Ahmadis “Hurting Muslim Sentiments” By Performing Ritual In Line With Islamic Beliefs, 3 Arrested Sacrificing Animals On Eid
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 July 2022
In a letter addressed to the
interior secretary, it was stated that article and Section 198-C prevented the
Ahmadis from posing themselves as Muslims and performing Islamic
practices.(Representative photo / REUTERS)
-----
• Pakistan Accountable For Terrorist Footprints In
Britain: British Security Analyst Report
• Biden Defends Decision To Visit Saudi Arabia, Says
Rights Are On His Agenda
• Indian, Pakistani Soldiers Exchange Sweets At Wagah
Border On Eid Ul-Adha
• Israel Says Biden To Carry ‘Message Of Peace’ To
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
• No Loan From IMF Despite Pakistan 'Dancing To Its
Tune', Says Interior Minister
• In phone call with Iran's Raisi, PM Shehbaz
appreciates support on Kashmir
• Relentless rainfall submerges parts of Karachi on
second day of Eidul Azha
• SC judge says opinion on Article 63-A ‘not binding’
-------
Europe
• YPG/PKK Terror Group Supporters Hold Demonstration
In Sweden
• Ukraine Muslims pray during Eid for victory, end of
occupation
• German lawmakers recommend Yazidi ‘genocide’
recognition
• French Catholic Church pays reparations to 6 victims
of child sexual abuse
• Iraqi man walks 6,500 km from the UK to reach Mecca
for Hajj
--------
North America
• Israeli PM Lapid says countering Iran will top Biden
visit agenda
• US, Israeli plan for defence pact with Arabs will
raise tensions: Iran
• Biden says always aimed to ‘reorient, not rupture’
Saudi relations ahead of visit
--------
India
• End Voting Rights For Muslims If They Aren’t Allowed
To Vote Says Azam Khan, Alleges Harassment
• Remarks Insulting Prophet Aimed At Disturbing Social
Harmony: Palayam Imam VP Suhaib Maulvi
• 'Delivering welfare schemes, representation in
party': BJP's outreach blueprint for Pasmanda Muslims
• Udaipur Killing: NIA Arrests Seventh Accused, A
Snacks Seller, In Kanhaiya Case
--------
Mideast
• Official Vows Tehran's Utmost Efforts to Release
Iranian Jailed in Sweden
• Iranian President: No Restrictions to Further
Expansion of Relations with Pakistan
• Hezbollah: Drone Operation at Karish Gas Field Had
‘Quick Effect’ on Demarcation Talks with Israel
• Thousands of Muslim worshipers gather for Eid
al-Adha prayers in Jerusalem
• US Plans To Build Diplomatic Compound On Palestinian
Land In East Jerusalem: Rights Group
• Iran says US-Israel joint defence pact will fuel
regional tensions
--------
South Asia
• Taliban Supreme Leader Vows To Enforce Islamic Law
Across Afghanistan
• Isolating the Taliban: How young landmine victims
may be collateral damage
• UAE set to run Kabul airport in deal with Taliban
--------
Arab World
• Israel To Probe Reports Of 1967 Mass Grave For
Egyptian Soldiers, Lapid Tells Al-Sisi
• Syria aid crossing set to close to UN convoys,
threatening millions
• Lebanon’s music festivals make modest comeback at
Baalbek amid economic crisis
• Syrians fear 'catastrophe' from Russia aid block
• Saudi Islamic Minister Meets Pakistani Cleric In
Mina
--------
Southeast Asia
• PM Calls On Muslims To Fight Inflation, Help The Needy
• Decision to degazette Bukit Cherakah land
‘unlawful’, claims NGO
• Failure to manage conflicts causing divorces among
young couples
--------
Africa
• Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack: UBEB Boss Recounts
Experience In Terrorists’ Den
• Muslim-Muslim ticket: Tinubu, APC hate Nigeria –
Segun Showunmi talks tough
• Sudan protesters mark Eid al-Adha at anti-army
sit-in
• Morocco arrests 25 suspected of planning illegal
crossing into Spain
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Ahmadis “Hurting Muslim Sentiments” By Performing Ritual In Line With Islamic Beliefs, 3 Arrested Sacrificing Animals On Eid
In a letter addressed to the
interior secretary, it was stated that article and Section 198-C prevented the
Ahmadis from posing themselves as Muslims and performing Islamic
practices.(Representative photo / REUTERS)
-----
Imran Gabol
July 10, 2022
A first information report (FIR) was registered in
Faisalabad on Sunday against members of the Ahmadi community for “hurting
Muslim sentiments” by sacrificing animals on Eidul Azha.
Three members of the community have been arrested over
the matter, Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya Pakistan spokesperson Saleemuddin told Dawn.com.
The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com,
states that the complainants were present in a mosque after Eidul Azha prayers
when they came to know through “verified sources” that residents of the Ahmadi
community were sacrificing animals inside their homes.
The complainants then reached the area and “climbed
the roofs of nearby houses, after which they saw that the [Ahmadi community
members] were sacrificing a goat at one place while other members were cutting
the meat of another animal at a different place”, it added.
“The Islamic sentiments of the complainants and other
Muslims were hurt by this and [the complainants] recorded a video which can be
presented as evidence.
“By performing a ritual in line with Islamic beliefs
and presenting themselves as Muslims despite being Ahmadis, they have committed
a cognisable offence, according to Muslim Ummah’s belief, and this has
grievously hurt Muslim sentiments,” the complainants stated.
The FIR was registered at Faisalabad’s police station
Thikriwala against five people under Section 298-C (person of Qadiani group,
etc., calling himself a Muslim or preaching or propagating his faith) of the
Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The community’s spokesperson, Saleemuddin, said the
slaughter was being performed within the confines of a house and not in a
public place. “The community is being persecuted,” he told Dawn.com.
The religious affairs ministry had asked the interior
ministry earlier this month to ensure the implementation of Article 260(3) of
the Constitution, which classifies segments of society as ‘non-Muslims’, and
Section 298-C of the PPC.
A letter addressed to the interior secretary, dated
July 6, which Dawn.com has seen, stated that the article and Section 198-C
“prevented” the Ahmadis from “posing themselves as Muslims and performing the
Islamic practices”.
“It is stated that the implementation of the penal
provisions contained in the Pakistan Penal Code is the responsibility of
interior ministry (law enforcement agencies) up to extent of ICT and provincial
governments up to extent of provinces,” the letter added.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1699181/3-ahmadis-arrested-in-faisalabad-for-sacrificing-animals-on-eid
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Pakistan Accountable For Terrorist Footprints In
Britain: British Security Analyst Report
Representative Image
----
11 July, 2022
London [UK], July 11 (ANI): Pakistan’s policies have
fostered terrorism since time immemorial as the country has always kept itself
under a garb while jihadist networks took a footprint in Britain, leading to
the deadliest terrorist attacks in the history of Britain, said Kyle Orton, a
British Security Analyst.
As the West always ignored the lessons of 7/7 and
9/11, Britain became a special place in the long-standing, transnational ISI
jihadist networks.
Masood Azhar, an ISI operative and UN-listed
terrorist, toured Britain in 1993, fundraising and recruiting for the Kashmir
jihad. And created local networks to continue the job. Some of these networks
later defected to the Islamic State (IS) which is also known as Daesh these
days.
Moreover, Azhar also created a template for
“Londonistan” in the 1990s, where jihadists set up shop in London to provide
resources to insurgencies in the Muslim world.
In September 2005, Al-Qaeda released a video to
Al-Jazeera of a terrorist named Mohammad Sidique Khan’s last testament
declaring his “war” on the West and praising “today’s heroes”- Osama bin Laden,
Al-Qaeda’s then-deputy (now emir) Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the founder of the
Islamic State movement, which was at that time part of Al-Qaeda, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,
the Jordanian, whose real name was Ahmad al-Khalayleh, a report by Policy
Research Group said.
Later in September 2005, a statement from Al-Zawahiri
confirmed Al-Qaeda had “launched” the “blessed raid” on London but an official
British government report on 7/7, released in May 2006, said: “There is as yet
no firm evidence to corroborate this claim or the nature of Al-Qaeda support
[for the 7/7 attacks] if there was any.”
Two months later, to coincide with the first
anniversary of the attacks, Al-Qaeda released the video of Tanweer’s testament,
with Al-Zawahiri, showing “a terrorist training site and a map of London with
areas circled as potential targets”.
After 2001, NATO took over the responsibilities for
security in Afghanistan however the tables turned when the Taliban re-entered
Afghan soil and took control of the country from the Ashraf Ghani government.
The takeover got massive coverage and it was seen that
Pakistan stood behind the killing of hundreds of eastern troops and
intelligence officers, as well as thousands of Afghans.
Moreover, during the NATO presence in Afghanistan, it
was a common discussion between ex-servicemen that Pakistanis were generally
the commanders of Taliban units, and it is likely that the old habit of
embedding Pakistani Special Services Group (SSG) operatives with the
Taliban-Qaeda insurgents, especially during the ISI-planned “spring
offensives”, POREG stated.
As per the report, Pakistan had helped Bin Laden
escape in 2001 and harboured him in a safe house in a garrison town close to
its capital till the cover was blown up in 2011 and ultimately the Taliban
became entirely intermingled with Al-Qaeda and its derivatives like “Haqqani
Network (HN)”, as it did with the “Kashmiri” groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
West kept paying Pakistan to help solve a problem it
created and sustained–and had every incentive to sustain as Pakistan’s lawless
conduct–its fundamental strategic commitment to the use of terrorism as a state
policy under the protective canopy of pirated nuclear weapons, the report
added.
“Pakistan has essentially developed its bargaining
power by threatening its own demise,” as a scholar aptly put it.
As there are around 1.2 million British citizens of
Pakistani descent and about 200,000 Pakistani nationals’ resident in Britain,
the population concentrates in ways that give it an outsized domestic political
sway, and the ISI exploits this to push its own agenda through various
“community” groups.
As the 7/7 inquiry report noted, one of the reasons
Khan and Tanweer did not raise immediate red flags with their Pakistan journeys
is that “extended visits to Pakistan by young men are not unusual”. Terrorists
can obviously blend in easily with such a large movement of humanity.
Now that NATO is out of Afghanistan, if and when a
British citizen goes rogue, in or from Pakistan, the ISI will be there to offer
a helping hand in finding them for a price and if Britain accepted the apparent
necessity of cooperation with the ISI at a time when the ISI was killing
British troops, it is unlikely this will change now, POREG stated. (ANI)
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-accountable-for-terrorist-footprints-in-britain-report/1033714/
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Biden Defends Decision To Visit Saudi Arabia, Says
Rights Are On His Agenda
President Joe Biden
----
July 10, 2022
President Joe Biden on Saturday defended his decision
to travel to Saudi Arabia saying human rights would be on his agenda as he gave
a preview of a trip on which he aims to reset ties with the crown prince, who
he previously denounced as a pariah.
Biden will hold bilateral talks with Saudi King Salman
bin Abdulaziz and his leadership team, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman on his visit to the Middle East next week.
The Crown Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto
leader, was believed to be behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist
and political opponent Jamal Khashoggi, according to the US intelligence
community.
In a commentary published in the Washington Post late
on Saturday, Biden said his aim was to reorient and not rupture relations with
a country that has been a US strategic partner for 80 years.
"I know that there are many who disagree with my
decision to travel to Saudi Arabia. My views on human rights are clear and
long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel
abroad," Biden wrote.
Biden needs oil-rich Saudi Arabia's help at a time of
high gasoline prices and as he encourages efforts to end the war in Yemen after
the Saudis recently extended a ceasefire there. The United States also wants to
curb Iran's influence in the Middle East and China's global sway.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Indian, Pakistani Soldiers Exchange Sweets At Wagah
Border On Eid Ul-Adha
Eid ul-Adha or Bakra Eid is
being observed on July 10 this year.
-----
July 10, 2022
Attari (Punjab): Border Security Force (BSF) and
Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets at the Attari-Wagah border on the occasion of
Eid ul-Adha on Sunday.
Speaking to ANI, BSF Commandant Jasbir Singh said,
"On the occasion of Eid ul-Adha, BSF has offered sweets to Pakistan
Rangers at Joint Check Post (JCP) Attari Border. This is a traditional gesture
between two border guarding forces. This also symbolises our tradition,
goodwill and peace."
Eid ul-Adha or Bakra Eid, which is being observed on
July 10 this year, is a holy occasion also called the 'festival of sacrifice'
and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the
Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Every year, the date changes as it's based on the Islamic
lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Western 365-day
Gregorian calendar.
Eid ul-Adha is an occasion of joy and peace, where
people celebrate with their families, let go of past grudges and make
meaningful connections with one another. It is celebrated as a commemoration of
Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God.
The history of this occasion traces back to 4,000
years ago when Allah appeared in Prophet Abraham's dream asking him to
sacrifice what he loved the most.
As per the legends, the Prophet was about to sacrifice
his son Isaac when an angel appeared and stopped him from doing so. He was told
that God was convinced of his love for him and hence was allowed to make
something else as a 'great sacrifice'.
The same story appears in the Bible and is familiar to
Jews and Christians. One key difference is that Muslims believe the son was
Ishmael rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament. In Islam, Ishmael is
regarded as a prophet and an ancestor of Muhammad.
To mark this occasion, Muslims re-enact Ibrahim's
obedience with the symbolic sacrifice of a lamb, goat, cow, camel, or another
animal that is then divided into threes to be shared equally among family,
friends and the needy.
Around the world, Eid traditions and festivities vary
and different countries have unique cultural approaches to this important
festival. In India, Muslims wear new clothes and attend open-air prayer
meetings. They may sacrifice a sheep or goat and share the meat with family
members, neighbours, and the poor.
Several dishes like mutton biryani, Ghosht Haleem,
Shami Kebab and mutton korma, along with desserts such as kheer and Sheer
Khurma are eaten on this day. Offering charity to the underprivileged is also
considered an important part of Eid ul-Adha.
Source: ND TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Israel Says Biden To Carry ‘Message Of Peace’ To Saudi
Arabia
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid
----
Zein Khalil
10.07.2022
JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Sunday US
President Joe Biden will carry a “message of peace and hope” to Saudi Arabia.
Biden is scheduled to arrive in Israel this week as
part of a tour that will also include the West Bank city of Ramallah and Saudi
Arabia.
“From Jerusalem, the [US] president’s plane will fly
to Saudi Arabia, and he will carry with it a message of peace and hope from
us,” Lapid said at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting.
“Israel reaches out to all the countries in the region
and calls on them to build ties with us, to establish relations with us and to
change history for the sake of our children,” he said.
Israel and Saudi Arabia don’t have diplomatic
relations.
In 2020, Israel signed US-sponsored agreements to
normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco,
in a move decried by Palestinians as a “stab in the back”.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Pakistan
No loan from IMF despite Pakistan 'dancing to its
tune', says interior minister
Jul 11, 2022
ISLAMABAD (Pakistan): Pakistan's Interior Minister
Rana Sanaullah on Sunday said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had
not released the tranche for the $6 billion bailout package under its extended
fund facility, even though it had made the country "dance to its
tune."
Responding to a question about the IMF, Sanaullah said
that the government had accepted the terms "which we were not in favour
of". He also urged the international lender to release the tranche without
delay so the country could free itself from the "difficult
situation", Geo News reported.
The federal minister said that Pakistan is currently
going through a difficult situation in terms of its economy.
"For the sake of the country we have to make
difficult decisions because of which the country is headed towards
betterment," Sanaullah added.
Referring to the previous government led by Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI's) regime, Sanaullah said that the country was ruled by a
group that "did nothing but carry out a vendetta".
Meanwhile, Pakistan planned to borrow Pakistani Rupees
(PKR) 5.5 trillion from international lenders in the current fiscal year to
maintain their foreign exchange reserves, repay the previous loans and finance
of current account deficit.
Earlier, in the annual budget for 2022-23, the
Pakistan government had projected that they will borrow only PKR 3.17 trillion
from international sources. However, the budget didn't include the financing from
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Saudi Arabia and SAFE China deposit,
Pakistani newspaper The Nation.
The volume of the projected international borrowing
has now increased to PKR 5.5 trillion after incorporating funding from
aforesaid sources.
This new borrowing will be 74 per cent higher than the
previous estimates of the government. After the revision, the external
resources of PKR 5.503 trillion projected for 2022-23 are greater by more than
200 per cent than the initial PKR 2.7 trillion budgeted for 2021-22.
The current government is still struggling to arrange
dollars and it also needs external financing of $ 41 billion in the next fiscal
year, reported The Nation.
Source: Times Of India
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of the original story:
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In phone call with Iran's Raisi, PM Shehbaz
appreciates support on Kashmir
July 10, 2022
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone call
with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday and appreciated Tehran and the
supreme leader's "steadfast support" to Pakistan on the Kashmir
issue.
During the conversation, the two leader also exchanged
Eid greetings and views on bilateral ties.
For his part, PM Shehbaz underscored the significance
of "historic ties" between Pakistan and Iran, which he said were
defined by "geographic proximity, shared history and mutual
understanding".
The PM reaffirmed his government's "strong
commitment" to boost bilateral ties with Iran in all areas of mutual
cooperation, including trade, energy, electricity and people-to-people contact.
He conveyed to the Iranian president that the early
convening of a joint economic commission between Pakistan and Iran would
further "strengthen economic linkages between the two countries".
PM Shehbaz further expressed the hope that border
sustenance markets along Pakistan-Iran frontiers would soon become operational
— a development that he said would "facilitate livelihood in the border
region".
The premier also expressed gratitude to the Iranian
leadership for " extending timely support and lending IL-76 aircraft to
Pakistan" for extinguishing forest fires in Balochistan in May.
He also appreciated Iran's cooperation with regards to
facilitating Pakistani pilgrims every year and emphasised the importance of
further "enhancing people-to-people exchanges".
In return, President Raisi thanked PM Shehbaz for his
Eid felicitations and assured him of Iranian cooperation for further
"intensifying bilateral trade", particularly with regards to the
provision of electricity to Balochistan's Makran division.
Both the dignitaries also invited each other to visit
one another's countries.
The Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted Raisi as
saying: "The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes great importance to its
relations with Pakistan."
Raisi in the telephone conversation added that the
"current level of Tehran-Islamabad relations is not proportionate to the
diverse capacities of the two countries", and that "Iran is ready to
expand bilateral relations, especially in energy and agricultural fields".’
Source: Dawn
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of the original story:
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Relentless rainfall submerges parts of Karachi on
second day of Eidul Azha
Qazi Hassan | Imtiaz Ali
July 11, 2022
At least two people were killed as relentless rainfall
battered Karachi on Monday, submerging several areas of the city and leaving
many without power on the second day of Eidul Azha.
Despite the Sindh government’s claims of cleaning out
the city’s storm drains, overnight showers caused rainwater to accumulate on
roads and in neighbourhoods in scenes reminiscent of the disastrous torrential
downpour witnessed in August 2020.
Citizens on social media complained of prolonged power
outages and roads turning into rivers as #Karachirain trended on Twitter.
According to data released by the Pakistan
Meteorological Department (PMD), PAF Masroor Base received the highest amount
of rainfall (119.5mm) in the past 24 hours followed by DHA Phase 2 (106.6mm),
Quaidabad (76mm), PAF Faisal Base (65mm), Orangi Town (56.2mm), old airport
area (49.8mm), Gulshan-i-Hadeed (46.5mm), Nazimabad (31.8mm), Jinnah Terminal
(29.6mm), University Road (14.8mm), Surjani Town (14.4mm), Gadap Town (9.2mm),
North Karachi (2.3mm) and Saadi Town (1.1mm).
The heavy downpour also claimed the lives of two
citizens. According to a police statement, two people died after being
electrocuted in the city’s Garden area.
The deceased were identified as 28-year-old Atif and
25-year-old Hassan. The bodies were shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi while
further investigation is under way, the statement said.
Separately, the traffic police said that the Submarine
Chowk underpass, KPT underpass, and the one near the shrine of Abdullah Shah
Ghazi were closed due to the accumulation of rainwater.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was “deeply
saddened” by the damage wrought by the torrential rains and that he had had spoken
to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
“I am confident that Sindh government will rise to the
occasion and bring life back to normal under the able leadership of CM Sindh.
Have offered to extend every possible support.”
‘Don’t leave home unnecessarily’
Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon urged
Karachiites to not leave their homes unnecessarily and stay away from
electricity poles. “Stay away from utility lines poles, wires and nullahs.”
In a statement, he also cautioned people to keep their
distance from drains and manholes.
Heavy rain predicted
Meanwhile, the Met department predicted heavy rainfall
and thunderstorms in Karachi, Thatta, Badin and Hyderabad.
Chief meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz said the new
weather system headed towards the city would last until July 18-19.
Sarfaraz also said that intermittent rain with thunder
was also expected in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tando Mohammad Khan. He also
warned of a risk of flooding in low-lying areas in Karachi, Badin, Thatta,
Mirpurkhas and Umerkot.
In an update shared on Twitter around 2:30am, the
K-Electric spokesperson claimed that the power supply system within its
territory was stable.
“Most areas of the city continue to receive power from
more than 1,770 feeders out of 1,900,” he said. He added that around 130
feeders were closed as a precautionary measure due to reports of power theft or
accumulation of rainwater.
Source: Dawn
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of the original story:
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SC judge says opinion on Article 63-A ‘not binding’
Nasir Iqbal
July 10, 2022
Islamabad: Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel has said
the Supreme Court’s opinion on the presidential reference seeking
interpretation of Article 63-A which pertained to defection, was not binding
upon the government.
In his dissenting note, Justice Miankhel, who will
reach the age of superannuation on July 13, said that according to Article 189,
any decision of the Supreme Court under articles 184, 185 or 188 (review
jurisdiction) to the extent that it decides a question of law or is based on or
enunciates a principle of law, is binding on all other courts in Pakistan.
“Therefore, it would be fair to say that the opinion
expressed by the Supreme Court on the presidential reference under Article 186
of the constitution has no binding,” the judge wrote in his 17-page note.
Justice Miankhel observed that Article 186 provided
the top court the advisory jurisdiction but was different from its jurisdiction
under articles 184 and 185, which empower it to hear and decide appeals against
high court orders.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1699138/sc-judge-says-opinion-on-article-63-a-not-binding
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Europe
YPG/PKK terror group supporters hold demonstration in
Sweden
Atila Altuntas
09.07.2022
STOCKHOLM, Sweden
A group of supporters of the YPG/PKK terror
organization held a demonstration in the capital Stockholm on Saturday,
protesting the recent memorandum between Türkiye, Sweden and Finland.
Participants at Norra Bantorget carried banners and
symbols of the terror group, called on the Swedish government to withdraw from
accession to NATO and "concessions" given to Türkiye in the
memorandum signed at the NATO summit in Madrid late last month.
Chanting slogans in support of the terrorist group,
they also criticized Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Foreign
Minister Ann Linde.
Sweden and Finland formally applied to join the
alliance in May, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine.
However, Türkiye, a longstanding member of the
alliance, voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries
for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.
Ahead of NATO's Madrid summit on June 28-30, Türkiye,
Sweden and Finland signed an agreement, which was followed by four-way talks in
the Spanish capital.
The agreement allows the two Nordic countries to
become NATO members, but conditions them to take steps on Türkiye's terrorism
concerns, and lift an arms embargo on Ankara.
Following the agreement, NATO formally invited Sweden
and Finland to join the 30-member military alliance.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/ypg-pkk-terror-group-supporters-hold-demonstration-in-sweden/2634065
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Ukraine Muslims pray during Eid for victory, end of
occupation
10 July ,2022
By the time the Russians invaded, 43-year-old Mufti
Said Ismahilov — one of the Muslim spiritual leaders of Ukraine — had already
resolved that he would step aside from his religious duties to fight for his
country.
At the end of last year, as warnings of an imminent
attack grew louder, Ismahilov began training with a local territorial defense
battalion. By then he had served as a mufti for thirteen years.
Born and raised in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine,
Ismahilov had already fled Russia once before, in 2014, when Moscow-backed
separatists captured his city. He eventually moved to a quiet suburb outside
Kyiv called Bucha — only to find himself, eight years later, at the heart of
Moscow’s assault on Kyiv, and the site of atrocities that shocked the world. It
felt as if the threat of Russian occupation would never end.
“This time I made the decision that I would not run
away, I would not flee but I would fight” he said in an interview with The
Associated Press in Kostiantynivka, a town close to the front lines in eastern
Ukraine where a battle for control of the region is intensifying.
Ismahilov began working as a military driver for
paramedics evacuating the wounded from front lines or besieged towns. Tasked
with driving in highly dangerous conditions, but also emotionally supporting
the critically injured, Ismahilov says he sees his new job as “a continuation
of my spiritual duty before God.”
“If you are not scared and you can do this, then it is
very important. The Prophet was himself a warrior,” Ismahilov says. “So I
follow his example and I also will not run, or hide. I will not turn my back on
others.”
Ismahilov was one of dozens of Ukrainian Muslims who
gathered at the mosque in Kostiantynivka Saturday to mark Eid al-Adha. The
mosque is now the last remaining operational mosque in Ukrainian-controlled
territory in Donbas. Ismahilov told the AP that there are around 30 mosques in
the region in total but that most are now in the hands of the Russians.
Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the
last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the eastern province of
Luhansk. The governor of the Luhansk region said on Saturday that Russian
forces are now pressing toward the border with the neighboring Donetsk region.
Muslims make up almost 1 percent of the population in
Ukraine, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian. There is a large Muslim
population in Crimea — home to the Crimean Tatars and illegally annexed by
Russian in 2014. Numbers there jump to 12 percent.
There is also a sizeable Muslim community in eastern
Ukraine, the result of waves of economic migration as the region industrialized
and many Muslims immigrated to the Donbas region to work in the mines and
factories.
The conflict in 2014 forced many Muslims from Crimea
and Donbas to relocate to other parts of the country where they joined
long-established Tatar communities or built new Islamic centers alongside
Turks, Arabs, and Ukrainian converts.
But the invasion has forced many to flee once again.
The mosque in Kostiantynivka used to cater for a local Muslim population of
several hundred people. On Saturday, few local residents were present, having
journeyed west with their families. Instead, the congregation was made up of
soldiers or combat medics from different units: Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian
converts from Kharkiv, Kyiv, and western Ukraine.
In his sermon following the traditional Eid prayers,
Ismahilov told the congregation that this year’s Eid had a symbolic
significance in the midst of the war, and asked them to remember Muslims living
in occupied territories, where many have lost their homes and several mosques
have been destroyed by shelling. Referencing a series of arrests of Crimean
Tartars in the wake of the 2014 annexation, Ismahilov said Muslims in occupied
territories do not feel safe.
“There is a lot of fear. … The war continues and we have
no idea what is happening in the occupied territories and what situation
Muslims are in there” he said.
Ismahilov told the AP that he considers Russian
Muslims invading Ukraine, including Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov’s infamous
Chechen battalions, as “criminals.”
“They are committing sins and … they have come as
murderers and occupiers, on a territory that is the home of Ukrainians and
Ukrainian Muslims, without any justification. Allah did not give them that
right” says Ismahilov. “They will answer for all this before God.”
Olha Bashei, 45, a lawyer turned paramedic from Kyiv
who converted to Islam in 2015, says Russia is trying “erase Ukraine from the
face of the earth.”
Bashei began working as a frontline paramedic in
Donbas in 2014. She considers this war her ‘jihad’, a term to denote a holy war
or personal struggle in Islam.
“This war is my war, and I defend my jihad because I
have nephews, I have a mother and I defend my home. I do not want my nephews to
ever see what I, unfortunately, saw in this war” she said.
“Islam even helps me because in Islam, in prayer, you
somehow distract yourself from the war because you read the prayer and you have
a connection with the Almighty. For me, Islam is a force that supports me even
in war.”
As the soldiers prepared the customary sacrificial
sheep for the Eid feast, a residential area in Kostiantynivka several
kilometers away came under violent shelling. The incoming artillery shook the
ground. Some soldiers ran to the mosque’s bunker. Others shrugged it off and
continued to drink their tea and eat dates. The shelling caused several fires,
injuring several inhabitants and burning roofs to cinders.
Source: Al Arabiya
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German lawmakers recommend Yazidi ‘genocide’
recognition
09 July ,2022
Germany’s lower house of parliament on Thursday
recommended that German lawmakers recognize as a “genocide” the 2014 massacre
of Kurdish-speaking Yazidis by the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq, following the lead
of UN investigators.
“The recognition of the genocide is an essential step
to overcome the traumas for the Yazidi community,” said Greens MP Max Lucks,
highlighting the precarious situation faced by survivors still living in Iraq.
“A safe life, peace... must be our ambition for the
Yazidi community,” he said.
The Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, on
Thursday approved a petition asking for this recognition, but still needs to
hold a final vote in a plenary session in order to complete the process of
recognition.
Germany, home to a large Yazidi diaspora, is one of
the few countries to have taken legal action against ISIS.
Last November, a German court convicted an Iraqi
extremist of genocide against the Yazidi minority, a first in the world that Nobel
Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad hailed as a “victory” in the fight for
recognition of the abuses committed by ISIS.
The Yazidi minority has been particularly persecuted
by the terrorist organization, which forces its women into sexual slavery and killed
men in their hundreds.
Source: Al Arabiya
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French Catholic Church pays reparations to 6 victims
of child sexual abuse
Shweta Desai
10.07.2022
PARIS
In a first of its kind, the Catholic Church in France
has paid financial reparations to six victims of child sexual abuse in the
church, according to local media.
The fund for solidarity and the fight against sexual
assault on minors (SALEM), set up by the Conference of Bishops of France, has
paid compensation to six victims, French newspaper Journal Du Dimanche reported
on Saturday.
The development comes after the Independent National
Authority for Recognition and Reparation (Inirr) announced in June that 736
victims of church abuse had come forward to claim compensation. The remaining
730 victims will be compensated in the coming weeks of summer, the report said.
Although the amount of compensation has not been
disclosed, Inirr said it will provide reparations of up to €60,000 (about $64,000)
per person, depending on the severity of the case.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Iraqi man walks 6,500 km from the UK to reach Mecca
for Hajj
July 11, 2022
A British man of Iraqi-Kurdish origin walked 6,500 km
on foot from Wolverhampton, England and reached Mecca to perform Hajj this
year.
Adam Mohamed, 52, walked through the Netherlands,
Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to
reach Saudi Arabia, covering a distance of almost 6,500 kilometers in 10 months
and 25 days. He started in the UK on August 1, 2021 and arrive in Saudi Arabia
last month.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, Adam covered an
average of 17.8 km each day and pushed along a homemade cart weighing 300 kg
which was fitted with speakers that played Islamic recitations and his personal
belongings. His aim was to spread the message of peace and equality.
He had also set up a GoFundMe page for himself. He
wrote, “I am not doing all this for merely fame or money, but purely to
highlight to the world we human being are all equal regardless our race,
colour, religion and to spread the message of peace and unity that our religion
Islam teaches."
His decision to undertake this journey was a result of
this soul-searching. He was overwhelmed with all the love that people showered
on him on the way. He broadcast his journey on TikTok and gained half a million
followers.
Source: India Today
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North America
Israeli
PM Lapid says countering Iran will top Biden visit agenda
10
July ,2022
Expanding
joint action to counter Iran will top the agenda during US President Joe
Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Sunday, urging
a “decisive” response to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Addressing
his second cabinet meeting since taking office on July 1, Lapid called Biden --
who is due in Jerusalem on Wednesday – “one of the closest friends that Israel
has ever had in American politics.”
The
visit “will focus first and foremost on the issue of Iran,” said Lapid, who is
serving as premier and foreign minister of a caretaker Israeli government until
elections scheduled for November 1.
According
to an International Atomic Energy Agency report that emerged over the weekend,
Iran has informed the Vienna-based watchdog about enhancements in its uranium
enrichment capacity.
“Yesterday,
it was revealed that Iran is enriching uranium in advanced centrifuges in
complete contravention of the agreements it has signed,” Lapid said Sunday.
“The
international response needs to be decisive: to return to the UN Security
Council and activate the sanctions mechanism at full force,” he added.
Israel
opposes the restoration of a 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers that
offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
The
US walked out of the deal in 2018 under then president Donald Trump, who
proceeded to reimpose biting sanctions on Tehran.
Many
in Israel cheered that development, which prompted Iran to step away from many
of the nuclear commitments it made under the accord.
Negotiations
seeking to restore the deal, including indirect talks with the US, took off in
Vienna in April last year, but have been at an impasse since March.
Beyond
Iran’s nuclear program, Israel has sounded growing alarm about Tehran’s support
for the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which this month sent drones towards an
Israeli Mediterranean oil rig that Beirut claims is in disputed waters.
The
country has also accused Iranian agents of plotting to kidnap or kill Israelis
in Istanbul.
“Israel
will not stand idly by while Iran tries to attack us,” Lapid said. “We will
discuss with the president and his team expanding security cooperation against
all threats.”
The
White House’s National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Thursday said
“greater collaboration” on issues such as air defence, particularly with
regards to countering Tehran, would be on Biden’s agenda during the Middle East
trip.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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US,
Israeli plan for defence pact with Arabs will raise tensions: Iran
09
July ,2022
Iran’s
foreign ministry said on Saturday that plans by the United States and Israel
for a joint defense pact with Arab states to counter the threat of Iranian
drones and missiles would only increase regional tensions.
“The
entry of foreigners in the region...will not create security and stability but
is itself the main cause of tension and regional rift,” ministry spokesperson
Nasser Kanaani said, according to state media.
The
United States and Israel are seeking to lay the groundwork for a security
alliance with Arab states that would connect air defense systems to combat
Iranian drone and missile attacks in the Middle East, sources familiar with the
plan said.
Speaking
ahead of US President Joe Biden’s trip next week to the Middle East which is to
start in Israel, White House spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that US
officials are discussing ways of integrating air defense capabilities with
regional leaders in the face of a threat from Iran.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Biden
says always aimed to ‘reorient, not rupture’ Saudi relations ahead of visit
10
July ,2022
US
President Joe Biden said that “from the start, my aim was to reorient — but not
rupture” relations with Saudi Arabia, on Saturday ahead of his first visit to
the Kingdom as president on Friday.
He
praised the Kingdom’s efforts to restore unity among Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) countries, support the truce in Yemen, and work with US experts to help
stabilize oil markets, in a Washington Post opinion piece.
Biden
aims to “strengthen a strategic partnership going forward that’s based on
mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental
American values.”
He
will also be the first president to fly from Israel to Jeddah, in a move that
he describes as symbolic of a budding relationship between the two countries.
Saudi-US
relations had been at a historic low after Biden became President.
He
made, during his election campaign, a number of criticisms of the Kingdom, but
has apparently taken a more conciliatory approach in the wake of the war in
Ukraine and skyrocketing oil prices.
The
White House announced in June that Biden would be visiting Saudi Arabia and
meeting with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as
participating in the Gulf Cooperation Council summit, which is being chaired by
the Kingdom.
White
House Press Secretary Karine Jeane-Pierre said at the time that Biden
appreciates King Salman’s leadership and the invitation.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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India
End Voting Rights For Muslims If They Aren’t Allowed To Vote Says Azam Khan,
Alleges Harassment
Shikha
Salaria
10
July, 2022
Lucknow:
Right to vote for Muslims should be ended if members of the community are not
allowed to exercise this right, veteran Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan told
ThePrint in an exclusive interview Thursday.
The
SP leader’s remark came in the backdrop of bypoll for Rampur and Azamgarh Lok
Sabha constituencies held last month, in which the SP suffered a loss.
Commenting
on the low voter turnout in the Rampur bypoll, Khan alleged harassment of
Muslim voters and said he favoured ending voting rights for Muslims if they
were not allowed to exercise that right.
While
according to the election commission, the total voting percentage in Rampur
bypoll stood at 41.39 per cent, Khan claimed that the percentage was only
around 32 per cent in the entire district.
Khan
also said that it was he who had suggested to party chief Akhilesh Yadav to not
canvas in Rampur ahead of the polls, so that it does not turn into a “VVIP
election”. The SP leader claimed this could have led to “more harassment” for
Muslim voters.
The
SP chief’s absence from the bypoll campaign had raised many eyebrows and drawn
jibes from rival BJP.
Khan
also cleared the air on his meeting with Uttar Pradesh MLA and Akhilesh’s
uncle, Shivpal Yadav, during his time in jail, and alleged that his bail was
delayed because he was a Muslim.
Khan
is an accused in 93 cases in UP, which
include allegations of land grab, getting opponents’ homes demolished and
stealing ancient books.
‘Muslim
voters thrashed, police hurled abuses at them’
“Only
32 per cent from Rampur voted in the entire district (voted),” Khan told
ThePrint.
He
alleged: “When people are beaten with sticks, abuses are hurled at them, their
beards pulled, will you go to vote in such a scenario? Amar Ujala (a Hindi
newspaper) wrote about how Muslims were being hit and women made to run away.
When people in your colony and Mohalla (area) get to know what is happening
(your experience), they won’t go to vote either.”
“So
I am in favour of ending voting rights for Muslims, because they are not being
allowed to vote, because their vote can help change the government. They are
being harassed as their vote can bring a political change,” Khan claimed.
Khan
said that he wants three rights for Muslims — right to life, right to religion
and right to education. “These three rights should be granted by the Parliament
via a law,” he said. The three rights being demanded by Khan are already part
of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
Asked
about the reasons for the SP’s defeat in Azamgarh, Khan said that the same
things were witnessed in Azamgarh but with lesser gravity.
“There
it was less, here more. Here, there was a Muslim candidate (Rampur) who was
weak, Azamgarh had a strong candidate from a powerful and good family who was
not a Muslim,” he said.
Asked
if the situation would have been different had SP chief Akhilesh Yadav
canvassed for the candidates in the two bypoll seats, Khan claimed it would
have led to more harassment for the voters.
“I
myself stopped him (Akhilesh) from coming here, saying that it should not be
made a VVIP election. Had he come, the election would have become a VVIP
election. The real truth was that the motive (of the BJP) was to defeat Azam
Khan, then (in case Akhilesh campaigned) it would have been to defeat Akhilesh
and Azam both, at least now it is only me,” he said.
Speaking
about the future of his politics in Rampur, Khan claimed that nobody could
defeat him in Rampur, provided elections are held in an “unbiased” manner.
On
Qabristan and Shamshaan
Khan,
who had extensively campaigned for his aide and SP candidate Asim Raja in
Rampur, said that he was not very anxious about his own future or his son
Abdullah Azam’s future. Also a member of SP, Abdullah represents the state’s
Suar constituency in the UP legislative assembly.
“I
am not very anxious about my own and my son’s future, but Muslims should not be
harassed. Sticks should not be used on them, their beards should not be pulled.
The difference between Qabristan (burial ground) and Shamshaan (cremation
ground) should not be told to them,” said Khan.
He
added: “This travesty should not happen… These allegations that one would not
get electricity on Holi and Diwali, but on Eid. I say that even if the most
rigid Muslim ruler becomes a CM, he would not have dared to give electricity on
Eid and deny it on Holi and Diwali. Responsible people of the BJP have said
these things.”
Khan
was referring to UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s remarks at a poll rally ahead of this
year’s assembly elections, in which he had claimed that the previous Akhilesh
Yadav government did not provide electricity to people on Holi and Diwali, but
there was always power on Eid and Muharram.
‘Met
Shivpal while in jail because…’
Khan,
who had spent about 27 months in jail because of the 93 cases pending against
him, before being released on bail on 20 May, had made headlines when he denied
a meeting with an SP-delegation led by MLA Ravidas Mehrotra on 24 April, but
met Akhilesh’s estranged uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi party-Lohia chief
Shivpal Yadav on 22 April.
He
had also met Congress leader Pramod Krishnan while in Sitapur jail.
“I
was unwell that day,” Khan said, evading a question on whether he was upset
with the SP leadership that time.
After
his release, the leader had remarked that his own people contributed towards
his destruction. Asked about that comment, Khan told ThePrint that there were
many people in the list of his own people.
Responding
to reports of being upset with the SP leadership while in jail, Khan said, “I
didn’t say that. There is a long list of people you call your own”.
For
the first time since his release from jail in May, Khan visited the SP office
in Lucknow Thursday, for a meeting with the opposition’s presidential
candidate, Yashwant Sinha.
SP
leaders led by Akhilesh Yadav, along with RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, held a
meeting with Sinha, who was in Lucknow to seek support from the MLAs of the SP
and its allies ahead of this month’s presidential elections.
Explaining
his meetings in jail, Khan said that while he had good relations with Ravidas,
he met the others because he still wanted the estranged Samajwadis (Shivpal
Yadav) to return to the fold.
“I
have good relations with Ravidas ji, he is a lovely man. But I met the others
you are hinting at (Pramod), because I have personal relations with him. He is
a gentlemen and does not have Hindu-Muslim divide in his mind. He respects both
the religions,” said Khan.
He
added: “I met Shivpal ji because even today, I want these differences to end. I
will try towards it and that all those Samajwadi who have been estranged,
should return.”
Shivpal
Yadav launched his Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party in 2018, but reunited with
nephew Akhilesh ahead of the 2022 assembly election in a bid to defeat the BJP.
He contested the elections on an SP ticket and won from Jaswantnagar.
Differences between the two have since grown.
In
April, after meeting Khan in jail, Shivpal Yadav had alleged that the SP was
not doing anything for the leader.
Talking
about the Samajwadi party, Khan said, “I want two things for the party. One,
all Samajwadis should come back and those upset should be pacified. Secondly,
the old style of (functioning of) our party… of holding conventions and
meetings, even in states where our party and our MLAs are not there.”
He
added: “Like Mulayam Singh would do in his time…. (hold meetings) in
Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, MP, Bihar. It gives recognition to the
party.”
Asked
if there could have been efforts to pacify estranged leaders like Shivpal Yadav
by the SP’s top leadership, Azam said that there was a lack of advisers.
‘Denied
bail because I was Muslim’
Elaborating
on the 93 cases filed against him, the veteran SP leader alleged that he was
denied bail by lower courts because he was “Azam Khan” and “a Muslim”.
Speaking
about the ‘enemy property’ case, in which he was granted bail by the Allahabad
High Court in May after intervention of the Supreme Court, Khan said that while
the other accused got bail, he was denied one.
Khan
has been accused of grabbing ‘enemy property’ for his Mohammad Ali Jauhar
University under the Enemy Property Act, which deals with properties left
behind in India by people who took Pakistani and Chinese citizenship after the
wars of 1971 and 1965.
“Everybody
had gotten bail from the lower court, but since I was Azam Kham, I was denied
bail. The (former) chairman of Shia Waqf Board, Waseem Rizvi (who has converted
to Hinduism and is now known as Jitendra Narayan Tyagi), got an anticipatory
bail (in the same case). Rest of the accused (in that case only) got bail from
lower courts, but since I was Azam Khan, I had to go to SC,” alleged Khan.
He
added: “One person complained that I have hurt his feelings, an FIR was lodged
in that case in Lucknow. I had to approach the high court in that case in which
maximum punishment would be a fine for defamation. Both lower and session
courts denied bail.”
Khan
also alleged that in the Jal Nigam recruitment scam case — in which he is among
those accused of irregularities and corruption in the recruitment of 1,342
people in the Jal Nigam during the tenure of the Akhilesh Yadav government —
the name of the then secretary of the urban development department was removed
from investigation because he was “Singh”.
The
SP leader also claimed that the high court, while hearing his (Khan’s) plea,
asked the government counsel how a person can be kept in jail for two years
when there is no evidence against him. He got bail in the case from a Lucknow
bench of the high court in March 2022.
“No
one went to jail in that, all got anticipatory bail and the FIR against one of
the persons who could have been an accused was quashed by high court. But since
I was a Muslim and because I was Azam Khan, I was denied bail (by lower
court),” he alleged.
Asked
about the ED probe against him in a money laundering case for alleged transfer
of funds for the construction of the Jauhar university, Khan said, “I have no
grouse regarding that because that is happening with everyone.”
Source:
The Print
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Remarks
Insulting Prophet Aimed At Disturbing Social Harmony: Palayam Imam VP Suhaib
Maulvi
11th
July 2022
Thiruvananthapuram:
In his Bakrid message, Palayam Imam VP Suhaib Moulavi said on Sunday that
remarks insulting the Prophet by people in responsible positions were aimed at
disturbing religious harmony.
No
one can destroy the beliefs of a Muslim by insulting the Prophet. The real
reason for the insult is to provoke and divide society for political gains. We
should not fall for their attempts at communal polarisation,/; Maulvi said at
the Eidgah arranged at the Chandrasekaran Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
/;The
government and the judiciary should remain vigilant to prevent repetition of
such incidents,/; he said. Palayam Imam pointed out that the venerable in all
religions should be respected, which leads to plurality. Muslims in the country
are going through huge challenges, he said.
Source:
New Indian Express
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'Delivering
welfare schemes, representation in party': BJP's outreach blueprint for
Pasmanda Muslims
10th
July 2022
NEW
DELHI: Days, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested to BJP workers to
focus on weaker sections in communities other than Hindus, the party's minority
wing, has prepared a blueprint to reach out to Pasmanda Muslims, among the most
backwards in the community.
The
BJP's minority Morcha head Jamal Siddiqui, himself a Pasmanda Muslim, said the
party's outreach activities for them are based broadly on two aspects --
ensuring they get the benefits of the Modi government's welfare schemes, and
they are represented in party unit in the districts where they are in majority.
"Our
party workers especially from minority morcha will reach out to Pasmanda
Muslims across the country for this," he told PTI.
He
said a majority of office-bearers in BJP's minority wing are from different
sections of the Pasmanda community.
Another
party leader said the BJP is also planning to hail national heroes from the
community such as 1965 war hero and Param Vir Chakra recipient Abdul Hameed, an
Idrisi by caste, and organise functions on their birth anniversaries.
Pasmandas
constitute more than 70 per cent of the total Muslim population and the BJP
aims to reach out to them as it prepares for various state elections and the
2024 Lok Sabha polls.
As
things stand, Muslim leaders in various parties come from among Ashrafs which
comprise Syeds, Mughals and Pathans (akin to upper castes in Hindus).
Among
the Pasmandas are Malik (Teli), Momin Ansar (weavers), Qureshi (butchers),
Mansoori (those who make quilts and mattresses), Idrisi (tailors), Saifi (iron
smith), Salmani (barbers) and Hawari (washermen).
At
the BJP's national executive in Hyderabad last week, Modi had suggested that
party workers should reach out to downtrodden sections among minorities such
Pasmanda Muslims.
He
made these remarks while intervening during the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit chief
Swatantra Dev Singh's presentation on the recent victory in Azamgarh and Rampur
Lok Sabha bypolls -- both Samajwadi Party bastions with numerically dominant
Muslim population.
Source:
New Indian Express
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Udaipur
killing: NIA arrests seventh accused, a snacks seller, in Kanhaiya case
Jul
11, 2022
NEW
DELHI/UDAIPUR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested a
seventh accused in the case pertaining to the killing of Udaipur tailor
Kanhaiyya Lal Teli, purportedly after he made some social media posts in favour
of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
Farhad
Mohammad Sheikh @Babla, aged 31 years and a resident of Udaipur, was a close
associate of one of the main accused in the case, Riyaz Attari, and played an
active part in the conspiracy to kill Kanhaiyya, the NIA said on Sunday.
Sources said the accused ran a pushcart selling snacks.
Sheikh’s
name cropped up when an NIA team arrived in Udaipur last week to examine Lal’s
shop in the Bhoot Mahal area. The team also examined different places
associated with the suspects to search for evidence.
The
case pertains to hacking of Kanhaiyya to death by two accused at his shop last
month. The accused had circulated a video of the criminal act on social media,
claiming responsibility for the murder “in order to trigger panic and strike
terror among the masses across the country”, NIA had stated while
re-registering the FIR that was originally registered at a police station in
Udaipur.
Source:
Times Of India
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Mideast
Official
Vows Tehran's Utmost Efforts to Release Iranian Jailed in Sweden
2022-July-10
Qaribabadi,
in a meeting with Hamid Nouri's son, explained the actions that have been taken
so far at various levels in Iran, especially the judiciary and Iran's High
Council for Human Rights, to follow up on Nouri's case.
The
Iranian official referred to the process of his mock trial called the arrest of
Nouri arbitrary and the court unlawful.
He
went on to call the violation of Nouri's human rights by the Swedish government
during the past 32 months when he was kept in solitary confinement a stain on
the European country's human rights record and emphasized that the Islamic
Republic of Iran will make every effort to set him free.
Qaribabadi
praised Nouri's principled positions against all the pressures and atrocities
against him and added, "He turned the limited time that this illegal court
gave him into an opportunity to reveal the true nature of the terrorist group
of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization( MKO)."
He
considered the protection and defense of Iranian nationals wherever they are in
the world to be the inherent duty of the Islamic system and said that we would
use our maximum efforts in this case as well.
Iran's
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian recently asked Stockholm to release
the former Iranian official illegally jailed in Sweden, and stressed the need
for the two countries to clear out differences.
In
a phone conversation with his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde in early July, Amir
Abdollahian stated Iran and Sweden should endeavor towards clearing out the
issues that have created obstacles in the way of development of their bilateral
ties.
“The
countries’ relations should not come under the influence of propaganda and
baseless and unfounded allegations that have been created by a terrorist group,
whose record of atrocities against the Iranian nation is clear to all,” he
added.
Last
month, family members of Nouri said that he was still kept in solitary
confinement after over 2 years.
Nouri
told his family members during a short contact that he has not been allowed to
have access to an ophthalmologist despite that his eyesight is worsening.
He
also objected to the strict restrictions imposed on him despite a promise by
the judge to the contrary.
Nouri
added that the judge had told him the restrictions would be lifted but at the
end of the trial, he lost all contacts with his family and was allowed to talk
to them only twice in 53 days.
Nouri
noted that his contacts were short. In his conversation with his family, the
Iranian nation said he had been tortured by the Swedish police.
According
to Nouri, three policemen hit him hard on the head and in the ear and that he
still has problem with his ears.
The
Iranian citizen stated two years and eight months have passed since Swedish
authorities put him in solitary confinement but no rights group has yet come to
meet him in jail.
Nouri
was arrested upon arrival in Sweden at Stockholm Airport in November 2019 and
immediately imprisoned. He has been held in solitary confinement for over two
years.
Swedish
prosecutors have requested the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for Nouri,
accusing the former Iranian judiciary official of prisoner abuse.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Iranian
President: No Restrictions to Further Expansion of Relations with Pakistan
2022-July-10
The
Iranian president said on Saturday night that the current level of
Tehran-Islamabad ties is not proportionate to the diverse capacities of the two
countries and regular holding of the joint commission for economic cooperation
can pave the way for boosting the level of bilateral relations.
"The
Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes great importance to its relations with
Pakistan," Rayeesi said during the phone call with Sharif.
Rayeesi
noted that the current level of Tehran-Islamabad relations is not proportionate
to the diverse capacities of the two countries, adding that Iran is ready to
expand bilateral relations, especially in energy and agricultural fields.
"The
regular holding of the joint commission for economic cooperation will pave the
way for boosting the level of relations between the two countries," the
Iranian president continued, pointing out that there is no obstacle to
expanding ties between Iran and Pakistan.
Rayeesi
stated that Iran is the best friend of neighboring countries under various
circumstances.
Sharif,
for his part, praised Iran's support to extinguish the fire in part of the
country's forests, as well as a favorable reception from Pakistani pilgrims.
"I
thank the Iranian attention and effort to expand relations with neighboring
countries, including Pakistan", the Pakistani premier said, adding that
mutual ties continue beyond neighborly relations.
Pakistan
is interested in expanding the exchange of goods and commodities as well as
cooperation in energy with Iran, Sharif stated, stressing the necessity of
holding a joint meeting of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission of the two
countries as soon as possible.
"We
call for restoring peace and stability in Afghanistan and improving the lives
of the people of this country as well as the provision of the return of Afghan
refugees to their homeland," the Pakistani prime minister noted.
President
Rayeesi has repeatedly stressed that interaction and dialog with neighboring
countries is top on the foreign policy agenda of his administration,
underlining that the most important factor that can strengthen regional
security is the existence of constructive relations between neighboring
countries.
In
a meeting with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-ZardariIn in
mid-June, Rayeesi underlined the need to expand comprehensive relations between
Tehran and Islamabad.
"The
Islamic Republic of Iran is ready for enhancement of comprehensive cooperation
with Pakistan," the Iranian president underscored.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Hezbollah:
Drone Operation at Karish Gas Field Had ‘Quick Effect’ on Demarcation Talks
with Israel
2022-July-10
Hezbollah
announced last Saturday that it had sent three unarmed drones of different
sizes toward the disputed area at the Karish field in Eastern Mediterranean to
carry out reconnaissance missions.
“The
mission has been accomplished,” the resistance movement said at the time.
On
Saturday, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, a top member of the executive council of
Hezbollah, noted that the operation conveyed a message “at the appropriate
place and time and had a quick effect".
“It
was a one-hundred percent patriotic message,” Qaouk stated, adding, “The drones
plunged the Israeli enemy into new equations and calculations, and the
post-drones period does not resemble the pre-drones one.”
A
day after the drone operation, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib
said he expected his country and the Israeli regime to reach an agreement in
September.
Bou
Habib noted information obtained from US and UN officials suggests that
progress has been made in the negotiations.
US
senior advisor for energy security Amos Hochstein has been in the region to facilitate
the indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel as they have no official
diplomatic ties.
Lebanese
President Michel Aoun later said that “the issue of border demarcation will be
finalized soon".
“If
things were not positive, Beirut would have stopped the negotiations,” Aoun
stated in an interview with OTV, adding, “We will reach a solution in a short
period, and I believe we have reached an understanding with the Americans who
are mediating with Israel.”
Meanwhile,
Qaouk called on the Lebanese diplomats to push for Lebanon’s position in the
talks and block interference and dictates of embassies of other countries.
“When
Lebanon’s resources are threatened by the enemy, it is not acceptable to submit
to [the will of] an ambassador, regardless of the identity of that ambassador,”
he continued.
The
Hezbollah official further said the resistance group is a strategic national
treasure that protects the Arab country and preserves its glory.
“It
has performed its duty in a manner that serves the interest of the Lebanese and
preserves their dignity and resources,” he added.
Hezbollah
warned last month that it was “ready” to take action if the Lebanese government
confirms that Israel is violating the country’s maritime rights.
Hezbollah
chief Seyed Hassan Nasrallah warned that the resistance would not “remain
silent” in the face of the Israeli regime’s efforts to plunder Lebanon’s gas
resources.
“In
the face of looting of Lebanon’s resources, the resistance cannot remain
silent,” Nasrallah stated, adding that all options are on the table for the
resistance, whose main role is to “preserve Lebanon’s land, waters, oil, gas,
and dignity".
Earlier
last month, a natural gas storage and production ship operated by the UK-based
Energean arrived at the Karish field, some 80 kilometers West of the port city
of Haifa.
The
Tel Aviv regime claims the field in question falls within its so-called
exclusive economic zone while Beirut rejects the claim.
The
maritime row between Lebanon and Israel is over an area in the Mediterranean
Sea spanning about 860 square kilometers. Block No. 9 is rich in oil and gas.
Israel relies heavily on gas and has long been developing a number of occupied
offshore gas deposits in the Mediterranean Sea.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Thousands
of Muslim worshipers gather for Eid al-Adha prayers in Jerusalem
09
July ,2022
Thousands
of Muslim worshipers gathered in the al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem early
Saturday to perform prayers marking Eid al-Adha, one of the biggest holidays of
the Islamic calendar.
Known
as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” the revered observance coincides with the final
rites of the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia. It’s a joyous occasion, for which
food is a hallmark.
Russia’s
war in Ukraine has sent food prices soaring and has caused widespread hardship
across the Middle East, with many say they can’t afford the livestock for the
ritual sacrifice.
Desperation
over the cost of living has undercut the typically booming holiday trade in
goats, cows and sheep.
Eid
al-Adha commemorates the Quranic tale of Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice
Ismail as an act of obedience to God.
Before
he could carry out the sacrifice, God provided a ram as an offering. In the
Christian and Jewish telling, Abraham is ordered to kill another son, Isaac.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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US
plans to build diplomatic compound on Palestinian land in East Jerusalem:
Rights group
Burak
Bir
11.07.2022
The
US is planning to build a diplomatic complex on private property confiscated
from Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, a rights organization said
Sunday.
In
a statement, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah) said
they have found new evidence that the land on which the diplomatic compound is
to be built under a joint US-Israeli plan is located on private property taken
from Palestinians.
"The
land on which the US Diplomatic Compound is to be built is registered in the
name of the State of Israel, but it was confiscated illegally from Palestinian
refugees and internally displaced Palestinians using the 1950 Israeli
Absentees’ Property Law," it noted.
Recalling
an upcoming visit by US President Joe Biden to Israel, Adalah said the
descendants of the original owners of the property, including US citizens and
Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, demand the "immediate
cancellation of the plan."
"If
built, the US embassy compound will be located on land that was seized from
Palestinians in violation of international law," the statement added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Iran
says US-Israel joint defence pact will fuel regional tensions
Syed
Zafar Mehdi
09.07.2022
TEHRAN,
Iran
Iran
on Saturday decried a plan by the US and Israel to form a security alliance
with Arab states to counter Tehran as "provocative," saying it would
fuel regional tensions.
Foreign
Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani, reacting to reports about the proposed plan,
said Iran looks at it as "a threat to national and regional
security."
He
said the entry of foreigners in the region "will not lead to security and
stability" but in turn "cause more tension and discord."
The
remarks came in the wake of reports that the US and Israel are mulling over a
joint defense pact with Arab states that would connect air defense systems to
counter Iran's drone and missile attacks in the region, Reuters cited unnamed
sources as saying on Friday.
The
plan, it emphasized, would involve Israeli technology, and is likely to gain
momentum during US President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to the region,
including Israel.
The
report, however, added that discussions are still "at an early stage"
and that several Arab countries "who refuse to do business with
Israel" have resisted the plan.
Taking
strong exception to it, Kanaani said Iran has "always emphasized dialogue,
participation, and regional cooperation" to ensure "security and
common interests" of regional countries, without foreign presence.
He
said the US-Israeli plan will "weaken regional security" and
"secure the interests" of Iran's arch-foe Israel.
He
hastened to add that amassing weapons cannot bring security to the region and
that the establishment of "common regional security" depends on the
"cooperation of regional countries."
It
comes amid growing tensions between Iran and the US, despite indirect talks
between them, mediated by the European Union, to revive the 2015 nuclear deal
resuming recently in Doha.
On
Wednesday, the US Treasury Department announced fresh sanctions against Iran,
targeting an "international network of individuals and entities" that
it said facilitated the sale of Iranian petroleum-based products to East Asia.
Tensions
between Iran and Israel have also heightened since Iran's Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a missile attack on what it claimed was an Israeli
base in Iraq's Erbil region in May, which came in response to an Israeli strike
in Syria that killed two IRGC members.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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South Asia
Taliban
supreme leader vows to enforce Islamic law across Afghanistan
10
Jul 2022
Taliban’s
supreme leader Hebatullah Akhundzada has vowed to enforce the Islamic law
across Afghanistan.
In
audio recorded from Eid prayers in Eid Gaah Mosque in Kandahar, Akhundzada
reiterated that the laws which were not based on Shariah in the previous
government will be abolished, reported Tolo News.
“I
have asked the procedures and policies of all ministries made during the
governments of Ashraf Ghani and Karzai or during the past 20-years, now put
under the supervision of the clerics, if there was anything against Shariah or
the interests of the people, it will be removed and we will bring a pure
Islamic system,” he said.
This
comes after the Taliban’s Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund called
on Afghans living abroad to renounce their opposition to the current Afghan
government and take advantage of the general amnesty announced by the country,
reported Tolo News.
“What
do you want, a commission has been facilitated for you. Why you want to sever
this world ...? What do you want?” he said.
However,
the analysts said that the Taliban has not been able to stick to its rhetoric.
“The
international community is not against the Islamic government on condition that
it will be an Islamic government and bring a legislative government. So far, it
has only been words. The Taliban couldn’t make a proper mechanism, or a
national mechanism, or a government confirmed by the people or a government of
people,” said Javid Sandel, a political analyst.
Earlier,
Akhundzada warned foreigners to stop meddling in Afghanistan’s affairs and
politics.
At
an event in Kabul, the reclusive leader told the conference that Afghanistan
“cannot develop without being independent,” CNN reported citing local media.
“Thank
God, we are now an independent country. (Foreigners) should not give us their
orders, it is our system, and we have our own decisions,” Akhundzada added.
In
the speech, Akhundzada praised the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last
August, almost two decades after they were driven from Kabul by US troops,
saying: “The success of the Afghan jihad is not only a source of pride for
Afghans but also for Muslims all over the world.”
Akhundzada
made the comments in an audio recording during a three-day religious gathering
of 3,000 attendees — all of whom were male, CNN said, quoting local media
reports.
The
statements delivered by Akhundzada contradict the ones made by other members of
the Taliban’s leadership in recent months who have expressed an openness to a
more inclusive government in order to gain international support.
The
three-day gathering that opened on Thursday and concluded on Saturday was the
first nationwide gathering of Islamic clerics in the country.
Source:
Khaama Press
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Isolating
the Taliban: How young landmine victims may be collateral damage
Jul
11, 2022
QAFAS
KALAY, AFGHANISTAN – A group of Afghan children were grazing sheep in fields
near the village of Bolak Wandi in eastern Helmand when they spotted a metallic
object half-buried in the ground. Crowding round excitedly, they argued over
who had found it first and who could sell it for scrap.
The
mortar shell exploded, killing one child instantly.
Three
more children died from their wounds as they were taken to hospital by Taliban
fighters who had been nearby. Another passed away on arrival.
“I
don’t blame anyone,” said Haji Abdul Salam, the father of two of the children.
He tries to focus on comforting his wife, who cries for her lost children.
“This
mortar could have been left over from the Americans or the Soviet Union.
However, not only our area, but all of Afghanistan should be cleared of this
problem.”
That
mission has become more difficult.
The
Taliban’s return to power last summer, ending their 20-year insurgency, should
have helped de-mining efforts, with swathes of territory that were off-limits
during the fighting finally accessible.
Yet
foreign governments have now frozen development aid to the Afghan government,
unwilling to use their taxpayers’ money to prop up the Taliban, an Islamist
group that restricts women’s rights and has been at war with much of the West
since harboring Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks.
One
unintended consequence: In a previously unreported development, the Afghan
government agency that oversees mine clearance said it had lost its roughly $3
million (¥411.4 million) funding and laid off about 120 staff in April — the
majority of the organization — because it couldn’t pay salaries.
“All
the sanctions have severely affected us,” said Sayed Danish, deputy head of the
agency, the Directorate of Mine Action Coordination (DMAC). “We can’t do
strategic work, which is our main responsibility.”
The
cost to ordinary Afghans of isolating the Taliban, who say they are being
unfairly treated, was also highlighted after an earthquake last month left
thousands homeless and the health system under huge strain, sparking some calls
for a new approach to the group.
The
loss of de-mining funds could have profound consequences for the country of 40
million people which is one of the most heavily mined places on Earth after
four decades of war.
Almost
80% of civilian casualties from “explosive remnants of war” are children, the
U.N. mining agency estimates, partly due to their curiosity as well as their
regular role in collecting scrap metal to sell to bolster family incomes.
In
the seven months to March, about 300 Afghan children were killed or maimed by
landmines and other unexploded devices, according to the U.N.’s children’s
agency.
The
five children from Bolak Wandi, four boys and a girl aged between five and 12,
died in April.
Thousands
of devices
Foreign
governments have exempted humanitarian aid from their freeze, and hundreds of
millions of dollars are flowing into the country, allowing aid organizations to
function.
But
the limitations of such funds — to meet urgent needs and aimed at bypassing the
government — are becoming apparent, with many economists and experts saying the
population will suffer without robust state services and a viable banking
sector.
DMAC’s
funding is part of roughly $9 billion a year in international development and
security aid that the World Bank says has been frozen since the Taliban took
power in Afghanistan, which relies on foreign donors for the bulk of its
budget.
The
de-mining work itself is largely carried out by aid groups, but DMAC provides
strategic guidance to prioritize high-danger areas and maps the nationwide
de-mining work to avoid duplicating efforts, according to Danish and aid
workers.
“Mine
action works best when national-level coordination and oversight is in place,”
said Søren Sørensen, head of Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding for
Afghanistan at the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international organization.
“At
the moment all that is being done is that we select areas from an outdated
list,” he added. “That is not effective and is not addressing the most serious
hazards.”
Sørensen
stares out of the window of a car on the way back to the capital Kabul from
Qafas Kalay, a small village in the eastern district of Khaki Jabbar, an area
once used by Soviet forces as a military outpost and which more recently saw
heavy fighting as the Taliban took the area.
Hundreds
of devices have been detonated in the vicinity but almost 40,000 square miles
still need to cleared. Across Afghanistan, thousands of unexploded devices lie
in wait, the U.N. de-mining agency says.
“We
finally have this amazing window of opportunity to actually clear this
country,” Sørensen said. “There is so much we could do.”
On
a hillside outside Qafas Kalay, about 20 miles east of Kabul, DRC
mine-clearance workers in protective vests and visors peer at the ground and
sweep detectors.
They
place a small flag on a barely visible device found nestled in the dirt — a
Soviet anti-personnel mine — and then connect it by wires that run hundreds of
meters to a small makeshift control center where the countdown begins. The device
blows up and the de-miners return to their painstaking work.
A
few miles away, children on the doorstep of a mosque pore over cartoons that
show different kinds of explosive devices and the kinds of places they might be
hidden.
Their
tutor tells them what to do if they spot one.
“We
don’t go to that place and we report it to our parents,” the children repeat
back enthusiastically.
The
community nearby is already eking out patches of de-mined land to farm wheat
and fruit and working on irrigation projects, developments that could help
alleviate the growing hunger crisis in Afghanistan.
‘The
people are suffering’
Asked
about the cash crunch and layoffs at DMAC, the U.S. Department of State said it
was continuing to support humanitarian de-mining in Afghanistan by directly
funding NGO partners. A spokesperson said it had provided $720 million in
overall humanitarian assistance to Afghans since last August.
Germany’s
foreign minister said in June there was no room to recognize the Taliban as a
legitimate government until it changed policies on issues such as women’s
rights.
Foreign
capitals want to squeeze the Taliban’s finances to pressure the group to lift
restrictions on the rights of girls and women to education, freedom of
expression and employment.
Since
returning to power, the group has kept girls’ secondary schools closed and
demanded women cover their faces in public and only leave home with a male
relative or husband.
Some
people have also accused the Taliban of reprisal attacks against former members
of the Western-backed administration, including soldiers and intelligence
officials.
The
Taliban has said it would respect human rights and promised to investigate
allegations of revenge killings, saying they have put an amnesty against former
foes in place.
The
Taliban also says it is addressing issues including girls’ secondary education
and has called on Washington to unfreeze billions of dollars of central bank
assets, saying they belong to the Afghan people and the country needs a
functioning banking system to alleviate poverty.
Late
last month, a temporary deal was reached when DMAC agreed that the United
Nations could set up an office in the country for about six months. But with
funding for the stopgap U.N. regulator half of that of the Afghan agency before
the Taliban takeover, it has only employed about 30 from the original 120
staff, according to Paul Heslop, Chief of the U.N. Mine Action Program in
Afghanistan.
He
added that for long-term sustainability, the responsibility of coordinating
de-mining should be with a state and not an outside humanitarian body like the
U.N. agency.
“We’re
in a situation where we have a government that’s not recognized,” said Heslop,
adding that the lack of funding was “very difficult.”
Source:
Japan Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/07/11/world/afghanistan-landmine-victims/
--------
UAE
set to run Kabul airport in deal with Taliban
July
8, 2022
DUBAI:
The Taliban and the United Arab Emirates are poised to strike a deal for the
Gulf nation to run Kabul airport and several others in Afghanistan that could
be announced within weeks, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
The
Taliban, whose government remains an international pariah without formal
recognition, have courted regional powers, including Qatar and Turkey, to
operate Kabul airport, landlocked Afghanistan’s main air link with the world,
and others.
But
after months of back-and-forth talks, and at one point raising the possibility
of a joint UAE-Turkey-Qatar deal, the Taliban is set to hand the operations in
their entirety to the UAE, who had previously run Afghan airports, the sources
said.
An
agreement would help the Islamist militants ease their isolation from the
outside world as they govern an impoverished country beset by drought,
widespread hunger and economic crisis. It would also hand Abu Dhabi a win in
its diplomatic tussle with Qatar for influence.
Under
the deal with the UAE, Afghans will be employed at the airports, including in
security roles, crucial for the Taliban who want to show they can create jobs
but also because they staunchly oppose the presence of foreign forces, sources
said.
An
Emirati state-linked contractor had been contracted to provide security
services, which should be announced soon, while negotiations over airspace
management are ongoing, they said.
The
militants in May awarded the ground services contract to UAE state-linked GAAC,
which was involved in running security and ground handling services at Afghan
airports before the Taliban takeover, shortly after Taliban officials had
visited Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile,
Qatar and Turkey’s joint negotiations with the Taliban broke down around the
same time, sources said.
Emirati
officials had no immediate comment. GAAC did not respond to a request for
comment.
A
Taliban transport ministry spokesman confirmed an aviation security contract
had already been signed with the UAE but said the air traffic contract was not
finalised or confirmed yet.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1698793
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Arab World
Israel
to probe reports of 1967 mass grave for Egyptian soldiers, Lapid tells al-Sisi
11
July ,2022
Israeli
Prime Minister Yair Lapid told Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi that
Israel will probe reports of a mass grave of around 80 Egyptian commandos from
1967, the Egyptian Presidency said on Sunday.
“Mr.
Lapid confirmed that Israel will deal with this matter in a positive and
transparent manner, and that it will communicate and coordinate with the
Egyptian authorities regarding developments in the matter in order to get to
the truth,” al-Sisi’s office said.
Lapid’s
office also said in a statement on Sunday that al-Sisi “raised the report about
the collective grave of Egyptian soldiers during the Six Day War,” and added that
the Prime Minister “directed his Military Secretary, Maj.-Gen. Avi Gil to
examine the issue in depth and to update Egyptian officials.”
The
call comes after Israeli news media Haaretz and Ynet News published exposes on
the mass grave in Jerusalem buried under the Kibbutz Nahshon, home to the Mini
Israel tourist attraction.
During
the Six-Day War in 1967, an elite Egyptian army unit sustained heavy losses in
Jerusalem and their bodies were buried in a 20-meter grave.
Residents
of the nearby Kibbutz – communal settlement in Israel, typically a farm –
complained about the stench of the grave and one member spoke to Israeli media
about the issue but the report was banned from being published by the Israel
Defense Forces (IDF).
During
the 1967 war between Israel and Arab countries including Egypt, Syria, and
Jordan, Israel captured Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and the West Bank. The war
ended after six days due to a United Nations-brokered ceasefire which was
signed by Egypt and Israel.
Egypt
then fought Israel again in 1973 during the Suez crisis when Egyptian troops
crossed the canal in a surprise attack.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Syria
aid crossing set to close to UN convoys, threatening millions
10
July ,2022
Residents
of Syria’s opposition-held northwest may lose access to critical aid within
weeks if the UN Security Council does not extend authorization for cross-border
deliveries, which expires Sunday, officials said.
UN
aid deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Syrian-Turkish border
could halt as of midnight after Russia on Friday vetoed a Security Council
resolution that would have extended it by one year.
The
council’s non-permanent members may propose a nine-month extension to try to
break the impasse, but as of Sunday morning no new agreement had been reached,
threatening to upend assistance to more than two million people.
“Until
today, we have no information on the mechanism that will be put in place in the
coming period,” said Mazen Allouch, an official at the Bab al-Hawa crossing.
“Aid
groups that are partnered with the UN and that operate in liberated areas have
an emergency response plan” in case the UN mandate is not extended, he said,
referring to parts of Syria still under opposition control.
But
their supplies are expected to last only a little “over one month,” he added.
The
Bab al-Hawa crossing was closed for a second consecutive day on Sunday due to
the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.
When
it reopens on Wednesday, it will continue to allow civilians and non-UN relief
convoys to cross, including those sent by Turkish aid groups and other
international aid organizations, Allouch said.
But
senior UN officials and relief workers have repeatedly stressed that such aid
deliveries cannot substitute the scope and scale of UN cross-border operations.
The
cross-border mechanism at Bab al-Hawa -- in place since 2014 -- is the only way
UN assistance can be brought into the rebel-held northwest without navigating
areas controlled by Syrian government forces.
More
than 4,600 aid trucks, carrying mostly food, have crossed Bab al-Hawa so far
this year, helping some 2.4 million people, according to the UN’s Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“If
aid deliveries are diverted through regime (areas) then we will effectively be
besieged,” said Abu Mohammad, a displaced Syrian living in a camp in northern
Idlib.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
Lebanon’s
music festivals make modest comeback at Baalbek amid economic crisis
10
July ,2022
Lebanon’s
international music festivals kicked off at the weekend with a performance in
the Roman ruins of Baalbek, the first performance there since the country’s
economic crisis.
Under
the title of “Baalbek Nights Return,” conductor Lubnan Baalbaki –- whose first
name means “Lebanon” and whose last name means “from Baalbek” -- led the
orchestra on Friday night alongside his sister, singer Soumaya.
The
country once held several music festivals every summer, drawing international
acts every weekend. This year, the modest reopenings feature almost exclusively
Lebanese performers.
Members
of the audience in Baalbek swayed and sang along as Soumaya crooned Arabic
tunes on a stage set up inside the temple of Bacchus, her silver gown
glittering under the spotlights.
She
performed traditional ballads as well as original songs written by Lebanese
poets and scored by her brother.
For
many, the evening was a welcome escape from the crises that have hit Lebanon
over the last three years.
A
financial meltdown described by the World Bank as one of the worst since the
industrial revolution has led to rampant power cuts and medicine shortages
across the country.
Lebanese
have been further strained by the Beirut port blast of 2020 and several waves
of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This
is an exceptional day,” Soumaya told Reuters after the performance. “Despite
all the difficulties that have shadowed our work, we put on this festival. It’s
an act of defiance –- an act of faith in this country, in its image as a nation
of art, culture and soft power that generates change.”
It
was her first ever performance in her namesake city. Her brother last performed
there in 2019, just months before Lebanon’s collapse began.
“Music
and arts were the most hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Artists were the
first to stop working and the last to return. This moment is so important for
musicians and on a
nationwide
level,” said Lubnan.
“The
crisis has pushed us to return to Lebanese talent and real Lebanese voices.
Tonight, Soumaya’s performance on the stage in Baalbek reminded us how
important and refined our musical culture is,” said Micheline Abi Samra, a
member of the audience.
“We
were so happy and the coming days will be even better,” she told Reuters.
Upcoming
acts at Baalbek include Lebanese rock band Adonis, French-Lebanese pianist
Simon Ghreichy, and Iranian dancer Rana Gharghani.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
Syrians
fear 'catastrophe' from Russia aid block
09
July ,2022
Residents
of embattled northwest Syria warned Saturday of a “catastrophe” following a
Russian veto at the UN Security Council that threatens to end cross-border aid
deliveries critical to their survival.
Friday’s
veto of a resolution that would have extended authorization for UN aid
deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Syrian-Turkish border by one
year amounted to a “siege and famine policy that Russia resorts to across
Syria”, charged Mazen Allouch, a border crossing official.
Failure
to extend the authorization would “serve as a prelude to an uncontrollable
famine that would directly threaten food security of more than four million
people” living in Syria’s northwest, he told AFP.
The
cross-border mechanism at Bab al-Hawa, which has been in effect since 2014, is
set to expire Sunday.
It
is the only crossing through which aid can be brought into the rebel-held
northwest without navigating areas controlled by Syrian government forces.
The
Sunday deadline still leaves time for members of the Security Council to keep
the crossing open.
But
concern is high in the northwestern province of Idlib, where the majority of
the population is displaced and grapples with food insecurity.
“Everyone
knows most camp residents are completely dependent on this aid,” said
Abdulsalam Youssef who lives in a makeshift settlement.
Russia's
veto spells a “catastrophe for me.”
More
than 4,600 aid trucks, carrying mostly food, have crossed Bab al-Hawa so far
this year, helping some 2.4 million people, according to the UN's Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
On
Saturday, Bab al Hawa was closed because of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holidays,
said an AFP correspondent at the crossing.
A
calm silence has prevailed over the border area since a final aid convoy
crossed over on Friday at noon.
“I
hope the Security Council will meet again soon and agree on a way forward,”
said Mark Cutts, UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria
crisis.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Islamic minister meets Pakistani cleric in Mina
July
09, 2022
MINA:
Saudi Islamic Minister Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
Fazl chief in Pakistan Fazlur Rehman in Mina on Saturday.
Al-Asheikh
said that the ministry is working in accordance with the leadership’s
directives to provide the best services for pilgrims who are performing their
Hajj rituals.
He
commended the historical relations between the Kingdom and Pakistan and
stressed that the ministry is keen to strengthen cooperation with all Islamic
organizations in Pakistan in order to promote tolerance and combat hatred.
Rehman
thanked the king and crown prince for their efforts in caring for the pilgrims,
acknowledging Saudi Arabia’s success in organizing Hajj despite pandemic
setbacks.
He
praised the bilateral ties between the two countries and the Saudi leadership’s
outstanding relations, based on Islamic brotherhood, with the Pakistani people.
Source:
Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2119716/saudi-arabia
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Southeast Asia
PM
calls on Muslims to fight inflation, help the needy
09
Jul 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 9 — Aidiladha which will be celebrated tomorrow in Malaysia
teaches Muslims to be grateful for the blessings granted by Allah and willing
to sacrifice to help the needy so that they will not be marginalised, said
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He
said it was in line with the concept of the Keluarga Malaysia (the Malaysian
Family) which he introduced in August last year to ensure that no one is left
behind.
In
facing economic challenges, which are felt globally, Ismail Sabri said the
government was doing its best to address the impact of global inflation,
including setting up a special team, dubbed "Jihad Tangani Inflasi"
(Jihad on Addressing Inflation), to unite all relevant ministries and agencies
to resolve the difficulties faced by members of Keluarga Malaysia.
However,
he said the government could not do it alone, instead, it needed all members of
Keluarga Malaysia to work together to address the challenges.
"This
is our jihad to ensure the country's economy recovers," he said in a
special message in conjunction with the Aidiladha celebration which was
broadcast live on local television channels tonight.
Ismail
Sabri said the spirit of sacrifice practised by Keluarga Malaysia would make
the country strong and continue to progress in facing the challenges ahead.
In
fact, he said the spirit of tolerance based on the concept of ‘tasamuh’ in
Islam is one of the important elements to maintain the unity and well-being of
Keluarga Malaysia.
“An
open-minded attitude allows us to continue to develop and protect ourselves
from disagreements that will only harm the ummah,” he said.
He
said the willingness to sacrifice wealth to help the poor was a virtue called
for by Islam and it was a symbol of our obedience, piety and servitude to
Allah.
The
prime minister said Aidiladha, which is closely linked to repentance,
sacrifice, togetherness and gratitude, gave great meaning to Muslims to
continue to live in harmony despite various uncertainties and setbacks.
Ismail
Sabri also called on members of Keluarga Malaysia to set aside political
differences and prove their repentance and gratitude by jointly enhancing the
dignity of religion as well as fostering good relations with friends from other
races and religions.
He
also expressed his hope for the well-being and safety of more than 14,000
Malaysian pilgrims in Makkah and for them to accomplish ‘haji mabrur’ (proper
haj that is accepted by Allah).
Source:
Malay Mail
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Decision
to degazette Bukit Cherakah land ‘unlawful’, claims NGO
July
11, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: An NGO has hit back at the Selangor government’s decision to take over
land at Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve, saying it was made without prior notice.
The
Shah Alam Community Forest Society (SACF) said the state government had acted
unlawfully in excising the land without prior notice and a public inquiry, and
without providing a replacement piece of land.
This
comes after Selangor forestry director Ahmad Fadzil Abdul Majid said the
decision to take over the land was made after considering the comments from the
Selangor state legal adviser’s office.
“We
reject his explanation,” the society said in a statement, adding that Ahmad
Fadzil had also failed to address the legal requirement to replace the excised
area, which had been in existence since 1984, with another plot of land.
SACF
also said Ahmad Fadzil’s statement contradicted a statement by state
environment committee chairman Hee Loy Sian, who claimed that the Bukit
Cherakah land was degazetted in 2006.
“Hee
refused to meet us to substantiate that claim. It is clear that no excision was
completed in 2006 and he should apologise for misleading the public,” it said.
It
said the latest move were “attempts to backdate the excision to Nov 20, 2000”.
In
his statement on Saturday, Ahmad Fadzil said this was due to various factors
that had put the process on hold, but SACF said this was a “contradictory
statement”.
“If
the excision process had been put on hold until this year, then the requirement
for holding the public inquiry must still apply,” it said.
It
also claimed there was an obvious conflict of interest involving Selangor
menteri besar Amirudin Shari as the land was being cleared for a housing
project by the state-owned Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS).
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Failure
to manage conflicts causing divorces among young couples
Chia
Wan Rou
July
11, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Amid a rising trend of young couples separating and mulling divorce, a
family NGO says divorce seems to be the only way to resolve conflicts for some
partners.
Focus
on the Family Malaysia chairman Lee Wee Min said the lack of pre-marital
counselling could contribute to early divorces as some couples might not have
sufficient knowledge about managing life’s challenges together.
He
told FMT this made them easily influenced by social media or even third
parties, thus affecting their relationship with each other.
“Financial
constraints and a lack of understanding between partners are also some causes
driving divorces among couples, especially those who marry young,” he said.
In
October, deputy law minister Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said nearly 140 divorces
were filed daily from March 2020 to August 2021.
During
that period, 66,440 divorces were filed by Muslim couples at the shariah courts
and 10,346 by non-Muslim partners.
A
2016 study by Psychology Today found that couples who married before the age of
28 were more likely to get divorced compared to their older counterparts.
Lee
said filing for divorce would never be an easy decision for a husband and wife,
describing it as the last resort for a couple struggling with domestic
conflicts, whether due to misunderstandings or pressure from financial issues.
“Unfortunately,
the children of these individuals would be the most affected by their parents’
divorce. They might find it hard to understand why their parents were
splitting, and may go on to experience anger, worry and even mistrust.
“Studies
show that children can grow up well and achieve success in life if they are
raised in a harmonious and loving environment by their parents.”
He
said it was important for couples to understand that domestic conflicts in
daily life were not always a bad thing, as these disputes could go on to
strengthen their relationship in the long run.
He
said how a couple resolved conflicts in their relationship was key to
determining how their marriage turned out, advocating for partners to go for
counselling if they felt like they were at a dead-end.
“The
most important thing is accepting their partner’s shortcomings, because that
will be key to understanding and complementing each other better,” he said.
Lee
also said accepting their partner’s flaws does not mean ignoring their
weaknesses, but understanding that no one person in this world is perfect.
He
said young couples should go through pre-marriage courses with older couples at
least a year before getting married to build a better understanding of one
another.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Africa
Abuja-Kaduna
train attack: UBEB boss recounts experience in terrorists’ den
July
11, 2022
By
Amos Tauna
Dr
Hassan Suleiman, the Director of Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), has
recounted his experience while in the den of his captors after regaining
freedom from the Abuja-Kaduna bound train attackers recently.
The
FCT UBEC boss, in an audio message he released on WhatsApp, explained that it
was all hell being in the terrorists’ den for about 100 days, stressing that he
do not wish his greatest enemy to be there.
Suleiman,
who was on his way to Kaduna on 28th March, 2022, to attend an education
programme organized by FCT UBEB, was abducted alongside others by the
terrorists.
He
expressed gratitude to God Almighty that he did not sustain any injury during
the attack, regretting that some who sustained injuries during the attack lost
their lives.
He
thanked members of the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary,
ANCOPPS, as well as other well wishers for their concern and prayers throughout
the trying period.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
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Muslim-Muslim
ticket: Tinubu, APC hate Nigeria – Segun Showunmi talks tough
July
10, 2022
By
Ishola Oludare
A
chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Showunmi, has berated
the All Progressives Congress (APC) for picking a Muslim as its presidential
candidate and the running mate.
DAILY
POST reports that the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, has
picked another Muslim, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.
Shettima,
a former governor of Borno State was announced on Sunday as the APC vice
presidential candidate.
In
his swift reaction, Showunmi, an aide to the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku
Abubakar, said Tinubu and his party hate Nigeria.
While
saying decisions ought to have consequences, Showunmi maintained that “a nation
that is almost evenly divided between the major faiths of Christianity and
Islam must work very hard not to give the impression that the sensitivity to
diversity does not matter!”
In
his quest to know, Showunmi asked that, “Shall we now assume that the APC
intends to play only to the numbers advantage without care for national unity
and harmony by their share insensitivity to what’s going on in the country?”
Showunmi
asserted that the APC “have made a choice, now they must be made to pay for the
consequences of their extreme lack of thoughtfulness.”
He
spoke further, “What do they think they are doing? No, they need to lose so
that they get the message that parties that balance their tickets do so to
inspire national cohesion.
“May
the people of goodwill who love our national diversity punish APC for this
decision.
“Failing
this we may become a nation that tilts dangerously towards one of the faiths.
“Antioch,
where Paul the Apostle wrote, is now known as Antakya, losing all of its
original ideology.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
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Sudan
protesters mark Eid al-Adha at anti-army sit-in
09
July ,2022
Sudanese
protesters celebrated Eid al-Adha among barricades on Saturday during a sit-in
against military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his October coup.
Protesters
have continued to press the army chief to resign, days after he vowed to make
way for a civilian government - an offer quickly rejected by the country’s main
civilian umbrella group as a “ruse.”
Burhan’s
surprise move has been met with wide skepticism, and pro-democracy groups
announced on Thursday the formation of a “revolutionary council” as protests
held firm.
The
sit-in continued in the capital’s twin city of Omdurman Saturday, as an imam
took over the microphone usually reserved for protest chants to deliver the Eid
sermon.
Protester
Ibrahim al-Haj told AFP after the prayer that demonstrators hope to show that
“no matter what is happening in the country, our message is ongoing.”
Burhan
led a coup in October that derailed a transition to civilian rule, unleashing
near-weekly protests and prompting key donors to freeze much-needed funding,
sending Sudan deeper into economic crisis.
The
protests against Burhan were reinvigorated on June 30, when tens of thousands
gathered and nine people were killed by security forces, according to
pro-democracy medics.
A
total of 114 people have been killed in the crackdown by security forces
against protesters since the October coup, the medics say.
Worshipers
on Saturday held up flags showing the faces of protesters killed in the
crackdown.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Morocco
arrests 25 suspected of planning illegal crossing into Spain
09
July ,2022
Moroccan
police on Saturday said they arrested more than 20 Africans suspected of
planning an illegal crossing into Spain, after a deadly attempt last month.
Police
from the northern port city of Tangiers disrupted “an illegal immigration
attempt and questioned 25 people originally from sub-Saharan Africa,” the DGNS
security service said.
It
said in a separate statement that “36 homemade metal objects” were seized in a
Tangiers shop that could be used for climbing, but did not specify which of two
Spanish enclaves was targeted.
Spain’s
Ceuta and Melilla enclaves have the EU’s only land borders with Africa.
Last
month, at least 23 migrants died while trying to enter Melilla over border fences.
They were among around 2,000 migrants, many from Sudan, who tried to break
through the border fence, according to Moroccan authorities.
The
DGNS said the suspects, living illegally in Morocco, were arrested at a
checkpoint at the entrance to Tangiers immediately after they arrived on a
public bus.
On
Friday, the European Union and Morocco said they would step up cooperation to
combat human trafficking.
At
a meeting in Rabat, the two sides “agreed to renew their partnership in order
to work together to tackle human smuggling networks, in particular following
the emergence of new, extremely violent, methods adopted by such criminal
networks,” a joint statement said.
The
mass crossing attempt last month led to by far the worst recorded death toll in
years of attempts by migrants to enter Ceuta and Melilla.
The
June 24 tragedy provoked international indignation, including an unusually
strong response from the United Nations against “use of excessive force by the
authorities.”
Spain
and Morocco have opened investigations.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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