Azan Modified To Include Call For Jihad In Indonesia: ‘Ḥayya ʿala Ṣ-Ṣalah’ (Hasten To The Prayer) Changes To ‘Ḥayya Alal Jihad’ (Hasten To Jihad)
New
Age Islam News Bureau
01 December 2020
Video screengrab showing a muezzin performing a
modified version of the adhan. Photo: YouTube
-----
• ‘Idols And Sculptures Are Not The Same’:
Bangabandhu, Rabindranath, Zia And Others Have Sculptures In Bangladesh
• ‘Love Jihad’ Law Goes Against Freedom Of Choice:
Former Supreme Court Judge Madan Lokur
• Shia Muslims Feel The Heat Of Pakistan's Blasphemy
Laws After A, Accused Of Blasphemy Was Granted Bail In Mirpur City of PoK
• French Muslims Of Arab Origin Feel Their Faith Is
Viewed Negatively: Poll
• US Welcomes Latvia’s Decision To Designate Lebanon’s
Hezbollah As Terrorist Group
• Hamas Official Says Palestinians Have Right To
Defend Their Occupied Land
• Islamists Attack Three French Military Bases In Mali
Southeast Asia
• Azan Modified To Include Call For Jihad In
Indonesia: ‘Ḥayya ʿala
Ṣ-Ṣalah’
(Hasten To The Prayer) To ‘Ḥayya Alal Jihad’ (Hasten To Jihad)
• Deputy minister declines comment on ‘US terrorists’
remarks by PAS MP
• Christian family killed and beheaded in Central
Sulawesi; fire set to six chapels
--------
South Asia
• ‘Idols And Sculptures Are Not The Same’:
Bangabandhu, Rabindranath, Zia And Others Have Sculptures In Bangladesh
• 70 Taliban Killed in Gov’t Defence Operations
• Train, Assist, Advice Security Forces Best Approach
to Stabilize Afghanistan: NATO
• 19 Taliban Killed, 3 Stronghold Wrecked in Uruzgan
Battle
• Afghan forces kill 8 Taliban militants over attack
on Ghazni army base
• Taliban Tackles Afghan Pace with Iranian Diplomat in
Qatar
--------
India
• ‘Love Jihad’ Law Goes Against Freedom Of Choice:
Former Supreme Court Judge Madan Lokur
• Shehla Rashid’s Father Alleges Death Threat From
Daughter, Seeks Funds Probe
• Amid 'Love Jihad' Row, Assam's New Law Will Ask
Couples To Declare Religion, Income
• 400-Year-Old Architectural Grandeur Kulsumpura,
Hyderabad, Mosque Lies In Neglect
• ‘Up to them’: MEA on
Pakistan cooperating with India’s
initiatives at SCO
• Pakistan jets didn’t violate Indian airspace: IAF
• Muslim Man Held Under Religious Freedom Law In
Madhya Pradesh
• Uttar Pradesh Police Have Lodged A Second ‘Love
Jihad’ Case In Bareilly District
• India condemns terrorism in all manifestations:
Naidu
--------
Pakistan
• Shia Muslims Feel The Heat Of Pakistan's Blasphemy
Laws After A, Accused Of Blasphemy Was Granted Bail In Mirpur City of PoK
• All Issues Relating To Forceful Conversions And
Marriages Will Be Settled With The Minorities • Amicably, Said Tahir Mehmood
Ashrafi
• Pakistan Attends SCO Meeting Hosted By India
• PTI’s Khalid elected chief minister of GB
• MoU signed with China to enhance defence ties
• 'Selected will have to go now,' says Aseefa
Bhutto-Zardari at political debut in Multan
• Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary
--------
Europe
• French Muslims Of Arab Origin Feel Their Faith Is
Viewed Negatively: Poll
• How Latifa ibn Ziaten became a campaigner against
radicalization of young French Arabs
• Azerbaijani Forces Take Over Last Nagorno-Karabakh
Region Per Truce Deal
• Turkish ship's return to port helps ease tension:
NATO
• 'EU set to assess ties with Turkey at December
summit'
--------
Arab World
• US Welcomes Latvia’s Decision To Designate Lebanon’s
Hezbollah As Terrorist Group
• Thousands protest in Iraq’s Nasiriyah as death toll
from clashes rises
• Egypt says case of Italian student’s murder to be
closed temporarily
• Iran’s IRGC commander targeted by a drone near
Iraqi-Syrian border
• Lebanon urges self-restraint after killing of
Iranian scientist
• Syrian protesters call for withdrawal of US
occupation forces from Hasakah
• Bahraini royal family member secretly visits al-Aqsa
--------
Mideast
• Hamas Official Says Palestinians Have Right To
Defend Their Occupied Land
• Turkey orders arrest of 82 military personnel
allegedly connected to Gulen: Report
• Coronavirus: COVID-19 robs biblical Bethlehem of
Christmas cheer
• Palestinians look ahead to ‘positive’ US role under
President-elect Biden
• Saudi employs ‘deception’ to evade responsibility
for Yemen catastrophe
• WHO stops financial support for some 10,000
healthcare workers in Yemen due to lack of funding
• Israeli forces raze Palestinian house, bulldoze more
land in occupied West Bank
• Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists
stand at over 410 this year: Report
--------
Africa
• Islamists Attack Three French Military Bases In Mali
• Sudan confirms Israeli visit to Khartoum
• Deputies from Libyan government, rebels agree to
‘end divisions’
• Tigray rebel leader says conflict far from over
after Ethiopia declares victory
• Boko Haram Killed 110 Farmers in Nigeria Attack, UN
Says
• Somalia: Al- Shabaab Militants Kill Seven Family
Members in Night Raid
--------
North America
• Joe Biden Has Promised to End Trump's Muslim and
African 'Travel Ban'. But Its Legacy Will Be Felt for Years
• US calls for immediate end to fighting in Ethiopia,
offers to help reconcile rivals
• Dozens of human rights groups denounce US arms sales
to UAE
• Charging the ‘Beatles’: Inside the case against IS
militants
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/azan-modified-include-call-jihad/d/123627
--------
Azan Modified To Include Call For Jihad In Indonesia:
‘Ḥayya
ʿala
Ṣ-Ṣalah’
(Hasten To The Prayer) Changes To ‘Ḥayya Alal Jihad’ (Hasten To Jihad)
Dec 1, 2020
Video screengrab showing a muezzin performing a
modified version of the adhan. Photo: Youtube
-----
Islamic organizations in Indonesia are outraged that
some Muslims in the country have sullied the religion’s sacred Azan (call to
prayer) has been modified to include a war cry.
Recently, several videos have circulated widely online
showing a muezzin (a person appointed to recite the Azan) modifying a verse of
the call to prayer to include a call for jihad (which literally means
“struggle” in Arabic, but has commonly been used in the context for religious
crusade). The modified Azan changes the line “Ḥayya ʿalā Ṣ-Ṣalāh” (hasten to the prayer) to “Ḥayya Alāl Jihad” (hasten
to jihad).
In at least one of the many viral videos, several men
were standing behind the muezzin and lifted their machetes and sickles into the
air when the modified verse was recited.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the highest
clerical body in the nation, has condemned the modified Azan.
“The Prophet [Mohammed] never modified the Azan. Even
during war time, the Azan was not changed, so it cannot be changed into a call
for jihad,” MUI Chairman Cholil Nafis said.
“We hope the public won’t be provoked by this.”
Some clerics are calling on law enforcement to
prosecute whoever modified the Azan, saying that the action constitutes
blasphemy towards the religion.
It’s not clear who made the videos, but fingers are
being pointed towards hardline group the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), who may
have modified the Azan as a war cry in solidarity with their leader Rizieq
Shihab. The firebrand cleric is facing police inquiry for recent mass rallies
and gatherings to celebrate his return from Saudi Arabia.
However, FPI denied they were behind the modified
Azan, saying that it was the result of “the aspiration of Muslim people.”
https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/islamic-groups-outraged-as-call-to-prayer-modified-to-include-call-for-jihad-in-indonesia/
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‘Idols And Sculptures Are Not The Same’: Bangabandhu,
Rabindranath, Zia And Others Have Sculptures In Bangladesh
November 30th, 2020
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman's sculpture Dhaka Tribune
-----
The recent events and controversies do raise the
question – is this Bangabandhu sculpture the first one in the country?
The construction of a sculpture of the Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has recently stirred up a lot of
unwanted debates.
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh chief Junaid Babunagari
issued threats during a rally in Chittagong on Friday that all the sculptures
in the country will be removed after Mawlana Mamunul Haque, the joint secretary
general of the organization, publicly sparked the controversy over the matter.
Other hardline Islamist organizations of the country
have also joined the debate saying that Bangladesh cannot have any sculptures
as it is “against the religion of Islam.”
Meanwhile, the ruling party-affiliated organizations
have taken a strict stance against such claims and said that there is no space
for “communal differences in a secular Bangladesh.”
The recent events and controversies do raise the
question – is this Bangabandhu statue the first one in the country?
It is quite evident that Bangladesh has had a long
history of sculptures and busts being made and preserved – including political,
social, and of prominent personalities and figures – all across the
country.
Construction of sculptures of Bangabandhu has
increased Since 2008. But sculptures of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman were
established before that. And statues of Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath
Tagore, Fakir Lalon Shah, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Ray Bahadur Jadunath Majumdar,
Begum Rokeya, Pritilata Waddedar, and many other important figures of this land
were constructed and cherished long before all of these debates.
According to the information collected, one of the
oldest busts in the country’s Bogra – the one of King Edward VII of England –
made between 1901 and 1905.
Two statues of Rabindranath Tagore were erected in
Naogaon to immortalize his memory. There is also another one of the Nobel Prize
winner poet at Shilaidaha in Kuthibari of Kushtia. There is another in
Shahjadpur.
Although several murals of the National Poet Kazi
Nazrul Islam can be seen in different parts of the country, his statues are
rare to find.
A bust of the poet was established at the Bangla
Academy premises in 2002, when the BNP government was in power.
Zia’s sculpture made before that of Bangabandhu
Although Islamic organizations have been resisting the
construction of Bangabandhu’s sculpture, the country has had statues of BNP
founder and former president Ziaur Rahman for quite some time.
The BNP founder’s sculpture was constructed in front
of the Zia Memorial Museum in Chittagong on September 7, 1993 – way before
anyone could make a one of Bangabandhu.
Also, Wadud Bhuiyan, a BNP MP during 2001-2005,
installed another statue of Zia at the Muslimpara intersection in Khagrachhari.
In light of the recent objections and controversies
over the construction of Bangabandhu’s sculpture, one thing that needs to be
addressed is that full-size statues of the country’s architect have been made
in different parts of the country since 2010.
A sculpture of Bangabandhu was inaugurated in front of
the academic building of Gopalganj Government Bangabandhu College on March 17,
2010.
This statue –
financed solely with the donations collected by students – aimed to pay a
tribute to Bangabandhu.
The Barisal Press Club unveiled a 10 feet high
sculpture of Bangabandhu on 16 December 2016, 45 years after independence, to
honour the great leader.
The Rangamati Hill District Council has also built a
statue of Bangabandhu – taking inspiration from his iconic and historic March 7
speech – in Rangamati. It was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina on 23 February 2013.
Besides, sculptures of Bangabandhu can be seen in
Narayanganj, Jhenaidah, Comilla, Manikchari of Khagrachari, Gazipur Safari Park
among other places.
Meanwhile, two more statues of the great leader are
under construction in Rangpur and Narsingdi.
Besides, statues of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
can be seen erected in the open spaces of various intersections, parks, and in
both public and private spaces of different parts of the country.
Although the four national leaders and heroes of the
country’s Liberation War – Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Mansur
Ali, and AHM Quamruzzaman – have huge portraits and murals of them in their
native places.
Sculptures of prominent figures of this land
Several sculptures and busts have been made of Fakir
Lalon Shah in Chheuria of Kushtia. Also, a handful of busts and a full-size
statues of the great poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt can be seen in Sagardari
village of Keshabpur upazila of Jessore.
A sculpture of Begum Rokeya Shakhawat Hossain – the
pioneer of women emancipation, social reform, and progressive struggle in this
land – was constructed in Mithapukur of Rangpur, her birthplace.
A statue of Pritilata Waddedar, the first female
martyr of Bengal in the anti-British movement, was erected in front of the
European Club at Pahartali in Chittagong.
When contacted, renowned sculptor Hamiduzzaman Khan,
said: “There are sculptures in every country. There are many of them in the
Arab land as well. These must be seen as a form of art.”
“A writer composes literature, painters draw pictures,
sculptors make sculptures. If one sees all these as they are, the matter
becomes easy.
“We keep portraits of a person to show respect, it has
to be seen in that light,” he added.
Mentioning that sculptures are made in an attempt to
keep the one we respect among us for a long time, he said: "Thinking it
this way makes things easier, and there remain no more controversies.
“If you look at them [sculptures] as art, it becomes
very beautiful.”
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2020/11/30/bangabandhu-rabindranath-zia-and-others-have-sculptures-in-bangladesh
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‘Love Jihad’ Law Goes Against Freedom Of Choice: Former Supreme Court Judge Madan Lokur
Dec 01, 2020
The law includes a provision to void a marriage if it
is solemnised primarily to convert a woman’s faith. The burden of proof is on
the person who converted, and those who performed the conversion. (PTI)
------
A recently passed ordinance in Uttar Pradesh outlawing
forced conversions by marriage, coercion or enticement is unfortunate because
it puts freedom of choice, dignity and human rights on the back seat, former
Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur said.
Delivering a public lecture on Sunday, Lokur said that
laws punishing interfaith marriages violated jurisprudence developed by the
Supreme Court protecting freedom of choice and human dignity.
“Giving a back seat to freedom of choice, dignity and
human rights, a stringent ordinance related to marriage and forcible conversion
has recently been passed in Uttar Pradesh…Are we as a society prepared for
this,” Lokur said.
“What happens to the law declared by the Supreme Court
in 2018 in the Hadiya case?” he asked, referring to the top court’s verdict
recognising an adult woman’s choice to convert to Islam and marry a man of her
choice.
His comments came days after Uttar Pradesh promulgated
the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance-2020 that
outlawed religious conversions by marriage, coercion, deceit or enticement, and
prescribed up to 10 years imprisonment for those found guilty. The law includes
a provision to void a marriage if it is solemnised primarily to convert a
woman’s faith. The burden of proof is on the person who converted, and those
who performed the conversion.
The former judge, delivering the Sunil Memorial
Lecture, recalled that in 2018, a similar law was introduced by Uttarakhand
legislature, called the Freedom of Religion Act, where marriages performed with
the sole purpose of religious conversion were declared null and void.
“The purpose of these laws is to prohibit what is
commonly known as ‘love jihad’ which has no clear definition…The carefully
drafted dignity jurisdiction assiduously developed over the years by the
Supreme Court is slowly being given an undignified cremation of the Hathras
kind and might reach a point of no return if so called anti-love jihad laws are
passed or extended to other communities,” he said, referring to the forced
cremation of a Dalit woman, a rape victim, by local authorities in Uttar
Pradesh’s Hathras district last month.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/love-jihad-law-goes-against-freedom-of-choice-lokur/story-Y07QJ3XfMYrCYxl272CmMO.html
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Shia Muslims Feel The Heat Of Pakistan's Blasphemy
Laws After A, Accused Of Blasphemy Was Granted Bail In Mirpur City of PoK
Kamran Chaudhry
December 01, 2020
The compound of a court in Mirpur city of
Pakistan-administered Kashmir became a battleground after a Shia Muslim accused
of blasphemy was granted bail.
Protesters including lawyers and madrasa students
shouted “We want the head of the blasphemer” and “Beheading the only punishment
for the blasphemer” at the District and Session Court on Nov. 28.
The mob gathered a day after the district judge
granted bail to Wajid Ali Shah, who was accused of insulting First Caliph Abu
Bakr, one of the four companions of the Prophet Muhammad, on WhatsApp. Shah was
a telephone operator in a government department.
Moments later, protesting lawyers broke the doors of
the courtroom and called for the removal of the judge who granted bail to Shah
and demanded hanging for the alleged blasphemer. More than 900 have viewed a
video that went viral on social media.
“Please back off. I am going inside. The decision will
be as per our wish. The judge will go. He will take back his decision,” said
Shakeel Raza, a protesting lawyer. Raza and two other lawyers of the District
Bar Mirpur were arrested as the protest continued at a nearby crossroads.
“We shall not compromise on the dignity of the holy
companions. We are ready to die,” they told local media that had been reporting
protests against Shah in Mirpur since September. His bail has been revoked.
According to Waqar ul Husnain, convener of Shia
Sherian of Pakistan, Shah was arrested during the recent Ashura, a 10-day
mourning period marked annually by the Muslim minority sect during the holy
month of Muharram.
Sunni groups often demand the arrest of Shia clerics
and eulogists on charges of insulting the Prophet Muhammad’s companions in
annual Muharram processions.
In August, around 42 blasphemy cases were registered
in Pakistan. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), more
than 75 percent of cases were filed against Shia Muslims in relation to
speeches made at religious processions.
In September, thousands of activists of mainstream
religious right-wing parties, allied with banned outfits, held mass rallies in
Karachi against Shia Muslims and demanded the arrest of blasphemers, stricter
blasphemy laws and for the Islam Protection Bill recently passed by the Punjab
Assembly to be replicated across Pakistan. Newspapers dubbed it as the largest
anti-Shia march seen in decades.
The outcry followed the detention of a Shia cleric in
Karachi under blasphemy laws for leading Ziyarat-e-Ashura, a prayer that
salutes the martyrs of the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, on a TV channel on
Sept. 13. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority issued a notice to the
news channel and suspended its license for 15 days. Channel owner Mohsin Naqvi
was arrested.
“We condemn the arrest of Shah and other innocent
Shias. This is totally wrong. Other allegations include desecration of the
Quran. We are being targeted. The recent arrests are a big blow to interfaith
harmony,” Husnain told UCA News.
“Sometimes people unknowingly use social media to
share things. Pressurizing lower courts and police stations breeds injustice
and anarchy in society.”
Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in deeply
conservative Pakistan where mere allegations have led to extrajudicial killings
and mob violence.
Catholic groups and human rights campaigners have long
sought the repeal of draconian blasphemy laws, arguing they are used to
victimize religious minorities or settle personal scores.
UK-based Asif Mall, who chairs the Pakistan Minorities
Rights Organization, renamed Pakistan as “Blasphemistan” in a Facebook post
referring to the arrest of Shia worshippers.
“A secular, progressive and democratic Pakistan is the
only way to avoid civil war and large-scale sectarian bloodshed,” he said.
Shias, who make up 15 percent of Pakistan’s population
of 220 million, commemorate the massacre of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson
Imam Husayn and his family and friends at the Battle of Karbala in Iraq for
refusing to pledge allegiance to then Muslim ruler Yazid ibn Muawiya.
Shias blame certain Islamic figures for events that
led to the Karbala tragedy, but the same people are revered by Sunni Muslims
for being the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Their conflict intensified in
Pakistan in the 1980s after the 1979 Iranian revolution and Saudi-Iranian
rivalry.
In 2017, an advertisement in an Urdu newspaper in
Bannu district of northwest Pakistan asked for male and female applicants from
Christian, Hindu and Shia communities for sweeper jobs. Officials later claimed
the word "Shia" was added by mistake and only religious minorities
were preferred.
The HRCP claims Karachi is the most affected city by
sectarianism. Five Shias, including a
senior doctor, were gunned down in the seaport city last year, it said in its
annual report.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/shia-muslims-feel-the-heat-of-pakistans-blasphemy-laws/90509
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French Muslims of Arab origin feel their faith is
viewed negatively: Poll
December 01, 2020
LONDON: In the tense environment of the terrorist
assassinations which have affected France in the last weeks, the question of
the integration of French people of Arab origin — more specifically Muslims —
and their conformity with “the values of the republic” is back to the fore of
political discourse.
By focusing on a minority of Muslim extremists,
right-wing politicians and polemicists who monopolize television platforms
continue to instill in people’s minds the idea that French Muslims as a whole
are separate citizens and “enemies of the inside” summoned to prove their sense
of belonging.
But as the new Arab News en Francais/YouGov study
shows, French people of Arab origin are well integrated. Among the representative
sample of 958 French Arabs surveyed, a significant proportion had a good level
of education, 65 percent of them were employed, 10 percent were unemployed and
55 percent had completed higher education.
They are generally familiar with French history, from
Louis XIV to the latest political developments.
Contrary to popular belief, around half of those
surveyed believe that their sense of belonging to French society has not been
impacted by their religion (48 percent) and their origin (45 percent). The other
half of those polled are divided between those who think that Islamic or
Maghrebi origin has fostered their sense of belonging and those who think that
it has been an obstacle to their inclusion in French society.
Although integrated, the French of Arab origin suffer
from a bad image that sticks to their skin. Almost two-thirds of those polled
(64 percent) believe that Arabs in France are perceived negatively. This
feeling is even stronger among those aged over 55 (73 percent). The term
“Arabs” gradually came to the fore in the early 1970s to designate Maghreb
immigrant workers and their families, and was gradually taken over by the far
right and the National Front.
It was then assimilated to delinquency and violence in
the suburbs, but also linked to degrading imagery inherited from the colonial
empire, as shown for example by the use of terms such as “savage” or, in more
recent times, “savagery.”
The semantic shift towards the term “Muslim” took
place at the start of the 1990s. It was already common in the 1950s and 1960s
to designate the status of colonized people in Algeria. The term has returned
to the fore, notably following the Creil headscarf controversy of 1989, and has
been associated with religious conservatism and rejection of secularism.
From 1995, France was also affected by a wave of
radical Islamic attacks, giving rise to a growing conflation between Muslims
and terrorists. This trend has intensified since a surge in violent extremism
in 2015 in France, especially as they are exploited for political ends. Islam
and “Muslims” are regularly singled out in the media. Far-right polemicist Eric
Zemmour has made it his specialty, going so far as to compare Islam to Nazism.
Politicians like former Republican presidential
candidate Francois Fillon made it clear that “there is a problem with the
Muslim religion” and that “a significant part of the Muslim community refuses
to integrate.”
It is therefore not surprising that, in this climate
of tension around Islam, more than two-thirds (67 percent) of Muslims polled in
the YouGov poll believe that other French people have a negative perception of
their religion.
But — and this is another lesson from the opinion poll
— the negative image of religion is not just about Islam as such. Indeed, 61
percent of Jews of Arab origin also say that their religion is frowned upon by
French citizens. In contrast, the perception is completely reversed for
Christians of Arab origin, 92 percent of whom say that their beliefs are viewed
positively.
These negative perceptions translate into
discrimination, particularly in hiring. In the Arab News en Francais/YouGov
survey, about three in 10 respondents said religion or racial origin has had a
negative impact on their careers. This feeling is especially true for men, whether
it concerns ethnicity (35 percent) or religion (33 percent).
Women, on the other hand, believe that neither
religion (61 percent) nor racial origin (53 percent) has had an impact on their
professional trajectory. For 36 percent of those polled, it was even the ethnic
origin of their name that penalized them the most in their hiring process. A
survey carried out by Institut Montaigne in 2015 showed that in France,
Mohammed is four times less likely to be recruited than Michel.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1770751/world
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US welcomes Latvia’s decision to designate Lebanon’s
Hezbollah as terrorist group
Joseph Haboush
30 November 2020
The United States Monday praised Latvia’s decision to
consider Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in its entirety.
“Latvia supports US implementation of sanctions
related to Hezbollah and has expressed a readiness to place national travel
bans on individuals associated with Hezbollah,” said Cale Brown, Principal
Deputy Spokesperson at the US State Department.
For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News
channel online or via the app.
An increasing number of European countries, as well as
Latin American countries, have followed the trend of designating Hezbollah as a
terrorist organization in recent months with the Trump administration’s maximum
pressure campaign on Iran and its proxies.
“The continued announcements by countries in Europe,
Latin America, and other regions of actions against the terrorist organization
send a strong message to Hezbollah and its backers in Iran that a new day is
coming,” Brown said.
He added: “On this new day, Hezbollah operatives will
no longer be able to operate from European soil, and the European Union will
follow the lead of a number of European governments by closing the loopholes
opened up by the false distinction between Hezbollah’s so-called military and
political wings.”
France is among the few major European nations that
differentiate between what it says are Hezbollah’s political and military
wings.
Washington has pushed France to change its position on
the Lebanon-based group but to no avail.
“The simple fact is that Hezbollah is a terrorist
organization, root and branch,” Brown said.
Hezbollah was formed in Lebanon in 1982, by the
Iranian regime, in an effort to counter Israeli gains in the tiny Mediterranean
country.
Hezbollah has continuously increased its capabilities
to attack Israel and its political influence in Lebanon, where it is one of the
few non-state actors that continue to possess weapons outside of the
government’s control.
It has also spread its military interventions in
Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/01/US-welcomes-Latvia-s-decision-to-designate-Lebanon-s-Hezbollah-as-terrorist-group
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Hamas official says Palestinians have right to defend
their occupied land
30 November 2020
The resistance movement Hamas says Palestinians have
the inalienable right to defend their occupied land against the Israeli regime.
Izzat al-Risheq, a member of the Hamas political
bureau, made the remark on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity
with the People of Palestine, which is celebrated annually on November 29.
Palestinians have the legitimate right “to defend
every inch of their occupied land, liberate the heroic prisoners [from Israeli
jails], and purge Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque from desecration,” the
Palestinian Information Center on Monday quoted the Hamas official as saying.
The occasion is a UN-organized observance to remind
the world of the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights. It is commemorated
worldwide, with officials expressing their support for the Palestinian cause
and denouncing the Israeli conduct in the occupied territories.
In 1977, the UN General Assembly called for the annual
observance. It marks the day in 1947 when the UN General Assembly adopted the
Palestine partition resolution 181.
“Palestine is a cross-cutting issue for our Arab and
Muslim nations because it represents a strategic depth for them and any
political penetration of this depth poses a threat to their unity and stability
and serves only the enemy that targets their wealth and capabilities,” Risheq
said.
The senior Hamas official said the Palestinian cause
with all of its political and humanitarian dimensions is a just issue, whose
vitality and liveliness in the Arab and Muslim nations and international arenas
could be restored through rallying around a national resistance project and a
unified struggle program.
“The Zionist occupation of the Palestinian land is the
most dangerous, criminal, unjust and persistent colonial entity in the world,
and our nation and the world’s free people should work with all means and at
various levels on criminalizing this occupation, exposing its crimes and making
intensive efforts politically and through the media to back the Palestinian
people’s steadfastness and help them end the occupation.”
On Sunday, Hamas spokesman Abdul-Latif al-Qanu called
on the international community to turn its slogans of solidarity with
Palestinians into action to end the decades-long Israeli occupation of their
land and enable them to live a dignified life.
Separately on Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres, in a message marking the International Day of Solidarity with the
People of Palestine, also stressed that the world must renew its “commitment to
the Palestinian people in their quest to achieve their inalienable rights and
build a future of peace, dignity, justice, and security.”
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal
settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian
territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem
al-Quds during the Six-Day War in 1967. It later annexed East Jerusalem al-Quds
in a move not recognized by the international community.
Palestinian officials say they want the resolution of
the conflict with Tel Aviv based on the so-called two-state solution along the
pre-1967 boundaries.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639681/Hamas-official-Palestinians-occupied-land
--------
Islamists attack three French military bases in Mali
NOVEMBER 30, 2020
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters
rocketed French military bases in Kidal, Menaka and Gao in northern Mali within
the space of a few hours on Monday morning, a rare sign of coordinated raids on
international forces.
The camps were hit by “indirect fire”, although no
deaths or injuries were reported, said Thomas Romiguier, a spokesman for French
forces, who have more than 5,100 personnel spread across the region.
The only damage was to a United Nations base in Kidal,
which is next to the French base, Romiguier said. The head of the U.N. mission
condemned the attacks.
In statement on Al Thabat, an affiliated media outfit,
al Qaeda said: “The rocket attacks of the mujahideen, in support of Islam and
Muslims, targeted the bases of the French infidel army.”
A witness in Gao said several rockets had been fired
towards the French base at around 5:30 a.m. (0530 GMT).
The mayor of Menaka, Nanout Kotia, told Reuters he had
heard explosions coming from the direction of the military camp outside town,
but could not give any more details.
French forces killed Bah ag Moussa, a military leader
of al Qaeda’s North Africa wing, on Nov. 10.
The former Malian army colonel, also known as Bamoussa
Diarra, was a right-hand man of Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of Mali’s most
prominent jihadist group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which
has repeatedly attacked soldiers and civilians in Mali and neighbouring Burkina
Faso.
https://in.reuters.com/article/mali-security/islamists-attack-three-french-military-bases-in-mali-idINKBN28A1VF
--------
Southeast Asia
Deputy minister declines comment on ‘US terrorists’
remarks by PAS MP
December 1, 2020
KUALA LUMPUR: A PAS MP called the US “terrorists”
while debating the 2021 budget allocations for the foreign affairs ministry at
the committee level at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (PAS-Pasir Puteh) had urged
the government to act in a tougher manner with the US and not to give in over
international issues such as the persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar and the
Kashmir conflict in India.
“Some accuse Palestinians of being terrorists without
mentioning the Jews who demolish and steal the possessions of Palestinians.
“Actually, they are the terrorists. Sometimes these
big powers like America act like the kings of the world. Whatever they want to
do, they will do. If they want to attack Sudan, Libya and any other countries,
they can.
“That’s why Malaysia’s stand has to be firm. Some say
that Palestinians are terrorists but Israel is a terrorist country. The same
goes for the US and other countries. They’re actually terrorists who make
threats to countries that aren’t aligned to them,” he said.
He said Malaysia needed to rise as a leader among
Muslim countries, emphasising the importance of the nation’s role in the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
He also said Turkey was an example of a nation that
did not bow to pressures from major powers.
This prompted Sim Chee Keong (PH-Bukit Mertajam) to
ask the government if it agreed with Nik Zawawi’s remarks that the US were
terrorists.
However, Deputy Foreign Minister Kamarudin Jaffar said
he did not need to comment on the matter.
“The ministry and I don’t need to comment on anything
MPs say,” he said.
Nik Zawawi previously stirred controversy over his
remarks in the Dewan Rakyat that the Bible was “distorted or altered”.
He later issued an apology and retracted his remarks,
saying he had no intention of hurting the feelings of Christians.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/12/01/deputy-minister-declines-comment-on-us-terrorists-remarks-by-pas-mp/
--------
Christian
family killed and beheaded in Central Sulawesi; fire set to six chapels
by
Mathias Hariyadi
11/28/2020
Four
members of the same Christian family have been found murdered, some of them
beheaded. All four belonged to the Protestant Church of Salvation (Salvation
Army). Their dismembered bodies were found yesterday, Central Sulawesi police
reported today.
The
murder took place in the village of Lenowu, Lemban Tongoa district, Sigi. For
now, the identity of the killers remains unknown.
The
president of the Protestant Christian Synod (PGI), Rev Gumar Gultom, condemned
the killings and demanded that the government send a team of experts to open an
investigation.
He
also denounced some acts of intolerance that took place in the same area some
time before the assassinations, namely the burning of six chapels used by the
Salvation Army.
His
statements contradict Rakhman Baso, inspector general of the Sulawesi police,
who said that "no churches were burnt".
The
murder victims are a couple, their daughter and her husband. Their bodies were
found around 10 am yesterday.
In
an official statement, Rev Gultom offers prayers and condolences to the
Salvation Army and notes that "this fresh violence reminds us of the
sporadic violence of the past that took place in the same area of Sulawesi.”
On
29 October 2005, three Christian girls, high school students, were beheaded by
Muslim extremists in Poso. The victims were: Theresia Morake (15), Alite Poliwo
(17), and Yarni Sambue (17).
According
to several observers, these killings were a consequence of sectarian clashes
between extremist Protestant Christians and Islamic radicals.
Later,
three local Catholics – Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva, and Marinus Riwu –
were sentenced to death for sheltering some Catholics who had fled clashes in
Poso.
The
latter were eventually arrested in 2000, tried and sentenced to death in
connection with the deaths of hundreds of Muslims during local interreligious
violence between 1998 and 2001.
No
Muslim was ever tried for taking part in those clashes, which also caused
deaths among Christians as well.
The
three Catholics were executed in September 2006. Then Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono refused a request for a pardon, supported by many
leading figures, including the Pope.
“In
the face of fresh violence,” said Rev Gultom, “I urge Indonesian security
forces to eliminate the remaining terrorist fighters, who are still wanted in
Sigi and Poso. The presence of the security forces is urgently needed to
reassure locals and the country.”
Many
people who witnessed the murders fled into the forest to hide. Meanwhile, the
investigation into the incident has started. Didik, a spokesman for Sulawesi
police, said that for now "the perpetrators of this violence remain
unknown".
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Christian-family-killed-and-beheaded-in-Central-Sulawesi%3B-fire-set-to-six-chapels-51718.html
--------
South Asia
70
Taliban Killed in Gov’t Defence Operations
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
29
Nov 2020
Afghan
commandos point out suspicious movement from a compound in the distance while
clearing Bahlozi village with the assistance of U.S. Special Forces soldiers in
the Maiwand district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, Jan. 1, 2014. (U.S.
Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Bertha A. Flores/ Released)
The
Ministry of Defense (MoD) says heavy attacks by Taliban fighters on Zherai and
Dand districts of Kandahar province have been repulsed by security forces.
Armed
Taliban militants attacked ANA checkpoints in the Waziran area of Zherai
district and Dand district of Kandahar province last night, the Ministry of
Defense said on Sunday.
The
Ministry added that 40 Taliban fighters were killed and 38 others were wounded
in the clashes.
According
to officials, in an operation in Dawlat Shah District of Laghman province in a
skirmish Taliban fighter suffered heavy casualties.
At
least 30 Taliban militants were reported dead and 17 other wounded in a clash
between the Afghan security forces and Taliban insurgents in the region.
Head
of Taliban’s intelligence for the district and one of their commanders are also
among the dead, following the battle large number of weapons and ammunition
were destroyed by the Afghan security members, media reports.
https://www.khaama.com/70-taliban-killed-in-govt-defense-operations-909800/
--------
Train,
Assist, Advice Security Forces Best Approach to Stabilize Afghanistan: NATO
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
01
Dec 2020
KABUL,
Afghanistan – The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference
Monday said the best approach to stabilize Afghanistan is to “train, assist,
advice” Afghan security forces, confirming about 11,000 troops in the country
under its mission.
Although
NATO has adjusted and changed the number of troops in Afghanistan over the
years, Stoltenberg confirmed roughly 11,000 troops in Afghanistan, of which
more than a half are non-US troops.
“It
has been a gradual reduction and that has been possible because we have
invested so much in training the Afghans,” said Stoltenberg in a statement. “We
have enabled Afghans to protect their own country.”
“I
strongly believe that the best way to stabilise Afghanistan is to train,
assist, advise the Afghan security forces so they can be in charge, be
responsible for their own country.” He added.
Addressing
the February accord signed between the United States and the Taliban on troops
withdrawal from Afghanistan, Stoltenberg said NATO is put in a tough situation
to decide over a complete draw out from the country.
“Then,
the main issue is that in the US-Taliban agreement, it is stated that all
international troops, also NATO troops, should be out of Afghanistan by 1 May,”
he elaborated the deal. “That’s the reason why we are now faced with a very
clear decision, a very difficult choice to be made, which actually represents a
dilemma for all of us.”
While
efforts by the Afghan government and the Taliban delegations are underway in
Doha since September 11, NATO is skeptic about potential peace deal between the
two warring sides, saying their assessment suggest Taliban are not committed to
peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.
“…
We assess that Taliban is not living up to their part of the agreement, not
delivering on their promises, but then, of course, risk continued fighting,
long-term continued military involvement in Afghanistan; or to leave, but then
risk jeopardising the gains we have made in fighting international terrorism
and preventing Afghanistan from being a platform for launching attacks against
our countries,” he exclaimed.
When
questioned about the President-elect Joe Biden’s approach of dealing with
February accord, Stoltenberg said he had an “excellent phone call” with
democrat President-elect, adding “Biden as a very committed supporter of the
cooperation, the bond between North America and Europe and of NATO.”
“I’m
looking forward to working with him and also with Kamala Harris, the Vice-
President-elect. And they have both expressed strong support to NATO,” he said.
“After the transition in January, we are, of course, working with the incoming
Biden administration. We will then work with what is then going to be the Bide.”
According
to Stoltenberg, NATO had more than 100,000 troops in a big combat operation.
Then have gradually reduced its presence and now are roughly 11,000 troops in a
Train, Assist and Advise mission. More than half are non-US troops coming from
European NATO Allies and partner nations.
https://www.khaama.com/train-assist-advice-security-forces-best-approach-to-stabilize-afghanistan-nato-345345/
--------
19
Taliban Killed, 3 Stronghold Wrecked in Uruzgan Battle
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
01
Dec 2020
Afghanistan
– At least 19 Taliban insurgents killed during an operation carried by Afghan
National Army (ANA) in Dehrawood district of Uruzgan on Monday, said the
Ministry of Defense in a statement.
According
to the statement, the Taliban plotted an attack against the Afghan National
Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), which was foiled in cooperation by the
national army forces.
“19
#Taliban were killed during preemptive operations of ANA in Dehrawood district
of Uruzgan province yesterday,” said the MoD in a tweet. “They had gathered and
prepared to attack ANDSF positions when they were targeted by #ANA and #AAF.”
Meanwhile,
further 11 Taliban were wounded and three of their “strongholds and a large
amount of their weapons were destroyed” during the operation.
https://www.khaama.com/19-taliban-killed-3-stronghold-wrecked-in-uruzgan-battle-345345/
--------
Afghan
forces kill 8 Taliban militants over attack on Ghazni army base
30
November 2020
Afghanistan
says its forces have killed the Taliban mastermind of an earlier car bomb
attack on an army base, and seven other militants, in an overnight airstrike in
the eastern province of Ghazni.
"The
mastermind behind yesterday's terrorist attack on the base was killed along
with seven other terrorists," the Defense Ministry said in a statement on
Monday.
The
militant, identified as Hamza Waziristani, is said to be a Taliban from the
Pakistani border region of Waziristan, according to a military spokesman Fawad
Aman.
The
attack on the army base occurred on Sunday morning, when a bomber detonated “a
Humvee vehicle which was full of explosives” close to a public protection unit
in Ghazni.
Th
attack killed at least 30 people and injured 24 others, director of Ghazni
hospital Baz Mohammad Hemat said, adding all of them were security personnel.
The
attack was the worst targeting the country’s security forces in recent months.
Violence
continues to take a heavy toll in Afghanistan even as government negotiators
and the Taliban have been engaged in peace talks in Qatar, in an effort to end
nearly two decades of war.
The
intra-Afghan talks began in the wake of a deal reached between the United
States and the Taliban in Doha back in February, but progress has so far been
slow.
Under
the Taliban-US deal, Washington promised to pull out all its troops by mid-2021
in return for the Taliban to stop their attacks on US-led occupation foreign
forces in Afghanistan.
The
deal was intended to result in the reduction of violence, but Taliban militants
have continued to stage deadly attacks against Afghan security forces and
civilians.
According
to recent official data, Taliban bombings and other assaults have increased 70
percent since the militant group reached the deal with Washington.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639664/Afghanistan-Taliban-bomb-attack-Ghazni-army-base-Hamza-Waziristani-
--------
Taliban
Tackles Afghan Pace with Iranian Diplomat in Qatar
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
01
Dec 2020
DOHA,
Qatar – A group of Taliban delegation on Monday met with Iranian Ambassador to
Doha Hameed Raza Dihqani, discussing intra-Afghan negotiations amid delays on
the main talks.
The
meeting came a day after Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem Wardak said that
Afghan and Taliban negotiating teams have agreed on the procedural rules in a
bid to push through the peace process.
“Today,
the responsible for contact with Iran, Turkey and the middle east countries
from the political office of the IEA Qari Deen Mohammad Haneef and his
delegation met with the Iranian ambassador to Doha Hameed Raza Dihqani and the
delegation accompanying him,” said Wardark in a tweet.
“The
related issues to both countries and the Intra-Afghan negotiations were
discussed during the meeting,” he added.
Meanwhile,
the Iranian Embassy in Qatar confirmed the meeting, posting a group picture on
its twitter account, but did not further elaborate on the purpose of meeting.
On
Saturday, the Afghan and Taliban negotiating teams have agreed on the
procedural rules after months of struggle, said Mohammad Naeem Wardar, a
spokesman for Taliban’s political office in Qatar, Saturday evening.
While
reports on such a breakthrough has been circulating around for weeks now, the
spokesman confirmed on Saturday that both side of the negotiations “finalized”
an agreement in 21 articles on November 15; but did not make any formal
announcement prior to this report.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-tackles-afghan-pace-with-iranian-diplomat-in-qatar-34534/
--------
India
Shehla
Rashid’s Father Alleges Death Threat From Daughter, Seeks Funds Probe
Nov
30, 2020
SRINAGAR:
The father of activist and former JNU Students' Union vice-president Shehla
Rashid on Monday wrote to J&K DGP Dilbag Singh, saying he feared for his
life after being threatened by his daughter's armed "bodyguard" into
leaving the family's Srinagar home because he disapproved of her political and
financial dealings. Abdul Rashid Shora sought an inquiry into his daughter's
finances, accusing her of receiving Rs 3 crore from two people under
investigation for terror funding.
Shora
said Shehla had been first offered the amount through him to join a party that
was to be floated by former IAS officer Shah Faesal. While he refused, his
daughter allegedly accepted the "deal".
Just
two months before the arrest of Zahoor Watali and (ex-MLA) Engineer Rashid in a
terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, I had been
called to the former's residence at Sanat Nagar in Srinagar. It was June 2017
and Shehla was in her last semester at JNU. They asked me to make Shehla join
the JKPM party (which hadn't been formed then) and they would give me Rs 3
crores," he alleged.
Shora
claimed to have turned down the duo immediately and advised his daughter to
stay away from such people. "Despite my resistance, I found my wife
Zubaida Shora and my elder daughter Asma supportive of Shehla and becoming
party to this deal along with a boy named Sakib Ahmad from Srinagar downtown,
who was introduced to me as Shehla’s pistol-carrying personal security
guard," he said.
"Shehla
threatened me not to disclose this deal to anybody or my meeting with Zahoor
Watali and Engineer Rashid; otherwise my life would be in danger," Shora
said.
Shehla
responded to the allegations with a statement on Twitter about her
"abusive and violent" father getting back at her for getting him
legally restrained from entering their home at Lal Nagar in Srinagar's
Chanapora neighbourhood. She cited a November 17 court order in this regard.
"As
we mourn the death of a close family member, it is extremely sad that my father
has chosen this time to level absolutely disgusting, baseless allegations
against me, my mother and sister," Shehla said. "The fact of the
matter is that my mother, sister and I have filed a complaint of domestic
violence with the court...The false allegations he is making are a reaction to
that."
In
his complaint to the DGP, Shora said he had a "strong belief that
anti-national activities are going on in my house".
He
said the restraining order mentioned by Shehla had been stayed by the court of
the additional sessions judge of Srinagar and that the authorities had been
directed to allow him to return to his house. "Despite the court order,
the local police did not accompany me to my home. I went on my own, but was
threatened by Sakib and his armed associates, after which I ran away from
Srinagar to Jammu."
The
DGP has forwarded the letter to the IGP (Kashmir range) for appropriate action.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/shehla-rashids-father-alleges-death-threat-from-daughter-seeks-funds-probe/articleshow/79497916.cms
--------
Amid
'Love Jihad' Row, Assam's New Law Will Ask Couples To Declare Religion, Income
01
December 2020
The
Assam government is formulating a new marriage law under which the bride and
groom will have to disclose their religion and income in official documents a
month before the wedding, according to several media reports. This comes hot on
the heels of announcements by several BJP-ruled states to bring in laws to
check "love jihad".
State
Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that the law will "empower our
sisters by bringing transparency."
"Assam's
law is not against 'love jihad'. It would be inclusive of all religions and
would empower our sisters by bringing transparency...One will have to disclose
not only religion but earning source. Complete family details, education etc.
Many times even in same religion marriage we have found that the girl later
finds that the husband is in an illegal business," said Mr Sarma.
The
proposed marriage law will require couples to declare their family details,
education, source of income, profession, permanent address along with religion
in a prescribed form one month before the wedding. A failure to do this will
result in legal action, the Minister said.
Sarma
also said that Assam's love will be similar to the one passed in Uttar Pradesh
and Madhya Pradesh but will have its own twist. "Our law will empower
women. It will have some elements of the law in UP and MP," Mr Sarma said.
"Love
jihad" is a term used by right-wing groups to frame allegedly forceful
relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women. The coinage also represents
claims that Hindu women are being converted to Islam under the guise of
marriage as part of a nefarious scheme.
The
term hasn't been officially acknowledged by the central government. However,
several states with BJP government including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana have been mulling to bring into effect a law against
"love jihad".
On
Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel gave assent to an ordinance
against forcible or "dishonest" religious conversions.
The
Allahabad High Court recently said in a judgement that a person's right to live
with people of their choice, irrespective of religion, is intrinsic to personal
liberty and right to life. The Constitution guarantees the fundamental right,
it noted. The judgment also overturned two previous rulings that said religious
conversation for the sake of marriage was not "good in law".
The
ruling BJP's move comes ahead of Assembly Elections in Assam next year.
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-amid-love-jihad-row-assams-new-law-will-ask-couples-to-declare-religion-income/365860
--------
400-Year-Old
Architectural Grandeur Kulsumpura, Hyderabad, Mosque Lies In Neglect
Dec
1, 2020
Hyderabad:
The mosque of Kulsumpura in Karwan, which is a 400-year-old architectural
grandeur and holds a significant position in the history of the region is in
dire need of policy-makers’ attention.
The
fabled mosque was built by Princess Kulsum Begum, daughter of Sultan Mohammed
Qutub Shah with the Mehr (money or gift given as a mark of respect to the wife
at the time of marriage) she received from her husband in consideration of the
marriage. The architecture of the mosque is said to be very similar to other
Qutub Shahi mosques in the city.
However,
with no efforts being made for its restoration or conservation, the fabled
mosque, which was built between 1612 and 1626 AD, paints a sad picture without
attracting any visitors and many passing by without even knowing its true
value.
TOI’s
visit to the structure revealed that the minarets of the tomb are covered with
overgrown vegetation, which could be the reason for huge cracks developing on
the minarets and other exteriors of the mosque. The impressive stuccowork can
also be seen peeling off at many places on the structure.
The
managing committee of the mosque said they have submitted several
representations to the state heritage department to restore the structure to
prevent further damage, but to no avail. Mohammed Omer Ali Waseem, the masjid
committee’s executive member, said they had been writing to the state
archaeology department since 2014 asking them to restore the mosque, but to no
avail. “I gave a fresh representation earlier this month requesting the state
heritage department to start the restoration works. The damage is so bad that
the entire structure can fall apart any time,” said Waseem.
The
managing committee received a letter from the director of the archaeology
department, only in 2017 stating that a conservation architect had visited the
site and prepared an estimate of Rs 42 lakh, but they could not be take up the
work post that due to lack of funds.
When
contacted, B Narayana, deputy director of state heritage department said, “We
have recently submitted our action plan to the government for restoration of
the structure. Once that proposal for the action plan is sanctioned and funds
are released, we can start the work.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/400-year-old-kulsumpura-mosque-lies-in-neglect/articleshow/79500317.cms
--------
‘Up
to them’: MEA on Pakistan
cooperating with India’s initiatives at SCO
Edited
by Arpan Rai
Nov
30, 2020
The
ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Monday whether Pakistan will join
India’s initiatives at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting is
up to them and backed this with SCO charter’s
provision. “As far as whether Pakistan is going to join (our)
initiatives, it’s up to them. SCO charter has a provision that one
country cannot hold up cooperation in areas and allows member countries which
are interested to take it forward with the exclusion of one country that is
opposing,” MEA secretary Vikas Swarup
said.
Swarup
said that India considers SCO as an important regional organisation to promote
cooperation in the areas of peace, security, trade, economy and culture. “We
are committed to deepening our cooperation with SCO by playing a proactive,
positive and constructive role,” the MEA secretary said.
Earlier
in the day, India indirectly cornered Pakistan for using terrorism as an
instrument of state policy and called for collective efforts to combat the
menace during a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government.
Vice
president M Venkaiah Naidu, who chaired the virtual meeting of the council,
hurled the attack without naming Pakistan and said, “India condemns terrorism
in all its manifestations. We remain concerned about threats emerging from
ungoverned spaces and are particularly concerned about states that leverage
terrorism as an instrument of state policy.”
Panning
Pakistan’s stance, Naidu said, “Such an approach is entirely against the spirit
and ideas and the charter of the SCO. Elimination of this threat will help all
of us realise our shared potential and create conditions for stable and secure
economic growth and sustainable development.”
Naidu
also criticised Pakistan for attempting to use SCO to raise bilateral matters
and said this went against the grouping’s charter, which safeguards the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.
Pakistan
has repeatedly sought to raise bilateral matters such as the Kashmir issue at
multilateral forums and India had walked out of a virtual meeting of national
security advisers of SCO in September after the Pakistani representative
projected a map that inaccurately depicted the borders of the two countries.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/up-to-them-mea-on-pakistan-cooperating-with-india-s-initiatives-at-sco/story-k4lP3VqrZ8t7BA2SPOKDZK.html
--------
Pakistan
jets didn’t violate Indian airspace: IAF
Dec
1, 2020
NEW
DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday rejected reports that Pakistani
fighter jets had violated Indian airspace or flown dangerously close to the
Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch area of Jammu and Kashmir. Contrails or
smoke trails of an aircraft flying in the Pakistani airspace, which were
spotted from the ground across the LoC in India, triggered an alert and
speculation about Pakistani fighters coming close to the LoC, if not crossing it,
on Monday morning. “There was no airspace violation. Contrails high up in the
sky can be mistaken by untrained people as being overhead or close by,” an IAF
officer said.
No
trace of second pilot yet
With
debris of the MiG-29K fighter that crashed on Thursday being located around 50
km off Goa in the Arabian Sea, the Navy has now deployed deep-sea divers and
specialised equipment to search for the missing second pilot. There has been no
trace of Commander Nishant Singh till now.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pakistan-jets-didnt-violate-indian-airspace-iaf/articleshow/79501652.cms
--------
Muslim
Man Held Under Religious Freedom Law In Madhya Pradesh
01
December 2020
A
Muslim man has been arrested in Madhya Pradesh after his wife allegedly said that
her husband and his family were torturing and forcing her to adapt Islam and
learn Urdu and Arabic languages, NDTV reported.
The
arrest was made under the provisions of the MP Dharma Swatantraya Act 1968.
BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh is among the states that are bringing in a law against
‘love jihad’.
In
2018, the woman had run off from home and married Irshad Khan by Islamic
rituals. However, on Saturday, she returned to her parents.
"I
was being regularly tortured by him (Irshad) and he forced me to adapt his
culture and also learn Urdu and Arabic language. Unable to bear the torture,
I've returned to my parents' house and will not return to him. I made a big
mistake in leaving my house two years back and marrying him," the woman
said.
Bharat
Dubey, a senior police officer of the area, said the man came to the police,
alleging that his wife has been kept forcibly confined by her parents.
"Later,
the woman and her parents came to the police and complained that she will not
stay with Irshad Khan as he used to torture him," he said. "On her
complaint, a case has been registered against Irshad Khan. He has been accused
under IPC sections that deal with cruelty to a married woman by her husband and
in-laws and sections of MP Dharma Swatantraya Act 1968 and he has been
arrested," the officer added.
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-muslim-man-held-under-religious-freedom-law-in-madhya-pradesh/365850
--------
Uttar
Pradesh Police Have Lodged A Second ‘Love Jihad’ Case In Bareilly District
Dec
01, 2020
Uttar
Pradesh Police have lodged a second case under the new law promulgated to
punish forced religious conversions in India’s most populous state.
This
first information report (FIR), a copy of which is in HT’s possession, was
filed on Monday against a man identified as Tahir Hussain and his brothers,
Sagir and Munna, under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of
Religion Ordinance. The complainant is a resident of Izzat Nagar police station
limits in Bareilly district.
The
first FIR too was lodged in Bareilly on November 28, hours after the ordinance
received governor Anandiben Patel’s assent. The state cabinet cleared the
ordinance earlier this month, targeting what many right-wing groups term “love
jihad”, which involves Muslim men marrying Hindu women with the aim of changing
the latter’s religion after marriage. According to the ordinance, such
marriages will be declared null and void.
Additional
director general of police, Bareilly zone, Avinash Chandra confirmed that the
FIR was registered at Izzat Nagar police station and an investigation was
underway.
According
to the FIR, the victim has been in a relationship with Tahir Hussain since
November 2019. They started living together after getting married in a temple,
the FIR said. When the woman became pregnant in November this year, she urged
Hussain to get their marriage registered in court..
The
FIR also said that when the woman urged family members of Hussain to get their
marriage registered in court, her husband and his brothers assaulted her on
November 20, resulting in an abortion.
In
the FIR, the victim also alleged that Hussain told her that he did not want to
marry her, but that he believed in “love jihad” and making a Hindu girl
pregnant. The victim alleged that Hussain lured her by promising to marry her,
but continued to rape her, the FIR said.
The
first FIR under the new law was lodged by Tikram Rathore against Owais Ahmad.
Both belonged to Sharifnagar village of Bareilly district. Rathore had
complained in the FIR that Ahmad was pressuring his daughter to convert to
Islam. They were not married, but had known each other from their college days.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/2nd-love-jihad-case-filed-in-up/story-yVBUc9xMU9K1WSDVGXoQ0I.html
--------
India
condemns terrorism in all manifestations: Naidu
Dec
01, 2020
India
on Monday launched a thinly veiled attack on Pakistan for using terror as an
instrument of state policy during a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation’s (SCO) council of heads of government, calling for collective
efforts to combat the menace.
Vice-president
M Venkaiah Naidu, who chaired the virtual meeting, indirectly criticised
Pakistan for attempting to use SCO to raise bilateral matters and said this
went against the grouping’s charter, which safeguards the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of member-states.
In
his opening remarks, Naidu pointed to the importance of efforts to boost
economic recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic and took a tacit swipe at China’s
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying trust alone determines sustainability of
global trade and countries must demonstrate their compliance with the rules of
multilateral trade.
The
council is SCO’s second-highest body and is responsible for handling the
economic agenda and approving its annual budget. This was the first time India
hosted a meeting of the body since it was admitted into the grouping in 2017.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan didn’t join the
virtual meeting. Pakistan’s participation was at the lowest level – it was
represented by parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs Andleeb Abbas – and
Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were
represented by their prime ministers.
Naidu
said trade can flourish only in an environment of peace and security, and the
most important challenge faced by countries in the region is cross-border
terrorism. He described terrorism as “the enemy of humanity” that needs to be
combated collectively.
“India
condemns terrorism in all its manifestations. We remain concerned about threats
emerging from ungoverned spaces and are particularly concerned about states
that leverage terrorism as an instrument of state policy,” he said, without
naming Pakistan.
Naidu
said SCO is key to cooperation based on universally recognised norms, rule of
law, openness, and it is “unfortunate ...that there have been attempts to
deliberately bring bilateral issues into SCO and blatantly violate the
well-established principles...safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of SCO member states”.
Secretary
(West) Vikas Swarup of the external affairs ministry told a news briefing after
the meeting that it is up to Pakistan to join initiatives proposed by India,
but the SCO charter includes a provision that one country cannot hold up
cooperation, and also allows other members to take cooperation forward “with
the exclusion of the country which is opposing it”. “If SCO member-countries
have the will, I’m sure we can all find common ground and that is why the SCO
charter specifically prohibits bilateral issues from being raised in SCO
forums,” he added.
Former
ambassador Vishnu Prakash said, “When India joined as an observer in 2005,
there was optimism about India-China ties, Today, we are de-coupling with
China. Pakistan and China have an unholy alliance that will thwart Indian
initiatives,” he said.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-condemns-terrorism-in-all-manifestations-naidu/story-sWDogEt6fJcp1vHKqRg7LK.html
--------
Pakistan
All
Issues Relating To Forceful Conversions And Marriages Will Be Settled With The
Minorities Amicably, Said Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi
December
1, 2020
LAHORE:
Non-Muslims living in Pakistan should not have any fear. Islam is a religion of
peace, moderation and compassion. All issues relating to forceful conversions
and marriages will be settled with the minorities amicably, said Tahir Mehmood
Ashrafi, special representative to Prime Minister on Inter-religious Harmony
and Middle East.
Addressing
a press conference here on Monday, following a meeting with Christian leaders
at the Cathedral Church, Waris Road, Ashrafi said any individual, group and
organization will not be allowed to settle their vendetta on account of Islam
and ethnic differences. To make awareness among people to contain misuse of
blasphemy laws, campaigns will be launched. Islam is a religion of peace,
harmony and compassion. Any girl, either she is daughter of a Muslim or a non-
Muslim, is the responsibility of the state. He said the Muttahida Ulema Board
rejected blasphemy charges against six sanitary workers of the Christian
community.
Ashrafi
said the government has decided to constitute a coordination committee with
representation of the Christian community to resolve issues faced by Christians.
He said a resolution approved by the OIC in support of Kashmir and legislation
endeavours against blasphemy issues at the world level through OIC is a great
achievement on the part of the government.
He
said Pakistan has ideal relations with all neighbouring Muslim countries
including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Sudan and Bahrain. It is a great success for
Pakistan's foreign policy to raise voice for Kashmir from the OIC forum and
demanding world organizations to ensure legislation against blasphemy issues. He
said world organizations ahead of publishing reports against Pakistan should
take into consideration ground realities. He said all people involved in the
killing of Ahmedies in Peshawar and Nankana Sahib have been arrested. Anyone in
Pakistan will not be allowed to make extrajudicial killings on account of
religion.
Pakistan
Council of Churches Chairman Azad Marshall felicitated Ashrafi for assuming the
change of special aide to prime minister. He said the Christian community will
observe SOPs to celebrate Christmas. Ashrafi said the minorities will get all
respective rights as defined in the Constitution of Pakistan. He said all cases
relating to forceful conversions and marriages are being tackled. He said the
cases regarding misuse of blasphemy laws (295-C) witnessed reduction during the
last two years. He said 104 cases on religious desecration were reported to the
Muttahida Ulema Board and in 100 cases, relief was provided in accordance with
the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.
Rumours
are also made on Pakistan-China relations. He said if Bahrain and Sudan
recognise Israel, it will not affect relations of Pakistan with Arab countries.
He underlined that during the last two years, the relations of Pakistan with
the Muslim world witnessed stability contrary to past governments. In a recent
meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), all points raised by
Pakistan on Kashmir and legislation against blasphemy were made part of the OIC
agenda.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/751932-minorities-should-not-have-any-fear-in-pakistan
--------
Pakistan
attends SCO meeting hosted by India
Iftikhar
A. Khan
01
Dec 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Andleeb Abbas represented Pakistan
in the 19th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO-CHG) hosted by India via video conference on
Monday.
India
assumed the chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government on Nov 2 last year
as per rotation from Uzbekistan, the previous chair, and completed its
year-long tenure by hosting for the first time a summit-level meeting since it
gained full membership of the organisation in 2017.
Ms
Abbas highlighted the importance of SCO for Pakistan in achieving regional
peace and stability, and development of closer ties with regional partners
through multi-faceted linkages and connectivity. She underscored the imperative
of creating a safe and secure neighbourhood.
Andleeb
condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations
Condemning
terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism
inflicted upon people living under foreign occupation in disputed territories,
the parliamentary secretary cautioned against the recent rise in extremist and
racist incidents, inspired by neo-Nazism and Islamophobia.
Ms
Abbas emphasised the need for cooperation, collaboration and sharing of
knowledge and expertise to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. She recalled that
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ‘Global Initiative on Debt Relief’ advocated the
provision of fiscal space to developing countries to address the adverse
economic impacts of the pandemic.
She
said Pakistan valued the SCO region as a pivotal link for regional connectivity
and integration. Connectivity projects under the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC), industrial parks and energy projects are laying the future of
a prosperous and globally-connected region.
In
the context of climate change, the parliamentary secretary apprised the forum
about the “Ecosystem Restoration Initiative” of the prime minister, which
includes planting of 10 billion trees over the next three years.
She
thanked member states for supporting Pakistan’s initiative for creating a
Special Working Group (SWG) on Poverty Alleviation. It will provide an
opportunity for sharing of experiences and exchange of ideas between SCO member
states.
She
reiterated PM Khan’s proposal for a multi-year SCO Youth Strategy focusing on
building partnerships among educational institutions, offering scholarships and
exchange programmes for youth in the scientific field.
She
also underscored that PM Khan’s initiative of opposing illicit financial flows
from developing nations, and bringing back stolen wealth would help affected
countries pursue their development objectives.
The
SCO-CHG focuses primarily on economic and trade cooperation.
Earlier,
PM Khan had participated in the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS), which
is the highest forum of SCO, held in virtual format on Nov 10, 2020.
SCO
has immense potential for fostering a conducive environment for regional
stability, security and comprehensive economic development. The SCO provides
Pakistan a platform for increased engagement with key global and regional
partners and build further linkages with Central Asia.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1593338/pakistan-attends-sco-meeting-hosted-by-india
--------
PTI’s
Khalid elected chief minister of GB
Jamil
Nagri
01
Dec 2020
GILGIT:
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on Monday elected Khalid Khurshid Khan of the
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf as chief minister and Pakistan Peoples Party’s Amjad
Hussain as leader of the opposition.
Speaker
Amjad Hussain Zaidi chaired the assembly session held to elect chief minister
of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Mr
Khan, who was fielded by the PTI-Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen alliance, and Mr
Hussain who was a candidate of the opposition parties JUI-F, PPP and PML-N,
secured 22 and nine votes, respectively.
After
the CM election, Speaker Zaidi announced that the opposition parties submitted
requisition and said Mr Hussain was elected opposition leader in the GB
Assembly.
Speaking
on the occasion, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl lawmaker Rehmat Khaliq said his
party would support every “legal and constitutional” steps of the newly elected
government.
Legislator
belonging to the BNF-Naji congratulated the chief minister and opposition
leader said that constructive criticism against government would continue.
He
said the people of the region believed that the government should not show any
negligence in GB’s development for which his party was ready to appreciate all
good steps.
Speaker
Zaidi announced that appropriate time would be given to members of the ruling
and opposition parties in the assembly.
PML-N
lawmaker Ghulam Mohammad said his party would continue its efforts to identify
public issues, while expressing the hope that the government would ensure
provision of rights to GB people. Claiming that the PML-N laid foundation of
fast-paced development in the region, he said the PTI government should
continue work at the same pace.
PPP’s
Amjad Hussain, who was elected opposition leader, congratulated all members of
GB Assembly. He said the ruling PTI and opposition PPP got equal votes yet the
PTI was allowed to form the government under a plan.
He
said there was a question mark on the system how with equal votes, the PTI got
nine seats and PPP got four seats. He said religious parties helped the PTI get
nine seats. It was political engineering through which the PTI formed the
government in GB, he said.
The
opposition leader said he would continue to resist against every anti-people
move of the government. He reiterated that the GB elections were rigged as the
Centre committed every possible rigging to defeat the PPP in the region.
Chief
Minister Khan promised that every step would be taken to solve the issues being
faced by GB people. He said health, education and other sectors would be solved
on a priority basis.
The
GB’s merger with rest of Pakistan would be a historic move, he said, adding
that the PTI was taking this step. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to
ensure promotion of tourism. He vowed that all resources would be utilised to
boost tourism round the year instead of a few months.
On
the floor of the House, he promised judicial and agriculture reforms. Fruit
processing units would be established in the region so that they could be
exported. He said: “I am sure we will be able to make our own budget through
revenue.”
He
said technology would be used to explore minerals. Electricity would be
provided to all areas, he said, adding that new projects for hydro power would
be taken. “Environmental policy will be made to reduce impact of climate change
on GB,” he said.
Besides,
unemployment would be controlled, he said. Women empowerment was among PTI
government’s priorities, he said while asking the Gilgit-Baltistan opposition
to support the government for development of the region.
Later,
the assembly session was adjourned for an unspecified period.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1593358/ptis-khalid-elected-chief-minister-of-gb
--------
MoU
signed with China to enhance defence ties
01
Dec 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and China on Monday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for
enhancement of defence cooperation between the armies of the two countries.
Prior
to signing of the MoU, General Wei Fenghe, Minister of National Defence of
China, called on General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of the Army Staff, at the
General Headquarters.
During
the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security and enhanced
bilateral defence collaboration were discussed. The visiting dignitary
appreciated Pakistan army’s efforts for regional peace and provision of secure
environment for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
The
Chief of the Army Staff thanked the dignitary for China’s support to Pakistan
on all key issues at regional and international forums.
The
COAS said that Pakistan army greatly valued time-tested and brotherly relations
with China.
“We
have been standing together all along and our relations will be no different in
view of future challenges,” the COAS said.
Earlier,
on arrival at the GHQ, Chinese Minister of National Defence laid a wreath at
Yadgar-i-Shuhada.
A
contingent of the Pakistan army presented the guard of honour to the visiting
dignitary.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1593334/mou-signed-with-china-to-enhance-defence-ties
--------
'Selected
will have to go now,' says Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari at political debut in Multan
30
Nov 2020
The
fifth power show of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was held on Monday
at Multan's Ghanta Ghar Chowk after days of conflict between the city
administration and opposition workers over holding a public event at a time
when the incidence of coronavirus is rising.
Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam-(F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-N Vice President Maryam
Nawaz and PPP's Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, along with other PDM leaders and their
respective supporters attended the public meeting.
Aseefa,
who attended the rally on her brother and PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's
behalf, said that the public has given its verdict and the "selected will
have to go now".
"I
have come among you today at a time when my brother, your brother, Chairman
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is suffering from coronavirus. I hope that just like you
supported the mother of democracy and the daughter of the east, you will
support Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on PDM's platform. And I promise that I
will support Chairman Bilawal and you at every step."
She
said that if the government arrested their brothers, PPP's women will step out
to struggle and save the country.
"If
they think we will be scared of arrests, they are deluded. If they arrest our
brothers, every female worker of PPP will step outside to save our brothers and
the country," Aseefa told a charged crowd.
'Campaign
for Israel's acceptance'
PML-N
Vice President Maryam, in her address, said she was "convinced of the
bravery of Multan's people" as she had been told that the administration
had refused to give permission for a rally, yet people had gathered to hold
one.
She
accused the government of "throwing occupied Kashmir in [Indian PM] Modi's
lap" and said that a campaign was being run for Pakistan to accept Israel
as a state.
"Public
wants to know if the selectors and selected are on the same page on the matter
of Israel," she said.
Maryam
also congratulated PPP on its Youm-i-Tasees (founding day) and said that Aseefa
Bhutto-Zardari — who is attending the gathering on her brother Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari's behalf — and herself had come out of their homes to fight for
the rights of Pakistanis. The PML-N leader said that though her grandmother had
passed away recently, she had decided to attend the public meeting because the
"pain of the people is greater than mine".
She
accused the PTI government of not informing her of her grandmother's passing.
Maryam was in Peshawar to attend a PDM rally when her grandmother passed away.
"They
knew that I didn't know about my grandmother's death. My family kept calling me
but couldn't reach me because phone signals were suspended," she said in
today's public meeting. Maryam also bashed the government for telling the
opposition to postpone public meetings due to rising cases of Covid-19, saying,
"Once Covid-18 goes home, Covid-19 will leave as well".
"This
Covid-19 is very intelligent. It doesn't spread in Jamaat-i-Islami's
gatherings, it doesn't spread in government officials' public meetings. It
doesn't enter gatherings of 300 people. It only spreads in opposition
rallies."
Maryam
said that PTI's promise to make a South Punjab province was a "lie".
The PML-N leader said that she "feared for the country" because an
"inexperienced player" was running it.
"Two
selectors are constantly trying to push this bus (government) forward, but this
bus is not running," she said.
Maryam
also said that despite allegations of receiving foreign funding for his party,
building offshore companies to evade tax, Prime Minister Imran Khan insisted he
was honest.
"He
says I won't give an NRO [...] first he receives donations from mafias and then
allows them to rob the public. He gives them an NRO and allows them to eat and
when a government official says you're wrong, he (prime minister) expels
him."
Maryam
said that she will continue to fight for the public's rights "even if I
have to go to jail".
JUI-F
chief Rehman also addressed the crowd at the end of the rally and said that
though the government had warned PDM against holding a public meeting, the PDM
alliance had scared the administration off by "merely waving a
baton". He was referring to a press conference by PDM leaders yesterday,
where they had vowed to hold a public meeting, come what may.
He
told the crowd to be prepared for the next PDM rally, which will be held in
Lahore. Rehman said that the people should go home and tell other people about
PDM's agenda.
Balochistan
National Party (Mengal) Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal criticised the government
and the military leadership and said that if the latter "wants to
participate in politics, do so after taking off your uniforms".
Pakhtunkhwa
Milli Awami Party's Mehmood Khan Achakzai, while speaking at the public
meeting, said that PDM was not created to speak against anyone. The alliance's
purpose, he insisted, was to ensure that intelligence agencies and armed
institutions should not interfere in political matters.
He
warned that "dangerous blocs" were being created around Pakistan and
warned that the country may be bombed by foreign forces just like Iran's
scientist and military general were slain. The solution, he said, was that the
incumbent assembly be dismantled.
Today's
gathering was part of a series of public meetings the PDM is holding across the
country to pressurise the PTI government to step down. A huge number of people
have gathered to attend the rally.
PDM
'nexus'
Special
Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, in a
series of tweets, criticised the PDM alliance and said: "PDM nexus is
depending on pilgrims arriving from Sindh to visit shrines of Sufi saints. To
solve their personal and family problems, unsuccessful attempts are being made
to burn innocent people in corona's furnace. The government is providing
facilities to the visitors and all avenues are open but PDM is roaming the
streets instead of going to the stadium."
PPP
Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari did not attend today's gathering as he is in
quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19. His sister, Aseefa, attended
and addressed the public meeting in his place.
Speaking
to workers part of her entourage on the way to the venue, Aseefa had urged all
supporters of the party to reach the gathering.
In
a statement issued on PPP's Youm-i-Tasees today, Bilawal said: "PPP has
invited the entire PDM leadership to the public meeting [held to observe]
Youm-i-Tasees. Today every democratic worker will reach the venue despite the
tactics, brutality and arrests by the selected government.
"Aseefa
Bhutto-Zardari will represent me and welcome PDM leadership to the grand
Youm-i-Tasees gathering."
Although
the administration removed blockades along routes leading to the public
meeting's venue at Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh Stadium, some roads remained blocked
even though permission, conditional on following virus SOPs, for the gathering
was granted. PDM leaders and supporters, however, settled at Ghanta Ghar Chowk
and the public meeting was held there instead of Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh Stadium.
Earlier,
a consultation meeting of PDM leaders was held at Gilani House, which was
attended by former premier Yousuf, Awami National Party's Mian Iftikhar Ahmed,
BNP-M's Mengal, PPP's Nisar Khuhro and other opposition leaders.
'Rally
has succeeded before it started'
During
the day, while speaking to the media prior to her departure, Maryam said that
she would have delayed her political activities for a few more days to grieve
her grandmother — who was laid to rest in Lahore on Saturday — but the
government's "brutality against [PDM] workers was pulling her towards
Multan".
She
condemned the crackdowns on PDM workers and supporters by the administration
and said that the government was taking all steps to dismantle today's public
meeting because it was "scared". In a question pertaining to holding
public gatherings amid the novel coronavirus, Maryam said that even police officials
deployed along the route of the venue were not following standard operating
procedures.
"Is
corona only spreading through opposition's gatherings?" she asked.
"This
rally has succeeded before it has even started," Maryam claimed, adding,
"every container placed along the [venue's] route, every checkpost and all
the arrests that are being made are a reflection of their (government)
fear". Maryam was referring to the arrests of former premier Yousuf Raza
Gilani's son, Qasim Gilani, along with other PPP activists.
"Whether
this rally is held inside the stadium or outside, or on any road in Multan —
God willing it will take place," Maryam said.
In
a late Saturday night move, police launched a crackdown on the PPP workers, who
had earlier gone against government orders and overcame obstacles to take
control of the stadium, and got the venue vacated.
The
Lohari Gate police on Sunday registered two first information reports against
80 identified and 800 unidentified workers under sections 353/156, 379/506,
427/148 and 149 of Pakistan Penal Code besides section 17 of the Punjab
Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Ordinance 2020. According to the
FIRs, activists armed with clubs damaged the barriers and fence installed to
control the law and order situation and attacked police.
Earlier
today, Yousuf's son Ali Haider Gilani announced that the Lahore High Court's
Multan bench has ordered the release of his brother Qasim before 3pm and that a
case registered against the latter under Section 16 of the Maintenance of
Public Order Ordinance has been dismissed.
Covid-19
and PDM gatherings
The
government had said that it was blocking the Multan show to check the spread of
coronavirus. The district administration removed flags and banners of PDM
parties from the stadium and city roads yesterday and Deputy Commissioner Aamar
Khattak, on the recommendation of the city police officer, sent PPP leader
Qasim Gilani to the Multan district jail for 30 days.
However,
speaking to the media today, Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister Firdous
Ashiq Awan said the government "is not stopping the opposition from
holding gatherings but don't trample over SOPs and court decisions". She
further said the government did not want to use force.
As
the country reels from the second wave of Covid-19 — which experts have termed
to be more "lethal" than the first one — the government has urged the
opposition alliance to suspend their public gatherings in order to curb the
spread.
Yesterday,
Prime Minister Imran Khan lashed out at political leaders whose "sole and
desperate goal is to save their families' looted wealth and corruption"
and once again declared that the government will not grant an NRO even if
pressurised.
"Problem
confronting us in Pak during Covid-19 is of a political leadership that has
never gone through any democratic struggle, nor worked with ordinary citizens
to understand the problems they confront, nor contributed in any substantive
way for betterment of ordinary citizens," tweeted the prime minister.
Without
naming the PDM or any opposition politician, the premier in a series of tweets
said that due to the increase in Covid-19 cases in the country, the government
needs to impose smart lockdowns but the opposition "want(s) jalsas not
caring for the lives and safety of people".
Last
week, the prime minister had categorically stated that the government would not
give permission to the opposition to hold its rallies in Multan and other
cities.
“The
coronavirus is spreading dangerously, therefore the opposition should postpone
PDM public meetings,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.
The
National Command and Operations Centre, which is overseeing the situation and
response to Covid-19 across the country, has also warned that if the virus
spread is not curbed, Pakistan would face the same situation it faced in June,
unless public changes its attitude.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1593235/selected-will-have-to-go-now-says-aseefa-bhutto-zardari-at-political-debut-in-multan
--------
Sikhs
celebrate Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary
01
Dec 2020
LAHORE:
Sikh pilgrims from the country and abroad, including 600 from India,
participated in the 551st birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak on Monday.
The
three-day celebrations of birth anniversary of the founder of the Sikh faith
began on Saturday at Nankana Sahib, Kartarpura, Hassan Abdal and other places
in Pakistan.
Langar
was arranged for all the guests. Dozens of Sikh women cut up vegetables,
kneaded flour and made bread in the kitchens of Nankana Sahib for feeding the
hungry and Kar Seva is considered a religious duty in the Sikh faith.
Federal
Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Noorul Haq Qadri
spoke at the central ceremony at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Baba Guru
Nanak, on Monday.
PM
says rights of all minorities will be safeguarded
He
said that despite rising cases of coronavirus, the government ensured holding
of the birth anniversary under strict implementation of standard operating
procedures (SOPs). “We do not want followers of any religion to think that
there is any discrimination being committed against them,” he said.
The
minister told the audience that the work on Baba Guru Nanak University would be
completed at the stipulated time and that a link road from Lahore-Sialkot
Motorway would be built for Kartarpur Corridor so that the followers of Guru
Nanak could reach Kartarpur Sahib from Nankana Sahib easily.
Mr
Qadri said: “Pakistan treats everyone equally without any discrimination and
has promised to remove all hurdles in the way of interfaith harmony.”
He
said all minorities in India were facing brutalities at the hands of the
majority Hindus.
The
minister said Baba Guru Nanak was a great name for humanity and he would be
remembered forever. He congratulated the followers of Baba Guru Nanak on his
551st birth anniversary. He also distributed gifts among the guests.
Punjab
Minister for Minorities Affairs Ijaz Alam Augustine, chairman of the National
Commission for Minorities Chela Ram, MPA Mahindarpal Singh and Indian Sikh
leaders, besides about 4,000 local and foreign pilgrims, attended the
ceremonies.
Later,
a Palki procession was taken out from Gurdwara Janamsthan in Nankana Sahib.
Safety
of religious sites
Felicitating
the Sikh community, Prime Minister Imran Khan said rights of all minorities in
the country would be safeguarded and their religious sites protected.
In
a video message, the prime minister assured the Sikh community that his
government would protect their holy sites in Pakistan, including the two most
revered at Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur.
Both
the sites are sacred to Sikhs just like Makkah and Madina are to the Muslims,
he added.
Mr
Khan said the government would extend every possible assistance and facility to
the Sikh community, citing the example of the recently-revamped railway station
in Hassanabdal.
“The
policy of our government is to protect religious minorities in Pakistan and
their holy places, may they be churches, temples or Buddhist monasteries,” the
prime minister said.
The
three-day celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary began on Saturday
in Nankana Sahib with the arrival of over 600 pilgrims from India through the
Wagah border.
The
main ceremony took place at Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib. Celebrations
also included the Nagar Kirtan procession, followed by Bhog ritual at night.
The
prime minister had opened the Kartarpur Corridor last year on the occasion of
Baba Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary as a goodwill gesture to facilitate
Sikhs within the country and from across the border.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1593368/sikhs-celebrate-guru-nanaks-birth-anniversary
--------
Europe
How
Latifa ibn Ziaten became a campaigner against radicalization of young French
Arabs
December
01, 2020
PARIS:
On March 11, 2012, Latifa ibn Ziaten, a mother similar to many others living in
the Toulouse region of southwest France, saw her life turned upside down.
Her
son Imad, 28, a parachutist in the French army, was killed by a 24-year-old
terrorist, Mohammed Merah, nicknamed “the scooter killer.”
The
two young men did not know each other. They agreed to meet after Merah posted
an advertisement on the internet to sell a scooter. The ad, however, was a
trap: Merah knew that Imad was a soldier. When the latter arrived at the
meeting place, Merah killed him in cold blood with a firearm.
His
mother was devastated. She was deeply affected by a terrorist who stole her
son, her pride, from her. Although overwhelmed with pain, she refused to throw
in the towel and managed to overcome the tragedy to take positive action. She decided
to act against radicalization.
What
helped her not to surrender to grief and hatred was first of all the
unconditional love for her son. She told Arab News that she had five children,
“but with Imad’s death, I lost half of me.”
The
prosecutor of Toulouse later told her that her son died standing, refusing
Merah’s orders to grovel. She decided to search for the killer to know why he
had killed her son. Subsequently, Merah claimed six other lives, before being
shot by special forces.
Ibn
Ziaten went to the district where Merah grew up, in a suburb of Toulouse, in
order to meet young people there. She was flabbergasted by the pride they took
in the crimes of Merah, who they considered “the hero who brought France to its
knees.”
Their
shocking comments made her realize the seriousness of the situation. So, in a
message to the young people, she said: “You are the cause of my suffering, but
I want to extend a hand. I want to help you.”
However,
her words were only received with sarcasm. One of the youngsters said: “We’ve
already heard this many times and we don’t believe in it anymore.”
She
pointed out that Islam was not representative of what Merah did, and that
France was a country of freedom and rights, not a country of hatred.
The
youth replied and said: “Look at where we live, madam, look around you. We are
like monkeys, like caged creatures, and we try to take revenge on society.”
Ibn
Ziaten added: “But you can’t blame this on society. If you need help, you
should protest or write. You should call for help, but not kill.”
In
answer, the youth said: “Nobody listens to us, the journalists come and film us
as if we were monkeys. We are lost, madam.”
Ibn
Ziaten vowed not to give up and to do everything in her power to prevent these
young people from falling into violence and to avoid a new Merah emerging from
among them and causing more deaths.
Since
then, she has devoted her energy to carrying a message of tolerance,
brotherhood, and courage, hoping to neutralize the hate speech distilled among
young people to try and turn them against society and into killing machines.
She
noted that the same language of despair and feelings of abandonment could be
found in all the French or European suburbs that she visited, in prisons, and
even in schools. There was “a huge amount of work to be done with young people
from the suburbs, in France but also in Europe,” she said.
Her
observation was evident in the findings of the Arab News en Francais-YouGov
survey, which show that while people of Arab origin in France had largely
adapted to the French way of life, the young suffer from a lack of educational
means, in an age when education is the most important way to progress in life.
The
Imad Association for Youth and Peace founded by Ibn Ziaten, allowed her to
contribute to the task, and to remain standing, just like her son, while
keeping his memory alive.
“I
didn’t know anything about how associations work. I learned step by step. When
I look back at the number of people I’ve helped, I tell myself that this is
what Imad would have wanted me to do,” she said.
Despite
not having received any formal training about how to fight against
radicalization, she has been guided by her motherly instinct and speaks to her
audience in her own way, using simple language.
Ibn
Ziaten said: “When I talk to them (young people) about love, some of them start
to cry. This also happens when I speak of the presence of parents. Many are
left to fend for themselves. They rarely see their parents, who don’t talk to
them.”
She
pointed out that many young people shunned education due to a lack of means but
most said they had religious faith. “But when I ask them if they know what
religion is, they say that they don’t.”
She
said schools, families, and social circles needed to provide joint support for
youth.
When
she meets terrorists jailed for attacks and killings, she said: “I see in front
of me a person who has committed an act and who is paying in prison for what
they have done, and I wish for them to make it out.”
Ibn
Ziaten admits to still feeling resentment toward Merah’s mother, who she met
during the trial of her second son Abdelkader, who was convicted of complicity
in his brother’s crimes.
“I
cannot forgive her. She let her four children down. She abandoned them to drugs
and violence, and when I asked her if she was aware of the mess she was
responsible for, she replied: ‘It’s not just your son who died; mine died
too.’”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1770776/world
--------
Azerbaijani
forces take over last Nagorno-Karabakh region per truce deal
01
December 2020
Azerbaijani
army units have entered Nagorno-Karabakh’s Lachin region, 28 years after its
occupation by Armenian forces, under a recent truce deal, Azerbaijan’s Defense
Ministry declared.
"In
accordance with the trilateral statement signed by presidents of the Republic
of Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation, and the prime minister of the Republic
of Armenia, units of the Azerbaijani army entered the Lachin district on
December 1,” the ministry announced in an early Tuesday statement cited by TASS
news agency, referring to the Russian-brokered truce.
It
further released a video showing a tank flying the Azerbaijani flag and leading
a column of trucks into the district along a road on Monday night.
The
movement of Azerbaijani forces into Lachin marks the last handover of three
regions by the Armenian military as part of the early November truce agreement
that ended heavy fighting between the two former Soviet Union republics.
Earlier,
Armenian troops withdrew from the Agdam and Kalbajar regions of
Nagoro-Karabakh. According to the deal, Azerbaijan was to assume control of the
Kalbajar district by November 15, the Agdam district by November 20, and the
Lachin district by December 1.
Later,
however, the handover of Kalbajar was delayed for 10 days over the inadequate
capacity of the only road connecting the region to Armenia. Kalbajar was
eventually turned over to Baku on November 25.
Under
the trilateral accord, the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia agreed
that the five-kilometer Lachin corridor, which connects Nagorno-Karabakh to
Armenia, is to remain under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent
deployed to the area.
Residents
of Lachin evacuated frantically ahead of the handover, taking with them
livestock, firewood, furniture, and even plastic water pipes.
Some
residents reportedly burned their homes before leaving, as journalists reported
witnessing two houses in flames on the outskirts of Lachin, sending clouds of
thick smoke into the air.
Karabakh
is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it has been held by
ethnic Armenian separatists backed by Armenia since 1992, when they broke from
Azerbaijan in a war that killed some 30,000 people.
This
year’s fighting, the worst in decades, started in late September and came to an
end earlier this month after Moscow brokered the ceasefire, which leaves Baku
largely in control of the territory.
Under
the truce deal, Russia and Turkey, which is an ally of Azerbaijan, agreed to
establish a joint center in Karabakh and deploy peacekeeping forces to monitor
the ceasefire in the mountainous region.
Russia
will be sending 1,960 peacekeepers as well as armored personnel carriers and
other military equipment to monitor the truce deal. The Russian deployment has
already started.
Ankara
also declared last month that preparations for its troops to be dispatched to
Azerbaijan had been completed.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/01/639733/Azerbaijani-forces-take-over-last-Nagorno-Karabakh-region-per-truce-deal
--------
Turkish
ship's return to port helps ease tension: NATO
Rabia
İclal Turan
30.11.2020
NATO’s
secretary general on Monday said Turkish research vessel Oruc Reis’ return to
the port helps reduce the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean between the two
NATO members, Turkey and Greece.
"Oruc
Reis is in port from today, as far as I've been informed, that helps reduce
tensions and make it easier to make progress also on deconfliction," Jens
Stoltenberg said in a press conference ahead of the NATO Foreign Ministers
Meeting on Dec. 1-2.
He
added that he had put forward proposals on how to strengthen the deconfliction
mechanism between two countries and how to reduce further risks for incidents
and accidents.
"But
of course, we have to find ways that is working for both Greece and
Turkey," he added.
He
also emphasized the importance of NATO's role on addressing differences and
finding "positive steps in the right direction" when there are
disagreements between the member states, namely Turkey and Greece.
"I
also hope that military deconfliction at NATO, where we've seen some important
steps in the right direction can help to pave the way into negotiations,"
he said.
"And
this is something, Germany is working on, but also some other countries, and
NATO, of course, strongly support those efforts."
Ankara
criticizes Greece for pursuing maximalist policies in the Eastern Mediterranean
and underlines that its maritime claims violate Turkey’s sovereign rights.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkish-ships-return-to-port-helps-ease-tension-nato/2060834
--------
'EU
set to assess ties with Turkey at December summit'
Serife
Cetin
30.11.2020
BRUSSELS
At
its summit next month, the EU will assess its relations with Turkey not over
one action, but on Turkey’s actions over a period of time, said an EU
spokesperson on Monday
Asked
about Turkey bringing a ship back to port on Monday after it completed part of
its energy research mission – a mission the EU has long objected to – Peter
Stona told a news conference that what the EU expects from Turkey, and its
timeline, are very clear.
“The
leaders of the EU and the EU member states will get together during the next
European Council in December and they will review whether Turkey delivered on
their expectations,” he said.
“We're
also preparing for a conference on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean
region,” he added.
EU
leaders will meet on Dec. 11-12 to discuss several issues, including the
tension in the Eastern Mediterranean and possible sanctions against Turkey.
Turkey’s
Energy and Natural Resources Ministry announced Monday that the Oruc Reis
seismic research vessel had returned from the Eastern Mediterranean to the
southern port of Antalya after completing its current research activities.
Turkey
has consistently contested efforts by EU members Greece and the Greek Cypriot
administration to restrict its legitimate energy research in the Eastern
Mediterranean.
As
Turkey has the longest coastline in the region, efforts to restrict its
continental shelf rights based on small Greek islands near Turkish coasts make
no sense, say Turkish officials.
Turkey
and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) both have rights to the
resources of the region, according to Turkish officials.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-set-to-assess-ties-with-turkey-at-december-summit/2060754
--------
Arab World
Thousands
protest in Iraq’s Nasiriyah as death toll from clashes rises
30
November 2020
Thousands
flooded Iraq’s southern hotspot of Nasiriyah on Monday as a resident died from
wounds sustained in clashes last week between anti-government protesters and
supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Ridha
al-Rikaby was hit in the head by a bullet on Friday when followers of al-Sadr
clashed with young demonstrators in Nasiriyah’s Habboubi Square, medics told AFP.
He
died on Monday, bringing the toll from the day of violence to eight dead and
several dozen wounded, and thousands took to the streets in a funeral march, an
AFP correspondent said
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
After
last week’s clashes, authorities imposed a lockdown to try to stem further
rallies in the southern city, sacked the provincial police chief and launched
an investigation into the events.
Iraqi
premier Mustafa al-Kadhemi dispatched National Security Advisor Qasem al-Arakji
and other senior officials to Nasiriyah on Monday for talks with protesters.
But
anger simmered in Nasiriyah.
“Once
again, peaceful protesters are dying under the government’s nose, and the
security forces can’t hold the killers accountable,” a demonstrator told AFP.
Nasiriyah
was a major hub for the protest movement that erupted in October 2019 against a
government seen by demonstrators as corrupt, inept and beholden to neighboring
Iran.
Nearly
600 people died across Iraq in protest-related violence during those rallies,
including trauma wounds sustained by tear gas canisters, but there has been
virtually no accountability for those deaths.
Last
week’s violence coincided with the one-year anniversary of one of the bloodiest
incidents of the 2019 uprising, when more than three dozen people died at
Nasiriyah’s Zeitun (Olive) Bridge on November 28.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/30/Thousands-protest-in-Iraq-s-Nasiriyah-as-death-toll-from-clashes-rises
--------
Egypt
says case of Italian student’s murder to be closed temporarily
30
November 2020
Egypt’s
public prosecutor said on Monday the person who killed Italian student Giulio
Regeni in Cairo in 2016 was still unknown, and the organization’s file on the
murder would be temporarily closed.
Investigative
authorities will continue the search for the killer, according to a statement
that the prosecutor said was made jointly with Italian authorities.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/30/Egypt-says-case-of-Italian-student-s-murder-to-be-closed-temporarily
--------
Iran’s
IRGC commander targeted by a drone near Iraqi-Syrian border
30
November 2020
An
air strike killed a commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards at the Iraq-Syria
border sometime between Saturday and Sunday, Iraqi security and local militia
officials said on Monday.
They
could not confirm the identity of the commander, who they said was killed
alongside three other men traveling in a vehicle with him.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
vehicle was carrying weapons across the Iraqi border and was hit after it had
entered Syrian territory, two Iraqi security officials separately said.
Iran-backed
Iraqi paramilitary groups helped retrieve the bodies, the two officials said,
without elaborating or giving the exact time of the incident.
Local
military and militia sources confirmed the account, although Reuters was unable
to verify independently that an Iranian commander had been killed.
The
incident came just days after Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was
assassinated in Tehran in a killing that Iran has blamed on Israel.
Israel
launched air raids against what it called a wide range of Syrian and Iranian
targets in Syria last week, signaling that it will pursue its policy of
striking Iranian targets in the region as US President Donald Trump prepares to
leave office.
Iraqi
officials fear a conflagration ahead of President-elect Joe Biden taking office
because he is viewed as less confrontational with Iran than the Trump
administration.
Iran-backed
Iraqi militias are still reeling from the US assassination of Iranian military
mastermind Qassem Soleimani in January and their Iraqi leader Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis and have vowed revenge against the US.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/30/Iran-s-IRGC-commander-targeted-by-a-drone-near-Iraqi-Syrian-border
--------
Lebanon
urges self-restraint after killing of Iranian scientist
30
November 2020
Lebanon
on Monday called for self-restraint following the assassination of a prominent
Iranian nuclear scientist, to avoid a slide towards the “worst scenario.”
Lebanon,
which is home to the heavily armed, Iranian proxy organization Hezbollah,
condemned the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last Friday in an ambush near
Tehran.
Iran
has blamed Israel.
In
a statement, the Lebanese foreign ministry urged “all parties to exercise the
greatest degrees of self-restraint to avoid the slide towards the worst
scenario in the region.”
Hezbollah,
which was founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982 and exercises major
influence in Lebanon, has said the response for the assassination is in Iran’s
hands.
Iran’s
supreme leader promised on Saturday to retaliate for the killing, raising the
threat of a new confrontation with the West and Israel in the remaining weeks
of Donald Trump’s presidency.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/30/Lebanon-urges-self-restraint-after-killing-of-Iranian-scientist
--------
Syrian
protesters call for withdrawal of US occupation forces from Hasakah
30
November 2020
Hundreds
of people in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah have staged
demonstrations to protest the deployment of US military forces in their areas
and the arbitrary measures of US-sponsored and Kurdish-led militants from the
so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Lebanon-based
and Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network reported that residents
of several villages, including al-Salaliyah, al-Dinanir, al-Raqi, al-Suhail,
Rajman and Sakher, in the southeastern flank of the province took to streets on
Monday to express their resentment over the deteriorating living conditions in
their regions, reject US sanctions and demand withdrawal of US troops.
A
number of locals in al-Shaddadi also demonstrated in the main street in the
town to protest the SDF's constant raids and arrest campaigns.
The
demonstrators blocked the main road with chunks of stone and burning tires to
demand the release of a number of young people recently detained by the
US-backed Kurdish-led forces.
Since
late October 2019, the United States has been redeploying troops to the oil
fields controlled by Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, in a reversal of
President Donald Trump’s earlier order to withdraw all troops there.
The
Pentagon alleges that the move aims to “protect” the fields and facilities from
possible attacks by Daesh, ignoring the fact that Trump had earlier suggested
that Washington sought economic interests in controlling the oil fields.
Security
conditions are reportedly deteriorating in the areas controlled by the SDF in
Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr provinces amid ongoing raids and arrests of civilians
by the US-sponsored militants.
Locals
argue that the SDF’s constant raids and arrest campaigns have generated a state
of frustration and instability, severely affecting their businesses and
livelihood.
Residents
accuse the US-backed militants of stealing crude oil and failing to spend money
on service sectors.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639698/Syrian-protesters-call-for-removal-of-US-occupation-forces-from-Hasakah
--------
Bahraini
royal family member secretly visits al-Aqsa
30
November 2020
A
Bahraini royal family member has secretly paid a visit to al-Aqsa Mosque in the
occupied Old City of East Jerusalem al-Quds amid Palestinian outrage over the
normalization deal between Manama and Israel.
The
Jerusalem Post reported that Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa, chairman of the King
Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, prayed at al-Aqsa Mosque in
Jerusalem al-Quds last Friday without revealing his identity, in defiance of a
fatwa (religious decree) issued by a senior Palestinian cleric.
“It
is unacceptable to prevent anyone from any religion from praying,” Khalifa, who
was a member of a Bahraini delegation that arrived in Israel last week and met
with President Reuven Rivlin.
In
an interview with the Israeli newspaper on Sunday, Khalifa defended his move
that came after Manama reached a controversial normalization deal with Tel
Aviv.
The
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem al-Quds Sheikh Muhammad Hussein issued a fatwa in
August banning Muslims from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque within the framework of
normalization deals between Israel and the Arab countries.
In
October, Palestinians expelled a delegation from the United Arab Emirates whose
members stormed the al-Aqsa under the protection of Israeli forces.
A
source in the Jerusalem al-Quds Islamic Wakf (Endowment) organization, which is
trusted with controlling and managing the Islamic edifices on and around the
al-Aqsa Mosque’s compound, told The Jerusalem Post that he was unaware of a
visit by any Bahraini citizens to the mosque last Friday.
On
September 11, US President Donald Trump announced that Bahrain was following
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in normalizing ties with Israel.
Four
days later, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed agreements with
Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain's
Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani during an official ceremony hosted by
Trump at the White House.
Palestinians,
who seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, with East
Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital, have condemned the deals as a betrayal of
their cause against the Israeli occupation.
The
agreements have also triggered a wave of anger among the public in Bahrain,
where anti-Israel sentiment runs deep. Bahrainis have held several protests in
condemnation of the agreement.
Bahrain’s
main opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, has denounced the
deal as an “ultimate betrayal of Islam and Arabs and a departure from the
Islamic, Arab and national consensus.”
It
also said that the Israel-Bahrain agreement is void of any legitimacy
whatsoever.
'Al
Khalifa regime yet to normalize ties with Bahraini people'
In
an article published on Middle East Monitor on Saturday, Omar Ahmed referred to
the dire situation of human rights in Bahrain and said that Manama may have
normalized ties with Israel, but it is yet to do the same with its own people.
Since
February 14, 2011, Bahraini people have been holding peaceful protest rallies
on an almost daily basis, demanding that the Al Khalifah family relinquish
power and let a just system representing all Bahrainis be established.
Bahrainis
have also been complaining against widespread discrimination against the Shia
majority in the kingdom.
Manama
has responded to the protests with lethal force, drawing international
criticism. In March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.
Bahraini
authorities have also detained human rights campaigners, broken up major
opposition political parties and revoked the nationality of several activists.
“This
leaves us with the current situation – that is, a monarchy which is unwilling
to extend an adequate and acceptable social contract to the Bahraini people. It
has instead opted to bypass them and prioritize establishing relations with
Israel, all done in their name,” Ahmed said.
“It
is incredible to think that the ruling family can achieve peace with its
neighbors when there is no justice for its people. The Al Khalifas may have
normalized ties with Israel, but they are yet to do the same with the Bahraini
people,” he added.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639662/Bahraini-royal-family-member-secretly-visits-al-Aqsa
--------
Mideast
Turkey
orders arrest of 82 military personnel allegedly connected to Gulen: Report
01
December 2020
Turkey
ordered the detention of 82 military personnel in an operation targeting
supporters of the Muslim preacher who Ankara says was behind a failed coup in
2016, state-owned Anadolu news agency said on Tuesday.
Operations
targeting the network of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen have continued under a
four-year-long crackdown since the attempted coup in July 2016. Gulen denies
involvement in the putsch attempt, in which some 250 people were killed.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Tuesday’s
operation was spread over 39 provinces and 63 people have already been
detained, Anadolu said. Of the suspects, 70 were on active duty.
The
detentions were ordered by the chief prosecutor in the western coastal province
of Izmir, Anadolu said, adding that it also took steps to sack 848 military
personnel, including high ranking officers, over links to the network.
Since
the coup attempt, about 80,000 people have been held pending trial and some
150,000 civil servants, military personnel and others have been sacked or
suspended. More than 20,000 people had been expelled from the Turkish military
alone.
Last
week, a Turkish court sentenced leaders of the attempted coup to life in jail,
convicting hundreds of army officers, pilots and civilians over the failed bid
to topple President Tayyip Erdogan.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/01/Turkey-orders-arrest-of-82-military-personnel-allegedly-connected-to-Gulen-Report
--------
Coronavirus:
COVID-19 robs biblical Bethlehem of Christmas cheer
01
December 2020
The
coronavirus has cast a pall over Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, all but
shutting down the biblical town revered as Jesus’ birthplace at the height of
the normally cheery holiday season.
Missing
are the thousands of international pilgrims who normally descend upon the town.
Restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops are closed. The renowned Christmas tree
lighting service will be limited to a small group of authorized people, as will
church services on Christmas Eve.
For
more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.
“Bethlehem
is dead,” said Maryana al-Arja, owner of the 120-room Angel Hotel on the
outskirts of Bethlehem.
The
hotel was the site of the West Bank’s first coronavirus outbreak — when a group
of Greek tourists came down with the virus last March.
She
kept her 25 workers on staff for several months but ultimately couldn’t
continue to pay them. Al-Arja, who herself was infected with the virus, said
she has been forced to close the hotel and lay off the entire staff because
there is no sign of the pandemic ending or tourists visiting anytime soon.
“We
had 351 tourist groups booked in our hotel this year, each one 150 people,” she
said. “But they all canceled.”
Elyas
al-Arja, the head of the city’s hotel association, said Bethlehem received some
3 million tourists in 2019. With Israel, the main entry point for international
visitors to the region, banning tourists because of the coronavirus crisis, and
the West Bank’s border crossing with Jordan closed to foreigners, that number
is close to zero this year, he said.
“Sixty
percent of the city relies on tourism, and their income disappeared when the
tourists disappeared,” said al-Arja, a cousin of the Angel Hotel owner.
The
Ambassador Hotel, which is located near the Church of the Nativity, built on
the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, has reopened one floor in
hopes that some local visitors may want to come celebrate in the coming weeks.
Mahmoud
Tarman, the hotel’s receptionist, said the Ambassador has brought back eight of
its 60 workers to serve local guests. But with the West Bank’s economy
devastated by repeated lockdowns, it remains unclear how many people will come.
“At
this time of the year, this empty hotel would be bustling with life. But as you
see, there is no life, not even a Christmas tree yet,” he said as he pointed at
the empty lobby.
The
Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West
Bank, this week imposed a new nighttime lockdown to help contain a spike in
coronavirus cases. People must remain indoors from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., and
Bethlehem is included in the lockdown.
Officials
say the lockdown could be extended through Christmas and into the new year if
the infection levels don’t come down. The Health Ministry has reported a total
of about 65,000 coronavirus cases in the West Bank, and over 620 deaths.
Bethlehem’s
mayor, Anton Salman, said the city had planned to receive 3,000 invited guests,
including local scout troops and musical bands from around the world that
normally entertain visitors during Christmas Eve festivities.
He
said the famed Christmas tree lighting, scheduled on Thursday, will be limited
to just 15 guests, including local mayors, the district governor and the Latin
Patriarch and other clergy. The 85-year-old Palestinian president, Mahmoud
Abbas, who usually joins the celebration, has been invited but has not said
whether he will attend.
Midnight
Mass, a solemn event led by the Latin Patriarch that is usually attended by
religious leaders, local VIPs and hundreds of pilgrims from around the world,
has also been scaled back, Salman said. He said officials are still working on
the guest list, but it is expected to include religious leaders and some
foreign diplomats. The event will be closed to the general public but broadcast
live for people to watch.
“No
one can hold the responsibility of inviting large numbers of people to
Christmas events,” he said. “Nothing will be the same during the pandemic.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/01/Coronavirus-COVID-19-robs-biblical-Bethlehem-of-Christmas-cheer
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Palestinians
look ahead to ‘positive’ US role under President-elect Biden
30
November 2020
The
Palestinian Authority and Arab League said Sunday they look forward to the new
US administration under President-elect Joe Biden playing a “positive” role
toward establishing an independent Palestinian state.
PA
president Mahmud Abbas and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, head of the Cairo-based Arab
League, held talks in the Egyptian capital on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
in light of the US presidential election.
They
hoped the new US administration would “pave the way for the restoration of a
more active and positive role” to find a settlement and establish a Palestinian
state, in a joint statement.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Abbas
has called on Biden to revive ties between the Palestinians and Washington that
collapsed during President Donald Trump’s term.
The
PA broke ties with Trump’s administration, accusing it of being flagrantly
pro-Israeli.
Trump,
for his part, cut funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
He
also recognized Jerusalem, including its annexed eastern sector, as Israel’s
“undivided capital” and moved the US embassy to the city.
Trump
avoided criticizing Jewish settlement construction in the occupied West Bank,
breaking with decades of US policy that settlement expansion was an obstacle to
peace.
In
January, he unveiled a controversial Middle East peace plan without input from
the Palestinians, who have rejected it outright.
Abbas
is on a regional tour aimed at raising support for the Palestinians.
He
met earlier Sunday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and is to also hold talks in
Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday.
The
king, at their meeting in Jordan’s Red Sea resort of Aqaba, reiterated calls
for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/30/Palestinians-look-ahead-to-positive-US-role-under-President-elect-Biden
--------
Saudi
employs ‘deception’ to evade responsibility for Yemen catastrophe
30
November 2020
Yemen’s
Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf Abdullah says Saudi Arabia has been desperately
attempting to evade responsibility for an unfolding catastrophe against the
backdrop of its campaign of death and destruction against Yemen.
Abdullah
said in a statement on Monday that authorities in Riyadh must be held
accountable for causing the worst humanitarian crisis in recent history.
The
minister also accused the Saudi regime of playing a game of deception and
hindering any effort sponsored by the United Nations on achieving a
humanitarian ceasefire.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, the Yemeni minister called on the international community to
pressure the Saudi-led coalition into ending its onslaught and blockade on the
Yemeni people.
The
statement was made in response to remarks by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud at the 47th session of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), which was held in Nigeria. He blamed Yemen’s armed forces
and Houthi Ansarullah fighters for launching missile and drone attacks on the
kingdom.
Yemeni
armed forces recently targeted a distribution plant owned by the Saudi Aramco
petroleum product company in the port city of Jeddah with an advanced homegrown
ballistic missile.
Mohammed
Ali al-Houthi, a member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, has already
warned Saudi Arabia against its continued acts of aggression.
“The
more Saudi Arabia continues its war on Yemen, the stronger Yemeni army forces
will target vital installations inside the kingdom in defense of their homeland
and dignity,” Arabic-language al-Masirah television network quoted Houthi as
saying on Friday.
In
March 2015, the regime in Riyadh set up a coalition against Yemen to restore to
power former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and crush Ansarullah. More than
five years into the campaign, Al Saud has failed to fulfill its objectives.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639694/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-responsibility
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WHO
stops financial support for some 10,000 healthcare workers in Yemen due to lack
of funding
30
November 2020
The
World Health Organization (WHO) says it has been forced to stop financial
support for about 10,000 healthcare workers across war-ravaged Yemen because of
a lack of funding.
“Due
to an unprecedented financial gap, WHO & health partners have been unable
to continue their financial support to the health care workforce in Yemen. Up
to 10K health workers are affected,” WHO's Yemen office said in a post
published on its Twitter page.
“More
funds are needed now more than ever to enable the continuation of this
support,” it added.
Due
to an unprecedented financial gap, @WHO & health partners have been unable
to continue their financial support to the health care workforce in #Yemen. Up
to 10K health workers are affected. More funds are needed now more than ever to
enable the continuation of this support. pic.twitter.com/BRyMchs6jr
—
WHO Yemen (@WHOYemen) November 28, 2020
Back
in September, the United Nations said that critical aid was cut at 300 health
centers in Yemen due to lack of funding.
Between
April and August, more than one-third of the UN’s important humanitarian
programs in the strife-torn Arab country was reduced or shut down entirely, the
UN said, warning of further drastic cuts.
Lise
Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said only $1 billion of the
$3.2 billion necessary had been received.
“It’s
an impossible situation. This is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world,
yet we don’t have the resources we need to save the people who are suffering
and will die if we don’t help,” Grande said at the time.
UN
calls on Yemen's warring sides to stop military escalation in Hudaydah
Meanwhile,
the UN has urged Houthi Ansarullah fighters and Saudi-backed militiamen loyal
to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to exercise self-restraint
and stop military escalation in Yemen’s western coastal province of Hudaydah.
“We
call for restraint following recent escalation and serious ceasefire violations
in Hudaydah province,” the head of the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah
Agreement (UNMHA), Lieutenant General Abhijit Guha, said in a statement on
Sunday.
He
said that during the past week, there were reports of airstrikes, the use of
improvised explosive devices and ground attacks, which resulted in civilian
casualties, including children.
"The
time has now come for a ceasefire and a halt to the spiral of military
escalation that will exacerbate the deteriorating humanitarian situation on the
ground. The UNMHA continues to engage proactively with the two parties to the
[Yemen] conflict, and is making all efforts to ensure an environment conducive
to making renewed progress,” the senior UN official said.
Guha
then urged the warring parties in Yemen to fulfill their obligations and
resolve disputes through appropriate joint mechanisms, not the battlefield, and
underlined the need for the protection of civilians and civil infrastructure.
Delegates
from Ansarullah movement and representatives loyal to Hadi held a round of
peace negotiations in Rimbo, north of the Swedish capital city of Stockholm, in
December 2018.
The
talks resulted in the announcement of an agreement, which included a ceasefire
along the Hudaydah front and the redeployment of armed forces out of the city
and its port. The deal also mandated the UN to oversee the truce.
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched the war on Yemen in March
2015, with the goal of bringing Hadi’s government back to power and crushing
the popular Ansarullah movement.
The
US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit
conflict-research organization, estimates that the war has claimed more than
100,000 lives.
The
Ansarullah movement, backed by armed forces, has been defending Yemen against
the Saudi-led alliance, preventing the aggressors from fulfilling the
objectives of the atrocious war.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639679/WHO-stops-funding-some-10,000-health-workers-in-strife-torn-Yemen
--------
Israeli
forces raze Palestinian house, bulldoze more land in occupied West Bank
30
November 2020
Israeli
forces have demolished a Palestinian home in the Arab city of Tira, following
the confiscation of large plots of private Palestinian land in the occupied
West Bank.
The
Palestinian Information Center said the demolition was carried out at dawn on
Monday.
Israeli
authorities prevented anyone from approaching the area. It is claimed that the
house had been constructed without a license, which is almost impossible to
obtain. The Palestinian home owner Islam Kashua said his residence was razed to
the ground with no prior notice.
The
trend of demolishing Palestinian homes in the West Bank goes back a long time.
In
some cases, the Palestinian owners are pressured to demolish their own homes or
pay the demolition costs to the municipality.
The
latest demolition has drawn widespread condemnation against the Israeli regime
for exploiting the coronavirus crisis to press ahead with its campaign of
razing Palestinian homes.
Separately,
Palestinian media reported on Monday that Israeli settlers with about 10 bulldozers guarded by armed
fellows carried out large-scale bulldozing activities in the areas of al-Ras
and al-Mahajer in the west of Salfit. They also chopped down hundreds of olive
trees belonging to Palestinians.
Settlers
on Sunday also seized some Palestinian land in Lubban ash-Sharqiya, south of
the West Bank city of Nablus.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967
occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem
al-Quds.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639675/Israel-Palestinian-house-West-Bank-demolition
--------
Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists stand at over 410 this year:
Report
30
November 2020
The
Tel Aviv regime’s repressive measures against members of the press in the
occupied territories continue unabated, an NGO says, noting that the Israeli
military has committed 414 violations against Palestinian journalists since the
beginning of the current year.
The
Journalists' Support Committee, announced that Israeli forces have used live
munitions, rubber-coated metal bullets in addition to poisonous and tear gas
against Palestinian journalists, while banning them from covering major
incidents, closing their offices, storming their homes, breaking their
equipment, and detaining and torturing them in prisons, Arabic-language Quds
Press International News Agency reported.
The
committee renewed its condemnation of Israeli forces’ “arbitrary practices of
directly and deliberately targeting Palestinian journalists while the perform
their duties and field coverage of the occupying regime’s crimes against
Palestinian people.” It added that 25 journalists are currently being kept
behind bars inside Israeli jails.
It
then called on human rights organizations and media outlets to compile a
detailed file on attacks perpetrated by Israeli soldiers against Palestinian
people in general and journalists in particular, and to lodge complaints with
international courts of justice, especially the International Criminal Court
(ICC), so the Tel Aviv would not get away with its criminal acts.
The
committee finally called on the United Nations to take quick and necessary
measures to hold Israeli war criminals to account for their crimes against Palestinian
journalists.
The
statement was released on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity
with the Palestinian People, which is annually marked on November 29.
According
to the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), the
Israeli military committed 13 violations against media freedom in September
alone.
MADA
announced in a report that the violations included the injury of 7 journalists
as a result of being struck with metal bullets and gas bombs, or being
physically assaulted by Israeli soldiers and extremist settlers.
The
report then pointed to the detention of three other journalists, prevention of
Palestinian correspondents from field reporting and confiscation of a vehicle
belonging to Palestine TV.
More
than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in some 17 Israeli jails,
with dozens of them serving multiple life sentences.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639668/Israeli-violations-against-Palestinian-journalists-stand-at-over-410-this-year-Committee
--------
Africa
Sudan
confirms Israeli visit to Khartoum
30
November 2020
Sudan
has confirmed that an Israeli delegation visited Khartoum, a week after the
mission, a pan-Arab news channel reported.
The
Sovereign Council, its highest ruling body, sought to play down the importance
of the visit, saying it was not political.
“We
did not announce it at the time because it was not a major visit or of a
political nature,” council spokesman Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman told the US-based
pan-Arab channel Al-Hurra on Sunday.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
He
said the visit “was of a technical and military nature.”
Sudan
in October became the third Arab country in as many months to announce a
normalization deal with Israel, after the UAE and Bahrain.
Suleiman
said “discussions with the Israeli side are on hold as there were political and
economic obligations that were not respected,” without elaborating.
That
may have been a reference to Sudan’s removal from a US “state sponsors of
terrorism” blacklist, which would need the backing of a vote in Congress.
Israel
announced on November 23 that it had sent its first delegation to Sudan after
the deal on normalization.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/30/Sudan-confirms-Israeli-visit-to-Khartoum
--------
Tigray
rebel leader says conflict far from over after Ethiopia declares victory
30
November 2020
The
leader of rebels in Tigray, a restive region in northern Ethiopia which has for
weeks been the scene of intense clashes with federal troops, has claimed that
the fighting is far from over and that his forces are still resisting the
Ethiopian military near the region's capital city, Mekelle.
Debretsion
Gebremichael, who presides over the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF),
told Reuters on Monday that the Tigray forces had been deployed to the
outskirts of Mekelle.
"I'm
close to Mekelle in Tigray fighting the invaders," he said.
He
claimed that Tigray forces combating the federal troops had captured a number
of Eritrean soldiers fighting alongside Ethiopian troops.
He
also insisted that rumors suggesting he had fled to South Sudan were untrue,
according to Reuters.
In
a series of messages on Sunday, Gebremichael also claimed Tigray forces had
shot down an Ethiopian military plane and captured its pilot.
Gebremichael
further added that the town of Axum in the northern region had been retaken
from government forces.
Following
reports of heavy shelling of Mekelle, Ethiopia's Nobel-winning Prime Minister
Abiy Ahmed declared victory, saying in a statement on his Twitter account on
Saturday that government forces had gained control of the city.
He
announced the end of the military operation which had begun with airstrikes n
Tigray on November 4.
He
said that it was now up to regional forces to capture the "criminal"
rebel leaders, restore peace and reconstruct the city.
Meanwhile,
Ethiopia's state-run TV said 70 graves,
some holding multiple bodies, had been found in the Tigray region town of
Humera. It was not clear who were buried in the graves. Both sides accuse one
another of the killings.
Government
forces in Mekelle said after the end of military operations,
"stabilization activities" had begun.
Confirmation
of news from both sides is difficult as communication systems are down in
Tigray.
In
the meantime, Mekelle hospitals, which are reportedly flooded with wounded
people, announced that they have a shortage of medical supplies to care for
patients and those injured in the conflict.
The
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that some 80 percent of
patients at Ayder Referral Hospital have trauma injuries.
“The
influx of wounded forced the hospital to suspend many other medical services so
that limited staff and resources could be devoted to emergency medical care,”
the ICRC said, adding that the major regional hospital was lacking body bags.
The
ICRC warned that food was also running low, the result of the Tigray region
being cut off from outside aid for almost a month. The group said 1,000 Eritrean
refugees have arrived in Mekelle from their refugee camps near the Eritrean
border, looking for food and other help.
“The
hospital is running dangerously low on sutures, antibiotics, anticoagulants,
painkillers and even gloves,” said Maria Soledad, the head of operations for
the ICRC in Ethiopia, who visited Ayder Referral Hospital and is currently in
Mekelle. “The influx of injured comes more than three weeks after supply chains
were disrupted into Mekelle. We need to ensure that health workers have the
supplies and conditions they need to carry out their lifesaving work.”
Addis
Ababa launched the Tigray offensive in response to rebel attacks on federal
forces in Mekelle and Dansha.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/30/639648/Ethiopia-Addis-Ababa-Mekelle-Hospital-ICRC
--------
Boko Haram Killed 110 Farmers in Nigeria Attack, UN Says
By
Michael Olukayode and Dulue Mbachu
November
29, 2020
An
attack by Boko Haram Islamist insurgents on rice farmers in Nigeria’s northeast
left at least 110 of them dead, a United Nations official said.
“I
am outraged and horrified by the gruesome attack against civilians,” Edward
Kallon, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria said in an
emailed statement. “At least 110 civilians were ruthlessly killed and many
others were wounded in this attack.”
Governor
of the Borno state, Babagana Zulum, where the attack occurred, said 43 victims
were buried Sunday at the Koshobe village in the Jere district. Insurgents
ambushed farmers who were bringing in their rice harvest Saturday.
“I
condemn the killing of our hardworking farmers by terrorists,” President
Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement released by his official spokesman. “The
entire country is hurt by these senseless killings.”
Boko
Haram militants have waged a campaign of violence since 2009 to impose their
version of Islamic law on Africa’s most populous country of more than 200
million people. The government estimates that more than 30,000 people have died
in the conflict.
At
the burial of the 43 victims on Sunday, residents of the affected community
told Governor Zulum they expected the death toll to rise, as many people were
still missing.
“Our
people are in a very difficult situation,” Zulum told reporters. “If they stay at
home they may be killed by hunger. They go out to their farmlands and risk
getting killed by the insurgents.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-29/nigeria-says-boko-haram-attack-on-rice-farmers-leaves-42-dead?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1767188_
--------
Somalia:
Al- Shabaab Militants Kill Seven Family Members in Night Raid
26
NOVEMBER 2020
Al-Shabaab
militants stormed the house where a Somali government official was staying last
and killed seven people, including a mother, father and their child.
The
child killed was a year and a half old.
The
dead included the father of the family, a government army officer who
eventually died after being gunshot wounds.orts
justice
Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama told the media that al-Shabaab fighters
struck a remote village in Wajid district in the Bakool region, killing a
father, a mother and their five children.
"I
extend my deepest condolences to the Somali family for the loss of their lives
to Al Shabaab in Wajid District late Tuesday night," Jama said.
"Killing a pregnant mother and children is only possible from the
unscrupulous Al Shabaab. I wish the family, relatives and all the people of
Wajid patience and faith."
The
district of Wajid is located in the Bakool region of Somalia, about 302km
northwest of the capital Mogadishu, and close to the Ethiopian border about
70km.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202011270192.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1767188_
--------
North America
Joe
Biden Has Promised to End Trump's Muslim and African 'Travel Ban'. But Its
Legacy Will Be Felt for Years
BY
SANYA MANSOOR
NOVEMBER
30, 2020
Afnan
Salem’s father, a Somali citizen living in Malaysia, has been waiting three
years for United States immigration authorities to allow him to come to Ohio to
live with his family. But Trump’s severe travel restrictions on many visas for
those with citizenship from more than a dozen predominantly African and
Muslim-majority countries, including Somalia, means he is, at least temporarily,
barred from entry.
Under
previous Administrations, Salem’s father would likely have been able to come to
the U.S. without complications: Salem’s brother is a U.S. citizen and has filed
for a visa on their father’s behalf. Trump’s travel ban—often referred to as
the Muslim and African ban—changed that calculus, making it much more
difficult, and often impossible, for family members from certain predominately
Muslim and African countries to gain entry to the U.S.
Salem,
a Somali-American 22-year-old student at Ohio State University, says the
stringent restrictions send a message to her and those like her that Africans
and Muslims are not welcome in the U.S, that “you don’t have the right to be
reunited with your family because of your faith or where you come from.”
President-elect
Joe Biden, who is expected to be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021, has promised to
revoke the Trump-era travel ban on his first day in office—a commitment that
families like Salem’s are desperately hoping he follows through on.
Even
before President Donald Trump issued his first executive order attempting to
establish a ban just about a week after his inauguration, he had called on the
campaign trail for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the
United States,” and falsely declared that “Islam hates us.” It was in this
context that Trump began issuing executive orders to keep many Muslims from
entering the U.S. (The first was introduced January 2017.) The first few early
iterations of a travel ban were struck down by lower courts, but the Supreme
Court upheld a recent version in 2018.
The
impact of the travel restrictions has been far-reaching. Between Oct. 1, 2015
and Sept. 30, 2019 there was a decrease of 79% in visas issued to Iranians, 74%
for Somalis and 66% for Yemenis, according to The Bridge Initiative, a research
project based in Georgetown University that focuses on Islamophobia. In Jan.
2019, the libertarian Cato Institute reported that the new restrictions had
already prevented more than 15,000 spouses and adopted children of U.S.
citizens from joining their spouses or parents in the U.S. In Michigan, a
Yemeni-American father and U.S. citizen Mahmood Salem committed suicide after
his wife and two of his five children in Djibouti were denied visas under
Trump’s travel ban to join him in the U.S., NBC reported.
“Each
time the Muslim ban was reintroduced, it carried the same discriminatory
intent, but changed its language and process in hopes that the courts would
allow it to stand,” says Max Wolson, a staff attorney at the National
Immigration Law Center.
The
most recent version of Trump’s ban includes more countries than the original
version—and places varying degrees of restrictions on the types of U.S. visas
citizens from these countries can apply for. The citizens of 13 countries are
impacted: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, North Korea, Nigeria,
Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Tanzania.
Activists
fighting to overturn the restrictions have stressed the importance of
recognizing that the measure is not just a Muslim ban but also targets African
citizens. Six of the countries included in the ban are in Africa, and the
greater weight given to the continent is intentional and fits in with Trump’s
derogatory rhetoric (like “sh-t hole countries”) towards Africans, says Asha
Noor, a racial justice and immigration advocate. “It’s the perfect storm of
Islamophobia and anti-Blackness.”
A
restrictive waiver process
In
May 2018, the U.S. embassy in Malaysia, where Salem’s father currently lives,
told him after an interview that he would be “ineligible for a visa” but that
they would review his eligibility for a waiver and that it could be a “lengthy
process.” He applied for a waiver and has been waiting since.
To
be approved for a waiver, immigration officials must determine that he
satisfies three criteria: that his entry would not pose a national security or
public safety threat, his arrival would be in the interest of the U.S. and that
denying him entry would cause “undue hardship.” It’s an opaque process and a
high barrier to reach.
The
waiver provision is supposed to provide pathways for some immigrants from the
affected countries to make it to the U.S. in attempts to dispel the notion the
measure is a blanket ban targeting any particular religious or ethnic group.
But the waiver program is a “farce,” says Wolson, with the National Immigration
Law Center, which has sued over the specific provision and previously filed a
lawsuit over the ban’s alleged unconstitutionality as a whole.
Immigration
authorities declined almost three-quarters of all visa waivers between Dec.
2017 and April 2020 for all countries included in the travel restriction,
according to The Bridge Initiative. Many of those trying to get a waiver have
been denied on the basis of not facing sufficient hardship—even if they live in
a conflict zone like Yemen, where a civil war continues. There are also
supposed to be exceptions made for children to be reunited with parents but the
definition of children is so narrow that it only applies to minors and excludes
adult children, like Salem.
“The
addition of the waiver program was…an attempt to setup a defense by claiming
that it was not a ban because it could be waived,” Wolson says. “The reality is
that the waiver program is designed to deny people waivers and the statistics
have borne that out.”
The
waiver provision was at least partly why the Supreme Court in 2018 allowed the
measure to stand in a 5-4 ruling. The majority said in its opinion that there
were “significant exceptions” for many foreign nationals, particularly for
nonimmigrant visas and through the waiver process. They felt that the new
restrictions had a “sufficient national security justification” even as more
than 55 former officials who served under both political parties, including
former secretaries of state, CIA directors, and other top intelligence
officials, told the court that it would be counterproductive for national
security.
The
fight continues
Even
with Biden’s victory, for activists like Linda Sarsour, the threat of
discrimination does not disappear. “Our community is always on edge,” says
Sarsour, the Palestinian-American activist executive director of MPower Change,
a Muslim grassroots movement that has been advocating to overturn the travel
restrictions for years. “We’re never going to be able to relax—even under a
Biden administration,” she says. Sarsour is aware that because of the Supreme
Court’s ruling, there’s nothing stopping any presidential administration after
Biden from imposing the same sweeping restrictions in the name of national
security. So she’s working to ensure Congress passes the No Ban Act, which
would limit the scope of the current restrictions, so that they only apply to
cases in which the Secretary of State has identified particular circumstances
and credible facts that justify exclusion. (The measure has passed the
Democrat-led House but not the Republican-led Senate.)
There’s
also work to be done for families who have already tried but failed to reunite
in the U.S. Subha Varadarajan, legal and outreach fellow for the No Muslim Ban
Ever Campaign, says that under a Biden administration, they will be pushing to
ensure that those denied entry due to the ban have an opportunity to be
reconsidered for admission under pre-existing vetting processes. “A lot of
these families have been waiting for years, so there needs to be a process to
expedite those admissions,” Varadarajan says.
For
those who have already been able to permanently reunite and live with their
family members in the U.S., it’s often because they have access to key support,
which can be difficult to find. “We have seen that—disproportionately—having
the media or a congressperson take an interest in your case makes your
likelihood of getting through significantly higher,” Wolson says.
Rooting
out Islamophobia
Syrian-American
Ramez Alghazzouli believes public pressure from a Huffington Post article about
the hardship he faced because of being unable to have his wife join him in the
U.S. for three years was instrumental in her attaining a successful visa. (The
story was published less than a month before his wife received a visa, he
says.)
Although
the couple live together in Arizona now and just celebrated the birth of the
first child, the travel restrictions will always be a part of their relationship
and their time in the U.S., Alghazzouli says. “This can destroy a human being,”
he says. ”I’m not an emotional guy but it distracted and destroyed me.”
For
many Muslims, the real issue behind the travel restrictions is Islamophobia.
Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at Wayne State University, warns against “only
understanding Islamophobia through the Muslim ban” and remains skeptical about
just how much Biden will do to root out systemic Islamophobia. “The Biden
administration won’t engage in the same kind of Islamophobia as Trump does” but
we may see a continuance of bombing countries like Yemen, Afghanistan and
Pakistan, as well as sweeping domestic surveillance programs that target
Muslims.
After
all, it was under the Obama and Biden administration, that the US Department of
Homeland Security launched a surveillance program that many Muslims and civil
rights advocates say targets Muslims. The Biden campaign has said it would end
a similar counter-terrorism program, as well as “conduct a thorough review of
past programs and regularly consult with leaders from historically targeted
communities, including Arab Americans, to ensure that civil rights are
protected.”
It
remains to be seen how Biden will address issues of foreign policy and
surveillance but there’s no doubt that lifting the restrictions on mostly
Muslim and African travelers would bring thousands of separated families
relief. “If Biden wins and doesn’t actually get rid of the ban, I’m willing to
go knock on the White House door and say ‘you promised us,’” says Alghazzouli,
the Syrian-American who was separated from his wife for three years.
As
for Salem, she is in her senior year of university, studying international
relations, and has been thinking about becoming an immigration lawyer so she
can help reunite families. With Biden’s victory, she hopes that her father can
make it to the U.S. in time for her graduation in summer.
https://time.com/5907628/muslim-african-ban/
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US calls for immediate end to fighting in Ethiopia, offers to help reconcile
rivals
Joseph
Haboush
30
November 2020
The
United States Monday voiced its “grave concern” over the ongoing conflict
between sides in Ethiopia and called for a “complete end” to the fighting in
the Horn of Africa.
In
a phone call with Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
“reiterated the United States’ grave concern regarding ongoing hostilities and
the risks the conflict poses.”
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
statement from Pompeo’s office said he called for “a complete end to the
fighting and constructive dialogue to resolve the crisis.”
Weeks
of fighting erupted earlier this year after Abiy ordered military operations
against the Tigray region’s dissident leaders for their attacks on federal army
camps.
Abiy
was last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner after his work to find a solution to
the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea.
Ethiopia
is a major US ally, but concerns have grown after the most recent fighting left
thousands dead and sent tens of thousands of refugees fleeing into Sudan.
On
Monday, Pompeo said the US was willing to assist in dialogue and reconciliation
between the Tigray region leaders and Abiy’s government.
“He
urged the Government of Ethiopia to ensure respect for human rights of
Tigrayans and all ethnic groups,” the statement from Pompeo’s office said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2020/11/30/US-calls-for-immediate-end-to-fighting-in-Ethiopia-offers-to-help-reconcile-rivals
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Dozens
of human rights groups denounce US arms sales to UAE
01
December 2020
Twenty
nine human rights groups and arms control organizations have denounced the US
arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, asking the Congress to block the mega
deal.
The
groups signed a letter opposing the sale of $23 billion worth of missiles,
fighter jets and drones, raising concern about the UAE’s role in Saudi
devastating war on Yemen and Libya conflict.
"The
hope is to stop these sales altogether," said Seth Binder, advocacy
officer at the Project on Middle East Democracy, who spearheaded the effort.
"But
if that is not possible in the short term, this sends an important signal to
the incoming Biden administration that there is a diverse group of
organizations that oppose delivery of these weapons."
The
letter, sent to US lawmakers and the State Department, said the planned arms
sale would fuel continued harm to civilians and exacerbate humanitarian crises
due to conflicts in war-wracked Yemen and Libya.
Signatories
include human rights organizations from the region, including the Cairo
Institute for Human Rights Studies and Mwatana for Human Rights.
The
US-UAE arms deal includes F-35 fighter jets, Reaper drones, air-to-air and
air-to-ground missiles and more than 14,000 bombs.
The
sale was approved following a US-brokered agreement in September in which the
UAE agreed to normalize relations with Israel.
Several
US senators, including Murphy, earlier this month proposed legislation to halt
the weapons sale to the UAE, setting up a showdown with President Donald Trump
weeks before he is due to leave office.
Trump
administration officials briefed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about
the deal on Monday evening.
Democratic
Senator Chris Murphy, a sponsor of the resolutions of disapproval, responded
later on Twitter: "Just a mind blowing number of unsettled issues and
questions the Administration couldn't answer. Hard to overstate the danger of
rushing this."
Murphy
had said, "I support the normalization of relations between Israel and the
United Arab Emirates, but nothing in that agreement requires us to flood the
region with more weapons and facilitate a dangerous arms race."
He
also said the arms sale to the UAE would constrain the options of
President-elect Joe Biden who has signaled he will return the US to the Iran
nuclear agreement.
US
lawmakers had expressed concern about whether the UAE sales would violate a
longstanding US agreement with Israel that any US weapons sold in the Middle
East must not impair Tel Aviv’s "Qualitative Military Edge" (QME) in
the Middle East.
Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo had said, “The proposed sale will make the UAE even more
capable and interoperable with U.S. partners in a manner fully consistent with
America’s longstanding commitment to ensuring Israel’s Qualitative Military
Edge.”
US
law allows senators to force votes on resolutions of disapproval on major arms
deal. However, to become effective resolutions must first pass both the Senate
and the House of Representatives. The measure would also need two-third
majorities in both the Republican-led Senate and Democratic-led House to
survive a presidential veto.
The
UAE embassy said in a statement, "Aligned closely with US interests and
values, the UAE’s highly capable military is a forceful deterrent to aggression
and an effective response to violent extremism."
The
United Arab Emirates is a key party to the Saudi war on Yemen that was launched
to bring a former Riyadh-friendly government back to power.
The
US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) estimates that
the Saudi war has claimed more than 100,000 lives in Yemen since 2015.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/01/639732/US-UAE-arms-sales-Yemen-Libya-
--------
Charging
the ‘Beatles’: Inside the case against IS militants
By
ERIC TUCKER
30
November 2020
WASHINGTON
(AP) — As two Islamic State militants faced a judge in Virginia last month,
Diane Foley listened from home through a muffled phone connection and strained
to make out the voices of the men prosecutors say kidnapped her son before he
was murdered.
Alexanda
Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh stand accused of belonging to an IS cell dubbed
“the Beatles,” an incongruously lighthearted nickname for British citizens
blamed for the jailing, torture and murder of Western hostages in Syria.
After
geopolitical breakthroughs and stalemates, military actions in Syria and court
fights in London, the Justice Department’s most significant terrorism
prosecution in years was finally underway. For Foley, who months earlier had pleaded
with Attorney General William Barr to pursue justice by forswearing the death
penalty, the fact the case was proceeding at all felt miraculous.
“We’d
met so many blocks over the years, I couldn’t believe it was happening,” Foley
said. “I was in awe of it, really, and almost didn’t trust it — a bit
incredulous. Is this really happening?”
The
prosecution is a counterterrorism success in the waning weeks of the Trump
administration. But it almost didn’t happen.
Interviews
with 11 people connected to the case make clear the hurdles along the way,
including a death penalty dispute that required two normally close allies, the
U.S. and U.K., to navigate fundamental differences in criminal justice systems.
In the end, the interviews show, grieving families reached a gradual consensus
to take capital punishment off the table while a key commitment by Barr to do
the same enabled the U.S. to obtain crucial evidence it needed.
Youtube
video thumbnail
At
another time, the case might not have even been handled in civilian courts.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, the Republican-led Justice Department favored
detaining foreign fighters at the U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for
military tribunals. But that approach changed. Now federal prosecutors are
pursuing the highest-profile terrorism case since trials over the Boston
Marathon bombing and Benghazi attack, aiming to secure convictions and
punishments that can keep the men, in their 30s, imprisoned for life.
“There
was never a time when I thought we didn’t have any case,” said John Demers,
assistant attorney general for national security. But, “we didn’t want to bring
them here unless we had really good charges, a really strong case, and
ultimately expected a conviction that was going to result in a very significant
prison sentence.”
The
group of militants, called “the Beatles” by their captives because of their
British accents, came to embody IS barbarism with the 2014 release of grisly
propaganda videos depicting the beheadings of American hostages. The first
showed James Foley, captured as a freelance journalist covering Syria’s civil
war, kneeling in the desert in an orange jumpsuit beside a masked man in black
brandishing a knife to his throat.
The
beheadings were part of a reign of terror that officials say also involved
waterboarding, mock executions and electric shocks. Elsheikh once videotaped
the shooting of a Syrian hostage as Kotey directed hostages to watch while
holding signs pleading for their release, prosecutors say.
The
pair also coordinated ransom demands, the indictment says. An email to the
Foleys tauntingly told them the U.S. government treated them “like worthless
insects.”
An
airstrike killed the group’s most notorious member, who had killed Foley and
was known by the moniker of “Jihadi John.” Another was prosecuted in Turkey.
That
left Kotey and Elsheikh, who were captured in Syria in 2018 by American-backed
forces. Weeks later, they appeared unapologetic while speaking to The
Associated Press at a Kurdish security center, denouncing the U.S. and Britain
as hypocrites who wouldn’t give them a fair trial.
Inside
the Justice Department, officials weighed whether the men should be tried in
the U.K. or U.S. or even transferred to Guantanamo, which then-Attorney General
Jeff Sessions had called a “very fine place” even though prosecutions there
have floundered, lagging behind the speedier justice of American courts.
U.S.
officials initially leaned toward a U.K. prosecution. British authorities had
accumulated compelling evidence during their own investigation and U.S. policy
encouraged other nations to repatriate and prosecute their citizens who’d
joined IS.
Yet
the U.K., which had stripped the men of their British citizenship, resisted
doing the case in part over concerns about the ability to get convictions and
significant prison sentences in British courts.
Once
that position became clear, officials coalesced around bringing the men to
America, said State Department counterterrorism coordinator Nathan Sales. But
the British balked at sharing evidence with U.S. prosecutors without assurances
they wouldn’t impose the death penalty, which was abolished in the U.K. That
was an impediment for American officials, who say they considered Britain’s
evidence vital in tracing the men’s travel and path of radicalization.
They
decided they wouldn’t do the case without that evidence, Demers said.
The
British later relented and agreed to share evidence without any assurances. But
Elsheikh’s mother sued over the evidence transfer, delaying the case well over
a year. Last March, a British court effectively blocked the evidence-sharing
over the death penalty issue, a hurdle U.S. officials assumed might require
additional litigation to overcome.
Despite
the ruling, prosecutors pressed forward. G. Zachary Terwilliger, the U.S.
attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, whose office is handling the
case, was among those arguing internally that prosecuting the defendants was
more important than leaving the death penalty on the table.
“You
certainly can make an argument, and maybe it’s not even a close call, that
capital punishment would have been appropriate given the horrific nature of
this crime,” Terwilliger said. But, “getting justice for the victims was
paramount to me.”
The
families, too, began uniting around the idea of removing the death penalty from
consideration.
That
had long been Diane Foley’s position. The most vocal of the group, she met
regularly over the years with government officials and cultivated high-level
Washington contacts like her hometown senator, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire,
with whom she co-authored a 2019 newspaper op-ed warning against “impunity for
these monsters.”
Still,
the budding consensus in recent months was notable because the families had not
always shared the same perspective of the case.
The
executions of Foley and two other hostages, Steven Sotloff and Peter Kassig,
were documented in propaganda videos, the men’s fates apparent to the world.
But the circumstances of the death of a fourth, Kayla Mueller, who prosecutors
say was sexually abused by late IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, were less
established and her parents initially believed keeping the death penalty on the
table could be leverage to get answers.
Mueller’s
mother, Marsha, said in a text message that the couple had not wanted anyone to
die but was eager for information about Kayla.
Ultimately,
though, she concluded: “The other families who we care so deeply for wanted the
men brought here and this seemed to be the only way they would come.”
Meanwhile,
current and former FBI officials who were helping the families, including the
head of the bureau’s hostage recovery cell, encouraged them to speak out in
unison to prod the Trump administration toward prosecution. Ali Soufan, a
former FBI counterterrorism agent who’d partnered with Mueller’s parents to
investigate Kayla’s death, made the case that waiving the death penalty was
essential for cooperating with the U.K. and even customary in international
terrorism cases like this one.
Other
options were hardly optimal. A trial in Iraq, where the men had been held in
U.S. military custody over the past year, could produce a human rights outcry
creating empathy for the men. The proceedings could also result in their
release, or potentially execution if they were convicted.
Concerned
a U.S. prosecution might not happen at all, or that the men might be left in
Iraq, the families accelerated their public advocacy. In July, all four signed
onto an opinion piece in The Washington Post imploring the U.S. to prosecute
the pair as a message that anyone who harms American citizens “will not
escape.” That month, NBC News aired an interview with the men in which they
admitted involvement in Mueller’s captivity.
When
Foley met with Barr in 2019, he said he shared her desire for accountability.
But she said he and other Justice Department officials were firm in their
convictions that the death penalty, a punishment Barr had brought back after a
16-year federal government hiatus, was merited.
Last
summer, though, as the families conveyed their wishes to remove death from
consideration and as the case dragged on without obvious resolution, Barr was
ready to break the logjam.
“I
don’t know if it was the deciding factor or not, but I think it did help when
we finally spoke up again and said, ‘Please. Please bring them to the U.S,‘”
Foley said. “If you need that evidence and you need to waive the death penalty,
please do it.’”
A
senior Justice Department official prepared Foley for the news about to break,
writing in an Aug. 14 email that once the U.S. message is delivered and becomes
public, “we are sure it will generate a lot of attention and discussion — and
that many will be interested to hear from all of you.”
That
happened days later with the release of Barr’s letter to U.K. Home Secretary
Priti Patel. In it, he committed to forgo the death penalty but also issued an
ultimatum: If the Justice Department received Britain’s evidence by Oct. 15, it
would proceed with prosecution. If not, it would transfer the men to Iraqi custody
for prosecution.
“That
was a real option. It wasn’t posturing,” Demers said. “I didn’t know if the
U.K. could do everything it needed to do in time to get us that evidence.”
The
evidence came, resulting in a 24-page indictment with counts punishable by life
imprisonment.
Justice
Department prosecutors announced their case on Oct. 7 as the men were flown to
Dulles International Airport and taken to jail, where because of the pandemic
they faced a judge via video link. They have pleaded not guilty.
As
Foley listened to court proceedings she once doubted would ever come, she
couldn’t help but wonder if, under different circumstances, the men might have
been friends with James, who years earlier had taught jail inmates.
But
she also is gratified.
“To
my last dying breath, I will do my best to bring some accountability and
justice for the horror of the murders of these four Americans.”
https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-islamic-state-group-william-barr-only-on-ap-syria-b307a4ecd3b59d4bff461b18d6e957ab?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1767188_
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