New Age Islam News Bureau
6
Aug 2020
• Went
to Bhoomi Pujan Of the Ram Temple To Send Message That Muslims Not Against Ram
Mandir: Litigant Iqbal Ansari
• Cataclysmic
Blast Caused Damage Across Half of Beirut, Left 300,000 Homeless
• Imran
Khan Says Pakistan Will Continue to Raise Kashmir Issue at World Stage
• Christians
Lead Charge in Bangladesh's Covid-19 Battle
• Sabah
Palace Rejects ‘Malicious’ Allegation of Power Abuse
• Ex-Israeli
Lawmaker Sparks Outrage After Hailing Beirut Blast As ‘Gift’ From God
• Africa’s
COVID-19 Chaos Opens Door for Opportunistic Extremists
India
• Al-Qaida
Aspires to Gain from Hindu-Muslim Strife in India, Says Europol
• Went
to Bhoomi Pujan Of the Ram Temple To Send Message That Muslims Not Against Ram
Mandir: Litigant Iqbal Ansari
• To
‘Liberate’ Kashi And Mathura, Mosques Should Give Way To Mandirs, Says
Karnataka Minister
• PM
Modi: Ram Popular in Muslim Nations Too
• Respect
Supreme Court’s order, but mosque demolished illegally: AIMPLB
• Congress
slams Owaisi for his tweet against Priyanka Gandhi, says Congress ideology is
Hindu-Muslim bhai bhai
• Unease
Among Congress Muslim Leaders Amid Party’s High-pitched Welcome For Ram Mandir
Bhoomi Pujan
• Archaeologists
Who Discovered Remains Of Ram Temple Below Babri Mosque In Ayodhya Not Among
Invitees
• Turkey’s
tentacles in India go deeper than thought, says new intel warning
• China-backed
attempt by Pakistan to discuss Kashmir issue at UNSC fails yet again: Indian
diplomat
--------
Arab
world
• Cataclysmic
Blast Caused Damage Across Half of Beirut, Left 300,000 Homeless
• Several
Staffers of Foreign Embassies Injured in Beirut Explosion
• Beirut
explosion: Lebanon’s financial capacity ‘very limited,’ economy minister says
• Beirut
blast: 2013 legal note confirms tanker offloaded ammonium nitrate in port
• ‘Crime
scene must not be tampered with’ after Beirut blasts: Ex-Lebanon PM Siniora
• Lebanon’s
interior minister against international probe into Beirut blasts: Reports
• World
Bank offers help in assessing Lebanon's damage after Beirut blasts
• Arab
Coalition downs Houthi explosive-laden drone targeting Saudi Arabia: Spokesman
• Six
years on, Yazidis in Iraq demand justice for ISIL persecution
• US
spy agencies identify suspected undeclared nuclear site near Saudi capital:
Report
--------
Pakistan
• Imran
Khan Says Pakistan Will Continue to Raise Kashmir Issue at World Stage
• Hindus
celebrate Raksha Bandhan in Pakistan's Peshawar
• Religious
parties stress jihad to liberate Kashmir
• UNSC
Reviews Kashmir Situation as Protesters Condemn Indian Action
• Pakistan
hints at rival Islamic bloc if OIC doesn't meet on Kashmir
• FC
soldier martyred, 2 critically injured in separate incidents of violence from
Afghan soil: FO
--------
South
Asia
• Christians
Lead Charge in Bangladesh's Covid-19 Battle
• 7
civilians killed as Taliban bomb roadside bomb goes off in West of Afghanistan
• Afghan
forces kill, wound at least 16 Taliban militants in Ghazni province
• Taliban
attacks repulsed in Faryab, at least 11 militants killed, wounded: Shaheen
Corps
• More
U.S. Troops Will Leave Afghanistan Before the Election, Trump Says
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Sabah
Palace Rejects ‘Malicious’ Allegation of Power Abuse
• Man
in Medan sentenced to three years in jail for desecrating Quran
--------
Mideast
• Ex-Israeli
Lawmaker Sparks Outrage After Hailing Beirut Blast As ‘Gift’ From God
• Athens
Muslims Fear Mosque Delay After Hagia Sophia Conversion
• Lebanon
to Receive Iran’s Food, Medical Aids after Catastrophic Blast
• Analyst:
US, Israel Beneficiaries of Beirut Explosion
• Israel's
Netanyahu warns Hezbollah after Syria attack
--------
Africa
• Africa’s
COVID-19 Chaos Opens Door for Opportunistic Extremists
• Somalia:
Al-Shabaab attack kills at least 8 soldiers
• Africa:
AU Vows to Intensify Fight Against Al-Shabaab
• Victims
of Suspected Boko Haram Attack on Cameroon IDP Camp Need Urgent Help
--------
North
America
• US To
Seek Vote on Extending Arms Embargo on Iran at UN, Says Pompeo
• Rashida
Tlaib, Muslim US Congresswoman Defeats Establishment Challenger
• US
cargo plane lands in Israel in support of the regime's Iron Dome
--------
Europe
• Pope
Francis Calls For International Prayer For Lebanon, Victims Of Blast
• Britain’s
Queen Elizabeth II ‘deeply saddened’ by Lebanon blast
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/al-qaida-aspires-gain-hindu/d/122560
--------
Al-Qaida
Aspires to Gain from Hindu-Muslim Strife in India, Says Europol
Aug 4
2020
By
Sumit Kumar Singh
Europol in its annual report on online
Jihadist propaganda also stated that the Al-Qaida is collaborating with the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). File photo
----
New
Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS): The Al-Qaida terror organisation is making an all-out
effort to capitalise on the tension between Hindus and Muslims in India using
its Urdu platforms, said Europol, an European Union law enforcement cooperation
agency.
Europol
in its annual report on online Jihadist propaganda also stated that the
Al-Qaida is collaborating with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). It has
managed to establish itself in Kashmir, with Kashmiris leading the valley wing,
the European Union law enforcement cooperation agency, said.
"Al-Qaida
has also focused on denouncing Pakistan's role in Kashmir through targeted Urdu
propaganda in which it accuses the Pakistani government of being an apostate of
the US and a bunch of traitors who fill their pockets with bribes and
illegitimate wealth," the report stated.
The
report released last week by the European Union's Internet Referral Unit (EU
IRU) at Europol covers the period from January 1 to December 31, 2019, and
outlines the major trends and developments in the propaganda of the most
prominent Sunni jihadist organisations – the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaida –
as well as their affiliates and offshoots.
It
further identifies the dominant themes exploited by the groups during this
period.
The
report stated that in a July 9 video titled "Don't forget Kashmir",
Ayman al-Zawahiri accused the Pakistani intelligence agencies of providing
"crusaders" with information about the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan, arresting and killing Al-Qaida and Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
fighters and providing the US with safe houses and secured land routes.
The
Al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent is the youngest affiliate, and is a
patchwork of jihadi groups.
Describing
Kashmir as "a bleeding wound in our hearts", al-Zawahiri stressed
that bellicosity against Kashmir would be interpreted as directed against the
entire "umma".
Ayman
al-Zawahiri urged Kashmiri mujahidin to focus on targeting the Indian Army and
government "so as to bleed the Indian economy".
"AQIS
is also endeavouring to capitalise on tensions between Hindus and Muslims
through its Urdu-language propaganda," the report stated.
In
keeping with Al-Qaida's overall strategy, the subcontinent-wing abstains from
attacking non-combatant Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus.
Currently,
the Al-Qaida network is present across South Asia, including in Myanmar where
it has capitalised on the Rohingya conflict.
The
subcontinent wing has also expanded into other countries in the region, such as
Bangladesh. This is noteworthy given that Bangladesh has become a sparring
arena for Al-Qaida and Islamic State.
Given
its geographic disadvantage, Islamic State has relied on online propaganda to
propagate its message via the locally-based Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh
(JMB), while the Al-Qaida has focused on collaborating more directly with local
jihadi groups, including Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh and Ansarullah
Bangla Team, the report stated.
Europol
is headquartered at the Hague in Netherlands and provides support and resources
to 27 EU member states. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and
international organisations.
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=737546
--------
Went
to Bhoomi Pujan Of the Ram Temple to Send Message That Muslims Not Against Ram
Mandir: Litigant Iqbal Ansari
Aug
6, 2020
I believe it was Lord Ram's wish that I
receive the first invitation, Iqbal Ansari had said
-----
Q:
Your father Hashim Ansari spent his entire life fighting for the Babri mosque.
How did you feel after attending the bhoomi pujan of the Ram temple?
A:
Yes, my father fought for Babri Masjid and after his death I took over his
mantle and was the litigant in the Ayodhya title suit. We were fighting a legal
battle. After the Supreme Court verdict, it is our duty to accept the judgment
in its spirit. I went to Ramjanmabhoomi to send out a message that Muslims are
not against Ram temple.
Q:
How do you see the apex court verdict in context of Muslims?
A:
The Supreme Court verdict clearly states Muslims did not demolish a temple to
build the mosque. Our Hindu brothers are with us and we are with them in their
moment of joy.
Q:
What did you tell Prime Minister Modi?
A: I
wanted to present him a Ram Charitra Manas, but due to the Covid pandemic, he
did not accept gifts. We exchanged greetings. The general secretary of Ram
Mandir Trust, Champat Rai, accepted the book on his behalf.
Q:
What’s there for Muslims post-Ram Temple?
A:
Majority Hindus are very tolerant. Ram is their belief and if we respect their
faith. There will be no conflict between the two communities after the temple
comes up.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/went-to-ramjanmabhoomi-to-send-out-message-that-muslims-not-against-ram-mandir-litigant-iqbal-ansari/articleshow/77383106.cms
--------
Cataclysmic
Blast Caused Damage Across Half Of Beirut, Left 300,000 Homeless
06
Aug 2020
A woman, who was injured in Tuesday's
blast, sits next to her husband outside their damaged grocery store in Beirut
on August 5. — Reuters
------
BEIRUT:
The huge blast in Beirut on Tuesday left 300,000 people homeless and caused
damage across half of the city estimated to cost more than $3 billion, its
governor said on Wednesday.
“I
think there are between 250,000 and 300,000 people who are now without homes,”
said Marwan Aboud, adding that the estimated cost of the damage from Tuesday’s
explosion was between $3.0 billion and $5.0 billion dollars.
Wife
of Dutch ambassador seriously injured
The
wife of the Dutch ambassador to Lebanon was seriously injured by a huge blast
that took place in Beirut’s port on Tuesday, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said on
Wednesday.
A
spokesman said she had been admitted to hospital. He said the blast had caused
extensive damage to the Dutch embassy, also wounding four other people
connected to it.
‘Bomb
of some kind’
President
Donald Trump said that US generals had told him that the powerful explosions
which rocked Beirut appeared to have been caused by a “bomb of some kind.”
“It
looks like a terrible attack,” Trump told reporters at the White House. Asked
about Trump’s remarks, a Pentagon spokesman said: “we don’t have anything for
you” and “you will have to reach out to the White House for clarification.”
Trump offered US assistance to Lebanon.
“It
would seem like it, based on the explosion. I met with some of our great
generals and they just seemed to feel that it was,” he said. “This was not some
kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event. It seems to be, according to
them — they would know better than I would — but they seem to think it was an
attack. “It was a bomb of some kind, yes.” Lebanese officials have not
described the explosions which rocked the capital as an attack.
“Our
prayers go out to all the victims and their families,” he said. “The United
States stands ready to assist Lebanon.
“We
have a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there
to help.”
Macron
to visit city
President
Emmanuel Macron will visit Lebanon on Thursday, the first world leader in
Beirut after the port blast that wreaked destruction across the capital, as
France seeks to provide its former colony with urgent disaster aid.
“I
will go to Beirut tomorrow to bring the Lebanese people a message of fraternity
and solidarity from the French,” Macron wrote on Twitter. “We will discuss the
situation with the political authorities,” he added.
The
president’s Elysee Palace office said Macron will “meet all political actors”,
including President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
Both
sides will be hoping the visit goes more smoothly than a trip last month by
France’s top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian, who scolded Lebanon’s political elite
for being too “passive” in the face of an economic crisis compounded by the
coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1572875/cataclysmic-blast-caused-damage-across-half-of-beirut-left-300000-homeless
--------
Imran
Khan says Pakistan will continue to raise Kashmir issue at world stage
Aug
5, 2020
File photo of Pakistan PM Imran Khan.
----
ISLAMABAD:
Notwithstanding the unsuccessful attempts made by him to raise the Kashmir
issue at the world stage, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday
reiterated that his country would continue to raise the matter at all
international forums.
Addressing
the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's legislative assembly on the first anniversary
of India's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August
5, 2019, Khan claimed that many world leaders didn't even know what was going
on in Kashmir.
Khan
said that it was due to his government's efforts that the Kashmir issue was highlighted
and now, "the world was taking notice of it".
Significantly,
Khan in the past admitted that there has been a "lukewarm response"
to the Kashmir issue at the world stage due to what he described as the
"commercial interests" of the Western countries in India, which is a
big market.
Khan
said he personally briefed world leaders including US President Donald Trump,
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
French President Emmanuel Macron about Kashmir.
Pakistan
has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India
for withdrawing J&K's special status and bifurcating it into two Union
territories.
India
has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of
Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the
reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.
Khan
also defended the new political map of Pakistan and said that it was essential
to respond to India's decision to include Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as part
of India.
India
on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for unveiling a "so-called new political
map" which claimed J&K and parts of Gujarat as its territories,
asserting that it is a "political absurdity" and these
"ridiculous assertions" have neither legal validity nor international
credibility.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/imran-khan-says-pakistan-will-continue-to-raise-kashmir-issue-at-world-stage/articleshow/77375055.cms
--------
Christians
lead charge in Bangladesh's Covid-19 battle
Aug
06, 2020
Christians
— most of whom are Catholics — are a tiny minority accounting for less than
half a percent of Muslim-majority Bangladesh’s more than 160 million people.
But
they have been held in high regard for decades for vital contributions to
education, healthcare and the nation’s socioeconomic development.
As
the country continues to reel from the Covid-19 pandemic, Christians have shown
selfless love and dedication in fighting the battle head on both individually
and institutionally.
Since
the pandemic struck in early March, Christians have been active in various
roles — from collecting and distributing donations to the poor and needy as
individuals or through parishes, dioceses and charities, or treating patients
as dedicated doctors and medical staff.
There
are about 280 Christian doctors and about 4,000 Christian nurses in Bangladesh,
most of whom have been actively involved in the Covid-19 response, according to
Dr. Edward Pallab Rozario, vice-president of the Christian Medical Association
of Bangladesh (CMAB).
“These
doctors and nurses have taken great risks in serving Covid-19 patients and some
of them and their family members have been infected. Yet they were not
disheartened and returned to work after recovering,” Rozario, 47, a Catholic,
told UCA News.
Rozario
himself tested positive for Covid-19 in late April and recovered in May after
home quarantining.
“A
number of Christian doctors have been offering online and mobile services to
patients, and they have encouraged people to stay strong mentally,” he
said
Christian
hospitals dedicated for Covid-19
There
are 20 hospitals operated by Catholics and Protestants in Bangladesh, according
to the CMAB. Additionally, the Catholic Church runs about 70 community clinics,
mostly in rural areas. All these health facilities continue to operate and
serve people during the pandemic.
Mithushilak
Murmu, 49, a prominent Christian writer and researcher, has documented the
contribution of Christian hospitals in Bangladesh’s Covid-19 battle.
“Christians
might be a small minority but they are a significant minority, which they have
demonstrated again during this pandemic. They have dedicated whatever resources
they have to be a part of the national battle,” Murmu, 49, an ethnic Santal and
Lutheran Christian, told UCA News.
Christian
Mission Hospital in the northern city of Rajshahi, established by the Anglican
Church of Bangladesh in 1877, dedicated itself to fighting Covid-19 on April
15.
Its
administrators handed it over to the state-run Rajshahi Medical College and
Hospital, and since then, under the supervision of a 15-member medical team,
this famed Christian hospital has been serving Covid-19 patients.
In
Chokoria in Cox’s Bazar district in the southeast, the newly renovated Memorial
Christian Hospital resumed operating on Feb. 28. The hospital has set up a
polymer chain reaction laboratory for Covid-19 testing and established a
Covid-19 isolation unit in May with funding from its own sources and local
government.
Lutheran
Aid to Medicine in Bangladesh (LAMB) Hospital in Parbotipur in Dinajpur
district in northern Bangladesh launched a 10-bed Covid-19 intensive care unit
in late March.
Meanwhile,
the 113-year-old Christian Hospital in Chandraghona in Rangamati district in
the southeast has maintained a 24/7 flu corner and special observation room
since late March. When necessary, the hospital refers patients to specialized
Covid-19 hospitals.
“Christians
have been engaged in an undeclared war against Covid-19,” added Murmu, a father
of two and program coordinator of National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh,
an alliance of evangelical churches.
Charities
at the forefront
Besides
individual, parish level and diocesan-wide donations, dozens of Christian
charities have raised funds to support poor and marginalized communities across
Bangladesh suffering economically as a result of the pandemic.
Catholic
charity Caritas Bangladesh has distributed cash, food and health aid to 44,000
families worth 140 million taka (US$1.72 million) through eight regional
offices across the country, according to Ranjon Francis Rozario, Caritas’
assistant executive director.
“The
poor, needy and most affected people irrespective of caste, creed and gender
have received our support. We have secured funding from existing projects and
our donors were generous in offering funds. Catholic schools and colleges have
also donated money to support our initiatives,” Rozario told UCA News.
Caritas
has worked with government agencies and other charities where it was necessary,
he said.
World
Vision Bangladesh, a Protestant charity, has offered cash aid to more than
18,000 families and food aid to more than 35,000 households, according to its
website.
Another
leading Christian charity, the Christian Commission for Development of
Bangladesh (CCDB), has assisted 7,000 families, said David Milton, deputy
director of the organization.
“At
first CCDB staff decided to donate a month’s salary to start the Covid-19
charity and then donors came up with funding. We mostly offered cash handouts,
but also food aid where it was necessary,” Milton told UCA News.
“The
impacts of the coronavirus will be long-lasting, so we are planning programs
and activities to support people effectively in the coming days and weeks.”
Bangladesh
recorded its first three Covid-19 cases on March 8. Since then, the virus has
infected about 244,020 people and caused the deaths of about 3,234 as of Aug.
4, according to government figures.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/christians-lead-charge-in-bangladeshs-covid-19-battle/89041
--------
Sabah
palace rejects ‘malicious’ allegation of power abuse
August
6, 2020
KOTA
KINABALU: The Istana Negeri of Sabah has rejected an allegation by a
non-governmental organisation that Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Juhar Mahiruddin
had abused his power and had accepted an inducement in dissolving the state
assembly.
The
Sabah governor’s private secretary, Abinan Asli, said that in response to a
complaint lodged by the chairman of Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia Zulkarnain
Mahdar with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday.
“The
Istana Negeri strongly refutes the allegations made by Zulkarnain Mahdar. They
are untrue, baseless and had malicious intent,” Abinan told a press conference
at Istana Negeri here today.
Abinan
explained that Juhar had never received 33 statutory declarations from state
assemblymen, as claimed by Zulkarnain, before signing the declaration for the
dissolution of the state assembly.
Furthermore,
he said the palace never received any official or unofficial request from
former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman to have a meeting with Juhar.
Abinan
said the palace also never instructed the police to stop Musa and his entourage
from entering the palace area on July 30 as the roadblock mounted by the police
was meant to avoid untoward incidents.
On
July 30, caretaker chief minister Shafie Apdal announced the dissolution of the
state assembly to pave the way for a state election, which has to be held
within 60 days, after obtaining the consent of the Sabah head of state.
The
dissolution saw Musa leading a group of assemblymen to seek an audience with
Juhar after claiming that he had secured simple majority support to form a new
state government without having to go through a fresh state election.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/08/06/sabah-palace-rejects-malicious-allegation-of-power-abuse/
--------
Ex-Israeli
lawmaker sparks outrage after hailing Beirut blast as ‘gift’ from God
06
August 2020
A
former member of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) has expressed glee over a
massive blast that the Lebanese capital, describing the tragic incident, which
has left many dead or injured and destroyed much of a city, as a “gift” from
God for a Jewish festival.
In a
post on his Facebook page on Wednesday, far-right Zehut party leader Moshe
Feiglin said the devastating explosion was just in time for the so-called
“Holiday of Love.”
“Today
is Tu B’Av, a day of joy, and a true and huge thank you to G-d and all the
geniuses and heroes really (!) who organized for us this wonderful celebration
in honor of the day of love,” he wrote. “Marking Tu B'Av holiday, we’ve got a
fantastic fireworks show from Beirut’s port.”
Lebanon
has been in shock and grief since Tuesday, when the blast flattened the whole
port in Beirut and large parts of the city center, turning building into masses
of debris and twisted metal.
At
least 135 people were killed, about 5,000 wounded, many went missing and up to
300,000 people were rendered homeless. The number of casualties is also
expected to rise as search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
The
blast appeared to have been caused by a fire, which led to the detonation of a
cargo of ammonium nitrate that had been stored at the port for years.
It is
not known what sparked the fire. An investigation is underway to determine all
dimensions of the incident, with Beirut vowing to bring those responsible to
justice.
Feiglin,
however, suggested, without evidence, that the blast did not happen
accidentally.
“You
don’t really believe that this was some messy fuel warehouse, yeah? Do you understand
that this hell was supposed to fall on us as a rain of missiles?!” he wrote.
The
Israeli politician further compared the blast to one caused by a nuclear bomb,
saying that the smoke that billowed into the sky looked similar to a mushroom
cloud.
“I
have some experience with explosives. The largest explosion I took part in was
2.5 tons of TNT. What we saw yesterday at the Port of Beirut was much bigger.
The destructive effect (without the radiation) was like a nuclear bomb,” he
wrote.
Feiglin’s
remarks about the incident prompted angry reactions on social media, with users
blasting him, along with other Israeli figures, for rejoicing over the plight
of people the Lebanese people.
Later
on Wednesday, the ex-Israeli lawmaker responded to the wave of anger over his
comments.
Striking
a defiant tone, Feiglin expressed hope in an interview with a local radio
station later in the day that the Israeli regime was behind the Beirut blast
and claimed that he was allowed to rejoice over the incident.
“If
it was us, and I hope it was us, then we should be proud of it, and with that
we will create a balance of terror. By avoiding saying it’s us, we are putting
ourselves on the dark side of morality,” he said. “We are all allowed to
rejoice that it exploded in the port of Beirut and not in Tel Aviv.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/06/631193/Israel-Moshe-Feiglin-Lebanon-Beirut-blast
--------
Africa’s
COVID-19 Chaos Opens Door for Opportunistic Extremists
By
Anita Powell
August
04, 2020
JOHANNESBURG
- As a pandemic rages and weakens fragile societies, terrorists lie in wait to
pounce on vulnerable people, especially on the African continent, says a top
U.S. military commander. U.S. military
officials say their work on the continent has continued unabated, but that
extremists are actively seeking every opportunity to gain a foothold, from
Senegal to Somalia.
Violent
extremist organizations, or VEOs, are seizing on Africa’s coronavirus chaos to
advance their goals in vulnerable societies, from Nigeria to Mozambique, says
the head of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson.
He
spoke to reporters via Zoom video conference from AFRICOM headquarters in
Stuttgart, Germany.
“I do
believe the extremists will look to exploit any opportunity they get, and COVID
presents those opportunities, because COVID stresses any government. ... we
know the governments and the nations of Africa are also feeling that stress,
and the VEOs will look to exploit that. I can't tell you exactly how, because
that will manifest itself in different ways in each of these countries. But
these VEOs are very dynamic and they're very flexible, and they will look to
see where those weak points are, where that can be exploited, and they will go
after it,” he said.
In
West Africa, Islamist extremists have shut down educational systems — Anderson
cited more than 3,000 schools shuttered by extremist groups in Mali and Burkina
Faso. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and
Mozambique, they’ve harnessed local grievances to feed their activities.
And,
he said, some of these groups count on foreign assistance from mercenary groups
with murky affiliations. The shadowy Wagner Group is thought to be active in as
many as 20 African countries, including Mozambique, Libya, Sudan, the Ivory
Coast and the Central African Republic.
Anderson
echoed analysts who believe the Wagner Group is closely connected to the
Kremlin, a charge the Kremlin has denied.
“Russia
is directly engaged with them. I see them as being very corrosive. I see them
as being detrimental to what should be a common international threat.
Unfortunately, what we see is they're fueling the conflict in Libya. To say
that that is a private military contractor, I think, is a bit of a stretch,
because they are bringing in weapons systems that we saw recently reported in
the press that private companies just don't have access to. Those are
state-provided weapons systems.”
Anderson
also touched on the recent announcement that U.S. Africa Command headquarters
would move out of Germany, to another European nation. He noted that the
disruptions of the coronavirus crisis didn’t change or diminish U.S. operations
in Africa, and reasoned that a change of headquarters would have little effect
on their work.
What
worries him more, he said, is the pandemic’s disastrous effect on government
services and institutions in Africa. And, he noted, the military’s role is
limited, and often too late.
“We
are often the firemen, that if you're calling the firefighters it means the
fire has already broken out and that we need to do things to do fire prevention
and we need to be able to cut firebreaks to keep that fire from spreading. So
while I appreciate everyone's interest in what the military brings, if you're
ringing the fire alarm, it's probably a little late. We need to do things ahead
of it in order to prevent,” he said.
Right
now, the American general said, families and communities across the world face
uncertainty and fear as the coronavirus
continues to spread. A military solution alone will not address their needs for
food security, schools, decent health care, and basic government services. Some
extremist groups say they arose specifically to address those injustices — but,
Anderson said, their violent methods are a dead end.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/africas-covid-19-chaos-opens-door-opportunistic-extremists?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1415687_
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India
To
‘liberate’ Kashi and Mathura, mosques should give way to mandirs, says Karnataka
minister
Venkatesha
Babu | Edited by Sabir Hussain
Aug
05, 2020
K S
Eshwarappa, a senior minister in Karnataka declared shortly after the ground
breaking ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya that the focus would be next on
“liberating” Kashi and Mathura.
Eshwarappa
who is the panchayat raj and rural development minister in chief minister B S
Yediyurappa’s cabinet was speaking at an event in Shivamogga district where
puja and havans were organized to mark the bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya.
“A
mark of slavery has been erased. Two more remain at Kashi and Mathura, which
need to be (erased) and where the mosques should give way to mandirs.”
The
minister who is also a former president of the Karnataka unit of the BJP said
that all efforts should be carried out to ensure that other marks of slavery
(ghulamgiri) are erased to build a strong India.
Congress
spokesperson B L Shankar refused to comment on the remarks of Eshwarappa saying
“We don’t know whether this is the official stance of BJP as a party or
Eshwarappa’s personal stance. If the BJP takes a stand on this, then only we
will comment on the matter.”
Incidentally,
the Congress has also welcomed the bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya but has said the
issue should be used to unite and not divide people. KPCC President D K
Shivakumar had declared on Tuesday that ‘Lord Ram is in the hearts of all
Congressmen.”
Earlier
Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers and laid the foundation
stone for a grand temple at the site believed to be Lord Ram’s birthplace in
Ayodhya.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/to-liberate-kashi-and-mathura-mosques-should-give-way-to-mandirs-says-karnataka-minister/story-a9QCdlTwEhRC7QGzmIslkI.html
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PM
Modi: Ram popular in Muslim nations too
Aug
6, 2020
In
his Ayodhya speech, PM Modi sought to contradict the depiction of Ram in
certain quarters as a phenomenon confined to Hindus of the Hindi belt and as a
patriarchal figure.
He
referred to versions of Ramayan in all Indian languages, including one written
by Guru Gobind Singh, as well as the popularity of the epic in Indonesia, home
to the single largest concentration of Muslims; Malaysia, another predominantly
Muslim country; as well as Ajmer, the site of a revered Sufi shrine besides the
Muslim-majority Union Territory of Lakshadweep. "Ram belongs to all, Ram
lives in all," he said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-modi-ram-popular-in-muslim-nations-too/articleshow/77383067.cms
--------
Respect
Supreme Court’s order, but mosque demolished illegally: AIMPLB
Aug
06, 2020
The
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), a key Muslim party in the Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, said on Wednesday that the Ram temple
ground-breaking ceremony wouldn’t change the reality that the 16th century
mosque was illegally demolished even as another litigant in the suit held out
hope for communal amity.
AIMPLB
secretary Zafaryab Jilani said that, for the board, the land on which the Babri
Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992, would continue to be mosque land.
“We
are quiet because we had said that we would respect the law of the land and go
by the court’s verdict. The SC verdict came on November 9, but it’s also a fact
that the Supreme Court had held that Babri mosque was illegally demolished and
that it was a shameful act and the same view was repeated on November 9,”
Jilani said.
He
was referring to the November 2019 judgment of the top court on the title suit
that cleared the way for the Ram temple. “As far as we are concerned, we also
didn’t agree with the Prime Minister and the chief minister participating in
the event,” Jilani said.
But
another litigant – Iqbal Ansari, the only one among three Muslim invitees who
attended the event – said he respected the top court’s judgment and that the
dispute was over. “Lord Ram belongs to everyone. Ram temple will also bring
overall development to Ayodhya,” he added.
In
Ayodhya, a section of Muslims said they were ready to leave behind decades of
communal strife and move forward.
Athar
Jamal, a 25-year-old student at the city’s Saket PG Degree College, said his
generation yearned for development. “Now, with construction of Ram temple, I
think big companies will also set up their offices in Ayodhya, generating job
opportunities for youth.”
Another
local resident, Amzad Ali, hoped the temple will usher in opportunities for him
to start his own business. “I want to do my own business. In the coming days,
Ayodhya will witness a lot of activity,” said Ali.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/respect-sc-order-but-mosque-demolished-illegally-aimplb/story-oOnXGfrDjv9WzVGn2nxHSK.html
--------
Congress
slams Owaisi for his tweet against Priyanka Gandhi, says Congress ideology is
Hindu-Muslim bhai bhai
Aug
5, 2020
HYDERABAD:
The Congress has lambasted Hyderabad MP and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi
for his tweet against Priyanka Gandhi over her support to the bhoomi pujan
ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
All
India Congress Committee secretary V Hanumanth Rao on Wednesday said Owaisi is
craving for political mileage and is not able to tolerate Hindu-Muslim unity as
communal he hears that communal harmony would weaken his leadership.
Owaisi
in a tweet had slammed AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi for supporting
the Bhoomi Pujan for Ram Temple in Ayodhya and saying that the event would celebrate
national unity.
Owaisi
had tweeted that: “Glad that they are not pretending anymore. It's okay if they
want to embrace this extremist ideology of Hindutva but why all this hollow
talk about brotherhood? Don't be shy, please be proud of your party's contributions
to the movement that demolished our Babri Masjid.” The Congress veteran said
Owaisi’s remarks are ridiculous and objectionable. What all Priyanka Gandhi
tweeted was that Lord was for the welfare of everyone in the society which is a
matter of national integrity.
“I
strongly condemn Owaisi’s comment against Priyanka Gandhi. Congress party has
always stood for national integrity. There Is no need for Asaduddin Owaisi to
doubt the credentials the Congress. Owaisi does not have moral right to criticise
either Congress or our leader Priyanka Gandhi,” Hanumanth Rao said.
The
Congress veteran sought to remind Owaisi that Iqbal Ansari who had stood for
reconstruction of Babri masjid was given the first invite for Ram mandir bhumi
pujan and he accepted it also. The Congress will abide by the Supreme Court
verdict on the Babri Masjid reconstruction at Ayodhya and our ideology will
always be Hindu-Musiim Bhal Bhai,” Hanumanth Rao said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/congress-slams-owaisi-for-his-tweet-against-priyanka-gandhi-says-congress-ideology-is-hindu-muslim-bhai-bhai/articleshow/77375524.cms
--------
Unease
Among Congress Muslim Leaders Amid Party’s High-pitched Welcome For Ram Mandir
Bhoomi Pujan
Puneet
Nicholas Yadav
05
August 2020
With
a majority of their party colleagues, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka
Gandhi Vadra, waxing eloquent in welcoming the bhoomi pujan of the Ram Mandir
in Ayodhya, Muslim leaders of the Congress party are faced with a political
predicament. They can join the celebratory brouhaha citing its inevitability
given an enabling Supreme Court verdict but, in doing so, run the risk of
adding insult to the injury that their community is already nursing under an
electorally dominant BJP’s majoritarian politics. Else, they can demand
complete implementation of the same Supreme Court verdict that also decreed
five acres of land in Ayodhya be given to the Sunni Waqf Board for the purpose
of building a mosque as restitution and expeditious completion of the nearly
three-decade-old criminal proceedings against BJP-RSS leaders for their alleged
role in razing the Babri Masjid. But choosing such a path would undoubtedly
push the Congress to a corner, giving the BJP-RSS a chance to accuse the rival
of being anti-Hindu.
The
response of the Congress party, or at least a substantial chunk of its leaders,
to bhoomi pujan presently seems indistinguishable from the euphoria in the BJP.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath led a recital of Hanuman
Chalisa a day ahead of the religious gala in Ayodhya and exhorted his
supporters across the state to join in virtually. Nath is also reportedly
sending silver bricks to be used in the construction of the Ram Mandir and
believes the late Rajiv Gandhi, who as the Prime Minister in 1989 allowed the
temple’s shilanyas, would be “very happy today”.
Nath’s
colleague and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh too welcomed the bhoomi
pujan claiming “it is what Rajiv Gandhi also wanted”. Sundry other Hindu
leaders of the Congress have expressed similar views. Though shorn of the
overtly Hindu tenor, Rahul and Priyanka too have joined in to chant praises of
Lord Ram while subtly reminding Hindutva flag bearers that the Hindu god stood
for compassion, brotherhood, unity and syncretism. Rahul refrained from
expressly mentioning the Ram Mandir in his statement and instead claimed that
Lord Ram can ‘never embody hate, cruelty or injustice’. Congress sources tell
Outlook that the party is even considering a high-pitched campaign in UP, under
Priyanka Gandhi’s leadership, to “propagate the real message of Lord Ram and
convince the people that the BJP’s Hindutva agenda is, in reality, a polar
opposite of what Ram and Hinduism stand for”. Priyanka’s message welcoming the
Ram Mandir bhoomi pujan as a moment to make a fresh start for inclusion and
tolerance is to be read in this light, say sources.
Yet,
for the Muslims in the Congress, or indeed those who do not wish to align with
this forceful expression of Hindu appeasement, the prevailing fervor over the
Ram Mandir presents them a fait accompli; forcing them into quiet submission
and acceptance of the now cemented claim of the Hindu majority to Ayodhya.
Discordant notes, if any, must be carefully drafted, lest they attract the
wrath of the BJP’s formidable cadre or even the disparaging gaze of their own
colleagues in the Congress.
Former
Union minister Salman Khurshid has been among the few Muslim leaders of the
Congress to tweet on the Ram Mandir bhoomi pujan. “The temple-mosque dispute
was resolved by the Supreme Court and accepted by the people. The temple is
welcome but it must be remembered that the court has also ordered construction
of a mosque. The Prime Minister must support both…” Khurshid tells Outlook that
his tweet was based on a plain understanding of the apex court’s judgment on
the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi title dispute. He added that the dispute had
gone on for decades and that though what the court finally gave was
“approximate justice and not absolute justice, the verdict has to now be accepted
by all and used as a way to move forward by putting the bitterness of the
dispute behind.” However, Khurshid added that the ideal way of implementing the
verdict would have been to “simultaneously begin work on the Ram Mandir and the
mosque, in the true spirit of both secularism and the SC verdict, so that while
we celebrate the bhoomi pujan for a temple which represents faith for the
Hindus, we could also celebrate the construction of a mosque that has been
ordered as restitution for the demolition of the Babri Masjid which represents
the deep sentiments of the Muslims”.
While
Khurshid hopes that the construction of the Ram Mandir and a mosque in Ayodhya
will pave the way for a much needed reconciliation between communities, there
are others in his party who believe that the BJP-led governments at the Centre
and in UP are deliberately delaying the implementation of the SC verdict to its
full extent “only to humiliate the Muslims further”.
“With
our overzealous messages for the Ram Mandir, we are only becoming a party to
this humiliation… we should have remained steadfast on our secular ideology and
insisted that work on the temple and mosque should begin simultaneously. We are
still fighting a pandemic, there was no hurry to build the temple right away;
it could have waited and this time could have been utilised to complete the
process of handing over land to the Sunni Waqf Board for a mosque,” says a
Muslim leader of the Congress from UP, requesting anonymity.
Congress
secretary and MLA from Bihar, Shakeel Ahmed Khan, tells Outlook, “History is a
witness to injustice and patience… whatever we do today becomes a matter of
historical record in the future. Time will determine how good or bad our
actions of today really were, both for ourselves and for the country. If we
want real justice for all concerned, why should we hesitate in demanding that
the SC verdict be implemented in letter and spirit?”
Khan’s
views are echoed by party’s Lok Sabha MP, Mohammed Jawaid, who believes the
“politics and atmosphere of hate and religious intolerance that the BJP has
created over the past six years has forced votaries of secularism to constantly
weigh the electoral implications of their statements… if we demand a mosque as
per the SC verdict while also welcoming the Ram Mandir, our message will be
read selectively and the BJP will tell people that the Congress is opposing the
temple despite a judgment from the court. What do we do then?”
So,
is the burden of secularism only to be shouldered by religious minorities? Khurshid
tells Outlook, “in an ideal situation, speaking as a principle, the answer is a
definite no but then we have to be pragmatic and see the times we are living
in. In these times, I personally feel, if Muslims have to shoulder the
responsibility of secularism alone for some time to help build a better India,
we must do so happily because it is in the service and best interest of the
country.”
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-unease-among-congress-muslim-leaders-amid-partys-high-pitched-welcome-for-ram-mandir-bhoomi-pujan/358039
--------
Archaeologists
Who Discovered Remains Of Ram Temple Below Babri Mosque In Ayodhya Not Among
Invitees
Jeevan
Prakash Sharma
05
August 2020
A
group of nine archaeologists, who excavated the Ram Janmabhoomi site at Ayodhya
for five years (1975-1979) and discovered ample evidence of a Ram temple below
the Babri Mosque, have not been invited to the Ram Janmabhoomi Shilanyas
(foundation stone laying) ceremony of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya on August
5.
“No, I
have not been invited. So far as I know, none of the surviving members is part
of the ceremony,” RK Chaturvedi, one of the team members, said, adding
“nevertheless, we are extremely happy that our hard work has borne fruit at
last.”
Led
by the renowned archaeologist, BB Lal, the group in the 1970s had decided to
carry out a thorough exploration at various places that feature in Ramayana.
This
included Ayodhya, the capital of Rama, Shringaverpu where Rama had crossed the
Ganga on his southward journey, Bhardwaj Ashram and Chitrakut where he halted
during the journey, Bithur where Valmiki used to live, Parihar where Sita was
abandoned and so on.
The
project, termed as Archaeology of the Ramayana Sites, was inaugurated on March
31, 1975, by the then Union Education Minister S Nurul Hasan and the inaugural
function was presided over by the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh HN
Bahuguna.
Out
of the nine-member team, five archaeologists - Prof BB Lal, Dr KP Nautiyal, SK
Shrivastava, RK Chaturvedi, KM Asthana – were from Jiwaji University.
While
the other three -- Mahdava N Katti, LM Wahal, MS Mani -- were from the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), one member, Hem Raj, had represented the
Department of Archaeology, UP government.
“I am
still in touch with Prof Lal and Hem Raj. While two of the team are no more, I
don’t know the whereabouts of rest,” Chaturvedi said.
Besides
them, twelve students of the School of Archaeology were also part of the
exercise. The only Muslim face in the project was K. K. Muhammed, who was a
student then and later became regional director for the Northern Region in the
ASI.
While
Prof Lal was the first among them who wrote in the '90s about the
archaeological evidence of Rama temple below the Babri Mosque in one of the publications,
it was Muhammed who brought out the fact in the national media by writing an
article in the Indian Express on December 15, 1990.
“Thus
my statement, that there was temple remains below the Babri mosque, published
in Indian Express on 15.12.1990, fell like the second bombshell on the
arguments of Aligarh and JNU historians. It naturally unleashed a political
storm and completely silenced the Marxists as they could not challenge it,”
Muhammed writes in his book, Main Hoon Bhartiya, published in 2018.
His
seniors threatened to suspend him from service as a government servant was not
supposed to go in public with his or her view on such a sensitive issue.
However, later, he was let off with a transfer from Madras to Goa.
Ashok
Pandey, who was among those 12 students, had spent a few months at the
excavation sites as part of their archaeological training.
“I
don’t know who is invited and who isn’t. I don’t have anything to say on this,”
Pandey said.
A
section of presently serving archaeologists say that all those who had
participated in the excavation are so old that even if they are invited, they
might not be able to attend.
“Having
said that, I think they should have been at least sent an invitation as a mark
of respect for their invaluable contribution,” a senior archaeologist said,
requesting anonymity.
The
second excavation, which was carried out in 2003 under the leadership of
renowned archaeologist BR Mani, conclusively proved the existence of the temple
at the place of Babri mosque. However, none of the team members received any
invitation for the Bhoomi Pujan.
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-archaeologists-who-discovered-remains-of-ram-temple-below-babri-mosque-in-ayodhya-not-among-invitees/358016
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Turkey’s
tentacles in India go deeper than thought, says new intel warning
Shishir
Gupta
Aug
06, 2020
The
Turkish foreign ministry on Wednesday criticised India’s decision to revoke
Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August last year, asserting that it did
not contribute to peace and stability in the region. India had, Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan’s government in Ankara said, “further complicated the situation in
Jammu and Kashmir and not served peace and stability in the region”. It also
called for dialogue between India and Pakistan.
The
Turkish statement has been seen to have been issued in coordination with Imran
Khan’s government in Pakistan, the only country other than Xi Jinping’s China
to have put out a statement on the first anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir’s new
status in the Indian constitution. Erdoğan’s government did not make any
reference to Pakistan’s new map that had been issued just hours earlier that
counts Indian territories as its own.
New
Delhi isn’t surprised. In the past, Erdoğan has gone out of his way to echo
Imran Khan on Kashmir. Like in February this year, Erdoğan’s speech in the
Pakistan National Assembly during his visit to Islamabad compared the “struggle
of Kashmiris” with the Ottoman Empire’s fight during World War I.
But
this isn’t all that Ankara has been doing. An intelligence report on the role
played by fronts for the Turkish government last month accused Ankara of
efforts to radicalise Indian Muslims and recruit fundamentalists. Turkey had
emerged as the “the hub of anti-India activities” next only to Pakistan.
A
second report handed over to national security planners over the past week said
fronts for the Turkish government or the outfits it supports - some of them
directly linked to Erdogan and his family - appeared to have made deeper
inroads in India than assessed earlier. Much of this effort is directed via
three sectors: Turkish state media, educational institutes and the nonprofit
sector, or NGOs.
The
intelligence assessment identified individuals and groups, some of them also
suspected to be in touch with Pakistan’s ISI, who had been lured to work with
entities in Turkey that had strong links with the Erdogan regime.
In
particular, the report listed organisations that had started accelerating what
it described as “lucrative scholarships” to Indians to study in Turkey.
“Turkey
has been providing lucrative scholarships and running exchange programmes for
Indian Kashmiri and Muslim students to study in Turkey through state-sponsored
NGOs. Once the students land in Turkey, they are approached and taken over by
the Pakistan proxies operating there,” the report said.
The
list of outfits that sponsor the scholarships is long, the report said. It
includes Turkey Youth Foundation (TUGVA), Presidency of Turks Abroad and
Related Communities (YTB), Turkish Airlines, Yunnus Emre Institute (YEI),
Turkey’s Diyanet Foundation (TDF) and Turkist Cooperation and Coordination
Agency (TIKA).
“Most
of these organisations have direct connections with the Turkish government,
President Erdogan or his family,” a counter-terror official said.
The
TUGVA, which functions under Erdogan’s son Bilal’s patronage, has developed
strong links within India by establishing connections with Islamic outfits in
India including Jamaat-e-Islamic Organisation’s student wing, Student Islamic
Organisation, the report said.
The
intel report also accused the Turkish Embassy in Delhi of forging alliances
with Indian NGOs, pointing that Indian activists who serve Ankara’s agenda are
increasingly being sent to Turkey on exposure trips and encouraged to speak
against India. Some of the Turkish organisations that have been used to launch
coordinated attacks on India are its International Humanitarian Relief
Foundation, the TDF (which also funds scholarships) and Pak-Turkey Cultural
Association.
The
TDF is part of the religious directorate of Turkey, now deployed with Erdogan
supporters, and tasked to build Erdogan’s image as the tallest leader of the
Muslim community by championing the Islamic cause where it suits Erdogan’’s
ambitions.
And
Turkey’s authoritarian leader for 18 years has many.
The
most prominent has been to lead the Muslim world, building on Turkey’s imperial
Ottoman past. The Ottoman sultans doubled as the caliphs of the Muslim world.
Erdogan and his supporters believe they can revive the Ottoman Empire’s former
glory that collapsed nearly a century back, and its peak in the 1500s ruled
over much of Southeastern Europe, west Asia, and North Africa’s coastal strip.
Erdogan’s
effort to expand its influence among South Asian Muslims comes against the
backdrop of his pitch to challenge Saudi Arabia’s dominance in the Islamic
world and offering a conservative Turkey with Ottoman traditions as a model for
Islamic nations to follow.
It is
a narrative that works well for Imran Khan in the Indian subcontinent,
particularly given India’s recent success in deepening its ties with Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In April, Pakistan’s public broadcaster
started airing Turkey’s television series, Ertugrul Gazi, which is loosely
based on the story of the 13th century Muslim Oghuz Turk leader Ertugrul, whose
son Osman Ghazi is considered to be the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
The
series dubbed in Urdu, promoted by Imran Khan in Pakistan just as it was
supported by Erdogan in Turkey, depicts the bravery of Muslim Oghuz Turks
fighting the Mongol, Christians and Byzantines, glorifies the Ottoman Empire
and is seen as a key part of Turkey’s “soft power” influence in the Muslim
world.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/erdogan-s-turkey-working-on-imran-khan-s-script-funds-fronts-to-hurt-india-intel/story-2n8taLmj0IO2pG3M5K2ALJ.html
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China-backed
attempt by Pakistan to discuss Kashmir issue at UNSC fails yet again: Indian
diplomat
Aug
6, 2020
UNITED
NATIONS: Pakistan's attempt to internationalise the Kashmir issue through the
United Nations has again "come to naught", after a UN Security
Council meeting, convened by China to discuss the matter, ended without any
outcome, a top Indian diplomat said on Thursday.
India's
Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said that many
other members of the Security Council underlined that Jammu and Kashmir was a
bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and also stressed on the importance
of the Simla Agreement.
"The
attempt of Pakistan to internationalise this issue through the United Nations
has again come to naught," Tirumurti told PTI.
"Another
attempt by Pakistan fails! In today's meeting of UN Security Council (UNSC)
which was closed, informal, not recorded, and without any outcome, almost all
countries underlined that J&K was bilateral issue & did not deserve
time and attention of Council," Tirumurti tweeted.
China,
Pakistan's 'all-weather ally', called for a discussion on the issue of Jammu
and Kashmir in the Security Council under 'Any Other Business' on Wednesday,
when India marked the first anniversary of ending special status to Jammu and
Kashmir and its bifurcation into two union territories--Jammu and Kashmir and
Ladakh.
Sources
told PTI that the US took the lead, and many other council members also joined
and made it clear that the Kashmir issue was not a matter for the UN body to
discuss and is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan
has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India
for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcating it into two
Union territories.
India
has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of
Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept reality
and stop all anti-India propaganda.
In
January this year, China, on behalf of Pakistan, had made a similar attempt to
raise the Kashmir issue under "other matters" during closed
consultations in the Security Council Consultations Room. Then too, China stood
alone in the Pakistani corner to get the Security Council to focus on the
Kashmir issue.
The
January attempt had failed as other member countries felt that Kashmir was a
bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.
Earlier
on Wednesday, Tirumurti told PTI that contrary to what Pakistan may claim,
Islamabad has not been successful in trying to put Jammu and Kashmir on the UN
agenda.
"Frankly,
the attempt by Pakistan to try and internationalise, what is a bilateral issue,
is nothing new. A lie repeated a hundred times will not become truth," he
said.
He
said that contrary to what Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi
has asserted, there has been "no formal meeting of the Security Council on
the India-Pakistan issue even once for the past 55 years, let alone three
times!"
Tirumurti
said what had come up earlier was in a closed-door completely informal meeting
under what is called ‘Any Other Business'.
"This
is a category where literally any item could be brought for discussion by
anyone. Even China, being a permanent member, had to face discussion on Hong
Kong in the Security Council under AOB earlier this May. These meetings have no
records, and there is no outcome,” he said.
India
had on Wednesday slammed China for describing the reorganisation of Jammu and
Kashmir in 2019 as "illegal and invalid", and advised Beijing not to
comment on the internal affairs of other nations.
In a
sharp reaction to China's comments on the first anniversary of India's decision
on Jammu and Kashmir, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava
said China has no locus standi on the matter.
"We
have noted the comments of the Chinese MFA spokesperson on the Indian Union
Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese side has no locus standi whatsoever
on this matter and is advised not to comment on the internal affairs of other
nations," Srivastava said, replying to a question on China's comments that
any unilateral change to the status quo of Jammu and Kashmir was illegal and
invalid.
In
New York on Wednesday, the spokesperson of China's Permanent Mission to the
United Nations said on the Security Council's discussion on Kashmir that
Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun pointed out that "India and
Pakistan are both China's friendly neighbours and big developing countries at a
critical stage of development".
"China
is committed to growing friendly relations with both countries and calls on the
two countries to focus on national development, set store by peace and
stability in South Asia, properly handle historical grievances, abandon the
zero-sum thinking, avoid unilateral actions, resolve disputes peacefully
through dialogue and consultation, and jointly uphold peace and stability of
the region," the official said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/china-backed-attempt-by-pakistan-to-discuss-kashmir-issue-at-unsc-fails-yet-again-indian-diplomat/articleshow/77386389.cms
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Arab
world
Several
Staffers of Foreign Embassies Injured in Beirut Explosion
Aug
05, 2020
Staff
at the UK embassy in Beirut suffered injuries in the huge blast that rocked the
Lebanese capital on Tuesday. A Foreign Office spokesperson said that a small
number of staff sustained non-life threatening injuries in the explosion and
are receiving medical attention where necessary.
Members
of staff at Germany’s embassy in Beirut were also hurt in the explosion, the
country’s foreign ministry confirmed. ‘We’re shocked by the photos from Beirut.
Colleagues at our embassy are also among the wounded,’ the embassy said in a
message on Twitter.
Five
staffers of the Dutch Embassy in Lebanon were injured in the dramatic explosion
in the port of Beirut, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said.
According
to Dutch media reports, only one of all those wounded sustained serious
injuries.
At
least one Australian was killed and the Australian embassy in Beirut
"considerably" damaged by a huge blast in Lebanon's capital.
Prime
Minister Scott Morrison said Australia's embassy had been "impacted
significantly" by the explosion that sent shockwaves across the city,
shattering windows, blowing in doors, over-turning cars and smashing masonry.
Meantime,
two Filipinos were killed in powerful explosions that hit the Port of Beirut in
Lebanon, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Wednesday.
In an
online briefing, DFA Undersecretary Sarah Arriola disclosed that the two
additional Filipinos injured were seafarers aboard a ship that was docked 400
meters away from the explosion’s location.
The
two seafarers are among the 13 who jumped from their ship after the explosion
took place, Arriola said.
A
Chinese national sustained a slight injury after a massive explosion rocked the
Lebanese capital of Beirut, the Chinese Embassy in the country said on
Wednesday.
An
Indonesian citizen was also injured in the huge explosions in Lebanon's capital
of Beirut, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on
Wednesday.
According
to the ministry, the Indonesian embassy in Beirut has managed to contact the
victim who is now in a stable condition and able to communicate.
Meantime,
the UN said Tuesday that "several" of its employees were injured when
the massive explosion rocked Lebanon’s capital,.
Farhan
Haq, Deputy Spokesman for Secretary General Antonio Guterres, did not specify
the number of injured personnel or in what capacity they work for the UN. But
the international body runs myriad programs in the Mediterranean country,
including refugee aid and a peacekeeping force in the country's South.
A
massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday, killing at
least 100 people, wounding over 5,000 more, and smashing a vast area.
Terrifying
footage showed a huge mushroom cloud of fire and smoke covering much of
Beirut’s port area, blowing out windows and destroying buildings in the
neighborhood, as a warehouse at the Beirut docks caught fire on Tuesday
afternoon.
Photos
on social media showed many buildings in the area damaged or destroyed, leaving
residents covered in glass and blood.
Several
smaller explosions were heard before the bigger one occurred and turned the
city’s streets into a debris-strewn wasteland.
In
addition to local authorities, more than 30 Red Cross teams are responding at
the scene of the blast.
Health
Minister Hamad Hassan blamed the explosion on a fireworks accident, ordering
all hospitals in Beirut to prepare for the victims of the incident.
Head
of the Lebanese Red Cross George Kettaneh also stated that hundreds of injured
people were taken to hospital for treatment, while some still remain trapped in
their homes.
Hotel
Dieu Hospital in Beirut reported it was treating more than 500 injuries and was
not able to receive more. Tens of injured needed operations, the hospital said
appealing for blood donations. Rizq Hospital also said that it has admitted 400
wounded people.
The
health ministry said all Beirut hospitals are overcrowded with those injured in
the incident and can no more accommodate anyone.
Yet,
the health minister told Lebanon's LBC News that hundreds are feared dead and
thousands have been wounded in the blast. He added that the death toll now
stands at over 100.
The
Lebanese Red Cross also declared that over 5,000 people have been wounded in the
incident, while the numbers are still expected to rise. It added that over 100
dead bodies have been collected from the scene of the incident so far.
Beirut
Governor Marwan Abboud called it a "national catastrophe" and Prime
Minister Hassan Diab declared a day of mourning.
“It
resembles to what happened in Japan, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That’s what
[it] reminds me of. In my life, I haven’t seen destruction on this scale,"
Abboud added.
Badri
Zaher, Director General of the Lebanese Customs House, declared that dozens of
tons of nitrate had exploded in the port of Beirut.
Lebanese
General Security Director Abbas Ibrahim also dismissed rumors of Israeli
involvement, noting that a large cache of highly explosive sodium nitrate was
stored at the site, after being confiscated off a ship several months ago. But
he did not explain how the fire has started.
Early
reports said a short-circuit has likely sparked fire at the warehouse where the
huge sodium nitrate cargo was kept and fire later spread to an adjacent
warehouse where a huge cargo of fireworks was stored.
Yet,
there is still no official report on the exact cause of the blast, while a UN
spokesperson told reporters that his organization is still unsure whether the
explosion was "an accidental or man-made act".
Later,
the Israeli Defense Force denied responsibility for the massive explosions in
Beirut. Hezbollah has also denied the blasts were the result of a rocket
attack.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990515000729
--------
Beirut
explosion: Lebanon’s financial capacity ‘very limited,’ economy minister says
06
August 2020
The
Lebanese state and central bank have “very limited” financial capacity to
confront the impact of the port warehouse explosion that devastated Beirut
without foreign aid, its economy minister said on Thursday.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“The
capacity of the state is very limited, and so is that of the central bank and
the banks. We're not swimming in dollars,” Raoul Nehme said in TV comments to
Sky News Arabia.
He
said many countries were rushing to help and damages were in the billions of
dollars.
He
said working with the International Monetary Fund was the only way out for
Lebanon, which was already wrestling with a dollar crunch and financial
meltdown before Tuesday's blast.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/06/Beirut-explosion-Lebanon-s-financial-capacity-very-limited-economy-minister-says-.html
--------
Beirut
blast: 2013 legal note confirms tanker offloaded ammonium nitrate in port
06
August 2020
Explosive
material that may have been the cause of the devastating blast in Beirut on
Tuesday had been stored in the port since 2013 after a tanker was impounded
there, according to a verified legal note circulating online.
Authorities
have pointed to large quantities of the highly explosive ammonium nitrate as
the cause of the massive blast that killed over 135 people and injured
thousands in Lebanon's capital on Tuesday, but observers have asked where this
material came from and why it was being stored in such large quantities so
close to densely populated central Beirut.
Based
on a verified legal note from a Lebanese law firm, one theory has emerged that
the blast was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that was offloaded by a
Moldovan-flagged tanker in 2013 and had been kept in the port ever since.
Lebanese
law firm Baroudi & Associates drafted the note after issuing three arrest
orders against the Rhosus tanker, which was impounded by Lebanese authorities
in November 2013 and subsequently offloaded the ammonium nitrate in Beirut
port.
The
letter, dated sometime in 2015 and posted online by two lawyers from the firm
acting on behalf of “various creditors,” detailed what happened to the Rhosus
after its Ukrainian crew and Russian owner abandoned the vessel off Beirut.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“On
23/9/2013, m/v Rhosus, flying the Moldovian flag, sailed from BatumiPort,
Georgia heading to Biera in Mozambique carrying 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate
in bulk. En route, the vessel faced technical problems forcing the Master to
enter Beirut Port. Upon inspection of the vessel by Port State Control, the
vessel was forbidden from sailing. Most crew except the Master and four crew
members were repatriated and shortly afterwards the vessel was abandoned by her
owners after charterers and cargo concern lost interest in the cargo. The
vessel quickly ran out of stores, bunker and provisions,” read the legal note
published by the lawyers identified as Charbel Dagher and Christine Maksoud.
The
legal note in question has been verified by Al Arabiya English after its
initial publication in a newsletter published in October 2015 by
ShipArrested.com, a website that identifies itself as an extensive network that
facilitates the fast and efficient arrest or release of ships with coverage in
over 1,000 ports around the globe.
“Various
creditors came forward with claims against her. Our firm acting on instruction
of these creditors obtained three arrest orders against the vessel. Efforts to
get in touch with the owners, charterers and cargo owners to obtain payment
failed,” both Dagher and Maksoud said in their legal note after the ship was
impounded by authorities.
A
heatmap of the “Rhosus” cargo vessel that reportedly offloaded the 2,750 tons
of ammonium nitrate at Beirut Port in 2013 showed its past routes across the
several countries in the Mediterranean prior to its abandonment in the Lebanese
capital a year later, according to ship tracking service Marine Traffic.
According
to the legal note, both Lebanese lawyers Dagher and Maksoud attested that
Beirut port authorities had discharged the cargo of ammonium nitrate onto the
port's warehouses.
“The
vessel and cargo remain to date in port awaiting auctioning and/or proper
disposal,” Dagher and Maksoud wrote in the conclusion of the letter released in
2015.
Al
Arabiya English could not independently verify whether the 2,750 tons of
ammonium nitrate that was offloaded by the Rhosus in 2013 or 2014 was behind
the devastating explosions on Tuesday at Beirut port from hanger 12.
According
to information provided by Marine Traffic, the last recorded location of the
Rhosus was located at Mediterranean at position 33° 54' 18.036" N, 35° 30'
55.512" E as more than six years ago on August 7, 2014. The GPS
coordinates placed the Rhosus docked exactly opposite the hanger which exploded
on Tuesday at Beirut port.
While
the Rhosus sailed under the Moldovan flag, it was actually owned by a Russian
man named by Igor Grechushkin and was manned by a crew of both Russians and
Ukrainians. According to an investigation by the Globe and Mail newspaper,
Grechushkin’s known address was placed in Cyprus. The Siberian Times,
Grechushkin still lives in Limassol, Cyprus, with the newspaper posting
reportedly exclusive images of him.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/06/Lebanese-2013-legal-note-confirms-Rhosus-tanker-offloaded-ammonium-nitrate-in-Beirut.html
--------
‘Crime
scene must not be tampered with’ after Beirut blasts: Ex-Lebanon PM Siniora
06
August 2020
Authorities
must work together to ensure the scene of the crime is maintained and not
tampered with, says former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora after meeting
with former Lebanese premiers a day after the deadly blast that rocked Beirut.
“The
presidents call on all the agencies in the port to work together directly on
the scene of this crime and to be careful not to tamper with it,” Siniora was
quoted as saying on his official website.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Sources
confirmed to Al Arabiya overnight that the Hezbollah terrorist group had sent
several of its members down to the port following the deadly explosion that has
so far killed at least 135 people and injured 5,000 others.
Former
Prime Ministers Saad Hariri, Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora and Tammam Salam met
earlier on Wednesday and said that it was necessary for an investigative
committee from the United Nations or the Arab League to be formed with
“transparent” and “independent” judges.
US
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that nobody can say whether a
devastating explosion in Beirut could have been caused by an attack, casting
doubt on investigators who have blamed negligence for the warehouse blast.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/06/-Crime-scene-must-not-be-tampered-with-after-Beirut-blasts-Ex-Lebanon-PM-Siniora.html
--------
Lebanon’s
interior minister against international probe into Beirut blasts: Reports
06
August 2020
Lebanon’s
interior minister has expressed his objections to an international team joining
local investigations into the Beirut explosions, according to local media
outlets, adding that a “full and transparent probe would take five days.”
“The
investigation of the port explosion will be transparent, take 5 days, and any
officials involved will be held accountable,” Lebanese Interior Minister
Mohammed Fehmi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster LBC news channel.
“The
high explosives that were in block 12 were ammonium nitrate and you have to ask
customs why they are there. At least 80 percent of the fire has now been
controlled at Beirut Port,” Fehmi added later on Wednesday.
Fehmi’s
reported statements contradicted those made by Lebanon's four previous prime
ministers on Wednesday who called for a UN-backed or Arab League-backed
investigative committee to probe the Beirut blasts that killed more than 130
and injured more than 5,000.
Prosecutors
in France said they have opened an investigation after 21 French citizens were
wounded in the devastating blast at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut,
the Paris prosecutor said.
The
prosecutors opened a probe into “involuntary injury” using their jurisdiction
to investigate acts committed abroad, Paris prosecutor Remy Heintz said in a
statement.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/06/Lebanon-s-interior-minister-against-international-probe-into-Beirut-blasts-Reports.html
--------
World
Bank offers help in assessing Lebanon's damage after Beirut blasts
05
August 2020
The
World Bank Group said on Wednesday it stands ready to assess Lebanon's damage
and needs after a devastating Beirut port explosion and work with the country's
partners to mobilize public and private financing for reconstruction and
recovery.
The
World Bank said in a statement that it "would be also willing to reprogram
existing resources and explore additional financing to support rebuilding lives
and livelihoods of people impacted by this disaster."
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Two
planeloads of French rescue workers and aid headed to Beirut and French
President Emmanuel Macron was to arrive Thursday to offer support for the
former protectorate. The countries retain close political and economic ties.
Several
planes of medical equipment and supplies from Greece, Kuwait and elsewhere
arrived at Beirut’s international airport. The EU planned to send firefighters
with vehicles, dogs and equipment designed to find people trapped in debris.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/06/World-Bank-offers-help-in-assessing-Lebanon-s-damage-after-Beirut-blasts.html
--------
Arab
Coalition downs Houthi explosive-laden drone targeting Saudi Arabia: Spokesman
06
August 2020
The
Arab Coalition downed an explosive-laden drone launched by the Iran-backed
Houthi militia toward Saudi Arabia on Thursday, the coalition spokesperson
said, according to official Saudi Press Agency.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Arab
Coalition Spokesperson Colonel Turki al-Maliki said that the Iran-backed Houthi
militia continues to breach the Stockholm agreement and the cease fire
agreement in Yemen's Hudaydah. He also said the militia continues to use the
Hudaydah governorate as a place for launching terrorist operations using
ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and explosive remote-controlled
boats and drones.
“This
represents a real threat to regional and international security and undermines
political efforts to make the Stockholm Agreement succeed,” al-Maliki said
according to SPA.
He
confirmed that the Arab Coalition continues to take and implement appropriate
measures to deal with these “hostile and terrorist” acts in accordance with
international humanitarian law and its customary rules.
In
March, the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted and destroyed two
ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia in Yemen toward civilian
targets in the cities of Riyadh and Jazan.
Earlier
this year, Saudi Arabian Military Industries said it was working on developing
a new counter-drone system to protect the Kingdom's vital infrastructure and
military bases.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/08/06/Arab-Coalition-downs-Houthi-explosive-laden-drone-targeting-Saudi-Arabia-Spokesman-.html
--------
Six
years on, Yazidis in Iraq demand justice for ISIL persecution
4 Aug
2020
A
couple of hundred people gathered in Iraq's Sinjar to remember the ISIL (ISIS) massacre
and enslavement of the Yazidi people in August of 2014.
During
the ceremony on Tuesday, the audience watched a play and listened to the
testimonies of the survivors.
"It
has been six years that we repeat this play and this ceremony but in vain. If
it had led to anything then at least my brothers, my father and my uncle would
be with us. We don't know anything about them. We don't know if they are alive
or dead," said Badriya Faisal, a survivor.
The
Yazidis are an ethnoreligious minority numbering approximately 550,000 in their
heartland of northwest Iraq before ISIL swept through the rugged region in
2014. Their belief combines elements of several ancient Middle Eastern
religions.
ISIL,
which considers the Yazidis heretics, slaughtered thousands of Yazidi men and
abducted women and girls. Yazidi children were forcibly converted to Islam,
taught Arabic and banned from speaking their native Kurdish.
After
the ISIL fighters were chased out of Yazidi areas in 2015 by the Iraqi army and
the US-led military coalition, little has been done to heal the wounds or
secure the minority group against a possible resurgence.
Hundreds
remain missing and dozens of mass graves - more than 70 - have not yet been
exhumed.
"Our
mass graves are still as they were. They haven't been opened, and there are
still people in the hands of ISIL and they have not been liberated, even after
six years," said Nishtiman Khalaf, an activist.
Many
children who were raised under ISIL and indoctrinated in the group's ideology
are believed to still be living in camps
in Syria.
More
than 400,000 Yazidis are living in displacement while control and
administration of the Sinjar region remain disputed between the Iraqi
politicians.
According
to Hussein Qaidi, head of the Office for Yazidi Abductees Affairs, more than
6,400 Yazidi men, women, and children were kidnapped when ISIL took control of
the city of Mosul in June 2014.
Nearly
3,500 people were rescued but 2,800 others are still in captivity, said the
group.
Sinjar,
in Iraq's northwestern Nineveh province and near the border with Syria, remains
largely empty.
The
ISIL fighters destroyed villages and religious sites, lined men up and shot
them before kidnapping thousands of women and children and trading them in
modern day chattel slavery.
"I
don't believe there will be a reconciliation without justice because those who
committed the crimes were people from the area specifically," said a
Yazidi man at the commemoration.
The
United Nations has called the attacks an act of genocide against the minority
group.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/years-yazidis-iraq-demand-justice-isil-persecution-200804111313014.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1415687_
--------
US
spy agencies identify suspected undeclared nuclear site near Saudi capital:
Report
06
August 2020
American
intelligence agencies have reportedly spotted what appears to be an undeclared
nuclear site near Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Riyadh, scrutinizing attempts
by the kingdom to process uranium and move toward the development of atomic
bombs.
The
New York Times reported on Wednesday that the agencies had in recent weeks
circulated a classified analysis about Saudi attempts to build up its ability
to produce nuclear fuel that could potentially lead to the development of
nuclear weapons.
The
study shows “a newly completed structure near a solar-panel production area
near Riyadh, the Saudi capital, that some government analysts and outside
experts suspect could be one of a number of undeclared nuclear sites,” the report
said.
The
site is situated in a secluded desert area not too far from the Saudi town of
al-Uyaynah, located 30 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, and its Solar Village.
“The
analysis has raised alarms that there might be secret Saudi-Chinese efforts to
process raw uranium into a form that could later be enriched into weapons fuel,
according to American officials,” the report added.
A day
earlier, an article in The Wall Street Journal said that Western officials were
concerned about a desert site in northwestern Saudi Arabia just south of the
town of al-Ula.
It
was part of a program with the Chinese to extract uranium yellowcake from
uranium ore, according to the article.
Frank
Pabian, a former satellite image analyst at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
in New Mexico, said the desert site appears to be a small mill for turning
uranium ore into yellowcake as it has a checkpoint, high security fences, a
large building about 150 feet on a side and ponds for the collection of uranium
waste.
Last
week, the US House Intelligence Committee included a provision in the
intelligence budget authorization bill requiring the administration to submit a
report about Saudi efforts since 2015 to develop a nuclear program.
The
provision obliged the US government to include in its report an assessment of
“the state of nuclear cooperation between Saudi Arabia and any other country
other than the United States, such as the People’s Republic of China or the
Russian Federation.”
The
US State Department has not commented on the reported intelligence findings.
The
US opposes “the spread of enrichment and reprocessing” and attaches “great
importance” to continued compliance by the Saudis to the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), it said in a statement to the New York Times.
The
State Department also urged Riyadh to conclude an agreement with Washington
“with strong nonproliferation protections that will enable Saudi and US nuclear
industries to cooperate.”
Last
year, a document, titled “Updates on Saudi National Atomic Energy Project” and
posted by the Vienne-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), detailed
a plan for building nuclear reactors as well as fueling them through the
“localization” of uranium production.
The
kingdom was looking for uranium deposits in more than 10,000 square miles of
its territory and had teamed up with Jordan to make yellowcake, according to
the report.
“The
IAEA is unhappy with Saudi Arabia because they refuse to communicate about
their existing program and where it is going,” said Robert Kelley, a former
inspector for the UN nuclear watchdog.
Saudi
Arabia’s attempts to speed up its nuclear and missile projects have raised
fears that it aims to acquire nuclear weapons. Observers believe that a nuclear
Saudi Arabia — where warmongers are currently at the helm — could pose a
serious security threat to the Middle East region.
Riyadh
has so far turned a deaf ear to calls by the IAEA to implement proportionate
safeguards and an inspection regime that would prevent possible deviation
towards nukes.
In
March 2018, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Riyadh would quickly go
for nuclear bomb Iran does so.
Iran
has repeatedly enunciated its nuclear program as exclusively civilian, subject
to the most intensive UN supervisions ever.
Tehran
signed a nuclear agreement with six world countries, which forged close
cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, but the US severely undermined the pact
by abandoning it in May 2018.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/06/631204/US-spy-Saudi-Arabia-nuclear-site-Riyadh
--------
Pakistan
Hindus
celebrate Raksha Bandhan in Pakistan's Peshawar
Aug
5, 2020
PESHAWAR:
Members of the minority Hindu community in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province have celebrated the festival of Raksha Bandhan with simplicity amidst
restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A
small group of people attended a programme held at Peshawar cantonment's Kali
Bari temple where women tied the Rakhi around the wrist of their brothers in
the presence of Wilson Wazir, a Christian Member of the Provincial Assembly
(MPA).
The
majority of people celebrated the festival at their homes due to the
coronavirus fear.
Wazir,
the first member of the minority community from the tribal districts in the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, said that all the festivals will be celebrated
with enthusiasm once the coronavirus pandemic is over.
The
coronavirus has killed at least 6,014 people and infected 281,136 others in
Pakistan. At least 254,286 people have fully recovered while 872 are in
critical condition.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/hindus-celebrate-raksha-bandhan-in-pakistans-peshawar/articleshow/77370912.cms
--------
Religious
parties stress jihad to liberate Kashmir
Asim
Hussain
August
6, 2020
LAHORE:Leaders
of religious parties have stressed that jihad is the only way to liberate
Kashmir from illegal Indian occupation and no amount of protests, resolutions
and appeals to the UN and world community would help the Kashmir cause.
This
was the central argument of the speeches at the rallies and seminars held by
various religio-political parties to mark Kashmir suppression day here on
Wednesday. The central leader of JUP, Qari Zawwar Bahadur, said it was a pity
that Muslims have continued to pin their hopes with those global institutions
and leaderships who had been responsible for all the injustices and suffering
meted out to them particularly in Kashmir, Palestine, Chechnya, Bosnia, etc. He
said jihad was the only way to liberate Kashmir from Indian occupation as the
so-called civilised world had badly failed to acknowledge the Kashmiris’
sufferings after it had been under indefinite curfew and become the world’s
largest open air prison for the last one year, he said while addressing a
seminar at Jamia Al Marks Islami.
It
was also addressed by other leaders including Hafiz Naseer Noorani, Mufti
Tasadduq Hussain, Rasheed Rizvi, Maulana Arshad Mehr, Maulana Salim Awan, Mufti
Jamil Rizvi, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Maulana Mohammad Azam, Hafiz Liaqat Ali and
others.
Lahore
president of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Hafiz Babar Farooq Rahimi led a
protest rally on Ravi Road, marching from Niaz Chowk to Data Darbar, chanting
slogans against India, UN and other global human rights groups for allowing the
continued genocide of Kashmiris. Addressing the participants, Babar Farooq
Rahimi and other leaders warned that only jihad was the viable solution to
liberate Kashmir, and urged Pakistan army to play its role and use its
remarkable combat abilities and matchless fighting spirit to liberate Kashmir
from Indian occupation.
Tanzim
Islami Information secretary Mirza Ayub Beg praised the inclusion of entire
Kashmir as its territory in a newly modified map, calling it a big step in the
right direction. Addressing a meeting, he regretted that entire world remained
silent on such a prodigious crime committed by India, by annexing Kashmir into
its main land in stark violation of UN resolutions calling Kashmir a disputed
territory and binding Delhi to give right to self-determination to them. He
warned if Kashmiris were not given their fundamental rights, the flames of war
will engulf and severely burn this entire region.
Trade
leader and president of Hadia Haleema centre Urdu Bazaar Sarwar Asim has lauded
the government for conferring veteran Kashmiri freedom fighter and symbol of
Kashmiri liberation struggle for the last six decades, Syed Ali Gilani, with
country’s highest civilian honour “Nishan-e-Pakistan”.
Addressing
a meeting, he demanded that other leaders of Hurriyet Conference should be
conferred with Pakistani honours and warned that Kashmir could only be
liberated by Jihad since all political, diplomatic and moral efforts to move
the world community to solve this issue like they had solved East Timor, south
Sudan, sanctions on Iran and North Korea had badly failed.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/696668-religious-parties-stress-jihad-to-liberate-kashmir
--------
UNSC
Reviews Kashmir Situation as Protesters Condemn Indian Action
Anwar
Iqbal
06
Aug 2020
UNITED
NATIONS: The UN Security Council (UNSC) held an urgent meeting on Wednesday to
review the situation arising out of the Aug 5, 2019, siege of Kashmir by India.
The
closed-door, 15-member meeting was held at the request of Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, diplomatic sources told Dawn.
“This
3rd meeting in a year by the UN Security Council serves as a stark repudiation
to the Indian claim that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter,” Mr Qureshi
said in a tweet after the meeting. “It further reaffirms the validity of UN
resolutions on the Kashmiri’s right to self-determination through an impartial
plebiscite.”
China,
which is a permanent member of the Security Council, played a key role in
arranging this meeting to underline the international community’s concerns on
the atrocities India was committing in the occupied valley. All 15 members
participated in the debate. Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani of Indonesia, which
holds the council’s presidency for August, presided the meeting.
“Today,
as the world witnesses one year of India’s illegal occupation of Kashmir,
Pakistan welcomes meeting the UNSC meeting. This is a mark of the international
community’s and UNSC members’ solidarity with the Kashmiri people who are
facing a savage military siege,” the foreign minister said.
The
meeting showed that India’s gross human rights violations and crimes against
humanity in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir remained a grave concern for the
international community. He said: “Pakistan is thankful to all members of the
UN Security Council, especially China, for the support in organising today’s
meeting.”
Mr
Qureshi pointed out that India’s illegal and unilateral actions of Aug 5, 2019
sought to change the globally recognised disputed status of the region. India,
he said, was also trying to alter the demography of a Muslim majority region.
“Despite
Indian lobbying attempts, today’s deliberations reflect the international
community’s grave concern for peace, security & human rights in the Indian
occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
As
the council debated the illegal Indian action, Kashmiris from both sides of the
LoC protested outside the UN headquarters against Indian atrocities in the
occupied lands.
They
urged the world body to send a delegation to Kashmir to review the situation
and to prepare a report for the UN Security Council.
They
also chanted slogans, urging India to withdraw all illegal actions it has taken
since Aug 5, 2019 and to let the people of Kashmir decide their fate.
US-based
Kashmiri groups are also holding candle-light vigil at Times Square on
Wednesday evening to highlight the sufferings of eight million Kashmiris.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1572879/unsc-reviews-kashmir-situation-as-protesters-condemn-indian-action
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Pakistan
hints at rival Islamic bloc if OIC doesn't meet on Kashmir
August
06, 2020
Pakistan's
foreign minister warned on Wednesday that if the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) did not convene a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers
on Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad would call a separate meeting of Muslim
nations.
Speaking
on a talk show on ARY News, Shah Mehmood Qureshi was quoted by Dawn as saying,
“I am once again respectfully telling OIC that a meeting of the Council of
Foreign Ministers is our expectation. If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled
to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries
that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the
oppressed Kashmiris.”
Qureshi
made the comments on a day when Pakistan's federal and provincial governments
marked one year of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir by
holding various protest events. Pakistan had been seeking international
pressure on India ever since August last year, with little success.
"Pakistan
has been pushing for the foreign ministers’ meeting of the 57-member bloc of
Muslim countries, which is the second-largest intergovernmental body after the
UN, since India annexed occupied Kashmir last August," Dawn reported.
Responding
to a question on the talk show, Qureshi declared Pakistan "could not wait
any further" on the issue of a meeting of Islamic nations. Qureshi had
previously claimed a meeting of OIC foreign ministers was needed to send a
clear message from the Ummah (community of Muslims) on the Kashmir issue.
Saudi
Arabia, considered to be one of the most influential members of the OIC, had
been reluctant to support Pakistan's call for a meeting of OIC foreign
ministers. In December last year, Imran dropped out of a meeting of Islamic
nations organised in Kuala Lumpur by then Malaysian prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad. The leaders of Iran, Turkey and Qatar attended the meeting, which was
touted as being an 'alternative' to the Saudi-dominated OIC. At the time, there
were reports that Imran dropped out owing to pressure from Saudi Arabia.
On
Wednesday, Qureshi acknowledged Imran skipped the Kuala Lumpur summit on Saudi
Arabia's request and added "Pakistani Muslims are demanding of Riyadh to
show leadership on the issue [of Kashmir]”.
“We
have our own sensitivities. You have to realise this. Gulf countries should
understand this,” Qureshi was quoted as saying by Dawn.
In
June this year, a contact group of the OIC discussed the Kashmir issue, leading
to criticism from India, which asserted the grouping had "no locus standi
on matters strictly internal to the country".
In
March 2019, Qureshi boycotted a meeting of OIC foreign ministers after India's
then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was guest of honour at the
organisation's summit in Abu Dhabi.
https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2020/08/06/pakistan-hints-at-rival-islamic-bloc-if-oic-doesnt-meet-on-kashmir.html
--------
FC
soldier martyred, 2 critically injured in separate incidents of violence from
Afghan soil: FO
Naveed
Siddiqui
06
Aug 2020
A
Frontier Corps soldier was martyred while two others were critically injured in
separate incidents of violence against Pakistan Army posts by terrorists and
Afghan Border Police from across the border, the Foreign Office said in a
statement late Wednesday.
A
press release dated August 5 said "terrorists operating from
Afghanistan" resorted to firing mortar and heavy weapons at Pakistan posts
in the Binshahi Sector, Dir, on Wednesday afternoon.
In
the evening, it added, Afghan Border Police Posts also engaged Pakistan's
border troops.
Condemning
the "unprovoked aggressive action" by Afghan forces, the Foreign
Office said that the incident took place on the same day the Afghan Army was
requested to hold a border flag meeting at Binshahi in order to "discuss
cross border fire issues".
The
statement also condemned the "evident support provided to the
terrorists" by the neighbouring country, noting that such acts were
"detrimental" to the cooperation mechanism between the countries.
"Pakistan
reiterates its determination to firmly respond to orchestrated terrorist
attacks from across the border," the statement concluded.
The
incident comes a week after a clash between an unruly mob and security forces
at the Friendship Gate border crossing in Chaman resulting in casualties on
both sides of the border. Both countries had blamed the other for the
agitation.
The
Foreign Office said Pakistani troops had responded to firing by the Afghan
forces. “Pakistani Force did not open fire first and responded in self-defence
only,” the FO said, rejecting Afghan allegation of firing at the civilian
population.
Meanwhile,
Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz said certain people had tried to
cross the Chaman border forcibly and at the same time gunshots were fired from
the Afghan side.
The
incident took place after an unruly mob attacked the Frontier Corps offices and
a quarantine centre at the Chaman border crossing following a protest over
restrictions on pedestrian crossing because of Covid-19 pandemic. Four people
were killed and at least 20 were injured in the clash.
Afghan
authorities had claimed 15 people were killed on their side of the border in
Spin Boldak due to the shelling.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1572926/fc-soldier-martyred-2-critically-injured-in-separate-incidents-of-violence-from-afghan-soil-fo
--------
South
Asia
7
civilians killed as Taliban bomb roadside bomb goes off in West of Afghanistan
06
Aug 2020
A
roadside bomb planted by Taliban militants went off in western Nimroz province
of Afghanistan, killing at least seven civilians, the local authorities said.
Bahram
Khel, the acting spokesperson for the provincial government, confirmed that the
incident took place in Khash Rod district.
He
said a vehicle carrying civilians struck a roadside bomb planted by Taliban
militants in Khash Rod district on Wednesday.
Bahram
Khel further added that the explosion killed 7 civilians and wounded another
one.
The
Taliban group has not commented regarding the incident so far.
Taliban
militants and other insurgents often use roadside bombs to target the security
forces but the majority of such attacks inflict casualties on ordinary
civilians.
https://www.khaama.com/7-civilians-killed-as-taliban-bomb-roadside-bomb-goes-off-in-west-of-afghanistan-09006/
--------
Afghan
forces kill, wound at least 16 Taliban militants in Ghazni province
06
Aug 2020
The
Afghan forces killed or wounded at least 16 militants of the Taliban group in
South-eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense (MoD)
said.
According
to a statement released by MoD, the Taliban militants were planning to lauch
attacks against the Afghan forces on Ghazni-Kandahar Highway in Gilan district
and Arzoo area located in the outskirts of Ghazni city.
The
statement further added that the security forces killed 6 Taliban militants and
wounded at least 6 others by conducting operations to prevent the Taliban
attack on Ghazni-Kandahar highway.
The
security forces also killed 4 Taliban militants during a similar operation
which they conducted in Arzoo area located in the outskirts of Ghazni city, the
statement added.
The
Ministry of Defense also added that the security forces also destroyed some
weapons and munitions belonging to Taliban militants.
The
Taliban group has not commented regarding the operations so far.
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-forces-kill-wound-at-least-16-taliban-militants-in-ghazni-province-09004/
--------
Taliban
attacks repulsed in Faryab, at least 11 militants killed, wounded: Shaheen
Corps
05
Aug 2020
The
Afghan forces forces foiled Taliban attacks in Dawlatbad and Garziwan districts
of northern Faryab province, killing or wounding at least 11 militants.
The
209th Shaheen Corps in a statement said a group of Taliban militants were
planning to launch attacks in Shashpar Village of Dawlatabad and in the
vicinity of the capital of Garziwan district on Tuesday.
The
statement further added that the security forces took pre-emptive steps with
the support of the Air Forces.
The
security forces killed at least 4 Taliban militants during the operations and
wounded at least 7 others, the 209th Shaheen Corps added in its statement.
According
to 209th Shaheen Corps, a key Taliban figure who was responsible for collecting
Zakat was among those killed during the operations.
The
Taliban group has not commented regarding the operations so far.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-attacks-repulsed-in-faryab-at-least-11-militants-killed-wounded-shaheen-corps-09002/
--------
More
U.S. Troops Will Leave Afghanistan Before the Election, Trump Says
By
Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Aug.
4, 2020
President
Trump said that there would be fewer than 5,000 American troops in Afghanistan
by Election Day in November, signaling that the United States would continue to
withdraw troops from the country despite limited progress toward the start of
peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
“We’re
going down to 4,000, we’re negotiating right now,” Mr. Trump said in an
interview with Axios that was filmed on July 28 and released in full Monday
night.
The
president’s statement seems to undercut U.S. diplomats’ repeated assertions
that any further troop reductions in Afghanistan would be based on the
Taliban’s commitment to the Feb. 29 peace agreement signed with the United
States. After the signing, the U.S. military is supposed to completely withdraw
from Afghanistan in 14 months, a move that senior military officials have
called “aspirational.”
Mr.
Trump’s drive to pull U.S. forces from war zones, especially Afghanistan, has
often put the White House at loggerheads with the State Department, as American
negotiators and military officials have tried to keep an already shaky peace
process on track.
In
the interview, Mr. Trump called the U.S. involvement in the Middle East “the
single biggest mistake in the history of our country.”
Democrats’
Milwaukee convention will be entirely virtual, and Joe Biden and others will
stay away.
The
agreement with the Taliban “calls for additional conditions-based troop
withdrawals as the peace process evolves,” Maj. Rob Lodewick, a Pentagon
spokesman, said in a statement. “The president’s direction on the issue has
been clear, and the department is moving to effectively implement that guidance
in consultation with Congress and in close coordination with our NATO and
partner nations.”
The
Taliban continues to attack Afghan troops, and the United States military has
bombed the insurgent group dozens of times in their defense since the
agreement. The American-led mission has refused to publicly acknowledge the
strikes. The Taliban have agreed not to attack American and NATO coalition forces,
but Afghan forces continue to be targeted despite hopes that there would be a
reduction in violence after the deal.
This
summer, the Pentagon prepared several options for further troop reductions,
including a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan before Election
Day, a move that would most likely abandon any hope of a U.S.-moderated peace
settlement in the country.
Senior
military officials had anticipated a politically motivated decision by Mr.
Trump, much like his moves to pull troops out of Syria.
The
president’s decision to move to about 5,000 troops from 8,600 was the
Pentagon’s preferred option of those proposed, defense officials said. The
effect of the coronavirus pandemic has already greatly restricted U.S. military
operations in the country, making some troops already deployed there next to
useless because many of their roles require in-person training with Afghan
forces.
As
part of the February agreement, the U.S. military cut its numbers in
Afghanistan to about 8,600 from 12,000 and closed several bases. Negotiations
between the Afghan government and the Taliban were supposed to start months ago
but have been held up over a prisoner exchange between the two sides.
Also
part of the deal is a public declaration from the Taliban to denounce and split
from Al Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for the attacks on Sept. 11,
2001, and a longtime ally of the insurgent group. There has been little
indication that has changed after the agreement, according to military
officials.
Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo spoke on Monday with the Taliban’s chief negotiator,
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, regarding the prisoner exchange, Suhail Shaheen,
the Taliban spokesman, said on Twitter.
Both
sides “emphasized that the release of the remaining prisoners are essential for
commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations,” Mr. Shaheen said.
The
U.S.-Taliban deal called for the Afghan government to free 5,000 Taliban
prisoners in exchange for 1,000 Taliban-held members of the Afghan security
forces. While the Taliban has released the Afghan prisoners, Afghanistan’s
president, Ashraf Ghani, has been reluctant to release 400 Taliban prisoners
accused of serious crimes.
On
Sunday, militants stormed a prison in eastern Afghanistan, leaving 29 people
dead. The attack, in the waning hours of a brief cease-fire between the Taliban
and the Afghan government, was claimed by the Islamic State affiliate in the
country.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/world/asia/us-troops-afghanistan.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1415687_
--------
Southeast
Asia
Man
in Medan sentenced to three years in jail for desecrating Quran
Apriadi
Gunawan
August
5, 2020
A
panel of judges at the Medan District Court in North Sumatra has handed down a
three-year imprisonment for a 44-year-old man after finding him guilty of
blasphemy for having desecrated the Quran at a mosque earlier this year.
"[We]
sentence defendant Doni Irawan Malay to three years in prison," presiding
judge Tengku Oyong said while reading out the verdict on Tuesday.
The
punishment was one year lighter than the prosecutor's demand, as the court said
the defendant had behaved politely during the trial.
Doni
was charged under Article 156 of the Criminal Code on religious defamation.
Both
the defendant and prosecutor Nur Ainun accepted the verdict.
In
the previous hearings, prosecutors said Doni had committed a blasphemous act by
tearing out pages from the Quran he took from Al-Mashum Mosque in Medan Kota
district on Feb. 13.
"The
defendant removed the cover from the Quran, threw it into a garbage bin inside
the ablution room and then proceeded to tear out pages from the Quran with both
of his hands."
They
said Doni then exited the mosque and threw the ripped Quran pages onto the
streets before running away. He was later caught by locals and reported to
Medan Kota Police.
In
2018, the Medan District Court had also sentenced police officer Brig. Tommy
Daniel Patar Hutabarat to 16 months in prison for shredding and dumping copies
of the Quran into the gutter. He, too, was found guilty of blasphemy and
charged under Article 156 of the Criminal Code. (vny)
https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/08/05/man-in-medan-sentenced-to-three-years-in-jail-for-desecrating-quran.html
--------
Mideast
Athens
Muslims fear mosque delay after Hagia Sophia conversion
August
6, 2020
ATHENS:
After Turkey turned Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia museum back to a mosque, Muslims in
Athens fear their own official place of worship, delayed for over a decade,
will be held back again.
The
project to open a state-sanctioned mosque in Athens, the only European capital
that does not have one, was launched in 2007.
But
it immediately ran into strong opposition from the influential Orthodox Church,
as well as from nationalist groups.
“I
think after this incident, it might be even more difficult to open the official
mosque that we have awaited for 10 years,” says Imam Atta-ul Naseer, who runs a
makeshift mosque in a central Athens apartment.
An
architectural marvel of the 6th century, the Hagia Sophia Byzantine basilica
was converted into a mosque in 1453 after the capture of Constantinople by the
Ottomans.
In
1934, the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, turned the
monument into a museum as a symbol of secular Turkey.
But in
July, a top Turkey court ruled that Hagia Sophia could be reconverted into a
mosque.
‘A
mosque is a mosque’
“I
think a mosque should remain a mosque. It should not become a church or
whatever. Just as Christians expect Hagia Sophia to remain a church, Muslims
expect the same,” says Imam Naseer.
The
official mosque in Athens, without a minaret and under the supervision of the
Greek state, is expected to open by the end of autumn in the industrial
district of Elaionas, northeast of Athens.
But
in the meantime, to meet the requirements of a Muslim community of nearly
300,000 people, numerous makeshift mosques, in apartments, basements and even
sheds, have been created in past years.
Naseer
believes that historic Ottoman mosques in Athens, like the one on the central
Monastiraki square which has been transformed into a museum, could have served
as a place of worship for Muslims.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has himself proposed this to Greek leaders in
the past.
But
the subject is delicate in a country which was occupied by the Ottoman Empire
for centuries, before regaining its independence in the 19th century.
Anti-Turkish
sentiment
In
Greece, anti-Turkish sentiment remains strong and the current tension between
the two countries over migration and energy exploration in the eastern
Mediterranean reinforces this animosity.
“In
Greek hearts, the Muslim is still associated with the Turkish invader”, notes
Naseer.
Living
in Greece for the past seven years, the Pakistan-born imam has faced racism and
sometimes even violence by neo-Nazi militants.
“But
in general, Christians and Muslims live together peacefully,” he says.
In an
attempt to regulate the makeshift mosques, the Greek state sets strict
operational rules.
Operators
must register the name of the religious representative and his background, the
number of regular worshippers and the establishment’s sources of income.
The
prayer hall must also meet safety standards, which include having a fire alarm,
sanitary facilities and an emergency exit.
“The
procedures are complicated and take time. Few mosques have obtained permits
from the ministry,” Naseer says.
In
the Pakistani quarter of Athens, a green door stands out in a shopping lane:
the entrance to the Al Jabbar Mosque.
Bangladeshi
Imam Abu Bakr proudly points to the coveted ministry document, pasted on a
wall.
“Since
2017, we have been operating legally,” he says.
“The
official mosque that the Greek state wants to open is far from the centre of
Athens where many Muslim refugees live and can only accommodate 350 people
anyway.”
“Unofficial
mosques that become legal, like ours, will therefore remain necessary to
Muslims who wish to practise their faith in Athens,” Abu Bakr notes.
The
only mosques dating from the Ottoman era that are currently operating in Greece
are located in the border region with Turkey, in Thrace, where a Turkish
minority of 150,000 people live.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2020/08/06/athens-muslims-fear-mosque-delay-after-hagia-sophia-conversion/
--------
Lebanon
to Receive Iran’s Food, Medical Aids after Catastrophic Blast
Aug
05, 2020
Iran’s
first aid cargo arrived in Beirut hours after the deadly incident on Tuesday
and two more cargos will arrive in Beirut later on Wednesday, Nasiri said.
He
added that a 22-member medical team, comprising general practitioners,
orthopedists, anesthesiologists, operating room specialists, pediatricians,
neurologists, nurses and field hospital experts, will also leave Iran for
Lebanon later on Wednesday.
A
Rapid Deployment Hospital (RHD) will also be set up by the team in Beirut, he
stressed.
In a
phone contact with Chairman of Iran’s IRSC Karim Hemmati, the head of Lebanon’s
Red Cross George Kettaneh said his country needs Iran’s humanitarian help.
Kettaneh
thanked Tehran offer of aid to Lebanon.
Earlier,
Hemmati had expressed Tehran’s readiness to assist Beirut over its deadly
explosion.
Following
the deadly explosion in Beirut, which killed and injured a large number of
Lebanese people, Hemmati in a message to the Chief of the Red Cross of Lebanon
expressed his sympathy with the people of this country and announced Iran’s
readiness to assist Beirut.
Also,
Iranian Parliament’s Health Commission voiced its readiness to dispatch medical
aid to Lebanon after a deadly explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
In a
message on Wednesday, the Parliament’s Health and Treatment Commission
expressed deepest condolences and sympathy to the honorable people, parliament
and government of Lebanon and the Hezbollah Resistance Movement, and announced
its readiness to send medical and humanitarian aid to the country.
“Undoubtedly,
Lebanon is at the front line of the Islamic Resistance in the world and the
Middle East, and by the grace of God, who said in Holy Quran ‘the land of Paradise
is inherited by My righteous servants,’ Beirut will become beautiful and
prosperous again by the righteous servants of God,” the message added.
A
massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday, killing
over 100 people, wounding over 5,000 others, and smashing a vast area.
Terrifying
footage showed a huge mushroom cloud of fire and smoke covering much of
Beirut’s port area, blowing out windows and destroying buildings in the
neighborhood, as a warehouse at the Beirut docks caught fire on Tuesday
afternoon.
Photos
on social media showed many buildings in the area damaged or destroyed, leaving
residents covered in glass and blood.
Several
smaller explosions were heard before the bigger one occurred and turned the
city’s streets into a debris-strewn wasteland.
In
addition to local authorities, more than 30 Red Cross teams are responding at
the scene of the blast.
Health
Minister Hamad Hassan blamed the explosion on a fireworks accident, ordering
all hospitals in Beirut to prepare for the victims of the incident.
Head
of the Lebanese Red Cross George Kettaneh also stated that hundreds of injured
people were taken to hospital for treatment, while some still remain trapped in
their homes.
Hotel
Dieu Hospital in Beirut reported it was treating more than 500 injuries and was
not able to receive more. Tens of injured needed operations, the hospital said
appealing for blood donations. Rizq Hospital also said that it has admitted 400
wounded people.
The
health ministry said all Beirut hospitals are overcrowded with those injured in
the incident and can no more accommodate anyone.
Yet,
the health minister told Lebanon's LBC News that hundreds are feared dead and
thousands have been wounded in the blast. He added that the death toll now
stands at over 100.
The
Lebanese Red Cross also declared that over 5,000 people have been wounded in
the incident, while the numbers are still expected to rise. It added that over
100 dead bodies have been collected from the scene of the incident so far.
Beirut
Governor Marwan Abboud called it a "national catastrophe" and Prime
Minister Hassan Diab declared a day of mourning.
“It
resembles to what happened in Japan, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That’s what
[it] reminds me of. In my life, I haven’t seen destruction on this scale,"
Abboud added.
Badri
Zaher, Director General of the Lebanese Customs House, declared that dozens of
tons of nitrate had exploded in the port of Beirut.
Lebanese
General Security Director Abbas Ibrahim also dismissed rumors of Israeli
involvement, noting that a large cache of highly explosive sodium nitrate was
stored at the site, after being confiscated off a ship several months ago. But
he did not explain how the fire has started.
Early
reports said a short-circuit has likely sparked fire at the warehouse where the
huge sodium nitrate cargo was kept and fire later spread to an adjacent
warehouse where a huge cargo of fireworks was stored.
Yet,
there is still no official report on the exact cause of the blast, while a UN
spokesperson told reporters that his organization is still unsure whether the
explosion was "an accidental or man-made act".
Later,
the Israeli Defense Force denied responsibility for the massive explosions in
Beirut. Hezbollah has also denied the blasts were the result of a rocket attack.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990515000769
--------
Analyst:
US, Israel Beneficiaries of Beirut Explosion
Aug
05, 2020
“At
present, the Americans and the Zionist regime are the most beneficiaries,
specially after one of Hezbollah forces was martyred in Israel’s bombings in
the past few weeks and Israel feared Hezbollah’s harsh revenge,” Seyed Reza
Sadr al-Hosseini told FNA on Wednesday.
“It
seems that the Zionist regime benefits from the explosion in short term as it
may delay Hezbollah’s retaliation,” he added.
Sadr
al-Hosseini said that the US and Israel were in the past few years after
increasing economic and security pressures on Lebanon to foment unrests and
prevent internal integrity in the country.
A
massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday, killing at
least 100 people, wounding over 5,000 more, and smashing a vast area.
Terrifying
footage showed a huge mushroom cloud of fire and smoke covering much of
Beirut’s port area, blowing out windows and destroying buildings in the
neighborhood, as a warehouse at the Beirut docks caught fire on Tuesday
afternoon.
Photos
on social media showed many buildings in the area damaged or destroyed, leaving
residents covered in glass and blood.
Several
smaller explosions were heard before the bigger one occurred and turned the
city’s streets into a debris-strewn wasteland.
In
addition to local authorities, more than 30 Red Cross teams are responding at
the scene of the blast.
Health
Minister Hamad Hassan blamed the explosion on a fireworks accident, ordering
all hospitals in Beirut to prepare for the victims of the incident.
Head
of the Lebanese Red Cross George Kettaneh also stated that hundreds of injured
people were taken to hospital for treatment, while some still remain trapped in
their homes.
Hotel
Dieu Hospital in Beirut reported it was treating more than 500 injuries and was
not able to receive more. Tens of injured needed operations, the hospital said
appealing for blood donations. Rizq Hospital also said that it has admitted 400
wounded people.
The
health ministry said all Beirut hospitals are overcrowded with those injured in
the incident and can no more accommodate anyone.
Yet,
the health minister told Lebanon's LBC News that hundreds are feared dead and
thousands have been wounded in the blast. He added that the death toll now
stands at over 100.
The
Lebanese Red Cross also declared that over 5,000 people have been wounded in
the incident, while the numbers are still expected to rise. It added that over
100 dead bodies have been collected from the scene of the incident so far.
Beirut
Governor Marwan Abboud called it a "national catastrophe" and Prime
Minister Hassan Diab declared a day of mourning.
“It
resembles to what happened in Japan, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That’s what
[it] reminds me of. In my life, I haven’t seen destruction on this scale,"
Abboud added.
Badri
Zaher, Director General of the Lebanese Customs House, declared that dozens of
tons of nitrate had exploded in the port of Beirut.
Lebanese
General Security Director Abbas Ibrahim also dismissed rumors of Israeli
involvement, noting that a large cache of highly explosive sodium nitrate was
stored at the site, after being confiscated off a ship several months ago. But
he did not explain how the fire has started.
Early
reports said a short-circuit has likely sparked fire at the warehouse where the
huge sodium nitrate cargo was kept and fire later spread to an adjacent
warehouse where a huge cargo of fireworks was stored.
Yet,
there is still no official report on the exact cause of the blast, while a UN
spokesperson told reporters that his organization is still unsure whether the
explosion was "an accidental or man-made act".
Later,
the Israeli Defense Force denied responsibility for the massive explosions in
Beirut. Hezbollah has also denied the blasts were the result of a rocket
attack.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990515000868
--------
Israel's
Netanyahu warns Hezbollah after Syria attack
4 Aug
2020
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged a tough response to any threats
against Israel after it struck Syrian military targets in retaliation for an
attempted attack in the occupied Golan Heights.
"We
hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. We will do what is necessary in
order to defend ourselves," he said on Tuesday during a tour of a military
facility in central Israel.
"These
are not vain words; they have the weight of the State of Israel and the
(military) behind them and this should be taken seriously," the veteran
premier added.
Israel
launched air raids on military targets in southern Syria late on Monday. The
army said it was retaliating after an attempt to lay explosives in the Golan
Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967.
Syrian
state-run news agency Sana said Israeli helicopters attacked Syrian army
positions near Quneitra in the south but caused only material damage. It also
said air defences had gone into action near the Syrian capital.
Several
Israeli media outlets reported that Monday's actions were in response to an
increased threat from the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has a
significant presence in Syria.
Increased
tensions
Tensions
have risen in recent weeks along the Israel-Syria frontier after a fighter
belonging to the Iran-backed Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah was killed in an
apparent Israeli air attack on the outskirts of Damascus two weeks ago.
Israel
has since boosted the number of forces on its northern frontier, where it
borders Lebanon and Syria.
Hezbollah
chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah promised revenge, although Israeli commentators
have said he seems eager to avoid a major escalation as Lebanon struggles with
its internal problems.
Last
week, Israel also said it thwarted an infiltration attempt from Lebanon by
Hezbollah fighters, setting off one of the heaviest exchanges of fire along the
volatile Israel-Lebanon frontier since a 2006 war between the bitter enemies.
Since
2011, Israel has launched hundreds of attacks in Syria, targeting government
troops and allied Iranian and Hezbollah forces and vowing to end Iran's
military presence in Syria.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/israel-netanyahu-warns-hezbollah-syria-attack-200804134620711.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1415687_
--------
Africa
Somalia:
Al-Shabaab attack kills at least 8 soldiers
Mohammed
Dhaysane
05.08.2020
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
At
least eight Somali government soldiers were killed and several wounded on
Wednesday when al-Shabaab terrorists attacked a military base in the
southwestern Bay province.
Somali
government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo told Anadolu Agency over the phone
that al-Shabaab terrorists attacked a Somali national army base in Daynuney.
When
a company of soldiers came under attack by al-Shabaab terrorists on Wednesday,
a commander was among those killed, Oronjo said.
After
the attack, a military vehicle carrying reinforcements was targeted in a
roadside blast, wounding several soldiers, he added.
Ali
Ibrahim, a military official, told Anadolu Agency that more than six al-Shabaab
fighters were also killed during fierce fighting with the Somali army.
Al-Shabaab
claimed responsibility for the attack via the internet.
Daynuney
is a small town located 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Baidoa, the state’s
administrative capital.
Al-Shabaab
was behind a 2017 truck-bomb attack in the capital Mogadishu that took some 600
lives, the worst attack in the Horn of Africa country’s history.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somalia-al-shabaab-attack-kills-at-least-8-soldiers/1932801
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Africa:
AU Vows to Intensify Fight Against Al-Shabaab
4
AUGUST 2020
Ugandan
soldiers, operating under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM),
advanced towards Buurhkaba from their former position in the town of Leego
alongside members of the Somali National Army (SNA). The purpose of such an
advance is to eventually open up the road from Mogadishu to Baidoa and connect
the two citys currently under AMISOM's control. AU UN IST PHOTO / TOBIN JONES.
The
African Union Mission in Somalia said troops will continue to intensify fight
against al-Shabab despite reducing troop numbers early this year and the
disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Richard
Otto, contingent commander of Sector 1 troops, said the reduction of troop
numbers by 1,000 spread across all the five troop-contributing countries had
not affected operations in his area of responsibility.
"I
have troops who were supposed to rotate out but have not because of this
situation. Most of the countries have restricted their airspaces and border
posts, but this is aimed at protecting and controlling the spread of the
(COVID-19) disease from other countries.
My
troops have been informed and they are aware. It has not affected their
morale," Otto said in a statement issued on Saturday evening.
Since
December 2017, The AU mission has been reducing its troop numbers in line with
relevant UN Security Council decisions. Ugandan troops are in charge of Sector
1, which includes the Lower Shabelle region and Mogadishu.
Due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sector 1 has had to put on hold the rotation of its
troops both in and out of the mission but Otto noted that this has not affected
operations or dampened the morale of the troops.
Otto
said that al-Shabab has been weakened and has now resorted to using improvised
explosive devices and shelling mortars, which have often landed in population
centers and caused harm to innocent civilians following a string of defeats.
Otto
said that a key factor in the fight against al-Shabab has been the increasing
capabilities of the Somali National Army as seen by the SNA's capacity to fight
and hold ground.
Otto
said counter-offensive operations that resulted in the capture of major bridge
towns, especially of Janaale, in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia early
this year had dealt a huge blow to al-Shabab, denying the militants freedom of
movement and operation, and seriously curtailing their ability to wage war.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202008050206.html
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Victims
of Suspected Boko Haram Attack on Cameroon IDP Camp Need Urgent Help
By
Lisa Schlein
August
05, 2020
GENEVA
- The United Nations refugee agency says victims of a suspected Boko Haram
terror attack on an IDP camp in Cameroon’s Far North region remain unprotected
and in need of urgent help. At least 18
people were killed and 11 others injured.
The
camp housing 800 internally displaced people was attacked early Sunday.
Militant jihadists reportedly threw a grenade into the compound while people
were sleeping.
The
U.N. refugee agency says it is outraged by this brutal, unprovoked attack and
condemns it in the strongest terms.
UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch tells VOA that Nigeria-based terror group
Boko Haram is suspected of being behind the attack.
“In
Cameroon, since early this year, more than 87 attacks have been recorded, which
are attributed to Boko Haram. It has
affected millions of people in the region and only in this area of Cameroon,
there are more than 320,000 people displaced,” he said.
Map
of Nguetchewe, Cameroon
This
latest attack near the village of Nguetchewe follows an upsurge of violence in
Cameroon’s Far North Region, including looting and kidnapping. Civilians in this area, which covers Chad and
north-east Nigeria, have been at the mercy of Boko Haram and other armed groups
for years.
Baloch
says the attack on the IDP camp has caused some 1,500 people, including
terrified residents of the hosting village, to flee to a nearby town for
safety. He says the UNHCR is sending an
emergency mission to assess the situation and evaluate the protection and
health needs of those affected.
“Against
the backdrop of growing insecurity, UNHCR anticipates enhanced protection,
shelter, water and sanitation will be needed as the country responds to the
COVID-19 pandemic… Access a uge issue for humanitarians in this region in terms
of providing humanitarian support," said Baloch.
The
U.N. says Boko Haram violence in the Lake Chad Basin region has cost the lives
of 30,000 people, displaced more than three million and forced nearly 300,000
Nigerians to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/victims-suspected-boko-haram-attack-cameroon-idp-camp-need-urgent-help
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North
America
US To
Seek Vote on Extending Arms Embargo on Iran at UN, Says Pompeo
06
August 2020
The
United Nations Security Council will vote next week on a US bid to extend an
international arms embargo on Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on
Wednesday, despite the warnings of some diplomats that the measure lacks
support.
The
arms embargo on Iran is currently set to end on October 18 under Tehran’s 2015
nuclear deal with world powers, which US President Donald Trump’s
administration quit in 2018.
The
US-drafted resolution needs at least nine votes in favor to force Russia and
China to use their vetoes, which Moscow and Beijing have signaled they will do.
Some diplomats question whether Washington can even secure those nine, however.
“The
United States will put forward a resolution in the Security Council to extend
the arms embargo on Iran,” Pompeo told reporters. “The proposal we put forward
is eminently reasonable. One way or another we will do the right thing. We will
ensure that the arms embargo is extended.”
If
the United States is unsuccessful in extending the embargo, it has threatened
to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran under a process agreed in the
2015 deal.
Such
a move would kill the deal, touted as a way to suspend Tehran’s suspected drive
to develop nuclear weapons. Washington argues it can trigger the sanctions because
a Security Council resolution still names it as a participant.
Iran
has breached parts of the nuclear deal in response to the US withdrawal and
Washington’s reimposition of sanctions.
“For
as long as Iran is allowed to enrich, we’re going to be having this discussion
-- how close is Iran to a nuclear breakout? ... We need to restore the UN
Security Council standard of no enrichment,” US Iran envoy Brian Hook told the
Aspen Security Forum, held virtually, earlier on Wednesday.
Iran
denies it is seeking to build a nuclear bomb.
Diplomats
say Washington would face a tough, messy battle if it tries to trigger a return
to sanctions.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app
The
United States would have to submit a complaint to the council, which would then
have to vote within 30 days on a resolution to continue Iran’s sanctions
relief. If such a resolution is not put forward by the deadline, sanctions
would be reimposed -- what is known as a snapback.
Some
diplomats have suggested the United States will submit its complaint by the end
of August to ensure the 30 days ends in September, before Russia takes the
monthly rotating council presidency in October.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/06/US-may-move-UN-to-extend-an-arms-embargo-on-Iran-says-Pompeo.html
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US
cargo plane lands in Israel in support of the regime's Iron Dome
05
August 2020
US
Army Futures Command has confirmed that a cargo plane has landed in Israel to
support the regime's so-called Iron Dome system.
The
Antonov An 225 arrived at Israel’s Ben-Gurion international airport on Monday
evening, carrying US military trucks to be equipped with Iron Dome air system.
“The
Iron Dome system will be used to defend US military troops against a wide range
of ballistic and aerial threats,” the Israeli military said.
The
measure followed the purchase of two Iron Dome batteries last year.
“The
Iron Dome will be assessed and experimented [with] as a system that is
currently available to protect deployed US military service members against a
wide variety of indirect fire threats and aerial threats,” the US army said at
the time.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the US decision as a “great
achievement for Israel” and “further proof of our solid bond with the US.”
American
firm Raytheon Technologies and Israeli-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
have reportedly formed a joint venture to build the Iron Dome missile system in
the United States.
The
Iron Dome has been co-developed by American company Raytheon and Israeli firm
Rafael. It is partly manufactured in the United States. It is claimed to be
capable of detecting, assessing and intercepting a variety of shorter-range
targets such as rockets, artillery and mortars.
The
system was originally developed to counter small rockets that Hamas and other
Palestinian resistance groups fired into Israeli occupied territories in
retaliation for the regime's crimes against Palestinians. However, it has
proven largely ineffective in serving that purpose.
Ever
since US President Donald Trump appeared in office, Israel has increased not
just grabbing land but also its militarization to further destabilize the
region.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/05/631170/US-cargo-plane-lands-in-Israel-in-support-of-Iron-Dome
--------
Europe
Pope
Francis calls for international prayer for Lebanon, victims of blast
05
August 2020
Pope
Francis called for the international community to pray for Lebanon and the
victims of the powerful warehouse explosion that shook the capital Beirut,
during his general audience on Wednesday (August 5).
“Let’s
pray for the victims and their families and let’s pray for Lebanon, so that
with the commitment of all its social, political and religious components, it
can confront such a tragic and painful moment, and, with the help of the
international community, overcome the grave crisis it is going through,” he
said.
Tuesday’s
(August 4) blast at port warehouses storing highly explosive material killed
100 people and injured nearly 4,000 in a toll that officials expected to rise.
It
was the most powerful in years in Beirut, already reeling from an economic
crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/08/05/Pope-Francis-calls-for-international-prayer-for-Lebanon-victims-of-blast.html
--------
Britain’s
Queen Elizabeth II ‘deeply saddened’ by Lebanon blast
05
August 2020
Britain’s
Queen Elizabeth II said in a message of condolence to the Lebanese president on
Wednesday that she was “deeply saddened” by the huge blast in the capital
Beirut that killed at least 100 people.
“Prince
Philip and I were deeply saddened by news. Our thoughts and prayers are with
the families and friends of those who have been injured or lost their lives,
and all those whose homes and livelihoods have been affected,” said the message
released by Buckingham Palace.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/05/Britain-s-Queen-Elizabeth-II-deeply-saddened-by-Lebanon-blast-.html
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/al-qaida-aspires-gain-hindu/d/122560