UP Anti-Terrorist Squad Convicts Islamic Scholar Umar Gautam, 15 Others of Religious Conversion Case of 2021
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 SEP 2024
The ATS had busted the conversion racket after the arrest of Maulana Umar Gautam, chairman of Islamic Da’wah Centre operated from Delhi’s Batla House locality, along with Mufti Kazi Jahangir Kasmi, an employee of the centre, on June 20, 2021. (Pic for representation)
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· UP Anti-Terrorist Squad Convicts Islamic Scholar Umar Gautam, 15 Others of Religious Conversion Case of 2021
· China, Future Muslim Imams Submitted to “Patriotic” Military Training
· Al Azhar University Suspends Professor Imam Ramadan for Fatwa Allowing Utility Theft
· In Sweden, The Far-Right Are Using Free Speech Laws to Attack Muslims
· Islamic World Will Do Whatever It Takes to Protect Haram Al Sharif, Al-Aqsa Mosque – Türkiye’s FM
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India
· Viral Video Falsely Shared As Muslim Youth Stabbing Hindu Girl in West Bengal
· "Identity Registration, Verification of Street Vendors Due for 20 Months": BJP Hit Out At HP Government Over Sanjauli Mosque Row
· Shimla Mosque Row: Security Beefed Up, Restrictions In Place Amid Hindu Groups' Call For Bandh
· Mirwaiz-led Muslim conglomerate writes to JPC against Waqf bill, cautions of protests in J&K
· 'Misleading Muslims': Union min Kiren Rijiju flays Zakir Naik's 'false propaganda' on Wafq bill
· J&K Assembly polls: Engineer Rashid gets bail till October 2, 'proxy' tag sticks
· BSF trooper injured as Pakistan violates ceasefire near LoC in Jammu
· Real Jamaat behind bars, says Mehbooba on candidates backed by banned outfit joining J&K election race
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South Asia
· IEA’s supreme leader emphasizes importance of unity to safeguard Islamic system
· No Afghan involved in September 11 attack, Shaheen
· Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa Visits Russia for International United Cultures Forum
· TAPI Project: Afghanistan celebrates a long-awaited dream come true
· Iran’s Interior Minister urges undocumented Afghan refugees to return home
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Arab World
· Arab League FMs Urge Enforcement of UN Court Decision On Occupied Palestinian Territory
· Saudi Arabia begins Chinese-language classes at schools
· Saudi Cabinet reviews efforts by Muslim, Arab countries toward establishing Palestinian state
· Saudi minister highlights ‘unprecedented’ environmental progress at Riyadh forum
· Saudi-Egyptian cooperation continues to maintain stability in the region, FM says
· Saudi embassy in Damascus reopens after 12-year closure
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Europe
· Former Oxford Islamic Scholar, Tariq Ramadan, Jailed For Rape In Switzerland
· Blackburn: Apology issued after man posts videos of mosque-goers
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Mideast
· EU fears Israeli-occupied West Bank becoming a ‘new Gaza’
· IDF conducts precision strike on Hamas command center embedded in Gaza's Al Farouq Mosque
· US Responsible for al-Mawasi Massacre: Islamic Jihad
· Jihad: Mawasi massacre war crime, US administration responsible
· Parched Iraqi Kurdistan town navigates regional water diplomacy
· Palestinians in Gaza see themselves as ‘zombies’: UN official
· Killing of US-Turkish citizen shows high price of expressing solidarity with Palestinians in occupied West Bank
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Pakistan
· Imran Backs KP CM, Calls Those Apologising For His Words ‘Cowards’
· Nawaz set to launch drive to ‘counter Imran’s popularity’
· Minister Musadik Malik reassures PPP as it fumes over Irsa law changes
· Govt notifies 137 names put on Fourth Schedule for alleged links to BLA, TTP
· PTI calls for countrywide protests on Sept 13th
· US to help Pakistan protect people from impact of climate change, says Blome
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New Zealand
· Christchurch Terror Attacks: Inquest Into Shooter's Firearms Licence To Begin Next Month
· Social media regulation needed to protect NZ's diverse communities - BSA research finds
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North America
· With Windows Shot Out Twice, Chicago Business Owners Believe They're Being Targeted ForMuslim Faith
· Anti-Muslim Extremist Laura Loomer Flew to Debate With Trump
· Lawsuit filed against UGA over alleged anti-Muslim discrimination
· US, UK conduct airstrikes against targets in Yemen for third consecutive day
· BC Muslims to host World Religions Conference in Prince George
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Africa
· Resurgent Islamists Stoke Fears of ‘Foreign Conspiracy’ Against Sudan
· Amnesty denounces eastern Libya ‘crackdown on critics’
· Vote counting underway in Jordan following parliamentary polls
· UN says warring parties in Sudan are disregarding international law
· Sudan’s Islamist coalition elects Karti as president
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Southeast Asia
· Penang Islamic Council Says Three-Quarters of Halal Certification Held By Companies Run By Non-Muslims
· 'Music Brings People Together': This Muslim Student Convinced Classmates To Join Band For Pope Francis' Visit
· Halal Certification Should Be A Choice, Not A Requirement For Non-Muslim Eateries, Says Indian Restaurants Owners Group
· Lawyers says ex-aide who previously accused PM Anwar arrested over guns and drugs
· PM Anwar’s two-day Sabah visit to spotlight Felda event and MA63 discussions
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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UP Anti-Terrorist Squad Convicts Islamic Scholar Umar Gautam, 15 Others of Religious Conversion Case Of 2021
The ATS had busted the conversion racket after the arrest of Maulana Umar Gautam, chairman of Islamic Da’wah Centre operated from Delhi’s Batla House locality, along with Mufti Kazi Jahangir Kasmi, an employee of the centre, on June 20, 2021. (Pic for representation)
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10.09.24
A special Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) court of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday convicted Umar Gautam and 15 others in connection with an illegal religious conversion case of 2021.
The court, while sending all the convicts to jail, summoned them on Wednesday to hear arguments on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to them, according to the order.
Mohammad Umar Gautam along with Mufti Qazi Jahangir Alam Qasmi were held from Delhi's Jamia Nagar on June 20, 2021, according to UP police.
They were allegedly running an outfit involved in converting students with hearing disabilities and poor people to Islam in Uttar Pradesh with suspected funding from Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, they said.
The arrests were made by the Uttar Pradesh ATS following the registration of an FIR in the case at Lucknow's ATS police station, a senior UP police officer had then said.
Gautam lived in the Batla House of Jamia Nagar in Delhi and had converted to Islam from Hinduism. During interrogation, he boasted to the police of having converted "at least 1,000 people to Islam", luring them with marriage, money and jobs, Director General of Police Prashant Kumar, who was at the time holding charge of the ATS also, had said.
The outfit they operated was named Islamic Da'wah Centre, having access to funds from Pakistan's ISI and other foreign agencies, Kumar had told reporters.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/anti-terrorist-squad-convicts-islamic-scholar-umar-gautam-15-others-of-religious-conversion/cid/2047141
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China, Future Muslim Imams Submitted to “Patriotic” Military Training
Military training at China Islamic Theological Seminary. From Weibo.
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09/11/2024
by Ma Wenyan
From September 2 to 9, at Beijing’s China Islamic Theological Seminary, students who train to become imams of Muslims communities throughout the country were submitted to one week of military training.
Mu Kefa, Vice President of the China Islamic Association and Executive Vice President of the China Islamic Theological Seminary, was present at the opening ceremony of the military training week and gave a speech.
Imam Muhati Remu Xirifu from Urumqi, Xinjiang, also a Vice President of both the China Islamic Association and the China Islamic Theological Seminary, along with other officials, attended the event.
Vice President Mu Kefa emphasized in his speech that military training for future imams is not only about physical witness and discipline. It is part of the great “patriotic education” campaign of domestic Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda, in which state-controlled religions are also asked to participate. It teaches religionists the importance of national defense, obedience to the CCP, and discipline.
During the opening ceremony, Vice President Mu Kefa handed the national flag to the students on behalf of the China Islamic Theological Seminary. Representatives from the Seminary Class of 2024 made a pledge of loyalty to the country and the CCP in front of all teachers and students.
Source:bitterwinter.org
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https:// bitterwinter.org /china-future-muslim-imams-submitted-to-patriotic-military-training/
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Al Azhar University Suspends Professor Imam Ramadan for Fatwa Allowing Utility Theft
Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt [Upyernoz/Flickr]
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September 10, 2024
Dubai: Al Azhar University has suspended Imam Ramadan, a professor at the Faculty of Education, following his issuance of a fatwa that purportedly legalised the theft of utilities such as electricity, water, and gas.
The university’s vice president, Mahmoud Siddiq, confirmed the suspension, noting that this marks the third disciplinary action against Ramadan.
According to Siddiq, the university has a consistent stance against any teachings that contravene Islamic principles. “Al Azhar never permits the theft of public money,” Siddiq stated, adding that “this fatwa is irresponsible and deviates from the teachings of Islam.”
The suspension follows a history of controversy surrounding Ramadan. In 2012, he was first investigated for failing to submit exam answer sheets. Most recently, in 2019, he faced imprisonment for coercing students to remove their pants under dubious educational pretexts.
Despite these past incidents, Ramadan had been reinstated at the university until this latest fatwa prompted new disciplinary measures.
In response to the fatwa, Egypt’s Dar El Ifta, a leading Islamic authority, reiterated that it is legally and morally forbidden to steal or utilise state utilities without paying the prescribed fees. The authority described such actions as a betrayal of trust and akin to theft, emphasizing the religious directive to obey rulers and state laws.
The controversy began when Imam Ramadan released a video suggesting that stealing utilities could be justified under specific religious interpretations, a stance that has been widely criticised and rejected by both religious and academic institutions in Egypt.
Source:gulfnews.com
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https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/al-azhar-university-suspends-professor-for-fatwa-allowing-utility-theft-1.104063589
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In Sweden, The Far-Right Are Using Free Speech Laws to Attack Muslims
Police initially banned two bids to burn the Quran but were overruled by the courts
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HAMZAH RIFAAT
SEPTEMBER 10, 2024
Late last month, Swedish prosecutors charged two residents of Iraqi origin for "agitation against an ethnic and national group" after they publicly burned the Quran in 2023.
Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem stand accused of desecrating the Quran, including burning it, while making derogatory remarks about Muslims at least four separate times, including outside a mosque in Stockholm.
The burnings resulted in a major global outcry and tainted the image of Sweden, a country known for promoting peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance.
Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio said the men must be charged after making statements and taking actions, many caught on video, in which "they treated the Quran in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith."
Deciding to prosecute these men is an important step, but does not address the real problem in Sweden, which is that Islamophobia is deeply entrenched in the country's political system, fabric and society.
Enshrining anti-Muslim sentiment
Sweden is a country where Islamophobia stems from the very top. Take leaders such as Sweden Democrat leader Jimme Akesson, who sparked a furore at his far-right party's congress last year when he urged the country to "stop turning a blind eye to Islamism."
He continued, "Start fighting, with all your might. Stop apologising. Are you on the side of Islamists, terrorists, and anti-democrats? Or are you on the side of democracy? On the side of the West? On the right side of history? You can't do both, there is no grey area in between, you can't be neutral in this. You must choose."
Though some of his racist comments have sparked condemnation from Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, no action has been taken against Akesson, and he remains part of the ruling coalition governing Sweden.
Akesson's SDP party has also previously called for the destruction of mosques and banning of Islamic symbols in the country. And they aren't alone.
Just this week, Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch, who hails from the Christian Democrats, a separate party, said at a political event that "Muslims who do not integrate in Sweden must leave." She also affirmed that the burning of religious scriptures is legal while calling for the deportation of Muslims.
It is hence clear that Islamophobia is prevalent across Sweden's political spectrum with zero accountability for those who make inflammatory, derogatory and racist remarks.
Lenient laws
The country's freedom of speech laws have also institutionalised, enabled and promoted Islamophobia. Chapter two of Article 21 of the Swedish constitution states that there will be no restrictions on freedom of expression regardless of religious, political, cultural or other opinions.
These laws are being taken advantage of to target the country's minority Muslim population. Many in the community already face widespread discrimination in society, including at work. This includes Muslim women being fired for wearing the hijab and an increase in hate crimes against Muslims this year.
Thus, Sweden's freedom of speech laws are essentially granting immunity to far-right bigots like Monika, who feel free to offend Muslims and fuel anti-Muslim bias and prejudice in Swedish society.
Rather than stand up for this vulnerable group however, PM Kristersson has chosen to defend his country's lack of restrictions on freedom of expression on subjects such as religion. He condemned last year's Quran burnings, but maintained that they were nevertheless legal.
This clearly shows that Sweden's ruling government is indifferent at best to acts that offend its Muslim population - and complicit at worst.
Notably, Muslims account for only about 7 percent of Sweden's population. However, contrary to the perception promoted by the Swedish far-right that this group is trying to take over the country, their numbers are not growing.
Even the judicial system is largely apathetic towards Muslims. In the aftermath of the 2023 Quran burnings for example, Swedish courts initially ruled that the law enforcement authorities cannot stop the burnings of holy books as the act is protected by the constitution's so-called freedom of speech laws.
However, faced with increased pressure from the international community and violent protests against its diplomatic missions in places such as Baghdad, Swedish prosecutors eventually decided to prosecute them.
Changing these laws would also require a vote in parliament, which is unlikely. The ruling coalition relies on parties such as the Sweden Democrats for its survival, who would scuttle such a vote or any attempts to cater to Muslim sentiments.
Cover for the far-right
While Sweden doesn't do enough to protect its Muslim minority, its laws go quite far in helping far-right demagogues who push the envelope on freedom of speech. Consider the case of Danish-Swedish lawyer, Rasmus Paludan, head of the Stram Kurs party.
Stram Kurs, which is a fringe party in Sweden, espouses white supremacist, anti-immigrant and anti-Islam views. Paludan was also responsible for the 2022 riots in Sweden in which he planned to burn the Quran.
He has previously been convicted over racism against black South Africans and posting anti- Islam videos on his party’s social media channels He was also convicted of making derogatory statements against a Somali woman in 2021. But in both cases, his punishment was light to non-existent.
Paludan was allowed by Swedish authorities to carry on with his Quran burning acts in 2022 and 2023, though he was eventually charged in absentia for burning the Quran. His Stram Kurs party has also not been banned in Sweden or Denmark.
In essence, the problem is that far-right bigotry stems from the very top in Sweden, which provides a conducive environment for figures such as Paludan to offend Muslims. Meanwhile, members of the ruling coalition including Jimmie Akesson have openly called for a blanket ban on Muslim immigrants building new mosques and for existing mosques to be destroyed.
Yet such statements have not been met with action from the PM beyond condemnation. This clearly suggests that Islamophobia is normalised in Swedish politics.
The "otherisation" of Muslims in Sweden is visible in all walks of life, and prosecuting the perpetrators of the Quran burning will not address the larger problem.
Clearly, Sweden cannot address its own hypocrisy by putting bigots and blasphemers on trial. While important, the government itself is guilty of promoting a culture of impunity for Islamophobia and tolerating the demonisation of Muslims as part of mainstream political discourse.
Source:trtworld.com
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https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/in-sweden-the-far-right-are-using-free-speech-laws-to-attack-muslims-18206078
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Islamic World Will Do Whatever It Takes to Protect Haram Al Sharif, Al-Aqsa Mosque – Türkiye’s FM
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is expected to underline the significance of Palestine and other critical regional matters during the summit in Cairo. / Photo: AA
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September 10, 2024
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that the Islamic world will do “whatever it takes” to protect “the Islamic identity" of al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites for Muslims.
“The Muslim world will do whatever it takes to preserve the Islamic identity of Haram al Sharif with the same spirit,” said Fidan on Tuesday during his address at the 162nd meeting of the Arab League’s Council of Foreign Ministers.
“We will continue our joint action to put pressure on the international community to reject Israel's actions."
Haram al Sharif is also known as al Aqsa Mosque, which has seen multiple intrusions from far-right Israeli leaders in recent months.
Fidan warned those supporting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying that they are accomplices to the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
"They will also be held accountable."
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also urged the leaders of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to meet at the leadership level “without further delay” to help defend Jerusalem against Israel’s ongoing attacks.
Strengthening relations
Türkiye's relationship with the Arab League has evolved significantly since its official inception in 2003, marked by several key milestones.
A notable moment occurred in October 2023 when Türkiye’s then-foreign minister visited Cairo and met with the Arab League Secretary General, reaffirming Türkiye’s dedication to strengthening ties with the Arab world.
Further discussions took place in February 2024 in Ankara, where Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz met Arab League Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Hossam Zaki, who also participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
The formal engagement began with a Memorandum of Understanding in 2004 and was further cemented by the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum Framework Agreement in 2007.
In a notable high-level interaction, then-Prime Minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the Arab League’s council opening session in 2011, highlighting Türkiye’s strong commitment to Arab world diplomacy and reinforcing the enduring partnership between Türkiye and the Arab League.
Source:trtworld.com
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https://www.trtworld.com/content/article/islamic-world-will-do-whatever-it-takes-to-protect-haram-al-sharif-fidan-18205974
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India
Viral Video Falsely Shared As Muslim Youth Stabbing Hindu Girl in West Bengal
10 Sept 2024
By - Anmol Alphonso
A video showing a young boy stab a school girl in Belgharia, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, is being shared with the false and communal claim that the accused is a Muslim. BOOM reached out to Belgharia Police who dismissed the viral claim stating that both the accused and victim are Hindu. Post falsely claims Hindu girl stabbed by Muslim youth The video is being shared on Facebook and Instagram with the same communal claim. The video was posted on Instagram by @naziaelahikhan_ with the caption, "Just watch how A Muslim boy stabbed a Hindu girl in broad daylight!! *Hindus are not SAFE under Mamata Raj!* Shocking!! Situation is horrible in WB. Will soon spread to Kolkata and rest of neihbouring states as well, where infiltrated Muslims from BD/Myanmar are being pushed from Bengal with paid Adhar/Voter ID/ and Ration Cards++ so keep voting TMC, to see more!! This can happen anytime with me too @MamataOfficial @KolkataPolice kindly take proper legal action, West Bengal is not Islamic state kindly understand @kolkata_police100"
FACT-CHECK: Stabbing Incident Given False Communal Spin BOOM found that the accused youth in the viral video seen stabbing the victim are both from the same community. News reports on stabbing incident identity the accused We broke the video into keyframes and ran a reverse image search using Google Lens which results showed news reports from this month where the accused has been identified as Abhijit Dutta who had stabbed a 14 year old girl. Dutta, a young man from Prafulla Nagar in Belgharia, attacked a 14-year-old girl in broad daylight on September 4, 2024, stabbing her at least three times with a sharp weapon after she allegedly slapped him in response to a lewd comment he made reported The Times Of India on September 5, 2024. The report further addd that her mother was also injured while trying to protect her. The class 12 student, who suffered serious injuries to her shoulders, neck, and head, was admitted to a private hospital and underwent surgery. The news report below has the same visuals as in the viral video
Source:boomlive.in
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https://www.boomlive.in/fact-check/fake-news-video-muslim-man-stabbing-hindu-school-girl-love-jihad-factcheck-26424
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"Identity Registration, Verification of Street Vendors Due for 20 Months": BJP Hit Out At HP Government Over Sanjauli Mosque Row
Sep 11, 2024
Shimla
LoP and BJP leader Jairam Thakur hit out at the Congress government and said that since this government has come into power, they haven't initiated the process of identity registration and verification of street vendors. Thakur further said that the due process has filled the streets with unknown people whose backgrounds are unavailable. "If you are talking about street vendors, we brought a policy that all street vendors are welcome but they have to go through the process of identity registration and verification. It's been 20 months since the formation of Congress government, but Congress has stopped this activity for the last 20 months. The streets are filled with people about whom no one knows who they are and where hey came from, we don't have their background. This situation is result of these circumstances only," said Jairam Thakur on Tuesday. As Shimla (/topic/shimla) is witnesing protest (/topic/protest)s on Wednesday against the alleged illegal construction of the Mosque, Jairam Thakur urged people to peacefully demonstrateand said it is the government's responsibility to maintain the law and order in the state. Speaking to ANI, LoP Thakur said, "Himachal is a peaceful state and there has never been a tension related to any community but the situation is moving in that direction. The situation has worsened due to the recent incident. The government doesn't work on time. Now, as demonstration has been called, it is the responsibility of the current government to 9/11/24, 11:10 AM "Identity registration, verification of street vendors due for 20 months": BJP's Jairam Thakur hit out at govt over Sanjauli mosque r… https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/identity-registration-verification-of-street-vendors-due for-20-months-bjps-jairam-thakur-hit-out-at-govt-ov… 3/7 maintain the law and order. I urge people to demonstrate peacefully as it is their right but shouldn't do anything which can lead to any kind of disharmony or loss of public properties in the state." Citing the heated debate of Himachal Pradesh (/topic/himachal-pradesh) Vidhan Sabha, Thakur accused Congress of scolding Minister Anirudh Singh over his statement in the assembly on Sanjauli mosque (/topic/sanjauli-mosque). Thakur also said that it was their minister (Anirudh Singh) who initially said that the construction of the Sanjauli mosque (/topic/sanjaulimosque) is illegal and unauthorised, and a lot of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have come to the state. "Their minister raised the (mosque) issue in the Assembly. He said that this (mosque) is illegal and unauthorised. He said that a lot of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have come here. When he said these things, the matter reached to the high commission of Congress and they instructed to remove him from he ministry. He was scolded for this but if he has raised a concern from his area which has truth, then we cannot shut our eyes against it. Today, I can see that the Chief Minister and the minister are saying something else," said Thakur. Hoping for immediate action on the case, Thakur said, "When I raised the issue in the assembly, they are presenting it as an unauthorised issue and saying that thousands such cases are pending in the state. They are trying to treat this case as similar to others. I believe this case should be treated otherwise and there should be a legal actions and procedures taken on this case, that too immediately." The matter is listed in the Municipal Commissioner's court in Shimla (/topic/shimla). The next hearing of the case has been scheduled on October 5. (ANI)
Source:aninews.in
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https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/identity-registration-verification-of-street-vendors-due-for-20-months-bjps-jairam-thakur-hit-out-at-govt-over-sanjauli-mosque-row20240911105651/
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Shimla Mosque Row: Security Beefed Up, Restrictions In Place Amid Hindu Groups' Call For Bandh
11 September 2024
Tensions continued to escalate in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla over the alleged illegal construction of a mosque in Sanjauli, with Hindu right groups calling for a bandh and administration imposing prohibitory orders in the locality.
The Shimla district administration issued restricting orders under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) Section 163 that bars the assembly of five or more persons without permission and carrying of lethal weapons, arms, including lathis, daggers, sticks, spears, and swords.
The protests over the "illegal" mosque erupted last week as Hindu right groups staged a massive demonstration at Chaura Maidan near the Vidhan Sabha in Shimla, demanding the demolition of the structure.
The Shimla Mosque Row
Security Beefed Up
Security was beefed up in Shimla's Sanjauli on Wednesday morning as some Hindu right groups called for a bandh, demanding the demolition of what they said was an unauthorised construction in the mosque and registration of outsiders coming to the state.
SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi asked people to maintain peace and said, "We held meetings with the stakeholders and are hopeful that the protest would be peaceful."
Earlier, DGP Atul Verma had said that forces had been deployed in strength, adding that police are keeping a watch on the situation.
Shimla Mosque Row: Security Beefed Up, Restrictions In Place Amid Hindu Groups' Call For Bandh
"It is a local dispute and the Shimla district administration, municipal corporation and SP (superintendent of police) are diffusing the situation with the help of other departments," Verma had told media persons.
He said that intelligence inputs are being gathered, vigil is being kept on anti-social elements and violation of law will be investigated. He said that the law will take its own course, adding that the registration of outsiders is a continuous process which is going on.
Prohibitory Orders In Place
In wake of the growing tensions in the region, the Shimla administration imposed prohibitory orders in Sanjauli under BNSS, barring the assembly of five or more persons and carrying of any dangerous weapons or arms.
The order said that any public rally, procession without permission and demonstrations strikes including hunger strike, dharna, slogan shouting in public places causing obstruction to roads, highways, footpath and normal movement of traffic and carrying of any kind of inflammable objects to be burnt by any individual or group of persons at any public place, roads and places of worship or prayers are also prohibited.
The restrictions will be in effect in the entire Sanjauli area from Wednesday 7 am to 11:59 pm.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had said that the issue should not be politicised, adding that, "Maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the government. People have the right to protest peacefully but there should be no damage to anyone from any community."
He said that all communities are respected in Himachal and the Vidhan Sabha speaker has constituted a committee to form rules for venders' policy as the conflict arose from a minor dispute.
Sukhu said that as far as the mosque is concerned, the case of unauthorised or illegal construction of some floors is being dealt with by the court of Municipal Corporation, adding that the law would take its own course and requests would be made for an early decision in this matter.
Demands Of Hindu Right Groups
The Hindu right groups staged a massive protest last week near the Vidhan Sabha at the Chaura Maidan, demanding demolition of the alleged "illegal" mosque in the Sanjauli area.
Hindu Jagran Manch's Himachal unit president Kamal Gautam had said that their demands include the demolition of the "illegal structures" where outsiders are coming in the state take shelter besides abolishing the Waqf Board and registration of outsiders.
Devi Bhumi Kshatriya Sangathan president Rumit Singh Thakur, who called "sanatanis" to assemble in Shimla, noting that people from across the state responded and showed "Sanatan unity".
What Political Leaders Said
CM Sukhu had asserted that everyone have the right to protest, saying that there is respect for all religions.
Meanwhile, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh said that the mosque is built on government land and the matter has been sub judice for the past 14 years. He asserted that the matter is not religion, rather that of legal and illegal.
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh had said that there will be no laxity in dealing against any encroachers. "Nobody is above law and whatever action is taken will be under the parameters of the law, whether it is by the municipal corporation or police," he said.
Source:outlookindia.com
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https://www.outlookindia.com/national/shimla-mosque-row-security-sanjauli-prohibitory-orders-bandh-today-hindu-groups-himachal
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Mirwaiz-led Muslim conglomerate writes to JPC against Waqf bill, cautions of protests in J&K
By HT Correspondent
, Srinagar
Sep 11, 2024
Muttaheda Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU) Jammu and Kashmir, a conglomerate of some 46 various religious bodies and Islamic education institutions led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Tuesday wrote to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) urging to reject the proposed amendments to Waqf Act, 1995 calling them against the interest of the Muslim community.
The conglomerate cautioned that muslims of Jammu and Kashmir will protest if the authorities go ahead with the amendments terming it as an “assault on our religious institutions”.
“We want to make it clear that the Muslim majority region of Jammu and Kashmir feels very strongly about these amendments to the Waqf Act, seeing it as another attempt at undermining our religious freedom and the autonomy of our institutions. If these amendments are not rejected Muslims of JK will protest it as they see it as an assault on our religious institutions,” said a letter by MMU to JPC chairman on Waqf Amendment Bill, Jagdambika Pal.
On August 08, the central government proposed a Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 triggering protests and concerns from several opposition members pointing out the bill’s potential impact on the federal structure and its “encroachment on religious autonomy”. The government claimed that the bill will benefit ordinary muslims including women and children. After the backlash, the Centre proposed sending the bill to a joint parliamentary committee before which the bill is now under consideration.
Mirwaiz, who is the patron of MMU and chief priest of Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, in the letter expressed “our serious and deep concern regarding the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act”.
“We believe that these amendments are completely against the interests of the Muslim community and also violate the universally accepted fundamental rights of communities. Waqf properties are personal properties dedicated by Muslims in the name of God for the benefit of their society and to help the underprivileged. Such religo-social institutions warrant least interference from the state. But the Govt proposed Amendments clearly indicate an attempt at controlling this institution, making its motives suspect,” it said.
The bill aims to restrict the power of Waqf boards to manage its properties and provides for more government regulation. The bill proposes to make registration with the District Collector’s Office mandatory for any Waqf property, so that the property can be evaluated. The district collector will be the arbiter to decide whether a property is waqf property or government land and the decision shall be final.
“ The collector has been given absolute power to change the nature of the waqf properties into ‘Government properties’… This action seeks to undermine the very purpose of the Waqf Act, which is to protect and preserve the properties dedicated to religious and charitable purposes by the Muslim community members,” the letter by MMU said seeking time from the JPC for a meeting.
“Another major concern is the reduction of Muslim representation and increase in the number of Non-Muslim representation up-to 13 in central Waqf council and seven in State Waqf Boards and the arbitrary mandate given to them. Earlier all members except one were Muslim and they were elected,” it said.
The letter said that the bill’s proposal of removal of “Waqf by user” not only “violates the principles of Waqf but will aggravate communal claims over Mosques and other Waqfs such as Madrasas, Darghas, Astans and Qabristans existing for centuries but not recorded as such in revenue records making it open to litigation and illegal appropriation by the State authorities”.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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'Misleading Muslims': Union min Kiren Rijiju flays Zakir Naik's 'false propaganda' on Wafq bill
Sep 10, 2024,
NEW DELHI: Union minister of parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday tore into controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik for peddling false "propaganda" on the Wafq amendment bill. Taking strong exception to the fugitive Islamic scholar's call to reject the bill, the union minister sternly warned against "misleading" the Indian Muslims from abroad.
The scathing rebuttal by the Union minister came on the back of a controversial social media post by Zakir Naik, where he called on Indian Muslims to "Save Indian Waqf properties, reject the Waqf Amendment Bill." The Islamic preacher in his social media post said, “This is an urgent call to the Muslims in India to stop this evil which breaches the sacred status of Waqf and has evil repercussions on the future of Islamic institutions.”
The fugitive Islamic scholar also shared a link of a QR code scan, webiste address and asked the Muslim community to to register their objections with the Joint Parliamentary Committee. “At least 5 million Muslims of India should send their rejection of the Waqf Amendment Bill. We will be held accountable if we do not prevent the Waqf properties from being taken away from the Ummah,” he added.
"Say no to the Waqf Amendment Bill."
However, the Union minister who deemed this post as an attempt to meddle in India's democratic affairs spared no words to caution the Islamic preacher. “Please do not mislead the innocent Muslims from outside our country. India is a democratic country and people have the right to their own opinion,” Rijiju wrote.
“False propaganda will lead to wrong narratives,” Union minister added.
The Waqf Amendment Bill, introduced to reform the management of Waqf properties, faced opposition from certain quarters of both the opposition and coalition partners during the recent parliamentary session. As a result, it was sent for broader consultation.
Since then, the bill has been reviewed by the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The committee's chairman, Jagdambika Pal has stressed that they are actively discussing ideas and recommendations to draft a bill that will benefit the poor, women, children, and the minority community as a whole.
Source:indiatimes.com
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J&K Assembly polls: Engineer Rashid gets bail till October 2, 'proxy' tag sticks
Muzaffar Raina
11.09.24
A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail till October 2 to Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, to allow him to campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls.
Engineer, who faces a daunting task to salvage his reputation in the Valley as much as carve a distinct political space for his party, finds himself at the cusp of a challenge even before he sets foot in Kashmir. While Valley-based parties see him as the new BJP “proxy”, his supporters believe he is an iron-jawed icon of Kashmir resistance.
And if jail has turned him into a hero of sorts, his freedom is threatening to unravel that image — going by the attacks he is facing from former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. Engineer’s Awami Ittehaad Party (AIP) has denied the allegation that he is working at the behest of the BJP.
Additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh granted Engineer bail on his plea for interim relief to campaign for the three-phase polls beginning September 18.
On July 5, the court had granted Engineer custody parole to take oath as a member of the Lok Sabha. The court has reserved for Wednesday its order on his application for regular bail.
Rashid’s son Abrar, who had campaigned for his jailed father during the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year in which he defeated Omar, welcomed the decision. There were celebrations at his home in Langate, Kupwara, after the bail order. “It is not Engineer sahab’s victory alone, but of all the people,” Abrar said.
Things, however, seem not so rosy for Engineer this time as he is battling allegations of being a BJP “proxy” unlike the last time.
PDP chief Mehbooba on Tuesday told a large election rally in Pulwama that parents of poor detainees were not allowed to even meet them in jail, but “some jailed men are allowed to contest and campaign”.
“They (AIP workers) are even free to attack our men. They attacked (PDP candidate) Yawar Banday. Instead of the police taking action against them, the Election Commission has sent notice to our candidate. This proves what is the matter with those contesting from jails,” she said.
There was a scuffle between PDP and AIP activists recently in which Banday was injured.
Omar said voting for the AIP and other alleged proxies was the same as voting for the BJP.
“Home minister Amit Shah recently said that they are ready to form a government with the AIP, PC (Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference) and other parties. If people want to help the BJP, they should vote for these parties,” he said.
Rashid was arrested in August 2019 in a terror funding case and he had failed to get bail in the past despite several attempts.He is lodged in Tihar jail.
As a member of the Assembly, Rashid was accused of harbouring separatist views when he batted for the right to self-determination for Jammu and Kashmir and moved a resolution seeking clemency for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
He won the 2024 parliamentary poll riding high on a sympathy wave — with slogans like “Jail ka badla jail se lenge (We will avenge jail with votes)” — from Baramulla by defeating heavyweights Omar and Lone by big margins.
Engineer’s impending release has been preceded by public claims by Omar and Mehbooba that he is a “proxy” of the dispensation at the Centre.
That is a far cry from July when Omar was roasted for sharing an article that suggested Engineer’s win “will empower secessionists” and give “Kashmir’s defeated Islamist movement a renewed sense of hope”.
Last week, Omar was the first to raise the red flag after jailed separatist Sarjan Barkati filed nomination papers from Ganderbal and Beerwah. Omar is contesting from Ganderbal and is rumoured to be eyeing Beerwah as well. He alleged that Delhi was fielding jailed politicians to ensure his defeat.
Mehbooba had on Monday claimed that all parties and Independents other than her PDP, National Conference and the Congress were government proxies, warning people not to vote for them.
She said they were fielded after the government’s alleged proxies (like Lone’s Peoples Conference and Bukhari’s Apni Party) faced a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.
The impending elections have been rocked by a series of other controversies. The government has allowed the separatist Jamat-e-Islami, a banned organisation, to field candidates, while the kin of several other separatists are also in the fray.
An NC leader said if Engineer’s party performed well, it would be a recipe for disaster. “It is an advantage to the BJP. All his men are contesting as Independents and will be prone to poaching if they win,” the leader said, requesting anonymity.
BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur denied the allegation that Engineer was the party’s proxy. He said Omar considered anybody challenging him a BJP agent.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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BSF trooper injured as Pakistan violates ceasefire near LoC in Jammu
September 11, 2024
BSFOne BSF personnel sustained injuries in Pakistani firing,” a spokesperson of the border guarding force said. (Express Archives/ Representational Photo)
A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel was injured early Wednesday when Pakistani troops opened fire on Indian positions along the border, officials told news agency PTI.
The incident occurred at around 2:35 am in the Akhnoor area, which was responded to by the BSF. One BSF personnel sustained injuries in Pakistan firing and now troops are on high alert, the BSF spokesperson added.
While the Pakistani casualties remain unclear, the injured BSF soldier currently being treated. According to a BSF spokesperson, Indian forces are maintaining high alert and closely monitoring both the International Border and the Line of Control.
India and Pakistan, in February 2021, had reaffirmed their ceasefire agreement following which these incidents had become rare. However, last year, a BSF jawan was killed in a similar attack by Pakistani Rangers in the Ramgarh sector — the first fatality in over three years.
This comes at a time when Jammu and Kashmir has been gearing up for Assembly elections, its first in 10 years. While the first phase of the elections is on September 18, the second phase is on September 25, followed by the third phase on October 1.
The Army has been working on strengthening its counter-infiltration grid by redeploying its troops, including along the LoC fence, in Temporary Operating Bases (TOBs) in the higher reaches as well as in forests and mountains, where intense search operations would be carried out, officials aware of the plans had told The Indian Express.
This is aimed at destabilising terrorists by disrupting their hideouts and drawing them into contact, as well as denying them access to population centres. Around 300 additional companies of central armed paramilitary forces have been deployed for the first phase of the elections and this would be stationed in towns and hinterlands for the protection of booths, candidates and the voting population.
The troops are deployed along the LoC, LoC fence, and the permanent operating bases round the year and operations are carried out regularly. However, the intensity of operations will be raised and a larger number of TOBs will be established in specific vulnerable areas as part of enhanced security measures during the polls.
As part of the preparations, Route Opening Parties will also step up operations, and more check posts, including mobile vehicle ones, will come up at population centres and roads. Drones will be deployed for increased surveillance and area domination. Surveillance has already been stepped up as regards activities of known overground workers.
Source:indianexpress.com
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Real Jamaat behind bars, says Mehbooba on candidates backed by banned outfit joining J&K election race
Bashaarat Masood
September 11, 2024
pdp, Srinagar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024, Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, Indian express news, current affairsMufti praised the people of south Kashmir for changing the "system" and giving Jammu and Kashmir a political alternative in the form of the PDP.
Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday said she will continue to talk about Kashmir “till the Kashmir issue resurrects”.
She was addressing an election rally in south Kashmir’s Pulwama that goes to polls in the first phase of elections on September 18.
“They (referring to the National Conference) say we have to make a government to macadamise the roads,” she said, addressing a large crowd at Chandgam in Pulwama to campaign for the party candidates for Pulwama and Rajpora assembly constituencies.
“I am saying that we have to become the voice of those youth, who are in graveyards, of those women who have become widows, of the children who have become orphans. We have to keep their voice alive,” she said.
“We have to talk on the Kashmir issue till the Kashmir issue resurrects,” she said to applause.
Mufti said that New Delhi is saying that the Kashmir issue has ended, but she does not agree. “I am saying that the Kashmir issue is alive till our martyrs are sleeping in our graveyards, till our widows and orphans are in our homes,” she said.
On candidates backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami joining the electoral fray, Mufti said the “real Jamaat” is behind the bars.
“The Jamaat-e-Islami schools were banned, the houses of its members were locked and their orchards were seized. And then they broke it like they split the PDP,” she said. “It is difficult to understand, one candidate says I am the Jamaat candidate, the other says, no I am the real Jamaat candidate. But the real Jamaat-e-Islami is in jail, the NIA and ED are after them. All the agencies are after them.”
She said that if New Delhi is sincere, then the Jamaat should join the electoral process and authorities should lift the ban on it. “If the Delhi government really wants the Jamaat to be part of democratic setup, lift the ban on them,” she said. “Return them to their orchards. The threats through NIA and ED will not work.”
Mufti praised the people of south Kashmir for changing the “system” and giving Jammu and Kashmir a political alternative in the form of the PDP. “The people of south Kashmir, especially Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Islamabad, gave 16 members to PDP and showed us the path to the government in 2002,” she said. “You changed the system in Jammu and Kashmir, you ended suppression in Kashmir, you ended POTA and disbanded the (Special) Task Force (of J-K Police). You made a new beginning by giving your vote to the PDP.”
She said that her party reciprocated the mandate by giving an Islamic University and an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to Pulwama.
Mufti said the people have to decide whom to vote for. “On one side, you have a party that says we should get to power by any means. They are apologising with folded hands because they know that Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) sahib has given an alternative to the people in the form of PDP and if they do anything wrong, people will go to PDP,” she said.
Source:indianexpress.com
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South Asia
IEA’s supreme leader emphasizes importance of unity to safeguard Islamic system
September 10, 2024
The Islamic Emirate’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada visited northern, northeastern and northwestern provinces of the country recently and met with officials, religious scholars, and ethnic elders where he emphasized the importance of unity among the people.
He said if there is no justice, the system will not survive, Arg quoted him as saying in a statement.
“If there is oppression, terror, personal orders and the powerful person is not held accountable, poor people are held accountable and things are mediated and justice is not applied, this system will not remain,” said Akhundzada.
He also stressed the need for unity and solidarity among the people in Badghis, Faryab, Jawzjan, Sar-e-Pul, Balkh, Samangan, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces in another meeting with officials, religious scholars, and tribal elders.
Hamdullah Fitrat, IEA’s deputy spokesman, stated that Akhundzada asked the meeting participants to work for unity among the country's ethnic groups.
Source:ariananews.af
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No Afghan involved in September 11 attack, Shaheen
September 11, 2024
H ead of the Islamic Emir ate Political Office in Doha of Qatar and former Deputy Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate in Islamabad Mohammad Suhail Shaheen said that no Afghan had been involved in the September 11 deadly incident. “I was the deputy ambassador of the Islamic Emirate in Islamabad when the incident (9/11) happened. At that time, the Islamic Emirate condemned in the possible strongest term the attack and asked for the incident to be impartially and comprehensively investigated to identify the main elements behind it,” Shaheen told The Kabul Times. The American authorities pointed the finger at the Islamic Emirate for being behind the attack, but it was incorrect and if it was true then why the U.S. failed to prevent the incident prior to be happened, the head of Qatar-based IEA political office blamed. “It was an empty claim and accusation by the Americans and a warning of war that finally started attacking Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. But we said the war may last long, but they [the Americans] finally face defeat and leave Afghanistan,” Shaheen added. The Deputy Minister of Information and Culture for Publication Affairs and Deputy Herat Governor, Mawlavi Hayatullah Muhajer Farahi also said that September 11 was a U.S. internal issue but linked it to the Islamic Emirate and some people are still suspected by the U.S. The September 11 attacks, known as 9/11, had been reportedly carried out in 2001, where the hijackers crashed the first two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and aimed the next two flights toward targets in or near Washington, D.C., in an attack on the nation’s capital. According to reports, the third team succeeded in striking the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense in Arlington Country, Virginia, while the fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania during a passenger revolt. The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people, making it the deadliest in history. In response to the attacks, the United States waged a multi-decade global war to eliminate hostile groups deemed terrorist organizations, as well as the foreign governments purported to support them, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and several other countries. Nik Mohammad Nikmal
Source:thekabultimes.com
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Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa Visits Russia for International United Cultures Forum
2024-09-10
KABUL(BNA(: Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa, the Acting Minister of Information and Culture of the Islamic Emirate, has officially arrived in Russia for a cultural event. Invited by the Russian government,
Minister Khairkhwa will participate in the International United Cultures Forum, taking place from September 11 to September 14 in St Petersburg.
The forum aims to promote international cultural collaboration and exchange, bringing together representatives from various nations to discuss and celebrate cultural diversity.
Further details regarding the forum’s agenda and Minister Khairkhwa’s specific engagements will be closely monitored as the event progresses.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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TAPI Project: Afghanistan celebrates a long-awaited dream come true
By Fidel Rahmati
September 11, 2024
The TAPI project is resuming in Afghanistan, with the first phase starting in Herat province. This marks a significant milestone for the regional gas pipeline.
Senior Afghan officials have traveled to Herat to inaugurate the TAPI project. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11.
The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline was developed by Galkynysh–TAPI Pipeline Company Limited and supported by the Asian Development Bank.
Leaders from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan signed the pipeline deal in December 2002, and the ADB’s feasibility study was completed in 2005.
The U.S. strongly supports TAPI, viewing it as a way for Central Asia to export energy to Western markets without depending on Russian routes.
The project aims to transport gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. Construction started in Turkmenistan in 2015 and in Afghanistan in 2018.
TAPI represents an opportunity for Afghanistan to create jobs and generate revenue while enhancing its political and economic relations with regional and global partners.
The TAPI project promises to bolster Afghanistan’s economy and international standing, showcase its capability to manage large-scale initiatives and foster regional cooperation. This project contrasts sharply with the stagnation and corruption of previous regimes.
Source:khaama.com
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Iran’s Interior Minister urges undocumented Afghan refugees to return home
By Fidel Rahmati
September 10, 2024
Iran’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Eskandar Momeni, has reiterated his call for the deportation of undocumented Afghan refugees.
He stated that they should return to Afghanistan to help reconstruct the country.
Momeni emphasized that under the “Organization of Asylum Seekers” plan, refugees without residency permits will be deported from Iran. He expressed that the current situation is untenable for Tehran.
The minister further declared that Iran will no longer accept asylum seekers. He stressed that Afghan citizens in Iran are expected to return to their homeland and contribute to its rebuilding.
Following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled to neighbouring countries, including Iran and Pakistan.
Pakistan has intensified its deportation efforts since late last year, sending thousands of refugees back to Afghanistan. The UNHCR estimated that about three million Afghan refugees were living in Iran late last year.
In light of the forced deportations, the situation for Afghan refugees remains dire. Many face extreme poverty and humanitarian crises upon their return. The international community is urged to address these urgent needs and support those displaced by ongoing conflict and instability.
Source:khaama.com
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Arab World
Arab League FMs urge enforcement of UN court decision on occupied Palestinian territory
September 11, 2024
CAIRO: The Arab League’s foreign ministers have urged the international community to enforce the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion declaring Israel’s settlements illegal in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
At the conclusion of their discussions on Tuesday at the 162nd Ministerial Meeting of the Arab League Council in Cairo, the ministers said Israel must cease its illegal presence and all settlement activities, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They called on the UN General Assembly and Security Council to consider additional measures to end Israel’s illegal occupation.
The ministers also urged the ICJ to expedite its judgment on the case brought by South Africa against Israel, which accuses Tel Aviv of failing to abide by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
They said Israel’s expulsion of the Palestinian people from their land constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
It was also a declaration of war and aggression against Arab nations, undermines peace prospects, and exacerbates conflict in the region.
They called on the UN to suspend Israel from participating in its general assembly, SPA reported.
This was because of Israel’s “non-compliance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, its threat to international peace and security, and its failure to fulfill its obligations that were a condition for its admission to the United Nations.”
They also slammed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor, which they said were obstructing efforts for a ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners and hostages.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia begins Chinese-language classes at schools
HAIFA ALSHAMMARI
September 10, 2024
RIYADH: Chinese-language instruction has begun at the country’s schools to equip young people with valuable linguistic skills and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the Asian nation’s culture.
The language is being taught to primary and middle school students.
According to reports, 175 educators are teaching Mandarin in Saudi Arabia, aligning with an education agreement signed by the two countries last year.
The ministry has stated that young Saudi Arabia students will improve their chances to find jobs or pursue studies at prestigious Chinese universities.
Hanan Alharbi, a Saudi mother from Riyadh, said she was “very positive” about the ministry’s decision because it was an “important step toward promoting global culture and providing students with new and useful language skills, especially since the teachers are Chinese.”
The decision is in line with China’s growing importance in the global economy and the thriving trade and economic ties between the two nations.
A Chinese mother from Tianjin, Taotao Wang, said: “We see this as a positive development. For us, it means sharing the cultural classics of the Chinese civilization beyond our borders.
“For Saudi Arabia, it helps to remove barriers to effective communication between our two nations. This cultural exchange is about finding beauty in our differences and growing together.”
Alice Xiong, a teacher from Guangdong province in China, told Arab News she saw it as a “win-win” situation.
“Saudi Arabia is an energetic country with a lot of young people. There are more and more Chinese people who do business and travel in Saudi Arabia … teaching the Chinese language in schools will make communication easy and direct for both country’s young people.”
She said Arabic was now being taught in China.
“Arabic courses are widely available in Chinese universities, and many international secondary schools also have Arabic teachers. I hope that cultural and commercial exchanges between the two countries will get better and better,” she said.
The ministry said it selected several schools to pilot the language program before gradually expanding the curriculum to include instruction up to the third secondary grade by the year 2029.
This phased approach will allow the ministry to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and make necessary adjustments.
The Kingdom’s Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan recently highlighted the government’s significant investment in the sector in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Cabinet reviews efforts by Muslim, Arab countries toward establishing Palestinian state
September 10, 2024
RIYADH: The Saudi Cabinet reviewed efforts by Muslim and Arab countries to support the establishment of a Palestinian state, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
It also reviewed efforts to restore the Palestinians’ legitimate rights and and halt Israeli violations of international and humanitarian laws.
The Cabinet also praised the efforts of the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan Group to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, expand the delivery of humanitarian aid, and work toward a ceasefire agreement.
The group is made up of countries mediating between the warring parties in Sudan and include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and the US.
At talks held in August in Switzerland, ALPS said it had secured promises to let aid flow through the Adre border crossing from Chad into the Darfur region and along the Dabbah Road from Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Between August 20 and 30, 59 aid trucks carrying medical, food, nutrition, emergency shelter and essential household items crossed from Chad to Darfur via the Adre border crossing point, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said.
The Cabinet also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the UN World Data Forum 2026 in Riyadh, granted in recognition of the Kingdom’s achievements in the statistical sector and its track record in hosting successful international events.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi minister highlights ‘unprecedented’ environmental progress at Riyadh forum
HAIFA ALSHAMMARI
September 10, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli highlighted the Kingdom’s unprecedented environmental progress during the 10th Regional Forum of the International Union for Conservation of Nature for West Asia, held in Riyadh.
The event, hosted by Saudi Arabia through the National Center for Wildlife from Sept. 9-11, brought together more than 200 experts from West Asia and regional authorities.
During a panel discussion, Al-Fadhli highlighted the Kingdom’s environmental milestones, both locally and globally, driven by a national vision that positions the environmental sector as key to sustainable development.
He noted the adoption of the National Environment Strategy as a guiding framework and highlighted various initiatives, including those launched during the G20 Riyadh Summit, aimed at conserving biodiversity, preventing land degradation and advancing global coral reef research.
The minister also spotlighted the Saudi Green Initiative, the Middle East Green Initiative and efforts to combat overgrazing, aiming to protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s land and marine areas by 2030.
He emphasized the integrated institutional framework, which includes a national strategy, specialized centers for wildlife, meteorology, desertification control, waste management and vegetation cover, as well as an environmental fund.
Al-Fadhli concluded by underscoring the significance of hosting the IUCN forum and the upcoming COP16 in December, which aims to enhance international cooperation to combat land degradation and drought, providing environmental, economic and social benefits worldwide.
In an interview with Arab News, Mohammad Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, discussed the significant role the Kingdom is playing in environmental health and pioneering green initiatives through sustainable strategies, both regionally and internationally.
“The collaboration between NCW and IUCN was not spontaneous. We have been planning for this conference for a long time. This is one of the major initiatives with various objectives. It brings us closer to other entities, offers an exchange of information and builds partnerships.”
Qurban highlighted the importance of global collaborations to reach a shared goal of restoring and protecting the environment in Saudi Arabia. “We are working to achieve equilibrium in nature.”
One of the outcomes Qurban hopes to achieve through the conference is to succeed in joint efforts with IUCN to protect the environment.
Additionally, one of the panelists in the discussions was Razan Al-Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, who explained one of IUCN’s strategies to address rising temperatures by transitioning from traditional to renewable energy.
From her perspective, the transition to renewable energy has been slower than expected. Therefore, to accelerate the process, officials in the UAE announced that 60 percent of their energy mix will come from renewable sources by 2025.
The forum, held every four years, promotes communication and collaboration among West Asia members, providing a platform for exchanging ideas, addressing environmental challenges and developing conservation strategies.
The forum hosts workshops and seminars to enhance environmental awareness and train individuals on best practices, aiming to establish effective environmental policies.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi-Egyptian cooperation continues to maintain stability in the region, FM says
September 10, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi-Egyptian cooperation continues to maintain stability in the region and the world, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday.
Speaking during a press conference in Cairo, Prince Faisal said a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Tuesday confirmed the Kingdom’s sincere desire to deepen its bonds with Egypt.
“We anticipate the launch of the Saudi-Egyptian Coordination Council in the coming days,” Prince Faisal added according to Al-Ekhbariya.
He said the Kingdom appreciated Egyptian efforts to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza and that the continued obstruction of aid by Israel is a war crime.
“The delay in reaching a ceasefire in Gaza is repeated evidence of the failure of the international security system,” Prince Faisal said.
“We are not asking for the impossible… We are only asking for the implementation of international law,” the Kingdom’s foreign minister added.
Speaking about the war in Sudan, Prince Faisal said that it had “gone on for too long and we must double our efforts.”
During a meeting with Abdelatty, Prince Faisal discussed intensifying work on regional and international issues of common interest, most notably the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi embassy in Damascus reopens after 12-year closure
September 10, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Damascus reopened on Monday with a ceremony to mark the occasion.
The celebration was attended by a number of Syrian government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and a group of dignitaries and intellectuals, the embassy said.
Acting Charge d’Affaires Abdullah Al-Haris stated in a speech on Monday that “this day is an important moment in the history of relations” between the Kingdom and Syria.
Al-Haris added that the embassy and its staff were keen to exert all efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia shut its embassy in Syria and withdrew all its staff in March 2012, a year after the Syrian civil war started in 2011.
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Mideast
Former Oxford Islamic Scholar, Tariq Ramadan, Jailed For Rape In Switzerland
10 September 2024
A Swiss appeals court has found a former Oxford professor guilty of rape and sexual coercion nearly 16 years ago and sentenced him to a year in prison.
In a written ruling made public on Tuesday, the court in Geneva handed noted Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, 62, a three-year prison sentence of which two were suspended, according to a copy of the decision.
He was ordered to pay damages to the complainant as well as legal and other fees totalling more than 100,000 Swiss francs (about £90,000).
The verdict included intimate details of Ramadan allegedly forcing the woman to have sex and preventing her from leaving a Geneva hotel room in October 2008, as well as social media exchanges they had before and after.
The verdict comes about 17 months after a lower court cleared him, citing a lack of material evidence.
Ramadan, who is Swiss, can appeal to Switzerland's highest court to overturn the ruling, which took place on 28 August but was only made public earlier today.
"The Criminal Appeal and Review Division found that several testimonies, certificates, medical notes and opinions of private experts aligned with the complainant's testimony," the Geneva canton's government said.
Ramadan was handed preliminary charges for rape over two alleged assaults in France over a decade ago. He was jailed in February 2018 and released on bail nine months later, pending trial.
A third woman filed a rape complaint against him in France in March last year.
Ramadan, a grandson of Hasan al-Banna, an Islamist thinker and activist who founded the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, has consistently denied wrongdoing and filed suit saying the allegations were false.
Source:sky.com
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Blackburn: Apology issued after man posts videos of mosque-goers
11 September, 2024
By Shuiab Khan
A man accused of ‘videoing mosque-goers’ in Blackburn has apologised after concerns were raised by members of the community.
A YouTuber, from Blackburn, had been spotted by people outside or near to mosques.
Concerns were raised with people posting ‘warnings’ to others over the actions on social media.
The videos were posted on a YouTube account and also on Instagram.
However, over the weekend another video was shared on WhatsApp which showed a house being targeted by another man.
Police were also filmed at the property by the owner.
On Monday, a further message shared on Facebook showed the man apologising to members of the Muslim community for ‘any offence caused’ by the earlier mosque videos.
On Tuesday, the content including the apology had been deleted from the accounts.
Police said they had been made aware of a video on social media of a man outside mosques in Blackburn.
A police spokesperson said: “We have spoken to members of the community who have raised concerns and we have given words of advice to the person who has filmed the videos.
“In a separate incident, we were called to reports of a criminal damage at a property in Blackburn.
“An arrest was made. Subsequently, the complaint has been withdrawn and no further action will be taken in relation to this matter.”
Source:lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
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Mideast
EU fears Israeli-occupied West Bank becoming a ‘new Gaza’
September 10, 2024
CAIRO: The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell warned on Tuesday that increased violence in the occupied West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war erupted meant it risked becoming “a new Gaza.”
Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967 and is separated from the Gaza Strip by Israeli territory, has flared alongside the war that began after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
Borrell said Israel was opening “a new front... with a clear objective: to turn the West Bank into a new Gaza — in rising violence, delegitimising the Palestinian Authority and stimulating provocations to react forcefully.”
Israel was also “not shying away from saying to the face of the world that the only way to reach a peaceful settlement is to annex the West Bank and Gaza,” Borrell added at a ministerial meeting of the Arab League in Cairo.
He accused “radical members of the Israeli government” of trying to make it “impossible to create a future Palestinian state,” which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several cabinet members have painted as a threat to Israel.
Some Israeli ministers have recently called to increase military operations in the West Bank.
“Without action, the West Bank will become a new Gaza,” Borrell said.
“And Gaza will become a new West Bank, as settlers’ movements are preparing new settlements,” he told the meeting.
“The international community deplores, feels, and condemns, but finds it hard to act.”
Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank hit a record in 2023, according to Israeli rights group Yesh Din, and the European Union has said last year saw the most settlement building permits issued in decades.
Some 490,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, in settlements which are illegal under international law, alongside three million Palestinians.
Since the Gaza war began on October 7, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 662 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
At least 23 Israelis, including members of the security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank during the same period, Israeli officials say.
On Tuesday, Israel’s military said it was “highly likely” that its forces “unintentionally” shot dead a US-Turkish activist last week, during a protest in the West Bank against settlement expansion.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was killed on Friday in the town of Beita, the site of weekly demonstrations against Israeli settlements.
Source:arabnews.com
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IDF conducts precision strike on Hamas command center embedded in Gaza's Al Farouq Mosque
By YUVAL BARNEA
SEPTEMBER 10, 2024
The IDF struck a Hamas command and control center embedded in the Al Farouq Mosque in the area of Bureij in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the IDF announced.
Al Farouq Mosque was destroyed by an IDF strike in March, according to the Turkish state-owned TRT.
Hamas had reportedly been using the former mosque to stage terror attacks against IDF troops and Israel.
The IDF said that before the strike, which was conducted on intelligence from the Military Intelligence Directorate and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.
A perennial base
The Farouq Mosque has been used as a Hamas staging ground before, in the 2014 Gaza War, when it was also destroyed, according to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
The MAITIC is a research center on terrorism in Israel.
MAITIC reported that the mosque was destroyed due to its use as a base for Hamas operations as well as a weapons cache.
"Hamas and other terrorist organizations systematically use many mosques in the Gaza Strip for military and political purposes. Mosques in the Gaza Strip are used not only for worship but also for diverse military and political purposes," MAITIC noted.
It also specified that this is permitted under the form of Islam followed by Hamas.
"Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Hamas’s main religious role model, [permits] the use of mosques for military purposes as part of jihad (holy war) is legitimate," the Center stated.
MAITIC also claimed that the mosque was being used as a base for training child soldiers, with Hamas holding summer camps for children and teenagers who "underwent semi-military training at schools and mosques."
"The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law and operates from within civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip while exploiting the Gazan civilian population for its terrorist activities," the IDF added in its Tuesday statement.
Source:jpost.com
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US Responsible for al-Mawasi Massacre: Islamic Jihad
Sep 10, 2024
According to the Sama news agency, Islamic Jihad released a statement on Tuesday emphasizing that the horrific massacre carried out by Israeli forces in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis constitutes a new war crime. The movement placed the blame squarely on the US government, saying that it has been providing weapons and support to the "Nazi Zionist regime," enabling Israel to continue its criminal actions.
The statement also criticized international institutions, particularly the International Criminal Court (ICC), for their inaction and delay in issuing arrest warrants for Israeli war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Islamic Jihad declared that the Palestinian people are paying the price for this negligence with the blood of their children.
According to Palestinian media outlets, at least 40 people were killed and 60 others injured in the Israeli attack on people sheltering in tents in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis.
The strikes involved heavy missiles and left craters up to 9 meters (30 feet) deep in an area where people were living in at least 20 tents.
Ambulance and Civil Defense teams are facing considerable difficulty retrieving the bodies of the victims.
Initial assessments suggest the attack is “one of the most heinous massacres in the ongoing frenzied war”.
Source:mehrnews.com
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Parched Iraqi Kurdistan town navigates regional water diplomacy
September 11, 2024
QALADIZA: A river flowing through Iraq’s northern Kurdistan has all but dried up, prompting warnings of an “environmental catastrophe” for the water-stressed border city as it tussles for the resource with neighboring Iran.
The Little Zab originates in neighboring Iran and flows through the outskirts of Qaladiza, a hillside town of 90,000 residents around 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Iranian border, which uses its water for drinking as well as irrigating crops and farmland along its path.
But the effects of climate change and dam building across the border have left it greatly diminished.
A tributary of the mighty Tigris, the river used to carry seven billion cubic meters of water a year, yet the volume has shrunk dramatically in recent years, said Marf Karim, director of a water treatment facility serving Qaladiza.
He pinned much of the blame on the Kolsa dam, built on the Iranian stretch of the Little Zab in 2017.
“We monitor water levels every day,” Karim told AFP. “With the naked eye we can see a decrease of about 80 percent.”
The plummeting river levels have exposed the river’s grey, rocky bed to the scorching summer sun.
“It’s an environmental catastrophe” affecting the entire region, including its water wells and groundwater reserves, said Karim.
To ensure Qaladiza residents have potable water, a small makeshift dam has been constructed near the town to ensure it retains more of the river’s water. But it does little to solve “the problem of water quality” in the shrinking waterway, he said.
“We need more products to filter out impurities,” he said.
Beset by climate change, Iraq has endured years of drought, rising temperatures and declining rainfall.
But in Qaladiza’s case, resource diplomacy is also at play, exacerbating geopolitical fault lines and regional tensions as growing populations place increasing demands on a dwindling supply of water.
Iran itself is also enduring the effects of worsening conditions.
In June 2023, the meteorological department of Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, which borders Iraq, said “about 56 percent” of its territory was “affected by very severe drought.”
Several dams have been built since the 1990s, but “in 2017 Iran realized that it was still losing some two-thirds of its waters into Iraq, which could then lead into a problem of water shortage inside Iran by 2036,” said Banafsheh Keynoush, a visiting fellow at the Kroc Institute at US university Notre Dame.
Tehran then moved to construct more than 100 dams “to redirect this extra water flow into Iraq, into its own dam reservoirs,” she told AFP.
Iraq, too, has been building dams and trying to reduce demand, including by encouraging farmers to abandon traditional irrigation methods deemed wasteful, all while seeking a greater portion of the water resources it shares with its ally Iran.
Tehran has factored “its water disputes with Iraq into its larger geopolitical calculations,” said Keynoush.
“Progress on resolving these water issues has also been subjected to political and geopolitical negotiations” involving both Baghdad and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, added the expert.
In November, for example, “Iran decided to release some water into the Zab... just to minimize some tensions with the Kurdistan regional government,” Keynoush noted.
It is “vital” for Iran to prevent any “major upheavals” on its borders, politically but also environmentally, she said.
Qaladiza governor Bakr Baez said water disputes are “essentially a political problem,” but failed attempts to resolve them have had dire real-life consequences.
Farmers now do not have enough water to irrigate their fields, and the vast majority of the area’s 257 fish farms have been affected by the shortages, according to Baez.
Kochar Jamal, the manager of an Iraqi dam downstream, downplayed the impact of the Iranian “cuts” on the water reservoirs he oversees.
This year, water levels at the Dukan dam rose compared to 2023, Jamal said, attributing the increase to greater “amounts of rain in winter and spring.”
To keep his fish alive, Qaladiza farmer Ali Hassan has begun digging in the hopes of reaching the water table.
“It’s been three days that we haven’t been able to change the water in the tanks,” said the man in his 50s, standing next to a large digger that was burrowing into the ground.
“Without it, the water will heat up, the fish will die. They need fresh water.”
Losing his fish would also mean a financial loss of at least $13,000, said Hassan.
Driving the digger is another farmer, 48-year-old Omar Mohamed, who said water shortages meant “we can no longer cultivate anything.”
“I’ve had orchards, they’re gone,” he said.
“A neighbor tried to plant okra, another, watermelon. They all failed.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Palestinians in Gaza see themselves as ‘zombies’: UN official
September 10, 2024
BRUSSELS, Belgium: Palestinians in Gaza feel they are “zombies” left to fend for themselves, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian Territories said on Tuesday.
“’We’re two million zombies living on our own. All the ties are broken.’ This is how the people of Gaza see themselves,” Muhannad Hadi said, citing a Palestinian he met during one of his many trips to the Gaza Strip.
Hadi was in Brussels for a series of meetings with European officials as the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, was on a visit to the region, including Egypt and Lebanon.
“So anything that you take for granted, or anything you took for granted, or you worked for yesterday in your life, it’s not there for the people of Gaza, for the majority of the people of Gaza,” Hadi said during a visit to Brussels.
He added that “a lot of people have nothing to eat,” noting that many had no access to electricity or even a bed.
“No one should suffer because of war. No one should suffer because of the wrong politics. No one should suffer because of the failed politics that we are seeing,” the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process said.
He accused politicians around the world of “not doing the job they should be doing.”
“That’s why we don’t have a ceasefire, and that’s why we don’t have a solution to their Gaza crisis,” he added.
Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, including some hostages killed in captivity, according to Israeli official figures.
Militants seized 251 hostages during the attack, 97 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 41,020 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
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Killing of US-Turkish citizen shows high price of expressing solidarity with Palestinians in occupied West Bank
JONATHAN GORNALL
September 10, 2024
LONDON: On Saturday afternoon, two young women lay side by side in a hospital morgue in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Unknown to each other but united in death, one was the victim of the increasingly unbridled Israeli settler violence in the West Bank.
The other had died at the hands of the Israeli military while protesting against that very same violence.
The first to die was Bana Amjad Bakr, a 13-year-old girl killed on Friday night in her bedroom at home in Qaryut, a village 15 km south of Nablus. She was reportedly hit by a stray bullet fired by Israeli forces.
According to Yesh Din, an Israeli non-profit organization that advocates for the human rights of Palestinians living under occupation, Bakr was fatally wounded after dozens of settlers, “protected” by Israeli soldiers, stormed her village.
The teenager was taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, where she was pronounced dead.
But the tragedy of her passing and her family’s grief would have gone unnoticed by the wider world — were it not for events that unfolded the following day.
On Saturday morning, a Turkish-born American citizen was shot in the head by Israeli troops in the village of Beita, just 8 km north of where Bana had been mortally wounded in Qaryut.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old from Washington state, had been taking part for the first time in the regular weekly protest organized by the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement against the town’s expanding Jewish settlement.
Just three months ago, Eygi had graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle, where she had studied psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures.
In a statement, her family said she had been active in pro-Palestinian protests on campus and had felt morally compelled to travel to the West Bank and “stand in solidarity with Palestinian civilians.”
According to eyewitness accounts, Eygi and other protesters had taken refuge in an olive grove after Israeli soldiers fired tear gas as the peaceful protest began to disperse.
“The demonstration, which primarily involved men and children praying, was met with force from the Israeli army stationed on a hill,” said a spokesperson for ISM.
“Initially, the army fired a large amount of tear gas and then began using live ammunition.”
It was then that Eygi, who appeared to be deliberately targeted by an Israeli sniper, was shot in the back of the head.
ISM denied “repeated false claims” that demonstrators had been throwing rocks. “All eye-witness accounts refute this claim,” said the spokesperson.
“Aysenur was more than 200 meters away from where the Israeli soldiers were, and there were no confrontations there at all in the minutes before she was shot.
“Regardless, from such a distance neither she nor anyone else could possibly have been perceived as posing any threat. She was killed in cold blood.”
It was Eygi’s death, and not Bakr’s, that prompted international outrage and global headlines. A spokesperson for the UN secretary-general demanded a “full investigation of the circumstances” and accountability for the death of the dual American-Turkish citizen.
The US government also called for an investigation, with a National Security Council spokesperson saying the White House was “deeply disturbed by the tragic death of an American citizen.”
Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it held the Israeli government responsible for Eygi’s death and pledged to bring those who killed her to justice.
Although such killings add impetus to the growing international alarm over Israel’s behavior, in Gaza and the West Bank, the death of a single foreign activist at the hands of Israeli soldiers frequently garners more global coverage than multiple killings of Palestinians.
As ISM pointed out, “the human rights activist, who we consider a martyr in the struggle, was the 18th demonstrator to be killed in Beita since 2020” — the youngest of whom was just 13 years old.
Ghassan Daghlas, the governor of Nablus, paid his respects to Eygi and Bakr in an emotional visit to the morgue in Rafidia hospital on Saturday. “Both were killed by the same bullets,” he said.
“We call on the international community to stop the insane war on Palestine. Bullets do not differentiate between activists and a Palestinian child.”
Over the years, several American nationals have lost their lives while protesting in solidarity with Palestinians. One of the most infamous cases occurred more than 20 years ago, in March 2003, when another member of ISM was killed.
Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old activist from Washington state, was crushed by an armored military bulldozer during a protest against the demolition of Palestinian homes in Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinians do not forget their friends. Many children born after Corrie’s death carry her first name and a street in Ramallah is named for her. But until now it has been difficult to conclude that sacrifices such as hers have not been in vain.
The marked difference in the response of the US government then and now shows how less tolerant global opinion has become toward Israel’s behavior.
Back in 2003, 77 members of the US Congress signed a resolution “expressing sympathy for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the Palestinian village of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003,” calling on the US government “to undertake a full, fair, and expeditious investigation” into her death.
No such investigation followed. But following the killing of Eygi this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “when we have more info, we will share it, make it available and, as necessary, we’ll act on it.”
Eygi is at least the third US citizen known to have been killed in the West Bank since October. In February, Palestinian-American Mohammad Ahmad Alkhdour, 17, was reportedly shot twice by Israeli forces northwest of Jerusalem.
In January, another 17-year-old Palestinian-American national, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, was killed in similar circumstances.
The settler movement, ultimately responsible for the deaths at the weekend of both Bakr and Eygi, may yet prove to be the undoing of an Israeli government that has not only given it free rein to expand settlements, but has also armed it to the teeth.
Toward the end of last month, it emerged that the head of Israel’s security agency had written to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the extremist settler movement of terrorism.
Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet, warned that the increasingly violent actions of the “hilltop youth” were out of control and “a large stain on Judaism and on all of us.”
He added: “The damage to Israel, especially at this time, and to the majority of the settlers is indescribable: A loss of global legitimacy even among our best friends.”
Bar blamed nationalist politicians, in particular Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. By encouraging and arming the extremists, they were “willing to jeopardize the state’s security and its very existence” in the pursuit of their ideological ambitions, he said.
International Crisis Group recently reported there had been a record 1,246 attacks on Palestinians by settlers in the West Bank since Oct. 7, causing 21 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and, as part of a deliberate policy to sabotage livelihoods, the systematic destruction of 23,000 trees.
“Settler violence is at an all-time high, with Israeli settlers harassing, terrorizing and killing Palestinians across the West Bank in greater numbers and with greater frequency and fervor,” Mairav Zonszein, the ICG’s senior Israel analyst, said in a statement on Friday.
“They are emboldened by a government committed to deepening control over the West Bank and foiling a Palestinian state.”
She added: “To stem settler violence, the US and other Western countries should target not only individual settlers but state entities and policies that bolster the settlement enterprise.”
But in weakening support for Israel in the West, ultimately it may be the reckless behavior of the settlers and their political supporters — and the death of foreign activists like Eygi — that will backfire on Netanyahu and his government.
Source:arabnews.com
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Pakistan
Imran backs KP CM, calls those apologising for his words ‘cowards’
Malik Asad | Syed Irfan Raza
September 11, 2024
• Ex-PM ‘closes door’ on dialogue with establishment, says they deceived the party
• Vows to go ahead with Sept 21 power show in Lahore at all cost
• Gohar alleges ‘pressure’ to support constitutional package
ISLAMABAD: In a surprising turn of events, PTI founding chairman Imran Khan threw his weight behind Ali Amin Gandapur and derided all those who distanced themselves from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s hard-hitting speech at Sunday’s public rally.
Speaking to reporters at Adiala jail after proceedings of the £190 million corruption case, Mr Khan also announced that he was closing the doors of dialogue with the establishment, saying that they had deceived the PTI.
Endorsing CM Gandapur’s remarks about the media, women and the establishment as being a reflection of “public sentiments”, Mr Khan claimed that the KP chief executive was detained by the establishment following the Islamabad rally and warned the powers that be they would have to face severe consequences for this act.
The KP chief minister’s remarks had drew widespread condemnation from almost all quarters, even prompting Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Omar Ayub to tender an unconditional apology.
Mr Khan, who just a day earlier had revealed that the party had postponed its August 22 rally at the establishment’s request, said on Tuesday that no one from the PTI would negotiate with the establishment as they had not honoured their commitment for the Sept 8 jalsa.
He vowed that PTI’s power show on Sept 21 in Lahore would take place at all costs and requested the superior judiciary to ensure the rule of law.
Constitutional package
The former premier also claimed that the government was working on a constitutional package to extend the term of the chief justice of Pakistan.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar vowed to resist the proposed constitutional package regarding the judiciary and continue holding public meetings across the country.
Mr Gohar, who was arrested on Monday night outside the Parliament House and released on Tuesday, said at a press conference that no case had been registered against him by the police, adding that he had surrendered himself for arrest when PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat was arrested after the National Assembly session concluded.
“We will oppose the constitutional package and will never accept extension of the chief justice by any means as it will be a restriction on the freedom of the judiciary,” the PTI chief said. He added that the constitutional package was introduced to benefit judges and hoped that the judiciary would not accept any such legislation.
Mr Gohar said some PTI MNAs were being pressurised to vote in favour of the constitutional package, but the party would thwart all such attempts by the government.
PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub also said in a talk show on Geo News that the party MNAs were being pressured to support the constitutional package. He said the party had devised a strategy whereby some PTI MNAs would attend the NA session while others would skip it.
In reply to a question, Barrister Gohar said the PTI will definitely hold its next jalsa in Lahore and continue the series of public meetings across the country.
About the fiery speech of the KP chief minister at the Islamabad jalsa, Mr Gohar said the PTI would not apologise for the CM’s speech, as whatever he said was true and right. However, the PTI chairman did tender an apology for the CM’s remarks about journalists during the public meeting.
Regarding the arrest of PTI legislators from inside and outside the Parliament House on Monday night, Gohar termed it “an attack on parliament”.
He hoped that National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq would investigate the matter and expose those behind the “illegal arrests”. He said more than a dozen arrested PTI legislators have been sent on an eight-day physical remand, which the party plans to challenge in the high court.
“Today, September 10, is a black day for democracy when some masked persons barged into the parliament building and forcibly arrested our MNAs. PTI will never forget this black day,” he added.
Court proceedings
The cross-examination on the last prosecution witness in £190m corruption case could not be completed on Tuesday as the counsel for Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi were busy in the Lahore High Court.
The NAB prosecution, on the other hand, requested the court to close the right of cross-examination of the defence counsel. The prosecution pointed out that the defence counsel could not conclude the cross-examination in 16 consecutive hearings.
The judge adjourned further hearing till Sept 12.
Toshakhana reference
The Special Court of the Federal Investigation Agency on Tuesday issued notices to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in a new Toshakhana reference related to Bvlgari Jewelry set.
The reference was transferred to the special judge (central) a day earlier.
Further hearing in this matter has been adjourned till Sept 16.
Source:dawn.com
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Nawaz set to launch drive to ‘counter Imran’s popularity’
Zulqernain Tahir
September 11, 2024
LAHORE: In the wake of turmoil currently sweeping the country’s political landscape, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has decided to become politically active, primarily to “counter the popularity of jailed PTI supremo Imran Khan”, Dawn learnt on Tuesday.
It has been decided that at first, the elder Sharif will visit different parts of the country to reactivate the party,” a minister told Dawn.
Mr Sharif, who has been spending most of his time in the Murree hill station, would first go to Balochistan and then to Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He would also hold meetings in this regard in Punjab.
“In last month’s meeting of PML-N’s senior leadership in Lahore, a plan to reorganise and reactivate the party at the grassroots level was presented. In light of that, Mr Sharif will personally oversee the process and give importance to loyal party workers and leaders on vacant party offices,” the minister said. In the second phase, Mr Sharif would hold rallies across the country.
There has been an impression in the party and the media that the former premier’s role has been reduced to a ceremonial level in the PML-N following the formation of Shehbaz Sharif’s government in the Centre. Some senior party leaders, including Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, have reportedly requested him to become active in party affairs.
“Besides, the current political situation also demands that Nawaz Sharif should be seen politically active to counter the popularity of incarcerated PTI supremo Imran Khan,” a party insider told Dawn.
He said Nawaz Sharif was concerned about the “limited space” politicians had in the current scenario and wanted to play his role to curb the influence of non-democratic forces.
Recently, Mr Sharif directed the governments of his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif in the Centre and daughter Maryam Nawaz in Punjab to take the party on board in decision-making on important issues.
“In a party meeting, Nawaz Sharif sought suggestions to enhance the party’s role in the government affairs. He also wants the government to take important administrative decisions in consultation with the party,” PML-N Punjab President and PM’s adviser Rana Sanaullah previously told Dawn after a recent party meeting.
“There has been an impression that the government has bureaucratic footprints in its decision-making, which have to be replaced with political ones,” Mr Sanaullah added.
Source:dawn.com
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Minister Musadik Malik reassures PPP as it fumes over Irsa law changes
Amir Wasim | Mohammad Hussain Khan\
September 11, 2024
ISLAMABAD / HYDERABAD: As the PPP intensified its opposition to any modifications to the law governing inter-provincial water distribution, the PML-N assured its ally that any decision on the matter would be made with consensus.
The amendments to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act 1992, yet to be tabled by the PML-N-led federal government, have pitted the two allies against each other for the second time since the general elections.
While speaking in the Senate on Tuesday, Minister for Water Resources Musadik Malik assured PPP lawmakers that the government “would not push” any legislation if it did not suit a province. “How can we do so at the cost of annoying our allies?”
The minister said the apprehensions of PPP leaders were “premature” as the government, so far, has only received a document from Irsa members demanding these changes.
Mr Malik claimed that Mohammad Ehsan Leghari, Irsa’s member from Sindh, had also signed the document, which is being considered.
All objections raised by Sindh would be removed, the minister assured.
Earlier, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said the proposed amendments were “unconstitutional” and a “direct attack” on the water share of lower riparian provinces. She claimed that the proposed changes would bring Irsa under federal control whereas it was a regulatory agency governed by the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
Another PPP lawmaker, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, said his party didn’t want to “create disharmony” among the provinces, but it “would not accept any changes to the Irsa law”.
Pushback from PPP
Among the major changes proposed in the amendments is the authority’s restructuring, making the currently autonomous body subservient to the federal government.
As per the draft, the post of ‘vice chairman’ would be introduced, while the body’s chairman would be a grade-21 officer of the federal government to be appointed by the prime minister.
The PPP, which supports the PML-N-led federal government in the National Assembly, has apparently pre-empted the move by passing a unanimous motion in the Sindh Assembly.
The draft legislation on Irsa’s composition apparently enjoyed the backing of President Asif Ali Zardari, but Nisar Khuhro, president of the party’s Sindh chapter, said he wasn’t aware of the president’s ‘approval’ of the amendments.
The president reportedly called for “discussing the issue with provinces”, he claimed.
The PPP leadership, including Faryal Talpur, the president’s sister, are said to have been briefed about the ramifications of amendments, and only then was the resolution tabled in the Sindh Assembly.
The PPP still waited for a few days before moving the resolution, apparently to gauge the reaction in Sindh, where it is in the government.
Nationalist parties, as well as farmers’ groups, have rejected the proposed amendments that would turn the province “barren”.
Mr Khuhro, the PPP Sindh chapter president, has categorically stated that the amendments “can’t be accepted”.
‘Green Pakistan’ initiative
PPP leaders are not only opposing the changes to Irsa Act, but they have also voiced concerns over the ’Green Pakistan’ initiative, a corporate farming plan — conceived last year — to irrigate five million acres of “barren” land.
While speaking to a private news channel on Tuesday, PPP MNA Naveed Qamar said, “You name it green or red Pakistan initiative, it is all about creating new water users at the cost of older ones. We won’t accept it”.
PPP’s opposition to the initiative — that includes plans to irrigate 4.8m acres of land in Punjab — was expected as it had already objected to the new canals built on the Indus river over fears they would draw water from Sindh’s share.
According to Nafisa Shah, the PPP MNA from Khairpur, the plan to irrigate land was initiated by the caretaker government “which had no authority to do so”.
The PPP wants water availability for the existing land, she said, and asked: “How can caretakers decide critical matters? Why doesn’t the federal government take up the issue of corporate farming in the Council of Common Interests.”
Contending that the distribution of resources should be equitable, she said, “We need to raise the voice for farmers and local communities for equitable resource distribution.“She added that unless things are decided within the legal framework, their legitimacy would be questioned.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1858268/minister-musadik-malik-reassures-ppp-as-it-fumes-over-irsa-law-changes
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Govt notifies 137 names put on Fourth Schedule for alleged links to BLA, TTP
Saleem Shahid
September 11, 2024
QUETTA: The deputy commissioner has issued a list carrying the names of 137 people placed by the government on the Fourth Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
According to a notification issued on Tuesday, political activists, leaders of student organisations, writers and even government employees figure in the list.
The official notification said their names were put on the list due to their alleged links with banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Three of them were included in the Fourth Schedule list for links with TTP and 134 for links with banned BLA,” the notification said.
According to the notification, the names were finalised during a meeting chaired by Quetta deputy commissioner Saad Bin Asad on July 23. Members of district intelligence and coordination committees attended the meeting.
The government had decided to put the names of 300 people belonging to different groups on the fourth schedule list under the anti-terrorism law. The list includes the names of Balaach Qadir Baloch, Samand Baloch and Shakoor Baloch of Baloch Students Organisation.
The name of Bohir Saleh, the chief of another BSO faction that is affiliated with the National Party, was also placed on the list.
Balaach Qadir Baloch confirmed that he and two other officer-bearers of BSO were included in the Fourth Schedule list. “We were asked to report to the Counter Terrorism Department, but we did not do so,” Balaach Qadir said.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1858248/govt-notifies-137-names-put-on-fourth-schedule-for-alleged-links-to-bla-ttp
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PTI calls for countrywide protests on Sept 13th
Manzoor Ali
September 11, 2024
• Parliament ‘breached’ with NA speaker’s consent, alleges Salman Akram Raja
• Leaders claim KP CM was in a meeting with ‘state institutions’ on Monday night
PESHAWAR: Still reeling from the events of Monday night, the PTI on Tuesday called for countrywide protests on Friday against the detention of party lawmakers from Parliament House.
The call came at a press conference by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan and former NA speaker Asad Qaiser at KP CM House, a day after the ‘mysterious’ disappearance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur that fuelled rumours of his possible arrest, alongside other PTI leaders in Islamabad.
Mr Raja said that apparently, the attack on parliament took place with the consent of the NA speaker, or he was feigning ignorance. “Whatever happened on Monday was shameful,” as Pakistan could not afford further trampling of democracy and silencing of people that had been going on for past 76 years, he said.
The PTI secretary general alleged attempts were being made to cancel the educational degrees of certain judges while they were also trying to give extension to ‘blue-eyed’ judges through legislation by using strong-arm tactics to compel legislators to support it. They were trying to subjugate parliament, he added.
He said that army installations were respectable and should not be attacked, but questioned whether or not parliament, too, deserved same respect. The establishment paddled the May 9 attack narrative against the PTI, he alleged.
Mr Raja said CCTV footage of May 9 incidents had not been released so far, though clips were being shared. “Half-truth is a complete lie,” he said, adding that using this pretext, the establishment was trying to push the PTI against the wall.
Snap polls demanded
The opposition leader in the NA Omar Ayub Khan said the Sept 9 attack on parliament was a black day, wherein at least four PTI lawmakers including party chairman Gohar Ali Khan were picked up.
He demanded proceedings against the heads of intelligence agencies and their operatives for attacking parliament.
He said the fear of Imran Khan’s popularity had allegedly paralysed the government and intelligence agencies. In this situation, he said, the only solution was fresh elections. “If establishment delays elections, then, it will only harm the country,” he warned. He alleged that the false flag operation of May 9 was used to target Mr Khan and push the PTI against the wall.
Gandapur’s meeting
However, when asked about the mysterious disappearance of CM Gandapur for several hours at the presser, the PTI general secretary told reporters he was “in a meeting with state institutions”. Mr Raja said the CM held a detailed meeting about the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the Islamabad public meeting and the reaction it had garnered.
“It was a long meeting, but nothing to be worried about,” Mr Raja said, adding that the CM talked about constitution and democracy and stood his ground.
In reply to another question, Omar Ayub said CM Gandapur was a very tough person and faced many hardships but stood firm as rock. In response to yet another query, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser said the chief minister himself would explain his stance in KP Assembly soon.
The issue of mysterious disappearance also came up during the party’s core committee meeting in Peshawar.
KP government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif told Dawn the CM informed the party leadership about his meeting. He said the meeting with establishment focused on issues of law and order in the province. Besides, he said, the chief minister was also asked about the statements regarding the army he had made at the Islamabad protest.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1858249/pti-calls-for-countrywide-protests-on-sept-13th
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US to help Pakistan protect people from impact of climate change, says Blome
Amin Ahmed
September 11, 2024
ISLAMABAD: United States Ambassador Donald Blome on Tuesday launched “Recharge Pakistan” — an ambitious climate initiative aimed at strengthening flood resilience and improving water security in some of the country’s most vulnerable regions.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services in Islamabad, Ambassador Blome said the United States would continue to broaden and deepen its partnership with Pakistan to protect climate-vulnerable communities, and build a greener, more prosperous and climate-resilient future.
Building a coalition of common action is critical to meeting the climate crisis head on, and the United States is proud to join forces with Coca-Cola, Green Climate Fund, the World Wide Fund, and the Pakistan government on this landmark initiative, he said.
Recharge Pakistan’s network of green infrastructure projects will work to rehabilitate floodwater channels and reroute excess water away from where people live. It will try to reforest and restore wetlands to prevent dangerous runoff.
The USAID has contributed $5 million to a partnership with WWF and Coca-Cola Foundation. This partnership will leverage a $66m grant from Green Climate Fund (GCF) to complement natural systems (watershed, wetlands, drainage system, forestation) to enhance Pakistan’s climate resilience with the goal of reducing flood and drought risk across the Indus Basin.
The project will introduce an ecosystem-based approach and a network of green infrastructure to increase groundwater recharge, reduce flood hazard, promote climate-smart agriculture, support private sector engagement and strengthen policy environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan.
Recharge Pakistan will implement these interventions in D.I. Khan and Ramak watershed (KP), Manchhar Lake (Sindh), and Chakar Lehri watershed (Balochistan).
It will revitalise the soil’s ability to absorb excess water and store it underground. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 52,900 tonnes of carbon dioxide. And it will replenish water supply by creating 127 new groundwater storage basins.
Ambassador Blome said: “We can restore and rebuild nature’s ability to capture rainwater, filter it, and return it to the ground — making it available for families, to farmers, and to livestock. And that’s exactly what we will do — together with our partners — through Recharge Pakistan.”
The US envoy said that ‘Recharge Pakistan’ would reduce flooding hazards for more than 50,000 hectares. It will provide Pakistani families, businesses, and farms access to clean, fresh water year-round.
And it will improve the livelihood of 687,000 people and indirectly benefit more than seven million people across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, he added.
In recent years, through the US-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework, we have partnered with both industry and the Pakistan government on renewable energy, smart agriculture and water management, Donald Blome said. “Our efforts have created new opportunities for Pakistani businesses to access climate financing from offshore, opening up new opportunities and creating jobs,” the US ambassador added.
“We have supported startups to bring new technologies and skills to Pakistan’s labour force. The United States has provided $5 billion to the Green Climate Fund. And together, we are bringing new investment in renewable energy to help Pakistan achieve its ambitious goal of reaching 60 per cent renewable energy by 2030.”
Vulnerability to climate change
As the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is already feeling effects of the climate crisis every day. The devastating floods in 2022 displaced eight million people and caused over $15bn in economic losses.
Donald Blome said: “Rising temperatures have taken a toll on the country’s majestic glaciers. And Pakistani farmers have seen crops wither under droughts. But by coming together, we can help communities adapt, mitigate, and even reverse some of the worst impacts of climate change. And we can do it in a way that lifts up local communities.”
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1858263/us-to-help-pakistan-protect-people-from-impact-of-climate-change-says-blome
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New Zealand
Christchurch terror attacks: Inquest into shooter's firearms licence to begin next month
11 September 2024
Police's handling of a terrorist's firearms licence application will come under the microscope at an inquest into the Christchurch mosque shootings next month.
The second phase coronial hearing into the murder of 51 worshippers at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre will begin in early October.
Over 19 days, Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley will examine how the terrorist came to obtain his firearms licence, whether police should have elicited information which would have led them to reject his application, and whether there were any errors, failures or deficiencies in their assessment.
The coroner's first phase inquest covered 10 issues relating to the events of 15 March 2019 and the response of emergency services to the massacres.
It took just minutes for the terrorist to leave 44 worshippers dead or dying at Al Noor Mosque as he possessed two semi-automatic centrefire rifles as well as a multitude of high-capacity magazines, two shotguns, a lever-action rifle and a bolt-action rifle.
He then drove to the mosque in Linwood, where he killed seven more people.
Brenton Tarrant was able to obtain a New Zealand's firearms licence after a gaming friend - who was aware of his extremist political opinions and his racist and Islamophobic beliefs - and the friend's father acted as referees for the process.
He had originally planned to use his sister as a referee, but the licensing clerk rejected that possibility as she lived in Australia and could not be interviewed face-to-face.
The terrorist first submitted an application to obtain a firearms licence only 15 days after arriving in New Zealand in August 2017.
At the time of the attacks, the terrorist only held a standard A-category licence but by inserting the high-capacity magazines into the semi-automatic centrefire rifles he had turned them into restricted E-category military-style semi-automatic rifles.
At the time of the attacks, the purchase of such high-capacity magazines was unregulated.
Coroner Windley would address whether police made any "operative errors, failures, or deficiencies" in assessing whether the terrorist was a fit and proper person to hold a firearms licence, under the licensing process as it stood in 2017.
She would also examine whether police could and should have asked the terrorist and his referees questions designed to elicit whether he held extremist political, racist or any other beliefs or views, and on the basis of the process which was taken whether he should have been assessed as a fit and proper person and granted a firearms licence.
The coroner would also examine how firearms licensing laws as they existed in March 2019 contributed to the attack, and take a counterfactual analysis as to whether the terrorist could have obtained a firearms licence and carried out the attack he did if different decisions were made by police and regulators.
Source:rnz.co.nz
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https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/527691/christchurch-terror-attacks-inquest-into-shooter-s-firearms-licence-to-begin-next-month
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Social media regulation needed to protect NZ's diverse communities - BSA research finds
11 September 2024
Social media is the most cited platform for seeing offensive material, according to New Zealand's Pacific Peoples, Māori, Asian and Muslim communities.
The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) report, Freedom of Expression and Harms Impacting Diverse Communities, which surveyed 493 people, found about a third of Māori, Pasifika and Muslim groups reported reading, seeing or hearing offensive, discriminatory, or controversial views shared publicly in the past six months.
Social media was, by far, the outlet which people criticised most for harmful content, followed by free-to-air TV, then online news sites.
The BSA discovered half of the diverse audiences avoid broadcasts due to perceived racist comments, anti-Māori views, biased commentary on the Palestine/Israel conflict, or references to people being labelled criminals or terrorists.
"News media are generally doing a good job of upholding broadcasting standards, but there's a broader sort of societal issue that we need to tackle, which is around social cohesion and kindness," BSA chief executive Stacey Wood said.
There were serious impacts seen to result from offensive views being expressed publicly. On a community level, it was seen to "normalise" bad behaviour, potentially impact on the aspirations of particular communities, and "perpetuate negative stereotypes".
"If you're constantly being bombarded with negativity, discrimination it does impact on your self-esteem, your mental health," Pacific mental health organisation Le Va chief executive Denise Kingi-'Ulu'ave said.
Only a minority of those surveyed feel New Zealand has the right balance between freedom of expression and potential harm, while a majority feel freedom of expression needs to be tempered by the need to respect the views of others.
About 56 percent Māori, 60 percent Pacific, 45 percent Asian, and 41 percent Muslim believed stronger limits on freedom of expression are needed to prevent harm.
While social media is seen as the most prevalent and harmful source of offensive content, the report suggested themes conveyed on mainstream media are seen as helping to legitimise it.
The "relative anonymity" of talkback radio and social media is seen as encouraging more extreme views to be voiced and "fewer boundaries in place."
"I think that social media is a big problem because of the lack of regulation," Wood said, adding the BSA had "been calling for regulatory reform for 15 years now, because our act was written in a time when the internet barely existed".
The BSA urged the New Zealand government to consider regulating online spaces to fill the current void of non-regulation on social media platforms.
Kingi-'Ulu'ave said the report was an "accurate reflection of what we're hearing and experiencing within Pacific communities".
She said politicians also had a responsibility to not fuel ideologies or belief systems that could cause discrimination, hate speech or spread stereotypes.
Kingi-'Ulu'ave said when New Zealand Act leader David Seymour "made disgraceful comments directed at Ministry of Pacific peoples", they "saw threats and even people entering the ministry of Pacific peoples building that was right next to us in Auckland".
She said it caused "significant trauma to the staff there".
"We are very concerned about the lack of accountability and responsibility," she added.
She said media literacy was crucial for Pacific communities to "critically engage with media content and distinguish between trustworthy sources and harmful, making sure that we have a platform for our communities to go and feel that they are represented and that we can help shift that narrative and empower them to speak against harmful content".
Targets of disinformation campaign'
New Zealand Muslim community leader and human rights activist Anjum Nausheen Rahman said there was a lot of reporting by organisations purporting to be media that operate solely in the online space and are not bound by broadcasting standards.
"The sheer scale of discrimination should be an eye-opener, but there is also an economic argument," she said.
"These communities are disengaging from platforms and there is a business imperative in being inclusive. These people are then turning to unregulated media and becoming targets of disinformation campaigns."
Academic Malini Hayma said news media had a role to play in improving the way society views diverse community groups within New Zealand.
"I listen to Newstalk ZB, and there have been instances where I was appalled by the conversations aired, as they lacked understanding and sensitivity toward diverse communities.
"Additionally, much of the content feels overwhelmingly Eurocentric and fails to reflect the diversity and inclusivity that should be represented in today's media."
She said research backed the importance of people seeing themselves represented in media.
"It fosters a sense of belonging and challenges biases.
"In a diverse country like New Zealand, the under-representation of Māori, Pacific, and Asian communities leads to feelings of alienation and distrust.
"To address this, media must prioritise inclusive and authentic storytelling that reflects the experiences of all communities."
Controversial views
All respondents recalled instances of offensive, discriminatory or controversial views.
However, many could not recall the specific source of the content.
When inciting conflict, the report noted "Destiny Church encouraging negative actions".
Stereotypes being reinforced, such as Māori/Pacific Peoples' 'all on a benefit', 'not academic, low IQ', 'simple people', 'migrants taking all the jobs'.
Unbalanced reporting was called out for the "Israeli/ Palestinian conflict and initial assumptions that violent events are terror attacks by Muslims."
'Stick to bright lines'
The report findings have been criticised by the chief executive of The Free Speech Union, Jonathan Ayling, raising concerns it would encroach on free speech.
"The BSA should stick to bright lines, and not play wanna-be-censor. We're concerned that this report will lead to unpopular views being censored on the basis of them being 'harmful'."
He said censoring unpopular views does not get to the root of difference or division.
"When speech incites imminent violence, we have appropriate laws in place. Human dignity is harmed by being unable to think and speak freely."
Making a BSA complaint
Only a few respondents had acted when they had heard offensive views in public broadcasting.
The report highlighted the need for a more simple and faster process when laying complaints to the BSA.
"We have taken notes and we are making changes to make the complaints process less complicated," Wood said.
However, a several Pacific Peoples' and Muslim groups noted that their culture did not encourage complaining and "causing trouble".
Pasifika had the highest response rate to experiencing harmful content compared to others, but when it comes to laying a formal BSA complaint, respondents say they don't because it goes against culture.
The most common response to experiencing offensive viewpoints was talking to family and friends, followed by making a complaint to the broadcaster, comment online and a complaint to a government body.
The Human Rights Commission is the first port of call for most, followed by the BSA.
Global crackdown on social media companies
The findings come at time when governments around the world are looking at ways to crackdown on social media giants to protect young people being exposed to harmful content.
The Australian government this week revealed plans to restrict social media use among children.
In France, instant messaging app Telegram's chief executive has been arrested and the closure of X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil are two of the latest signs that times are changing, with networks beginning to be held more accountable.
The EU has put in place a legal framework that is starting to be applied.
In the US, lawsuits and new laws that are underway could affect the future of large social media platforms. The latest addition to this regulatory framework will arrive in 2026, when the AI Act comes into force.
You can find the BSA's Freedom of Expression and Harms Impacting Diverse Communities report here.
Source:rnz.co.nz
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https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/527699/social-media-regulation-needed-to-protect-nz-s-diverse-communities-bsa-research-finds
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North America
With windows shot out twice, Chicago business owners believe they're being targeted for Muslim faith
By Jermont Terry
September 10, 2024
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A business owner in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood said he is being targeted because of his faith.
At Redzovic Jiu-Jitsu, at 4900 N. Lincoln Ave., they train for everything. Yet nothing has prepared them for someone opening fire on the business twice this summer alone.
"It's either a BB gun or a bullet," said Idriz Redzovic.
The shattered glass out front has left Redzovic and his cousin, who owns the gym, questioning what is really going on.
"I hope it's someone being mischievous," Redzovic said, "because if it's not, you know, this is a concern."
Surveillance video shows someone over the weekend in a vehicle pulling up and firing at the glass late at night. What is concerning is that this is the second time in recent weeks that Redzovic Jiu-Jitsu has been targeted.
"I believe they might be connecting the Muslim faith, because myself and my cousin—my cousin runs a very popular talk show, 'The Deen Show,' and he has millions and millions of followers around the world," said Redzovic.
On the YouTube show, the owner speaks about Muslim issues.
"I don't know if they're targeting him—because there's some stuff that he films in here sometimes—and I don't know if they're targeting it because of our faith—and it being Muslim-operated and owned," Redzovic said.
The gym has operated at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Ainslie Street since 2000, but only recently started experiencing the problems.
"The first two times, they didn't get nobody," Redzovic said, "but the third time, they might hit somebody."
Just over a mile away a week earlier, shattered glass was also seen at the Muslim Community Center off Elston and Montrose avenues. There was no video of that incident, but the Council on American Islamic Relations Chicago said it speaks to uptick of violence targeting Muslim businesses and the community.
"On Facebook and Instagram around this time of year, you see a lot of hate toward Islam and Muslims—and I don't know if this is because tomorrow's 9/11," said Redzovic.
Chicago Police detectives are looking into the jiu-jitsu gym's most recent vandalism and the other incident n July. They have not called it a hate crime.
As for Redzovic, he said, "I want this to stop."
Source:cbsnews.com
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https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/windows-shot-out-chicago-business-targeted-muslim-faith/
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Anti-Muslim Extremist Laura Loomer Flew To Debate With Trump
By Matt Shuham
Sep 10, 2024
Laura Loomer, the well-known anti-Muslim extremist and Donald Trump sycophant, rode in the former president’s jet to the debate Tuesday, a shocking, if not surprising, embrace by Trump of one of the most blatant, open bigots in American public life.
Fox News broadcast footage of Trump’s campaign plane touching down for the debate in Philadelphia, with Loomer exiting the plane a few minutes ahead of the former president. Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Trump has been close with Loomer for years and has repeatedly praised her, including when she won the Republican primary for an ultimately-doomed 2022 congressional race.
Loomer has called Muslims “savages,” celebrated the deaths of migrants and called Islam a “cancer” and has used the hashtag “#proudislamophobe.”
“I’m pro-white nationalism,” the anti-Muslim activist, who is Jewish, said in 2017. She added that “this country really was built as the white Judeo-Christian ethnostate” and that immigration and calls for diversity were “starting to destroy this country.”
Loomer was barred from both Uber and Lyft in 2017 after writing on Twitter (now X) that “someone needs to create a non Islamic form of Uber or Lyft because I never want to support another Islamic immigrant driver.”
“I 👏 DON’T 👏 CARE 👏 ABOUT 👏 CHRISTCHURCH,” she wrote separately after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers in two mosques in New Zealand.
She has also called for Democrats to be executed for treason.
Loomer’s racism, of course, extends to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president.
Source:huffpost.com
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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/laura-loomer-donald-trump-plane-philadelphia-debate-islamophobe_n_66e0df08e4b03060cae3f1e7
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Lawsuit filed against UGA over alleged anti-Muslim discrimination
Sep. 11, 2024
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The University of Georgia is facing a federal lawsuit over alleged anti-Muslim discrimination on its campus following Hamas’ attack on Israel in October.
The lawsuit was filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) by the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia) and attorneys Sarah Gerwig and Samantha Hamilton on behalf of individual UGA students and the organization Georgia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), CAIR-Georgia announced Tuesday.
The lawsuit alleges UGA violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by institutions receiving federal financial assistance – “through discriminatory enforcement of its policies.”
The plaintiffs are “demanding an immediate investigation into UGA’s extreme differential treatment of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, students perceived to be Palestinian, and students associated with or advocating for Palestinians,” according to CAIR.
CAIR said the lawsuit details how SJP, “a student organization that advocates for Palestinian human rights and equality,” and students associated with the group “have been the target of anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic harassment on campus that has escalated since October 7, 2023,” the date of Hamas’ attack on Israel.
The lawsuit claims the university “did not take meaningful steps to end the harassment, prevent it from occurring, or remedy its effects,” but instead “reinforced the hostile anti-Palestinian environment,” according to CAIR.
CAIR said the lawsuit claims UGA police arrested nine students who were “peacefully protesting Israel’s genocide of Palestinians,” who were then “summarily suspended” without “proper notice,” locked out of their on-campus housing, and fired from their on-campus jobs.
The lawsuit also claims professors were told to call 911 on the students if they were seen on campus, that the students were prohibited from taking exams or submitting papers online, and that several students were also barred from attending their graduations.
The complaint goes on to allege that UGA President Jere Morehead and university administrators “repeatedly ignoring meeting requests from SJP students, as well as ignoring SJP students’ concerns when they complained of threats to their physical safety.”
Other allegations in the complaint include “UGA exaggerating risks to the student body during student peaceful protests, and engaging in McCarthyist witch hunts by targeting student organizations and individual students perceived to be associating with Palestinians, even after SJP dissolved as a UGA student organization out of serious safety concerns,” CAIR said.
“As an Arab and Muslim student at UGA, I have faced relentless doxing, threats, and harassment both online and on campus,” one of the student plaintiffs said in a statement provided by CAIR. “I’ve been subjected to blatant racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, and every time I sought support from the university, UGA not only failed to respond, but actively used its institutional power to target and profile myself and other Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students.”
“By ignoring our calls for support, arresting and suspending us, barring us from campus, and ultimately driving out SJP, one of the largest organizations that provided a sense of comfort and community for Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian students, UGA has made it painfully clear where it stands: not with marginalized students, but against us,” the student said.
A UGA spokesperson sent Atlanta News First the following statement in response to the lawsuit:
“The University of Georgia vigorously protects the safety and security of our campus and our students. While we are dedicated to fostering a climate of free speech, we must also enforce our policies and hold accountable those who choose to blatantly ignore these rules or disrupt our learning environment.
Source:atlantanewsfirst.com
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https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/09/11/lawsuit-filed-against-uga-over-alleged-anti-muslim-discrimination/
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US, UK conduct airstrikes against targets in Yemen for third consecutive day
11 September 2024
American and British forces have conducted a fresh round of joint airstrikes against targets in Yemen, hours after two school girls were killed and several others injured following a joint US-British aerial attack on an educational center in the same Yemeni province.
Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah television network, citing a security source speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that two airstrikes targeted al-Kanab area in the Maqbanah district of Yemen’s southwestern province of Ta’izz early on Wednesday.
No further details were immediately available.
The attack came just a day after two girls lost their lives and seven others sustained injuries when US and UK military aircraft carried out a strike against a school in the al-Jund area of At-Ta'iziyah district in the same province.
Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network, citing local sources, said the school was hit by two missiles.
Similarly, American and British warplanes launched an aerial assault against the Jabanah area in Yemen’s strategic western province of Hudaydah on Monday.
Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the territory’s Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.
The Yemeni Armed Forces have said that they won’t stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end.
The Israeli regime has had in place a near-total siege on the coastal territory, which has reduced to a trickle of foodstuffs, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian territory.
So far, Israel has killed at least 41,020 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 94,925 others.
Leader of the Ansarullah resistance movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has said it is “a great honor and blessing to be confronting America directly.”
The attacks have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal.
Source:presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/09/11/733068/US,-British-forces-launch-fresh-joint-air-strikes-against-targets-in-western-Yemen
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BC Muslims to host World Religions Conference in Prince George
Citizen Staff
11 September 2024
Prince George's Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at, in partnership with local churches and temples, will host the 19th World Religions Conference on Sept.16, 2024. The event, titled “Healing in a Polarized World,” will take place at St. Michael All Angels Church, located at 1505 5th Ave., Prince George.
The conference will address the growing polarization in various aspects of society, including political, religious, economic, and social dimensions. It aims to explore ways to bridge divides and foster greater empathy and tolerance. It will feature presentations from religious scholars and leaders representing multiple faith traditions.
Darlene McIntosh, chancellor of the College of New Caledonia, will moderate the conference. Admission is free, and attendees will be provided with a complimentary East Indian dinner, courtesy of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Prince George.
Source:princegeorgecitizen.com
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https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/bc-muslims-to-host-world-religions-conference-in-prince-george-9502524
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Africa
Resurgent Islamists stoke fears of ‘foreign conspiracy’ against Sudan
SUDAN WAR MONITOR
SEP 10, 2024
Political party activity inside Sudan has all but ceased, due to wartime conditions, military rule, and repression of opposition parties that step out of line. But the Islamist parties are a key exception, enjoying a major revival.
An umbrella group of Sudanese Islamist parties, the “Broad Islamic Current,” met yesterday and selected a Bashir-era official as their leader, Ali Karti, who promised an “ambitious program” for the coalition, according to a press release from the group. The statement also referred to a foreign conspiracy against Sudan, echoing a common talking point among supporters of the Sudanese military.
Karti is the former foreign minister and the secretary-general of the Sudanese Islamic Movement, which was closely tied with the former ruling party, the National Congress (NCP). He is the foremost member of the Bashir regime still active on the Sudanese political scene, apart from the military officers of the junta itself. The United States and European Union recently sanctioned him for undermining Sudan’s political transition after the 2019 revolution and for obstructing efforts to achieve a ceasefire.
Karti takes over from Omar al-Amin al-Hussein, leader of a smaller Islamist party. According to its charter, leadership of the Broad Islamic Current rotates among its ten constituent groups, a reflection of the fluid and decentralized nature of Sudan’s Islamist revival. Its leadership body meets frequently, every three to four months.
“In implementation of the basic law and commitment to the principle of Shura, the Presidential Council of the Broad Islamic Current held its regular meeting with its full membership on September 9, in which it discussed the developments in the country, and the repercussions of the war launched by the rebel Rapid Support militia, its foreign mercenaries, and its supporters from among the internal political forces and the countries conspiring against our country and our people.
“The [outgoing] head of the Broad Islamic Current, Mr. Omar Al-Amin Al-Hussein, presented a report on the work within the Current and the performance of its structures in the past period…”
The members unanimously agreed on the appointment of Karti, who leads the most influential of the ten member groups, the Islamic Movement. His appointment comes at a pivotal time for Sudan, ahead of fresh dry season fighting in October and amid mounting pressures from neighboring Arab states for a negotiated solution to the conflict. Thus far the military government, which is based at Port Sudan after losing control of the capital, has resisted pressure for a ceasefire, turning instead to Iran and China for military assistance.
Islamists were the dominant force in Sudanese politics from 1989 to 2019 during the rule of President Omar al-Bashir, but they lost power when huge street protests toppled the strongman. A transitional government (2019-2021) outlawed the former ruling party, the National Congress (aka the National Islamic Front), confiscated its assets, and prosecuted some of its leaders.
They also purged NCP loyalists from state media and other key organs of government. However, Islamist influences in the military, security services, and the private sector were deep-rooted and not so easily removed. The NCP began reemerging from the shadows in 2022, after a coup by Bashir’s generals, who ousted civilians from Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, turning it into a military junta.
The ostensibly apolitical generals turned up the heat on opposition parties while allowing the Islamist parties to operate and organize freely once again.
Nevertheless, the former ruling party cadres faced legal and political obstacles blocking their formal return to power. They were still haunted by the stigma of the revolution, which had severely dented their prestige and popularity. Sudanese opposition parties, including both leftists and the traditional parties, opposed the return of the NCP, as did the powerful trade unions and professional unions that had played a leading role in the street protests that toppled Bashir.
The NCP adapted and rebranded, operating through a variety of political affiliates and front groups, youth organizations, and armed affiliates, such as Sudan Shield and the Baraa Bin Malik Brigade. New Islamist leaders emerged alongside the old ones of the NCP. In April 2022, ten Islamist factions, including affiliates and front groups of the NCP, signed a charter launching the “Broad Islamic Current.”
The signatories included the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan; the Just Peace Platform; the Sudanese Islamic Front; the Renaissance Movement; the State of Law and Development Party; the Future Movement for Reform and Development; the Reform Now Movement; the National Justice Party; and the Islamic Unity Initiative.
Blame the foreigners
Last month, the Broad Islamic Current issued a statement urging Sudan’s military government to boycott U.S.-mediated ceasefire talks in Geneva, in order “to deprive the United States of the opportunity and avoid replicating the Libyan or Yemeni scenario.” They said, “It is necessary to search for international and regional alliances” to resist what it described as arrogance towards the Sudanese people.
Sudanese military propaganda typically focuses heavily on the United Arab Emirates, which allegedly supplied weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and gave safe haven to its leaders. For example, in July, Lt Gen Yasser Al-Atta, Assistant Commander in Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces, condemned the UAE and insulted its ruler, saying, “Mohamed bin Zayed is the devil of the Arabs and a dirty Zionist.”
Focusing on alleged foreign enemies allows the military to deflect blame for its failures while portraying the war as a nationalist struggle against foreigners rather than a “generals’ war” between domestic factions.
Other scapegoats include Chad, South Sudan, and Israel. More recently, Sudan has also witnessed an increase in anti-American rhetoric, after the U.S. tried to bring Sudan’s warring parties to the negotiating table in Geneva.
Saudi Arabia, the United Nations, and even erstwhile allies like Egypt are occasionally targeted. Such rhetoric revives a conspiratorial, xenophobic strain in Sudanese politics and foreign policy that peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s.
In line with this worldview, supporters of the Sudanese military typically characterize the RSF as a foreign or mercenary organization, though it originated in western Sudan with the support of the Sudanese government, before it turned on the military in April 2023, triggering the current civil war. (There are some foreigners in the ranks of the RSF, particularly Chadian Arabs, but overwhelmingly the fighters are Sudanese nationals, particularly ethnic Arabs from the nomadic tribes of Darfur and Kordofan).
Colloquially, many Sudanese refer to the RSF as “Janjaweed,” which means “devils on horseback.” This refers to the RSF’s origins as local Arab militias in Darfur, armed by the Sudanese government. In the early 2000s, they used camels and horses, though now they mostly use pickup trucks, modified pickups (“technicals”), and motorcycles, as well as some armored cars and mobile artillery.
After defeating rebel movements in Darfur in the 2010s, the RSF were employed by the UAE as mercenaries in the Yemen conflict. Eventually, the RSF developed their own power base in Darfur, controlling gold mines, smuggling, and other lucrative businesses. Though closely allied with the Bashir regime, they were never fully under Khartoum’s control.
The RSF claim to be fighting for “democracy” and against Islamism. In their public statements, they consistently try to exploit international fears about militant Islam (the RSF’s alleged patron, the UAE, is particularly hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood) to win support for their cause. For example, they describe the Sudanese military as an “Islamic militia” and compare it to ISIS.
The majority of Sudanese, however, do not see the RSF as a viable alternative to the Islamists. Though militarily ascendant, the RSF are deeply unpopular throughout most of Sudan and politically isolated. RSF attacks on villages and cities in western and central Sudan have displaced millions of people, and the RSF are accused of horrific war crimes, including massacres, mass rape, mass arrests, torture, and pillaging.
In a related development, the Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Lieutenant General Yasser Al-Atta met in Omdurman with commanders of the Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, an Islamist paramilitary that operates with semi-official sanction, allied with the Sudanese military, but without any formal legal status.
He appeared alongside Al Misbah Abu Zeid Talha, leader of the paramilitary. In a statement on social media, the Baraa Bin Malik Brigade said, “The Assistant Commander-in-Chief and Member of the Sovereignty Council, His Excellency Lt Gen Yasser Abdul Rahman Hassan Al-Atta visited our forces in the Omdurman region and checked him on the position of the forces, their arrangements and our readiness.”
The Baraa Bin Malik Brigade follows in the footsteps of other jihadist brigades formed in the 1990s, known as the Popular Defense Forces, which fought alongside the Sudanese military in South Sudan and the Nuba Mountains. The brigade enjoys the financial and political patronage of the old guard Islamists but is led by a younger vanguard, savvier in the use of social media and with a proclivity for high-tech gadgets like drones and modified rocket systems.
The brigade has formed training camps and fighting units in several parts of the country, including Gedaref, Northern State, Red Sea State, White Nile, and Kassala.
Additionally, the Baraa Bin Malik Brigade announced yesterday that they would recruit “civil support battalions,” signaling an effort to spread their influence beyond the military into the civil service and professional fields. They asked for volunteers in the fields of healthcare, culture, education, entrepreneurship, agriculture, religious affairs, law, and youth and sports, urging volunteers to contact them through WhatsApp:
“These battalions are formed to awaken the general energies of the Sudanese people and employ them to serve the Battle of Dignity and lift the suffering from the shoulders of the sons of the homeland and revive the principle of social solidarity in all professional, service, humanitarian, and military support fields.”
Above: Pro-war propaganda video circulated by Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade.
Thank you for reading Sudan War Monitor. We do this work because we believe that journalism is one accountability mechanism that ultimately can contribute toward peace and justice in Sudan—however distant that hope may be. Our work is intended to be a resource for humanitarians, civil society, ordinary Sudanese, diplomats, and news media. Subscribe or share to support our work and #KeepEyesonSudan.
Source:sudanwarmonitor.com
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Amnesty denounces eastern Libya ‘crackdown on critics’
September 11, 2024
TUNIS: Libya’s eastern-based forces have enabled a crackdown on dissidents and a spike in arbitrary detentions that has resulted in at least two deaths in custody in recent months, Amnesty International said Tuesday.
The energy-rich North African country has been wracked by unrest since the 2011 overthrow of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising.
It is split between a UN-recognized government in the capital Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The eastern-based Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) “has enabled the Internal Security Agency (ISA) to intensify its crackdown on critics and political opponents in recent months,” Amnesty said in a report.
The rights group said “dozens of people, including women and men in their 70s” have been subjected to “arbitrary detentions” since the start of the year, with some held “for months without being allowed to contact their families or lawyers.”
The report also mentioned “enforced disappearances for periods reaching 10 months” in some cases.
Kept at “ISA-controlled facilities,” none of those arrested have been “brought before civilian judicial authorities, allowed to challenge the legality of their detention, or were formally charged with any offenses,” Amnesty said.
At least “two people died in custody,” it added.
“The spike in arbitrary detentions and deaths in custody in recent months highlights how the existing culture of impunity has empowered armed groups to violate detainees’ right to life without fearing any consequences,” the report said.
“Deaths in custody add to the catalogue of horrors committed by the ISA against those who dare to express views critical of LAAF,” it added, calling the armed force “the de facto authorities in eastern and southern Libya.”
Amnesty urged the LAAF to “suspend from positions of power ISA commanders and members reasonably suspected of crimes under international law and serious human rights violations.”
The group called on authorities across Libya, including in the west, to “ensure the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression.”
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2570878/middle-east
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Vote counting underway in Jordan following parliamentary polls
11 September 2024
Counting got underway in Jordan on Tuesday evening following the country’s first parliamentary election under a new law designed to improve representation.
While voter turnout was higher than in 2020, participation in the poll remained low.
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said 32.25 per cent of the country’s over 5 million eligible voters had cast their ballots.
An IEC spokesperson said there had been no delays in the opening of polls, nor reports of major violations in any of the electoral districts.
Under the new electoral law,- the number of seats in the House of Representatives has been raised from 130 to 138.
This includes provisions to increase the quota for the representation of women and youths, with the minimum age for parliamentary candidates lowered from 30 to 25.
In a country where tribal affiliations still play a dominant role in politics, the electoral reforms are seen as a critical step in Jordan’s decade-long democratisation process.
While Islamists are likely to gain support in the polls because of anger over Israel’s war in Gaza, the vote is still widely expected to keep parliament in the hands of tribal and pro-government factions.
Final results are due to be announced before the weekend.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/09/11/vote-counting-underway-in-jordan-following-parliamentary-polls/
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UN says warring parties in Sudan are disregarding international law
11 September 2024
UN Human Rights Deputy High Commissioner Nada Al-Nashif said Tuesday the warring parties in the Sudan conflict are acting with "total disregard for international law."
Al-Nashif spoke at the 57th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva which is addressing various global issues including political unrest, regression on women's rights and, freedom of press and expression.
"Our office is particularly alarmed by the use since the beginning of the conflict of sexual violence as a weapon of war. We have documented 97 incidents involving 172 victims, predominantly women and girls, which is a gross under-representation of the reality," Al-Nashif said.
Last week, U.N.-backed human rights investigators urged the creation of an “independent and impartial force” to protect civilians in Sudan’s war, blaming both sides for war crimes including murder, mutilation and torture and warning that foreign governments which arm and finance them could be complicit.
The fact-finding team, in their first report since being created by the U.N.’s main human rights body in October, also accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which are fighting Sudan’s army, and its allies of crimes against humanity, including rape, sexual slavery and persecution on ethnic or gender grounds.
The experts called for the expansion of an arms embargo on Sudan's long-restive western Darfur region to the entire country.
The findings from the team mandated by the 47-country Human Rights Council come as more than 10 million people have been driven from their homes — including more than 2 million to neighboring countries — and famine has broken out in one large camp for displaced people in Darfur.
The conflict that erupted in April 2023 has killed thousands of people, and humanitarian groups are struggling to gain access to people in need.
In December, the U.N. Security Council voted to end the world body's political mission in the country under pressure from the military leadership.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/09/10/un-says-warring-parties-in-sudan-are-disregarding-international-law/
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Sudan’s Islamist coalition elects Karti as president
September 10, 2024
September 10, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – The Broad Islamic Current, a coalition of Sudanese Islamist groups, has elected Ali Karti as its president, the coalition said in a statement on Monday.
Karti, a former foreign minister and secretary-general of the influential Islamic Movement, accepted the position and pledged to implement an ambitious program, according to a statement from the coalition.
He has been out of the spotlight since the ouster of longtime President Omer al-Bashir in 2019 and was wanted by authorities during the transitional period. The coalition did not disclose how or where the election took place but confirmed it operates within Sudan.
The coalition’s spokesperson, Hassan Abdel Hamid, said their stance in the ongoing conflict is to support the army against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accusing the RSF of attempting to “swallow the Sudanese state.”
He continued, “We oppose external interventions and reject the proposals of the Coordination of Democratic Civilian Forces ‘Tagadum.”
According to a press statement issued by the Current yesterday, the coalition’s Presidential Council discussed in its periodic meeting “the developments in the country and the repercussions of the war launched by the rebel Rapid Support Forces militias and their foreign mercenaries, and their supporters from internal political forces and countries conspiring against our country and people.”
The Broad Islamic Current, formed after the 2021 military coup, opposes the framework agreement and the U.N. presence in Sudan. It comprises various Islamist groups, notably excluding the Popular Congress Party.
The most prominent forces forming the Islamic Current include the Islamic Movement, the Just Peace Forum, the Reform Now Movement, two factions of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the State of Law and Development Party led by preacher Mohamed Ali al-Jazouli, who has been detained by the Rapid Support Forces since the early months of the war.
The National Justice Alliance, headed by Al-Tijani Al-Sisi, also joined this coalition, along with the Renaissance Current under the leadership of Mohamed Majzoub, and the Unity of the Ranks Initiative, an Islamic current that chose to remain neutral when the Islamic Movement split in 1999.
The election of Karti signals a reassertion of the Islamist bloc amidst the ongoing war, despite his conspicuous absence. The coalition’s statement criticized the RSF and its alleged foreign backers, reflecting a stance aligned with the military.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has devastated Sudan, causing widespread displacement and a humanitarian crisis. The Broad Islamic Current’s involvement underscores the complex political landscape and the continuing influence of Islamist factions in the country’s turmoil.
Source:sudantribune.com
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https://sudantribune.com/article290682/
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Southeast Asia
Penang Islamic council says three-quarters of halal certification held by companies run by non-Muslims
10 Sep 2024
GEORGE TOWN, Sept 10 — From January to June this year, 76 per cent of the Malaysian Halal Certification (SPHM) holders in Penang has been dominated by non-Muslim companies, including non-Bumiputera and foreign-owned entities, while the remaining 24 per cent are held by Muslim (Bumiputera) companies.
Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP) president, Datuk Mohamad Abdul Hamid, said that this includes 462 non-Muslim companies and 139 Muslim companies covering micro, small, medium, multinational and foreign-owned industries.
Mohamad, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister I, noted that the data indicates a higher percentage of non-Bumiputera traders applying for Halal certification compared to Bumiputera traders and this demonstrates that Malaysia’s Halal certification is trusted by all parties, regardless of religious or ethnic background.
“To further encourage Halal certification applications, the process has also been expedited. For Penang, the process has been shortened from 90 days to 30 working days since November last year,” he said in a statement today.
According to Mohamad, the statistics for Halal Certification Holders in Penang has seen a yearly increase, from 56 companies in 2008 to 1,651 companies as of August this year. This includes companies involved in food products, utilitarian materials, business premises, hotels, slaughter houses, cosmetics and logistics.
Mohamad said that the data indicates a growing awareness and demand among consumers for Halal products and services each year.
He stated that Malaysia’s Halal certification also provides an opportunity to enhance customer confidence and open up broader markets, both locally and internationally.
He added that Malaysia’s Halal certification for domestic purposes is available through nine schemes: food premises, food and beverage products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, utilitarian products, medical devices, logistics services, slaughter houses and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
According to him, businesses with Halal certification have a competitive edge and are trusted by various segments of society. Moreover, based on the State of the Global Islamic Economy (SGIE) 2023 report released by Dinar Standards, Malaysia is ranked first in the Halal food sector in the Global Islamic Economy Indicator (GIEI) 2023.
Therefore, he urged the public to continue supporting JAKIM’s efforts and commitment to increasing company participation in Malaysia’s Halal certification applications, ensuring that SPHM management remains at its best and becomes a national pride. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/09/10/penang-islamic-council-says-three-quarters-of-halal-certification-held-by-companies-run-by-non-muslims/149994
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'Music brings people together': This Muslim student convinced classmates to join band for Pope Francis' visit
SEPTEMBER 11, 2024
ByKHOO YI-HANG
It doesn't have to be a Taylor Swift concert — a brass band for the Pope is more than enough to bring people together.
And that's what Hai Sing Catholic School student Arissa Nabilah Arman did.
The 14-year-old, who plays the tuba in her school's concert band, shared with AsiaOne why she decided to perform for Pope Francis' visit to Singapore.
Arissa, a Malay-Muslim, is one of the volunteers in the combined schools' brass band that will play in the papal mass at the National Stadium on Thursday (Sept 12).
"I've always decided if there was a music event — including religion — I would participate in it no matter what," she said.
"Music always brings people together, regardless of religion, race, or anything of that matter."
Her parents were of the same mind when they learnt that she wanted to perform for the Pope.
"They were the ones who encouraged me to join in the first place," the teen said.
"My family doesn't mind because they know my passion for music, and they know music knows no bounds whatsoever, so they know I'll perform either way."
Arissa also shared that some of her classmates didn't want to sign up for the performance at first because they aren't Catholic or they "just didn't want to participate in something as big as performing for the Pope".
"I did my best to encourage them and some of them got in just because of me," she said.
According to the Catholic News Singapore, a total of 4,500 volunteers will serve at the papal mass.
They include a 1,600-strong Archdiocesan choir, 600 hospitality ministers, 360 Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, 300 altar servers, 270 security personnel, 140 medical personnel and some 200 people involved in the pre- and post-mass productions.
Rehearsing for success
Arissa has also been enjoying the rehearsals for the papal mass — interacting with tuba players from other schools.
"We've been getting along well," she said.
They help each other with difficult segments of the performance, discussing how they would sync up their sounds and cover for one another while a player takes a breath.
While some may think that playing in a combined schools' band is scary, Arissa believes otherwise.
To her, rehearsing with other schools amid differing expectations is exciting because she gets to interact with many different people, she said.
"I get to see how people react to parts they don't understand and I get to help others while also learning stuff from people too," Arissa explained.
Arissa also shared that she looks forward to performing for the Pope and bringing honour to Singapore.
This would mark her first big performance, she told AsiaOne.
"It's totally new, totally different, I've never done this before, so I would love to try it."
The teen also hopes to "just have fun" with her friends through this experience.
"Music is all about going with the flow. While we do have to practise — that is important — at the end of the day, you have to go with the flow. If you mess up along the way, you just keep going," she said.
Pope Francis is visiting Singapore from Sept 11 to 13 as part of his tour of the Asia-Pacific region.
Source:asiaone.com
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https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/music-brings-people-together-muslim-student-convinced-classmates-join-band-pope-francis
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Halal certification should be a choice, not a requirement for non-Muslim eateries, says Indian restaurants owners group
11 Sep 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — The Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners’ Association (Primas) has stated that halal certification should not be mandatory for non-Muslim restaurants.
Primas president J Govindasamy said that while having a halal certification could help attract more Muslim customers, the decision should remain with the restaurant owners.
“I believe there is no need to make it mandatory. If there are restaurants whose customers are not Muslims, they should be allowed to operate without a halal certificate,” he told Malaysiakini.
“The restaurants should be allowed to decide if they want a halal certificate or not,” he added.
Govindasamy also noted that the process of obtaining the halal certification is costly, and the requirements are stringent.
He explained that all restaurants are currently required to obtain a licence from the local councils and are monitored regularly by the health department.
“There are periodic checks on the cleanliness and quality of the food. Every year, the local council grades the restaurants,” he said.
“There are also online reviews about restaurants and there have been many cases where premises have been shuttered for two weeks by the health department.
“As for the halal certification, I reiterate that it should be left to the restaurants to decide,” Govindasamy added.
The statement follows a report that the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is considering making halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food establishments that do not serve pork or alcohol.
This issue gained attention after DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok suggested the proposal be reviewed, sparking criticism from political opponents.
The Seputeh MP had commented on September 6, responding to a proposal by Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar to mandate halal certification for all restaurants and food businesses, except those serving pork or alcohol.
Kok said making halal certification mandatory would burden small businesses and increase administrative costs and increase operating difficulties.
She had proposed a review of the mandatory halal certification proposal, saying that it should remain voluntary for businesses to obtain halal certificates based on market demands.
The probe was launched following concerns that her remarks on halal certification had touched on sensitive issues for Muslims in the country.
On Monday, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that police had launched an investigation under Section 298 and Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 after receiving complaints from individuals and non-governmental organisations.
Yesterday, Kok had her statement taken by the police at the Royal Malaysia Police headquarters at Bukit Aman yesterday, accompanied by her lawyer, Syahredzan Johan
The IGP said the police aimed to complete the inquiry within two days and that the case would then be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers for further action.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/09/11/halal-certification-should-be-a-choice-not-a-requirement-for-non-muslim-eateries-says-indian-restaurants-owners-group/150033
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Lawyers says ex-aide who previously accused PM Anwar arrested over guns and drugs
11 Sep 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Ex-research worker Muhammed Yusoff Rawther was arrested last Friday for gun and drug possession, according to his lawyer who alleged that the former was framed.
Lawyer Rafique Rashid claimed that two pistols and 305g of cannabis allegedly recovered from Muhammed Yusoff did not belong to the latter.
“The urine drug test was also negative. Yusoff has also said in his recorded statement that the guns and drugs were planted in his car by enemies,” the lawyer said in a statement.
The lawyer said Yusoff has named these “enemies” to the police as well as detailed their purported connections to unnamed political leaders.
Rafique said the police also have been asked to allow Yusoff to lodge a report and formalise these allegations, and to investigate them in earnest.
He added that Yussof has been remanded since his arrest under the Dangerous Drugs Act and Firearms Act.
In 2019, Yussof accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, now the prime minister, of sexual misconduct, eventually suing the latter in 2021.
Today, Rafique expressed concern over his client’s safety, after pointing out that the lawsuit was still ongoing.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/09/11/lawyers-says-ex-aide-who-previously-accused-pm-anwar-arrested-over-guns-and-drugs/150061
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PM Anwar’s two-day Sabah visit to spotlight Felda event and MA63 discussions
11 Sep 2024
KOTA KINABALU, Sept 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to Sabah starting today in Kota Kinabalu and Lahad Datu.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive in Kota Kinabalu tonight before attending the Sabah State Government Dinner which will also be attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor at Magellan Sutera Harbour.
Tomorrow, Anwar will visit Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu in the morning to attend the ‘Karnival Segalanya Felda’ accompanied by Hajiji.
At the event, Anwar will be given a welcome with a Sabah cultural performance and screening of a video entitled ‘Mimpi Seorang Ayah’ about Felda settlers.
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) at the Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu, with the Chief Minister leading the Sabah side.
Source:malaymail.com
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