Islamic State Claims Eight People Including Taliban Fighters Killed In Attacks In Jalalabad Of Afghanistan
New
Age Islam News Bureau
20
September 2021
Afghans
gather at the site of an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan. | AP
-----
•
Hindu Family ‘Tortured’ For Getting Water from Mosque in Pakistan, Later Some
Muslims Got the Bheel Family Released
•
Hindu Woman Forced To Hit Muslim Boyfriend with Slippers on Face, Video Shot To
Humiliate Them
•
Muslim Woman and Hindu Man Assaulted for Travelling Together in India
•
Islamist Opposition Politician Says Turkey Should Guide Taliban
South Asia
•
Islamic State Claims Eight People Including Taliban Fighters Killed In Attacks
In Jalalabad Of Afghanistan
•
Taliban Will Establish Potent and Effective Administration for Women: Dy
Minister and Spokesperson of the Taliban
•
China to provide unconditional aid to Afghanistan by winter
•
International Union Of Muslim Scholars Calls On Taliban To Establish Fair Rule
•
Will bring perspective of most impacted by Afghanistan crises to UNGA, says UN
refugee chief
•
Taliban have responsibility towards Afghan people to deliver stability: Saudi
Arabia foreign minister
•
Taliban have not met their commitments: former Afghan president
--------
Pakistan
•
Hindu Family ‘Tortured’ For Getting Water from Mosque in Pakistan, Later Some
Muslims Got the Bheel Family Released
•
Pakistan Must Recognise Taliban Govt, Insists Pakistan Democratic Movement
Chief
•
Sri Lankans annoyed over destruction of Buddhist heritage in Pakistan
•
Ulema-Mashaikh Convention: ‘India Hatching Conspiracies to Dent Pak-Afghan
Ties’
•
Moot asks world to recognise Taliban rule
•
US TV host Glenn Beck heaps praise on PM Imran, Pakistan for help with Afghan
evacuations
•
Security forces kill TTP commander involved in murders of NGO workers, FWO
engineers: ISPR
--------
India
•
Hindu Woman Forced To Hit Muslim Boyfriend with Slippers on Face, Video Shot To
Humiliate Them
•
Muslim Woman and Hindu Man Assaulted for Travelling Together in India
•
‘Narcotic Jihad’: Samastha upset with Kerala govt for not clearing the air
•
Deliberate attempts to drive Christians against Muslims, says CPI (M) amid
Kerala bishop row
•
Kerala can become Afghanistan in 10 years, says former minister Alphons
•
India to take up issues like terrorism, vaccines, climate change at UNGA:
Tirumurti
•
Hindu Jagran Manch leader booked for ‘abetting assault’ on Muslim youth
•
From communal harmony to terror infamy: How Bhatkal became a constant on intel
agencies’ radar
•
Saudi Foreign Minister in India: Riyadh As Concerned As New Delhi about
Stabilising Afghanistan
--------
Mideast
•
Islamist Opposition Politician Says Turkey Should Guide Taliban
•
Turkey taking leading role against Islamophobia: Erdogan
•
Iran Asks Int’l Community to Hold US Accountable for Killing Afghan Civilians
•
Iranian President: SCO States Agree on Necessity for All-Inclusive Gov’t in
Afghanistan
•
Israel used ‘killer robot’ machine gun to assassinate Iran nuclear scientist:
Report
•
Iran won’t allow ISIS presence on Afghan border: President
•
Islamic Jihad leader hails escaped Palestinian prisoners
•
IRGC Commander: US No More Dangerous, But A Failed, Fugitive, Depressed State
•
Iran’s Top Commander Stresses Closure of US Al-Harir Base in Iraq
•
Iran’s new hardline FM to make first official trip to US for nuclear deal talks
•
Israel recaptures last two Palestinians who escaped from high-security prison
--------
Southeast Asia
•
No Laughing Matter – Perlis Issues Fatwa Against ‘Improper Jokes’
•
Indonesian G20 Presidency Promises To Put a ‘Battle for the Soul of Islam’ On the
Front Burner
--------
Arab World
•
Saudi Arabia Expresses Concern over Iran’s Lack of Transparency on Nuclear
Program
•
Islamic State leader in Sinai surrenders to Egyptian authorities
•
Syria’s defence minister meets Jordan’s army commander in Amman
•
Iran says it’s ready to sell fuel to Lebanon if Beirut asks
•
Third Iranian tanker with fuel for Lebanon on the way: Vessel tracker website
•
UAE economy minister to visit Britain to further bilateral trade
--------
Africa
•
Morocco Islamist Party Decries 'Violations' At Polls
•
Tunisians protest against President Saied’s seizure of powers
•
Al-Shabaab terror blast hits airport in Somalia, killing one
•
Sudan seizes smuggled weapons from Libya
--------
North America
•
Wisconsin Muslim Americans Promoting New Narrative Since 911
•
Turkey's president arrives in New York to attend 76th UN General Assembly
--------
Europe
•
Chechnya strongman and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov wins 99% of vote
•
UN condemns executions by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis
•
Refugee influx from Afghanistan concerns Europe, West: Italian expert
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/afghanistan-islamic-state-taliban-attack/d/125399
--------
Islamic
State Claims Eight People Including Taliban Fighters Killed In Attacks In
Jalalabad Of Afghanistan
20
Sep 2021
Afghans
gather at the site of an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan. | AP
-----
The extremist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly bombings targeting Taliban vehicles in eastern Afghanistan.
The
claim, published late Sunday on the militant group's media arm, the Aamaq news
agency, signals a growing threat to the Taliban by their long-time rivals.
At
least eight people, including several Taliban fighters, were killed in the
attacks on Sunday and Saturday in the provincial city of Jalalabad, an IS
stronghold.
The
Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in a blitz campaign last month,
overrunning the capital of Kabul while U.S. and NATO were in the final phase of
withdrawing their troops. The last foreign soldiers left Aug. 30.
The
Taliban now face major economic and security challenges in trying to govern
Afghanistan, and an accelerated campaign of IS attacks will further complicate
those efforts. The Taliban and IS extremists were enemies before foreign troops
left Afghanistan.
Both
groups subscribe to a harsh interpretation of Islam, but the Taliban have
focused on taking control of Afghanistan, while IS affiliates in Afghanistan
and elsewhere call for global jihad.
Source:
Outlook India
--------
Hindu
Family ‘Tortured’ For Getting Water from Mosque in Pakistan, Later Some Muslims
Got the Bheel Family Released
Irfanul
Haq
September
20, 2021
Deputy
Commissioner Dr Khuram Shehzad said he would meet Hindu minority elders on
Monday (today) before taking any action. — Creative Commons/File
-----
RAHIM
YAR KHAN: Obtaining water from a mosque tap landed a farm workers family from
the Hindu community in trouble as some village landlords allegedly tortured and
held them hostage for “violating the sanctity” of the place.
The
incident took place a few days back when Alam Ram Bheel, a resident of Basti
Kahoor Khan in the city suburbs, was picking raw cotton (phutti) along with his
other family members, including his wife, in a field of Chak 106-P. Ram said
when the family went outside a nearby mosque to fetch drinking water from a
tap, some local landlords and their men beat them. When the family was
returning home after unloading the picked cotton, the landlords held them
hostage at their Dera (outhouse) and tortured them again.
Later,
some Muslim residents of Basti Kahoor Khan got the Bheel family released.
Ram
Bheel said the Airport police station did not register the case as the
attackers were related to a local PTI parliamentarian.
Ram
said he held a sit-in outside the police station, along with another clan
member Peter Jhon Bheel to protest the highhandedness.
Also
a member of the district peace committee, Peter Jhon Bheel told Dawn that they
approached PTI MNA Javed Warriach who helped them lodge the FIR under sections
506, 154, 379, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code on Friday last.
Jhon
said he requested other members of the district peace committee to call an
emergency meeting over the issue but they did not take him seriously.
PTI’s
south Punjab minority wing secretary general Yodhister Chohan told Dawn the
incident was in his knowledge but due to the influence of a ruling party MP he
preferred to stay away.
District
Police Officer Asad Sarfraz said that he was looking into the matter.
Deputy
Commissioner Dr Khuram Shehzad said he would meet Hindu minority elders on
Monday (today) before taking any action.
He
said after the Bhong temple issue, the district administration had received
some complaints from the minority community which proved fake when
investigated.
Answering
a question about the 'inactive' peace committee, the DC claimed it was “fully
functional”.
Confirming
the happening, Farooq Rind, a senior lawyer and former district bar president,
said he also belonged to Basti Kahoor where the Bheels had been living for more
than a century. He said most the clan members were farm workers and extremely
poor.
Rind
said the accused landlords were notorious for picking up fights with other
villagers over petty issues. He promised free legal aid for the complainant
family.
Source:
Dawn
--------
Hindu
Woman Forced To Hit Muslim Boyfriend With Slippers On Face, Video Shot To
Humiliate Them
Sep
20, 2021
MEERUT:
An interfaith couple was accosted, the Muslim man beaten up and the Hindu woman
forced to hit him in the face with slippers in public as a video was shot to
humiliate them.
Members
of the Hindu Jagran Manch, a right-wing outfit, then tried to get the Muslim
man arrested for “forced conversion” but were later booked for rioting.
It
was on Friday at a busy market in Meerut that the couple was sitting under a
tree.
“A
shopkeeper saw them and passed on the message,” said district president of
Hindu Jagran Manch, Sachin Sirohi.
He
landed there with 11 other men and confronted the couple. What were their
names, they asked.
The
woman was Hindu and the man Muslim. They launched an attack on the man. After
beating him up, they turned their attention to the woman.
“Remove
your slippers and hit him hard in the face,” one of them is heard saying in the
56-second video they shot which was shared widely. When she hit him lightly,
the men ordered, “Is that all? Hit him with more force.”
She
slapped him with her slippers twice, after which the men said, “We are your
brothers. We are standing here. Slap him with all you have.” One of them
screams at the man, “How dare you smoke standing next to her?” while another
says, “There are photos of women on his phone.” At this point, the video ends.
The
right-wing outfit members then made the man hold his ears through his legs and
beat him up again. This went on for about 30 minutes, after which the men
dragged the man to the police station — they wanted to get him booked for
“forced conversion”.
The
woman, however, stood her ground. The man had not misbehaved with her, she told
the police, and she was with him of her own accord. The Hindu Jagran Manch men
then tried to get another person to complain, tracking down the mother of a
female friend of the woman — who gave a written complaint to the police saying
that the man had dragged her minor daughter onto the streets of the market
against her will.
“We
found that the complaint was wrong and filed under pressure,” Devesh Singh,
circle officer, Civil Lines, told TOI.
“The
woman said she had willingly accompanied the man. We have initiated an
investigation against Sirohi and several other unidentified members of his
organisation.”
An
FIR was lodged on Saturday night against them for rioting, causing hurt and
abetment of offence. No arrest has been made yet.
Sirohi
said he was not in the wrong: “We only want to ensure anti-social elements do
not malign our society."
Source:
Times of India
--------
Muslim
Woman and Hindu Man Assaulted for Travelling Together in India
Sep
20, 2021
New
Delhi: A Muslim woman and a Hindu man, who were travelling together in the
Dairy Circle area of Bengaluru, were allegedly harassed and assaulted by two
men on Friday, news reports said. The man was dropping his Muslim woman colleague
home, when they were stopped by the duo and asked why the woman was travelling
with a non-Muslim, especially in the “kind of times we live in”.
The
duo was arrested on Saturday, a day after the after the video of the incident
which was allegedly shot by the assaulters themselves, went viral on social
media.
The
video shows the two persons stopping the Hindu man and his Muslim woman
colleague and questioning the reason they were travelling together. One of the
men asks the woman in Urdu: “What’s your name? Aren’t you ashamed…? Don’t you
know the kind of times we live in? Why do you behave like dogs and cats?”
The
duo threatened and assaulted the man, and even called the woman’s husband and
questioned why he “allows his wife to travel with a non-Muslim”.
The
assaulters then forced the woman to get off her colleague’s bike and ride home
in an autorickshaw.
According
to NDTV, a case was registered at the SG Palya police station after the video
went viral. “We arrested both the accused within 12 hours, acting swiftly,”
said Shrinath Mahadev Joshi, deputy commissioner of police of Southeast
Bengaluru told the news website.
Karnataka
chief minister Basavaraj Bommai tweeted about the incident, applauding the
police for nabbing the accused without delay.
Source:
The Wire
--------
Islamist
opposition politician says Turkey should guide Taliban
September
20 2021
Islamist
Felicity Party leader Temel Karamollaoğlu has said that Turkey should provide
support to the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Addressing
members of his party in the Black Sea province of Samsun on Sept. 19,
Karamollaoğlu, currently an opposition politician, said that the militant group
knows nothing but fighting and hence needs guidance.
"We
would approve of Turkey's guidance in Afghanistan," Karamollaoğlu said, as
he commented on the Taliban's takeover of the country.
"The
Taliban don't know how to govern a country. They've been waging a war for 40
years. First against the Russians and then Americans. Afghanistan fell into
pieces as a result. Now the Taliban need others to guide them," the
politician added.
Saying
that Pakistan is trying to provide assistance, Karamollaoğlu noted that
Turkey's aid depends on the Islamist militants' stance.
"They
can't be successful if they wish to pursue their own policies without any
support. That's what I'm sad about. May God help us all and grant them common
sense," he said.
Karamollaoğlu,
who has been in politics for decades, is known for his Islamist fundamentalist
stance. He previously cheered the Taliban's victory, saying that "Afghans
won."
The
Taliban, meanwhile, have been sending warm messages to Turkey since their
takeover. The group's spokespeople have been saying that they expect Ankara to
aid Afghanistan with rebuilding efforts.
Source:
duvaR.english
--------
South Asia
Taliban
Will Establish Potent and Effective Administration for Women: Dy Minister and
Spokesperson of the Taliban
19
Sep 2021
After
the exclusion and closure of women’s ministry prompted reactions in
Afghanistan, the deputy minister of information and culture and the
spokesperson of the Taliban Zabiullah Mujahid said that they will establish for
women a potent and effective administration under the Sharia law.
Zabiullah
Mujahid said that the administration will be created in the framework of
Islamic principles and there is no need of giving it the name of a ministry or
sub-division of the ministry.
The
prominent spokesperson of the Taliban in his recent interview said that the
women’s ministry of the previous government was the so-called administration of
women and has done nothing for the betterment of the lives of Afghan women.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-to-establish-potent-amp-effective-administration-for-women-457457457/
--------
China
to provide unconditional aid to Afghanistan by winter
20
Sep 2021
Chinese
ambassador to Kabul Wang yu said that his country is prepared to continue his
country’s unconditional humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan.
The
Chinese ambassador has met the acting minister of refugees and repatriates
Khaliluranman Haqqani on Sunday, September 19, and has pledged the Chinese
assistance relief to arrive by winter this year.
As
per the statement of the ministry, China will provide the people of Afghanistan
with $15 million in humanitarian aid and one million doses of the Corona
vaccine.
Earlier,
Yu along with the Pakistani ambassador to Kabul Mansoor Ahmad Khan was the
first foreign envoys who met acting foreign minister after the Taliban declared
their interim cabinet.
Pakistan
has also sent its first consignment through the Torkham crossing point on
Sunday, September 19 which contained 278 tonnes of food ingredients.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/china-to-provide-unconditional-aid-to-afghanistan-by-winter-346346/
--------
International
Union Of Muslim Scholars Calls On Taliban To Establish Fair Rule
Gulsen
Topcu
20.09.2021
DOHA,
Qatar
The
Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) urged the Taliban on
Sunday to establish fair rule in Afghanistan.
IUMS
said in a statement that its president, Ahmad al-Raysuni, and Secretary-General
Ali al-Qaradagi received a delegation from the Taliban's political office in the
Qatari capital Doha.
During
the meeting, Al-Qaradagi called on the Taliban to establish a fair
administration.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/muslim-union-calls-on-taliban-to-establish-fair-rule/2369183
--------
Will
bring perspective of most impacted by Afghanistan crises to UNGA, says UN
refugee chief
Sep
20, 2021
GENEVA:
In the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) meet slated for this week, United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is set to present a
report on a recent field visit in Afghanistan. During his visit to Kabul last
week, Grandi met with the Taliban's interim government, as well as other UN and
NGO staff that have stayed on the ground and maintained operations.
Taking
to Twitter, Grandi said that he will bring to the UN debate the perspective of
those most impacted by the crises in the troubled country.
"I
am in New York to attend UNGA week, meet leaders and participate in discussions
on world crises. I will report on recent field visits, including to
Afghanistan, and will bring to the debate the perspective of those most
impacted by the crises: refugees, displaced, stateless," Grandi tweeted.
The
76th UN UNGA opened on September 14 and the high-level week will start on
September 21 and will last until the 27th.
Last
week, Grandi has said that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is pretty
desperate and called for urgent aid to the country.
Speaking
at a presser in Islamabad last week, Grandi described the situation in
Afghanistan as "pretty desperate" and stressed that food, medicines,
shelter and other necessities are needed urgently. When asked about the
Taliban's rule, Grandi said that humanitarian assistance is "not subjected
to any political considerations and should not be".
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
have responsibility towards Afghan people to deliver stability: Saudi Arabia
foreign minister
Sep
19, 2021
NEW
DELHI: The Taliban have a responsibility to deliver stable inclusive,
governance in Afghanistan, said Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud, foreign
minister of Saudi Arabia, on his first visit to India.They have to fulfill the
commitments they have made to the international community and not allow
transnational terror groups to take root, he added.
Speaking
to TOI after holding discussions with foreign minister S Jaishankar on Sunday,
Prince Faisal said, “The Taliban are now in charge in Kabul. They have a
responsibility towards the Afghan people to deliver stability, to deliver a
government that can provide the necessary security for the people of
Afghanistan, also the necessary economic, social and other structures. And the
only way that can be achieved, I believe, is through inclusiveness and through
including all sectors of their society.
“Beyond
that, they have made commitments to the international community as regards
security and as regards not allowing any transnational terrorist groups to take
root. And, of course, we need to find a way to hold them accountable to those
commitments. And that will take a coordinated approach among the international
community.”
This
is the first clear articulation of the Saudi position on the Taliban takeover
in Afghanistan, which takes a very different position from where they were
during the first rule by the Taliban in the 1990s. Saudi Arabia’s perceptible
change in position comes as the Taliban 2.0 has shown closer ties with Qatar,
Turkey and Iran, Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical rivals in the region. It was
glaring that the Taliban had invited Turkey, Qatar, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and
China to their inauguration, but left out Saudi Arabia and the UAE, their
principal backers in the 1990s.
Jaishankar
tweeted after his meeting with Prince Faisal, “A cordial and productive meeting
with Saudi FM HH @Faisalbinfarhan. Discussed our cooperation in the political,
security and socio-cultural pillars of our strategic partnership. Very useful
exchange of views on Afghanistan, the Gulf and the Indo-Pacific.” An MEA
readout of the meeting said the two leaders “exchanged views on the
developments in Afghanistan and other regional issues. They also discussed
bilateral cooperation in multilateral forums such as UN, G-20 and GCC.”
Speaking
to TOI, Prince Faisal said, “the relationship between the kingdom and India is
critically important for us, a major priority” adding his visit was intended to
“make sure … the momentum in the relationship keeps going.” Saudi Arabia and
India, he said, are broadly aligned “certainly in the bilateral relationship,
but even in our outlook towards regional and international affairs.”
“The
depth and breadth of the relationship have expanded exponentially over the past
four years, driven to a great extent by the attention given by the leadership,
Prime Minister Modi and the King and the Crown Prince … politically, of course,
also in the security field, counterterrorism, counter-extremism areas is where
we work closely together.”
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
have not met their commitments: former Afghan president
19
Sep 2021
The
former Afghan president Hamid Karzai in his recent interview said that the
Taliban have pledged education of girls, women’s rights, the national flag, and
other national values but no implementation of the promises has been seen yet.
Hamid
Karzai said that during his interactions with the Taliban, he has focused
mainly on three things which are girls’ education, women’s prestige in the
Afghan society, and an all-inclusive government.
The
former president has added that the people of Afghanistan need a government in
which they can live without intimidation, fear, have good relations with the
world, work for development, and let people live in joy.
“We
need a cabinet that represents the entire Afghanistan, women and people from
all ethnicities are seen in that, but what the Taliban has declared does not
meet the definition.” Said Karzai.
On
the closure of girls’ schools, the former president said that there is no way
for the development of the country except for the education of girls.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-have-not-met-their-commitments-former-afghan-president-5474574/
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Must Recognise Taliban Govt, Insists Pakistan Democratic Movement Chief
Sep
20, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan should recognise the Taliban government at the earliest to help ensure
a stable country in the neighbourhood, said country's opposition leader and
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
"We
should recognise the Taliban government at the earliest to cooperate in efforts
being made for ensuring a peaceful country and a stable (governance) system in
Afghanistan," Dawn quoted Fazlur Rehman as saying while citing Geo News
TV.
This
comment comes as the international community and UN agencies are keeping a
close eye on the Taliban and its conduct in the troubled country. Some are even
slamming the initial policy decisions taken by the outfit that goes against the
rights of the minority and women.
The
opposition leader argued in favour of recognising the Taliban government,
saying when China and Russia were taking interest in establishing ties with the
new Afghan rulers, then they should also maintain its contacts with the outfit.
"We
have historic relations with the Afghan people and we should help them in
introducing peace and a stable system there." He added that recognising
the Taliban government is like recognising Afghanistan.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sri
Lankans annoyed over destruction of Buddhist heritage in Pakistan
20
September 2021
Islamabad
[Pakistan], September 20 (ANI): The destruction of Buddhist heritage sites in
Pakistan has annoyed the Sri Lankans that may impact the bilateral relations
between the two nations.
The
heritage sites in Pakistan has seen widespread demolition of Buddhist carvings
and stupas and statues of Buddha, especially in Swat valley, reported Islam
Khabar.
Moreover,
Chinese -funded Diamer-Bhasha dam project - cum hydropower plant is going to
cause the destruction of a whopping 30,000 raw carvings and scriptures of
Buddhist origin in the Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
(PoK).
In
2020, a 1,700-year-old statue was demolished by a few Pakistani people in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the north-western province of Pakistan.
The
desecration of the statue filmed the whole incident on a mobile phone. The
video of the demolition went viral on social media, reported Islam Khabar.
While
civil activists and human rights activists expressed concerns, many Pakistani
nationals supported the unfortunate act. Rawalpindi resident Umer Usmani hailed
the desecration act by linking it with the teachings of Islam.
"As
a Muslim, it is very necessary to smash and ruin all the idols in order to keep
the Muslim separate identity from other nations. Pakistan was made on the basis
of Islam, so Islam requires to eradicate the idolatry as our grandfather
Ibrahim and the holy Prophet did," Usmani said on Twitter.
A
few months ago, Pakistani President Dr Arif Alvi had sought to seek closeness with
Sri Lankans when he met a delegation of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks in Islamabad
and spoke about religious tourism as an excellent platform to strengthen ties.
However,
the Pakistan government has even failed to protect heritage Buddhist sites from
radical, religious fanatics in the country.
All
this has revived the horrific memories of the destruction of two giant and
2000-year-old statues of Buddha carved into the hillside in Afghanistan's
Bamiyan valley.
This
certainly does not forebode good signs for the Pakistan government's plans to
expand relations with Sri Lanka using religious tourism as a peg, reported
Islam Khabar.
Ancient
Buddhist rock carvings, paintings and sculptures are often damaged in Pakistan.
Sometimes paintings are blackened and repainted with Pakistan's national flag.
Pakistan is home to the world's earliest civilisation.
But
the heritage asset has fall victim to discretion, vandalism, illegal excavation
and smuggling. While there are global calls to preserve Buddhist history and
heritage, the Pakistan government has failed to do so, reported Islam Khabar.
Source:
Yahoo News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/sri-lankans-annoyed-over-destruction-233040552.html
--------
Ulema-Mashaikh
Convention: ‘India hatching conspiracies to dent Pak-Afghan ties’
September
20, 2021
LAHORE:
Ulema-Mashaikh and leading religious scholars of different schools of thought
said India has been accomplice in hatching conspiracies to dent Pakistan and
Afghanistan relationship.
While
addressing the Ulema-Mashaikh Convention here Sunday, Pakistan Ulema Council
Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi assured the Afghan Taliban and clerics of
all possible cooperation and also urged them to be aware of the enemy's
conspiracies.
He
said conspiracies are being hatched to spread extremism and terrorism in the
country through sentimental slogans. Pakistan does not need a new constitution
as Pakistan’s Constitution is subject to the Quran and Sunnah.
Prime
Minister Imran Khan has vowed to legalise the recommendations of the Council of
Islamic Ideology. Pakistan came into being on the basis of ‘Kalima Tayyaba’ and
one day Pakistan will become a state in the style of Madinah, Ulema-Mashaikh
stated.
The
Muslims have only one model and that model is the state on the pattern of
Madinah Munawara, which the caliphs made in accordance with the teachings of
Holy Prophet (PBUH). The world benefited from the reforms that took place
during the time of the four caliphs. The speakers praised the incumbent
government for seminaries; said after 70 years of independence, the government
has linked the registration system of Madaris-e-Arabia to the education
ministry.
A
Single National Curriculum (SNC) will make a nation modern and conventional
education is being imparted in the seminaries. Ever since the United Nations
was formed, on the platform of the United Nations Organisation, the case of
Namoos-e-Risalat has not been fought in the same way as Prime Minister Imran
Khan has fought. Those who criticise the State of Madinah had their very own
slogan: God’s system on God’s earth. Clerics said those who have been in power
for the last 30 years have done nothing for Islam. Ulema-Mashaikh should
support Prime Minister Imran Khan unconditionally to make Pakistan on the
pattern of the State of Madina. Issuing decrees to accomplish one’s vested
interests is the biggest crime, forced conversion is a crime but embracing
Islam with one’s willingness cannot be restrained and no such law is being
enacted, said the clerics.
The
religious scholars and representatives of different religious schools of
thought from across the country calling the government’s policy on Afghanistan
in line with national aspirations demanded the world leadership not to leave
Afghanistan alone in the current situation.
The
declarations made by the Afghan Taliban and the patience with which they are
resolving issues should be supported so that there is peace in Afghanistan and
in the entire region. India should be stopped from spreading instability in the
region. The convention also stated that under the aegis of Pakistan Ulema
Council, “Pakistan Stability - Ulema and Mashaikh Conventions” will be held
across the country and Seerat-un-Nabi conferences will also be held in the
month of Rabiul Awwal and in February 2022, the 5th World Message of Islam
Conference will be held, which will be attended by leadership of Muslim world.
A
series of consultations with scholars and Ulema-Mashaikh has been set on the
current situation in the region, and in this regard, a virtual consultative
meeting of scholars and leading religious scholars of Muslim world will be held
in first week of October 2021. The convention was chaired by Hafiz Tahir
Mahmood Ashrafi, chairman and Special Representative of the PM for Interfaith
Harmony and Middle East.
The
joint declaration and resolutions adopted at Ulema-Mashaikh Convention state:
1.
India’s conspiracies and ill intentions against Pakistan are clear. Following
the failure of India’s ambitions in Afghanistan, India is now waging sectarian
violence and other conspiracies to create chaos and anarchy in Pakistan, which
will be thwarted with unity. The religious scholars and leaders of all schools
of thought and religious and political organisations assured the government,
armed forces and security agencies its full cooperation to the institutions and
announced full compliance with the Paigham-e-Pakistan Code of Conduct and also
appealed to the ulema, preachers to fully comply with the Paigham-e-Pakistan
Code of Conduct in maintaining religious harmony in the country. 2) Continued
attempts to attack Pakistan’s border checkpoints from Afghan side and suicide bombing
at Afghanistan airport are reprehensible and condemnable.
Afghan
Taliban and the world leadership should keep in mind the relationship between
India and international terrorist organisations. As per past traditions, India
is once again engaged in conspiracies to create instability and chaos in the
region, so the world and the regional countries must pay attention in this
connection. 3) Pakistan’s Ulema-Mashaikh and people welcome declarations of
general amnesty by the Afghan Taliban, and resolve that the Afghan soil not to
be used against any country in the world, including Pakistan, and the
announcement of the establishment of a strong and stable national government.
Peace
in Afghanistan is the peace of Pakistan and peace in Afghanistan will
strengthen all the countries of the region in trade, economy and politics.
Therefore all the countries should cooperate with Amarat-e-Islamia Afghanistan
for restoration of law and order and stability in Afghanistan. Afghanistan
should not be left alone in the current situation.
Source:
The News Pakistan
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Moot
asks world to recognise Taliban rule
September
20, 2021
PESHAWAR:
The leaders of religio-political parties and social figures on Sunday urged the
international community, including the United Nations and the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation to recognize the Taliban set-up in Afghanistan and work for
the reconstruction and development of the neighbouring country.
“Every
possible diplomatic relation should be made with them. The defeated
occupational forces are conspiring to get imposed various sanctions and
economic curbs on Pakistan. The government should take the national political
and religious leadership into confidence and take bold decisions instead of
succumbing to the pressure of foreign institutions,” said a communique issued
after the Paigham-e- Pakistan Conference.
The
conference was arranged on the main road near FC Chowk in the Cantt area.
Saifullah
Khalid, President of Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek, Maulana Abdul Aziz Nuristani, a
religious scholar from KP, Muhammad Yaqub Sheikh, Chairman of Nazaria Pakistan
Rabita Council and Maulana Yousuf Shah, a leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
(JUI-S) addressed the conference at the FC Chowk Saddar Road. PTI leader Arif
Yousuf and others attended the gathering.
Source:
The News Pakistan
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/893835-moot-asks-world-to-recognise-taliban-rule
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US
TV host Glenn Beck heaps praise on PM Imran, Pakistan for help with Afghan
evacuations
September
20, 2021
Right-wing
radio host and television presenter Glenn Beck, whose charity organisation has
been assisting with evacuations from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover,
lauded Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday for his support to the cause and
help in getting people — including Afghan female footballers — out of the
war-torn country.
In
a statement on Twitter, Beck said that he would share the details of the
correspondence between him and PM Imran on the radio the next day, and thanked
the premier as well as the people of Pakistan.
"We
reached out and asked numerous leaders and civil societies around the world for
help and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan responded with determination and
without hesitation," Beck said.
Earlier
this month, Newsweek, an American weekly magazine, had reported that six planes
chartered by Beck's charity, Mercury One, "seeking to evacuate at least
1,000 people—including more than 100 Americans ... have been grounded by the
Taliban" in the Mazar-i-Sharif city.
Beck's
statement today said that the support from PM Imran and Pakistan's military and
civilian resources under his leadership and "their ability to cooperate
with the Taliban, has enabled the first two flights to depart Mazar-i-Sharif
with FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) female athletes and
their families on board."
In
a separate tweet, he said that Pakistan's leadership helped with the release
and departure of three flights overall.
Appreciating
the prime minister, Beck said that Prime Minister Imran's "leadership of
placing humanity before politics is a great example of inter-faith cooperation
between the faiths, bridged by the shared value of human compassion".
"Pakistan
has once again proven to be a valued partner in all seasons for the United
States, despite recent criticisms from some sections of US media," he
said. "We look forward to the ongoing continued cooperation in the coming
weeks as we continue our common goal of protecting the innocent during this
humanitarian effort."
He
added that the US should recognise Pakistan's assistance at this juncture:
"We will not forget this support that has enabled America and its allies
to make good on their promises to those who helped them without pause or
reflection."
Beck
said "no other global leader that we have seen, took such an initiative to
leverage his/her position to save the innocent putting humanity before
politics."
"He
(PM Imran) has been gracious with his time and never once questioned our
motives," he added.
Beck
said that "media outlets may have their own agenda for criticising him (PM
Imran) over the last few days, but he should be recognised for the lives he
helped save this weekend."
Since
the US withdrawal of Afghanistan, Pakistan has been playing an active role in
facilitating evacuation efforts.
In
a recent development in this connection, Afghan footballers belonging to the
national junior girls' team and their families were allowed to cross the
Torkham border to reach Pakistan after the government issued emergency
humanitarian visas to evacuate them from their country.
Prior
to this, the Foreign Office (FO) had said in a statement that Pakistan remained
deeply engaged with the international community since the Taliban took over of
Afghanistan, with much of this engagement focused on the evacuation of
foreigners and vulnerable Afghans.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Security
forces kill TTP commander involved in murders of NGO workers, FWO engineers:
ISPR
September
20, 2021
A
terrorist commander affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
was killed during an operation conducted by security forces in Mir Ali area of
North Waziristan, Radio Pakistan reported, quoting the military's media wing on
Monday.
According
to the Inter Services Public Relations, the TTP commander — identified as
Safiullah — was involved in the killings of four female representatives of an
NGO and engineers belonging to the Frontier Works Organisation.
The
slain terrorist was also involved in the planning and execution of improvised
explosive device attacks targeting security forces, besides cases of extortion
and kidnapping for ransom, the ISPR said.
Read
more: Govt open to pardon for TTP members if they give up terror activities,
surrender: FM Qureshi
During
the operation, the security forces also recovered a huge cache of weapons and
ammunition.
In
June this year, a Pakistan Army soldier had embraced martyrdom and two TTP
terrorists were killed in a gunfight during an intelligence-based operation
(IBO) in Spinwam area of North Waziristan.
The
ISPR had said the terrorists killed in the operation were involved in terror
plots against the security forces.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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India
‘Narcotic
Jihad’: Samastha upset with Kerala govt for not clearing the air
Sep
20, 2021
KOZHIKODE:
Samastha Kerala Jem Iyyathul Ulama, the influential body of Sunni religious
scholars belonging to the EK faction, has expressed displeasure at the state
government stand on the "narcotic jihad" controversy triggered by
Pala bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt's recent remarks by saying that it should
not encourage such remarks.
Samastha
president Syed Jiffri Muthukoya Thangal told a news conference that the
developments after the bishop’s statement have brought up a suspicion whether
people in responsible positions are encouraging such remarks as some ministers
were seen visiting them and exalting them as revered and righteous.
Govt
should not encourage such remarks: Thangal
There
is nothing wrong in that as bishops are very important people and they can be
considered as revered. But the government should not act as if encouraging such
remarks. That would amount to hurting the other section,” he said.
Thangal
was referring to cooperatives minister V N Vasavan calling on Pala bishop on
Friday. The minister had told reporters after the meeting that the bishop was a
“scholarly person” and “terrorists” were trying to stir up a controversy over
his narcotic jihad remark.
Sunni
leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar, who heads the AP faction of Sunni
scholars, meanwhile, said the bishop should withdraw the controversial
statement.
Thangal
said if anyone felt that there was a narcotic jihad, they should have informed
about it to the government rather than making a public statement. “Such remarks
are not expected from religious leaders who should foster religious amity.
Also,
when such a statement comes from a bishop, the government should not justify
it,” he said. Responding to a question, he said it is not clear if Vasavan had
visited the bishop as a representative of the government. It is up to the chief
minister to spell out the stand on the matter, he said.
Thangal
said there is nothing called "love jihad" or “narcotic jihad” in
Islam and there is no jihad in Islam religious conversion. “Love is a natural
thing to happen for humans. It does not have any religion. Muslims don’t have
any such agenda (of love jihad). Islam does not have a jihad to convert people.
Samastha runs over 10,000 madrasas and there is no mention about any such jihad
in any of our textbooks,” he said.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Deliberate
attempts to drive Christians against Muslims, says CPI (M) amid Kerala bishop
row
Akshaya
Nath
September
19, 2021
After
a Catholic priest’s polarizing church address triggered controversy in Kerala,
the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued a pamphlet which
states, “There are deliberate attempts to drive the Christian segment against
the Muslims.”
The
pamphlet further says, “Normally, Christians are not found succumbing to
communal thought. However, the recent trend of communal influence among a small
section of Christians should be viewed seriously. Such approaches will
ultimately benefit majoritarian fundamentalism.”
Earlier
this month, Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, of the Syro Malabar Church,
had said that extremists were trying to “end non-Muslims” by using tactics like
‘love jihad’ and ‘narcotic jihad’.
This
caused a political furore, in which the Congress and ruling CPI(M) criticised
the bishop’s statement and called it ‘communal’ while the BJP came out in
support of the same.
The
CPI(M)’s pamphlet, however, also alleged that there are “deliberate bids to
distract educated young women to extremism and fundamentalism” on college
campuses. The party urged student fronts to pay attention to the issue.
The
pamphlet was distributed at the CPI(M)’s branch and local-level committee
meetings.
CPI(M)’S
STANCE
On
the issue, CPI(M) state secretary A Vijayaraghavan said, “Several attempts have
been made recently by some antisocial groups to create disharmony between
different religious groups and also to gain political momentum from it. For
BJP, it is very clear that their party’s presence can be shown in the state
only by creating religious disharmony.”
He
added, “We don’t believe the bishop had any ulterior motive. But there were
some who tried to create disharmony among religious groups. We are very clear
that the act of some individual or group cannot be blamed on any particular
religion. Pointing fingers at a religion and creating disharmony is not what
the CPI(M) stands for."
CPI(M)
leader and state cooperation minister V N Vasavan was the first party leader to
visit the bishop. After the meeting on Friday, Vasavan said, "The CM has
already given the government's stand on the terms used by the bishop. Who is
trying to create an issue out of this now? They are the antisocial elements,
they are the terrorists. The government is not ready to allow terrorism in any
form. We are against terrorism and we are not into religious bias as well. This
will be the government's stand always."
Source:
India Today
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Kerala
can become Afghanistan in 10 years, says former minister Alphons
By
Ramesh Babu
SEP
20, 2021
The
politics of appeasement has spoiled Kerala and if the situation continues like
this the state will be another Afghanistan in 10 years, said former union
minister K J Alphons.
Speaking
to this reporter over the phone from Delhi, Alphons said his observation is
nothing to do with the Pala Bishop’s latest statement.
“Appeasement
politics is at its high in Kerala. Both fronts, ruling Left Democratic Front
and opposition Congress-led UDF, turn a blind eye to growing Wahabism and
Salafism in Kerala. All are after vote bank. If the situation continues like
this little Kerala will be another Afghanistan in a decade or so,” said the
bureaucrat-turned politician. He said radicalization of a section of a
particular community is sowing seeds of such tendency in other communities
also, and it is really dangerous.
“Kerala
always remained a global example of communal harmony. Different religions lived
together for centuries without any rift or tension. But things are not rosy
now. ‘We are right others are wrong’ tendency is fast catching up. What is
disturbing is that saner elements are being silenced by extremist ideologies in
the Muslim community,” he said.
“I
have many Muslim friends, and my two sons got married from different
communities. Marriage is an individual choice. But if you marry girls from
other communities feigning love and to push them to war-torn areas, it can’t be
called brotherhood or amity, it is terror,” he said adding, he agreed that it
is wrong to blame a community for the wrongdoings of a minuscule section. But
he said, feigning ignorance and whitewash all such sinister activities are more
dangerous.
“It
is true, Talibanization is taking place in certain pockets of Kerala. Even they
changed the dress code of women in north Malabar. I was shocked to hear the way
some leaders justified the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. Nobody is talking
about the plight of women and children there. Millions of people are on the
verge of starvation,” he said adding major parties are silent over
radicalization fearing vote bank.
He
said when Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallaranghatt said about “narcotic jihad” all
were busy attacking him and nobody asked him what prompted him to say this. “It
is a fact radicalization assumed a dangerous proportion in Kerala. You can’t
turn a blind eye towards it. Instead of addressing this, all are busy shooting
the messenger,” he said.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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India
to take up issues like terrorism, vaccines, climate change at UNGA: Tirumurti
Sep
20, 2021
NEW
YORK: India will use its voice at the high-level United Nations General
Assembly to forcefully take up global issues such as terrorism, climate change,
equitable and affordable access to vaccines, Indo-Pacific and UN reforms, the
country's envoy to the world organisation has said.
The
Covid-19 pandemic and developments in Afghanistan are expected to dominate the
76th UNGA session, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S
Tirumurti told PTI in an exclusive interview.
Apart
from the Covid-19 pandemic and its humanitarian impact, other issues likely to
dominate the high-level segment of the session include the global economic
slowdown, terrorism and related issues, climate change, ongoing conflicts in
the Middle East and Africa, recent developments in Afghanistan and UN Security
Council reforms, he said.
This
year's UNGA session commenced from September 14 under the Presidency of Abdulla
Shahid. The high-level week - the General Debate - will run from September 21,
with US President Joe Biden addressing world leaders on Tuesday.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi will address the General Debate on September 25.
The
“76th UNGA is an important occasion for India for many reasons. There is an
expectation that India, as the leading voice of the developing world as well as
the current member of the UN Security Council, will use its voice to take up
global issues forcefully.
“They
include climate change, Sustainable Development Goals, equitable and affordable
access to vaccines, poverty eradication and economic recovery, women's
empowerment and participation in governance structures, terrorism,
peacekeeping/peacebuilding, Indo-Pacific and UN reforms. We will certainly do
so, as we have indeed done so before as well,” Tirumurti said.
He
said India has the ability to bring the discussions in the General Assembly to
a more cooperative and constructive framework so that “we can, together with
partners, oppose any divisive agenda which may be pushed or stop existing
agenda being weakened”.
“This
is a role India can play so that we continue to keep the focus on the major
issues confronting the world and not let the discourse be hijacked to suit
narrow interests,” he said.
The
theme for this year's General Debate is ‘Building Resilience through hope to
recover from Covid-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet,
respect the rights of people and revitalise the United Nations'.
Tirumurti
said Prime Minister Modi's speech at the General Assembly "is one of the
most awaited among the world leaders. While what he decides to say is entirely
his prerogative and I don't want to second guess, the Prime Minister has always
addressed some of the core issues confronting the world, and those of
importance and concerns to us, including some of the achievements on the
domestic front.”
India
will participate in three high-level meetings organised by UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres on Climate, Energy and Food Systems. Guterres and UK Prime
Minister Boris Johnson will hold a closed door Informal Climate Leaders
Roundtable on Climate Action on Monday with a small and representative group of
Heads of State and Government.
The
roundtable “will be a chance for national leaders to demonstrate solidarity and
ambition to keep the world's 1.5C temperature goal within reach,” the UN has
said.
The
UN Food Systems Summit on September 23 will set the stage for global food
systems transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
The
high-level Dialogue on Energy on September 24 aims to advance action on the
Sustainable Development Goal 7 of affordable and clean energy and towards
net-zero emissions and universal access to energy.
External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and senior officials will be in New York starting
Monday onwards, Tirumurti said.
Jaishankar
will meet his counterparts from several member states and participate in the
G-20 meeting that will focus on Afghanistan and the G-4 Foreign Ministers
meeting with a focus on Security Council reforms, he said.
The
BRICS meeting, which also traditionally takes place on the sidelines of the
UNGA session, is not taking place since not all BRICS Foreign Ministers will be
present during the high-level week.
Tirumurti
said the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to cast a shadow on this important
annual gathering of world leaders.
“The
slight improvement in the pandemic situation in the United States of America,
and vaccination measures, has allowed the United Nations to organise the 76
UNGA General Debate in a hybrid format. However, it is far from a normal UNGA
session,” he said.
Given
that Afghanistan, climate change and Covid-19 are some of the key issues
expected to be a centerstage during the UNGA, Tirumurti -- asked what India's
focus will be in these areas -- said that on Afghanistan, Modi has already made
India's stand clear in his address to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Summit last week.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Hindu
Jagran Manch leader booked for ‘abetting assault’ on Muslim youth
September
20, 2021
A
Hindu Jagran Manch leader was booked in Meerut for allegedly abetting assault
against a Muslim man.
In
a video of the alleged incident that went viral on social media, a woman could
be seen slapping a man with a slipper as a group of men encourages her. In the
video, the group of men can be heard saying “we are your brothers, do not
worry” as the woman slaps him.
According
to police, they received a complaint from the woman against Sachin Sirohi, the
local chief of Hindu Jagran Manch, and unknown accused of allegedly making her
slap her friend Salman in the Gole Market area on Friday afternoon.
While
the Hindu Jagran Manch alleged that Salman was “eve-teasing the woman”, the
woman in her complaint to the police maintained that Salman was a friend of
her.
As
per her complaint, she had come to the market with her friend on Friday where
she bumped into another friend, Salman. The three were having a cold drink when
a group of people came and said they were from Bajrang Dal, the complaint read.
The men then asked the names of the three and began assaulting Salman, as per
the FIR registered by the police based on the woman’s complaint.
“They
forced us to beat him (Salman) and told me to get an FIR registered against him
or else there will be bad consequences. I have come to the police station.
Please lodge an FIR,” the woman’s complaint lodged at Civil Lines Police
Station read.
Circle
Officer (Civil Lines) Devesh Singh said: “We were informed that a woman and her
friend had come to visit Gole Market when they were being harassed by a man. A
crowd had gathered and a challan was issued against Salman. Following the
incident, we received a complaint against a group of people for inciting
violence against the woman’s friend. We are ascertaining the facts and an
investigation is being carried out.”
Notably,
10 minutes before the woman had lodged the complaint, another complaint was
filed at the police station alleged by the woman’s mother in which she accused
Salman of grabbing her. “The mother later withdrew the complaint, saying that
it was not written by her but by the members of the Hindu Jagran Manch. She
told us that she did not know what was written in her complaint,” said Gajendra
Singh, the Investigating Officer. “The mother and the daughter have given
different versions to the police. The incident is directly related to the woman
student and therefore her statement is important.We will also scrutinise CCTV
footage to know the truth,”SSP (Meerut) Prabhakar Chaudhary said.
Source:
Indian Express
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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From
communal harmony to terror infamy: How Bhatkal became a constant on intel
agencies’ radar
By
Arun Dev
SEP
19, 2021
Central
intelligence agencies issued an alert to the Karnataka police on Thursday after
intercepting ‘conversations of interest’ on satellite phones recently. While
the districts in the state’s coastal belt have been notified, one town is of
particular interest again.
Even
though Bhatkal in the Uttara Kannada district has a population of fewer than
150,000 people, every intelligence agency, state or central, has its units
deployed in the town. The reason is the name itself. Outside of Karnataka, more
than the town, the word Bhatkal triggers memories of Yasin and Riyaz Bhatkal,
two masterminds behind multiple terror attacks in the country.
Decades
before these men emerged and the town came under the radar of the intelligence
agencies, Bhatkal was an inconspicuous fishermen’s town, which remained
peaceful following the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.
GU
Bhat, a senior journalist from Uttara Kannada district remembers the events of
April 10, 1996, which he believes was a turning point in the town’s history. On
that day, Dr DU Chittaranjan, a popular doctor in the town and an RSS activist
was assassinated by unknown men inside his house.
“He
reached home around 8 pm that night. Before having dinner, he watched the news.
Just as he got up from his seat after his wife called him for dinner, someone
shot him from behind through the window. He died on the spot. It was this
murder that divided the Muslim and Hindu communities in the town,” said Bhat,
who had covered the story.
Chittaranjan
was sent to Bhatkal to build an RSS base in the town. He was popular in the
town for charging his patients just ₹5 or less.
His
popularity laid the foundation of the party in Bhatkal, which had elected only
Muslim candidates from the constituency until the late 1990s. Under
Chittaranjan, leaders like Anant Kumar Hegde, a former minister in the state
government and Uttara Kannada MP, started their political careers.
Despite
his popularity, Chittaranjan lost two elections. But the situation changed in
1993 when stones were pelted at the chariot procession of the famous Hanuman
temple in the heart of Bhatkal.
As
a result, in 1993, the town saw communal violence for over nine months. Around
19 people were killed in riots – ten Muslims and nine Hindus. Many residential
areas were attacked during these riots, and religious were formed on lines of
religion as a result.
A
Muslim community leader and doctor practising in Bhatkal said even during this
time, Chittaranjan stood for harmony between both communities together. “I
remember he came to us and said there was a need to end the violence. Even the
community trusted him, and he played a huge part in bringing the situation
under control,” said the leader, who didn’t want to be named.
However,
with his murder in 1996, communal disharmony in Bhatkal rose to new heights.
Hegde emerged as the new face of the RSS-BJP in the town, and two months later,
elected Member of Parliament from Uttara Kannada. Unlike his guru, Hegde
believed in political polarization, said the community leader.
As
the Hindutva wave got momentum across the Uttara Kannada district, resistance
grew within the Muslim community. “Since the mid-1980s, there were many Muslim
men from the Bhatkal who moved to Gulf countries, and over the years, the
community became rich,” said a senior state intelligence officer.
While
the Hindutva movement gained traction and power in Bhatkal, youth employed in
Gulf countries became the backbone of resistance against the movement.
The
Hindu-Muslim conflict in Bhatkal soon witnessed an influence of international
players, who tried to support the resistance against the rise of Hindutva.
From
this resistance emerged Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri and Mohammed Ahmed Siddibappa,
popularly known as Riyaz Bhatkal and Yasin Bhatkal. “When their name started
getting associated with terrorism, Bhatkal town itself became a place of
interest for the intelligence agencies,” said the officer.
As
the terror suspicion associated with the name Bhatkal became a liability for
its residents, an old tradition in the town made their lives even harder.
Decades before the partition, Muslim families of the Nawayath community had
business links with Karachi and other parts of Pakistan. Over the years,
marriage alliances between Karachi and Bhatkal became common. Even after the
partition, this practice continued, and many women who married men from Bhatkal
got Indian citizenship.
Soon
as the town’s name started getting associated with terror, the approval for
citizenship of many Pakistani brides became difficult. A decade ago, the
government even began deporting some of the ‘Karachi wives in Bhatkal’, said an
official of the Karnataka police.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
Foreign Minister In India: Riyadh As Concerned As New Delhi About Stabilising
Afghanistan
Seema
Guha
19
Sep 2021
India’s
foreign minister Subramanyam Jaishankar held talks with his Saudi counterpart,
Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud on Sunday, the first in- person visit since
the Covid-19 pandemic.
Soon
afterward, Jaishankar tweeted, “A cordial and productive meeting with Saudi FM
HH@Faisalbinfarhan Discussed our cooperation in the political, security and
socio-cultural pillars of our strategic partnership. Very useful exchange of
views on Afghanistan, the Gulf and the Indo-Pacific.’’
Though
India and most of the Gulf kingdoms have had centuries of traditional trading
ties, political relations were never warm. Successive governments in India felt
that Saudi Arabia was an ally of arch-foe Pakistan and did not invest time and
energy in cultivating Riyadh. Yes India bought oil from the region and its
people went to the Gulf and sent back precious dollars.
But
in the last two decades with the winds of change blowing across the world, both
New Delhi and the Gulf kingdoms broke out of the mould and began exploring new
engagements. It began during former prime minister Vajpayee’s time and
continued through the two terms of the UPA government. But when Narendra Modi
came to power in 2014, he began to aggressively court the Gulf kingdoms. He
made several visits to each of the Gulf countries and built solid political
ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The
move paid off handsomely. When India scrapped Kashmir’s special status in
August 2019, Saudi Arabia and the UAE did not join Pakistan, Turkey or Malaysia
to publicly denouncing the move and attack India’s human rights record. So much
so that Pakistan’s ties with Saudis became strained as Riyadh refused to back
Islamabad’s call for convening a special session of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation foreign ministers to discuss Kashmir. This was also because of the
rivalry between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh see’s itself as the rightful
voice of Sunni Muslims across the world as the custodian of Islam’s holiest
shrines in Mecca and Medina. It will not tolerate Turkey or Malaysia usurping
its premier position in the Muslim world.
India’s ties have grown substantially after
2014 with a regular flow of high-level visits. In today’s meeting between the
two foreign minister’s developments in neighbouring Afghanistan was discussed
at length. They also reviewed growing economic co-operation between the two
countries. During the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
commonly referred to as MBS, in February 2019, he spoke of investing a $100
billion in India over two years. The
pandemic has naturally slowed the process.
Source:
Outlook India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Mideast
Turkey
taking leading role against Islamophobia: Erdogan
Servet
Günerigök
20.09.2021
New
York
Turkey
is taking a leading role in the fight against Islamophobia in international
platforms, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday.
"We
are fighting against a more deadly and sneaky virus. This virus, which is as
dangerous as the coronavirus, is called Islamophobia," Erdogan said at a
gathering organized by the Turkish American National Steering Committee in New
York City.
"This
virus is spreading very quickly in countries that have been portrayed as
cradles of democracy and freedom for years," he said.
He
noted that Islamophobia has turned into a trend that disrupts Muslims' daily
lives and threatens social peace.
The
president cited the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the UN, among
others, where Turkey has been working on efforts against Islamophobia.
"We
are [also] backing every kind of effort to eliminate all threats to our
religion and our Muslim brothers," the president added.
He
also called for support from American Muslims in Turkey's fight.
Erdogan
has arrived in New York to attend the UN General Assembly's 76th session
Tuesday, where world leaders will give their annual speeches.
Before
his address, the president briefly visited the soon-to-open Turkevi Center
located at 821 First Avenue in Manhattan across from UN headquarters.
He
said the 36-story skyscraper is a "monument of pride" that will
function not only as a home for Turks but also for the Muslim American
community.
The
building, which uses traditional Turkish architectural motifs, especially from
the Seljuk Empire, rises to the sky in the shape of a tulip and can be seen
from downtown Manhattan, the East River and Long Island.
It
was designed as a symbolic skyscraper that will add to the skyline of New York,
one of the world’s most iconic cities, and reflect Turkish culture, history and
diversity.
'True
face' of terror groups
In
his remarks, Erdogan also touched on terror groups -- the PKK, YPG and Fetullah
Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- whose supporters are finding a base in the US.
He
called on members of the Turkish American community to continue to inform their
American counterparts about the true face of these terror organizations.
"No
matter how big it is, no lie can stand against the sun of truth," said
Erdogan, and highlighted unity against such groups.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkey-taking-leading-role-against-islamophobia-erdogan/2369165
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Iran
Asks Int’l Community to Hold US Accountable for Killing Afghan Civilians
2021-September-19
“On
the way out, US military kills 10 more Afghan civilians, including 7 kids. By
describing such frequent atrocities as mistakes and the victims as collateral
damage, the US can't acquit itself,” the ministry wrote on its official twitter
page on Saturday.
The
ministry urged the international community to hold the US “accountable for
years of occupation and violence” in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.
The
tweet came a day after US military admitted killing 10 Afghan civilians,
including seven children, in a drone strike on August 29. Washington previously
claimed those who were killed were terrorists.
The
Pentagon had maintained that the strike targeted an ISIL-K terrorist who posed
an imminent threat to American troops at the Kabul airport, with Chairman of
the US Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley calling it a "righteous strike”.
But
on Friday, Top General of US Central Command Frank McKenzie announced at the
Pentagon that the military investigation has found it killed 10 civilians and
the driver and that the vehicle targeted was not a threat associated with the
ISIL-K, a shadowy terrorist group that emerged following the last month bomb
blast at the Kabul airport. The attack killed scores of Afghans and over a
dozen Americans.
McKenzie
told reporters that the US military drone strike was a "mistake" and
offered an apology.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
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Iranian
President: SCO States Agree on Necessity for All-Inclusive Gov’t in Afghanistan
2021-September-19
During
a security meeting on Afghanistan, which was held on the sidelines of the SCO
Summit, Iran’s stances were explained and the participants reached a consensus
on the situation in the war-ravaged country, Rayeesi said on Saturday upon
returning from a three-day visit to Tajikistan, where he attended the 21st SCO
summit.
"They
agreed that they should pursue the formation of an inclusive government in
Afghanistan with the participation of all ethnic groups that can represent the
noble and dear people of Afghanistan,” he added.
Elsewhere,
Rayeesi said that approval of the Islamic Republic’s permanent membership in
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a “diplomatic achievement,” calling on
the Foreign Ministry and other relevant ministries to take this new opportunity
to connect to major Asian economic resources.
"Iran's
permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which took place
at the Tajikistan summit, was a diplomatic success,” he said.
He
added that Iran’s presence in the SCO as a member state would create a “strong
economic connection” for the country, through which it would be linked to
Asia's sustainable resources.
"Connecting
to the economic resources of Asia is a valuable opportunity for the Islamic
Republic of Iran," he said.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Rayeesi said his visit to Tajikistan had different aspects,
including the implementation of Iran’s foreign policy in the fields of
“economic diplomacy and neighborhood policy,” which would open a new chapter in
relations with Tajikistan.
Pointing
to his meetings with senior officials of regional countries, he said that in
talks with Tajikistan’s president and authorities, the sides agreed to open a
new chapter in economic, political and cultural relations.
He
expressed hope that the achievements of the visit would lead to “effective
practical steps” toward the country's economic growth and that Iranian economic
actors, investors and the people would take advantage of this opportunity and
its benefits.
The
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officially admitted Iran as a new
member of the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance at its 21st
summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Friday.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Israel
used ‘killer robot’ machine gun to assassinate Iran nuclear scientist: Report
19
September ,2021
The
working theory that Israel had assassinated Iran’s top nuclear scientist last
November using a “killer robot” has now been confirmed by American, Israeli,
and Iranian officials who spoke to the New York Times.
Prominent
Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated east of the
capital Tehran on November 27, 2020, while driving with his wife from their vacation
home on the Caspian Sea to their country house in Absard.
Initially,
Iranian officials had said Fakhrizadeh died in hospital due to injuries
sustained during a shoot-out between his bodyguards and “armed terrorists.”
Later, authorities changed tune and said a machine gun operated by “remote
satellite” was the main method of assassination.
“The
souped-up, remote-controlled machine gun now joins the combat drone in the
arsenal of high-tech weapons for remote targeted killing. But unlike a drone,
the robotic machine gun draws no attention in the sky, where a drone could be
shot down, and can be situated anywhere, qualities likely to reshape the worlds
of security and espionage,” the New York Times reported.
Intelligence
officials who spoke to the New York Times said that Iranian agents working for
the Israeli Mossad had parked a blue Nissan Zamyad pickup truck on the side of
the road connecting Absard to the main highway. Hidden beneath tarpaulins and
decoy construction material in the truck bed was a 7.62-mm sniper machine gun.
That gun would then be used to assassinate Fakhrizadeh remotely from a sniper
1,000 miles away.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran
won’t allow ISIS presence on Afghan border: President
18
September ,2021
Iran
will not allow ISIS to establish a presence on the country’s border with
Afghanistan, President Ebrahim Raisi warned on Saturday
‟We will not allow
terrorist organizations and IS to set up next to our border and strike other
countries and the region,“ Raisi said as he wound up a visit to Tajikistan.
‟The presence of IS
in Afghanistan is dangerous not only for Afghanistan but also for the region,“
he told state television.
The
Taliban took Afghanistan's capital on August 15, exploiting a vacuum caused by
the withdrawal of US troops from the country and a collapse by the Afghan army.
Iran,
which shares a 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Afghanistan, did not
recognize the Taliban during their 1996 to 2001 stint in power. But Tehran has
appeared to soften its tough stance towards the Sunni militia in recent times
in the name of pragmatism.
Iran
has stressed that the Taliban must be ‟part of a future solution“ in Afghanistan.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Islamic
Jihad leader hails escaped Palestinian prisoners
September
20, 2021
Secretary-General
of Islamic Jihad in Palestine, Ziyad Al-Nakhala, hailed the six Palestinian
prisoners who escaped from Israel's high-security Gilboa Prison three weeks
ago.
In
a message released by Islamic Jihad on Saturday, Al-Nakhala said the men were
"Heroes of the Jenin Brigade … who triggered a strong Palestinian
intifada."
Al-Nakhala
said that Palestinians, as well as all the free people across the world, were
worried about them.
"You
have summarised the will of the whole people of Palestine in a very short
period between your escape from prison and your return to it," he said,
according to Sama news agency.
"Six
men have united all Palestinians and the free people of the world. You have
done what was impossible and became freedom symbols for Palestine."
Source:
Middle East Monitor
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https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210920-islamic-jihad-leader-hails-escaped-palestinian-prisoners/
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IRGC
Commander: US No More Dangerous, But A Failed, Fugitive, Depressed State
2021-September-20
“Today
we no longer see a dangerous US, but we witness a failed, fleeing and depressed
US,” General Salami said on Sunday.
General
Salami also expressed delight that the Iranian nation’s resistance too had
helped them weather all pressures.
“Inside
our own country, despite all natural or imposed pressures, the Iranian nation
has been engaged in resistance [too]. And now, these obstacles are being
removed, the adversities are giving way to easier times, and the roads are
being paved,” he said.
The
entire world is now envying this nation that has been successfully standing up
to great powers for more than four decades, the commander said.
“Iran’s
name is identified with grandeur, compassion, advancement, integrity, and
unity,” he stated, and also hailed the Iranian people’s strong emotional bond
with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
Elsewhere,
he referred to the Yemeni people’s successful resistance and defense of their
country in the face invaders and their supporters, most prominently the US and
Saudi Arabia.
“Today,
what we can see is no longer a dangerous America, but a defeated, fleeing, and
depressed America,” General Salami said.
“Neither
can the Saudi regime be no longer seen as a regime that is still capable of
attacking a defenseless nation such as Yemen in all possible ways,” he added.
“The
voices of these powers are dying,” General Salami said.
The
IRGC chief was speaking of the way the Yemeni nation and their defenders have
been neutralizing a now-seven-year-old invasion by Saudi Arabia and its allies.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Iran’s
Top Commander Stresses Closure of US Al-Harir Base in Iraq
2021-September-20
"We
will not tolerate the Al-Harir base in our borders where meetings are held
against Iran," General Baqeri said, addressing a ceremony honoring and
introducing the former and new deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces.
He
added that the US must leave the base, and this has just begun.
General
Baqeri also referred to Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, noting that Iran would develop its defense relations with the
SCO.
Al-Harir
airbase is located at Erbil Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan region and recently the
US troops have been reported as expanding the base.
Iraqi
defense intelligence sources said that the expansion of the base includes the
construction of underground shelters and several warehouses.
The
move is despite the decision of the Iraqi parliament to withdraw foreign troops
from the country.
General
Baqeri had on Sunday warned of the country’s continued attacks against the
hideouts of anti-revolutionary groups in the region, specially the Iraqi
Kurdistan region.
General
Baqeri made the remarks, referring to the recent operations of the IRGC against
the terrorist and anti-revolutionary groups in the Iraqi Kurdistan region,
“The
officials of this region and the Iraqi government should take action to
confront these groups," he added.
General
Baqeri warned the Americans that their bases in the region should also be
abolished and not be used as an anti-revolutionary center, and said, "We will
continue our operations against the anti-revolutionary groups and we will not
tolerate any mischiefs at these borders."
"Confronting
these groups is our right based on the UN Charter," he stressed.
General
Baqeri said that the Iraqi Kurdistan region officials should not allow the
armed anti-revolutionary groups which are affiliated to the US and Israel to
have military bases and TV and radio stations and attack the Iranian borders,
and warned, “The (Iranian) Armed Forces will annihilate these groups.”
Earlier
this month, the IRGC attacked the positions of terrorists in the Iraqi
Kurdistan region with artillery fire, missiles and drones.
The
missile units of the IRGC Aerospace, with the participation of the IRGC Ground
Forces' UAV unit carried out successful operations, and pounded the
headquarters of terrorists in Northern Erbil, a meeting of one of the evil and
criminal groups and a training center belonging to the foreign-backed
terrorists with 7 short-range missiles, the IRGC said in a statement on Thursday.
It
added that the operations came after a warning to the Kurdish authorities in
Northern Iraq and in response to the infiltration attempts by terrorist teams
belonging to the foreign-sponsored terrorist groups stationed in Northern Iraq,
which endangered the security of the Western provinces of Iran.
The
statement said based on concrete evidence and reports, dozens of the terrorist
"chieftains" and their elements were killed or wounded in the attack.
The
operation against KRG-based terrorists came few days after IRGC Ground Force
Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour cautioned the local residents of
the Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq to stay away from the strongholds of
terrorists, because Iran is planning crushing military attacks against terrorist
groups which foment insecurity at the bordering areas.
During
a visit to the IRGC military bases in Iran’s Northwestern border areas, General
Pakpour gave a warning to the armed terrorist groups which take advantage of
the Northern parts of Iraq in the Kurdistan Region to upset the security of
Iran’s bordering areas.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Iran’s
new hardline FM to make first official trip to US for nuclear deal talks
19
September ,2021
Iran’s
new foreign minister will make his first official trip to the US on Monday
where he will meet with his counterparts from countries which are part of the
abandoned 2015 nuclear deal, but will not meet US officials.
Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian, Tehran’s new hardline FM, will travel to New York for the UN
General Assembly that begins Tuesday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed
Khatibzadeh said in a press conference on Sunday.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Amir-Abdollahian
“will have separate and bilateral meetings” with the foreign ministers of UK,
France, Germany, Russia and China. However, a meeting with US officials is “not
on the agenda”, Khatibzadeh said.
Talks
between Iran and the US to revive the abandoned 2015 nuclear deal have stalled
under new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Experts
also believe that Raisi is stacking his cabinet with hardliners to pressure the
US into making concessions in the nuclear talks.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Israel
recaptures last two Palestinians who escaped from high-security prison
19
September ,2021
The
Israeli army has recaptured the last two Palestinians involved in a spectacular
jail break earlier this month, it announced Sunday.
At
the beginning of September, six Palestinian inmates escaped Gilboa prison in
Israel’s north, through a tunnel dug under a sink in a cell, reportedly using tools
including a spoon.
Israel
launched a massive manhunt, deploying drones, road checkpoints and pouring
troops into the occupied West Bank.
Authorities
had already arrested four of the six, and in a tweet on Sunday the Israel
Defense Forces said the last two had surrendered “after being surrounded by
security forces that acted precisely based on accurate intelligence.”
The
men, 35-year-old Ayham Kamamji and 26-year-old Munadel Infeiat, are both
members of the extremist group Islamic Jihad.
They
were arrested in a joint operation with counterterrorism forces in Jenin, in
the West Bank, the army said in a short statement to the press, adding that
they were “currently being interrogated.”
Originally
from Kafr Dan, near Jenin, Kamamji was arrested in 2006 and jailed for life for
the kidnap and murder of a young Israeli settler, Eliahu Asheri.
Islamic
Jihad said Kamamji suffered abdominal and intestinal illness in jail and was
subject to “medical negligence” by prison authorities.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Southeast Asia
No
laughing matter – Perlis issues fatwa against ‘improper jokes’
September
20, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: Perlis has introduced a new fatwa banning jokes – those that make fun of
Islam or “can lead to immorality, sin and wickedness”.
In
an edict released by mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today, the state fatwa
committee said jokes are allowed in Islam, but not at the expense of the
religion and bringing harm to others.
Besides
making jokes related to Islam or its practice, the committee also banned jokes
that disparage or demean others unfairly, and also outlawed ones that are
fictitious that could possibly lead to harm.
The
fatwa also decreed that one should not make jokes that could inflict harm on
others physically and emotionally, including causing damage to property or
disturbing the peace of a person or the community.
The
use of improper language and behaviour that is considered unfair to local
customs is also outlawed.
In
explaining what could be considered a joke, the state fatwa committee said it
includes pranks, caricatures, parodies, satire, comedy and others.
“Jokes
are acceptable but fall back to the original rule where such jokes are allowed
unless it goes against the syariat (Islamic law).
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Indonesian
G20 Presidency Promises To Put A ‘Battle For The Soul Of Islam’ On The Front
Burner
September
20, 2021
By
James M. Dorsey
Indonesian
religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas set the bar high for President
Joko Widodo as well as Nahdlatul Ulama, the religious backbone of Mr. Widodo’s
government when he laid out the agenda for his country’s presidency of the
Group of 20. The G20 groups the world’s largest economies.
Speaking
to the G20 Interfaith Forum in Bologna as Italy prepared to handover its
presidency to Indonesia, Mr. Qoumas also threw down a gauntlet for Indonesia’s
Middle Eastern competitors in a battle to define the degree to which Islam
incorporates principles of tolerance, pluralism, gender equality, secularism
and human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The
battle, which is likely to likewise determine which Muslim-majority country or
countries will be recognized as leaders of the Islamic world, takes on added
significance with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and concerns about
Taliban policy towards militants on Afghan soil.
Meanwhile,
uncertainty about US reliability as a security guarantor in the Gulf is
prompting regional foes to contain their differences to ensure that they don’t
spin out of control, increasing their emphasis on the projection of soft power.
Turkey’s
2022 budget appears to signal the shift and the importance President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan attributes to this particular challenge.
The
budget of the powerful Directorate of Religious Affairs or Diyanet is expected
to increase by 20 per cent for fiscal 2022, giving it greater financial
flexibility than the ministries of interior, foreign affairs, trade, industry
and technology, environment and urbanization, energy and natural resources and
culture and tourism.
These
ministries are key for enabling Turkey to resolve its economic problems,
compensate for the fallout of the pandemic and enhance its appeal as a
potential leader of the Muslim world.
The
Diyanet, in another sign of Mr. Erdogan’s emphasis on religious rather than
national identity, recently urged Turks to use the religiously framed greeting
Peace Be Upon (Selamün aleyküm) You rather than phrases like Good Morning
(Gunaydin), prevalent in Turkey since its founding as a republic almost a
century ago.
Diyanet
president Ali Erbas argued in a recently published Turkish-language book, Human
Religion and Religion in the Information Age, that the greeting ‘Good Morning’
traced its origins to the pre-Islamic era.
These
latest moves suggest that Mr. Erdogan is taking his country, also a member of
the G20, down a path diametrically opposed to what Mr. Qoumas was arguing in
Bologna.
The
minister contended in contrast to Mr. Erdogan’s policies that religion “has the
potential to help block the political weaponization of identity; curtail the
spread of communal hatred; promote solidarity and respect among the diverse
people, cultures and nations of the world; and foster the emergence of a truly
just and harmonious world order, founded upon respect for the equal rights and
dignity of every human being. Yet to realize this potential, we must wisely
manage the inevitable struggle between competing values, as globalization
brings highly diverse peoples, cultures, and traditions into ever closer
contact.”
Mr.
Qoumas made his remarks as an Islamist journalist called on Mr. Erdogan to
avoid the weaponization of religion.
Writing
in Karar, a Turkish publication believed to be close to Mr. Erdogan’s erstwhile
prime and foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, who left the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) to found a party of his own, journalist Ahmet
Tasgetiren, warned that the president appeared to be politicizing the Diyanet.
Drawing
a comparison to Mr. Erdogan’ politicization of Turkey’s judiciary, Mr.
Tasgetiren noted that it “weakens people’s confidence in it.” Pleading with Mr.
Erdogan, Mr. Tasgetiren cautioned that “the politicization of the religion and
the Diyanet ruins people’s relationship with religion… I think you would never
want this for the religion. For the religion’s sake, please.”
Mr.
Qoumas, the scion of an influential Nahdlatul Ulama family and the former head
of the group’s powerful youth wing, GP Ansor, went on to say in his speech that
“one major task that lies before us is to identify, and conscientiously
observe, those universal values that a majority of the world’s inhabitants
already acknowledge, such as the virtues of honesty, truth-seeking, compassion
and justice. Another parallel task is to develop a global consensus regarding
shared values that the world’s diverse cultures will need to embrace if we are
to co-exist peacefully.”
Implicitly,
the minister noted that in contrast to its competitors – Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Iran – in the battle to reshape mainstream
Islam, Nahdlatul Ulama, one of, if not the world’s largest Muslim civil society
organization, has put its money where its mouth is.
Mr.
Qoumas noted that a gathering in 2019 of more than 20,000 Muslim religious
scholars associated with Nahdlatul Ulama ruled that the legal category of
infidel was “neither relevant to nor applicable within, the context of a modern
nation-state.” In doing so, Nahdlatul Ulama became the world’s first major
contemporary Sunni Muslim religious entity to seek to update and modernize
Islamic jurisprudence.
Mr.
Qoumas stopped short of laying out an agenda for dealing with other concepts in
Islamic law that Nahdlatul Ulama clerics have identified as either problematic
or obsolete such as blasphemy. Nahdlatul
Ulama has argued that concepts like the dhimmi or people of the book who are
recognized in classical Islamic jurisprudence but not granted equal status
before the law, and apostasy, had been invalidated by the ruling on infidels.
To
be sure, countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where Islamic law is at the
least recognized constitutionally as a main source of legislation if it does
not constitute the main fountain of legislation, have significantly liberalized
social rights.
Saudi
Arabia has significantly enhanced women’s rights in recent years by lifting a
ban on women’s driving, liberalizing gender segregation, reducing men’s control
over women’s lives, and expanding professional opportunities.
Source:
Eurasia Review
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Arab World
Saudi
Arabia expresses concern over Iran’s lack of transparency on nuclear program
20
September ,2021
Saudi
Arabia is concerned over Iran’s lack of transparency in regards to its nuclear
program, the Kingdom’s Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on
Monday during an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting with other
member states.
Saudi
Arabia reiterates the importance of countries around the world abiding by the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), he added.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
NPT is an international treaty that aims to prevent the spread of nuclear
weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament around
the world.
There
is a need to address the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, Prince
Abdulaziz said, adding that the Kingdom is committed to its policy on the
peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Saudi
Arabia renews its support for the IAEA to establish the peaceful use of nuclear
energy, according to the minister.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Islamic
State leader in Sinai surrenders to Egyptian authorities
September
19, 2021
CAIRO
— A high-profile Islamic State commander in Sinai has given himself up to a
tribal union loyal to the Egyptian military, exposing possible cracks within
the organization and potentially putting valuable information at the disposal
of Cairo.
Mohamed
Saad Kamel, also known as Abu Hamza al-Qadi, turned himself in to the
Association of Sinai Tribes on Sept. 10 after contacting association leaders.
He got pledges from the association for his safety and that of his wife and
three children.
Qadi
is the highest-ranking IS Sinai commander to turn himself in to the authorities
to date, suggesting the noose is tightening around the terrorist organization
in the Egyptian territory, which shares borders with Israel and the Gaza Strip.
"There
is close coordination between the army and Sinai tribes," Sinai tribal
leader Sami Kamel told Al-Monitor. "This advances the crackdown on the
terrorist organization noticeably."
The
military has been running a massive operation in northern and central Sinai
since February 2018. Codenamed Sinai 2018, the operation involves all divisions
of the military, including the air force and the navy. Ground troops comb every
inch of northern and central Sinai for IS militants, tracking down dozens of
militants and arresting or killing them.
On
Aug. 1, Cairo said it had killed 89 extremists and seized machine guns,
ammunitions and explosive devices in their possession during operations in
northern Sinai. On Aug. 13, the military said it had killed 13 extremists in
northern and central areas of the peninsula.
The
tightening grip of the military and Sinai tribes loyal to it appears to be
stopping IS militants from attacking military checkpoints and camps and forcing
the terrorist organization to resort to untraditional tactics, including the
planting of roadside bombs.
On
Aug. 13, nine police officers were killed and six others wounded when a
roadside bomb strick their armored vehicle in New Rafah, near the border with
the Gaza Strip. The attack came only 13 days after IS militants attacked a
security checkpoint in the northern Sinai town of Sheikh Zuweid, killing five
troops and injuring six others.
These
attacks and others show that IS is still alive, even as military troops and
civilian police fight tooth and nail to defang the terrorist group.
The
changing strategy of IS, including through increasing dependence on the
planting of bombs, shows that the group is much weaker than it was a few years
ago. "There are some sleeper cells that are always ready to launch
attacks," security analyst Nasr Salem told Al-Monitor. "Nevertheless,
IS' attacks bespeak marked deterioration in its capabilities and its gradual
collapse."
Security
analysts like Salem attribute the weakening of the organization to the success
of the Egyptian counterterrorism strategy in Sinai as well as convincing Sinai
tribes to join the anti campaign.
When
terrorism emerged as a threat to Egyptian security in Sinai in 2013, the Sinai
tribes remained on the sidelines, partially out of fear and partially because
some of the terrorists were tribesmen venting their anger against the Egyptian
government for failing to develop Sinai and help its residents. However, the
tribes started turning against the terrorists after they intimidated and killed
tribe members.
"Attacks
by IS militants against the tribes — among other things — caused the tribes to
start viewing them as an enemy," analyst Muneer Adeeb told Al-Monitor.
"The coming together of the military and the tribes will surely speed up
the eradication of IS."
The
Association of Sinai Tribes brings together many of the tribes of northern and
central Sinai. Its members have gone beyond providing the military with
intelligence, including information about the hideouts of the terrorists and
potential attacks, to participating in counterterrorism operations and fighting
IS militants themselves.
Source:
Al Monitor
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Syria’s
defence minister meets Jordan’s army commander in Amman
19
September ,2021
Syria’s
defense minister met Sunday with Jordan’s army chief in Amman after Syrian
troops captured several rebel-held areas near Jordan’s border, state media
reported.
The
Hala Akhbar news site, which is linked to Jordan’s military, reported that the
meeting between Jordanian Gen. Yousef Huneiti and Syrian Gen. Ali Habib was “to
increase coordination in the field of border security to serve the interests of
the two brotherly countries.”
The
recent push by Syrian troops in the country’s south is the biggest since
government forces captured wide areas along the border in 2018, including the
Nassib border crossing.
The
crossing with Jordan was reopened in 2018, months after it fell under Syrian
government control. Syrian rebels had seized the site in 2015, severing a
lifeline for the government in Damascus and disrupting a major trade route
linking Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and the oil-rich Gulf countries.
Habib’s
visit came nearly two weeks after Syrian forces entered the rebel-held district
of the volatile southern city of Daraa as part of a truce negotiated by Russia
to end weeks of fighting. In the days that followed, Syrian troops captured
rebel-held parts of several villages near Daraa.
The
latest push by Syrian troops brings all parts of southern Syria under full
government control.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran
says it’s ready to sell fuel to Lebanon if Beirut asks
19
September ,2021
Iran
said Sunday it is willing to sell fuel to Lebanon's government to help ease
shortages, days after a first delivery of Iranian fuel arranged by Hezbollah
entered the country.
“If
the Lebanese government wants to buy fuel from us to resolve the problems faced
by its population, we will supply it,” foreign ministry spokesman Saeed
Khatibzadeh said.
He
told a news conference that Iran had already sold fuel to a “Lebanese
businessman”, without naming Hezbollah.
Tehran-backed
Hezbollah promised in August to bring fuel from Iran to alleviate the shortages
sowing chaos in Lebanon, in defiance of US sanctions.
On
Thursday, dozens of tanker trucks carrying Iranian fuel arranged by Hezbollah
arrived in Lebanon and were due to fill the tanks of fuel distribution firm
owned by Hezbollah, which has been under US sanctions.
Lebanon's
new Prime Minister Najib Mikati had told CNN the shipment “was not approved by
the Lebanese government”.
He
was “saddened” by “the violation of Lebanese sovereignty”.
Hezbollah
is a major political force in Lebanon and the only group to have kept its
arsenal of weapons following the end of the country's 1975-1990 civil war.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Third
Iranian tanker with fuel for Lebanon on the way: Vessel tracker website
19
September ,2021
A
third tanker has sailed from Iran carrying Iranian fuel for distribution in
Lebanon, TankerTrackers.com reported on Twitter on Sunday.
Lebanese
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday the Iranian fuel shipments, imported
by the Hezbollah group, constitute a breach of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UAE
economy minister to visit Britain to further bilateral trade
19
September ,2021
The
UAE’s economy minister will lead a high-level delegation to Britain this week
to discuss deepening trade ties between the two countries, the Gulf country’s
ministry said on Sunday.
Abdulla
Bin Touq al-Marri and the delegation “will hold meetings with senior government
officials and British private sector representatives to discuss ways to
facilitate trade and double non-oil trade exchanges,” the ministry added.
The
delegation will focus on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade,
investment, and small and medium enterprises, health care, renewable energy,
food security, the financial and banking sector, transportation and logistics,
education, innovation and technology, and intellectual property, state news
agency WAM reported.
Britain
is the UAE’s third largest European trading partner with the volume of non-oil
trade amounting to nearly $8.1 billion in 2020.
The
announcement of the visit comes days after the UK Office of Investment and Abu
Dhabi's wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company signed an agreement for the UAE
to invest 10 billion pounds ($13.7 billion) in the UK over the next five years.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Africa
Morocco
Islamist party decries 'violations' at polls
19
September, 2021
Morocco's
moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which was thrashed at
last week's elections, on Sunday denounced "violations and
irregularities" at the polls.
The
PJD had headed Morocco's governing coalition for a decade but saw its support
collapse at the September 8 vote, dropping from 125 of parliament's 395 seats
to just 13.
Local
elections held the same day confirmed the party's crushing defeat.
The
party "denounces the violations and irregularities" at the polls,
including "massive use of money", "manipulation of reports"
and "names crossed off the electoral lists or appearing twice", it
said in a statement following Saturday's extraordinary session of the party's national
council.
These
"forms of electoral corruption... led to the announcement of results that
do not reflect the substance of the political map and the free will of the
voters", the statement added.
Interior
Minister Abdelouafi Laftit has said the voting process took "under normal
circumstances" apart from isolated incidents.
Morocco's
King Mohammed VI has named businessman Aziz Akhannouch to lead a new government
after his National Rally of Independents (RNI), considered close to the palace,
thrashed the PJD, winning 102 seats.
Source:
The New Arab
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https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/morocco-islamist-party-decries-violations-polls
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Tunisians
protest against President Saied’s seizure of powers
18
September ,2021
Several
hundred demonstrators gathered in Tunis on Saturday to protest against Tunisian
President Kais Saied’s seizure of governing powers in July, which triggered a
constitutional crisis and prompted accusations of a coup.
The
protesters gathered in the center of the capital chanting “shut down the coup”
and “we want a return to legitimacy”, while a few dozen Saied supporters held a
counter demonstration chanting “the people want to dissolve parliament”.
The
protest, accompanied by a heavy police presence, was the first since Saied
declared on July 25 he was sacking the prime minister, suspending parliament
and assuming executive authority.
Saturday’s
protests may provide an indication of how the security services, many of whose
leadership are newly appointed by Saied, will handle public opposition to him.
Police
appeared to be treating both sets of protesters equally, standing between the
two camps outside the ornate belle epoque theatre on Habib Bourguiba avenue.
Saied’s
moves were broadly popular in a country chafing from years of economic
stagnation and political paralysis, but they have raised fears for the new
rights and the democratic system won in the 2011 revolution that sparked the
“Arab spring”.
Though
the biggest party in parliament, the Islamist Ennahda, initially decried his
move as a coup, it quickly backed down and the period since Saied’s
intervention has been calm.
However
eight weeks on, Saied is still to appoint a prime minister or declare his
longer-term intentions.
A
Saied adviser told Reuters this month the president was considering suspending
the 2014 constitution and putting a new version to a referendum, a possibility
that unleashed the broadest and most vocal opposition to him since July 25.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Al-Shabaab
terror blast hits airport in Somalia, killing one
Magdalene
Mukami
19.09.2021
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Al-Qaeda-affiliated
al-Shabaab terrorists on Sunday set off a large blast at an airport in central
Somalia, flattening buildings and killing one person and injuring three,
officials confirmed.
Hiiraan
Area MP Mohamud Benebenne confirmed the attack on Bula Burte airport, saying
that this was the second time that the terrorists have struck the recently
reconstructed airport, which is strategically located.
Benebenne
shared pictures of the airport showing buildings flattened and others on the
brink of crumbling.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/al-shabaab-terror-blast-hits-airport-in-somalia-killing-one/2368826
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Sudan
seizes smuggled weapons from Libya
Talal
Ismail
18.09.2021
Sudanese
forces on Saturday seized a shipment of weapons from war-torn Libya, according
to the country’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Our
forces “deployed on the border strip between Sudan, Egypt, and Libya, managed
to seize a shipment of weapons, ammunition, and explosives coming from the
State of Libya,” the RSF said in a statement.
According
to the statement, four people, including two Libyans, have been arrested.
RSF
commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Ali Ahmed Mahmoud Awajeh, said RSF units were
dispatched to the Saif al-Barli area on the border triangle after receiving
intelligence information about the presence of arms-trading gangs in the area.
The
statement said after clashes between RSF and gangs at an area three kilometers
from Saif al-Barli, the RSF managed to seize “two GMC cars carrying 36
Kalashnikov rifles and two boxes of grenades in addition to the DShK cannon, an
RPG-7 launcher, and a large number of ammunitions of various kinds.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/sudan-seizes-smuggled-weapons-from-libya/2368300
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North America
Wisconsin
Muslim Americans promoting new narrative since 911
Sep
20, 2021
GREEN
BAY, Wis. (AP) — Twenty years ago, as Muslim Americans joined others mourning
the victims of the 9/11 attacks, they also faced the increased threat of
Islamophobia.
The
sentiment ranged from personal attacks on Muslims, and anyone who could be
mistaken as Muslim, to words of bigotry. Harmful stereotyping and rhetoric
alienated people as they lived and served in their communities.
Muslim
Americans in Wisconsin say they’ve had to increase community conversations and
political involvement, and advocate against Islamophobic policies and rhetoric.
That extra civic engagement has emerged over the two decades since members of
al-Qaida hijacked airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center
towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.
“I
think that as a Muslim community we definitely have become much more aware and
much more politically active and politically involved,” Janan Najeeb, president
of Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition and founder of the Wisconsin Muslim Civic
Alliance, said. “Because we realize if we don’t present our narratives, there
are enough people out there that don’t like us that would prefer to create the
narrative that they want.”
Fear
became a dominant emotion in the immediate aftermath of the attacks of Sept.
11, 2001. Americans everywhere worried about where and when the next strike
might happen, whether their community could be a target. On top of those
concerns, Muslim Americans worried about being scapegoated individually because
of their faith and their appearance.
“Immediately
post-9/11 was an incredibly scary time for Muslims,” Najeeb said. “Not only did
we mourn for our country because we’re Americans, as well, but we found
ourselves also a target. There was this broad-brush generalization.”
Islamic
Society of Milwaukee Imam Ameer Hamza recalled many people being afraid,
including in his own immigrant Muslim community, the Green Bay Press-Gazette
reported.
“Right
after 9/11, there were a lot of stories of people for instance cutting their
beards, taking off their hijabs, shortening their names to Mo or Sal. ... So
those stories were hard and heavy,” Hamza recounted.
“There
was sentiment among our Desi (South Asian) community just lay low and don’t put
yourself out there too much. This was a constant, constant fear. For example, I
was giving talks at the masjid (mosque) at that time as well. And my dad would
tell me multiple times ‘No political (sermons) ... ’ Very, very risk averse.”
The
sentiment was especially strong for those in the older generation who had
immigrated to America for prosperity and education and didn’t want to risk
being mistaken and in trouble.
“There’s
a large group of immigrants that thought that way: The storm will pass, let’s
just lay low and bide our time and just suffer whatever persecutions are coming
our way,” Hamza recalled.
However,
other Muslims took a different approach. They set out to communicate who they
were as neighbors and community members.
Ali
Hamadeh, an engineer in Waukesha County who had immigrated in 2000, recalled
engaging in conversations just to address any concerns or fears.
“I
think it was more on a personal level, so just trying to talk to coworkers,
neighbors, trying just to avoid stereotyping and trying to explain this is a
fringe group. It is not representative of the wide, wide majority of people of
the Islamic faith,” Hamadeh said.
Conversations
happened at formal events, too, such as the annual Interfaith Gatherings in
Oshkosh for nearly two decades, said Mamadou Coulibaly, president of the Fox
Valley Islamic Society.
For
many Muslim Americans, this increase in community outreach came with the
recognition that they did not have to apologize for tragedy and violence they
had nothing to do with, Najeeb said.
This
increase in engagement has been especially strong in the last five years, not
just among Muslim Americans but across many demographics, Najeeb said. She
noted increased community involvement and political representation on school
boards, common councils, as well as state- and national-level governments.
Muslim
Americans are channeling a political voice, said Brother Will Perry, director
of the Milwaukee Islamic Dawah Center and president of the Wisconsin Muslim
Civic Alliance.
“The
main thing is to raise the awareness for the Muslim community that we have a
voice and we have some political power,” Perry said. “We have within our
organization the potential to do a lot, have a significantly positive impact on
the way politics is run and managed. And we bring that ethical component to the
political arena.”
He
noted that the children and grandchildren of immigrants are learning more about
the Civil Rights Movement and aligning themselves with African American
Muslims’ struggle during that period.
Source:
Lacrosse Tribune
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Turkey's
president arrives in New York to attend 76th UN General Assembly
20.09.2021
By
Mehmet Tosun
NEW
YORK
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in New York on Sunday, where he will
attend and speak at this year's UN General Assembly.
Erdogan
was welcomed by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's Ambassador
to the US Hasan Murat Mercan and other officials at John F. Kennedy
International Airport.
Turkish
first lady Emine Erdogan, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister
Mehmet Mus, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and AK Party Deputy
Chairman Binali Yildirim are accompanying the president on the visit.
Earlier
on Sunday before heading for New York, Erdogan said that in his speech to the
UN body, "I will emphasize Turkey's strong support for multilateralism and
the goal of establishing a fairer world order.”
Turkey
has long championed a more representative UN Security Council – one bigger than
its five current permanent members – using the slogan, “The world is bigger
than five.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Europe
Chechnya
strongman and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov wins 99% of vote
SEP
20, 2021
The
strongman leader of Russia's Chechnya republic, Kadyrov, won over 99 percent of
the region's votes in this weekend's parliamentary elections, state media said
Monday.
Kadyrov,
a former warlord and ally of President Vladimir Putin, has ruled the
predominantly Muslim region for more than a decade and has formed a cult around
his family name.
With
just over half of the votes counted, Kadyrov won 99.6 percent in the polls,
according to the RIA Novosti news agency.
Russian
opposition figures accused authorities of mass voter fraud as election results
on Monday showed the ruling United Russia party winning a sweeping majority in
the Duma election.
Kadyrov
traditionally wins a sky-high percentage of votes in the volatile North
Caucasus region, gaining 97.9 percent of the vote in 2016 parliamentary polls.
His
regime has been accused of rights violations like extrajudicial killings and of
persecuting activists and sexual minorities.
This
month Chechen officials announced that the region will offer thousands of
dollars to the artist that completes the best portrait of Kadyrov, who is seen
as an important player in Russia's political landscape.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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UN
condemns executions by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis
19
September ,2021
The
UN on Sunday condemned Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants’ execution of nine
people for their alleged involvement in the killing of a top Houthi leader.
The
Iran-backed Houthis are battling the Yemeni government for control of the
impoverished country.
The
militia group said they executed the nine individuals on Saturday for their
involvement in the killing of Saleh al-Sammad, who was head of the Houthis’
supreme political council, in a 2018 airstrike.
They
were among 16 people convicted by a Houthi court.
United
Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “deeply regrets” the executions,
spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement, adding that one of the people
was reportedly a minor at time of detention.
Guterres
“strongly condemns these actions which are a result of judicial proceedings
that do not appear to have fulfilled the requirements of fair trial and due
process under international law,” the statement added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Refugee
influx from Afghanistan concerns Europe, West: Italian expert
Baris
Seckin
19.09.2021
ROME
The
possible refugee influx due to the situation in Afghanistan is an issue that
passes beyond the borders of Turkey and concerns Europe and the West, according
to an Italian expert.
Fabio
L. Grassi, a history professor at Sapienza University, told Anadolu Agency that
there may be a mass refugee influx due to the situation in Afghanistan.
“This
is an issue that goes beyond Turkey’s borders and concerns Europe and the West
a lot. Once again, Turkey has a very sensitive role and a duty in its
magnificent and troubled geography,” Grassi said.
He
said Europe should take more responsibility at this point.
Regarding
the US invasion in Afghanistan, the professor said: “The results of this
occupation are clear: There was a great failure, a great disaster. For this, of
course, the US, Europe and the West should bear responsibility."
The
Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August, and have announced a 33-member
interim government.
Noting
that Anatolia is like a pool that embraces all kinds of people, Grassi said:
"This is the destiny of Anatolia. For this reason, it became the cradle of
civilizations."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/afghanistan-islamic-state-taliban-attack/d/125399