parties, particularly Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s Muda.
Syed
Saddiq, formally dubbed “boy minister”, who takes selfies with people like
Zakir Naik and Mahathir, was put under some scrutiny by Kua Kia Soong in a
recent letter to the editor. Kua asked some unanswered questions: Does Muda
have non-racial solutions for Malaysia’s political institutions, education,
economic, and social development? And, does Muda have a non-racial solution to
Malaysia’s National Cultural Policy?
All
we see is Syed Saddiq getting media coverage and promoting his movement. So
far, we have seen Muda can horse trade with Pakatan for seat allocations in the
coming Johor state elections, but nothing on policy.
On
the Gerak Independent front, the last few days have seen personality turmoil. One
candidate has withdrawn his candidacy, while being rebuked by another. The
group is receiving criticism for standing candidates in Pakatan-held
constituencies. It has failed to make clear its stand on the issues of
secularism and Islam in government. Siti Kassim is being popularly touted as a
potential prime minister on sentiment, rather than any strong policy manifesto.
Shafie
Apdal has confirmed that Warisan will stand in the coming Johor elections, but
little has been said about the party’s policies for the peninsula.
All
the new entrepreneurial political party start-ups appear to be based upon
personality rather than policies. It’s time for Malaysia to turn the page on
personality politics. Those elected to government only manage rather than
govern with any vision for what they want to mould Malaysia into for the
future.
The
reality in Malaysia is that many enter politics with a humble array of assets
and meagre wealth, and retire with amassed fortunes. Show me a retired
politician who lives a frugal life and I will show you an honest politician.
The
motivation of Malaysian politicians is all wrong. We need to imagine a Malaysia
that has altruistic politicians who have solutions to the nation’s problems. We
need to imagine a generation of politicians who have empathy for the plight of
the rakyat, and espouse what they are going to do for them.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Court
dismisses Tajuddin’s defamation suit against Khalid Samad, NSTP, KiniTV
22
Feb 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, Feb 22 — The High Court here today dismissed a defamation suit filed by
Pasir Salak Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman against
Shah Alam MP Khalid Abd Samad, The New Straits Time Press (M) Berhad (NSTP) and
KiniTV Sdn Bhd, in relation to defamatory statements at a press conference at
the Parliament lobby, six years ago.
Judicial
Commissioner Datuk Seri Latifah Mohd Tahar made the ruling after finding that
the statements made by Khalid as the first defendant were not defamatory and
were made based on justification, reasonable comments and conditional
protection.
“The
second (NSTP) and third (KiniTV) defendants have made bona fide (good faith)
publications on matters of public interest and the publications made are fair
and accurate. Therefore, the plaintiff’s claim against all defendants is
dismissed with no order as to cost as this was a matter of public interest,”
she said.
Latifah,
in her judgment, said that Khalid’s comments followed the outrageous behaviour
of the plaintiff (Tajuddin) during the proceedings in Parliament, by using
unparliamentary statements against Seputeh MP Teresa Kok Suh Sim.
She
said this was supported by the testimony of the witnesses of the MPs who testified
in court during the trial.
“The
court was also satisfied that the statements made by the first defendant at the
first press conference were reasonable comments and without malice, which were
based on facts that were in the knowledge of the first defendant himself,” she
said.
Latifah
said the case stemmed from the plaintiff’s (Tajuddin) behaviour in Parliament
on November 21, 2016, where he had issued a sexist statement and used
unparliamentary language in his speech against the Seputeh MP that caused
dissatisfaction among opposition MPs, especially Khalid.
She
said the court was of the view that there was no need for the plaintiff to
express vulgar words against the Seputeh MP. They were uttered without
provocation and had nothing to do with the ongoing debate at that time.
“While
replying to reporters, the plaintiff stated that he mentioned the name of
Teresa Kok’s family and there was no other motive. The plaintiff’s rationale
that he was merely referring to the Seputeh MP’s family name was not founded,
given the entire context of the matter,” she said.
She
also said that the plaintiff’s action of refusing to retract the sexist
statement and insulting and mocking the opposition MPs had provoked Khalid.
She
also added that the court was of the view that the alleged defamatory
statements by the first defendant (Khalid) were not defamation if taken in the
context of the time and the word “sial” (cursed) used by the first defendant
was a result of the plaintiff’s provocation.
Latifah
said the statement made by the plaintiff who was then the deputy minister of
agriculture and agro-based industries, was inappropriate and tarnished the
institution of Parliament which is one of the highest institutions in the
country.
She
said the court was also of the view that freedom of speech and protection of
reputation, especially in a Parliamentary session, should be given attention
even if immunity is granted.
The
court also agreed that the action of the second defendant (NSTP) only reported
on the incident fairly and was not defamatory as there was reasonable
justification for the report made as they were protected under qualified
privilege, she said.
As
for the third defendant (KiniTV), which broadcast two videos of the said press
conference on November 24, 2016, she said the court was satisfied that there
was no defamatory nature in the videos.
“The
coverage in the videos by the third defendant was neutral and it is the
professional, journalistic responsibility to report the news in a neutral and
fair manner especially when it concerns public interest,” said Latifah, who
made the decision via email today.
On
April 26, 2017, Tajuddin filed the suit, claiming that Khalid had uttered
defamatory statements, as well as using curse words, against him at two media
conferences held by Khalid at the Parliament Lobby on November 21 and 21, 2016.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Cops
probe Islamic groups, supporters for breaching SOPs outside court
Faisal
Asyraf
February
22, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Police are investigating several Islamic NGOs, political parties, and
individuals who held a protest at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex yesterday.
The
gathering, which took place in the morning, was held in solidarity with Loh
Siew Hong’s children, according to Gerakan Pembela Ummah (Ummah)’s Facebook
post.
Other
than Ummah, representatives from Pembela, Berjasa, Putra, and Perkasa, as well
as controversial Islamic preacher Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu were present and
delivered speeches.
However,
they were alleged to have breached Covid-19 SOPs, according to Sentul police
chief Beh Eng Lai, who confirmed that an investigation has been opened on these
groups and several individuals.
“We
are investigating them under Regulation 17 of the Prevention and Control of
Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2021 for
gathering in a large number and violating the SOPs,” he told FMT.
Beh
added that the police would be hauling up the organisers of this gathering in
the near future.
Yesterday,
the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Loh’s habeas corpus application to regain
custody of her three children.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Syrian
regime supports Russia’s recognition of Ukraine’s breakaway regions
Ethem
Emre Özcan
22.02.2022
The
Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria on Tuesday lent support to Russia over its move
to recognize Ukraine’s breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent
states.
Faisal
Mekdad, the regime's foreign minister, said they will cooperate with the separatist
governments recognized by Russia, according to SANA, the Syrian state news
agency.
"What
the West does against Russia today is similar to what it did to Syria during
the terror war. The US and Western countries continue to support terrorism in
Syria that threatens the Middle East and the world,” SANA quoted Mekdad as
saying.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s recognition of the regions in a
speech on Monday in which he also attacked Ukraine’s government and the US and
accused the West of ignoring Moscow's core security concerns.
Along
with Russia’s military buildup, tensions have recently risen dramatically in
eastern Ukraine, with reports of a growing number of cease-fire violations,
multiple shelling incidents, and the evacuation of civilians from the
pro-Russian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The
US and its European allies have said that Russia is setting the stage to invade
Ukraine after having amassed over 100,000 troops and heavy equipment in and
around its neighbor.
Russia
has denied that it is preparing to invade and instead accuses Western countries
of undermining its security through NATO’s expansion toward its borders.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
fires missiles on border positions inside Syria: Syrian military
23
February ,2022
Israel
fired a number of missiles on positions in Syria’s border province of Quneitra
on Wednesday, causing “material damage,” the Syrian military said in a
statement.
The
statement didn’t give details about the positions that came under attack.
The
missiles were launched at 12:30 a.m. (Tuesday 2230 GMT) from the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on the other side of a UN-supervised buffer
zone.
An
Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment on the attack.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lebanon
orders investigation into legality of two Houthi TV channels in Beirut
22
February ,2022
Lebanon’s
interior minister has ordered an investigation into the legality of two Houthi
TV channels based in Beirut, it was reported on Tuesday.
Yemen’s
Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak sent a letter to his Lebanese
counterpart and the country’s interior minister, Bassam Mawlawi, saying
Al-Masirah and al-Sahat television networks continued to carry out “hostile and
inciting acts” from inside Lebanese territories.
The
Yemeni diplomat said the channels did not have proper licenses to operate.
Lebanon’s
ties with the Gulf have been severely hampered due to Hezbollah’s growing
influence over Lebanon and its role in Iran-backed attacks on the Gulf,
including from Yemen.
Mawlawi
has also vowed to crack down on drug smuggling from Lebanon to Gulf countries.
As
part of Lebanon’s efforts to restore ties with the Gulf, Mawlawi said he sent a
letter to Lebanon’s General Security and the Internal Security Forces to gather
the necessary information on the channels, their operators and where they are
being broadcasted from.
Mawlawi
also sent letters to his counterparts at the Information Ministry and the
Telecoms Ministry asking about the legality of the two channels operating from
within Lebanon.
Washington
has long pressed Lebanon to shut down the Houthi channels airing out of Beirut
but to no avail.
The
Iran-backed Houthis have increased their attacks on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf
countries over the last year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UN
ends Iraq’s requirement to pay victims of Kuwait invasion
23
February ,2022
The
UN Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to end Iraq’s requirement to
compensate victims of its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, with Baghdad having paid out
more than $50 billion to 1.5 million claimants.
Michael
Gaffey, Ireland’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva and president of the governing
board of the UN Compensation Commission, whose fund decided on the claims, told
the council after the vote that the body’s work was a “historic achievement for
the United Nations and for effective multilateralism.”
“Ultimately,
2.7 million claims were submitted to the commission seeking $352 billion in
compensation,” he said, and the $52.4 billion awarded to 1.5 million claimants
“represents approximately 15 percent of the total claims.”
Under
a Security Council resolution adopted in April 1991 after a UN-led coalition
routed Saddam Hussein’s forces and liberated Kuwait in the first Gulf War, Iraq
was required to set aside a percentage of proceeds from its oil exports for the
fund to compensate victims of the conflict.
That
share was five percent in 2013, when the council voted to end the possible
military enforcement of several requirements imposed on Iraq after the invasion
in recognition of improved relations with Kuwait. The level stood at three
percent for Iraq’s final payment on January 13.
Gaffey
said the governing council adopted its final decision on February 9 declaring
that Iraq’s government had fulfilled its international obligations to
compensate for losses and damages suffered as a direct result of its unlawful
invasion of Kuwait.
He
said the fund’s governing council gave priority to claims by individuals who
were forced to leave Iraq or Kuwait, to those who suffered injuries or whose
spouse, child or parent died, or who suffered personal losses of up to
$100,000. He said this humanitarian decision “marked a significant step in the
evolution of international claims practice.”
But
there were also companies and businesses that received funds. Kuwait Petroleum
Corporation successfully claimed $14.7 billion for oil production and sales
losses resulting from damage to the country’s oil fields during the 1990-91
Iraqi invasion and occupation.
The
Security Council resolution adopted Tuesday affirms that Iraq has fulfilled its
international obligations, that “Iraq is no longer required to deposit a
percentage of proceeds from export sales of petroleum, petroleum products and
natural gas into the fund,” and that the commission’s claims process “is now
complete and final and that no further claims shall be made to the commission.”
The
council terminated the commission’s mandate under the 1991 resolution and
ordered it to conclude outstanding matters so it can close by the end of 2022.
Iraqi
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told the council that his country has concluded
“an important 30-years-long chapter and embarks on a new chapter in its
diplomatic, political and economic journey.”
“This
will be an era of a more prominent regional and international role,
commensurate with Iraq’s historical and cultural significance for the region
and the world, an era during which Iraq will be an active member committed to
the aspirations and goals of the international community,” he said.
Kuwaiti
Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi welcomed the resolution’s unanimous adoption and
commended “such a historic achievement by the council in relation to its work
on compensation.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
Arabia, Pakistan conduct joint military exercise
22
February ,2022
Saudi
Arabia and Pakistan have commenced a joint military exercise in the south Asian
country, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Called
‘al-Samsam 8,’ the military exercise between the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF)
and Pakistan Army, reportedly kicked off with a ceremony at the
Counter-Terrorism Training Center in Pakistan.
The
drill has been split into several stages and hopes to integrate the “expertise
between the participating forces,” Pakistan’s Major General P.S.C. Jawed Dost
was quoted by SPA as saying.
The
Pakistani official was reportedly joined by the Military Attaché at the Saudi
Embassy in Islamabad Major General Pilot Awad bin Abdullah al-Zahrani and other
senior officers.
Military
training and cooperation activities between the Kingdom and Pakistan are
common.
In
December last year, the Royal Saudi Land Forces and the Pakistani Army
conducted a similar exercise titled ‘Al Kaseh 3.’
Earlier
2021, Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) combat aircrafts and crew members arrived in
Pakistan’s Mushaf Air Base to participate in the Air Excellence Center
Exercise.
This
aerial sortie was conducted alongside their US counterparts.
More
recently, Saudi Arabia participated in a huge US-led naval exercise in the
Middle East, which saw the country publicly join Israel as part of a 60-country
maritime exercise. Saudi Arabia and Israel share no diplomatic ties.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
nations condemn Houthi drone attack on Saudi Arabia
22.02.2022
A
Houthi drone attack that injured 16 civilians in Saudi Arabia has invited a
storm of condemnations in the Arab world.
The
Saudi-led coalition said a drone attack targeted King Abdullah Airport in Jizan
province, but was intercepted by Saudi air defenses. Sixteen civilians were
injured from the drone shrapnel.
In
a statement, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry condemned the Houthi attack as a “war
crime” and a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and
international norms."
Egypt
said rebel attacks targeting Saudi airports represented a “blatant threat to
the security and stability of the kingdom and to the safety of civilian
aviation and freedom of air navigation."
The
United Arab Emirates called on the international community to support measures
aimed at “stopping the Houthi militia from targeting civilian objects.”
The
Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Houthi attack, saying it
"undermines the security of the kingdom and the region."
Bahrain
also reiterated support to Saudi Arabia “in taking all measures to maintain its
security and stability."
For
his part, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Nayef
Al-Hajraf, condemned the Houthi attack as a “war crime”. He reiterated the
GCC's "solidarity with Saudi Arabia against everything that targets its
security, stability and territorial integrity."
There
was no comment from the Houthi group.
The
Houthis, backed by Iran, regularly announce rocket and drone attacks on Saudi
territories, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition’s assault on
Yemen.
Yemen
has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Houthi rebels
captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
1
dead in northern Syria car bombing
Ömer
Koparan
22.02.2022
AZAZ,
Syria
A
car bomb attack killed at least one person in northern Syria on Tuesday, local
sources said.
The
bomb, which was planted in a vehicle, exploded in the Syrian opposition-held
city of Azaz.
Security
forces launched an investigation into the attack, focusing on the possibility
that it was planned by the terrorist group YPG/PKK.
The
terror group, operating from Syria’s adjacent Tal Rifaat and Manbij regions,
often carries out attacks in Jarabulus, Azaz, Afrin, and al-Bab.
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a
terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for
the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.
The YPG is PKK’s Syrian branch.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/1-dead-in-northern-syria-car-bombing/2509757
--------
El-Sisi
affirms Egypt’s keenness on Kuwait, Gulf’s stability and security in
confronting internal and regional challenges
February
23, 2022
LONDON:
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday affirmed Egypt’s keenness on the
stability and security of Kuwait and all the Gulf states in the face of
internal and regional challenges, as an integral part of the Egyptian national
security
Speaking
during a meeting with Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,
El-Sisi said his country was also keen to strengthen and diversify the
frameworks of joint bilateral cooperation in the political, security, economic
and commercial fields, Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Bassam Rady said.
Sheikh
Nawaf expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s efforts in support of Kuwaiti
affairs at all levels, as well as the Egyptian community’s contribution to the
construction and development process in Kuwait in various fields.
He
said in the coming period, Kuwait will increase investments in Egypt and
exploit the opportunities available there, and praised Cairo’s role in
strengthening the mechanisms of joint Arab action in facing the current crises
and challenges in the region.
Rady
said the meeting discussed a number of Arab and regional issues of common
interest, as well as developing Egyptian-Kuwaiti cooperation, especially in
light of the upcoming 13th session of the Egyptian-Kuwaiti joint committee in
Cairo and the joint consular committee between the two countries.
The
spokesman said they also discussed efforts to combat terrorism and extremist
ideology and spread a culture of tolerance and moderation in the region and
agreed to jointly coordinate to confront challenges to promote peace and
stability.
During
his official one-day visit to Kuwait, El-Sisi also held talks with Crown Prince
Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah
Khaled Al-Sabah.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2030081/middle-east
--------
India
Bihar:
UCO Bank Employee Apologises to Muslim Woman for Denying Cash for Wearing Hijab
Umesh
Kumar Ray
FEBRUARY
23, 2022
Patna:
A UCO Bank employee of the Mansoor Chak branch in Begusarai, accused of denying
cash to a Muslim woman for not removing her hijab, has apologised to her after
a video of the incident went viral.
Journalist
Meer Faisal shared the video on Twitter, in which a group of bank employees,
including the cashier, are seen to be arguing with the woman. The woman cannot
be seen in the video but is heard expressing her anger over the employees
denying her cash for wearing a hijab.
When
the video emerged on Twitter on February 20, UCO Bank, in response, said, “The
Bank respects the religious sentiments of the citizens and does not
discriminate against its esteemed customers on the basis of caste or religion.
The Bank is checking the facts on this issue.”
On
the next day, the bank manager contacted the family and said that the other
employees, who were present there and also accused of denying her cash, wanted
to apologise to the woman, according to her family.
The
woman’s father, Md Mateen Alam, told The Wire, “The bank employees wanted to
come to our house to apologise, but we felt that if they came here, the
controversy would further escalate. So we went to the branch of the said bank,
where he [the main accused] apologised.”
The
family members said that the bank had also sent the suspension order of the
said employee, but they appealed to the bank manager not to suspend him on
humanitarian grounds.
“Whatever
was to happen, has happened. We do not want the matter to get caught any
further. The said employee has a family and children. Had he been suspended,
his family would have suffered, so we appealed that he should not be
suspended,” Mateen told The Wire.
Meanwhile,
the Bihar State Minority Commission has written a letter to the bank, asking to
investigate the matter and take action against the culprits and issue an
advisory not to refuse cash to women who wear hijab to the bank.
In
a letter to UCO Bank’s managing director, the Commission said, “It is known
from the video going viral on social media that a Muslim woman wearing a hijab
went to the UCO Bank branch in Begusarai, Bihar to withdraw money, but the bank
employee stopped her from cash withdrawal. This is a very serious matter.
Therefore, it is requested that after investigating the matter, appropriate
action should be taken against the culprits and an advisory should be issued to
all the branches that women wearing hijab should not be refused to withdraw
money.”
Leader
of opposition and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav’s office said on
Twitter, “What are you doing in Bihar for the sake of the chair? We know that
you have pledged your thoughts, policy, principles and conscience to the BJP,
but at least take care of the oath you had taken by the Constitution. Arrest
the people guilty of this misdeed.”
The
hijab controversy started in January when a junior college administration in
Karnataka barred six Muslim students from entering classrooms for wearing
hijabs. Since then the issue has spread to several Karnataka schools and
colleges.
In
Bihar, it was the first case where a Muslim woman was told to remove hijab for
withdrawing cash.
The
Wire sent an email to the zonal manager for his response. The story will be
updated as and when the manager replies.
Backstory
This
incident happened on February 10. Md Mateen Alam’s daughter had gone to UCO
Bank’s Mansoor Chak branch to withdraw money. When she went to the cash counter
after filling out the withdrawal slip, the cashier at the counter said that she
would have to remove the hijab, only then the cash would be given to her. The
woman said that she has been coming to the bank wearing a hijab since the
beginning, but never before was she asked to remove it, and so she will not
remove the hijab.
Hearing
this, the cashier allegedly said that if she does not remove the hijab, then
the money will not be given to her.
The
woman immediately called her brother Ajmal Khan from the bank itself and
narrated the whole incident to him.
Ajmal
Khan told The Wire, “She often goes to the bank to withdraw money. She has been
going to the bank wearing a hijab since the beginning but she was never asked
to remove her hijab. She had her board exams at the beginning of February where
she appeared wearing a hijab, but nothing happened there.”
He
added, “If the cashier had said lovingly, to remove the hijab, she would have
removed it too. But the cashier was very rude, so my sister too was adamant
about not removing the hijab.”
“No
signature mismatch”
The
bank officials earlier said that she was asked to remove her hijab due to a
mismatch in signatures.
“There
appeared to be differences in signature. So as per rules, the cashier asked the
woman to show her face. There is no issue with hijab. The matter is being
dragged unnecessarily,” bank manager Ritesh Kumar was quoted by Jagran as
saying soon after the video went viral.
However,
the family denied any signature mismatch. Ajmal Khan said, “There was no case
of signature not matching. It was just a case of not giving cash because of the
hijab. After my sister’s call, I asked my father to go to the bank.”
Mateen
said, “I went to the bank and told the cashier that this has never happened
before, so why is it happening today. If there is any legal letter regarding
this, then it should be shown.”
“Seeing
the uproar, people gathered and started making videos. Since there is a dispute
going on in Karnataka over hijab, I told the cashier that it seems that
Karnataka’s disease has come here too, but the law will work in Mansoor Chak.
Meanwhile, the manager of the branch came and intervened, and asked the cashier
to give the woman cash. We went home with the money,” he said.
Source:
The Wire
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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PFI,
like SIMI, knows riding the communal tiger is perilous. Jihadists are reared on
hate
PRAVEEN
SWAMI
23
February, 2022
“Five
minutes,” read the rage-filled email that arrived in newsrooms, moments before
multiple bombs ripped through Ahmedabad in 2008, killing 38 people, “Await,
only for 5 minutes, to feel the fear of death… Five and a half crore multitude
of pathetic infidels who tortured us in the post-Godhra riots asking ‘where is
your Allah?’: Here He is, the most supreme, the most sublime, with His
punishment.”
Last
week, several perpetrators of the Ahmedabad serial bombings, including some
accused of authoring that email, were sentenced to death by a trial court. Some
involved in the Indian Mujahideen bombings are already dead, killed fighting
with the Islamic State.
The
jihadist movement, though, might be headed towards rebirth. Fuelled by anti-Muslim
violence, hate polemics and the communal schisms bred by the Karnataka hijab
controversy slowly spreading elsewhere in the country, there’s been a sharp
rise in support for the Popular Front of India (PFI) — an organisation that
police and intelligence services have long alleged is serving as an incubator
for the next generation of Indian jihadists.
Also
Read: Gujarat 2002 was independent India’s first full-blooded pogrom. Delhi
1984 was a semi-pogrom
PFI’s
birth and growth
Formed
in 2006, the PFI brought together several organisations that formed across
southern India in the wake of the Babri Masjid’s demolition — among them, the
National Development Front, the Karnataka Forum for Dignity and the Manitha
Neethi Pasarai. The PFI’s front organisations include the Campus Front of India
and National Women’s Front, as well as a political party, the Social Democratic
Party of India. Affiliates have joined the front from across India.
Members
of the organisation — among them Abdul Rehman and Abdul Hameed — had occupied
leadership positions in the Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), leading
to accusations that the PFI was at its core a rebranding of the Islamist
student organisation. The PFI has, however, pointed out that they did so before
SIMI was proscribed in 2001.
The
organisation’s public agenda focuses on mainstream questions of Muslim rights:
action against anti-Muslim violence, job reservations for the community, and
the defence of religion-based personal law. There’s no hint, in its official literature,
of jihadist sympathies.
From
at least 2011, though, disturbing evidence began to mount that the PFI cadre
was involved in violence. That year, PFI members hacked off the hand of Idukki
college professor T.J. Joseph, for teaching a purportedly blasphemous short
story.
Then,
in 2013, the Kerala Police discovered a camp in Narath, near Kannur, where the
National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed PFI members were receiving training
in bomb-making and the use of swords.
Linkages
to Islamic State
In 2014,
the Kerala government filed an affidavit claiming the organisation had a
clandestine Islamist agenda. The government claimed that PFI members had been
involved in 27 communally motived murders, and another 86 other attempts to
kill — part of a grim, subterranean war involving the state’s communists, Hindu
nationalists and Islamists.
Linkages
between members of the PFI and the Islamic State popped up, intelligence
services allege, within months of the so-called caliphate being declared in
Iraq and Syria.
In
2016, the NIA made arrests in Kannur, where they claimed members of the PFI
were plotting to set up the al-Zarul Khalifa, a new jihadist group inspired by
the Islamic State. The group, the NIA said, hoped to execute terrorist attacks
across India.
Former
PFI members were also among 22 Kerala residents who joined a proselytising
cult, and then left to join the Islamic State in Afghanistan — and have been
accused of conducting fundraising drives and propaganda in support of the
jihadist group.
The
PFI, for its part, said members who joined the Islamic State acted in defiance
of “organisational education,” and notes it has long warned against the
jihadist group’s “anti‐religious and anti‐national nature.” There is, in NIA
records, no evidence that the organisation and its leadership — as opposed to
its rank-and-file — endorse jihadism. Instead, its language is studiously
constitutionalist.
New
Delhi hasn’t so far proscribed the PFI, in spite of calls by the chief
ministers of Assam and Uttar Pradesh — fuelling suspicions it sees political
utility in the organisation, which is challenging established Muslim
leadership.
Lessons
from SIMI
Like
SIMI before it, though, the PFI ended up discovering that riding the communal
tiger was a perilous business. SIMI’s genesis lay in the Jama’at-e-Islami,
founded by the influential ideologue Sayyid Abu A’la Mawdudi.
In
a 1939 essay, Maududi argued that the pursuit of political power — rather than
what he called “a hotchpotch of beliefs, prayers and rituals” — was integral to
the practice of Islam. “Islam,” he insisted, “is a revolutionary ideology which
seeks to alter the social order of the entire world and rebuild it in
conformity with its own tenets and ideals.” Although these ideas would lay the
foundations for the modern jihadist movement in west Asia, the Jama’at came to
the conclusion that defending the secular state was the sole viable defence
against Hindu communalism.
The
Jama’at founded SIMI in 1977, in an effort to reach out to young people. Five
years later, it distanced itself from SIMI, concerned with the radical polemics
of its leaders. SIMI, though, continued to grow, building mass legitimacy
through campaigns against pornography and drug use, and holding religious
education classes — much like the PFI.
Riding
the communal tiger
From
the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, SIMI’s language, scholar Yoginder
Sikand has recorded, grew “combative and vitriolic”, with pamphlets warning
that Muslims comfortable living in secular societies were headed to hell. Soon
after, the movement put up posters calling on Muslims to follow the example of
medieval warlord Mahmood Ghaznavi to avenge the destruction of mosques in
India.
In
a 1996 statement, SIMI declared that since democracy and secularism had failed
to protect Muslims, the sole option for Muslims was to struggle for the
caliphate.
Like
the PFI’s Islamic State-leaning members, the Indian Mujahideen’s founders
decided talk wasn’t enough — and split from SIMI. From 2001, core members of
these groups travelled to Pakistan for military training. The communal
massacres that ripped through Gujarat in 2002 gave this core of jihadists
momentum.
In
2004, dozens of new recruits met in Bhatkal, for the first in a series of
training exercises; and a network of safe-houses and bomb-fabrication
facilities were set up for the Indian Mujahideen’s 2005-2008 urban terrorism
campaign.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
At
least 40 Indians who joined ISIS now in Middle-East prison camps, find there’s
no way home
PRAVEEN
SWAMI
17
February, 2022
New
Delhi: The son of a civil engineer long settled in Kuwait, property back home
in Hyderabad, his degree in computer science from Collin College in Texas
almost complete. Talmeezur Rahman seemed the stuff of the perfect matrimonial
advertisement. Then, one summer morning in 2014, at the end of a visit home, he
caught a flight from Mumbai to Istanbul — and disappeared into the Islamic
State.
For
at least the past three years, government and intelligence sources told
ThePrint, Rahman has been held without trial at the al-Shadadi prison camp near
Hasakah, controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), along with
some 600 other Islamic State cadres.
At
least 40 other Indian nationals — overwhelmingly members of the diaspora in the
Middle East, and around half of them children or women — are now thought to be
held in al-Shadadi and other SDF-run camps like Ghweiran and al-Hawl, as well
as jails in Turkey and Libya.
Like
several other countries, India has chosen to provide no diplomatic assistance
to Islamic State prisoners — a policy helped by the lack of formal recognition
for the SDF regime.
“For
families like mine, the situation is extremely painful,” says elderly Hyderabad
resident Mohammad Moizuddin, who learned in 2018 that his son, Mohammad
Ikramuddin, had been slain in combat, and that his daughter-in-law, Arjumand
Banu, had been held in al-Hawl along with her small children.
“The
government’s view is that there is no realistic prospect of securing
convictions against these individuals,” a senior intelligence official told
ThePrint, “and the potential of returning trained, battle-hardened jihadists
into the community is just too high”.
Islamic
State’s Indian technocrats
Few
details have become available on the Indians held in the region, but some seem
to have been highly educated, providing the Islamic State with valuable
technological and managerial skills. For example, electronics engineer Syed
Muhammad Arshiyan Haider — born in Ranchi, educated at the prestigious Aligarh
Muslim University and now imprisoned in Turkey — is believed to have helped
design the Islamic State’s suicide-drone systems, as well as short-range
rockets.
Long
a resident of Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Haider is believed to have been linked to
a network run by Bangladeshi-origin, Glamorgan-trained computer engineer Siful
Haque Sujan and Pakistani national Sajid Babar, both slain in drone strikes on
the Islamic State in Raqqa.
Haider,
the source said, is believed to have sourced electronic components for the
Islamic State’s drones through a network of front-companies run by Syrian-born
Ibrahim Hag Gneid — revealed, last week, to have been one of several foreign
jihadists given Turkish citizenship under opaque circumstances.
There
is no word on Haider’s Belgian-national, ethnic-Chechen wife, Alina Haider, or
their two small children. ThePrint was unable to contact Haider’s relatives;
their home in Ranchi is shuttered and neighbours said they were unaware of the
family’s whereabouts.
Another
key Islamic State technocrat now believed to be in an SDF-run camp is Adil
Fayaz Wada, the son of an affluent Srinagar contractor and supermarket chain
owner, who joined the Islamic State soon after completing an MBA in Brisbane.
Wada is believed to have been recruited to join the Islamic State by the
Australian Islamist Hamdi al-Qudsi, who was later sentenced to eight years in
prison for his activities.
Wada
did not appear to have pro-jihadist views while he lived in Kashmir. In 2010,
he wrote a stinging open letter to Kashmir’s Islamist patriarch Syed Ali Shah
Geelani, accusing him of organising “useless strikes”. “Nobody cares, nobody
listens,” the letter went on, “it starts in Kashmir and ends up there, no where
in the world cares [sic.].”
There
are several similar stories. Thayyib Sheikh Meeran, a Canadian permanent
resident whose family comes from Vellore in Tamil Nadu, was working for
Hewlett-Packard when he left for the caliphate with his family in 2015. Shoaib
Shafiq Anwar left an engineering position at a university in Saudi Arabia to
join the Islamic State, along with his wife Soufia Muqeet. Both are now
believed to be in prison.
In
an official Islamic State video released in 2016, several Indian jihadists in
the caliphate — including Talmeezur Rahman, as well several members of the
Indian Mujahideen terrorist group, who had fled to Pakistan in 2008 — announced
their intention to return home to fight. “To those in the Indian state who wish
to understand our actions,” says an unidentified jihadist, “I say you have only
three options: To accept Islam, to pay jizya [religious tax], or to prepare to
be slaughtered.”
Families
of the Islamic State
That
fantasy collapsed in the ruins of the caliphate, under relentless attack from
Iraqi, Syrian, and multinational forces. Ikramuddin, Moizuddin’s son, had held
a high-paying job in Saudi Arabia for more than a decade, when he moved to the
Islamic State with his wife, Arjumand Banu, and two children. The circumstances
of his decision remain unknown. Arjumand and the children, intelligence sources
said, are now in al-Hawl.
Al-Hawl,
a sprawling prison that houses thousands of families from around the world, has
been described as a kind of Islamic State mini-state, with women who held high
positions in the organisation enforcing its codes, indoctrinating children, and
assassinating those believed to be collaborating with authorities.
The
Indian prisoners there, government sources said, include Amani Fatima and her
son, who followed her husband Naseem Khan into the Islamic State. An
engineering graduate from Thane, Naseem Khan worked on the Delhi Metro before
moving to Bahrain. Family members declined to discuss the case, but one said
off the record that they had received periodic messages from Amani.
Fabna
Nalakath, who followed her husband Muhammed Mansoor Perunkalleeri into Islamic
State territory, along with their 2013-born daughter Hanyya Perunkalleeri, is
another possible survivor who may now be in a camp, according to sources.
There
are several other cases where families are even more unclear about what
happened to their loved ones. Living and working in Qatar, Ritika Shetty met,
and married, Mohammad Kamil Sultan — an Indian-origin man with a stellar record
as a school athlete. In December, 2013, both ended up travelling to Syria,
through Turkey. Now, the pair are suspected to be in separate SDF-run prisons.
Early
in 2017, Kannur-origin Rizwana Kalathil similarly shut her Dubai home, and left
for the Islamic State with husband Mohammed Zuhail, and children Rayan, Raihan,
and Bint Zoha. Kalathil and the children are now believed to be in al-Hawl,
said sources.
A
flawed policy?
India’s
decision not to seek the repatriation of prisoners is, however, becoming a
cause for growing concern, amidst jihadist attacks on prison camps in Syria
designed to free captives. Last year, the Taliban freed at least 22 Islamic
State-linked Indian nationals held at the Badam Bagh women’s prison in Kabul,
and the notorious Pul-i-Charkhi jail — among them, Aijaz Ahanger, a Kashmiri
jihadist believed to have run a network of Indian-origin suicide-attackers.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
to get technical help from Malaysia to increase its palm oil plantation
footprints
Feb
23, 2022
NEW
DELHI: With India looking to expand footprints of palm oil plantations to
reduce its dependence on import of oilseeds, the country on Tuesday joined hands
with Malaysia in getting the latter's support in this direction. Malaysia, the
world's second largest producer of palm oil after Indonesia, readily agreed to
share its experience and technical know-how with India.
Both
the countries agreed on basic details of cooperation in this field along with
other areas of mutual interests in the farm sector during the meeting of
visiting Malaysian minister Zuraida Kamaruddin with agriculture minister
Narendra Singh Tomar at Krishi Bhawan.
"India
wants to get benefitted from the vast experience of Malaysia. The move will
help the country in its National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)
which aims to bring additional 6.50 lakh hectares of land under palm oil by
2025-26. India would need 100 million seed sprouts for this purpose," said
Tomar after the meeting.
In
order to reduce the country's dependence on import of oilseeds, the central
government had in August last year launched NMEO-OP to augment the availability
of edible oil by harnessing area expansion even as environmentalists severely
criticised it saying the move would prove to be ecologically destructive. The
government in its 2022-23 budget allocated Rs 900 crore for promoting palm oil.
At
present only 3.70 lakh hectares (ha) of land in India is under oil palm
cultivation. Oil palm produces 10 to 46 times more oil per hectare compared to
other oilseed crops. Since India has to substantially depend on imports, the
NMEO-OP aims to cover an additional area of 6.5 lakh hectares for oil palm till
2025-26. The scheme also targets the production of crude palm oil to go up to
11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26 and up to 28 lakh tonnes by 2029-30.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Has Always Opposed Terror: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla To UAE Council
Feb
23, 2022
NEW
DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, in his address to the members of the Federal
National Council (FNC) of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, said India has
always opposed terrorism in all forms.
“I
strongly and unequivocally condemn the recent terrorist attack in the UAE,”
Birla said and emphasised on the need for unity among nations in the fight
against terrorism. He stressed that for global security, stability and
sustainable development, it is necessary that all the nations of the world come
together to fight the challenges of terrorism and violent extremism.
The
Speaker said the shared concern of India and the UAE with regard to increasing
threats from religious extremism and terrorism to the safety of people, is
reshaping cooperation between the two countries in the current regional and
global scenarios.
Underlining
that India and the UAE have a long history of friendship, Birla said the
similarity of views between the two countries on bilateral and multilateral
issues has deepened this relationship.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Andhra
school principal asks girls to remove hijab, backtracks after stir
By
Srinivasa Rao Apparasu
Feb
23, 2022
Amid
the raging controversy across the nation over ban on Muslim girl students
attending the classes in educational institutions wearing hijab, a school in
Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district ran into trouble on Tuesday for imposing
similar restrictions on Muslim girls.
The
principal of Vikas Public School at Yerragondapalem town, M Koti Reddy, stopped
Muslim girls entering the school wearing burqa and hijab, stating they should
attend the classes in proper uniform and not in the traditional dress.
The
girls immediately called up their parents and brought the restrictions to their
notice. Within an hour, a large number of men, women and youth, along with
local Muslim religious leaders assembled at the school and entered into an
argument with the school management.
Reddy
explained to them that there had been no such restrictions in the school since
its inception 15 years ago. “In view of the latest developments in some parts
of the country, we have only asked the Muslim girls to remove their burqa and
hijab after entering the school and attend the classes in uniform. They can
wear the same, while going back to their homes,” he said.
However,
a Muslim cleric wondered why the school was imposing such restrictions now and
under whose pressure. The Muslim women raised slogans against the school
management and demanded an apology from the principal.
As
the situation was turning tense, police entered the scene to pacify the
agitated mob. Meanwhile, Yerragondapalem Mandal Education Officer Anjaneyulu
along with senior officials of his department, came there and held discussions
with the Muslim elders and the school management.
Later,
addressing the gathering, Anjajeyulu said the state government had not imposed
any dress code in any educational institutions. “The Muslim girls can come to
the school and attend their classes as usual as they have been doing all these
days,” he assured.
He
said if any school imposes any restrictions on the traditional dress of the
Muslims, they could complain to authorities, who would take appropriate action.
The
school principal, too, tendered an apology and assured that there would be no
such restrictions in the school.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Right
to wear hijab not under Article 25: Govt
By
Arun Dev
Feb
23, 2022
Deeming
the hijab an essential religious practice would affect the personal freedom of
Muslim women, Karnataka’s advocate general Prabhuling Navadagi argued in high
court on Tuesday on the eighth day of hearing on petitions filed by students of
Udupi government preuniversity college contesting the ban on wearing
headscarves inside classrooms.
Countering
the petitioners, Navadagi said the right to wear the headscarf falls under the
category of 19(1)(A) and not Article 25 as has been argued by the Muslim
students.
If
the wearing of a hijab is recognised as an essential religious practice by way
of a court order, all Muslim women would be obligated to wear it, including
those who do not want to do so, Navadagi said, representing the state
government.
“It
hits at the liberty of that individual. The choice to wear what we want and
choose not to wear what we do not want. Every woman of every faith has that
choice. There cannot be religious sanction by way of judicial declaration,” he
told the bench of chief justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and justices Krishna S Dixit
and JM Khazi.
Arguing
further, he said the independent claim of 19(1)(A) cannot go together with
Article 25. “The consequence of the demand to declare Hijab as an essential
religious practice is huge because there is an element of compulsion or else
you will be expelled from the community,” Navadagi told the court.
In
this case, he argued, responding to a specific query by the bench, the question
of choice does not arise because it is about school and college uniforms.
The
demand of the petitioners that the right to wear hijab is part of the right to
freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian
Constitution also means that people who do not wish to wear it would have a
fundamental right not to wear it, he argued.
Going
by that argument, if anyone who wants to wear the hijab under the Article is
restrained by the government, would it not amount to a violation of a
fundamental right, chief justice Awasthi asked.
In
response, Navadagi argued that there is no ban on wearing the hijab in India.
The right to wear a hijab under Article 19(1)(a) is subject to reasonable
restrictions under Article 19(2), he said. “ In our case, Rule 11 (of the
Karnataka Education Rules) places reasonable restrictions for institutional discipline.”
The
restrictions on wearing a hijab are limited to classrooms, and not the campus
of educational institutes, he clarified.
The
wearing of the hijab was not an essential religious practice of Islam, the
advocate general reiterated. “If it is not obligatory, it is not compulsory.
What is not compulsory is not essential. Therefore, it does not fall within the
realm of essential religious practice,” he argued.
He
mentioned the ban on wearing a hijab in public places in France and Turkey. At
this point, justice Dixit intervened and said that it depends on the
constitutional policy of every country. Navadagi then said that he only wanted
to mention that there was no such prohibition in India.
“Ultimately,
if anyone is coming to the court for a declaration that we want every woman of
a particular faith to wear that (hijab), would it not violate the dignity of
that person whom we are all subjugating?” he asked in his concluding remarks.
Responding
to this, justice Dixit said: “If in a Hindu marriage, we hold tying of
mangalsutra is essential, it does not mean all Hindus that the country should
compulsorily wear mangalsutra. We declare a legal position and leave it there.”
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hijab
row: FIR against journalist for barging into Muslim girl’s house
22nd
February 2022
Amid
the ongoing hijab proceedings in the Karnataka high court, the police in Udupi
district filed an FIR under against a reporter for barging into a Muslim girl’s
house in the name of a sting operation.
The
complaint was filed under IPC section 448 against a reporter of Asianet Suvarna
News. The complainant, a student by the name Aliya Assadi, stated that the
reporter barged in her home and breached her privacy in the name of sting
operation.
It
is worth noting that Assadi is one of the six petitioners in the current high
court case on the allowance of hijab in educational institutes.
Assadi,
along with several other Muslim women were followed, and harassed by members of
select media houses since the start of the high court proceedings vis-à-vis the
hijab row.
Earlier,
in another instance, a journalist followed a young, hijab clad girl
persistently even as the girl started to run away from him. A video of the
harassment went viral on social media and sparked outrage.
In
the hopes of redressal, some of the victims have filed a public interest
litigation (PIL) petition before the Karnataka High Court against more than 60
media houses seeking directions to restrain them from chasing and videographing
students and teachers who are on their way to schools and colleges wearing
hijab.
Background
of the hijab row:
The
hijab controversy erupted and has been raging since January, after students of
a pre-university college in Karnataka’s Udupi were prohibited from wearing
headscarves (hijab), as part of their religious obligation, in the college
premises. The issue blew up after Hindu students turned up to their colleges
wearing saffron scarves in a protest against hijabi Muslims being allowed to
wear headscarves.
The
state was forced to form a committee to decide over the issue and prohibited
the students from wearing any religious garment, including the hijab until a
decision is reached.
However,
a number of protests by saffron-clad students and Muslims around the state
forced the state to shut down schools and colleges for a few days.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/hijab-row-fir-against-journalist-for-barging-into-muslim-girls-house-2280187/
--------
North
America
US
Politician, Ed Durr, Who Previously Denounced Islam Now Wants Muslim Holidays
To Be Recognised
22
February, 2022
Last
year, shortly after Republican Ed Durr was elected to New Jersey's state
senate, one of his old tweets resurfaced in which he denounced Islam. Last
week, the same man introduced a resolution to officially recognise two Muslim
holidays.
This
change of heart occurred, according to a recent report by Politico, after
Selaedin Maksut, the head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-New Jersey
held a meeting with the politician in November.
Maksut
reportedly didn't expect anything specific to emerge from the meeting,
particularly from someone who had described Islam as a "false
religion" and a "cult of hate". In the end, it made Durr a champion
for an important cause of America's Muslim community – recognising Eid Al-Fitr
and Eid Al-Adha holidays.
"I
was really touched that it came from an organic thought, that he took it
seriously when I was describing my work, and he took that opportunity to extend
that olive branch," Maksut said, according to the Politico report.
Though
the resolution is being welcomed by many in the Muslim community, it does not
go as far as similar resolutions issued by Democrats, which seek to make these
holidays officially observed by the state and allow for days off at schools.
Durr's resolution simply recognises the existence of these holidays, which
would allow for local proclamations.
"The
one [resolution] the Democratic Party put forward never passed," Maksut
said, according to the website.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/us-politician-calls-muslim-holidays-be-recognised
--------
US
approves potential foreign military sale to Kuwait for $1 bln for defence HQ
23
February ,2022
The
US State Department approved a potential foreign military sale to the
government of Kuwait of design and construction of the Kuwait defense ministry
headquarters complex and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1 billion,
the US Defense Department said.
The
Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible
sale on Tuesday.
Implementation
of the proposed acquisition will require the assignment of up to additional US
government or US contractor representatives to Kuwait for a duration of up to
seven years to provide construction management and oversight, the Defense
Department said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Canada
must repatriate dying woman and child from Daesh camp: HRW
February
22, 2022
LONDON:
Rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has implored the Canadian government to
abide by its own rules and let a gravely ill Canadian child, who is under 12,
return to Canada from a Daesh internment camp in Syria to receive life-saving
healthcare.
The
group also urged Canada to repatriate a 49-year-old woman, Kimberly Polman, who
is not the child’s mother but is also gravely ill.
“How
close to death do Canadians have to be for their government to decide they
qualify for repatriation?” said Letta Tayler, associate crisis and conflict
director at HRW.
“Canada
should be helping its citizens unlawfully held in northeast Syria, not
obstructing their ability to get life-saving health care. If this Canadian
woman and child die in locked camps and prisons in northeast Syria, Canada
would share the blame.”
HRW
said: “Canada is effectively preventing a Canadian woman and a young Canadian
child detained in northeast Syria from coming home for life-saving medical care
despite a Canadian policy allowing them to do so.”
Ottawa
has said that repatriating its nationals could pose a security risk and that it
is too dangerous for its diplomats to travel inside war-torn northeast Syria to
extract them.
However,
if they can reach a consulate then the government has said it will assist them,
and Canada will “consider” repatriations of its nationals in Syria on a
case-by-case basis, according to new policies introduced in early 2022.
Those
conditions are highly restrictive but “could include” an “imminent,
life-threatening medical condition, with no prospect of receiving medical
treatment (on site),” according to a copy of the policy framework reviewed by
HRW.
Former
US Ambassador Peter Galbraith, who has taken several foreigners out of
northeast Syria on behalf of their home countries, told HRW that Canadian
authorities had refused his offer to escort the woman and child to a Canadian
consulate in neighboring Iraq.
Galbraith
told HRW that all he needed to proceed was for a foreign affairs official from
Canada to email a ranking official from the Kurdish-led authorities in
northeast Syria stating that Canada would not object if he took Polman and the
child across the border to Erbil.
“Canada’s
position appears to be this: It is too dangerous to send our diplomats into
Syria to help Canadian citizens detained in Syria, but we will provide consular
services to any Canadian who reaches a Canadian diplomatic mission,” Galbraith,
who left northeast Syria after Canada rejected his offer on Feb. 15, told HRW.
“However,
Canada will also not make it possible for a Canadian detained in Syria to
actually reach a Canadian diplomatic mission.”
On
Feb. 10, more than a dozen UN independent experts called on Canada to urgently
repatriate Polman to treat life-threatening illnesses including hepatitis,
kidney disease, and an autoimmune disorder.
They
said conditions in the locked camps holding Canadians and other foreigners met
the threshold of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.
Kurdish
authorities have repeatedly urged Western countries to bring home their
nationals — an estimated 40,000 foreigners — who had traveled to Syria to join
Daesh. Among the foreign fighters and their families are an estimated
four-dozen Canadians.
However,
most have been slow to repatriate nationals, and Canada has, to date, only
brought home a five-year-old orphan and a four-year-old girl and her mother.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2029821/world
--------
US
lawmakers: Biden must ask Congress before sending troops to Ukraine
23
February 2022
While
Washington rolled out its propaganda offensive against Russia over Ukraine, a
group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers told US President Joe Biden that
he must seek authorization from Congress before sending in troops or launching
military attacks.
In
a letter to Biden on Tuesday, the group of 43 lawmakers acknowledged that the
US president previously said he would not send troops into Ukraine but noted
the decision could change following escalation of tensions between the US and
Russia.
"If
the ongoing situation compels you to introduce the brave men and women of our
military into Ukraine, their lives would inherently be put at risk of Russia
chooses to invade," the letter reads. "Therefore, we ask that your
decisions comport with the Constitution and our nation's laws by consulting
with Congress to receive authorization before any such development."
Reps.
Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Matt
Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), among others, signed the letter
which was shared by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) on Twitter.
Davidson
wrote that Biden should "follow the Constitution and the law."
"The
American people deserve to have a say before we become involved in yet another
foreign conflict," DeFazio wrote.
The
letter comes amid growing tensions between the US and Russia. On Monday,
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the breakaway
Lugansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine as independent republics and
instructed Russia's Defense Ministry to deploy peacekeeping troops to the two
regions.
Biden
orders more US troops to eastern Europe
Biden
on Tuesday said that the United States would impose financial penalties on
Russia because of its deployment of troops into two breakaway regions of
eastern Ukraine, which Moscow has already recognized as independent republics.
He
also directed additional US troops to Eastern Europe. “As Russia contemplates
its next move, we have our next move prepared as well,” Biden told reporters at
the White House.
“Today,
in response to Russia's admission that it will not withdraw its forces from
Belarus, I have authorized additional movements of U.S. forces and equipment
already stationed in Europe to strengthen our Baltic allies, Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania.”
Washington
has already deployed some 6,000 US forces to Germany, Poland and Romania near
the countries’ borders with Ukraine.
“We
want to send an unmistakable message that the United States together with our
allies will defend every inch of NATO territory and abide by the commitments we
made to NATO,” Biden said, adding that Washington will also continue to provide
military assistance to Ukraine.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Archaeologists
Find 9,000-Year-Old Shrine In Jordan Desert
23
February, 2022
A
team of Jordanian and French archaeologists said Tuesday that it had found a
roughly 9,000-year-old shrine at a remote Neolithic site in Jordan’s eastern
desert.
The
ritual complex was found in a Neolithic campsite near large structures known as
“desert kites,” or mass traps that are believed to have been used to corral
wild gazelles for slaughter.
Such
traps consist of two or more long stone walls converging toward an enclosure
and are found scattered across the deserts of the Middle East.
“The
site is unique, first because of its preservation state,” said Jordanian
archaeologist Wael Abu-Azziza, co-director of the project. “It’s 9,000 years
old and everything was almost intact.”
Within
the shrine were two carved standing stones bearing anthropomorphic figures, one
accompanied by a representation of the “desert kite,” as well as an altar,
hearth, marine shells and miniature model of the gazelle trap.
The
researchers said in a statement that the shrine “sheds an entire new light on
the symbolism, artistic expression as well as spiritual culture of these
hitherto unknown Neolithic populations.”
The
proximity of the site to the traps suggests the inhabitants were specialized
hunters and that the traps were “the center of their cultural, economic and
even symbolic life in this marginal zone,” the statement said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South
Africa Sending Fresh Troops to Mozambique to Fight Islamist Insurgents
February
22, 2022
CAPE
TOWN —
South
Africa is sending fresh troops and armored vehicles to Mozambique's northern
Cabo Delgado province as part of efforts to fight Islamic State-connected
insurgents.
The
deployment is part of the Southern African Development Community's (SADC)
military intervention, which started in July last year.
More
than 3,000 SADC and Rwandan troops have been sent to Mozambique to fight
against Islamic State-connected insurgents. The conflict has claimed more than
three thousand lives and displaced 800,000 people.
The
South African National Defense Force’s spokesperson Brigadier-General Andries
Mahapa says the fresh troops will be deployed soon.
“We
are just confirming the mode of transport. It could be air, land or sea.
Remember in terms of security we cannot come out straight to say we are coming
through by land or so forth. So that will compromise us. But we are combat
ready to deploy,” said Mahapa.
The
joint force is known as the Southern African Development Community Mission in
Mozambique or SAMIM.
Willem
Els, security analyst and counter terrorism trainer from the Institute of
Security Studies, says to this point South Africa has mainly sent special
forces to Mozambique.
He
says that will change with the latest deployment.
“They
now are sending in some mechanized infantry, they sending in some para-bats.
They sending in some of your path finder troops as well as well as some of the
special forces so it is a more balanced sort of contingent that is moving in to
go and stabilize the situation even further,” he said.
Other
SADC members with forces in Mozambique include Botswana, Lesotho, Angola, and
Zambia.
Rwanda
deployed a separate force on the invitation of Mozambican President Filipe
Nyusi. It’s believed Rwanda is being backed by the French government as French
energy company TotalEnergies SE has a huge gas concession in Cabo Delgado.
Els
says the multiplicity of forces can make things complicated.
“You
have the SAMIM forces deployed, then you have the Mozambican forces deployed
along with them, then you have the Rwandan forces you know your chances of
friendly fire are quite high if you have an area operation that overflows, etc.
So fortunately, that has not happened as yet and we also notice that some real
effort has been put in, in terms of SAMIM and the Rwandan forces to better coordinate
and cooperate in terms of their operations,” said Els.
Asked
whether the force has been successful, military spokesman Mahapa had this to
say.
“The
force under the current situation they are doing fairly well. Remember that it
is not only South Africans. So we are as SAMIM forces there are successes that
we are achieving. The insurgents are withdrawing. We are gaining ground,” he
said.
Source:
VOA News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Yobe:
Chief Judge warns Magistrates, Sharia Alkalis against corrupt practices,
misconduct
February
22, 2022
By
Shehu Usman
Yobe
State Chief Judge, Justice Gumna Kashim Kaigama has strongly warned Magistrates
and Sharia Court Alkalis against engaging in corrupt practices as well as other
misconducts while discharging their official duties.
The
number one judge in the state gave the stern warning at the swearing-in of the
newly appointed Chief Registrar of the High Court of Justice, 14 Magistrates
and 22 Sharia Court Alkalis held at the headquarters of the High Court in
Damaturu, the state capital.
“I
need to warn our dear Magistrates and Sharia Court Alkalis that the Judicial
Service Commission of which I am the Chairman, has zero tolerance to corruption
and abuse of judicial powers”, he warned.
Justice
Kaigama assured the new appointees that the commission will not interfere in
their judicial functions.
He
told the judicial officers that the power to punish wrongdoers and free the
innocent as well as the power to send a strong message to the society about the
primacy of the rule of law and contribute to the growing body of jurisprudence
lies in their hands.
“In
this regard, I will advise you to wield this power with the utmost sense of
care, responsibility and the rule of the law”, he admonished.
He
also reminded them that the state Judicial Service Commission will not tolerate
truancy, corruption or reckless abuse of judicial power and will not hesitate
to sanction any one of them found wanting.
To
the newly appointed Chief Registrar of the High Court of Justice Muhammadu
Biliyaminu, Justice Kaigama urged him to uphold and maintain the separation of
powers of the judiciary, interface with and between the Judiciary, Executive
and Legislature.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Libya’s
Dbeibah promises legislative elections by end of June
22
February ,2022
Libya’s
interim prime minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah reaffirmed Monday that he will only
cede power to an elected government and announced a plan for legislative
elections before the end of June, in the wake of an attempted ouster by
parliament.
Already
plagued by divisions between rival administrations in the east and west, Libya
has found itself with two rival prime ministers in Tripoli after missing a
crucial deadline for December elections.
The
parliament sitting in the east appointed former interior minister Fathi
Bachagha to replace Dbeibah at the head of the interim government on February
10.
The
deputies also voted for a new political roadmap calling for presidential
elections within 14 months.
Dbeibah
has insisted he will only cede power to an elected government, and in a
televised address Monday evening launched into a diatribe against the “hegemonic
political class”, in particular the eastern parliament, whose “reckless”
decision to replace him “will inevitably lead to war.”
He
in turn announced a new political roadmap which would begin with legislative
elections “no later than June 24” – the date marking the end of the political
process sponsored by the UN.
It
is within this process that Dbeibah was appointed to head an interim government
after years of war and division.
He
was also tasked with organizing presidential and legislative elections – originally
set to take place last December.
But
persistent quarrels led to the postponement of the vote which the international
community had hoped would finally stabilize the country.
In
his speech on Monday, Dbeibah said that legislative elections would be followed
by the drafting of a constitution, which would set the legal basis for the
presidential poll, the date of which has not been specified.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kenya
condemns Russian recognition of Ukraine's separatist regions
Andrew
Wasike
22.02.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Kenya
has denounced Russia’s recognition of the separatist Luhansk and Donetsk
regions of eastern Ukraine, saying it is “gravely concerned by the
announcement.”
“Kenya
registers its strong concern and opposition to the recognition of Donetsk and
Luhansk as independent states,” the country’s Ambassador Martin Kimani said
during a UN Security Council meeting late on Monday.
“We
further strongly condemn the trend – in the last few decades – of powerful
states, including members of this Security Council, breaching international law
with little regard.”
Russian
President Vladimir Putin announced the recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk in a
speech on Monday evening that also attacked Ukraine’s government and the US,
and accused the West of ignoring Moscow’s core security concerns.
Later,
he ordered the deployment of troops to “maintain peace” in the breakaway
regions.
Kirmani
said Moscow’s move “breaches the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
“The
charter of the United Nations continues to wilt under the relentless assault of
the powerful … Multilateralism lies on its deathbed tonight. It has been
assaulted, as it has been by other powerful states in the recent past,” the
envoy said.
Kenya
urges all UN member states to realize the importance of defending multilateralism,
he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Pakistan
International
Islamic Trade Finance Corporation approves $1.2bn for Pakistan
Amin
Ahmed
February
23, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the
Islamic Development Bank, has approved a $1.2 billion financing under the
annual plan to provide Pakistan integrated trade solutions to support the
energy and agriculture sectors.
The
annual plan agreement for calendar 2022 includes financing for the import of
essential commodities such as crude oil, refined petroleum products, LNG, food
and agricultural products in addition to implementing trade-related technical
assistance intervention to ensure trade development impact.
The
annual plan was signed during a ceremony in ITFC headquarters in Jeddah between
ITFC and a delegation of the Ministry of Economic Affairs on Monday.
According
to the ITFC Chief Operating Officer, Nazeem Noordali, COO, the annual plan
reflects the importance of the longstanding cooperation between ITFC and
Pakistan. ITFC is continuously working closely with its member countries to
meet their requirements through providing integrated solutions that include
financing and capacity-building tools that allow for maximizing the development
impact of ITFC interventions.
“We
are delighted and we will continue to mobilize financial resources to support
Pakistan in its endeavours to achieve its economic targets through our existing
Framework Agreement,” he said
The
EAD delegation, Pakistan expressed their appreciation for the continued support
and partnership with ITFC, and underlined the need for enhanced cooperation
through more efficient processes to further promote Islamic trade finance and
trade development interventions in Pakistan.
Source:
Dawn
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Pakistan:
Journalists union challenges PECA amendments in Islamabad HC
23
February, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], February 23 (ANI): Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), on
Tuesday, has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court opposing the recent
amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016.
The
new laws were passed by the means of an ordinance, signed by Pakistani
President Arif Alvi on Sunday, after cabinet approval. Under the ordinance, the
definition of a “person” has been broadened to include any company,
association, institution, organization, authority, or any other. Furthermore,
anyone found guilty of attacking a person’s “identity” will now be sentenced to
five years instead of three years.
The
petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday. President Dr
Arif Alvi had promulgated an ordinance on Sunday to amend the PECA, reported
the Dawn.
Furthermore,
the petition states that the respondents tried to “sneak amendments to existing
laws at the eleventh hour.”
Amendment
was also made to the country’s election laws allowing any person holding any
office under the constitution or any other law, to visit or address public
meetings in “any area or constituency,” reported the newspaper.
Condemning
the law, the opposition parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said that the legislation through ordinance amounts
to denying a national debate and depriving Parliament of its constitutional
right of legislation, reported The News International on Monday.
Tweeting
in Urdu, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said,
“Whatever laws this government is making are meant to silence the media and the
opposition, but these laws are going to be used against Imran & Company.
Don’t say that you hadn’t been warned.”
Source:
The Print
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Pakistan's
opposition rejects toughened new social media law
February
22, 2022
Pakistan's
political opposition and journalist community Monday rejected a tough new
cybercrimes law approved by the country's president that enhances jail terms
for social media users convicted of disseminating fake news.
The
development came a day after President Arif Alvi approved the controversial
Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, enhancing jail
terms from three to five years for people convicted of spreading fake news on
social media.
Suspects
arrested under the law will not be entitled to bail during trial. The
legislation takes effect immediately.
It
is an attack on freedom of expression," Maryam Aurangzeb, a spokesperson
for the Pakistan Muslim League opposition party told reporters at a news
conference.
Yusuf
Raza Gilani, a senior leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party, at a
separate news conference, said his party will challenge the new law in the
court because it is aimed at curbing media freedom.
Almost
all of Pakistan's other opposition parties and journalist unions have also
opposed the new law, which was approved by Alvi days after authorities arrested
media owner Mohsin Baig. Baig had appeared on a TV talk show and suggested that
Prime Minister Imran Khan had shown favouritism this month by granting an award
to a Cabinet minister Murad Saeed with whom he has a close friendship.
Source:
Business Standard
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Pakistan's
Imran Khan wants TV debate with PM Modi to resolve issues
Feb
22, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday he would like to have a
televised debate with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to resolve
differences between the two neighbours.
The
nuclear-powered rivals have shared antagonistic relations since gaining
independence 75 years ago, fighting three wars.
"I
would love to debate with PM Narendra Modi on TV," Khan told Russia Today
in an interview, adding that it would be beneficial for the billion people in
the subcontinent if differences could be resolved through debate.
India's
Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request
for comment.
"India
became a hostile country so trade with them became minimal," Khan said,
stressing his government's policy was to have trade relations with all
countries.
Khan's
remarks follow similar comments recently by Pakistan's top commercial official,
Razzak Dawood, who, according to media, told journalists he supported trade
ties with India, which would benefit both sides.
Khan
said Pakistan's regional trading options were already limited, with Iran, its
southwestern neighbour, under US sanctions and Afghanistan, to the west,
involved in decades of war.
Pakistan
shares strong economic ties with its northern neighbour, China, which has
committed billions of dollars for infrastructure and other projects under its
Belt and Road Initiative.
Khan's
interview came on the eve of a visit to Moscow, where he will meet President
Vladimir Putin - the first visit by a Pakistani leader to Russia in two
decades.
The
two-day visit for talks on economic cooperation was planned before the current
crisis over Ukraine.
Source:
Times Of India
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Balochistan
Assembly adopts resolution about relief for Afghanistan
Saleem
Shahid
February
23, 2022
QUETTA:
The Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday evening adopted a resolution for immediate
relief for Afghanistan.
Presenting
a joint resolution in the assembly, Shahina Kakar of the Awami National Party
(ANP) said the house was concerned over the changing situation in neighbouring
Afghanistan.
Afghanistan
is currently facing one of the worst financial crises and food shortages in
history, as confirmed by the United Nations.
The
deteriorating situation in the neighbouring country is likely to affect the
provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that are adjacent to
Afghanistan. The house asked the federal government to approach the
international community — especially the United Nations, the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation and the European Union — to help ease the crisis.
Ms
Kakar called on international organisations to ensure immediate financial
assistance to Afghanistan and the provision of food items in its backward areas
while maintaining the policy of peace and reconciliation there.
ANP’s
parliamentary leader Asghar Khan Achakzai said that the dire situation in
Afghanistan would have a direct negative impact on Balochistan and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
Given
the current situation in Afghanistan, it is feared that the lack of food,
employment and basic amenities would lead to instability, terrorism and crime
that could engulf the entire region, he said, adding that the US has frozen
the funds of the Afghan people. He said the Afghan people should be helped.
Nasrullah
Zerey of the Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party said the Afghan people have
always defended their land but have never suffered from malnutrition. But since
August 15 last year there is a shortage of agricultural commodities.
He
said that if democratic institutions are established in Afghanistan the people
there can end this tragedy. “We should take care of our neighbours. If
Afghanistan is stable our country will be stable.”
Syed
Azizullah Agha of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam said “civilised nations” did not hear
the sighs and sobs of Afghan children. Under a conspiracy, he said, the current
government of Afghanistan was being thwarted. The federal government raised its
voice for Afghanistan at the international level.
He
said that the Afghan government was in the hands of people who have made
history and defeated 46 countries.
Hazara
Democratic Party’s Qadir Ali Nayal said that there was a humanitarian crisis in
Afghanistan at the moment. Political parties always link the country’s foreign
policy with non-interference but they themselves intervene in Afghanistan in
one way or another.
The
international community has expressed concern about human rights, women and
other people in Afghanistan, he added. He said as long as there was
discrimination on the basis of religion and nationality, the situation could
not be improved.
Senior
Minister Noor Mohammad Damar supported the resolution, saying that the
international community should be neutral and recognise the Afghan government.
He said peace in Afghanistan could bring peace in Pakistan too.
Provincial
Minister Syed Ehsan Shah said that if Saudi and Egyptian citizens were involved
in 9/11 then how can the funds of Afghan people be given to the victims of
9/11. He said when he met the German ambassador he said that the basic work in
Afghanistan has not been stopped and other nations should also help
Afghanistan.
Source:
Dawn
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Operation
Raddul Fasaad Ensures Country’s Transition to ‘Peace’: Pakistan Army Chief
February
23, 2022
RAWALPINDI:
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that operation Raddul
Fasaad (RuF) is continuing successfully and ensuring the country’s transition
from “uncertainty to peace”.
“We
salute the supreme sacrifices of our martyrs and spirit of our great nation,”
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Babar
Iftikhar said in a tweet on Tuesday, quoting the army chief’s statement that
was issued upon completion of five years of the operation.
In
the statement, Gen Bajwa said: “Operations continue successfully as the country
has transitioned from uncertainty to peace. The achievements of RuF have only
been possible due to the blood of martyrs and resilience of our people.”
Source:
Dawn
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Regional
Countries Need To Work Collectively For Enduring Peace: COAS Gen Bajwa
February
22, 2022
RAWALPINDI:
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa reiterated that all
regional countries need to work collectively for enduring peace and stability,
said the military’s media wing on Tuesday.
According
to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS
passed the remarks during a meeting with Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral
Nishantha Ulugetenne when he called on him at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in
Rawalpindi.
During
the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security, and the current
Afghanistan situation were discussed, said the ISPR.
“Pakistan
wishes to enhance long term multi-domain relations with Sri Lanka based on
common interests,” the COAS said, per the statement.
The
Sri Lankan commander lauded the professionalism of the country’s armed forces
and vowed to continue military cooperation between two forces in defence,
training and counter-terrorism domains.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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Pakistan
and Uzbekistan agree to further expedite Trans Afghan Railway project
By
Mian Abrar
February
22, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Uzbekistan Tuesday agreed to further expedite the Trans Afghan
Railway project linking Central Asian States to the seaports of Karachi, Gwadar
and Bin Qasim through Afghanistan.
A
delegation led by Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister for Investment and Foreign Trade,
Mr. Sardor Umurzakov held a meeting with Federal Minister for Planning Asad
Umar, Federal Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Food Security
and Research Fakhar Imam and Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul
Razaq Dawood here on Tuesday.
The
Uzbek delegation included Uzbek Minister of Transport, Minister of Agriculture,
First Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan.
During
the meeting, progress on Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar Railway project (Trans
Afghan Railways) was discussed.
All
stakeholders on behalf of the Government of Pakistan and Republic of Uzbekistan
present during the meeting agreed on the formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle
(SPV) for further expediting the project.
The
Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar rail link is one of the designated rail corridor
defined and planned under the CAREC Railways Strategy. This new Railway line
will provide central Asia access to the Pakistani seaports of Karachi, Bin
Qasim and Gwadar by connecting the central Asian and Eurasian railway systems.
The
major infrastructure development project will provide a life line support for
the reconstruction of Afghanistan and will help towards reducing the
humanitarian crises building up in Afghanistan.
The
project was initially discussed during the visit of Uzbekistan Deputy PM Sardor
Umur Zakov to Pakistan on September 10, 2020.
The
Head of the States of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan signed joint appeal
letter to the World Bank for financing the project on 27th December, 2020.
Uzbekistan
hosted the First trilateral Joint Working Group on 1-3 February 2021 at
Tashkant where Roadmap was agreed and signed by three countries Pakistan,
Uzbekistan and Afganistan.
Pakistan
Railways is already conducting feasibility study of new Rail link from Peshawar
to Jalalabad which will be completed shortly. It has been agreed by the three
countries that Pakistan side will share the findings of the feasibility study with
Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
After
the new government in Afghanistan, this project was discussed by Uzbekistan and
Pakistan with the new government. All Three countries decided to go ahead with
the project activities.
In
the meeting conducted at Tashkent on 07 December 2021, Uzbekistan and Pakistan
agreed to study carefully and conduct visual expeditions of the routes inside
Afghanistan.
The
Uzbek side shared a draft version of a detailed Action Plan for the
implementation of the first stage on the construction of the Trans Afghan
Railway line.
Federal
Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati met with Uzbekistan’s Minister of
Transport Makhkamov Ilkhom Rustamovich on sidelines of OIC on 19 December 2021
to discuss the implementation of trilateral understanding on the construction
of Trans Afghan Railway between Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul, Jalalbad, Torkham and
Peshawar.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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KPC
flays govt for imposing ‘fresh curbs’ on media freedom
February
22, 2022
The
Karachi Press Club (KPC) has expressed dismay over PTI-led government’s alleged
attempts to impose fresh curbs on the freedom of speech and expression that
“Pakistani citizens are constitutionally entitled to”.
“Through
a presidential ordinance, itself an inherently undemocratic tool for
legislation, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PT) has slapped fresh
amendments onto the black law known as PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes
Act) without considering what repercussions this will have on Pakistan’s
citizenry,” read a statement issued by the KPC on Tuesday.
Despite
loud and serious concerns raised by media’s representative bodies, the
government has proceeded blindly down this path, it added.
The
media body condemned what it described as the latest attempt by the government
to make a mockery of Pakistan’s social, political and democratic systems.
“In
its narrow, selfish worldview, the PTI seems more willing to take a knife to
Pakistan’s democratic traditions rather than to accommodate and acknowledge
criticism of its leaders and their flawed policies,” it added.
The
KPC maintained that amendments to PECA reek of an attempt by individuals and
groups who are already enjoying near limitless powers as functionaries of
government and state to “shut up any voice that rises against them”.
The
amendments, the KPC said will only expose vulnerable citizens to “mental and
physical torture” by the state just because someone in power does not like what
they have to say.
The
Karachi Press Club warned the government that these short-sighted, hastily
conceived restrictions will one day come back to haunt the PTI and its leaders,
“just like the black PECA law has come haunted supporters of the Pakistan
Muslim League (Nawaz) after its government was ousted from power”.
Source:
Tribune Pakistan
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2344770/kpc-flays-govt-for-imposing-fresh-curbs-on-media-freedom
--------
Mideast
Turkiye's
Erdogan hailed for raising voice for oppressed Muslims
22.02.2022
The
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan's main religiopolitical party, on Tuesday
praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for raising voice for oppressed
Muslims around the world.
During
a meeting with Ali Erbas, the head of Diyanet, Turkiye's Religious Affairs
Directorate, in Islamabad, the JI delegation led by its deputy chief Mian
Muhammad Aslam, said Pakistan and Turkiye have strong links based on Islamic
brotherhood.
The
delegation, which included JI's Foreign Affairs director Asif Luqman Qazi,
Abdul Rasheed Turabi, and Nasrullah Randhawa, welcomed Erbas and said
Pakistan-Turkiye relations are deep-rooted.
"In
our hearts, we have feelings of love and respect for our Turkish brothers and
sisters," Qazi said, adding: "I thank the Turkish government's clear
position and support for the oppressed Muslims of Kashmir and Palestine."
He
hailed Ankara for clarifying the stance of Muslims on Islamophobia and sanctity
of Prophet Muhammad to the West.
Briefing
Erbas on the current situation in Indian-administered Kashmir, Turabi, the
former chief of JI in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, alleged that New Delhi has
adopted a new policy aimed at bringing demographic changes to the
Muslim-majority regions and resettling Hindus from other parts of India.
"In
Kashmir, India has adopted the methods used by Israel in Palestine," Turabi
said, referring to Tel Aviv's annexation of Arab lands in the West Bank.
Erbas
said Pakistan and Turkiye are brotherly Muslim countries that work closely on
international matters.
Muslims
around the world are concerned that decades-old UN Security Council resolutions
on Kashmir and Palestine have not been implemented, he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Over
190 Jewish settlers defile Aqsa Mosque under police guard
February
23, 2022
A
large number of Jewish settlers escorted by police forces desecrated the Aqsa
Mosque in Occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Tuesday morning.
According
to local sources, at least 196 settlers entered the Mosque in different groups
through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under tight police
protection.
90
students of religious institutes were among the settlers who defiled the Mosque
in the morning.
During
their tours at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from
rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them provocatively
performed Talmudic prayers.
Meanwhile,
the Israeli occupation police imposed movement restrictions on Muslim
worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque’s entrances and gates.
Source:
ABNA24
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Iranian
President: Sanctions No More Effective against Free Nations
2022-February-22
“The
international community must prevent and not recognize any unilateral and
coercive measure, such as cruel US sanctions against the oil and gas industries
of the forum’s member states,” Rayeesi said, addressing the sixth summit of the
Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in the Qatari capital city of Doha.
“With awakened and free nations in today’s
world, the use of sanctions to impose the hegemonic will and demands of a
country on independent states has no effect and function. Nevertheless, it
endangers the economic interests of GECF member states.”
Rayeesi
also noted that an interactive environment between the gas exporting countries
can ensure the individual interests of each member state in the form of a
collective strategy based on joint cooperation.
As
one of the countries with the largest natural gas reserves in the world, Iran
has a very high capacity for the production, transmission, and export of
natural gas and greater participation in ensuring the security of the global
energy supply, he added.
“Despite
the cruel, unilateral, and illegal US sanctions, the Islamic Republic has been
able to increase its natural gas production and implement large and valuable
projects in the oil and gas sectors by relying on the capabilities of its
dedicated experts and using domestic companies and localized technical
knowledge.”
Rayeesi
hailed Iran’s achievements in different sectors despite illegal sanctions,
saying the country’s progress has prompted US officials to acknowledge the
“disgraceful” failure of their maximum pressure campaign.
“In
spite of the enemies’ will, the Islamic Republic has made significant progress
in various fields, including those under the most severe sanctions and
pressure,” he said at a meeting with a group of Iranians residing in Qatar.
“Today,
that progress has prompted US authorities to officially acknowledge that the
policy of maximum pressure has suffered a disgraceful defeat in the face of the
maximum resistance of the Iranian nation.”
Also
in his remarks, Rayeesi invited the Iranian diaspora active in the economic
sector to help boost Iran’s exports to the region.
Doha
has a serious will to expand its trade and economic relations with Tehran, so
the Iranians living in Qatar can play an effective role in this regard, he
added.
Rayeesi
further expressed his satisfaction with the measures, which are being taken in
Iran to facilitate investment and economic activities.
He
also stressed that his government has put the available capacities for
cooperation with neighboring countries at the center of Iran’s foreign policy.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Iran
Blasts Canada for Using LRADs against Protestors
2022-February-22
“Pressing
ahead with its heavy-handed clampdown on protesters, the Canadian police are
now wearing LRADs (long-range acoustic devices),” Qaribabadi wrote on his
twitter page on Tuesday.
“LRADs
can cause significant damage to auditory nerves. Another brazen move to stifle
the voices of dissent! Hush! Canadian protesters don’t scream!” he added.
Qaribabadi
reminded that individuals exposed to weaponized LRADs used at the 2009 G20
Summit experienced mild traumatic brain injuries, permanent hearing loss,
tinnitus (ringing in the ears), eardrum perforation (holes), ear pain,
dizziness, and disorientation.
LRADs
can cause significant damage to auditory nerves.
Qaribanadi
had also on Sunday slammed Canada for arresting and cracking down on protests
held by the country’s truck drivers.
In
a tweet on Sunday, Qaribabadi described the protesters as peaceful, saying
their protest has been stifled in the so-called Land of the Free.
He
also slammed the silence on the issue, and said, “Nobody ever dares to talk
about egregious human rights violations taking place on a daily basis in
Canada.”
Police
officers on Saturday cleared out the central area of a sprawling demonstration
in Ottawa, moving from truck to truck and arresting protesters as they
continued to subdue the occupation that has disrupted the Canadian capital for
weeks.
Starting
about 10 a.m., police advanced on trucks that had been parked on Wellington
Street, the thoroughfare in front of the Parliament building, drawing guns on
some vehicles and banging on doors as they searched for any people inside. They
arrested several as other demonstrators shouted “Shame on you!” from nearby. In
the heart of the main encampment on Saturday, the police pushed people back
with batons and irritant spray and made more arrests.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001203000732/Iran-Blass-Canada-fr-Using-LRADs-agains-Presrs
--------
Iran
Urges All Sides in Ukraine Crisis to Practice Restraint
2022-February-22
Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that Iran was closely watching
developments in Ukraine, calling on all sides to refrain from any action that
would increase tensions.
He
also called on all sides to resolve the issue through dialogue.
“Unfortunately,
NATO interference and provocative moves led by the United States have made
conditions in the region more complicated,” Khatibzadeh said.
Ukraine
was a cornerstone of the Soviet Union until it voted overwhelmingly for
independence in 1991, a milestone that turned out to be a death knell for the
failing superpower.
After
the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO pushed eastward, bringing into the fold
most of the Eastern European nations that had been in the Communist orbit. In
2004, NATO added the former Soviet Baltic republics Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania. Four years later, it declared its intention to offer membership to
Ukraine some day in the distant future -- crossing a red line for Russia.
Russian
President Vladimir has indicated he sees NATO's expansion as an existential
threat, and the prospect of Ukraine joining the Western military alliance a
"hostile act." In interviews and speeches, he has emphasized his view
that Ukraine is part of Russia, culturally, linguistically and politically.
While some of the mostly Russian-speaking population in Ukraine's East feel the
same, a more nationalist, Ukrainian-speaking population in the West has
historically supported greater integration with Europe. In an article penned in
July 2021, Putin underlined their shared history, describing Russians and
Ukrainians as "one people".
Russia
announced its recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and
ordered to deploy a peacekeeping mission in Donbass on Monday.
Speaking
in a televised address to the citizens earlier, Putin explained, "I
believe it is necessary to take this long-overdue decision. I immediately
recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and
the Lugansk People’s Republic."
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Palestinian
boy killed by Israeli fire after alleged attack
23
February ,2022
A
14-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli gunfire in the occupied West
Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said, allegedly after throwing
firebombs at passing Israeli vehicles.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry said Mohammed Shehadeh was killed in al-Khader, a
town near Bethlehem. It gave no further details.
The
Israeli military said soldiers opened fire after spotting three suspects
throwing firebombs at passing traffic. It confirmed that troops fatally shot
one of the suspects.
According
to the army, the soldiers were in the area because there had been seven
firebombing attacks over the past month.
The
Israeli military considers stone throwing and firebombing to be
life-threatening threats in which live fire is justified. Human rights groups
accuse the army of often using excessive force.
Israel
captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has established dozens of
settlements where more than 500,000 settlers live.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Israel
court freezes eviction order of Palestinian family in Sheikh Jarrah
22
February ,2022
An
Israeli court on Tuesday froze the planned eviction of a Palestinian family in
the flashpoint east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, pending an appeal.
The
Salem family had been ordered to surrender the property to Jewish settlers who
have claimed ownership of the plot.
Sheikh
Jarrah has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israeli control of
Jerusalem, and the Salem family’s imminent eviction made them a growing focus
of the tensions there.
The
land rights battle between Jewish settlers and Palestinians in the neighborhood
has sparked clashes and partly fueled the 11-day war in May between Israel and
armed groups in the Gaza Strip.
The
Palestinian family received their eviction order in November, with a deadline
to vacate by March 1.
A
lawyer for the family, Medhat Diba, said the Jerusalem Magistrate’s court
agreed to suspend the eviction until it ruled on an appeal launched by the
Palestinians.
The
court also released a decision confirming the freeze.
Khalil
Salem, a member of the family, told AFP the decision was “a positive step
because we were on the verge of losing our house.”
Earlier
this month clashes broke out when far-right Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir
opened a tent “office” near the family’s house after an alleged Palestinian
arson of a settler’s home nearby.
The
United Nations said its personnel visited the Salem family on February 18.
Israel
annexed east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as their future capital,
following the 1967 Six-Day War in a move not recognized by most of the
international community.
Jewish
settlers groups have won legal victories claiming ownership of various plots
where Palestinians live, using an Israeli law that allows Jews to reclaim land
lost during the conflict that coincided with Israel’s creation in 1948.
But
no equivalent land reclamation law exists for Palestinians who lost homes in
west Jerusalem.
Seven
Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah have challenged their planned evictions
at Israel’s Supreme Court, with highly-anticipated decisions pending.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran
nuclear deal to be ‘worse’ than 2015 accord: Netanyahu
22.02.2022
JERUSALEM
Former
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an expected nuclear deal between
Iran and world powers in Vienna will be “worse” than the 2015 accord.
“The
old deal already paved Iran’s path to the bomb. The new deal is even worse,”
Netanyahu told the Israeli i24NEWS website.
Netanyahu,
who now leads the opposition, said the expected deal “allows Iran - with a seal
of international approval - to enrich uranium in an unlimited fashion” and
gives it “billions of dollars to continue their terror campaign in the Middle
East and around the world.”
Netanyahu’s
remarks come as Iran on Monday cited "significant progress" in talks
with world powers in Vienna on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
Negotiations
are underway in the Austrian capital between delegations from Russia, China,
Germany, France, the UK and Iran. Washington is indirectly involved in the
talks.
The
nuclear deal was signed between Iran and world powers in 2015, under which Iran
was required to limit its nuclear activities in return of sanctions relief.
However, in May 2018, former US President Donald Trump announced withdrawal
from the landmark deal, followed by sanctions.
Netanyahu
said a “credible military threat” should be displayed against Iran in addition
to strong sanctions to deter it from pursuing its nuclear program.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Yemen
'graveyard' of Saudi-led aggressors, says parliament
22
February 2022
The
Yemeni parliament has praised the country’s armed forces on their recent
successful counterstrike against Saudi-led aggressors on a strategic
northwestern front.
The
legislative body congratulated the Yemeni army, their allied Popular Committees
and tribal forces over the major triumph through a statement on Tuesday,
Yemen’s al-Masirah television network reported.
“The
surprising victory in Harad carries a strong and decisive message for the
invading Saudi coalition and its mercenaries inside Yemen,” the legislators
said.
“…the
message that Yemen is the graveyard of aggressors. The Yemeni people constitute
a hard and strong rock that destroys all the plots that take aim at the sons of
this nation’s devotional identity,” it added.
The
statement came two days after the allied forces repelled the Saudi aggressors’
attack aimed to occupy the Harad District in Yemen’s Hajjah Province,
inflicting heavy human and material losses on the Saudi enemy.
Three
civilians killed in Saudi attacks
On
Tuesday, al-Masirah reported that Saudi artillery attacks on the al-Sheikh area
in the border district of Monabbih killed two civilians, and claimed the life
of another around the Shada'a District of Sa’ada in northwestern Yemen.
Saudi
artillery attacks had recently killed three civilians and wounded four others
in Monabbih, while Saudi-led militant mortar attacks in the coastal province of
al-Hudaydah’s al-Tuhayat District claimed the life of a child and inflicted
injuries on three people.
Citing
a security source, the network said the Saudi-led militants violated a truce
that was agreed in Sweden in 2018 obliging the coalition to end its aggression
in al-Hudaydah, as many as 75 times over in the 24 hours to Tuesday.
For
more than six years, the Riyadh-led war on the besieged Arab country, aimed at
re-installing the regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, has spawned the most
horrible humanitarian disaster.
Source:
Press TV
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/02/22/677358/Yemen-parliament-congratulates-victory
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Israel
withholding bodies of Palestinian children: Rights group
22
February 2022
The
Israeli regime has refused to hand over the bodies of nine Palestinian
children, whom it has killed since 2016, says a rights group.
Reporting
the matter on Tuesday, Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCI)
said the practice was in violation of both the international law and the
principles of human rights.
The
international law, which the regime was contravening by withholding the bodies,
“includes an absolute prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and
stipulates that parties to armed conflict must bury the dead in an honorable
manner," the DCI said.
"It
falls under the policy of collective punishment practiced by the occupation
against the Palestinian people, and the harm caused to the families of the
martyrs as a result, amounts to collective punishment that violates
international humanitarian law," it added.
The
Palestinian children were all under 18, when they were murdered by the regime
under the pretext of “carrying out stabbing attacks.”
The
youngest of the children, who were killed as early as 2016 and as late as
December 2021, were two 15-year-olds.
The
DCI called 2021 the deadliest year for Palestinian children since 2014, with
Israeli forces killing as many as 76 Palestinians inside the occupied
territories and the Tel Aviv-blockaded Gaza Strip.
Source:
Press TV
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/02/22/677339/Israel-withholds-bodies-Palestinian-children
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