Barelvi Ulema Call For Ban On Popular Front Of India Support Govt Action Against Radical Outfit
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 September 2022
NIA accused PFI of having
links with several left-wing extremist organisations that run fake campaigns on
police atrocities, encounters, imprisonment in terror cases, and UAPA.(PTI)
-----
• Bhagwat’s Mosque Visit Part Of ‘Systematic Outreach
To Fight Muslim Fanatics’, Says RSS
• Iran Arrests Activist, Journalist Who Helped Expose
Case Of Mahsa Amini: Reports
• ‘Simply Islamophobic’: Muslim Rights Group Slams
‘Democratic’ Attacks On Rashida Tlaib
• Islamic State in Khurasan Province Exploits Tajik
Martyrs to Recruit in Central Asia
India
• PFI Encouraged Youth To Join ISIS, Let, Commit
Violent Jihad To Establish Islamic Rule In India: NIA Report
• ATS: Booklet seized from PFI member outlined plan
for implementing Sharia law
• All Jamath Federation Protests Against NIA and ED
Action Against PFI
• Meeting with Muslims: Bhagwat calls it selfless
communication
• Dalit Christians, Dalit Muslims can’t be compared to
Buddhist converts, says Centre’s 2019 affidavit
• All India Muslim Jamaat chief calls PFI 'radical
group', seeks ban
• Mayawati asks if RSS chief Bhagwat’s mosque visit
will change BJP attitude to Muslims
• Mohan Bhagwat Meeting Head Of Imam Body No Deviation
From Sangh Line: RSS Leader
--------
Mideast
• Marchers denounce ‘rioters’ as state-organized
pro-hijab protests kick off in Iran
• At least 50 killed in crackdown on Iran protests:
NGO
• Israel no longer ‘partner’ for peace, Palestinian
president tells UN
• Protests storm security HQ in Iran amid unrest over
Mahsa Amini’s death: Sources
• 2 top PKK/KCK terrorists nabbed, brought back to
Türkiye
--------
North
America
• Dozens of US Republican lawmakers push to stop Biden
from return to Iran nuclear deal
• No positive developments on JCPOA but US still committed
to deal: State Dept
• US Takes Steps To Expand Internet Access To Iranians
After Government Crackdown
--------
South
Asia
• Prominent Afghan Political Figure Leaves Council of
Resistance Against Taliban
• Blast Near Kabul Mosque Sparks Intl, Domestic
Reactions
• Blast near Kabul mosque after Friday prayers kills
at least seven people
• Sheikh Hasina on Rohingya crisis: Affects
Bangladesh's stability, security
--------
Pakistan
• Imran Khan Asks Pakistanis To 'Wage Jihad' And
Support His ‘Haqiqi Azadi’ Movement
• Pak Taliban employs extortion tactics in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province as control grows
• Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif raises Kashmir at UNGA
• Pakistan school expels 4 Ahmadi students for ‘their
faith’
• Pakistan emerges as ‘global leader’ in enforced
disappearances
• Hindu Girl, 13, Allegedly Kidnapped In Pakistan's
Sindh: Report
• Pakistan seeks climate justice, not damages, says
Bilawal
• Two ‘IS militants’ killed in Khuzdar
• Pakistan FM Zardari: Islamic Emirate Should Fulfill
Promises
--------
Arab
World
• Statement From Israel PM On Two-State Solution
Positive: Saudi FM
• ‘No one wants to be drawn into blocs,’ Saudi FM
tells New York MENA Forum
• Saudi FM: Yemen truce ‘must be extended’ but signs
not positive
• Saudi prince’s mediation signals ‘useful’ ties with
Russia
• Saudi Crown Prince meets with senior US officials in
Jeddah: SPA
• Death toll from Lebanon migrant boat at least 76:
Minister
--------
Africa
• Burkina Faso Coup Leader Defends His Military
Takeover
• Kenya rescues citizens from suspected organ
traffickers
• Confirmed, suspected Ebola Sudan cases at 8 in
Uganda amid lack of vaccine
• Sudan ruling general ‘will not run in elections for
civilian-led govt’
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Malaysia’s Islamic Fintech Will Continue To Grow,
Says Banking Association
• Abolish Security Council’s veto power, Ismail tells
UN
• Court grants bid by Bung Moktar, wife to halt
corruption case
• Draft an asset declaration law, anti-graft group
urges PM
--------
Europe
• Ukraine to slash ties with Iran over ‘unfriendly’
drones supply to Russia
• Ukraine says it downed four Iranian drones,
Zelenskyy raps Tehran
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/barelvi-ulema-pfi-radical-india/d/128027
--------
Barelvi Ulema Call For Ban On Popular Front Of India
Support Govt Action Against Radical Outfit
NIA accused PFI of having
links with several left-wing extremist organisations that run fake campaigns on
police atrocities, encounters, imprisonment in terror cases, and UAPA.(PTI)
-----
Sep 24, 2022
The Barelvi Ulema has called for a ban on the Popular
Front of India (PFI) for its alleged terror-related activities which prompted
nationwide raids by NIA, ED and state police at premises linked to its leaders.
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, the president of All India Muslim Jamaat,
issued a recorded statement in which he stressed that the raids have made it
clear that the Islamist fundamentalist organization has been “involved in
communal riots in various states across the country.”
“That's why, I urge all Sunni, Sufi, and Barelvi
Muslims to not keep any relation with this organisation,” he said.
The Barelvi sect from Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly
demanded the central government to impose an immediate ban on such
organizations to protect the unity and integrity of the country. Maulana
Barelvi also supported the action taken by the government to tighten the noose
around terror activities across India.
“It is important to ban such organisations,” he said,
adding that the actions taken by the government of India have his “full
support.”
The statement came after NIA arrested scores of PFI
leaders following simultaneous raids on the PFI-SDPI network in 15 states. A
total of 106 people, including PFI chairman OMS Salam, were held in a massive
exercise with coordination between NIA, 86 platoons of para-military forces,
intelligence agencies and the state police.
The raids followed a meeting chaired by Union home
minister Amit Shah with the concerned enforcement and security chiefs to review
the evidence collected and mull over the future course of action. The
government is likely to take a strong decision on the status of the outfit as
the clamour for a blanket ban grows.
The PFI may call itself a socio-religious organization
but the Islamist group’s larger aim is no different from the Islamic State—to
establish an Islamic Caliphate in India. With a cadre of banned Students
Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) at its core, the PFI has meticulously spread
all over India from Kerala with funds from West Asian countries where the
Muslim Brotherhood is a dominant force like Qatar, Kuwait, and Turkey.
Source: Hindustan Times
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original story:
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Bhagwat’s Mosque Visit Part Of ‘Systematic Outreach To
Fight Muslim Fanatics’, Says RSS
File photo of RSS chief
Mohan Bhagwat | ANI
-----
Madhuparna Das
24 September, 2022
New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
sarsanghchalak (chief) Mohan Bhagwat’s mosque visit Thursday is not an isolated
incident but part of a “systematic” outreach, which has been ongoing for the
past year to “fight Muslim fanatics, separatists and protect the nation”,
ThePrint has learnt.
Bhagwat visited a mosque and a madrasa in Delhi on an
invitation from the All India Imam Organisation (AIIO). During the visit, the
RSS chief, along with Sangh functionaries Krishna Gopal and Indresh Kumar, held
a meeting with AIIO chief Umer Ahmed Ilyasi at his office inside the mosque in
Kasturba Gandhi Marg. He then reached Madarsa Tajweedul Quran in north Delhi’s
Azadpur and interacted with students there.
In August, Bhagwat had met a group of five Muslim
intellectuals — former chief election commissioner S. Y. Quraishi, former Delhi
lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung,
Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Shahid Siddiqui, former vice-chancellor of
Aligarh Muslim University Zameer Uddin Shah, and businessman Saeed Shervani —
in the national capital.
According to RSS functionaries, the outreach is aimed
at “fighting separatists and hardliners”.
“Sarsanghchalak ji has been saying for long that
Hindus and Muslims have the same DNA and same ancestry. We may have different
ways to worship, but all of us are Indians. It is a positive sign that the
Muslim organisations are inviting us, and we are also responding in an
affirmative way. This will work in the national interest,” RSS’s all-India
publicity head Sunil Ambekar told ThePrint.
In July last year, while addressing a programme
organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (an RSS affiliate), Bhagwat had said
Hindu or Muslims of India share the same DNA and that the ancestors of all
communities living in the country are the same.
A year later, in June this year, addressing another
programme in Nagpur, he asked RSS cadres and affiliates to stop looking for a
“Shivling” under every mosque.
The statement came in the midst of the ongoing
Gyanvapi mosque controversy, and some Hindutva organisations claiming that many
mosques were built by demolishing temples in the country.
Political experts said, however, that the outreach
should not stop at “symbolism, but be reflected in ground-level decisions”.
“There is very little information available about
these meetings as almost all of them are closed-door meetings. People who have
been meeting Mohan Bhagwat more than he met them should understand whether or
not the RSS’ ideological position is along the political line of the ruling
party [the BJP]. Are they neutral, flexible and malleable? These issues can
only be judged in due course of time,” former union minister Salman Khurshid
told ThePrint.
We would like to know what is the stated position of
the RSS? There is no such instance of their stated position that can be taken
as a reference. Has there been any instance when the RSS was seen giving
comfort to the minorities who have been subjected to all sorts of atrocities?
If their purpose is to find a closure to the attempts to divide the
communities, nobody will complain. But for that, we need to wait and watch, and
also go by instincts and not by prejudices,” the Congress leader asserted.
‘Outreach should reflect in on-ground action’
While RSS functionaries called Bhagwat’s mosque and
madrasa visits as a step towards ending “conflicts between communities” and a
call to Muslims to feel and act like Indians, senior political experts
highlighted the Modi government’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” slogan and added
that Bhagwat’s “same DNA” statement should be reflected in the actions of the
RSS cadre and fringe Hindutva elements.
“This is a very important step forward and
commendable, too. It should go beyond symbolic visits and meetings. The
outreach and the results should reflect on the ground. The symbolism needs to
be strengthened with visible actions,” said Sandeep Shastri, a senior political
scientist and director of the Bengaluru-based Jain University’s Centre for
Research in Social Sciences and Education.
A senior RSS functionary told ThePrint that the Sangh
has been planning such outreach programmes for a long time and that it has been
receiving a “positive response” from the Muslim community.
“Muslims are part of this country. We never support
those who call them Pakistani. We will try to weed out such fringe elements
that vitiate the country’s environment. But our efforts have to be reciprocated
equally by Muslim organisations and community leaders. If that happens, we can
call the outreach successful,” said the RSS functionary.
Some political experts, however, said that the RSS
outreach was nothing but a “spin” on the “good Muslim, bad Muslim narrative”.
“Dialogues are important in a democracy. But, in the
delegation of Muslim intellectuals and imams who met Mohan Bhagwat, none of
them represent the whole of Indian Muslims. Muslims are not homogeneous in
nature in any case, and these five [intellectuals] have been criticised by
other members of the Muslim intelligentsia. The question to ask if either side
altered their position or stance after the meeting,” asked Nilanjan
Mukhopadhyay, author and journalist.
He added: “Will Bhagwat lead RSS into abandoning their
theory of the existence of an Islamist conspiracy to reduce Hindus into a
minority? S. Y. Quraishi’s book last year debunked the RSS theory on excessive
Muslim population growth. Does Bhagwat remain unchanged, or has his stance changed?
Is RSS going to cease their campaigns or take action against the documented
atrocities on Muslims? These are the grey areas. And I have mixed sentiments
about such outreach. Bhagwat must restrain hardliners in his own camp. Not
enough to say ‘this should not happen’ and remain silent when Muslims are
attacked.”
According to Mukhopadhyay, it was “paradoxical to see
Mohan Bhagwat and all Sangh Parivar leaders, including those in BJP, who have
previously been critical of many Imams speaking on political issues, to meet
one now”.
“So this is another spin, creating the binary of
‘good’ imam and ‘bad’ imam. Just like they have played the ‘good Muslim and bad
Muslim’ narrative. I do not have many expectations from this process.”
Source: The Print
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original story:
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Iran Arrests Activist, Journalist Who Helped Expose
Case Of Mahsa Amini: Reports
A newspaper with a cover
picture of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic
Republic’s morality police is seen in Tehran, Iran, on September 18, 2022.
(Reuters)
----
23 September, 2022
Iranian security forces have arrested one of Iran’s
most prominent civil society activists and a journalist who played a key role
in exposing the case of Mahsa Amini that sparked nationwide protests, reports
said Friday.
The arrests come as protests intensify over Amini, who
was pronounced dead on September 16 - three days after being arrested by
Tehran’s morality police, with activists saying at least 36 civilians have been
killed in a police crackdown.
Majid Tavakoli, an activist who has been repeatedly
imprisoned in Iran in recent years including after disputed 2009 elections, was
arrested overnight at his home, his brother Mohsen wrote on Twitter.
Another prominent activist still based in Iran,
Hossein Ronaghi, was giving an interview to London-based channel Iran
International when security agents came to his home, the channel said.
A video published by the channel shows Ronaghi looking
anxious but insisting the interview carried on.
It said the activist, who campaigns for freedom of
expression, and contributes to the Washington Post, managed to escape arrest by
slipping out via his building’s car park and later issued a video message from
an undisclosed location.
Meanwhile Nilufar Hamedi, a Tehran journalist who went
to the hospital where Amini lay in a coma and helped expose the case to the
world, has been arrested, the Shargh daily newspaper, for which she works,
wrote on Telegram.
Photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was this week also
arrested while covering protests in Tehran, the Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ) said Thursday.
“Iranian authorities must immediately release all
journalists arrested because of their coverage of Mahsa Amini’s death and the
protests that have followed,” said CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program
coordinator, Sherif Mansour.
Activists had accused the Iranian authorities of being
in the throes of a crackdown even before the protests began, with two of the
country’s most acclaimed filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof both
arrested.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
‘Simply Islamophobic’: Muslim Rights Group Slams
‘Democratic’ Attacks On Rashida Tlaib
US Congresswoman Rashida
Tlaib speaks at a press conference on July 18, 2022 in Washington DC. (File
photo by AFP)
-----
23 September 2022
A leading Muslim rights organization in the United
States has slammed “Islamophobic attacks” on Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib which
came after she said supporting the “apartheid” Israeli regime is incompatible
with progressive values.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in a
statement on Thursday called on all Democratic offices in the US House of
Representatives to “not to engage in dishonest, Islamophobic attacks” on Tlaib
for her stance.
“Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the
Presbyterian Church USA, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Israeli human rights group
B’Tselem, have all recently recognized that the Israeli government’s
decades-long human rights abuses against the Palestinian people, including
physical segregation and different laws based on race, constitute a system of
apartheid,” CAIR said.
The statement further referred to the Israeli army’s
murdering of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and pointed out that the
regime in Tel Aviv has already declared that it would not launch a criminal
investigation into the deliberate killing.
“The only reason for ignoring this murder, which was
caught on camera, is that this American citizen was a Palestinian,” it said.
“Yet instead of calling on the Israeli government to
uphold human rights, several House Democrats have spent the past week engaging
in bad-faith attacks against the only Palestinian-American Muslim woman in
Congress, simply because she reminded her colleagues that apartheid as a system
of governance will forever remain incompatible with democratic values.”
Progressive vs. pro-Israel
Tlaib told an online Palestine advocacy event on
Tuesday: “I want you all to know that among progressives, it becomes clear that
you cannot claim to hold progressive values yet back Israel‘s apartheid
government.”
Tlaib, a Palestinian American, has repeatedly called
for accountability in the case of the Israeli army’s killing of Abu Akleh and
pressed for a US-backed probe.
Abu Akleh’s killing “opened the eyes of many of my
colleagues and countless decent people around the world to the brutal reality of
living under apartheid Israel,” she said in her Tuesday speech.
“It’s nothing short of outrageous that our government
continues to refuse to hold Israel accountable for these killings.”
Her remarks were harshly criticized by fellow
Democrats in Congress, with the former head of the Democratic National
Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, charging that it was “shameful and
dangerous” for Tlaib to make those remarks.
“The outrageous progressive litmus test on Israel by
[Tlaib] is nothing short of antisemitic,” tweeted Wasserman Schultz.
She added: “Proud progressives do support Israel’s
right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. Suggesting otherwise is
shameful and dangerous. Divisive rhetoric does not lead to peace.”
Silencing critics of Israel as ‘anti-semitic’
Democratic Congressmen Jerry Nadler and Ritchie
Torres, among others, also piled on, censuring Tlaib’s criticism as offensive.
“I fundamentally reject the notion that one cannot
support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state and be a
progressive,” Nadler wrote in a tweet.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation
League, said via Twitter: “In one sentence, [Tlaib] simultaneously tells
American Jews that they need to pass an anti-Zionist litmus test to participate
in progressive spaces even as she doubles down on her #antisemitism by
slandering Israel as an apartheid state.”
“It’s absolutely reprehensible and does nothing to
advance the cause of peace. We call on people of good will and leaders across
the political spectrum to make clear that such #antisemitism will not be
tolerated,” he added.
CAIR, however, said the claim that Tlaib said
something anti-semitic is a blatant and dangerous lie, elaborating that this is
not the first time that members of the Democratic Party in the House of
Representatives have leaped to the worst possible interpretation of what one of
their Muslim colleagues said.
“This is simply Islamophobic,” it said. “The fact that
this scenario has occurred with such frequency over the past several years points
to the need for Democrats in Congress to address the issue of Islamophobia
within their own ranks. The marginalization and silencing of elected Muslims
and Arabs who speak the truth to their lived experiences is discriminatory and
incompatible with democratic values.”
Abu Akleh was shot in the head and killed by the
Israeli army forces on May 11 while she was covering their raid in the Jenin
refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. At the time of her killing, the
51-year-old journalist was wearing easily-recognizable press attire.
In a recent joint investigation, Palestinian human
rights group Al-Haq and London-based research group Forensic Architecture
concluded that Abu Akleh was intentionally targeted by Israeli troops,
dismissing the Israeli regime’s account that the killing was unintentional.
The findings come as Abu Akleh’s family submitted an
official complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to demand justice
for her cold-blooded murder.
Earlier this month, the Israeli military admitted that
there was a “high possibility” Abu Akleh was killed by its troops, but
concluded that it was an accident and said it would open no criminal
investigation into the brutal killing.
Shatha Hanaysha, a Palestinian journalist who was
beside Abu Akleh when she was killed, recounted the harrowing incident in an
exclusive interview with Press TV, during which she said, “I still cannot
fathom why it happened, why Shireen was killed, why they tried to kill us.”
Source: Press TV
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original story:
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India
PFI encouraged youth to join ISIS, LeT, commit violent jihad to establish Islamic rule in India: NIA report
September
24, 2022
Kochi:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed that the documents seized
during the nationwide raids conducted at offices of the Popular Front of India
(PFI) and its leaders contain highly incriminating materials targeting
prominent leaders of a particular community.
In
a remand report submitted before the NIA special court seeking custody of 10
people in connection with a case, the agency alleged that the radical Islamist
outfit encouraged youth to join terrorist groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba and
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The
report, which was submitted on 22 September, also claims that the outfit
conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing terrorist acts as a
part of violent jihad.
It
said the PFI spreads “dis-affection against India by wrongful interpretation of
government policies to the particular section of people” to create hatred
against the state and its machinery.
“During
the investigation, based on materials collected, it has been disclosed that the
accused named in the FIR were actively involved in the organised crimes and
unlawful activities repeatedly, to terrorise other religious sections of the
society, besides creating fear in the mind of the general public based on the
larger conspiracy hatched among themselves and others,” the report said.
In
near-simultaneous raids across the country, a multi-agency operation
spearheaded by the NIA on 22 September led to the arrest of 106 activists of
the Popular Front of India in 11 States for allegedly supporting terror
activities in the country.
“The
seized documents also contain highly incriminating materials related to the
targeting of prominent leaders of a particular community. The Hit List seized
clearly shows that the PFI, which is working through its leaders, members and
associates have gone far ahead in creating atrocities among the community,” the
report said.
It
said with an intention to disrupt public tranquillity and propagate an
alternative justice delivery system, “the PFI encouraged youths to join
terrorist organisations” including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) and Al-Qaida and “also conspired to establish Islamic rule in
India by committing a terrorist act” as a part of violent jihad.
“The
case involves key players of the society, and they are highly influential even
to the effect of stalling the community and its progress by a mere call. The
common man stands threatened by the stand taken by the accused and their
henchmen,” the report added.
The
agency said the devices confiscated from the accused and from the offices of
the PFI needed to be analysed at CDAC in Thiruvananthapuram.
The
probe agency had produced 10 accused before the court and sought custody of
them to “unearth larger conspiracy hatched by the accused/cadres and office
bearers/leaders of PFI”.
It
said the Ministry of Home Affairs had on 16 September directed it to probe the
matter following which a case was registered on 29 September under various
sections of the IPC and the UAPA.
The
NIA court had remanded the accused to judicial custody.
Source:
Firstpost
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
ATS:
Booklet seized from PFI member outlined plan for implementing Sharia law
Sep
24, 2022
Mumbai:
Of the five men arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) as part
of series of raids by central, federal and state agencies against Popular Front
of India (PFI) functionaries on Thursday, a booklet allegedly outlining a plan
to achieve the implementation of Sharia Law in the country by 2047 was seized,
ATS officials said.
The
booklet, titled 2047, was seized from the residence of Mazhar Khan, 54, vice
president of the Maharashtra unit of PFI, ATS officials said.
The
booklet reportedly outlines the organisation’s objectives for the next 25
years. Khan’s family however refuted the ATS’s claim and said that the document
found and seized from Khan’s home were published by Empower India Foundation
and was titled, India 2047: Empowering the People.
“My
father was socially active and he worked for the development of marginal
communities,” Afnan, Khan’s 20-year-old daughter. “[During the raid, officials]
asked my father about PFI. They also asked my brother where my father hid
weapons in the house. My brother said we are not criminals and do not keep
weapons,” she added.
“Working
in PFI is not illegal and if the PFI is doing anything illegal then obviously
the government would have banned it. The current government wanted to ban the
PFI so they are arresting PFI members and harassing their family members,
Khan’s wife, Ruksana said.
Khan,
a Kurla resident, holds a diploma in engineering and had a wholesale clothes
business supplying to local shops. After suffering a stroke, he had been
paralysed for a few years, his family said. While the ATS claimed that Khan
received financial help from PFI and exhorted youth to join the organisation,
his family said that Khan worked for social causes as part of the PFI.
“He
also runs a YouTube channel where he uploads his videos related to news and
create awareness in society,” Ruksana said.
Five
PFI members from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, one each from Panvel,
Bhiwandi, Kandivali, Malad and Kurla were arrested and remanded to five days in
police custody on Thursday. The suspects were booked under sections 120(B)
(criminal conspiracy), 121(A) (conspiracy to overthrow the Central or any State
government by use of criminal force), 153(A) (promoting enmity between
different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence,
language) of the Indian Penal Code, and section 13(1) (b) (advocating,
abetting, advising or inciting the commission of unlawful activity) of the
UAPA.
The
National Investigation Agency, the Enforcement Directorate and other state
agencies conducted raids across 15 states and one Union territory, arresting
102 people including 45 PFI leaders and cadre.
Among
those arrested in MMR, 38-year-old Mohammad Moinuddin Momin, is wanted in 2006
riots case in Bhiwandi in which two policemen were killed following protests
over the construction of police station near a mosque.
Momin,
a resident of Bangalpura area in Bhiwandi, is a wholesale supplier of biscuits
and chocolates. ATS officials claimed to have found several incriminating
documents, including posters of PFI, at his residence.
According
to the officials, Momin, who sustained a bullet wound in the riots, fled and
reportedly went underground. He was traced and arrested in February 2019, but
came out on bail, the official added.
Shaikh
Sadiq Isaac Qureshi, 42, another PFI cadre arrested in Malad, is a lawyer who
practices in the Sessions court. According to ATS officials, Qureshi offered
religious preaching and conducted PFI meetings in Mumbai. Mohammed Iqbal
Mohammed Ibrahim Khan, 38, a resident of Kandivali, the fourth person arrested,
worked as a sound technician in film studios.
Asif
Aminul Husain Khan Adhikari, a 46-year-old Panvel resident was picked up from
his residence in the wee hours of Friday and detained by the NIA. According to
the police, he was the MMR district president of PFI, and operates a tour
business.
“He
got associated with PFI around two years back. In the recent times, he
conducted protests against Nupur Sharma for her controversial remark over
Prophet Mohammed. When the news spread about NIA reaching his residence, other
supporters of PFI also reached his place and declared they too are ready to
accompany NIA wherever they want to take as they have done nothing wrong and
there is nothing to hide,” said Adhikari’s neighbour who did not wish to be named.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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All
Jamath Federation Protests Against NIA and ED Action Against PFI
SEPTEMBER
24, 2022
‘The
raids were not against PFI but against the entire Muslim community’
The
action of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Social
Democratic Party of India and their leaders on Thursday sparked protests on
Friday by Islamic organisations that operate under All Jamath Federation at
Washermanpet in Chennai.
The
protesters accused the NIA and the ED of acting against the interests of
Muslims. Many of those who spoke at the protests said the raids were not
against the PFI but against the entire Muslim community. The protesters
recalled how the agencies had already raided the PFI office premises and found
nothing. The PFI had wrongly been accused of furthering ‘Love Jihad’ and forced
conversions without any proof, they said.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Meeting
with Muslims: Bhagwat calls it selfless communication
September
23, 2022
On
his meeting with Muslim religious leaders and intellectuals, Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said that when they communicate
selflessly despite being powerful everyone would listen. This is the law of the
world.
He
said that when people talk about weakness, people will consider it a
compulsion, but when they talk about friendship with strength, people will say
that yes they do not have black in their mind. This process of dialogue should
grow and grow as it is the need of the day. Fighting with each other is not
good. This is not a contract of anyone, everyone has to fulfill their
responsibility.
Addressing
the lecture series-2020 organised by Sankalp Foundation and the Former Civil
Services Officers Forum at Dr. Ambedkar International Center, he said, “The
British made distinctions between castes and sects under a well-planned
conspiracy. Its result came out in the form of Pakistan, but in the earlier
united India, no one is happy except today’s India. The process of joining them
again in a garland will have to be repeated.”
Mohan
Bhagwat said although he fears that his identity will be erased, our tradition does
not erase any identity. Rather, it magnifies it and accepts it with
recognition. Therefore it is necessary to be afraid.
He
said the talk of unity with the idea that vote bank, selfishness or crisis is
meaningless. Unity is there which is on the strength of intimacy and it is also
necessary to be strong to protect it. Otherwise, Gandhiji had also said these
things, but behind him was a confused society, which was scattered.
Source: The Statesman
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Dalit
Christians, Dalit Muslims can’t be compared to Buddhist converts, says Centre’s
2019 affidavit
Abhinay
Lakshman
SEPTEMBER
24, 2022
The
affidavit goes against the 2011 recommendation of National Commission for
Scheduled Castes
With
the Supreme Court awaiting the Union government’s present position on including
Dalit Christians as members of Scheduled Castes (SCs), the Narendra Modi
government’s latest standing on this aspect has been to reject any such
proposition, according to an affidavit filed by the government in November
2019, which also said Dalits who converted to Buddhism could not be compared to
those who converted to Islam or Christianity.
This
position goes against the most recent stand taken by the National Commission
for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) before the top court in a 2011 affidavit, when it
recommended providing reservation to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims,
provided they fulfil two criteria: If they continue to practice their
traditions and customs as they did prior to conversion; and if they continue to
face social disabilities due to untouchability.
And
while the NCSC acknowledged the lack of an independent study into the status of
such converts, it had recommended that until such a study is completed, Dalit
Christians and Dalit Muslims be included in the SC category.
This
NCSC recommendation had come after the then National Commission for Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes had in 2000 and 2003 respectively rejected
proposals to include Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims as SCs. Since 2011, the
NCSC has not made any submissions in the matter before the court. In a separate
affidavit, the National Commission for Minorities too had in 2011 supported
extending SC benefits to Dalit Christians and Muslims.
Lack
of studies
In
its 2019 affidavit, the Union government cited the lack of any comprehensive
studies into the social status of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims. It added
that while Dalits who converted to Buddhism did so "voluntarily on account
of some innate socio-political imperatives" after Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s call
in 1956, those who converted to Islam or Christianity "might have
converted on account of other factors".
Further,
the government said the original caste/community of Dalit Buddhists can be
located while that of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims cannot since these
conversions have been taking place for centuries. It added that Dalits who
converted to Islam or Christianity “ameliorated their social status” by way of
their conversion and “cannot claim to be backward” since untouchability is a
feature of Hindu religion and its branches alone.
This
affidavit was filed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment before
the Supreme Court on a batch of petitions seeking the removal of the religion
criteria from determining whether a community can be included in the SC list.
Currently, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 provides for
recognising only communities that practice Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism as
SCs.
RGI’s
approval
Sikh
communities were included by an amendment in 1956 and Buddhist communities by
an amendment in 1990 — neither of which required the approval of the Registrar
General of India (RGI) as per the rules at the time. The RGI’s approval for
inclusion of communities was made mandatory in the modalities framed in 1999.
In
a note prepared in March 2001, the RGI had while presenting its opinion on why
Dalit Christians cannot be included in the list of SCs, compared Dalit
Christians to Dalit Buddhists — which stands in contrast to the position taken
by the Union government in its 2019 affidavit. The RGI’s office had said that
in both cases people from multiple Scheduled Caste communities had converted to
these respective religions and that they cannot be recognised as a “single ethnic
group” for inclusion as provided for in Clause (2) of Article 341 of the
Constitution. It concluded that Dalit Christians and Dalit Buddhists lose their
caste identity after their conversion and added that it had presented a similar
opinion to the then Ministry of Home Affairs in 1978, despite which the
amendment to include Buddhist converts was made in 1990.
The
RGI had similarly concluded that Dalit Muslims cannot be included as SCs in
Bihar, according to an April 2001 note.
However,
the Centre has justified the inclusion of the Buddhist converts based on
Explanation II of Clause 2(b) of Article 25 which defines Hindus to include
Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists to provide for “social welfare and reform or the
throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all
classes and sections of Hindus”.
“Now,
reports say the government will set up a commission to study the status of
Dalit Christians and Muslims but there are already a bunch of commissions and
independent inquiries that have recommended the inclusion of Dalit Christians
and Dalit Muslims in the SC list repeatedly,” said advocate Franklin Ceasar
Thomas, who is representing the National Council for Dalit Christians, the
United Front for Dalit Christian Rights and other petitioners in the top court.
The Supreme Court is expected to take up this matter for next hearing on
October 11.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
All
India Muslim Jamaat chief calls PFI 'radical group', seeks ban
Sep
23, 2022
BAREILLY:
All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi on Friday called
upon the Muslim community to stay away from the Popular Front of India (PFI)
calling it a "radical group" and urged the central government to
impose a ban on it.
Maulana
Razvi welcomed the arrest of the PFI leaders across the country.
"PFI
is a radical organisation. Its members follow a radicalised ideology. I would
appeal to all Sufi and Sunni Muslims to stay away from this organisation. The
PFI has been named in many incidents across the country. It is necessary that
there should be a ban on these kinds of organisations," said Razvi.
"The
central government took appropriate action against PFI. I support the action of
the government. I would request the government of India to ban PFI in order to
safeguard the unity and sovereignty of the country," said the All india
Muslim jamaat president dargaah alahazratMaulana Shahbuddin Razvi Barelvi.
A
total of 106 PFI cadres were arrested yesterday in a joint operation conducted
by the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and state police
forces across 15 states in the country's multiple locations, according to the
sources.
The
states where the raids were conducted included Andhra Pradesh (4 places),
Telangana (1), Delhi (19), Kerala (11), Karnataka (8), Tamil Nadu (3), Uttar
Pradesh (1), Rajasthan (2), Hyderabad (5), Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur.
The
searches were conducted in connection with five cases registered by the NIA
following "continued inputs and evidence" that the PFI leaders and
cadres were involved in the funding of terrorism and terrorist activities,
organising training camps for providing armed training and radicalising people
to join banned organisations.
A
large number of criminal cases have been registered in different states over
the last few years against the PFI and its leaders and members for their
involvement in many violent acts.
A
day after PFI leaders were arrested in a massive country-wide raid, the outfit
called a dawn-to dusk bandh in Kerala on Friday and incidents of stone pelting
and attack on vehicles including KSRTC buses by protesters were reported from
various places in the state.
The
shutdown in Kerala has been called by the PFI to protest against the arrest of
its members in nationwide raids by the National Investigation Agency yesterday.
In
various other parts of the state, the roads were seen deserted this morning
with few people on the roads.
According
to the police, stone-pelting incidents were reported at various places in the
state.
Two
police officers were attacked earlier today by the hartal supporters at
Pallimukku in the Kollam district.
Visuals
showed hartal supporters pelting stones at the Kerala State Transport
Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Panamaram village in Wayanad district. The bus was
going to Kozhikode.
KSRTC
buses were also attacked in Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha and Kollam.
In
the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram, an autorickshaw and a car were seen in
a damaged state after being attacked in Poonthura.
Further,
two miscreants on a bike at Pallimukku in the Kollam district abused police
officials and hit them after they attempted to stop them, police said.
A
petrol bomb was hurled at the RSS office in Mattannur, Kannur during the
protest against the arrest of PFI's state leaders. A two-member group reached
on a scooter, threw the petrol bomb, and broke the window panes.
Police
took five PFI workers into custody after the members of the outfit allegedly
vandalised shops and obstructed vehicles in Kochi on Friday.
According
to police, PFI workers tried to forcefully shut the shops They also vandalised
some shops which were not ready to shut down.
Further,
two miscreants on a bike at Pallimukku in the Kollam district abused police
officials and hit them after they attempted to stop them, police said.
A
petrol bomb was hurled at the RSS office in Mattannur, Kannur during the
protest against the arrest of PFI's state leaders.A two-member group reached on
a scooter, threw the petrol bomb, and broke the window panes.
Releasing
a statement, the PFI state committee said that it considered the NIA's arrest
of PFI national and state leaders "unjust" and "part of
atrocities by the state".
"A
hartal will be held in the state on September 23, Friday against the
RSS-controlled fascist government's move to use central agencies to silence
dissenting voices," it said.
The
PFI also called upon the "democratic believers" to make success the
strike against the "fascist regime that crush the civil rights".
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mayawati
asks if RSS chief Bhagwat’s mosque visit will change BJP attitude to Muslims
September
23, 2022
A
day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visited a mosque at the All India Imams
Organisation (AIIO) headquarters in New Delhi and met its chief, Imam Umer
Ahmed Ilyasi, BSP president Mayawati questioned if it would help change the
BJP’s “negative attitude” towards Muslims, madrasas and mosques.
“After
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visited a mosque/madrasa in Delhi yesterday and met the
ulemas and then got himself called the ‘rashtra pita and ‘rashtra rishi’, will
there be a change in the negative attitude and behaviour of the BJP and its
governments towards the Muslim community and their mosques and madrasas?”
Mayawati tweeted in Hindi on Friday.
“The
UP government is unable to tolerate the compulsion of offering namaz for a few
minutes alone in an open space and is bent upon intervening in (the
functioning) of private madrasas also, while ignoring the government madrasas.
But there is also a need to think about what meanings are being derived from
the silence of the RSS chief on this issue,” she tweeted further.
Earlier
this month, Mayawati hit out at the BJP government for its decision to conduct
a survey of unrecognised madrasas across Uttar Pradesh. She accused the
government of oppressing Muslims and trying to interfere in the functioning of
madrasas funded “by qaum ke chande (donations from the community)” with the
“unfair” survey.
The
AIIO claims to represent half a million imams across three lakh mosques in
India. It also claims to be the largest Muslim organisation in the country.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mohan
Bhagwat Meeting Head Of Imam Body No Deviation From Sangh Line: RSS Leader
September
23, 2022
New
Delhi: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's visit to a mosque and his meeting with the
head of an organisation of Imams were not a deviation from the outfit's line,
its senior leader Indresh Kumar said on Friday.
He
slammed the Congress for saying Mr Bhagwat's meeting with All India Imam
Organisation chief Umer Ahmed Ilyasi was due to the "impact" of the
party's "Bharat Jodo Yatra".
The
Congress has misunderstood the Sangh's line, and it should "repent"
for it, Mr Kumar, a national executive member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS), told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised to mark the
104th Haifa Victory Day at the Teen Murti Chowk here.
His
remarks came a day after Mr Bhagwat, taking forward his outreach to the Muslim
community, visited a mosque and a madrassa here and held discussions with Mr
Ilyasi, who termed him "rashtra pita".
The
Congress said the RSS chief's meeting with Mr Ilyasi was due to the
"impact" of its "Bharat Jodo Yatra" and requested Mr
Bhagwat to walk with party leader Rahul Gandhi in uniting the country
"with a tricolour in hand".
"There
has been no change in the Sangh's line. It remains the same as it was and will
remain so in the future. That is eternal. People have misunderstood it as they
have been misled. Efforts have been made to create a misunderstanding," Mr
Kumar said while replying to a reporter's question.
He
said Mr Bhagwat's meeting with Mr Ilyasi was part of the Sangh's initiative to
hold a dialogue with the minority communities, which began more than 20 years
ago under the leadership of the outfit's former chief, KS Sudershan.
"And
if anyone is trying to claim the credit for it now, I want to say that the
Congress must repent for launching attacks and hurling all the abuses at the
Sangh. Its misunderstanding of the Sangh will be cleared if it repents,"
Mr Kumar said, when asked about the opposition party's reaction to Mr Bhagwat's
meeting with Mr Ilyasi.
The
RSS "sarsanghchalak" went to a mosque in central Delhi's Kasturba
Gandhi Marg and followed it up with a visit to the Madarsa Tajweedul Quran in
north Delhi's Azadpur. This was Mr Bhagwat's first ever visit to a madrassa, an
RSS official accompanying him during the visits said.
During
his visit to the madrassa, Mr Bhagwat interacted with children and heard them
reciting the Quran. The children raised the slogans of "Vande
Mataram" and "Jai Hind", the Sangh functionary said.
He
said the RSS chief told the children about the need to know more about the
country and stressed that while the modes of worship could be different, all
religions must be respected.
"With
this visit of Bhagwat, a message should go out that all of us want to work
towards strengthening India. For all of us, the country comes first. Our DNA is
the same, it is just that our religion and methods of worshipping the god are
different," Mr Ilyasi said, echoing the RSS chief's words.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Marchers
denounce ‘rioters’ as state-organized pro-hijab protests kick off in Iran
23
September, 2022
State-organized
demonstrations to counter nationwide anti-government protests triggered by the
death of a woman in police custody kicked off in several Iranian cities on
Friday, with marchers calling for the execution of rioters.
Demonstrators
condemned the anti-government protesters as “Israel’s soldiers,” live state
television coverage showed. They also shouted “Death to America” and “Death to
Israel,” common slogans the country’s clerical rulers use to try and stir up
support for authorities.
“Offenders
of the Quran must be executed,” the crowds chanted.
Iranians
have staged mass demonstrations over the case of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died last
week after being arrested by the morality police for wearing “unsuitable
attire.”
Amini’s
death has reignited anger over issues including restrictions on personal
freedoms in Iran, strict dress codes for women and an economy reeling from
sanctions.
Iran’s
army on Friday sent the toughest warning yet from the authorities to protesters
enraged by the death, saying they would “confront the enemies” to ensure
security.
The
army said “these desperate actions are part of the evil strategy of the enemy
to weaken the Islamic regime.”
The
military said it would “confront the enemies’ various plots in order to ensure
security and peace for the people who are being unjustly assaulted.”
Intelligence
Minister Mahmoud Alavi also on Friday warned “seditionists” that their “dream
of defeating religious values and the great achievements of the revolution will
never be realized,” according to the AsrIran website.
Iran’s
clerical rulers fear a revival of the protests that erupted in 2019 over
gasoline price rises, the bloodiest in the Islamic Republic’s history. Reuters
reported 1,500 people were killed.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
At
least 50 killed in crackdown on Iran protests: NGO
23
September, 2022
At
least 50 people have been killed in a crackdown by the Iranian security forces
on protests that erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini who had been
arrested by the morality police, an NGO said on Friday.
The
Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO said the rise in the toll came after six
people were killed by fire from the security forces in the town of Rezvanshahr
in the northern Gilan province on Thursday night, with other deaths recorded in
Babol and Amol, also in northern Iran.
There
had been protests in some 80 cities and other urban centres since the
demonstrations started one week ago, it added.
Rights
groups have also pointed to deaths in the northern Kurdistan region where Amini
was from.
“At
least 50 people have been killed so far, and people continue protesting for
their fundamental rights and dignity,” IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
told AFP.
“The
international community must stand by the Iranian people against one of our
time's most repressive regimes,” he added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
no longer ‘partner’ for peace, Palestinian president tells UN
23
September, 2022
Israel
is deliberately impeding progress toward a two-state solution and can no longer
be considered a reliable partner in the peace process, Palestinian leader
Mahmud Abbas told the United Nations on Friday.
Repeating
grievances against Israel’s government and security forces, Abbas said the
Jewish state has acted with “total impunity” against people in the Gaza Strip
and the West Bank and that Palestinians' trust in the prospects for peace is
“regressing.”
Israel
“is, through its premeditated and deliberate policies, destroying the two-state
solution,” the Palestinian Authority president said in a speech to the UN
General Assembly.
“This
proves unequivocally that Israel does not believe in peace,” he added.
“Therefore,
we no longer have an Israeli partner to whom we can talk.”
Abbas,
87, said Israel has been engaged in a campaign of land confiscation in the
occupied territories and was giving the military “total freedom” to kill or
otherwise use excessive force against Palestinians.
“This
is the truth: they are an apartheid regime,” he said.
In
demanding the international community hold Israel accountable “for the
massacres they have committed,” Abbas accused members of the United Nations of
“protecting Israel” from such accountability.
He
reiterated the Palestinians’ position that the case of Israel be brought before
the International Criminal Court so that it is forced to “shoulder its legal,
political, moral and financial responsibilities.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Protests
storm security HQ in Iran amid unrest over Mahsa Amini’s death: Sources
24
September, 2022
Protests
have expanded in Iran as unrest triggered by the killing of Mahsa Amini by the
morality police intensified, with reports of protesters storming the Basij
Resistance Forces headquarters in the city of Qom and setting the building
ablaze.
Al
Arabiya reported on Friday that protesters have called on residents in Iran to
take to the streets as videos of security forces shooting at protesters in
several areas surfaced.
Al
Arabiya said, quoting local media reports, that the Kurdish-majority city of
Ashnawiya had also fallen to protesters.
Earlier,
a Norway-based NGO confirmed on Friday that least 50 people have been killed a
crackdown by the Iranian security forces on protests that erupted following the
death of Amini, 22, who died last week after her arrest by the Islamic
Republic’s feared morality police for allegedly wearing a hijab headscarf in an
“improper” way.
The
Oslo-based Human Rights Iran said the high toll came after six people were
killed by security forces fire in the town of Rezvanshahr in the northern
province of Gilan on Thursday evening, with other deaths recorded in Babylon
and Amal (north).
There
had been protests in some 80 cities and other urban centers since the
demonstrations started one week ago, it added.
Rights
groups have also pointed to deaths in the northern Kurdistan region where Amini
was from.
“At
least 50 people have been killed so far, and people continue protesting for
their fundamental rights and dignity,” IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
told AFP.
“The
international community must stand by the Iranian people against one of our
time's most repressive regimes,” he added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
2
top PKK/KCK terrorists nabbed, brought back to Türkiye
Baris
Gundogan
23.09.2022
ANKARA
Two
PKK/KCK terrorists have been apprehended and brought back to Türkiye by Turkish
intelligence forces, a security source said on Friday.
Atilla
Cicek, codenamed Lehenk, and Huseyin Yildirim, codenamed Aliser, were captured
by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in operations near the
border, said the source, requesting anonymity due to restrictions on speaking
to the media.
Cicek
was in the highest category of the Interior Ministry’s list of wanted
terrorists.
He
carried out deadly terror attacks on Turkish soil, including one in 2012 that killed
seven people, including six soldiers, in the eastern Tunceli province.
Another
more recent attack was in 2020 in Dogubayazit, a district in the eastern Agri
province, that killed two soldiers, said the source.
As
for Aliser, the source said he was involved in terrorist activities in Iraq and
Syria.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/2-top-pkk-kck-terrorists-nabbed-brought-back-to-turkiye/2692879
--------
North
America
Dozens
of US Republican lawmakers push to stop Biden from return to Iran nuclear deal
23
September 2022
Nearly
50 Republicans in the US Congress have renewed an effort to stop President Joe
Biden’s administration from return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and removal of
sanctions against Tehran.
Senator
Joni Ernst and Congressman Mike Waltz, along with 25 Senate Republican and 20
House Republican co-sponsors, on Wednesday introduced an act, which would
prevent the withdrawal of US sanctions on Iran until Secretary of State Antony
Blinken certifies to Congress that Iran had not supported any attempts to
target US citizens or Iranians living in the country for at least five years.
Ernst
said in a statement that “President Biden should not provide a dime of
sanctions relief” to Iran, alleging that the Biden administration continues to
cozy up to the Islamic Republic in hopes of a nuclear deal.
The
new bill is the latest congressional effort to prevent a return to the nuclear
deal.
Earlier
this month, a bipartisan group of 50 House lawmakers sent a letter to Biden,
expressing opposition to Washington’s return to the Iran nuclear deal,
officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The
lawmakers, 34 Democrats and 16 Republicans, referred to several points they
believed should sway Washington against the agreement, and urging the Biden
administration to provide Congress with the full text of any potential deal.
“We
urge you not to return to any deal with Iran prior to releasing the full text
of the agreement and any side agreements to Congress, to provide us with an
in-depth briefing on the matter, and to consult with all key stakeholders,” the
letter, led by Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer, read.
The
United States, under former president Donald Trump, abandoned the Iran deal in
May 2018 and reinstated unilateral sanctions that the agreement had lifted.
The
talks to salvage the agreement kicked off in the Austrian capital city of
Vienna in April last year, months after Biden succeeded Trump, with the
intention of examining Washington’s seriousness in rejoining the deal and
removing anti-Iran sanctions.
Despite
notable progress, the US indecisiveness and procrastination caused multiple
interruptions in the marathon talks.
Iran
FM: Agreement on JCPOA revival possible if US exhibits necessary willpower
Meanwhile,
Iran's foreign minister says an agreement to revive the JCPOA is still
available in case the United States shows the necessary willpower.
Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with his Norwegian counterpart
Anniken Huitfeldt on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly
in New York on Thursday evening.
Amir-Abdollahian
highlighted that a final agreement in the Vienna talks on the removal of
sanctions and revival of the JCPOA is still within reach if there was the
necessary will from Washington.
“The
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should act on the basis of its
technical duties and responsibilities, and distance itself from political
approaches and double standards regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear program,” the
top Iranian diplomat said.
Amir-Abdollahian
also voiced Tehran’s readiness to deepen and expand cooperation with Oslo,
stressing the need for the utilization of diverse capacities that exist between
the two countries.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
No
positive developments on JCPOA but US still committed to deal: State Dept
23
September, 2022
A
senior State Department official on Friday lamented the lack of progress on a
return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal but stressed that the Biden administration
remains determined to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“This
administration remains categorically committed to mutual return to full
implementation of the JCPOA,” the official told reporters on a phone call. “We
assess that to be strongly in the US national interests, and we’ll continue to
work with our allies and partners to try to conclude and to begin that
reimplementation.”
Prior
to this week’s UN General Assembly, US officials played down the prospects of
any breakthroughs in talks as senior officials from Washington and Tehran would
both be in New York. There was still a glimmer of hope for some officials who
continue to strike an optimistic tone about the ability to reach a deal.
“We
didn’t hear anything particularly positive in New York this week,” said the
official who was speaking on condition of anonymity.
The
official pointed to Iran’s demand that the UN nuclear watchdog closes its probe
into undisclosed nuclear activities inside the Islamic Republic. “Our bottom
line here is very clear: the IAEA has asked some questions that Iran needs to
answer… That is the absolute heart of the IAEA mandate… and we are 100 percent
supportive of their independent efforts to execute that mandate,” the official
said.
Biden
administration officials have defended efforts to reach an agreement with Iran,
saying that problems in the Middle East would not become easier to solve
without a nuclear deal with Tehran.
But
as indirect talks have gone on for over 16 months, critics and many Democratic
lawmakers have called on the US president to walk away from the table.
On
multiple occasions, it appeared that a deal was within reach. However,
according to Washington, Iran repeatedly threw in last-minute demands and reneged
on previous promises.
And
in a bid to ramp up pressure on Iran, the Biden administration levied sanctions
against various Iranian sectors, including its drone program and other security
apparatuses.
This
week, the US sanctioned Iran’s so-called morality police after a 22-year-old
Kurdish-Iranian woman died in custody after being detained for “improper
hijab.”
This
sparked nationwide anti-government protests and led the Iranian government to
restrict or cut off internet access for many Iranians.
On
Friday, the US Treasury Department issued general licenses to expand the range
of internet services available to Iranians after Ebrahim Raisi’s government
cracked down.
The
State Department official said the Biden administration would continue to use
all of the tools it has to address concerns about Iran “whether we’re
negotiating to return to the JCPOA, in the JCPOA, or not.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
Takes Steps To Expand Internet Access To Iranians After Government Crackdown
23
September, 2022
The
Treasury Department issued licenses on Friday to expand the range of internet
services available to Iranians after Ebrahim Raisi’s government cut off access
for most of Iran.
The
Iranian regime’s crackdown on freedom of expression has come in the wake of
nationwide anti-government protests after the killing of Mahsa Amini. Amini, a
22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, fell into a coma shortly after being arrested
by Iran’s morality police last week for “improper hijab.” She died on Friday,
prompting protests on social media and on the streets.
Internet
monitoring outlets and foreign diplomats inside of Tehran have said that
internet access has been restricted or blocked in many parts of the country.
“As
courageous Iranians take to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa Amini,
the United States is redoubling its support for the free flow of information to
the Iranian people,” Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said.
He
said the US was helping Iranians be better equipped to counter the government’s
efforts to censor them. “In the coming weeks, OFAC [Office of Foreign Assets
Control] will continue issuing guidance to support the Administration’s commitment
to promoting the free flow of information, which the Iranian regime has
consistently denied to its people,” Adeyemo added.
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken said the licenses would allow technology firms to
provide more digital services to people in Iran, such as cloud computing
services, to improve their online security and privacy. “It is clear that the
Iranian government is afraid of its own people,” Blinken said.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South
Asia
Prominent
Afghan Political Figure Leaves Council of Resistance Against Taliban
By
Saqalain Eqbal
24
Sep 2022
Mohammad
Younus Qanooni, a former Afghan vice-president, and a former chairman of the
lower house of the parliament of Afghanistan announced his resignation from the
Supreme Council of National Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan
(SCNRSA), in a statement.
According
to the announcement made on September 22, Qanooni resigned from his membership
because of major disagreements among the council’s members.
“Since
I was unable to come to an agreement to resolve my recent serious disagreements
with the methods and policies of senior council’s members in the areas of
preserving and consolidating national unity, ensuring peace and security, and
strengthening regional and international relations, I felt it was necessary to
resign from the council,” Qanooni said in the statement.
Members
of anti-Taliban SCNRSA include well-known political figures such as Abdul
Rasool Sayyaf, Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, Mohammad Mohaqeq, Almas Zahid, Mir
Rahman Rahmani, Mohammad Alam Izedyar, Hazrat Ali, Mohammad Younus Qanooni,
Karim Khalili, Salahuddin Rabban, Mohammad Ismail Khan, Atta Mohammad Noor, most
of whom held key positions in the government and parliament of Afghanistan.
The
council’s mission is to restore sovereignty to the people by establishing a
government and system based on collective will, and by holding free and fair
elections.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Blast
Near Kabul Mosque Sparks Intl, Domestic Reactions
September
24, 2022
The
blast in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul city has faced strong reactions
internationally as well as domestically.
On
Friday afternoon a blast occurred nearby the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque, killing
nine people and wounding 41 others, including children.
A
spokesman for the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Abdul Nafay Takor, said that the
blast was due to a car bombing.
The
Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid on Twitter condemned the blast
and said attacking mosques and targeting worshippers is a "major and
unforgivable crime."
Former
President Hamid Karzai also "strongly" condemned the blast and called
it a "terrorist act" that was against both Islamic and human
principles.
The
US embassy for Afghanistan on Twitter said that Washington "strongly
condemns today’s vicious attack on worshipers outside the Wazir Akber Khan
mosque in Kabul."
"Such
an attack against people professing their faith is unjustifiable," the
embassy said on Twitter. "We offer condolences to the families of the
victims and hope those injured recover swiftly."
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-179979
--------
Blast
near Kabul mosque after Friday prayers kills at least seven people
September
23, 2022
KABUL,
Sept 23 (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed and more than 40 injured
on Friday by a blast near a mosque in the Afghan capital which struck as
worshippers were streaming out of afternoon prayers, police said.
The
explosion was the latest in a deadly series targeting Friday prayers at mosques
in recent months, some of them claimed by the militant group Islamic State.
"After
prayers, when people wanted to come out from the mosque, a blast
happened," said Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran. "All casualties
are civilians."
He
later confirmed the death toll was seven, including children, and said 41
people had been injured.
Italian-NGO
run Emergency Hospital said it had received 14 people hurt by the explosion, of
whom four were dead on arrival.
"Feeling
appalled by today's Kabul blast and learning about ... (casualties) this
detonation has caused," Raffaella Iodice, the deputy head of the European
Union's Delegation to Afghanistan said in a tweet.
The
explosion took place in Wazir Akbar Khan, an area formerly home to the city's
"green zone" - the location of many foreign embassies and NATO - but
now controlled by the ruling Taliban.
Source:
Reuters
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/explosion-takes-place-afghan-capital-official-2022-09-23/
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Sheikh
Hasina on Rohingya crisis: Affects Bangladesh's stability, security
Sep
24, 2022
Bangladesh's
prime minister said Monday that the prolonged stay of more than 1 million
Rohingya refugees in crowded camps in the country has become a serious security
and stability concern.
“Apart
from their own miseries, their prolonged presence is causing a serious impact
on the economy, environment, security and sociopolitical stability of
Bangladesh,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said at the opening ceremony of a
three-day meeting of military officials from 24 countries in the Indo-Pacific
region.
The
United States is the co-host of the gathering, called the Indo-Pacific Armies
Management Seminar, along with the Bangladesh army.
While
the militaries of the participating countries are discussing disaster
management, transnational crime, security issues and women's empowerment,
Bangladesh is using the platform to highlight the issue of Rohingya refugees
who have fled from violence in Myanmar.
Participants
in the meeting, including the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, India,
China and Vietnam, will visit the sprawling Rohingya refugee camps to see their
plight firsthand, said Gen S M Shafiuddin Ahmed, chief of Bangladesh army.
Ahmed
said the military leaders are being taken to the camps in Cox's Bazar district
to give them “a clear perception” of the gravity of the refugee crisis and why
their repatriation to Myanmar is necessary.
Last
month, the refugees marked the fifth anniversary of a mass exodus of more than
700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh who were fleeing a harsh crackdown by
Myanmar's military. In total, Bangladesh is hosting more than 1 million
Rohingya refugees.
Hasina
has said that repatriation is the only solution to the crisis, but that
Bangladesh would not force them to go back to Myanmar.
Bangladeshi
officials have expressed frustration after at least two attempts to repatriate
the refugees failed under a bilateral agreement brokered by China. The Muslim
Rohingya have said that conditions remain too dangerous in Buddhist-majority
Myanmar, where they face extensive discrimination.
Charles
A Flynn, commanding general of the US Army Pacific, told reporters that he
could not reply to policy questions such as how militaries can help repatriate
the Rohingya to Myanmar, but thanked Bangladesh for arranging the trip for the
delegation to the refugee camps.
“What
I will say is this. I am thankful that the chief of the Bangladesh army has
found a way in the programme to bring us to Cox's Bazar and to see the
magnitude of the humanitarian assistance that Bangladesh has provided for five
years to that situation,” he said.
The
Rohingya crisis has gone to international courts, where Myanmar has denied any
wrongdoing.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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Pakistan
Imran
Khan asks Pakistanis to 'wage jihad' and support his ‘Haqiqi Azadi’ movement
September
23, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday urged the nation to
wage jihad for the sake of bringing about ‘Haqiqi Azadi’ (true freedom).
During
his address at a convention organised by the women's wing of the Insaf Student
Federation (ISF) in Islamabad, the PTI chief said that 80 per cent of women in
rural Sindh are deprived of their rights.
While
criticising the situation in Sindh, Khan said: “Slavery in Sindh is worst. [We]
will have to wage jihad for ‘Haqiqi Azadi’ (true freedom) and for the sake of
future generations.”
The
former PM slammed the ruling coalition leadership and said that even caliphs
appeared before courts in Raisat-e-Madina.
“In
all poor countries, people like Nawaz Sharif and [Asif] Zardari take money
abroad,” he said, questioning how the country would progress if thieves begin
to rule.
Khan
further remarked that thieves had taken over our country and that their crimes
are being forgiven every day.
“If
this has to be done, then others should also be released from jails,” the PTI
chairman demanded.
Source:
The News Pakistan
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pak
Taliban employs extortion tactics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as control
grows
24
September, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], September 24 (ANI): Amid a stalled peace deal between Islamabad and
Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the return of members of the outlawed group in
northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has raised alarm bells.
Entrepreneurs
and other businesses hoping to recover from years of Taliban violence and a
government military operation in past years have been left dejected with the
resurgence of the TTP that is employing extortion tactics, Gandhara news
reported.
One
such businessman is Jamshid Khan (named changed) who invested millions in his
native Khyber, hoping that his factories and other facilities in the provincial
capital, Peshawar, would create steady jobs for his people and bring him
handsome profits. But the return of TTP has dashed his hope.
“Ignore
this at your peril,” Khan was quoted as saying by Gandhara. This was a key
message in the threatening WhatsApp texts he received last month. Khan was
threatened to pay more than USD 100,000 in extortion money or prepare to be
attacked.
TTP,
popularly known as the Pakistani Taliban, recently set alarm bells ringing in
Islamabad after the outlawed group reappeared in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat
valley.
Taliban
militants reportedly had occupied hilltops of Swat district’s Matta subdivision
a few months ago which created panic in a number of neighbouring districts, The
News International reported.
The
Taliban’s unexpected appearance led to anger among the people and caused damage
to tourism as the day Taliban were reported to have arrived in the valley, the
report added.
Initially,
both the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Shehbaz Sharif governments kept quiet on the
issue. After the issue came to the limelight, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja
Asif said that they were in touch with the Afghan government about the
Taliban’s appearance in Swat.
For
several months, the Shehbaz Sharif government has failed to come up with a plan
to deal with the potential resurgence of the outlawed TTP.
Pakistan
began negotiating with the TTP out of compulsion, The Express Tribune newspaper
reported. The report added that they entered into talks with the TTP as the
Afghan Taliban were reluctant to take any military action against the outfit.
Recently,
the ongoing peace talks between the TTP and Pakistan government reached a
stalemate after the outlawed group refused to give up its demand for the
reversal of the merger of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)
with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Despite
a series of meetings between the two sides in recent weeks to break the
impasse, there has also been a stalemate over the issue of TTP laying down
their arms in case of a peace deal, The Express Tribune reported.
Since
the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Pakistan has increasingly complained
of attacks across the border from Afghanistan, an issue that has become a
source of diplomatic tension.
Source:
The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan
PM Shehbaz Sharif raises Kashmir at UNGA
Sep
24, 2022
Pakistan
is looking for peace with all its neighbours, including India, but sustainable
peace and stability in South Asia are contingent on a solution to the Kashmir
dispute, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday.
Addressing
the UN General Assembly, Shehbaz claimed that India's "illegal and unilateral"
actions on August 5, 2019 to change the special status of Jammu and Kashmir
further undermined the prospects of peace and inflamed regional tensions.
"I think it's high time India understood this message loud and clear that
both countries are armed to the teeth. War is not an option. Only peaceful
dialogue can resolve these issues..." he said.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan
school expels 4 Ahmadi students for ‘their faith’
September
24, 2022
Four
students belonging to the Ahmadi community were expelled from a school for
“their faith” in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Friday, the latest incident of
discrimination against members of the minority community.
Pakistan’s
Parliament in 1974 declared the Ahmadi community as non-Muslims. A decade
later, they were banned from calling themselves Muslims. They are banned from
preaching and from travelling to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.
“Four
students Huzaifa Nasir, Aneela Aqib, Abeer Ahmad Saifi and Nimra Qureshi of
Grade III, VI, IX and X respectively have been expelled by the administration
of the school (Educators) for their faith in Attock city (some 400 km from
Lahore),” Jamaat-e-Ahmadiya Punjab spokesperson Amir Mahmood told PTI.
He
said such incidents had taken place in the country in the past and it was
unfortunate that the school in question told the parents of the children that
“they have been expelled because of their faith”.
Mahmood
said this was a “dangerous trend” set by the educational institutions. “Such a
trend will hamper the studies of Ahmadi students in Pakistan,” he said.
In
the relieving letter, principal of the school Kulsoom Awan said: “The above
students are being withdrawn from the school on the basis of Qadianiat (Ahmadi)
religion.” The school administration said the expelled students were,
otherwise, performing well in their studies.
According
to an official, the school administration has taken the step on the complaints
of some parents who said: “their children will not study in the class where
Ahmadi students are present.” Minorities, especially Ahmadis, are very
vulnerable in Pakistan and they are often targeted by religious extremists.
A
62-year-old man from the Ahmadi community was stabbed to death by a “religious
fanatic” for refusing to praise a controversial cleric in Pakistan’s Punjab
province last month.
Abdul
Salam, a member of the Ahmadi community, was brutally stabbed to death
apparently for his faith in May this year.
Former
military dictator Gen Zia-ul Haq had made it a punishable offence for
Ahmadiyyas to call themselves Muslims or to refer to their faith as Islam.
In
Pakistan, around 10 million out of the 220 million population are non-Muslims.
According to the 2017 census, Hindus constitute the largest religious minority
(5 million) in Pakistan.
Source:
India Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan
emerges as ‘global leader’ in enforced disappearances
23
September, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], September 23 (ANI): Pakistan has emerged as a global leader in
cases of enforced disappearances as hundreds simply ‘disappear’ in the country
every month as over 8,000 people have gone missing in the country since 2001,
according to a report by Islam Khabar.
This
comes after the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the non-government
watchdog, expressed concern over citizens’ faulty disappearances. Over 6,500
Baloch and 5,000 Pashtuns remain on the ‘missing’ list and their whereabouts
remain unknown.
Meanwhile,
Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has admitted to people going
‘missing’ but has refrained from taking names at all times.
Earlier
on Tuesday, Sanaullah admitted “limits to govt writ” in missing persons’ cases
and said that the state is responsible for recovering citizens who disappeared
by force and termed the issue “more painful than death.”
“There’s
no denying and we all know how much writ successive governments have had and it
still has in this regard,” he said talking to reporters after meeting coalition
partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) at the party’s temporary
headquarters in Bahadurabad, apparently conceding the fact that government had
limited writ in this regard, reported Dawn.
He
said disappearing people by force had tarnished the country’s image the world
over and attracted serious questions from global organisations on Pakistan and
its affairs.
As
per the report by Islam Khabar, the Islamabad High Court in January 2021 ruled
in a 2015 disappearance case that the prime minister took entire responsibility
as the state failed terribly in protecting its citizens.
Moreover,
in October 2017, the apex court of Pakistan ordered the interior ministry to
provide a detailed account of everyone being held however the cases of disappearances
only skyrocketed, the report added.
People
being forcibly disappeared is a severe and longstanding issue in Pakistan.
Hundreds
of thousands of people from all spheres of life started to disappear. In March
2011, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIOED) was formed
to work on the issue.
According
to recent figures released by COIOED in July 2022, 8,696 missing person cases
have been reported. While 6,513 of these cases have been solved, 2,219 are
still pending, as per DW news.
Despite
efforts by civil society, there is no end to the issue of enforced
disappearances in Pakistan, as the state continues to use it with impunity.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-emerges-as-global-leader-in-enforced-disappearances/1140658/
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Hindu
Girl, 13, Allegedly Kidnapped In Pakistan's Sindh: Report
September
24, 2022
Islamabad:
A 13-year-old girl belonging to the Hindu community in Pakistan's Sindh
province has reportedly been abducted last week while she was returning from
the market.
According
to reports, the victim's family alleges that the police have refused to file an
FIR in the case.
Earlier,
another Hindu married woman was also abducted and forcibly converted to Islam
and is being allegedly held captive by one Muslim family in the province.
Pakistan's
dilemma of forced conversions and marriages put minority women at risk and the
issue of securing rights for minority women has become particularly complex in
the country.
As
Pakistan moves in an increasingly conservative Islamist direction, the
situation for Hindus, Christians and other religious minorities, especially
that of women, is worsening, reported International Forum for Right and
Security (IFFRAS).
The
situation faced by the Hindu and Christian groups in Pakistan is bad in
general, but women from these communities are the worst victims of
discriminatory attitudes of the authorities, political groups, religious
parties, the feudal structure and the Muslim majority.
Religious
minority women and girls are abducted, forcibly converted, forcibly married and
abused, and their families are unsuccessful in their attempts to challenge
these crimes using legal avenues, reported IFFRAS.
While
the abductions, forced conversions, forced marriages and abuse are perpetrated
by individuals, the fate of religious minority women and girls is often sealed
as the existing laws or handling of such cases deem any legal recourse
unavailable or ineffective.
Human
rights groups have documented the plight of Pakistan's religious minorities for
years, but it is only recently that these minorities have become the focus of
popular discourse because of revelations on social media regarding their
treatment, reported IFFRAS.
On
the evening of August 20 in the Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
of Pakistan, Dina Kaur, a teacher belonging to the Sikh community, was forcibly
abducted and converted to Islam. Despite massive protests by the Sikh community
in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province over the incident, local police have failed
to initiate any investigation into the abduction and forcible conversion of
Dina Kaur.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/hindu-girl-13-allegedly-kidnapped-in-pakistans-sindh-report-3373321
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Pakistan
seeks climate justice, not damages, says Bilawal
Anwar
Iqbal
September
24, 2022
NEW
YORK: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Friday Pakistan was
looking for realistic justice for the climate-induced disasters it is facing,
not reparations.
“We
are not actively seeking climate reparations,” he told journalists at a news
conference at UN headquarters in New York. “No one has thus far been successful
in getting reparations. It’s a tall ask. We are seeking realistic climate
justice.”
The
foreign minister also referred to the UN secretary general’s recent suggestion
of a climate-swap, countries trading their debt for climate-friendly policies.
As
a UNDP report circulated by the media on Friday suggested that cash-strapped
Pakistan needs to restructure its debt to avoid a default, Mr Bhutto-Zardari
explained that Pakistan was not seeking restructuring of its debts as it could
cause some to speculate that the country was going to default. “Let me make it
clear. We’re nowhere near a default,” he said.
Says
Imran removed from office through democratic process
Explaining
the fine difference between reparations and justice, his own address to the
77th UNGA focused on underlining the sufferings of his nation.
The
foreign minister, while addressing a gathering of US scholars and experts at
the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on Thursday, also sought world’s support
for flood victims in Pakistan. “The scale and magnitude of flood losses in
Pakistan is huge and the international community’s support is vital to
complement rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts,” he said. “More than
financial assistance, Pakistan needs climate justice and a green plan to rebuild
its infrastructure and economy.”
Responding
to a question about the removal of the PTI government, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said:
“For the first time in our history, a prime minister was not hanged or removed
from office and sent in exile, [rather] he was removed through the democratic,
constitutional process of a vote of no confidence.”
The
PDM government, he said, has created a balance, setting up a democratic and
peaceful system in the country. “But unfortunately the powers, which have never
wanted democracy in Pakistan and never wanted this transition to take succeed,
are consistently trying to undermine and reverse this progress,” he said.
He
said Mr Khan wanted to bring the army, intelligence agencies and the judiciary
under his personal control.
About
the recent floods, he said Pakistan was the eighth most vulnerable country to
climate change, with initial estimates pointed to losses in excess of $30
billion. He also highlighted the government’s measures in dealing with this
calamity, despite challenges.
Appreciating
the solidarity and support extended by the US for the flood survivors, the
minister reiterated the importance Pakistan attached to its longstanding ties
with the US and its commitment to reinforce this bilateral relationship. He
also said Pakistan would continue to work with the international community to
achieve peace, development, and stability in Afghanistan.
While
reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to peace, he said rampant discrimination and
persecution of Muslims in India, driven by the violent extremist ideology of
Hindutva, was a matter of great concern.
He
said in the occupied Kashmir, India was making demographic changes and
disenfranchising the Muslims by redrawing the electoral constituencies.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1711638/pakistan-seeks-climate-justice-not-damages-says-bilawal
--------
Two
‘IS militants’ killed in Khuzdar
Saleem
Shahid
September
24, 2022
QUETTA:
The provincial counterterrorism department (CTD) said two “most wanted
terrorists” of the militant Islamic State (IS) group were killed after both
sides exchanged fire during an intelligence-based operation in the Sorgaz area
of Khuzdar district.
The
department found a large quantity of arms and ammunition during the operation,
a spokesperson for the CTD Balochistan said in a statement on Friday.
On
being alerted that militants were present in the mountainous area of Sorgaz,
the CTD dispatched a team to the site and intercepted the armed men travelling
on motorbikes. They were trying to enter Balochistan from Shahdadkot town of
Sindh to target a sensitive installation in Khuzdar, the department said.
As
they saw security officials, the suspected terrorists opened fire using heavy
weapons and also hurled hand grenades.
The
CTD team also took positions and returned fire.
“Two
most wanted terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire,” the CTD
spokesperson said, adding that three other militants managed to escape under
the cover of darkness.
One
of the militants killed in the operation was identified as Matiullah alias
Bismillah, who carried head money of Rs1 million and his name was placed in the
Red Book.
Both
militants belonged to the banned IS outfit, the official said. The other
militant couldn’t be identified.
The
arms and ammunition recovered from the terrorists included a sub-machine gun
with 34 rounds, a 9mm pistol with 12 rounds, 5kg explosives, five-metre
detonating cord, a remote-controlled device and a motorcycle.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1711649/two-is-militants-killed-in-khuzdar
--------
Pakistan
FM Zardari: Islamic Emirate Should Fulfill Promises
September
24, 2022
Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari, Pakistani foreign minister, expressed regret over the Islamic Emirate’s
decision to deny Afghan girls access to secondary schools.
Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari in a recent interview with FRANCE 24, said that the Islamic
Emirate has not fulfilled their promises to the international community, and
this had precluded recognition of their government.
“It
would help the government of Afghanistan gain legitimacy and perhaps a path to
recognition if they were to live up to those expectations, one of which is
female education. Now, our Afghan neighbors do say that as far as primary
education is concerned they allow girls to go to primary schools...what we are
waiting for is secondary education,” said Zardari.
In
reaction to Zardari’s speeches, the Islamic Emirate said it has fulfilled all
the conditions needed for official recognition.
“We
have fulfilled all the conditions that are required, so these speeches are not
true, where someone says we have not met the conditions,” said Zabihullah
Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.
Meanwhile,
political analysts believe some parts of the Doha agreement have been violated
by the Islamic Emirate and the United States of America.
“Details
of the agreement are violated by both sides, not one side, but there are some
internal issues that the Taliban are seeking to address,” said Aziz Maarij, a
former diplomat.
“The
Islamic Emirate faces many problems, in the meantime, the world is making
excuses,” said Ahmad Khan Andar, political analyst.
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-179983
--------
Arab
World
Statement
from Israel PM on two-state solution positive: Saudi FM
23
September, 2022
Saudi
Arabia’s foreign minister told Al Arabiya TV on Friday that Israeli Prime
Minister Yair Lapid’s statement on the two-state solution with Palestinians was
“positive” if it was translated into actions.
Peace
needed direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Prince Faisal
bin Farhan Al Saud added.
Lapid
called on Thursday for a two-state solution to decades of Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
His
mention of a two-state solution, the first by an Israeli leader in years at the
United Nations General Assembly, echoed US President Joe Biden's support in
Israel in August for the long-dormant proposal.
“An
agreement with the Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples, is the
right thing for Israel's security, for Israel's economy and for the future of
our children,” Lapid said on Thursday.
He
added any agreement would be conditioned on a peaceful Palestinian state that
would not threaten Israel.
Lapid
spoke less than six weeks before a November 1 election that could return to
power the right-wing former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longstanding
opponent of the two-state solution.
Israel
captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza - areas that Palestinians seek
for an independent state - in a 1967 Middle East war. US-sponsored
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.
Palestinians
and rights groups say Israel has entrenched its control of the occupied
Palestinian territories through its military rule over millions of Palestinians
and persistent settlement construction.
Wasel
Abu Youssef, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told
Reuters that Lapid's words “mean nothing.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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‘No
one wants to be drawn into blocs,’ Saudi FM tells New York MENA Forum
September
24, 2022
NEW
YORK: At a time of heightened global polarization, Saudi Foreign Minister
Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Friday called for more cooperation, saying: “No one
wants to be drawn into blocs.”
His
comments were made at New York’s MENA Forum, hosted by the Middle East
Institute and Think Research and Advisory, on the sidelines of the 77th UN
General Assembly.
“We
need to discuss how we can strengthen our cooperation, how we can work closer
together, how we can build an alignment that can insulate against this polarization,
because none of us want to be drawn into blocs or into making choices,” he
said.
“We
want to talk about investment. We want to talk about innovation. We want to
talk about progress. And we hope that our international partners will focus on
that as well,” he added.
“We
(Saudi Arabia) have made a decision to focus on a path of sustainable
development and prosperity for our people, and we don’t want that to be
derailed by politics.”
The
Kingdom recently brokered a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine that saw
almost 300 people, including 10 foreigners, returning to their homelands.
The
Saudi Foreign Ministry said the move was based on the support of Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, and in continuation of his efforts to adopt humanitarian
initiatives toward the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
When
asked about the Saudi stand on Lebanon, the foreign minister said: “The Kingdom
still cares about Lebanon, but the people of Lebanon have to decide what path
they want to embark on, as clearly the current path isn’t working.”
Another
key issue he touched on was food security in the region. “Food security is very
much part of the conversation today,” he said. “Coming from a water-poor
country, we’ve been dealing with these issues for many years.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2168581/middle-east
--------
Saudi
FM: Yemen truce ‘must be extended’ but signs not positive
September
24, 2022
RIYADH:
The truce in Yemen must be extended, but the actions of the Houthi militia seem
to indicate they do not want to lengthen the ceasefire beyond its expiry, the
Saudi foreign minister said on Friday.
“We
think it must be extended. However, the signs are not positive at this point,”
said Prince Faisal bin Farhan. “Unfortunately, the indications we are seeing
from the Houthis are that they do not intend to cooperate in an extension.”
He
said the Iran-backed militia had failed to fulfil the commitments of the
current agreement, and have now put forward demands that are unreasonable.
“I
am very concerned by these developments because we will lose the momentum,” he
added. “We are fully engaged with the UN representative and with others who are
trying to convince the Houthis to extend the truce. Right now, the indications
are worrying.”
A
truce between the Houthis and the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen was
brokered by the UN in April and is set to end on Oct. 2.
The
truce has brought a semblance of normality for Yemenis, and has enabled the
government to begin providing more services to the public.
Addressing
the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, chairman of
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said diplomacy has been wasted on the
Houthis, who have repeatedly disregarded their treaty commitments.
Prince
Faisal said the truce had created the possibility for wider peace in Yemen. “We
have an opportunity here to build on a truce to work towards a permanent
ceasefire, towards political dialogue. It is hard for me to understand why the
Houthis would turn this down,” he said, adding that the militia’s proposals
indicate “that they are looking for an excuse.”
The
build-up of armaments as well as probing attacks on the frontlines by Houthi
fighters indicate that they are seriously considering not renewing the truce,
he told France 24 in New York.
When
asked if war was back on the horizon in Yemen, he said: “Unfortunately, this
seems to be what the Houthis want.”
The
foreign minister reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to finding a political
solution to the conflict in Yemen, but said his country will do what is needed
to defend its people if the Houthis return to hostilities.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2168506/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi
prince’s mediation signals ‘useful’ ties with Russia
September
24, 2022
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia has won a diplomatic victory by securing freedom for foreign
fighters captured in Ukraine, signalling the value of Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman’s alliance with Russia to Western partners seeking to isolate Moscow
over the war there, analysts say.
Prince
Mohammed may also find that the initiative — intentionally or otherwise — helps
take him a step nearer international rehabilitation after the 2018 murder of
Jamal Khashoggi damaged his reputation, they say.
With
the prince’s mediation, Russia on Wednesday released 10 foreigners it had
captured in Ukraine, including five Britons and two Americans.
The
move, apparently made possible by Prince Mohammed’s carefully nurtured ties
with Russian President Vladimir Putin, coincided with a prisoner exchange
involving 215 Ukrainians and 55 Russians and pro-Moscow Ukrainians that Turkiye
helped broker.
Kristian
Ulrichsen, a political scientist at Rice University’s Baker Institute in the
United States, said the working relationship between Saudi Arabia and Russia
appears to have been a crucial element in the choice of intermediary.
“By
sanctioning this mediation and delivering results, Mohammed bin Salman is able
to present himself as capable of playing the role of regional statesman in a
way that counters the narrative of the crown prince as an impulsive and
disruptive actor,” Ulrichsen said.
In
remarks to the BBC, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the
motivation behind Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the prisoner release was
humanitarian. He denied the Crown Prince had become involved to rehabilitate
his reputation.
“That
didn’t factor into it. I think that’s a very cynical view,” he said. He added
that on the conflict itself, his country wanted to see a negotiated solution
and Riyadh was committed to trying to help secure that outcome.
Prince
Faisal said the crown prince had engaged with President Putin to work out a
prisoner deal since April, when he “understood” the issue of the five British
citizens following a visit to by then British prime minister Boris Johnson.
“His
Royal Highness was able to convince President Putin that this is a humanitarian
gesture that is worthwhile, and this is how we achieved this result,” Prince
Faisal told Fox News.
The
freed prisoners, who included a Croatian, a Moroccan, and a Swedish national,
were flown to Riyadh on a Saudi plane where officials lined up to greet them.
US
citizens Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, both from Alabama, are
expected to leave Saudi Arabia within days, officials said. The importance of
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, to both Washington and Moscow
has grown at a time when Russia’s war in Ukraine is roiling global energy
markets.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1711712/saudi-princes-mediation-signals-useful-ties-with-russia
--------
Saudi
Crown Prince meets with senior US officials in Jeddah: SPA
24
September, 2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with senior US diplomats on
Friday to discuss energy security, regional developments, and Riyadh’s
mediation efforts that secured the release of American prisoners of war from
Russia, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
White
House coordinator for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, Energy Advisor Amos
Hochstein, and Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking all met with the Saudi
Crown Prince in Jeddah.
The
SPA reported that bilateral ties were discussed as well as “the active follow
up from the Jeddah Summit, particularly in the fields of energy security and
investment in the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.”
Yemen
was also a point of discussion with the UN-mediated truce scheduled to expire
on Oct. 2 and the Iran-backed Houthis refusing to discuss an extension of the
ceasefire.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Death
toll from Lebanon migrant boat at least 76: Minister
23
September, 2022
At
least 76 people died when the migrant boat they were aboard sank off the Syrian
coast after sailing from Lebanon this week, the Lebanese transport minister
said, as search operations continued on Friday.
It
marks the deadliest such voyage yet from Lebanon, where mounting economic
desperation has led many to board often rickety and overcrowded boats in the
hope of reaching Europe.
Syrian
authorities began finding bodies off the coast of Tartus on Thursday afternoon.
The Syrian transport ministry has quoted survivors as saying the boat left from
Lebanon’s northern Minyeh region on Tuesday with between 120 and 150 people
onboard, bound for Europe.
There
were reported to be around 45 children on the boat, none of whom had survived,
Lebanese transport minister Ali Hamiye said, though he could not confirm the
number.
The
family of Mustafa Misto, a Lebanese man who was on the boat with his wife and
three young children, were accepting condolences at their apartment in the
impoverished Bab Al-Ramel neighborhood of the northern city of Tripoli.
“We
have no one but God,” an elderly relative cried as mourners paid their
respects.
People
who feared their relatives were among the dead gathered at the border crossing
with Syria, awaiting the bodies.
Dozens
of people on the boat came from the Nahr al-Bared camp for Palestinian refugees
near Tripoli, Mahmoud Abu Heid, a camp resident said. Already difficult living
conditions for Palestinians had worsened during the economic crisis that has
devastated Lebanon for the last three years, he added.
Hamiye
said 20 survivors were being treated in Syrian hospitals, the bulk of them
Syrians - around 1 million of whom live in Lebanon as refugees.
Hamiye
said the boat was “very small” and made of wood, describing such sailings as an
almost daily occurrence organized by people who did not care for safety.
The
spate of such voyages has been fueled by Lebanon’s financial collapse in the
last three years - one of the worst ever recorded globally. Poverty rates have
sky-rocketed among the population of some 6.5 million.
Cyprus
scrambled search and rescue crews late on Monday and Tuesday when in the space
of hours two vessels carrying migrants from Lebanon put out distress signals;
there were 300 in one vessel, 177 in the other. In those cases, all on board
were rescued, the island's Joint Rescue Coordination Center said.
The
number of people who have left or tried to leave Lebanon by sea nearly doubled
in 2021 from 2020, the United Nations refugee agency told Reuters earlier this
month.
It
rose again by more than 70 percent in 2022 compared with the same period last
year.
In
April, a migrant boat that set off from near Tripoli sank during an
interception by the Lebanese navy off the coast.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Burkina
Faso coup leader defends his military takeover
September
24, 2022
NEW
YORK: Burkina Faso’s coup leader-turned-president defended his military
takeover on Friday, though he acknowledged it was “perhaps reprehensible” and
inconsistent with the UN’s values.
Lt.
Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba said the overthrow of the democratically
elected president in January was “necessary and indispensable.”
“It
was, above all, an issue of survival for our nation,” he said. That’s even if
it was “perhaps reprehensible in terms of the principles held dear by the
United Nations and the international community as a whole.”
Burkina
Faso’s coup came in the wake of similar takeovers in Mali and in Guinea,
heightening fears of a rollback of democracy in
West
Africa.
None
of the juntas has committed to a date for new elections.
Many
in Burkina Faso, however, supported the military takeover, frustrated with the
previous government’s inability to stem extremist violence that has killed
thousands and displaced at least 2 million.
Yet
the violence has failed to wane in the months since Lt. Col. Damiba took over.
Earlier
this month, he also took over the position of defense minister after dismissing
a brigadier general from the post.
The
Burkina Faso leader said on Friday that his transitional government will remain
in power for almost two more years despite calls from West African neighbors
for a quicker return to democratic rule.
But
Lt. Col. Damiba gave no precise date for the holding of new elections in his
speech to the UN General Assembly.
He
warned, however, that the insurgency embroiling Burkina Faso has security risks
for the rest of the world too emphasizing that Europe “is the closest continent
to Africa.”
“No
precautions or prevention measures will prevent terrorism from crossing the
Atlantic if the Sahel is abandoned,” Damiba said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2168451/world
--------
Kenya
rescues citizens from suspected organ traffickers
Andrew
Wasike
23.09.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Kenya’s
Foreign Ministry on Friday said it rescued 24 trafficked Africans, mostly
Kenyans, in cooperation with authorities in Laos and the International
Organization for Migration (IOM).
The
Foreign Ministry in Kenya said that there is worrying intelligence information
on organ extraction of workers tied to the case.
“It
is now emerging that there could be hundreds of mostly young Kenyans working in
'Fraud Factories' in South East Asia, more worrying is intelligence information
that some of the factories may be facilities for extracting and storing human
organs,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The
24 people (22 Kenyans, a Ugandan and a Burundian) had contacted authorities
back home raising the distress calls that saved them after being duped of being
given employment opportunities in the Asian country.
"Public
sensitization campaigns remain the best weapon to raise awareness and thereby
reduce this new threat to the safety and well-being of Kenyans," the
Kenyan Ministry added.
The
ministry noted that the human trafficking menace, once considered an endemic
problem in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is now going global,
warning that the cartels are now venturing into other parts of the world,
particularly Africa and South Asia, luring a new breed of victims.
The
new breed includes young and techno-savvy individuals, well-educated, computer
literate, and multilingual youth.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/kenya-rescues-citizens-from-suspected-organ-traffickers-/2693337
--------
Confirmed,
suspected Ebola Sudan cases at 8 in Uganda amid lack of vaccine
Hamza
Kyeyune
22.09.2022
KAMPALA,
Uganda
The
number of confirmed and suspected Ebola deaths in Uganda stands at 8 on
Thursday, according to the Health Ministry which declared an outbreak of the
Sudan variant in the country earlier this week.
“We
have isolated 11 suspected cases and listed at least 43 contacts and
reactivating district taskforces of 10 districts we suspect to be at risk,” a
spokesman told Anadolu Agency.
This
is the first time in more than a decade that Uganda has recorded the Ebola
Sudan strain. The East African country last reported an outbreak of the Ebola
Sudan strain in 2012 when 17 people were killed in 24 cases, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which contributed to containing the
virus at the time.
Unlike
Ebola Zaire, there is no vaccine for the Sudan strain.
The
World Health Organization (WHO) said a Johnson and Johnson vaccine that may be
effective has yet to be specifically tested against the Sudan strain.
Five
members of one family died at separate intervals two weeks ago with Ebola-like
symptoms. But because no autopsy was conducted to establish the causes of the
deaths, officials in worry that the disease is likely widely transmitted.
The
WHO and partners are supporting the National Rapid Response team to investigate
and respond to the outbreak.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sudan
ruling general ‘will not run in elections for civilian-led govt’
September
24, 2022
NEW
YORK: Sudan’s ruling military general, who mounted a coup nearly a year ago,
said he will not run in future elections for a civilian-led government, but
offered no timeline on when a vote might happen in order for him to relinquish
power.
Gen.
Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan spoke with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the
UN General Assembly on Thursday. It marked nearly one year after he mounted a
coup that upended the Arabic-speaking African nation’s short-lived transition
to democracy after three decades of repressive rule by strongman Omar Bashir.
Asked
if he would consider running in future elections, Gen. Al-Burhan replied: “I
don’t think so.”
When
pressed further, he said: “I do not have a desire to put myself forward (as a
candidate) nor do I want to continue in this work.”
Underpinning
last year’s coup were tensions that had been building between supporters of
military rule and those who support civilian rule — with both sides frustrated
by the country’s worsening economic conditions.
Sudan
has been mired in political turmoil for over three years.
Its
economy has teetered and inflation was expected to hit a staggering 245 percent
this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Since
the coup last October, pro-democracy protesters have marched through the
streets demanding the generals hand over power to civilians.
They’ve
denounced Al-Burhan’s takeover, which occurred when the military dissolved the
transitional government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok as well as the
Sovereign Council, a power-sharing body of military officers and civilians that
had been ruling Sudan since late 2019.
Troops
have opened fire at protesters, killing some of the marchers and detaining
hundreds.
While
no police or security forces have been convicted in the deaths, Al-Burhan said
around five or six are under investigation.
“No
one killed protesters in the way that’s being depicted,” he said.
“Protesters
clashed with police, and the police dealt with them according to the law to
protect public property.”
Gen.
Al-Burhan said that once an elected government is in place, the armed forces
would be another institution of that government rather than retain a higher
status.
During
the interview, Gen. Al-Burhan said he would not run in future elections.
But
he stopped short of giving a date for when elections will be held, despite
previously saying a vote could be held in July 2023.
Instead,
he said the gridlock lies with political groups that need to agree on a date
for the vote.
He
insisted the military had no role in that discussion.
“We
are talking about political participation and widening that participation,
whether that is Hamdok or someone else, this person will not succeed without a
wide base to rule Sudan,” Gen. Al-Burhan said.
“The
only authority to rule is through elections, with no one imposing their will on
another.”
He
also brushed aside strains within his own transitional government, denying
there were any disagreements with the deputy chief of Sudan’s ruling military
council, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, better known by his nickname Hamedti.
Local
media over the past weeks reported disputes between the two generals. Dagalo
has also acknowledged the failure of the October military’s takeover.
Amid
the political upheaval, millions of Sudanese are suffering from high prices and
a currency that’s dropped dramatically in value against the dollar. The ruling
military leader blamed countries and institutions, which he did not name, for
being behind Sudan’s deteriorating economic situation.
Sudan
is in the midst of a deepening food crisis caused by “a cocktail of factors,”
according to the country’s World Food Programme representative, Eddie Rowe, who
spoke at a UN press conference.
Sudan
has seen two years of poor harvests, a summer of devastating flooding and is
struggling to access vital grain imports from eastern Europe following the war
in Ukraine.
In
response to October’s coup, many major UN donors have withdrawn funding from the
country.
To
help ease Sudan’s crisis, Rowe called for lasting peace, a reliable government,
and further international aid and support.
Following
the coup, the administration of President Joe Biden suspended $700 million in
financial assistance intended to support Sudan’s transition to a fully civilian
government.
The
State Department said the full aid package, which may have included other aid
beyond the $700 million, had been put on “pause” pending a review of
developments in Khartoum.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2168441/middle-east
--------
Southeast
Asia
Malaysia’s
Islamic Fintech will continue to grow, says banking association
24
Sep 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, Sept 24 — The Islamic financial technology (fintech) industry in
Malaysia has reached maturity and will continue to grow in the coming years
through the development of policies, technology and talents to support the
ecosystem.
The
Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM)
president Mohd Muazzam Mohamed said the industry is more mature here compared
to other countries, with assistance from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and
government agencies such as the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
“We
must also give credit to the availability of resources and our talents, as well
as the fact that Malaysia has a good base where the talent and financial
services can be exported,” he told a media conference on the upcoming Global
Islamic Financial Forum 2022 (GIFF 2022), which will be held in October.
Mohd
Muazzam said Islamic finance is the backbone of the economic recovery and
growing consumption power and as one of the leading powers of change, it is
critical that Malaysia uphold the values and principles of Islamic finance
towards achieving common prosperity, sustainability, and inclusivity.
“Social
financing also remains a critical mechanism for us to promote social trust,
cooperation, and solidarity.
“In
Malaysia, through value-based intermediation (VBI)-aligned initiatives, we have
contributed significantly to our country’s socio-economic recovery during the
Covid-19 pandemic by distributing social finance to the vulnerable segment,
particularly the B40s and the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs),” he
added.
According
to Moody’s, the economic recovery in key Islamic finance markets would boost
credit growth and demand for Shariah-compliant products, and Islamic banks’
asset growth is expected to continue to outperform their conventional peers.
The
economic recovery is also driving an increase in Muslim consumption power, with
the world’s population of 1.9 billion (Muslims) spending the equivalent of US$2
trillion (RM9.2 trillion) in 2021 across the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics,
fashion, and travel sectors.
Muslim
spending is forecast to reach US$2.8 trillion by 2025, Moody’s said.
Citing
the Global Islamic Economy Indicator, the rating agency said Malaysia remains
the global leader in Islamic finance and is ranked first among 81 countries for
the ninth consecutive year.
Meanwhile,
the chairman of GIFF 2022 Arsalaan Ahmed said there are three key developments
that would further strengthen Malaysia’s leadership in the sector.
“Firstly,
the Financial Sector Blueprint 2022-2026 aims to advance value-based finance
through Islamic finance leadership.
“Secondly,
the issuance of digital banking licenses will accelerate the deployment of new
technologies to serve the unbanked and underserved communities, and lastly,
Islamic fintech is growing exponentially in Malaysia with 33 per cent of the
world’s Islamic fintech companies headquartered here,” he said.
AIBIM
vice-president Datuk Mohamed Rafique Merican Mohd Wahiduddin Merican said the
issuance of the digital banking licenses would definitely require the Islamic
fintech to up its game.
“We
saw in the last two years during the pandemic for example, that we were able to
actually serve the needs of our customers better during the lockdown because we
invested in those platforms.
“With
the digital bank licence, we can actually serve you on a more personalised
basis as opposed to the current way of going to our branches. The way we serve
has started to evolve,” he noted.
BNM
in April announced five successful applicants for digital bank licences.
The
Global Islamic Finance Forum 2022 (GIFF2022) will be held from Oct 5-6 October
in Kuala Lumpur.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Abolish
Security Council’s veto power, Ismail tells UN
September
24, 2022
NEW
YORK: Malaysia has called for the veto power of the United Nations (UN)
Security Council to be abolished in line with the principle of one country one
vote.
Prime
Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said as an organisation that brings the spirit and
symbol of democracy to the world, the UN needs to return to its foundation.
Clad
in a traditional baju Melayu and delivering Malaysia’s national statement in
Bahasa Melayu at the 77th session of the UN general assembly (UNGA) here,
Ismail said the conflicts and crises that occur in the world, including in
Ukraine, Palestine and Myanmar, cannot be resolved due to the debility of the
global governance system and the UN.
He
said the biggest problem in the UN is the Security Council, where the power of
veto is often misused to favour the world powers that have it.
“It
is not democratic and violates the principles of democracy. This makes it
impossible for conflicts to be resolved by any of the permanent members of the
Council,” he said in his second appearance at the UNGA, which is being attended
by more than 150 world leaders.
The
prime minister said conflicts will only result in negative effects for the
whole world. It is due to conflicts that we are now facing various problems,
such as lack of nutrients and food resources.
In
facing this, he said all countries should emphasise the issue of food security
to guarantee sufficient food resources for all.
He
said the theme of this year’s UNGA, “A Watershed Moment: Transformative
Solutions to Interlocking Challenges”, is most apt for the situation the world
is going through together now.
“Peace
and stability are crucial in overcoming every major challenge of today, whether
it is the climate change crisis, global poverty or the lasting effects of the
pandemic.
“No
matter how great our plans may be, they will not measure up to the destruction
and waste that come with modern warfare. This is the truth that we should not
forget,” he said.
In
his speech which lasted 20 minutes, Ismail said a high level of commitment and
pledge to work together was heard at the last UNGA, which had given hope to the
world.
“Numerous
statements were issued, all giving hope, including for me, that the spirit of a
World Family will be able to put aside the differences that exist among us,” he
said.
He
added that Malaysia does not agree with the isolation of a country from
international organisations as such a measure is against the principle of
multilateralism and hinders dialogue.
Meanwhile,
on the situation in Ukraine, he said it proved that the price to be paid for
war is high.
“The
effects are felt not only by the people and the country but also by the world.
This conflict has threatened peace, global security and the economy, and
undermined food security,” he said.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Court
grants bid by Bung Moktar, wife to halt corruption case
Ho
Kit Yen
September
23, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: The High Court here has stayed the RM2.8 million corruption trial of
Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin and his wife, Zizie Izette, pending disposal
of their application to review a lower court order requiring them to answer the
charges brought against them.
Judge
Collin Lawrence Sequerah granted the order after deputy public prosecutor
Faridz Gohim Abdullah said the prosecution would not object to the couple’s bid
to suspend their trial.
The
couple was represented by lawyers M Athimulan and K Kumaraendran.
Today
was initially fixed for hearing, with the couple expected to enter their
defence.
Bung,
who is also Kinabatangan MP and a Sabah deputy chief minister, was charged
under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act
2009, while Zizie faces a charge under Section 28(1)(c).
Earlier
this month, the sessions court ordered them to enter their defence to the
charges.
Bung
was charged with two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM2.2 million and
RM262,500 as gratification to secure Felcra’s approval for a RM150 million
investment in Public Mutual unit trusts in June 2015. He was Felcra’s chairman
at material time.
Zizie
faces three charges of abetting her husband in the matter.
The
couple filed a motion, asking the High Court to review the sessions court’s
order directing them to enter their defence.
They
claim that two key prosecution witnesses – Madhi Abdul Hamid and Norhaili Ahmad
Mokhtar – were treated as hostile witnesses, and that “this was contradictory
to the findings made by the sessions judge”.
Sessions
court judge Rozina Ayob had acknowledged on Sept 2 that she was aware and
cautious of the fact that Madhi and Norhaili had given statements to MACC which
contradicted their testimonies in court.
“After
due consideration, I accepted other parts of the evidence given by them,” she
said, adding that the court considered testimonies by other witnesses.
Thirty
prosecution witnesses, including Madhi and Norhaili, testified.
The
sessions court said it had taken note of the stay order, with Rozina deferring
the trial to another date.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Draft
an asset declaration law, anti-graft group urges PM
September
23, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: The Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4) has urged Prime
Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to draft an asset declaration law to show his
commitment to battling corruption.
While
C4 welcomed making heads of government-linked companies (GLC) and
government-linked investment companies (GLICs), as well as members of the
judiciary declare their assets, it said a law was needed to legally require
politicians and civil servants to also do so.
C4
executive director Cynthia Gabriel also said her organisation remained
unconvinced by the current administration’s commitment to the anti-corruption
agenda.
“Ismail
must put word to deed and prioritise the enactment of an Asset Declaration Act
as a matter of immediate urgency to assure Malaysians that such a law will come
into force in the near future,” she said in a statement.
She
also said the new law must apply to family members and close associates of
politicians, as well as heads of public institutions.
“All
13 state governments must enact their own Asset Declaration Act and it must be
enforced upon those that take up public office, as well as on their family
members.
“And
the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must initiate investigations
and proceedings into big culprits and offenders who have shown obscene levels
of unexplained wealth.”
Cynthia
said a Dewan Rakyat motion passed by the Pakatan Harapan government in 2019
compelling MPs to declare their assets did not lead to any legal repercussions.
She
added that some MPs did not comply, the motion was no longer being enforced,
and all records of assets declared were no longer on MACC’s website.
She
said an “all-encompassing anti-corruption” legal framework must include an
Asset Declaration Act, Procurement Act and Freedom of Information Act.
She
also urged Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to prove his commitment towards
combating corruption by declaring his own assets following his acquittal on all
40 charges of corruption involving the foreign visa system.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Europe
Ukraine
to slash ties with Iran over ‘unfriendly’ drones supply to Russia
23
September, 2022
Ukraine
said on Friday it would downgrade diplomatic ties with Iran and strip the
ambassador of his accreditation over what it called Tehran’s “unfriendly”
decision to supply Russian forces with drones.
Earlier
in the day, Ukraine said it had downed four Iranian-made “kamikaze” unmanned
aerial vehicles, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to complain Tehran was
harming Ukrainian sovereignty and its citizens.
Ukraine
and the United States have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia,
something Tehran has denied.
“Supplying
Russia with weapons to wage war against Ukraine is an unfriendly act that deals
a serious blow to relations between Ukraine and Iran,” said a statement on the
foreign ministry’s website.
“In
response to such an unfriendly act the Ukrainian side has decided to deprive
the ambassador of Iran of his accreditation and also to significantly reduce
the number of diplomatic staff of the Iranian embassy in Kyiv.”
The
message was handed to the acting ambassador since the permanent envoy,
Manouchehr Moradi, is not currently in Ukraine.
Military
authorities in southern Ukraine said in a statement they had shot down the
Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles over the sea near the port of Odesa.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Ukraine
says it downed four Iranian drones, Zelenskyy raps Tehran
23
September, 2022
Ukraine
said on Friday it had downed four Iranian-made “kamikaze” drones used by
Russia’s armed forces, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to complain that
Tehran was harming Ukrainian citizens.
Military
authorities in southern Ukraine said in a statement they had shot down the
Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles over the sea near the port of Odesa.
Ukraine
and the United States have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia,
something Tehran has denied. Zelenskyy has asked his foreign ministry to
respond to the use of Iranian equipment, spokesman Serhii Nykyforov said.
“Such
actions by Iran are considered as steps against the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Ukraine and also against the lives and wellbeing of Ukrainian
citizens,” he said in a statement.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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