Ideologically, All Bharatiyas Are Hindus: It’s Hindu Rashtra, Start Calling It ‘Bharat’ And Not India: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat
New Age Islam News Bureau
02 September 2023
Photo The New Indian Express/ Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat
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India
·
Fallout Of
Nuh Violence: Schools Reopen, But Attendance Remains Low, Several Schools Say
Students Yet To Return
·
‘Systematic
design to destroy institution of marriage’: Allahabad HC slams live-in
relationships
------
South Asia
·
Anas
Haqqani: Islamic Emirate Open to Interact With World
·
UN special
envoy meets Afghan women activists in Turkey
·
Chief of
Army Staff of the de facto administration urges Pakistan to self-reflect in
enemy identification
·
US Rep.
McCaul demands Biden’s transcribed interviews on Afghanistan withdrawal chaos
·
840,000
Applicants for US Resettlement Still in Afghanistan: Report
------
Mideast
·
Iranian foreign
minister rejects interference in Lebanese presidential election
·
US and
Yemen sign cultural property agreement
·
Kurdish-led
authorities announce curfew in restive east Syria
·
16 people,
mostly Iranians, killed in road accident in Iraq
·
Palestinian
shot in back of head puts Israel's use of force under scrutiny
-----
Arab World
·
King
Salman Arrives In NEOM
·
Saudi
Arabia's Sabic teams up with Sinopec to launch plant in China
·
Saudi
Arabia's tourism surplus soars to SR22.8 billion in Q1 2023
-----
Europe
·
‘Skyrim’
Writer, Now Priest-In-Training, Helped Create Religions In ‘Starfield’
·
How Sinn
Fein captured Northern Ireland’s police force
·
EU
condemns Russian sham elections in Ukraine's occupied territories
------
Pakistan
·
Army, Leas
& Nation Can Never Be Coerced By Cowardly Tactics Of Terrorists: COAS
·
Major
among three martyred in gun battles
·
Islamabad
again urges Kabul to act against terrorists
·
Delimitation
plan altered to hold polls in January: ECP
·
PM
reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen ties with Iran
·
ATC
dismisses Qureshi’s interim bail in 2 cases
·
ATC sends
Imaan Mazari on judicial remand
·
Three
soldiers martyred in two K-P incidents
·
Soldier
martyred in gun battle with terrorists in Khyber
-----
North America
·
Migrants
From Majority-Muslim Countries Were Unequally Imprisoned In Del Rio, Texas
·
Another
Washington-Area Mosque Receives Threatening Call
·
CAIR
Visits Arkansas Mosque on National Civil Rights Tour
·
US police
officer kills pregnant Black woman, unborn child
·
US judge
to sentence two more Proud Boys for Jan. 6 attack at Capitol
------
Southeast Asia
·
No Reason
For DAP To Amend Constitution As In Line With Federal Constitution, Aziz Bari
Tells Nur Jazlan
·
Glavin:
Muslim Conference Pulls A Controversial Speaker Amid Antisemitism Accusations
·
Besut
police say three men feared lost on GunungTebu
·
Five
family members killed, two survive in accident involving trailer in Segamat
·
Five more
arrested over fatal shooting case in Kapar
·
Stop
playing victim, drop ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ slogan, MCA veep tells DAP
------
Africa
·
Sudan
Conflict Poses Long-Term Societal Harm As Recruitment Of Child Soldiers Surges
·
Pope
Praises Mongolia’s Tradition Of Religious Freedom From Times Of Genghis Khan At
Start Of Visit
·
Report Reveals
How Zamfara Officials Allow Terrorists Participate In Hajj, Embezzle Funds – Official
·
Algerian
coastguards kill two tourists holidaying in Morocco
·
African
Union "suspends" Gabon with immediate effect
·
African
coups expose and unravel a web of Western meddling
·
Morocco
launches probe into Algeria’s jet ski killing
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/bharatiyas-hindus-bharat-rss-bhagwat/d/130591
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Ideologically, all Bharatiyas are
Hindus: It’s Hindu Rashtra, start calling it ‘Bharat’ and not India: RSS chief
Mohan Bhagwat
Photo The
New Indian Express/ Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat
-----
02nd September 2023
By Rajesh Kumar Thakur Express News
Service
NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said that India is a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. The
leader further exhorted that it should be called ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’.
Speaking at two different programs — one at Nagpur and another at Guwahati— the
RSS supremo said that all ‘Bharatiyas’ are Hindus because ‘Hindu’ represents
all Indians.
“Hindustan is a Hindu Rashtra and this
is a fact. Ideologically, all Bharatiyas are Hindus and Hindus mean all
Bharatiyas. All those who are in Bharat today are related to the Hindu culture,
Hindu ancestors, and the Hindu land,” he said at a function in Nagpur.
Some people have understood this, but
are not implementing it because of their habits and selfishness, the RSS leader
said, adding that Sangh’s ideology is much sought after across the world as
there is no alternative to it. “Everybody has understood this. Some acknowledge
it, some do not,” he said.
Bhagwat said it is a collective need now
to focus on the ‘Swadeshi’ family values and discipline.
Similarly, speaking at a function in
Guwahati, the RSS chief advocated that people should adopt the word ‘Bharat’
instead of ‘India’ as the name Bharat has been in use since ancient times.
“The name of our country has been Bharat
for ages. Whatever may be the language, the name remains the same,” the leader
said at a function conducted by Sakal Jain Samaj. “Our country is Bharat. We
will have to stop using the word ‘India’ and start using ‘Bharat’ in all
practical fields. Only then will a change happen. We will have to call our
country ‘Bharat’ and explain it to others as well,” he said.
Talking about the power of integration,
Bhagwat said that India is a country that unites all and that the world needs
India today. “Without Bharat, the world can’t run. We have connected the world
through yoga,” Bhagwat said. He also said that parents should make their
children aware of Indian culture, tradition, and family values.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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Islamic Emirate Committed to
Implementation of Qisas: Deputy Supreme Judge
Deputy
Supreme Court Judge of Islamic Emirate
-----
By Fatema Adeeb
1 September 2023
The deputy of the Supreme Court, Abdul
Malik Haqqani said that the Islamic Emirate is committed to the Implementation
of Qisas (an Islamic term interpreted to mean retaliation in kind).
In an interview with TOLO news, he
denied the existence of a desert court by the officials of the interim
government.
"Implementation of hudud (an
Islamic method of punishment) is God's order and the Quran's. The Islamic
Emirate doesn't listen to illegitimate reactions," he said.
Haqqani said that many former employees
and attorneys of the republic are working in the Supreme Court.
"Those people who were in the court
during the republic, they were the attorneys, most of them are in our
formation," he said.
Regarding addressing the cases of the
Shia citizens, he said: "Many Afghan people are Hanafi school Muslims. The
judicial system cannot accept division due to some minorities. Islam has given
this right to the Shia brothers that if they have any dispute, we can solve it
within the Hanafi school of Islam."
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-184906
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Rainbows, Drag Shows, Movies: Lebanon’s Leaders
Go After Perceived Symbols Of The LGBTQ+ Community
(AP Photo/
Hasan Ammar, File)
-----
By Bassem Mroue And Kareem Chehayeb
September 1, 2023
BEIRUT (AP) — Rainbows, school books,
movies and drag shows have all been targeted in Lebanon in recent weeks as
politicians, religious leaders and vigilante groups step up a campaign against the
LGBTQ+ community in a country that has long shown relative tolerance.
At a time when Lebanon is in the grips
of one of the world’s worst economic meltdowns in more than a century, the
country and its leaders have been deeply split on how to deal with the crisis.
Political factions have been so divided they haven’t been able to choose a new
president for 10 months.
But in recent weeks they united to fight
the LGBTQ+ community. Politicians and religious leaders have intensified a
campaign that in many ways mirrors the culture wars in the United States,
raising alarm over symbols and trends that might normalize queerness as an
existential threat to society.
It comes at a time when an escalating
crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community is also underway elsewhere in the region.
In some cases, the targeting comes after
a spate of recent Quran burnings in Europe, which sparked angry protests in
Iraq and other Muslim-majority countries. Local religious and political leaders
have painted the LGBTQ+ community as part of Western attacks on Islamic values.
In these demonstrations, many protesters burned rainbow flags.
In Iraq, some lawmakers are pushing a
proposal that would expand a 1988 law on prostitution to include a paragraph
imposing life in prison or the death penalty on those who have same-sex
relations.
Lebanon was once seen as a place of
relative tolerance in the region when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. That has
changed in recent years, as crackdowns on free speech and expression have
surged.
In recent months, both rhetoric by
politicians and harassment by individuals have increased.
Last week, several dozen men from a
Christian extremist group dubbing itself the Soldiers of God trashed a Beirut
club hosting a drag show. They beat up several people, driving some patrons to
hide in a bathroom.
“This is the venue of Satan!” one member
yelled while filming on his mobile phone. “Promoting homosexuality is not
allowed! This is just the beginning!”
The education minister also recently
banned a game of Chutes and Ladders that was distributed to schools as part of
a USAID project because it was decorated with a rainbow, Lebanese media
reported. A video circulated online showing a man in the northern city of
Tripoli using black paint to cross out a rainbow on the side of a van distributing
books.
In early August, Culture Minister
Mohammed Murtada requested for the General Security Directorate to ban the
movie “Barbie,” saying it “promotes homosexuality and transgenders.” The
Directorate, however, ruled that the movie is permitted, and it is reportedly
expected to start showing in early September.
The Islamic Cultural Center submitted a
request to the public prosecutor’s office to shut down Helem, the first LGBTQ+
rights organization in Lebanon and the Arab World, founded in 2004. The
prosecutor’s office referred the case to the Interior Ministry, which has not
yet acted on it.
Some shops have removed
rainbow-decorated cakes or T-shirts from display. In June, the Interior
Ministry restricted events connected to Pride month.
The anti-LGBTQ+ campaign is being
spearheaded by religious figures from Lebanon’s multiple of Christian and
Muslim sects, as well as political officials.
In a meeting earlier this month,
caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, several government ministers and the head
of the Maronite Church Cardinal Beshara Rai discussed homosexuality. Afterward,
the premier told reporters that “there is unanimity to abide by moral Lebanese
and family values.”
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the
Shiite militant group Hezbollah, called in a recent speech for the death
penalty on people engaged in same-sex acts, calling homosexuality “a clear and
present danger.” He accused NGOs of circulating books for school children that
promote homosexuality and called for the books to be banned.
The group Soldiers of God was formed in
2019 as a sort of Christian self-defense group. Its young men would tour
Beirut’s predominantly Christian eastern neighborhoods acting as guards against
strangers coming in — at a time when frictions with rival supporters of
Hezbollah often broke out.
Lebanon does not have a law that clearly
bans same-sex acts. But Article 534 of the penal code prohibits sexual
relations that “contradict the laws of nature” and has been used to penalize
homosexuality, although some judges have held that consensual same-sex
relations do not fall under the law.
In July, a handful of legislators called
for abolishing Article 534. One of them, independent lawmaker Mark Daou,
accused Hezbollah of using LGBTQ+ “to create a diversion” and to “terrorize a
group within society.”
The attempt sparked a backlash. The
spiritual leader of Lebanon’s minority Druze community, Sheikh Sami Abou
el-Mouna, said eliminating the article would promote “vice and permitting what
is prohibited.” Some lawmakers took back comments backing the abolishment.
The backlash made some strange political
allies.
In response to the call to repeal
Article 534, Ashraf Rifi, a staunchly anti-Hezbollah Sunni legislator, said he
is working on a draft law that criminalizes any attempt to legalize
homosexuality.
Meanwhile, the Union Center for Research
and Development, a reportedly pro-Hezbollah think tank, put forward a study
titled “Resisting Homosexuality in Lebanon,” which calls for criminalizing
homosexuality.
Hussein Ayoub, an official at the
center, said he hopes a parliament member will adopt the study’s proposals to
put into law. He denied that his center did the study on behalf of Hezbollah.
KhaldounOraymet, a senior Sunni cleric
religious judge, called homosexuality “satanic” and “a very dangerous
phenomenon.” He said mosques, churches, schools and families should fight it.
Many LGBTQ+ people are laying low, even
in areas where they once could freely mingle and express themselves.
Tarek Zeidan, who heads Helem, told The Associated
Press that political leaders are scapegoating a vulnerable group to distract
from their failure to solve the country’s economic and political breakdown and
infrastructure collapse.
“Do any of these people have solutions
for water, electricity, and health care? They have nothing,” Zeidan said. “And
when they have nothing to offer, they create an enemy.”
Source: apnews.com
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https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-lgbtq-beirut-human-rights-38399886d44895c85eb70bbfd8e711ac
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Saudi Foundation Marks World Letter
Writing Day By Publishing Letters Sent By King Abdulaziz
World Letter
Writing Day/ Letters sent by King Abdulaziz
-----
September 02, 2023
RIYADH: To coincide with World Letter
Writing Day on Sept. 1, the King Abdulaziz Foundation published a number of
rare historical documents, some of them more than 100 years old, including a
number of letters written by King Abdulaziz to his father, Abdul Rahman bin
Faisal, some of his sisters, and officials in government agencies.
They include a reply the future king of
Saudi Arabia sent to his father in 1919, in which he expressed his appreciation
and fondness for him, told him he had received the letters he sent, and talked
about the condition he was in and the conditions of those with him, the foundation
said on Friday. In another letter, written in 1925, the king reassured his
father that he and his companions were well and reported good news about the
conditions of the country and its people.
The letters reflect the depth of King
Abdulaziz’s love for his father and the special relationship between them that
was evident during the stages leading up to the restoration of Saudi rule and
building the Saudi state, the foundation said.
King Abdulaziz, who ruled Saudi Arabia
from when it was founded in 1932 until his death in 1953, was known to value
family ties and did not allow the responsibilities of leadership and state
building to cause him to neglect those areas, it added.
The foundation also published three
letters in which the king’s love and appreciation of his sisters Mudhi, Hessa
and Al-Jawhara were evident. In one of them, sent to Mudhi in 1924, he informed
her that he had entered Makkah. In another, sent to Hessa, he spoke of the
beautiful atmosphere during the Hajj pilgrimage in 1927, its tranquility, and
the safety of the pilgrims. In a letter to Al-Jawhara in 1928, he talked about
the application of Shariah.
The foundation said another set of
documents includes letters that highlight the humanity of King Abdulaziz, and
his great interest in the details of people’s lives and their needs. It said
that this humanity, and his eloquence, are evident in letters sent to officials
and princes urging them to take into account the requirements and rights of the
people, to take care of them, and to ensure their needs were met.
The documents include a 1924 letter he
sent to Saleh bin Abdul Wahed, and asked him to forward to Dr. Mahmoud Hamdi,
which asked for medical examinations of pilgrims to be conducted.
In 1931 he sent a letter to an official
asking for homes to be provided for some imams and muezzins. A letter sent to
Abdullah Al-Khalid and Abdul Rahman bin Oudan in 1942 called for trustworthy
people to be recruited to distribute charitable donations among the poor. In a
similar vein, he ordered money for Hajj expenses to be handed out to the poor
and needy in 1941.
The foundation said that the publication
of the letters offers a reminder of the great humanitarian ideals of the
founder of the country. It added that the King Salman Center for the
Restoration and Preservation of Historical Documents is using the latest
technologies to catalog, restore and preserve such documents.
A huge collection of historical
documents and rare letters related to the nation’s history is in the care of
the foundation, along with an integrated archive of other historical items,
including photographs and films. It said that the collection represents a
database of national history that is invaluable to researchers and other
specialists.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2365906/saudi-arabia
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France’s Public Schools Will Enforce A
Dress Code Banning Robes Worn By Some Muslims, President Says
President
Francois Macron
-----
September 2, 2023
PARIS (AP) — French students won’t get
past the door if they show up for school wearing long robes, President Emmanuel
Macron made clear Friday, saying authorities would be “intractable” in
enforcing a new rule when classes resume next week.
French Education Minister Gabriel Attal
announced at a news conference four days ago that robes worn mainly by Muslims,
known as abayas for girls and women and khamis for boys and men, would be
banned with the start of the new school year on Monday.
Macron addressed the dress code for the
first publicly after visiting a professional school in the Vaucluse region of
southern France
“We know there will be cases” of
students testing the rule, the president said, including ones trying to “defy
the republican system.” Macron said they would not be able to slip into class,
stressing that “we will be intractable on the subject.”
The education minister described girls
and boys wearing the robes in junior high and high school as “an infringement
on secularism,” a foundational principle for France. He accused some students
of using the traditional attire to try to destabilize schools.
The new rule has received inevitable
criticism. Social media platforms have buzzed with critics saying the loose,
body-covering garments do not constitute an ostentatious display of religion
and should not be banned from classrooms.
The framework for the ban is a 2004 law
aimed at preserving secularism in French public schools. The law prohibited
Muslim headscarves but also applied to large Christian crosses, Jewish kippas
and the large turbans worn by Sikhs.
It passed after months of furor and
marathon parliamentary debates. Muslims claimed it stigmatized them. The law
does not apply to university students.
Addressing how the new measure would be
enforced, Macron said “specific personnel” would be sent to “sensitive” schools
to help principals and teachers and to dialogue with students and families, if
needed.
Attal said earlier that 14,000
educational personnel in leadership positions would be trained by the end of
this year to deal with enforcement and other issues in upholding secularism,
and 300,000 personnel would be trained by 2025.
Source: apnews.com
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https://apnews.com/article/france-secularism-schools-muslim-robes-banned-ae77fb3ec3224d8d3b15a2e2f1af0142
------
India
Fallout Of Nuh Violence: Schools Reopen,
But Attendance Remains Low, Several Schools Say Students Yet To Return
By Aiswarya Raj
Nuh: September 2, 2023
With shops reopening for business and
police personnel conspicuous by their absence on the streets, things seem to be
returning to normal in Nuh a month after the communal violence that broke out
during a religious yatra on July 31 — except at its schools.
Several students are yet to return to
class after educational institutions reopened on August 11, leading to a drop
in attendance that has teachers worried. The town has five higher secondary
schools, government and private, and several other schools.
For instance, at Mohammad Yasin Khan
Senior Secondary School — it has 260 students from classes I to X and 13
teachers — just 12-13 students were marked present in total on Thursday.
Moreover, of the 19 students registered in class XII, only around 10 had come
in on a day in July.
Said Kaab Ali (27), a social science
teacher who is the school in charge, “The drop in July was due to the fact that
they had their summer vacation in June, and many were lackadaisical in the
first few weeks.”
By August, teachers grew apprehensive.
Towards the month-end, only four students in class X, of 22 registered, showed
up.
“We called their parents, and (it
appears) most older students fled their homes. When police action started,
fearing arrests, many went to stay with their relatives in other parts of
Mewat,” said Ali, adding that he expects attendance till the secondary level to
pick up in September.
The number of students taking admission
to the school, one of the oldest in the region, has also been low, with zero
new applications for class X in August.
Also at the school are three children
whose homes were razed by the government as part of a demolition drive of
“illegal encroachments” following the violence.
One of them, Ayaan, used to stay with
his uncle, Jamshed (34), on the third floor of a building that also housed
Sahara restaurant — among those demolished. The boy left Nuh for his village in
Silkhoh, over 10 km away from his school, and has not come back yet. His
cousin, 13-year-old Hakim, a Class 8 student at a private school in Nuh,
returned to class after a month on Friday.
Jamshed, who was called for questioning
by police after allegations that a mob had pelted stones from the terrace of
the hotel, said: “When the violence broke out, we quickly left the next day for
our village. They didn’t inform us about the demolition; I came to know about
it only the next day.”
His savings as well as the belongings of
his five school-going children all went crashing down with the building.
On Thursday, father and son were in Nuh
town looking to buy a few books and clothes before his school commenced. “Hakim
will live with my friend in the town until I find a rented house here. Studies
of the rest of my children can wait,” he said.
Hakim, on his part, said he likes it
better in Nuh and not the village as there are “more facilities” in the town.
At the Government Model Sanskriti Senior
Secondary School Nuh, newly affiliated with the CBSE, drop-outs and low turnout
have been an issue for some time, especially after a rejig of teachers and
education board pattern.
With a strength of 450, the school has
children from classes VI to XII. In July, around 80% of those registered were
present regularly. This plummeted to below 50% in August.
“Before August 20, very few children
were coming to class; we checked in on those who were not showing up regularly.
Parents were reluctant to send their children to school, but they said they
would send them in September. For classes IX and XI, we have to begin
enrollment to get students registered under the CBSE, but it has been delayed.
We keep calling parents and announcing to students in assemblies that we are
there for them,” said Kavita Rani (39), an English teacher at the school.
Meanwhile, Hindu Senior Secondary
School, one of the prominent private schools in town with a strength of 600
students from classes I to XII, showed better performance.
“Nuh is one of the most backward
districts in the country with high illiteracy and unemployment… The violence is
a double whammy in a system already in shambles. In July, we had 95% attendance
while in August, in the initial few days, it was 40%. Attendance slowly picked
up to around 80% by the month-end,” said Sanjay Kumar, a member of the school
management board.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/alls-well-nuh-low-attendance-schools-different-story-8920059/
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‘Systematic design to destroy
institution of marriage’: Allahabad HC slams live-in relationships
By Asad Rehman
Lucknow: September 1, 2023
Observing that middle-class morality
cannot be ignored in a nation like India, the Allahabad High Court criticised
live-in relationships and said that there is a “systematic design to destroy
the institution of marriage… destabilise the society and hinder the progress of
our country”.
Granting bail to a man accused of raping
his live-in partner, Justice Siddharth said in his order on Tuesday that “the
security, social acceptance, progress and stability which the institution of
marriage provides to a person is never provided by live-in-relationship”.
“Live-in relationship shall only be
considered as normal after the institution of marriage becomes obsolete in this
country, like in many of the so-called developed countries where it has become
a big problem for them to protect institution of marriage. We are proceeding to
create great problem for us in future. There is systematic design to destroy
the institution of marriage in this country and destabilise the society and
hinder the progress of our country,” he stated.
“The films and the TV serials being
aired are contributing to eradicate the institution of marriage. The infidelity
to a partner in married relationship and having free live-in relationship are
being shown as signs of progressive society. The youth get attracted to such
philosophy being… unaware of the long-term consequences,” he further said in
the order.
The order went on to say that while it
is not difficult for men coming out of a live-in relationship to find a female
partner for marriage or for another live-in relationship, it is “very
difficult” for women to find a male partner for marriage. “…the social
middle-class norms, irrespective of religion of the female partner, militate
against her efforts to regain her social status,” said the court in its order.
Talking about women coming out of
live-in relationships, the court said, “Exception apart, no family willingly
accepts such a female as their family member. There is no dearth of cases
coming to the courts where the female partner of an erstwhile
live-in-relationship commit suicide out of disgust caused by social ill
behaviour.”
The court said that “middle-class
morality cannot be ignored in a country like ours”. “Our country consists
mostly of the middle class. The stability, social, political and economic, of a
nation depends on the size of the middle class only. The morality of the
highest class and the lowest class has nothing to do with the same since
morality dies in riches and chokes in poverty. For the highest class there is
no morality and the lowest class cannot afford to follow the same due to
compulsions of poverty. The security, social acceptance, progress and stability
which the institution of marriage provides to a person is never provided by a
live-in-relationship.”
It said that “a person not having
cordial family relationships cannot contribute to the progress of the nation”.
“He/she has no anchor in life to bank upon. Hopping from one relationship to
another does not lead to any fulfilling existence. The brutish concept of
changing partners in every season cannot be considered to be the hallmark of a
stable and healthy society,” said the court.
It also went on to say that “children
born from such relationships (live-in) face lots of problems”. “When their
parents separate, they become a burden on society. They fall in the wrong
company and national loss of good citizens occurs.”
The court said that “in the case of a
female child born out of live-in-relationship there are other ill effects which
are too obvious to be elaborated”.
Talking about Pakistan, the court said
that “the absence of middle class and middle-class morality” in the country “is
ample testimony of the social, political, religious, ethical and other types of
unrest”.
The court was hearing the bail
application of a man from Saharanpur district who has been in jail since April
18, booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 316 (causing death of quick unborn
child by act amounting to culpable homicide) and 506 (criminal intimidation),
and under the POCSO Act.
It was alleged that the applicant
“befriended the victim for the last one year and committed the offence of rape
on false promise of marriage for one year of her live-in relationship with
him”. Among the allegations were that “when the victim became pregnant he gave
medicine for abortion of foetus” and that the applicant “made incriminating
video of the victim and on the basis of the same he threatened her and
committed offence of rape all through against her”.
The applicant’s lawyer Sadrul Islam
Jafri submitted that the victim, in her statement recorded under Section 164 of
the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), admitted that she was in a live-in
relationship with the applicant for a year and entered into a physical relation
with consent and got pregnant. “As per the ossification test report of the
victim, she has been found to be of 19 years. Therefore, she is major, not
minor,” the lawyer told the court.
After hearing the contentions, the court
said that it “finds that this is another case where after enjoying the
live-in-relationship the young couple have parted ways”.
Source: indianexpress.com
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-----
South Asia
Anas Haqqani: Islamic Emirate Open to
Interact With World
By Sardar Shafaq,
1 September 2023
Anas Haqqani, a prominent member of the
Islamic Emirate, said that the Islamic Emirate is open for interaction with the
world.
Haqqani said that the Islamic Emirate
even declared the end of the war with those who invaded Afghanistan, while
speaking at an exhibition of remnants of war equipment from the UK, the Soviet
Union, and the US that was held in the province of Khost.
"We announced the end of the war
and opened the arms of interaction to the entire world, even when those who
attacked us did not respect the dignity of these people, and shed holy blood,”
he said.
Speaking at the exhibition, Haqqani
emphasized the need to strengthen the forces of the Islamic Emirate.
He also said it important to provide
religious and contemporary education in the country.
"Now is the time to build this
country, it is the time to bring together hearts. After that, we should have
the same conveniences as other developed nations. Our devoted army should have
modern weaponry, we should have our own products, and the next generation
should get both religious and modern education,” Haqqani said.
This Islamic Emirate official
highlighted the Islamic Emirate's willingness to interact with the world, while
earlier, Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman
Al Thani said that disengagement with the "Taliban" will create a
"bigger chaos."
Speaking at the International Institute
for Strategic Studies, Al Thani said: “We strongly believe that disengaging
with the Taliban will create a bigger chaos and will create a vacuum in the
country ... we kept encouraging all the parties to continue engaging, but we
believe that unfortunately after the withdrawal and Taliban assumed power over
there, there was an absence of a clear roadmap for the way forward for Afghanistan,”
he said.
Source: tolonews.com
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UN special envoy meets Afghan women
activists in Turkey
By Fidel Rahmati
September 1, 2023
The United Nations Special Coordinator
for Afghanistan has met with several active Afghan women in Turkey.
FeridunSinirlioğlu, the UN Special
Coordinator for Afghanistan, said on his social media platform X that during
this four-day meeting, discussions were held about the human rights situation
in Afghanistan.
He said these meetings involved various
groups of women and men based outside Afghanistan.
At the same time, the “Women for
Afghanistan Assembly” also said on a social media platform X that their discussions
focused on the observance of fundamental women’s rights in Afghanistan. They
added that both sides emphasized the unity among Afghans.
The Women for Afghanistan Assembly
further highlighted the deprivation of women’s fundamental rights and added that
women can promote unity within the country.
It is worth mentioning that
FeridunSinirlioğlu was appointed as the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan
in April and is currently engaged in overseeing an assessment regarding
Afghanistan.
Following their takeover of the country,
the Taliban enforced severe limitations on women, depriving them of essential
rights such as education and employment.
Despite widespread condemnation of these
actions, the group has intensified its restrictions on the rights of women and
girls. Notably, they have prohibited women from visiting the Band-e-Amir area,
further tightening their control.
Source: khaama.com
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------
Chief of Army Staff of the de facto
administration urges Pakistan to self-reflect in enemy identification
By Fidel Rahmati
September 1, 2023
Qari FasihudinFitrat, Chief of Army
Staff of the de facto administration, has said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) is absent within Afghanistan’s borders. He emphasizes that
Pakistan should focus on identifying its enemy within its territory.
In an exclusive interview with Ariana
News, Fitrat said that if anyone seeks to challenge the Taliban
administration’s commitments. Moreover, when it turns to violence, the acting
government will respond with “reciprocal action”.
“When those seeking to doubt the Islamic
Emirate’s commitments and employ force under different pretexts, what is our
reaction? We have shown the world our response, and it is well-known,” Fitrat
said.
Fitrat stressed that outsiders amplify
Daesh’s presence in Afghanistan despite its lack of territorial control and
continuous suppression.
Addressing neighbouring countries’
worries about Afghan soil, Fitrat assured that security prevails in
Afghanistan, a reality demonstrated by the Taliban’s practical achievements
over the past two years.
The Chief of Army Staff highlighted
plans to raise the Taliban administration’s strength from 150,000 to over
180,000 during the current solar year.
Pakistani officials reiterate demand for
action against TTP and anti-Pakistani militants in Afghanistan, urging Kabul to
take strict measures. Taliban denies allegations, asserting they will not
permit Afghanistan’s soil to be used against neighbours.
Source: khaama.com
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------
US Rep. McCaul demands Biden’s
transcribed interviews on Afghanistan withdrawal chaos
By Fidel Rahmati
September 2, 2023
United States House Foreign Affairs
Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has requested President Joe Biden and eight
other administration officials to provide transcribed interviews regarding the
‘chaotic and botched-up’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Texas Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul
has called on nine current and former key officials from the Biden administration
to engage with his committee by September 7.
McCaul’s inquiry focuses on the
tumultuous and fatal 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, particularly the tragic
bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai airport that resulted in the deaths of 13 US
Marines.
Committee Chairman Michael McCaul
(R-Texas) has made the request two years after the U.S. military concluded its
20-year presence in Afghanistan and the rapid Taliban takeover of Kabul.
“This was an unmitigated disaster of
epic proportions,” he continued. “… The committee will continue to interview
additional current and former administration officials involved in the planning
and execution of the withdrawal,” MaCaul wrote in a statement, Fox News
reported.
Those summoned include Ross Wilson,
ex-U.S. acting ambassador to Afghanistan; Suzy George, Chief of Staff to
Secretary of State Antony Blinken; and Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. special
representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation.
McCaul requested scheduling transcribed
interviews with the committee by September 7, shortly before House lawmakers
resume after a six-week August recess.
Source: khaama.com
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------
840,000 Applicants for US Resettlement
Still in Afghanistan: Report
By Associated Press,
2 September 2023
(AP) More than 840,000 Afghans who
applied for a resettlement program aimed at people who helped the U.S. war
effort in Afghanistan are still there waiting, according to a report that lays
out the challenges with a program intended to help America’s allies in the
two-decade long conflict.
The report released Thursday by the
State Department’s inspector general outlines steps the department took to
improve processing of special immigrant visas for Afghans. But two years after
the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power,
challenges remain.
The visa program was started in 2009 to
help Afghans who worked side-by-side with Americans and faced significant risks
for doing so. A similar program exists for Iraqis. Both programs have been
plagued by criticism that cases move much too slowly, leaving applicants in
dangerous limbo.
And since the U.S. left Afghanistan the
number of people applying for the visas has skyrocketed.
According to the report, there were a
little less than 30,000 applicants in October 2021, but by December 2022 that
number had grown to roughly 155,000. Those figures do not include family members
who are allowed to resettle with them if their application is approved.
The State Department estimates that as
of April of this year more than 840,000 applicants for the special visa program
and their family members remain in Afghanistan, the report said. Not everyone
who applies is accepted; the State Department noted that about 50% of
applicants do not qualify when their applications are reviewed at a key stage
early in the process.
The department also said since the start
of the Biden administration in January 2021 through Aug. 1 of this year it’s
issued nearly 34,000 visas for the applicants and their family members, which
it said was a substantial increase from previous years.
The report said the department has hired
more staff to process applications, coordinated with the Pentagon to verify
applicants’ employment, and eliminated some of the steps required of
applicants. But, the report said, there was more it could do. For example, the
report noted that a key position overseeing the special immigrant visa process
has seen frequent turnover and vacancies.
Source: tolonews.com
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-----
Mideast
Iranian foreign minister rejects
interference in Lebanese presidential election
NAJIA HOUSSARI
September 01, 2023
BEIRUT: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian said in Beirut on Friday that Lebanon’s presidential election
is an internal matter and that Tehran rejects foreign interference in the
country’s internal affairs.
He added that Lebanon’s leaders possess
the wisdom and competence to elect a president.
Amir-Abdollahian was speaking at a press
conference with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, and he urged
external support for dialogue among Lebanese factions to elect a president.
“We continue to support Lebanon, its
army, its people, and its resistance,” he said.
“We call on political forces to expedite
the agreement on electing a president and forming a new government.”
BACKGROUND
The Iranian foreign minister’s remarks
in Beirut came on Friday with Lebanon on the verge of completing a full year
without a president by the end of next month.
His remarks came with Lebanon on the
verge of completing a full year without a president by the end of next month.
Lebanon, long divided along sectarian
lines, has been hit both by a political void and a major economic crisis.
Parliament is split between Hezbollah
allies and opposition forces over the future presidency.
Speaking during the commemoration of the
45th anniversary of the disappearance of religious leader Musa Al-Sadr on
Thursday, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called on political forces to engage
in dialogue.
The speaker, whose Amal Movement is
closely aligned with Hezbollah, set a timeline of seven days followed by open
sessions to elect a new president.
During his speech, Berri did not mention
the Hezbollah-backed candidate Suleiman Frangieh, nor did he insist on
supporting him as he had in previous instances.
The opposition forces, predominantly
Christian parliamentary blocs, reject Frangieh.
Despite 12 election sessions, no faction
has managed to secure the necessary votes for their candidate to win.
A political observer described Berri’s
call for dialogue to reach an agreement as “political nonsense” as it
contradicts the constitution, which mandates electing a president rather than
appointing one.
Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif
Derian stated on Friday: “People are beginning to feel disappointed with the
majority of political leaders who insist on pursuing their personal interests
at the expense of the nation and citizens struggling to secure their
livelihoods amid political, economic, living, and social chaos.”
He added: “Sunni Muslims in Lebanon do not
have a specific project; they believe in the state.
“We only accept a strong, capable state
that cares for everyone. No one can replace it in safeguarding the nation and
its citizens.
“The state can only stand back on its
feet by addressing the crises we are facing through expediting the election of
a president.”
Derian said he believed that the
movement of envoys coming to Lebanon to help in electing a president would bear
no fruit unless the intentions of Lebanese officials were genuinely committed.
While some MPs from the Free Patriotic
Movement expressed support for Berri’s call for dialogue, lawmakers from the
Lebanese Forces Party and the Lebanese Kataeb Party rejected the invitation.
MP StridaGeagea said Berri’s stance was
a significant constitutional violation, as the constitution does not mention
consensus but elections.
Geagea called on the speaker to “convene
an open session in consecutive rounds, in accordance with the constitution, to
elect the country’s president.”
The leader of the Lebanese Kataeb Party,
MP Sami Gemayel, addressing Berri, said: “All the justifications you rely on
are invalid. Applying the constitution should not be used as a tool for
political blackmail.”
Gemayel said: “Parliament does not
belong to you; it belongs to the Lebanese people.”
On Friday, 110 judges decided to go on
strike after the end of the judicial vacation.
In a statement, the judges highlighted
the state’s “failure to cover their and their families’ healthcare and
educational expenses” as reasons for the industrial action.
They criticized the absence of suitable
working conditions that uphold “human dignity within the justice palaces.”
Lebanese judges received a decent salary
exceeding $5,000 per month, before the economic crisis engulfed the country, in
addition to healthcare and educational benefits.
With the collapse of the national
currency, their salary now barely reaches of $400 per month, while healthcare
and educational benefits have significantly diminished.
The assistance the judges used to
receive from the Mutual Fund has also ceased.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
US and Yemen sign cultural property
agreement
ARAB NEWS
September 01, 2023
LONDON: The US and Yemen have signed a
bilateral cultural property agreement that renews and extends protections for
Yemeni cultural property that were put in place in 2020 on an emergency basis,
the US State Department announced on Friday.
The deal was signed by US Assistant
Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield and
Yemeni Ambassador to Washington Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, accompanied by the US
Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking on Wednesday.
“The signing of this agreement is a
major milestone in the US-Yemen bilateral relationship and is a framework for
cooperation between the two countries to combat cultural property trafficking,
while encouraging its legal exchange for cultural, educational, and scientific
purposes,” the State Department said.
“The agreement builds on the United
States’ long-term collaboration to preserve Yemen’s cultural heritage through
US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation grants to NGO partners totaling
more than $550,000 and ranging from the restoration of historic buildings to
the preservation of ancient manuscripts,” the statement said.
The agreement also builds on the Biden
Administration’s support for a durable resolution to the Yemen conflict and
reaffirms US support for Yemeni sovereignty, it said.
The State Department affirmed
Washington’s commitment to protect and preserve cultural heritage around the
world and to restrict trafficking in cultural property, which is often used to
fund terrorist and criminal networks.
The US-Yemen cultural property agreement
was negotiated by the State Department under the US law implementing the 1970
UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit
Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
“With this agreement, Yemen joins 25
existing US bilateral cultural property agreement partners,” the department
said. “In addition, US emergency import restrictions remain in place on
cultural property from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Kurdish-led authorities announce curfew
in restive east Syria
AFP
September 02, 2023
BEIRUT: Syria’s Kurdish-led authorities
on Friday imposed a curfew in the eastern province of DeirEzzor, days after the
arrest of the chief of an allied Arab armed group prompted deadly clashes.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF) on Sunday arrested the chief of the DeirEzzor Military Council, a local
Arab armed group affiliated with the Kurdish force, triggering clashes which
have since left dozens dead.
“The DeirEzzor Military Council and the
Internal Security Forces announce a curfew... from 0500 AM (0200 GMT) on
September 2, for 48 hours,” the SDF said in a statement.
The statement said armed groups
affiliated with the Damascus government security services, as well as Daesh
group cells, were attempting to “cause civil strife in the region and lure
civilians into their dirty plans.”
Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, told AFP that Iran-backed Arab
fighters had taken advantage of the clashes to cross over from the
government-held part of the province into two Kurdish-controlled villages.
The Iran-backed fighters had clashed
with local Kurdish-led forces, with their leader publishing a video urging Arab
tribes to turn against Kurdish authorities.
The United States called earlier on
Friday on “all parties to de-escalate and peacefully resolve the situation.”
“The violence in northeast Syria must
cease,” said the US military’s Operation Inherent Resolve, which supports the
fight against remnants of Daesh.
In a statement late Thursday, the
Operation urged a renewed focus on efforts to bring “peace and stability in
northeast Syria, free from the threat of Daesh,” another name for Daesh.
“We remain focused on working with the
Syrian Democratic Forces to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh, in support of
regional security and stability. Distractions from this critical work create
instability and increase the risk of Daesh resurgence.”
The US-backed SDF spearheaded the
offensive that defeated the Daesh group’s self-declared caliphate in Syria in
2019. It controls a semi-autonomous Kurdish zone in Syria’s northeast,
including large parts of the DeirEzzor province.
The reasons for the arrest of the head
of the DeirEzzor Military Council, Ahmad Al-Khabil, also known as Abu Khawla,
have not been disclosed.
But the Observatory and a local activist
told AFP that he was known to run highly lucrative smuggling activities.
The Britain-based Observatory told AFP
54 people have been killed since the clashes broke out Sunday, mostly
supporters of Khabil and SDF members, but also six civilians.
The Kurds administer the area through
local civilian and military councils in an effort to stave off Arab discontent.
Some of the tribes had supported Daesh
during its bloody reign, according to the Observatory, which relies on a vast
network of sources inside Syria.
Syria’s war has killed more than half a
million people since it broke out in 2011 and quickly escalated into a deadly
conflict that pulled in foreign powers and terrorists insurgents.
Source: arabnews.com
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16 people, mostly Iranians, killed in
road accident in Iraq
2 September 2023
BAGHDAD: A road accident killed 16
people, mostly Iranian pilgrims, north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad overnight,
the state news agency INA reported Saturday.
The "horrible accident"
between Dujail and Samarra also injured 13 people, INA said, citing the toll
from Khaled Burhan, director of health services in Salaheddine province.
He did not detail the circumstances of
the crash but said most of the dead were Shiite Muslim pilgrims from Iran.
Almost exactly a year ago, on September
11, 11 Iranian Shiite pilgrims and their local driver died when their minibus
collided with a truck in Babil province, south of Baghdad, a health official
said at the time.
Millions of Shiite pilgrims, many of
them from Iran, head each year to the holy shrine city of Karbala for Arbaeen,
one of the world's biggest religious gatherings.
Arbaeen marks the end of the 40-day
mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein -- a founding figure in Shiite
Islam and grandson of the Prophet Mohammed -- by the forces of the caliph Yazid
in 680 AD.
More than 2.6 million pilgrims have
flown into Iraq or crossed its land borders since Arbaeen began this year,
according to figures issued on Friday by Iraq's interior ministry.
Road accidents are a recurring
accompaniment to Arbaeen, which concludes September 6-7 this year.
Conflict, neglect and endemic corruption
have left oil-rich Iraq's infrastructure, including roads and bridges, in
disrepair. Officials also say speed, mobile phone use and driving while
impaired contribute to crashes.
Last year in Iraq, road accidents
claimed the lives of more than 4,900 people, an average of 13 per day,
according to health ministry data.
Source:
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Palestinian shot in back of head puts
Israel's use of force under scrutiny
2 September 2023
BBC Middle East correspondent
The sound of a single gunshot echoes
around the street as a man in a white t-shirt runs away from where an Israeli
military jeep has been sighted.
In that instant, blood is seen spraying
above him and he collapses forwards.
Ameed al-Jaghoub, unarmed and apparently
rushing to help a wounded man, had been shot in the back of the head during an
Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank village of Beita.
Nearly a fortnight on, he remains
critically ill in intensive care.
Mobile phone footage of the moment the 33-year-old
was hit is among the clearest documentation in recent years of the use of
lethal force by Israeli troops against an unarmed Palestinian.
His case is the latest to be highlighted
by human rights groups, who say that casualty rates from what they describe as
"unjustified" use of force are at their highest in two decades.
It comes with the West Bank engulfed in
a crisis of violence involving a rising number of deadly attacks by
Palestinians against Israelis, growing mob violence by Israeli settlers, and
waves of lethal Israeli military raids into Palestinian cities.
Amid the clatter and grime of roadside
car workshops, while children grapple to race an adult bike downhill, the
street in Beita is still stained with blood. The village is depressingly familiar
with the West Bank's epidemic of suffering.
Doctors say Mr Jaghoub may not survive.
His family is praying for a "miracle" but knows if he lives, he will
be severely brain damaged. "This guy was hit to be killed," intensive
care specialist Dr Sufwan Fayyad told the BBC.
Troops raided Beita on 21 August to
detain a resident. According to locals, the forces believed the man's family
could know clues as to the whereabouts of a gunman who days before had killed
two Israelis - a father and son - at a carwash in the nearby town of Hawara.
That attack sparked a wave of military
detentions and intelligence gathering raids as troops searched for the suspect,
who remains at large.
Residents threw stones and broken
masonry at armoured troop carriers as they entered. Witnesses told the BBC that
Israeli paramilitary border police officers exited a jeep that had stopped at
the top of the street where Mr Jaghoub had joined a crowd of young men and
teenagers.
As he ran away from the area where the
troops were stationed, one shot him in the back of the head, said the
witnesses.
In the footage, Mr Jaghoub is seen in
the seconds before he is struck, heading towards a group lifting a wounded man
onto a stretcher.
Earlier, a member of the police special
forces had reportedly approached another resident, Mahmoud Elian, who says the
officer told him to "go and tell these children to get away from here
because I'm here to kill". He said the officer, who spoke to him in
Hebrew, repeated the phrase twice.
Israel's Border Police did not respond
to questions from the BBC about the claim.
Asked about Mr Jaghoub's case, the force
did not answer questions about specifically why he was shot. In a statement, it
said its troops faced a "violent riot" in Beita "that endangered
the lives of the security forces present".
It said: "As the riot increased,
[so] did the level of response by the security forces. Additionally, the forces
responded with .22 ammunition and live fire. Hits were identified."
At the family home, Mr Jaghoub's toddler
son Yanal is held by his grandfather. The family worries mostly for the
children. Mr Jaghoub is an electrician, who often crossed the military
checkpoints into Israel, where the pay can be up to five times that in the West
Bank.
"This is a cruel and a cowardly
act," Mr Jaghoub's father Ghaleb says. "Because he was on his way to
do a humanitarian act. He was not carrying a stone or a weapon or
anything."
"His children are young and do not
realise what is happening, but they ask about him all the time," he tells
the BBC.
His family says they have received calls
from human rights groups based in Israel, as well as the Israeli media after
footage of the shooting that has been circulated widely on social media. But
they doubt it will make any difference.
Despite reviews into similar incidents
being announced by Israeli forces, the overwhelming majority of cases do not
lead to prosecutions or meaningful accountability.
In Mr Jaghoub's case, the US State
Department, which has become unusually outspoken over some Israeli actions in
the West Bank, particularly in light of growing settler violence, said it was
"alarmed" by the report of "an Israeli shooting an unarmed
Palestinian civilian from behind as the latter was walking away from an Israeli
position". It called for a thorough investigation and "full
accountability".
Mr Jaghoub's brother Said, who has been
making daily trips to his bedside, says: "The world will do nothing for
us. We always appeal to the international community, but unfortunately the
Israeli attacks are increasing."
Beita found itself at the heart of the
West Bank's escalating violence in May 2021, when an Israeli settler group
established the nearby outpost of Evyatar, cutting off the Palestinian village
from part of its lands.
The settlers built the outpost in
apparent retribution for the murder of Yehuda Guetta, a 19-year-old yeshiva
student, who was shot dead by a Palestinian-American who came from a town 20km
(12 miles) away from Beita.
All settlements are illegal under
international law, although Israel disputes this. But outposts like Evyatar,
which often involve taking privately-owned Palestinian land, are also illegal
under Israeli law.
In the year after Evyatar's
establishment, Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians, eight of them from
Beita, during weekly protests against the outpost, according to the
Israel-based human rights group B'Tselem.
The village has already "paid a
massive price" for the growth of illegal settlement outposts in the Nablus
region, says SaritMichaeli, international advocacy officer at the organisation.
Likening it to the demonstrations around
Beita, she puts Mr Jaghoub's shooting down to the use of "open fire
regulations" by Israeli forces.
"It's important to stress this is
not an isolated incident… We're talking about a broad policy that is the use of
lethal force," she says.
"The fact that some people were
throwing stones [and] the claim that soldiers or border police officers were
involved in some sort of clash with Palestinians doesn't simply allow them the
authority to shoot an unarmed person in the head," she said.
Under international law, the use of
firearms by security forces against civilians is defined as a measure of last
resort and can only take place to stop an "imminent threat of death or
serious injury".
Israel routinely rejects the accusations
by rights groups, saying its forces operate to protect Israeli civilians and
lethal force is necessary against what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has
called a current "terror wave" in the West Bank.
At least 220 Palestinians in the West
Bank and Gaza, and 33 Israelis have been killed since the start of this year.
Source: bbc.com
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-----
Arab World
King Salman arrives in NEOM
September 01, 2023
NEOM — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Salman arrived in NEOM on Friday from Jeddah.
The King was accompanied by Prince
Khalid bin Fahad bin Khalid, Prince Khalid bin Saad bin Fahd, Prince Faisal bin
Saud bin Mohammed, Prince Dr. Hussam bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Governor of
Al-Baha Region, Prince Dr. Abdulaziz bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Turki bin Salman, and Prince Faisal
bin Ahmed bin Salman.
Several senior officials from the Royal
Court also accompanied the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
left Jeddah earlier Friday. — SPA
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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------
Saudi Arabia's Sabic teams up with
Sinopec to launch plant in China
Sep 01, 2023
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, the
Middle East's biggest petrochemicals company, and China Petroleum and Chemical
Corporation (Sinopec) have started the commercial operation of their new
polycarbonate plant in Tianjin city in China, Saudi Press Agency reported on
Friday.
The new production centre is situated
within the Sinopec-Sabic-Tianjin Petrochemical complex jointly owned by Sabic
and Sinopec.
Established in 2009, the vast Tianjin
petrochemical complex consists of nine manufacturing units that are designed to
produce polyethylene, polypropylene and other chemicals.
The production capacity of the new plant
is 260,000 tonnes per year, SPA reported.
Abdul Rahman Al Fageeh, Sabic’s chief
executive, said his company and Sinopec are pursuing mutual growth
opportunities that align with goals of the national programmes of Saudi Arabia
and China, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The value of the global petrochemicals
industry is projected to grow to about $800 billion by 2030, up from about $475
billion in 2020, according to Precedence Research.
Sabic is playing a key role in Saudi
Arabia's plan to reduce its reliance on oil exports.
It reported an 85 per cent annual drop
in second-quarter net profit as demand slumped and prices of its products fell.
Net profit after zakat and tax in the
three months to the end of June fell to 1.18 billion Saudi riyals ($314.5
million), Sabic said. Revenue during the period fell nearly 34 per cent to
37.17 billion riyals.
Despite current market challenges, Sabic
approved a cash dividend of 1.80 riyals per share for the first half of this
year.
Last year, the company announced plans
to set up a plant to convert crude oil into petrochemicals in Ras Al Khair, with
a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day.
In December, Sabic signed an agreement
with Oman’s state energy company OQ and Kuwait Petroleum International to set
up a petrochemical complex in the Sultanate.
Source: thenationalnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2023/09/01/saudi-arabias-sabic-teams-up-with-sinopec-to-launch-plant-in-china/
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Saudi Arabia's tourism surplus soars to
SR22.8 billion in Q1 2023
September 01, 2023
RIYADH — The Ministry of Tourism in
Saudi Arabia has reported impressive figures for the first quarter of 2023,
highlighting the remarkable turnaround in the country's balance of payments for
travel items. In contrast to a deficit of SR1.6 billion in the first quarter of
the previous year, Saudi Arabia now boasts a substantial surplus of SR22.8
billion during the same period.
This dramatic shift can be attributed to
the phenomenal growth in incoming tourism revenues, which surged by an
astounding 225% compared to the first quarter of 2022, reaching a staggering
SR37 billion, as per data from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).
This accomplishment signifies the
culmination of the ministry's unwavering commitment to bolstering the tourism
sector and its pivotal role in driving the national economy forward—an endeavor
that aligns seamlessly with the objectives outlined in the National Tourism
Development Strategy.
Data released by SAMA underscores the
substantial contribution of the tourism sector to the Current Account Balance,
a testament to the Ministry of Tourism's tireless efforts, backed by strong
support from the Saudi leadership. These efforts have positioned Saudi Arabia
among the top international destinations by implementing best practices in tourism
development, enhancing tourism services and products, and fostering continuous
collaboration with various government agencies to nurture the growth of the
Kingdom's tourism sector.
In recent times, Saudi Arabia has
achieved notable milestones in the tourism industry. The country has ascended
an impressive 16 places in the international tourism revenue index, ranking
11th globally in 2022, a significant leap from its 27th position in 2019.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia continued to excel internationally, welcoming
approximately 7.8 million tourists in the first quarter of 2023—an unparalleled
quarterly performance that represents a remarkable 64% growth compared to the
same period in 2019. Consequently, the Kingdom secured the second position
globally in terms of the growth rate of international tourists, according to
data released by the World Tourism Organization in May 2023.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/635428/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabias-tourism-surplus-soars-to-SR228-billion-in-Q1-2023
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Europe
‘Skyrim’ writer, now priest-in-training,
helped create religions in ‘Starfield’
Imogen Donovan
1st September 2023
The fictional religion Sanctum Universum
in Starfield features contributions from a former The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
writer who is now training to become a priest.
Religion acted as a conduit for
Starfield‘s themes of theology yet, as it is such a personal part of people’s
lives, the team was aware they might mistakenly offend players. In the game,
Sanctum Universum believes that God exists in the universe and that the Grav
Drive (that allows for interstellar travel) is evidence that He is encouraging
humans to find Him.
In an interview with Polygon, design
director Emil Pagliarulo shared that Bethesda reached out to one of their old
employees for a realistic perspective on a fictional religion.
“We actually had Shane Liesegang, who
was one of our writers [on Skyrim and Fallout 4] … He’s now studying to be a
Jesuit priest,” explained Pagliarulo. “We talked to him about: If we were to
make this real, this religion, what would we do? How would we write it?”
‘Starfield’ Credit: Xbox Game Studios
“And so he advised us and did some
writing for us, he wrote for the Sanctum Universum, and it really grounded it
in the believable,” continued the design director.
Films like 2001: A Space Odyssey,
Contact and Interstellar were used as inspiration too with their own individual
explorations about humanity’s curiosity in cosmic space.
On the other hand, the Enlightened of
Starfield is an organisation of atheists that deny the existence of a higher
power. Instead, their focus is the continual improvement of the standard of
life for humans in space, with numerous humanitarian and community outreach
programs across the Settled Systems that promote their mission.
Starfield‘s early access period is live
now for the Premium and Constellation editions of the game, and will launch on
September 6 for PC, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
In other news, Bethesda director Todd
Howard praised the developer’s fans as being the “smartest” in gaming, and
thanked them for all of their support over the years.
Source: nme.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/skyrim-writer-now-priest-in-training-helped-create-religions-in-starfield-3492101
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How Sinn Fein captured Northern
Ireland’s police force
2 September 2023
Policing any part of the United Kingdom
is a difficult enough task these days. Policing the part of it where the
national security threat is highest and the personal details of all officers
and staff are now likely in the hands of terrorists after an embarrassing data
breach is a whole other story.
We are talking about Northern Ireland,
where this week the Chief Constable inexplicably flip-flopped over a court
decision that said the PSNI unlawfully disciplined two junior officers. At
first Simon Byrne said he would accept the court’s decision, only to later this
week say he would launch an appeal. But his volte face is merely the
culmination of a series of preventable calamities that in any other
jurisdiction would see senior leaders picking up their P45s.
The court case – in the form of a
judicial review – over the discipling of two officers is notable. It seems to
be an official corroboration of views long held by Unionists that the senior
leadership of the PSNI is more concerned with appeasing Sinn Fein than standing
up for the welfare of its own front line officers and effectively enforcing the
law.
The case began in 2021. When Covid
restrictions were in place, two patrolling officers came across a commemoration
by republicans in a nationalist area of Belfast, who had gathered to remember a
massacre by Loyalist terrorists in February 1992 outside the Sean Graham
bookmakers.
The officers had apparently not been
briefed that the event was taking place and the crowd reacted to their presence
in a hostile manner. This resulted in one person being temporarily arrested for
disorderly conduct.
How the PSNI handled this incident has
now been starkly revealed in court proceedings. After extraordinary and
relentless pressure from Sinn Fein, the top brass agreed to suspend one of the
officers while transferring the other to different duties. A high court judge,
in a judicial review of the incident, found that senior police managers did
this to appease Sinn Fein, who they feared would withdraw consent for policing.
The judge ruled, therefore, that PSNI had unlawfully disciplined these two
officers.
If you’re wondering how on earth a
public law enforcement agency could effectively be blackmailed by a political
party, composed in part of former terrorists, you’ve not been paying attention
to the bizarre and morally bankrupt trade offs and compromises that keep
Northern Ireland’s semi-skimmed peace from curdling. There can’t be many places
in the world where the political oversight body for policing has a subcommittee
on police performance chaired by a convicted republican terrorist bomber who
spent his formative years trying to violently overthrow the state.
The price exacted by Sinn Fein for
participating in normal politics and endorsing the rule of law has been very
high indeed. Public institutions, particularly those created after the 1998
Belfast/Good Friday Agreement with a law enforcement purpose have been shaped,
and in some cases hollowed out, by a preoccupation with keeping republicans
inside the tent and not outside trying to burn it down.
That harvest is now delivering bitter
fruit. A month after the PSNI threw two officers under the bus for the sake of
the ‘peace process’ over 1,000 mourners turned out in Belfast for the funeral
of Bobby Storey, one of the IRA’s senior members. Coronavirus restrictions were
still in place. The cortege included the senior leadership of Sinn Fein north
and south of the border and took place at a time when ordinary citizens could
only be buried with a handful of mourners present. Indeed, eight other bereaved
families were denied access to the cemetery Storey was buried in. Despite clear
prior knowledge that a mass funeral would take place, there was no overt police
presence. And despite overwhelming evidence that this spectacle contravened
Covid regulations in place at the time, Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution
Service declined to press charges, partly on the ludicrous basis that the rules
were too complicated to understand.
The chief constable in place at the time
of the Sean Graham incident is the same person who was in charge during the
Storey funeral. He is the same person accountable for the catastrophic data
security breaches that have most likely put the personal data of the entirety
of the PSNI workforce into the hands of dissident republican terrorists. He is
Chief Constable Simon Byrne and if this was anywhere else in the British isles
he’d not only be considering his position he’d have the door held wide open for
him by ministers.
So what is to be done? If Byrne won’t
go, which would be the honourable course of action, then the Secretary of State
should consider radical reform of the police governance structures which bake
political interference into policing. The policing board which provides
oversight is dominated by politicians. This has to be changed. While political
representation is useful, the board needs a majority of carefully chosen lay
professionals and a strong independent chair. This would change the dynamics
away from pandering to sectarian bases and towards supporting impartial and
effective law enforcement without fear or favour.
Northern Ireland is still plagued by
polycriminals who have moved from terrorism to drug dealing on both sides of
its fractured society and operate in ghettos not much changed since the
Troubles. Getting these people off the streets and into prison would do more to
restore confidence in policing than the pious platitudes of the most human
rights compliant police service in Europe.
And what of the workforce? The Police
Federation, which represents the most junior ranks in the PSNI, registered its
disbelief and fury at the behaviour of Byrne, who said he fully respected the
court’s decision that he acted unlawfully against officers on Monday – only to
say an appeal was in play on Thursday. Would you pull on a uniform in the
morning knowing your personal data might be in the hands of terrorists and then
go to work (after checking your car for booby traps) for an organisation that sacrifices
junior cops for political expediency?
The PSNI was meant to be a new beginning
for policing in Northern Ireland that had the trust of the whole community. It
is hard to see how this contract can be maintained when constables have no
confidence in their senior leadership.
Yet the decent law-abiding citizens of
the Province need and deserve an effective police service. That is not one that
Simon Byrne or his political masters are equipped to deliver. He and they need
to go.
Source: spectator.co.uk
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https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-sinn-fein-captured-northern-irelands-police-force/
------
EU condemns Russian sham elections in
Ukraine's occupied territories
1 SEPTEMBER 2023
European Commission spokesperson Peter
Stano has condemned the sham "elections" being held by Russia in the
occupied territories of Ukraine.
"Russia has started early voting in
its illegal so-called 'elections' in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
This is a further massive violation of international law and Ukraine's
sovereignty," Stano tweeted.
"Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia,
Donetsk, Luhansk are all Ukraine! Those involved [in the fake elections – ed.]
will be held to account," he added.
Only the latest news, only the facts,
only the truth. Follow Ukrainska Pravda on Twitter!
On 15 June, Russia's Central Electoral
Commission designated 10 September as "election day" in the
temporarily occupied part of Ukraine, that is, Russian-occupied Donetsk,
Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
But "early voting" for
"parliaments" and "municipal councils" began in some
occupied territories at the end of August.
The European Commission has already
stressed that Moscow’s plans constitute a serious violation of the UN Statute,
as well as of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Ukraine.
Source: pravda.com.ua
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https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/09/1/7418113/
------
Pakistan
Army, LEAs & nation can never be
coerced by cowardly tactics of terrorists: COAS
September 01, 2023
Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir has
emphasized that Pakistan Army will continue to act as a bulwark against
terrorism to safeguard the nation from this scourge.
He made these remarks during his visit
to Bannu on Friday.
The Army Chief was briefed on the
ongoing operations and overall security situation.
General Asim Munir appreciated the high
morale and unflinching resolve of the troops.
While interacting with officers and
troops deployed in the area, he said the Army, Law Enforcement Agencies and the
Nation can never be coerced by the cowardly tactics of the Terrorists, who have
a misbelief that they can challenge the iron resolve of the soldiers and writ
of the State.
The COAS further said we have fought for
long and will continue to fight the menace of Terrorism till the end.
The Nation pays rich tribute to those
who have laid their lives and their sacrifices will forever be honoured.
He also visited the CMH Bannu to inquire
about the health and well-being of the injured soldiers.
Earlier on arrival, the COAS was
received by Commander Peshawar Corps.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/01-09-2023/nation-cannot-be-coerced-by-cowardly-tactics-of-terrorists-coas
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Major among three martyred in gun
battles
September 2, 2023
Ibrahim Shinwari
NORTH WAZIRISTAN/KHYBER: Three military
personnel, including an officer, were martyred in separate attacks in North
Waziristan and Khyber districts, according to the military’s media wing.
A statement by the Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR) said on Friday that two security personnel, including a major,
were martyred during an intelligence-based operation in Miramshah area of North
Waziristan.
The operation was being carried out on
the basis of intelligence reports about the presence of militants in the area.
As personnel closed in on the location,
“a party of terrorists was spotted and intercepted”.
In the ensuing exchange of fire, Major
Amir Aziz, who was leading the operation, was martyred along with a sepoy, the
ISPR added.
Major Aziz, 29, was a resident of
Sargodha while sepoy Mohammad Arif, 27, hailed from Sahiwal district.
One terrorist was killed, while another
was injured during the operation.
A sanitisation operation was being
carried out in the area to eliminate remaining terrorists, said the ISPR
statement.
In Khyber, a security official was
martyred and a militant was killed in an exchange of fire in Tirah valley, the
ISPR said.
The statement added that the exchange of
fire took place between security forces and militants on the night between
Thursday and Friday.
The forces “effectively engaged the
militants” at a hideout and gunned down one of them.
The deceased remained actively involved
in militant activities against security forces and killing of innocent
civilians, according to the statement.
The martyred soldier was identified as
36-year-old Havildar Muntazir Shah, a resident of Swabi district.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1773535
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Islamabad again urges Kabul to act
against terrorists
September 2, 2023
Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has once
again asked the interim Afghan government to act against “individuals and
entities that threaten Pakistan” and live up to its commitments with the
international community.
In her weekly press briefing on Friday,
FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “[I]t is their responsibility, their
international responsibility, their bilateral responsibility and their
trilateral responsibility as they have committed in the trilateral between
Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.”
She was replying to a question about the
caretaker foreign minister’s statement that the Afghan authorities have
“detained” some militants involved in attacks in Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban
have denied the claims.
Ms Baloch added that it was important
for the Afghan authorities “to take action against those individuals and
entities that threaten Pakistan.”
She also outlined the agenda of Prime Minister
Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s upcoming visits to Nairobi. The prime minister will
participate in the Africa Climate Summit, held from September 4 to 6.
The interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas
Jilani will accompany the prime minister, the spokesperson said, adding that
the visit was taking place at the invitation of Kenyan President William
SamoeiRuto.
The prime minister will outline
Pakistan’s perspective on the global climate crisis and “highlight our national
efforts to rebuild in a climate-resilient manner after last year’s devastating
floods”.
He will also emphasise the need for
enhanced climate cooperation to confront the common challenges posed by climate
change, said Ms Baloch.
PM Kakar was also expected to hold
bilateral meetings with his counterpart from Kenya and other high-level
dignitaries.
When asked whether the reinstatement of
a Kenyan police officer, allegedly involved in the killing of Pakistani anchor
Arshad Sharif will be raised by the PM, Ms Baloch said that “all aspects of
interest and concern to Pakistan will be discussed”.
Answering a question, she said
India-held Kashmir was an internationally recognised disputed territory, and
the final decision about the region has to be made in accordance with the UN
resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
“Any other process cannot serve as a
substitute to the grant of the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri
people,” she said, adding that Pakistan would continue to observe developments
in the occupied region.
“Pakistan’s position is very consistent
and clear that India must rescind its illegal acts of Aug 5, 2019, and create
an environment for peace and dialogue in the region,” she said when asked if
normalisation of ties was possible after any verdict by the Indian Supreme
Court, which is hearing a case on the status of held Kashmir.
Asked about a video in which a Muslim
boy was being thrashed in an Indian school, she said Pakistan had been
expressing concern over the plight of Muslims in India.
“There is an alarming increase in anti-Muslim
hate crimes in India and … [t]his incident is yet another manifestation of the
rising Islamophobia and communal hatred that is being promoted in India under
official patronage.”
She also condemned the recent statement
by the Indian external affairs minister and said Indian officials’ “delusions
of grandeur and their unhealthy obsession with Pakistan was incurable”.
Source: dawn.com
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the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1773566/islamabad-again-urges-kabul-to-act-against-terrorists
-----
Delimitation plan altered to hold polls
in January: ECP
September 2, 2023
Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD: In a significant move towards
the conduct of general polls “as soon as possible”, the Election Commission of
Pakistan (ECP) on Friday squeezed the timeline for delimitation of
constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies to complete the
exercise by Nov 30.
Informed sources told Dawn that the
decision paves the way for holding elections in the last week of January 2024,
unless the Supreme Court intervenes — with Jan 28 as the most probable date.
They said that in case of any practical difficulties, the election date could
move to Feb 4.
The decision to cut the duration of
delimitation exercise — which under the previously announced schedule was to be
completed on Dec 14 — was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
When asked what will the commission do
if the apex court intervened and directed it to drop the fresh delimitation
plan and conduct general polls in 90 days to meet the constitutional
requirement, a senior ECP official said: “We will comply with it [SC order].”
However, he said the ECP has yet to
receive a copy of the Supreme Court’s judgement rejecting the commission’s
petition seeking review of a verdict in a case relating to conduct of elections
in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following dissolution of the two provincial
assemblies.
“It was not for the ECP to wring its
hands and then bow under the weight of its own professed inability to persuade
or cajole the executive to obey the constitutional command of Article 220 and
pass an unconstitutional order of pushing forward the election by several
months,” observed Justice Munib Akhtar in a detailed judgement passed on Aug 4.
The ECP had filed a review petition against the judgement, but it was dismissed
by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
The verdict had noted that in case of
any difficulties, the ECP needs to seek relief from the apex court instead of
postponing the polls on its own.
Legal experts believe that the SC
judgement has laid down a principle which is bound to have implications for the
upcoming general polls, due by Nov 8 under the Constitution.
The ECP’s decision to squeeze the
timeline for delimitation is based on feedback from political parties and meant
to hold general elections “as soon as possible”, the electoral watchdog said in
a press release. “The election schedule will also be announced keeping in view
the amended delimitation schedule,” it added.
The decision was announced as a two-day
training for 26 members of the delimitation committees started at Pakistan
Electoral Academy for Democratic Practices, Research, and Management, ECP
Secretariat, on Friday. The training under the previous schedule was to
continue for four days.
“During the training, the participants
will learn the legal framework for delimitation of constituencies, along with
international standards of delimitation and principles of delimitation,”
according to the ECP.
Consultative meeting
The ECP held a consultative meeting with
a delegation of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) on Friday.
The meeting was chaired by CEC Sikandar
Sultan Raja. The secretary, members and other senior officers of the commission
attended the meeting.
The GDA delegation comprised Fehmida
Mirza, Dr Safdar Ali Abbasi, Kashif Nazamani and Ibn Mohammad. Sardar Abdul
Rahim and Irfanullah Khan Marwat of the GDA attended the meeting via a video link.
The delegation affirmed full support for
the commission’s new delimitation plan and said the process would serve as the
foundation for transparent elections. They said the delimitation process should
be completed according to the new census, and elections should be held after
the new delimitation.
They also suggested that electoral lists
should be revised so that the enrolment of new voters and deletion of the
deceased could be ensured to make the rolls more accurate.
The delegation said transfers and
postings of all provincial officers should be made in accordance with the ECP
directives. They regretted that despite letters written by the CEC to the
caretaker chief ministers, transfers and postings were not being made.
They also called for appointment of
impartial returning officers and suggested that if possible, district election
commissioners and officers from the federal services may be appointed as
returning officers.
The delegation insisted that the
commission must rigorously implement the action plan prepared for the polls.
Interestingly, the action plan stated
that the upcoming general elections will be held on the basis of old
delimitation.
The delegation asked the ECP to suspend
all local governments and appoint administrators to ensure transparency in
general elections.
On the occasion, the CEC said conducting
transparent elections under the Constitution and the law was the responsibility
of the ECP. He acknowledged GDA’s recommendations.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1773592/delimitation-plan-altered-to-hold-polls-in-january-ecp
------
PM reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to
further strengthen ties with Iran
September 02, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq
Kakar has reaffirmed Pakistan's strong commitment to further strengthen and
deepen ties with Iran.
Talking to Iranian Ambassador to
Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam in Islamabad, he stressed the need to focus on
enhancing cooperation in the economic and security domains.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar highlighted that the
recent inauguration of Mand-Pishin border marketplace would not only contribute
to economic uplift of the border areas but also serve as manifestation of the
collective commitment to work for the betterment of the two peoples.
On the occasion, the Iranian Ambassador
said Tehran is keen to build on the recent positive trajectory of the bilateral
relationship, especially in areas of economy, energy and security.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/02-09-2023/pm-reaffirms-pakistans-commitment-to-further-strengthen-ties-with-iran
------
ATC dismisses Qureshi’s interim bail in
2 cases
By Khalid Iqbal
September 02, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Judge AbualHasnatZulqarnain
of Anti-Terrorism Court, Islamabad, dismissed the interim bail of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi here on Friday.
The court dismissed the interim bail of
Qureshi in two cases, registered against him at the Khanna Police Station over
non-appearance.
The judge announced the decision after
hearing arguments from both sides. Earlier, Qureshi’s lawyer Ali Bukhari filed
two different pleas in the court, seeking an exemption from the court
appearance for one day and summoned notice for his client as currently he was
in jail in the cipher case.
Bukhari pleaded with the court to extend
the interim remand of Shah Mehmood Qureshi as he was in jail, but the plea was
dismissed.
Prosecutor General Raja Naveed opposed
the pleas and requested the court to dismiss the interim bail of the former
foreign minister.
Qureshi is currently in jail in a case
related to the cipher probe.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1106056-atc-dismisses-qureshi-s-interim-bail-in-2-cases
------
ATC sends Imaan Mazari on judicial
remand
September 02, 2023
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday
sent lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari on judicial remand and
sought comments on her post-arrest bail petition in a case alleging that she
had collected money for anti-state activities.
The lawyer had initially been granted
bail by the ATC in another case registered against her for participating in a
protest in the federal capital organised by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement.
However, she was arrested only hours later by the Islamabad police on a first
information report (FIR) registered at the Bara Kahu police station under the
Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Judge AbualHasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain
heard the case wherein the accused was produced after the end of her three-day
physical remand.
During the course of proceedings, the
prosecutor prayed the court to grant further physical remand of the accused for
investigation into the matter.
The court rejected the request, ordering
to send Imaan to jail on judicial remand.
The court also sought comments from
respondents till Sept 2 (today) on the bail petition of the accused. The court
also allowed the family members of the accused to meet her.
Lawyer Qaiser Imam said that Imaan’s
medical condition was deteriorating, requesting the court to keep her at
Islamabad's Women police station.
The court ordered that Imaan would be
kept in judicial custody at the Women police station in Islamabad till
Saturday.
On Wednesday, the Islamabad High Court
(IHC) restricted the authorities from taking Imaan out of the federal capital
while she was under arrest.
Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb heard
Imaan's plea seeking details of all disclosed or undisclosed cases against her.
Imaan's mother, former Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and federal human rights minister, Shireen Mazari,
appeared before the court along with her lawyers Salman Akram Raja and Qaiser
Imam.
The petitioner's lawyers stated that it
became necessary to file such a plea as two cases pertaining to terrorism and
sedition were registered against Imaan. She was arrested in both the cases and
acquired bail in both but as soon as she was released from Adiala jail, the
renowned human rights lawyer was arrested in a third case, the counsels
informed the court.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2433528/atc-sends-imaan-mazari-on-judicial-remand
------
Three soldiers martyred in two K-P
incidents
September 02, 2023
RAWALPINDI:
Three Pakistan Army soldiers were
martyred while two terrorists killed in two separate incidents in the Miranshah
and Tirah areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Friday.
In the first incident, two soldiers were
martyred and one terrorist killed in an intelligence based operation in the
Miranshah area of North Waziristan district.
According to a statement issued by the
Inter-Services Public Relations, the security forces conducted an IBO on the
reported presence of terrorists in the general area of Miranshah.
The military’s media wing added, “During
the conduct of the operation, a party of terrorists was spotted and intercepted
by Major Amir, who was leading the operation from front.
“Resultantly, one terrorist was sent to
hell while another was injured. However, as result of heavy exchange of fire,
two brave sons of the nation, Major Amir Aziz (age 29 years, resident of
Sargodha district) and Sepoy Muhammad Arif (age 27 years, resident of Sahiwal
district) having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat (martyrdom).”
The ISPR stated that sanitisation of the
area was being carried out to eliminate the terrorists present there.
Also read: Soldier martyred in gun
battle with terrorists in Khyber
“The security forces of Pakistan are
determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our
soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”
In the second one, a soldier embraced
martyrdom while thwarting terrorists’ attack in the general area of Tirah,
Khyber district in the wee hours of Friday.
According to the ISPR, on the night of
Aug 31 and Sep 1, a fire exchange took place between the army troops and
terrorists in Tirah.
The military’s media wing said, “The
army troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, resulting in the
killing of one terrorist who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist
activities against the security forces and killing of innocent civilians.
“However, during intense exchange of
fire, HavaldarMuntazir Shah (age 36 years, resident of Swabi district) having
fought gallantly, embraced shahadat.”
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2433560/three-soldiers-martyred-in-two-k-p-incidents
-----
Soldier martyred in gun battle with
terrorists in Khyber
September 01, 2023
A soldier of Pakistan Army embraced
martyrdom in a fire exchange that took place between own troops and terrorists
in general area Tirah, Khyber District last night, the military said on Friday.
A terrorist was also killed during the
gun battle after the security forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location,
military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a
statement.
The killed terrorist remained actively
involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces and killing
of innocent civilians, it said.
The ISPR said that during intense
exchange of fire, HavaldarMuntazir Shah, a 36-year-old resident of Sawabi
district, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom.
Sanitisation of the area is being
carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, it added.
The gun battle took place a day after
nine brave soldiers embraced martyrdom in a suicide attack in Bannu district.
Five soldiers also sustained injuries
when a motorcycle-borne suicide bomber exploded himself on a military convoy in
Jani Khel area on Thursday, according to ISPR.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2433553/soldier-martyred-in-gun-battle-with-terrorists-in-khyber
------
North America
Migrants from majority-Muslim countries
were unequally imprisoned in Del Rio, Texas
September 1, 2023
In Del Rio, Texas, federal prosecutors
have charged more than 200 migrants who crossed the border with violating an
obscure law. And here's what's odd. Even though less than 5% of the people who
cross the U.S.-Mexico border are from Muslim-majority countries, an LA Times
investigation finds that more than 60% of the people charged in these cases are
from those countries - places like Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and Mali. Journalist
HamedAleaziz did this reporting for the LA Times. Welcome back to ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED.
HAMED ALEAZIZ: Thank you for having me.
SHAPIRO: What is this almost-forgotten
law that people are being prosecuted under?
ALEAZIZ: Yeah. It's called 1459, and it
basically criminalizes anybody who crosses the border at not a formal
checkpoint, like a port of entry, and doesn't report their arrival. It really
stretches back to the late 1980s and was aimed at drug trafficking, not
controlling, necessarily, migration and asylum-seekers.
SHAPIRO: And people who are prosecuted
under this law were, in many cases, seeking asylum in the U.S. Instead, they
wound up pleading guilty and landing in federal custody. You tell the story of
two men from Afghanistan who crossed the border and then surrendered to Customs
and Border Protection. What happened to them?
ALEAZIZ: These men ended up spending
upwards of eight months in federal criminal custody. One of these men said, at
one point, while they were, you know, waiting to go in for a hearing in their
case, they looked around at the others who were charged with 1459 and the other
individuals who were asylum-seekers from Iran, Afghanistan and other
Muslim-majority countries. And they looked around, and they said, you know, why
are we the only ones being charged with this? Why are we the only ones being
detained like this? It was a harrowing experience for these individuals. And
they still, to this day, are confused about, you know, why this happened to
them.
SHAPIRO: Well, when you asked federal
law enforcement officials in Texas that question - why is this
disproportionately being used against people from Muslim-majority countries? -
what answer did you get?
ALEAZIZ: Officials said that they, you
know, prosecute cases based on the information that they have. And, you know,
they really didn't address the underlying data and the concerns that advocates
and their attorneys and the men involved have.
SHAPIRO: So you weren't able to get a
clear answer from the people enforcing this law, but do you have a sense of
what the reason might be?
ALEAZIZ: You know, we don't know. I
think the circumstances are quite interesting. I mean, the federal government
has long been concerned about potential terrorism from Muslim-majority
countries and especially any issues at the southern border. That has been a
focus. You know, obviously, our federal government has been focused on
terrorism for decades. So there's extra emphasis on, you know, individuals from
Muslim-majority countries generally. But one thing is clear - is that, you
know, after we went to the government with our preliminary data earlier this
spring, they stopped charging 1459 in Del Rio, Texas.
SHAPIRO: Well, what does it tell you
that when you presented this data to the government, the prosecution stopped?
ALEAZIZ: Well, it certainly raises some
questions. I think it's important to note that while the 1459 prosecutions did
stop in Del Rio, there has been a shift to that more typical, you know, more
historically commonly used charge - illegal entry, 1325 - in Del Rio. And
similarly, around 50% of the individuals being charged are from Muslim-majority
countries. Many individuals are receiving top end sentences of six months - the
max. So there seems to be some form of an effort here to continue prosecutions,
just not with that really obscure law.
Source: npr.org
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https://www.npr.org/2023/09/01/1197338451/migrants-from-majority-muslim-countries-are-unequally-imprisoned-in-del-rio-texa
------
Another Washington-area Mosque receives
threatening call
September 1, 2023
(RNS) — Thursday evening, The Islamic
Society of Baltimore mosque received a threatening call while the community was
preparing for an evening event, which it canceled shorty after. The call came
two weeks after another mosque, Muhammad Mosque, the oldest mosque in
Washington, was targeted by a bomb threat.
During the brief call answered by a
mosque employee, the individual referred to the 2019 attack on two mosques in
Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed 51 and injured 40, before saying they
would come to the Baltimore mosque.
“We increased security and we had our
local police team there,” said Hasan Hammad, president of the mosque. “Of
course people are worried and concerned because Islamophobia and hate on
Muslims are a real thing.”
The congregation held a prayer service
under high surveillance this Friday.
Zainab Chaudry, Maryland chapter
director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country’s largest
Muslim civil rights organization, said Thursday’s incident reflects “increased
animosity towards houses of worship and (the) Muslim community.”
In addition to the more credible threats
of the last month, numerous hoax calls targeting synagogues, churches and
mosques have been reported this summer.
The Washington mosque’s weekly Friday
afternoon service was interrupted and its congregants evacuated Aug. 18 after
the mosque’s leaders received a call saying a bomb had been left on the
premises. The incident was aired during the mosque livestream service. Once the
building had been cleared of the hundreds of people who had assembled for worship,
Metropolitan Police Department officers searched the building but found no
explosives. The service later resumed, but the incident was classified as a
“felony offense hate crime” by MPD.
Following its usual policy, the FBI
would not confirm whether or not it was investigating either case. “The FBI
takes threats to houses of worship very seriously (…) We work closely with our
local law enforcement partners to assess and respond to threats and keep our
community safe,” wrote the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office spokesperson in a
statement.
Since late July, 25 synagogues and two
Anti-Defamation League chapters have also received threatening calls using
“very antisemitic language,” said ADL spokesperson Jake Hyman in a CNN
interview.
In a statement released on Aug. 31, the
Council on American-Islamic Relations urged “religious institutions nationwide
to take extra security precautions” by applying to the Nonprofit Security Grant
Program, a Federal Emergency Management Agency fund available to support expanding
security measures at any nonprofit organization that is considered highly prone
to a terrorist attack. During the 2023 fiscal year, $305 million was made
available by the fund.
“We want to encourage our communities to
not live in fear (…) We refuse to let these cowardly attempts undermine our
commitment to our faith. We simply encourage everyone to be extra careful and
have vigilant practices and common sense,” said Chaudry.
The council also referred leaders to
their “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” guidelines, which
recommend equipping buildings with alarms, cameras and solid doors.
Source: religionnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://religionnews.com/2023/09/01/another-dmv-area-mosque-receives-threatening-call/
------
CAIR Visits Arkansas Mosque on National
Civil Rights Tour
Ismail Allison
September 1, 2023
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/1/2023) – On
September 1 and 8, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the
nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, plans to visit
the Islamic Center of Jonesboro in Arkansas as part of its National Muslim
Civil Rights Tour.
CAIR’s Director of Mosque Engagement
Ayman Aishat is scheduled to deliver the Friday sermon on September 1 and 8 at
the Islamic Center of Jonesboro. Aishat also plans to hold discussions with
community members after maghrib (sunset) prayer on the community’s needs and
how CAIR can best support them.
The Arkansas events are similar to
visits to others states CAIR’s National Muslim Civil Rights Tour.
WHAT: CAIR National Muslim Civil Rights
Tour in Arkansas
WHEN: September 1 and September 8 at
jummah and after maghrib
WHERE: Islamic Center of Jonesboro, 118
N Rogers St, Jonesboro, AR 72401
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government
Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National
Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR
National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280,
iallison@cair.com
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR esproteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.
Do you like reading CAIR press releases
and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of
defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by
making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you
make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable
goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
Source: cair.com
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the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-visits-arkansas-mosque-on-national-civil-rights-tour/
-----
US police officer kills pregnant Black
woman, unborn child
01 September 2023
Authorities in the US state of Ohio have
released footage captured by the police body camera showing a law enforcement
officer fatally shooting an unarmed pregnant Black woman.
The victim has been identified as
Ta’Kiya Young, 21, from Blendon Township, Ohio, who was about to give birth to
a daughter in November.
The video was released on Friday,
showing an officer standing by the driver's side of the woman's car outside a
grocery store.
The officer asks her to get out of the
vehicle. Young refuses to heed the call and instead starts to drive.
She is subsequently hit by a single
bullet fired by another officer, who is standing in the car's path.
Her car continues about 50ft before
grinding to a halt on the sidewalk outside the grocery store.
Officers broke the car window, pulled
Young out, and began medical assistance with the help of an emergency room
doctor who happened to be there, said the Blendon Township police chief, John
Belford.
Young and her unborn daughter, however,
did not survive.
"She was an unarmed pregnant mother
of two," said Sean Walton, an attorney for the Young family. "It goes
beyond the unjustifiable."
"It’s a large family and Ta'Kiya
has been snatched away from them," Walton said. "I think the entire
family is still in shock."
"She was so excited to have this
little girl," Young's grandmother, Nadine Young, told reporters on
Wednesday. "She has her two little boys, but she was so fired up to have
this girl. She is going to be so missed."
"I’m a mess because it’s just
tragic, but it should have never ever happened."
Belford claimed that the officers were
responding to a call by an employee from the grocery store, who had alleged
that a number of people were leaving the shop with stolen items.
Young was among them, according to the
employee. She had allegedly taken bottles of alcohol without paying.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/09/01/710066/United-States-police-kill-pregnant-Black-woman
-----
US judge to sentence two more Proud Boys
for Jan. 6 attack at Capitol
01 September, 2023
A federal judge will sentence two more
members of the far-right Proud Boys on Friday who stormed the US Capitol on 6
January, 2021, in a failed bid by then-President Donald Trump's supporters to
block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election victory.
The first Proud Boy to face sentencing
on Friday morning, Dominic Pezzola, did not play a leadership role in the group
and was the only defendant of five to be acquitted of seditious conspiracy. He
was convicted of other felonies including obstructing an official proceeding
and assaulting police.
The second defendant, Ethan Nordean, was
a leader of the group who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other
crimes.
Thousands of Trump supporters attacked
the Capitol following a speech in which the Republican falsely claimed that his
November 2020 election defeat was the result of widespread fraud.
Trump has continued to make those false
claims even as he leads the Republican race for the 2024 nomination to
challenge Democrat Biden.
Five people including a police officer
died during or shortly after the riot and more than 140 police officers were
injured. The Capitol suffered millions of dollars in damage.
The sentencing of Pezzola and Nordean
follows US District Judge Timothy Kelly on Thursday ordering two other former
Proud Boys leaders, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, to serve 17 years and 15
years in prison, respectively.
Biggs' term is just one year less than
the 18 years former Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes received earlier this
year.
The sentences for Biggs and Rehl were
far less than the 33-year and 30-year terms sought by federal prosecutors.
The government is seeking a 20-year prison
term for Pezzola and a 27-year term for Nordean.
Although Pezzola was found not guilty of
sedition, prosecutors said his assault on former Capitol Police Officer Mark
Ode, in which he stole Ode's riot shield and used it to smash at a window at
the Capitol, helps to justify a lengthy prison term.
"Pezzola's actions and testimony
leave no doubt that he intended to influence or affect the conduct of
government by intimidation or coercion," prosecutors wrote in their
sentencing memo. "He committed crimes of terrorism on January 6."
Pezzola's attorneys are asking for their
client to be sentenced to around five years in prison, and said in their
sentencing memo that he has already served about three years in jail awaiting
trial.
Nordean's attorney, Nick Smith, plans to
argue for a lower sentence within the range of 15-21 months.
"Nordean walked in and out of the
Capitol like hundreds of Class B misdemeanants," Smith wrote. "When
the government does distinguish Nordean's actions from any other January 6
defendant's, it relies on characterisation, not facts."
More than 1,100 people have been
arrested on charges related to the Capitol assault. Of those, more than 630
have pleaded guilty and at least 110 have been convicted at trial.
Former Proud Boys Chairman Enrique
Tarrio will be sentenced on 5 September. The government is asking for a 33-year
sentence.
Source: newarab.com
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https://www.newarab.com/news/us-judge-sentence-more-proud-boys-jan-6-attack
-------
Southeast Asia
No reason for DAP to amend constitution
as in line with Federal Constitution, Aziz Bari tells Nur Jazlan
By John Bunyan
01 Sep 2023
IPOH, Sep 1 — Perak DAP vice-chairman
Abdul Aziz Bari said there is no reason for the party to amend its constitution
as it was written in line with the Federal Constitution, especially pertaining
to issues related to Malay-Muslim rights.
The Tebing Tinggi assemblyman said that
DAP’s “Malaysian Malaysia” slogan in Clause II of its party constitution simply
means Malaysia belongs to Malaysians and nothing more than that.
“The problem with some Malays is they
think this slogan is the abolition of those positions including the special
position of the Malays.
“We have explained that those provisions
cannot be abolished; it’s above politics,” he told Malay Mail.
Abdul Aziz was responding to Umno
supreme council member Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who called on new ally DAP to
amend its party constitution in order for the federal government coalition to
gain support from Malay voters.
Nur Jazlan said Umno is having
difficulties in doing so due to the perception of DAP’s purported “extreme”
views on a secular state and “Malaysian Malaysia” slogan.
Abdul Aziz explained that DAP had signed
the “BukuJingga” during the time of Pakatan Rakyat, which consisted of three
major parties namely PKR, DAP and PAS.
The political manifesto had stressed
that Islam, the Malay Rulers, the national language, and the special position
of the Malays were non-issues.
“This has been reiterated under now
PakatanHarapan (PH) and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently said
publicly that DAP never raised issues of Islam or Malay agenda, let alone
objected it.
“More importantly, these are all
enshrined in the Federal and State Constitutions,” he said.
He reiterated that the provisions on
Islam, monarchy, national language, citizenship and special position of Malays
cannot be changed or abolished even with the full support of both Houses of
Parliament.
“This requires the consent of the Malay
Rulers in the Conference of Rulers. But we know who went around spinning the
lies about it in the GE14 campaign.
“The fact remains that the command of
the Malay language among DAP ministers such as Lim Guan Eng, Anthony Loke, Tony
Pua or V. Sivakumar is better than some Malay ministers.
“And it was Umno who contested in the
Malay-majority areas (under the unity government), not DAP,” he said.
Abdul Aziz also pointed out that it was
Umno leaders who once called for the abolition of powers vested in the Malay
Rulers (during the 1983 and 1993 crises).
“It was (then) Umno president Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad who raised the issue about Malay reserve lands which he
claimed had put the Malays in the same category of Red Indians in the United
States of America.
“DAP never went to this extreme,” he
stressed.
Abdul Aziz also told Nur Jazlan that he
should be aware that the Federal Constitution is centred on equality and not
privileges.
“This is evident in Article 8 of the
Federal Constitution. Privileges for the Malays and immunity for the Rulers are
exceptions.
“And the very nature of exceptions is
that they are rare and small in number.
“But, of course, the best way to shed
light on the issues raised by Nur Jazlan is through open debate,” he added.
On the matter of secularism, Abdul Aziz
said that the word “secular” itself is open to various interpretations.
“Certainly, DAP is not anti-religion and
having been in power at both the state and federal level since 2008, DAP has
shown that there is no reason for the Malays to be suspicious of DAP.
“Umno itself used to be a pragmatic
party espousing pragmatism as its ideology. Perhaps Nur Jazlan is not aware of
that, as Umno suddenly become a born-again Islamist party after losing five
states in the 2008 tsunami.
“Prior to that Umno was even against
hudud laws.
“Secular in the DAP context ought to be
understood as something practical rather than ideological; it seeks to avoid
religion being used and manipulated for political gain,” he explained.
Abdul Aziz also said that DAP used the
Federal Constitution as its benchmark and as part of the ruling coalition,
adding that the party is bound by the constraints of the Federal Constitution.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/09/01/no-reason-for-dap-to-amend-constitution-as-in-line-with-federal-constitution-aziz-bari-tells-nur-jazlan/88485
------
Glavin: Muslim conference pulls a
controversial speaker amid antisemitism accusations
2
Sep, 2023
Hadi Azmi
Presiding over the ceremony for a young
Hindu’s conversion to Islam at a mosque in Klang last month, Anwar Ibrahim
struck a nerve among Malaysians concerned the prime minister is increasingly
pandering to the country’s Malay-Muslim majority.
At the August 18 event, Anwar assisted a
man in uttering the shahada – the Muslim statement of faith – in Arabic, a
prerequisite for anyone joining Islam. His presence was unplanned; the mosque
asked him to join the ceremony after he had performed Friday prayers during a
visit to the families of victims of an air crash.
Still, as a video of the conversion
ceremony spread across the internet, the optics jarred with many non-Muslims.
“If I wanted an imam or qadi (sharia
judge) as PM, I would have voted for Hadi Awang!” former Malaysian ambassador
to South America and Canada Dennis Ignatius said on X, referring to the
president of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), who is a Muslim scholar and
preacher.
“Day by day [Anwar] disappoints and
dismays,” said Ignatius, who is of Indian descent.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
faced a key test of support in provincial polls last weekend. Photo: Bloomberg
Anwar was long associated with a
moderate brand of Islam and an inclusive Malaysia.
But far from acting as a bulwark to the
march of hardliners marshalled by a monoethnic, Islamist opposition, since
forming a unity government in November, he has made decisions that critics say
undermine that reputation by appealing to religious zealots whose footprint in
the Malay heartlands is widening.
His fledgling administration again lost
ground to religious hardliners led by PAS in state elections in early August,
despite running a campaign that was criticised for deferring to conservatism
and walking away from the reforms that had brought his coalition to power on
the back of its multicultural base.
Malaysia’s non-Muslim population – some
44 per cent of its 33.4 million people – is made up primarily of ethnic
Chinese, at around 6.7 million, and Indians at around 2 million, alongside
other smaller ethnic groups, particularly the Ibans in Sarawak and
KadazanDusuns in Sabah.
While Islam is enshrined as the state
religion under the constitution, that same document also guarantees the freedom
of religion for all.
But this settlement – in place since
independence in 1957 – is being tested.
In August, the PAS-led PerikatanNasional
coalition won 146 of the 245 seats contested in state elections, even making
inroads in the economic powerhouses of Penang and Selangor – with high
non-Muslim populations.
In the election run-up, Anwar’s
administration did its best to appeal to the Malay majority, experts say.
It cracked down on displays of LGBTQ
identity – including banning rainbow Swatch watches, which sullied the image of
his administration abroad. Anwar was also frequently pictured in the company of
international Islamic preachers in an outward show of piety.
Since the state elections, he has tried
what many say is impossible: appealing to the Malay heartlands while insisting
on maintaining the country’s multicultural make-up.
In his National Day speech on Wednesday,
Anwar touched on the sensitive issues between the country’s numerous diverse
communities and pledged to defend everyone’s rights.
“God willing, the unity government will
defend the rights of every people on this blessed earth,” he said.
Yet division abounds. Abdul Hadi Awang,
who has led PAS since 2002, has repeatedly made unsavoury statements towards
non-Muslims, saying they should be grateful to be “given a place” in Malaysia,
and accusing them of “ruining the country’s politics and economy” by being the
leading cause of corruption.
While campaigning for a by-election on
Sunday last week, Abdul Hadi told voters that they would be judged by God based
upon who they elected.
“When choosing leaders, it must be Islam
that leads,” he said. “Non-Muslims cannot [lead].”
While alarmed by the lurch to the right,
some non-Muslims say they understand Anwar’s outreach to conservatives,
detecting pragmatism instead of overzealous religiosity in his moves to assuage
the Malay majority, who account for two-thirds of voters.
“We all already know Anwar is quite
religious, but his policy is more moderate,” said a doctor of Chinese descent
in Kuala Lumpur, who only wished to be identified as Leong. “I also understand
how he is losing Malay trust, so he is doing it to regain it.”
Measured response
A recent policy that has been widely
talked about is the introduction of the “Imam al-Nawawi 40 Hadith” appreciation
module, which seeks to espouse to the country’s schoolchildren values from the
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.
Launched on August 19 by Education
Minister FadhlinaSidek, the module was meant as a remedy for growing extremism
among Muslim youth. But hazy messaging at its launch led some groups, including
the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism
and Taoism, to worry that it would later be introduced to all students.
Malaysian cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar
Ulhaque, popularly known as Zunar, poses prior to a book-launch event in Kuala
Lumpur. He has sometimes been in trouble
with the authorities over his work. File photo: AFP
Faced with a similar situation in late
2019, when non-Muslims objected to the government’s introduction into the school
syllabus of three pages of Arabic-derived Jawi writing that is used to
traditionally write Malay, the Chinese community this time around are wary of
jumping on the issue as sensitivities run high.
“It is really similar, the overreaction
over those three pages,” communications student Jacinta Chen told This Week in
Asia. “This time around, many felt that the Chinese-language media and
politicians shouldn’t similarly overreact.”
Pointing to a recent YouTube video on
the topic by BBK Network, a local channel popular with Mandarin-speaking
Malaysian youths, Chen said that many of them understood clearly that the
modules were a Muslim matter, negating the need for alarm among the Chinese
community.
“If this policy does not touch
non-Muslims, but the Chinese community makes it a big topic, are we not doing
the same thing, intervening in Muslim affairs?” asked one commenter Kenny Chin.
Political analyst Oh Ei Sun however said
that to many non-Muslims in Muslim-majority nations, Islamic piety was
inextricably linked with fundamentalism and extremism.
“So to them, they live in absolute and
constant and abject fear of at least being subject to what they view as utterly
irrational Islamic rule,” Oh said.
Reflecting on Malaysia, he said that at
this moment, fear was generated by the potential of a Malaysia ruled by PAS
rather than Anwar.
“But we simply don’t know how things
will evolve,” he said.
Anxieties are rooted in bitter memories
of what can happen when communities collide. Chinese and Malay-Muslims clashed
in May 1969 in the worst racial violence in the history of Malaysia.
The Indian community meanwhile says it
is increasingly unrepresented by the two major coalitions, with no strong
presence in PerikatanNasional, and feeling sidelined in Anwar’s PakatanHarapan,
where the focus has been more on Malay-Muslims and Chinese voters.
“I feel like we have to shout louder to
get attention these days,” said Michael Veerapan, an engineer in Klang. “Many
issues involving the Indians are still up in the air; statelessness, death in
detention, education.”
Key leaders in the community such as
Charles Santiago, an outspoken human rights activist and parliamentarian, and
Penang’s former deputy chief minister P. Ramasamy have both been dropped by
PakatanHarapan in recent elections.
While Malaysian politics has been in
turmoil in recent years, Anwar’s position appears to be secure with major
elections out of the way, and bolstered by the anti-party hopping law that
prevents elected MPs from reneging on their support of the prime minister, a
move that toppled his three predecessors.
Rama Ramanathan, a spokesman for
Citizens Against Enforced Disappearances who was recently in the Facebook
spotlight for saying that he hoped to study “Imam al-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith” module
to help him “understand Islam better”, said Anwar was in an unenviable position
with having to juggle the concerns of the varied communities that make up
Malaysia.
“Being everyone’s prime minister means
also being the prime minister for Muslims,” said Rama, who also advocates for
police reform in Malaysia.
Source: scmp.com
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3233070/malaysias-anwar-ibrahim-reaches-out-malays-muslims-can-he-be-everyones-pm?onboard=true&firstTimeRegister=true
------
Besut police say three men feared lost
on GunungTebu
02 Sep 2023
JERTIH, Sept 2 — Three men are feared
lost after failing to descend while climbing Mount Tebu in Jabi near here,
yesterday.
According to Besut deputy police chief
DSP AzrolAnuar Nor, the climbers, aged between 23 and 33, were said to have
left their respective homes in Kuala Terengganu last Thursday.
“The police received a report about the
three men from the mother of one of them at 12.50 pm yesterday after she
received a call from her son informing that he and his friends were lost on
GunungTebu.
“Following that, a search was mounted at
3.30pm yesterday,” he said in a statement today.
AzrolAnuar said the search and rescue
(SAR) operation was however halted at 6 pm yesterday as it was raining and
getting darker, but resumed at 8 am today.
To facilitate the SAR, he said, the foot
of the mountain, involving HutanLipurLataBelatan, has been closed for the day.
The search and rescue operation involved
the police, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Civil Defence Force and the
mountain guides. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Five family members killed, two survive
in accident involving trailer in Segamat
02 Sep 2023
JOHOR BARU, Sept 2 — Five individuals,
including two girls, believed to be all from the same family, were killed in an
accident involving a trailer and two cars at JalanSegamat-Kuantan, near Taman
Yayasan, Segamat, yesterday evening.
Bandar BaruSegamat Fire and Rescue
Station chief, Snr Asst Fire Supt Mazuki Ismail said two fire engines and an
emergency medical rescue services vehicle with 15 personnel rushed to the scene
of the accident, involving a Scania trailer, a PeroduaAlza and a PeroduaBezza,
after they received a distress call at 6.33pm.
The five killed were in the PeroduaAlza,
a man, 46, two women, two girls, 10 and 13, believed to be the parents and
their children, he said, adding that two more victims, both boys, 15 and five,
in the vehicle were injured.
“The trailer driver was also injured,
while the three women in the PeroduaBezza were unhurt,” he said in a statement
last night.
The bodies of the victims and those
injured were sent to the Segamat Hospital, and the rescue operation ended at
9.34pm, he added. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Five more arrested over fatal shooting
case in Kapar
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI
02 Sep 2023
KLANG: Five more men have been detained
in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in Kapar.
North Klang OCPD AsstComm S. Vijaya Rao
said suspects aged between 30 and 40, were detained around Kapar between 11pm
on Friday (Sept 1) and 5am on Saturday (Sept 2).
"They have been remanded until
Tuesday (Sept 5). This brings the total number of suspects to six," he
said when contacted on Saturday.
He added the motive for the murder was
still being investigated.
It was previously reported that a man in
his 20s was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting on Friday.
On Aug 30, a 36-year-old man with a
history of drug and criminal related offences was found dead with gunshot
wounds along Jalan Hamzah Alang 22/KU9.
Witnesses told police that they had
heard sounds of gunfire and that there had been a small traffic accident along
the scene as well.
Videos of the shot victim had been
shared on social media, with them showing the victim on the ground, and of a
crashed motorcycle.
Source: thestar.com.my
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Stop playing victim, drop ‘Malaysian
Malaysia’ slogan, MCA veep tells DAP
02 Sep 2023
PETALING JAYA – The MCA today joined
Umno in urging DAP to drop the “Malaysian Malaysia” slogan from its party
constitution to gain support from Malay voters.
“You may have won over most Chinese and
Indian voters, but sadly, the elephant is still in the room. You are still
rejected by the Malays, who are the dominant race in the country.
“You (DAP) have also openly admitted
that there is a ‘green wave’, where the Malays, including a majority of the
civil servants, are running scared of DAP.
“This is despite assurances from DAP and
PH leaders that it (PakatanHarapan) is a party for all races,” said MCA
vice-president Senator Datuk Seri TiLian Ker.
Recently, Umno Supreme Council member
Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the Malays were hesitant to fully support DAP
because of its secular state agenda, which “contradicts Islamic and Malay
principles”.
He claimed that Malay voters in Selangor
and Johor told him that they could not accept DAP’s political stance as they
were made in the interest of the Chinese community.
However, they do not have the same views
about MCA as the BarisanNasional component party is not as “extreme”, and also
because Umno is the dominant force in the coalition.
“You are not a punching bag but in fact
hold the biggest punches, so why are you playing victim and not standing up to
address the issues and political challenges in front of you?
“Do not run away from your
responsibilities and stop playing the victim and be transparent to the rakyat
and not sidestep questions and concerns from voters,” said Ti.
He said Malaysians were genuinely
appealing to the DAP and it is time the party stopped ignoring the obvious.
“Do not ignore the repeated calls and
try hiding behind the unity government. We are mature enough to recognise what
needs to be done and to address it,” he added. – The Vibes, September 2, 2023
Source: thevibes.com
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https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/98419/stop-playing-victim-drop-malaysian-malaysia-slogan-mca-veep-tells-dap
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Africa
Sudan conflict poses long-term societal
harm as recruitment of child soldiers surges
September 01, 2023
ROBERT BOCIAGA
NAIROBI, Kenya: Child soldiers are being
recruited by both sides in Sudan’s ongoing civil war, a cruel practice that
threatens to destroy the fabric of the country.
Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, is now a war
zone where child soldiers are actors in a nightmarish script. Recent clashes
between the Rapid Support Forces and El-ShajaraArmored Corps have exposed the
horrors Sudanese children must endure, with witnesses reporting instances of
child soldiers fighting on both sides.
The scope of child soldier recruitment
in Sudan is alarming. Stories from across various regions reveal a systematic
pattern of exploitation transcending both tribal lines and political
affiliations.
The two main warring factions in the
country, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF are implicated. Witness
testimonies depict a disturbing narrative of coercion, fear, and manipulation,
in which children are often forced into combat against their will or lured with
promises of material or monetary gain.
“The root causes of child soldier
recruitment in Sudan are multifaceted,” Ahmed Gouja, a journalist from the town
of Nyala in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region, told Arab News.
Severe and widespread poverty has driven
many children into the arms of the militias.
“Young people, often lacking access to
basic necessities like food and a promising future, find themselves drawn to
armed groups as a means of survival,” Gouja said.
Gouja personally knows many young men in
Nyala who have joined the RSF. Two of his cousins have already joined the
paramilitary group’s ranks; both are under 18, and neither has even completed
their primary education.
The Darfur Bar Association is sounding
the alarm about increasing child soldier recruitment in the war-ravaged African
country. They explained that the RSF lures recruits using a combination of
“money” and “false promises.” The paramilitaries have recruited children as
young as 14 using these tactics.
“Such actions are considered war crimes,
irrespective of whether conflicts are international or non-international,” the
organization said in a recent statement.
Despite that reality, conditions in
Sudan are ripe for recruiting underage soldiers.
According to the UN International
Children’s Emergency Fund, over one million children have been displaced by the
fighting in recent months. Worse still, hundreds have lost their lives and
thousands more suffered injuries.
There have also been reports of
children’s bodies in mass graves and of sexual violence perpetrated against
young girls.
The conflict has not spared civilian areas.
Schools remain closed, children’s institutions have come under attack, and even
vital healthcare facilities are subjected to looting and destruction. These
dire circumstances make it harder for humanitarian agencies to provide
much-needed aid to Sudan’s embattled civilian population.
The situation in El-Shajara is
demonstrative of the mortal wound this conflict has afflicted upon Sudan. The
name once belonged to a peaceful area along the White Nile in southwest
Khartoum.
Since the onset of this conflict,
however, El-Shajara is now associated with violence and despair. As warplanes
soar overhead and explosions shatter the air, the echoes of a once-thriving
neighborhood are drowned out by the cacophony of battle.
El-Shajara’s surreal transformation in
the space of mere months serves as a grim testament to how conflict can rewrite
the very geography of a nation.
The cynical and widespread use of child
soldiers in this conflict will also have a negative and lasting impact on the
African nation’s societal norms and values long after the guns eventually fall
silent.
Experts explained to Arab News how
manipulating children and exploiting their innocence to transform them into
instruments of destruction is not merely a cynical war tactic, but a strategic
assault on the very fabric of society.
“Child soldiers are used to break down
societal trust relations, as the whole idea of children becoming actors of
killing, pillage, and destruction affects public psychology in a particular way
that is much deeper and impactful,” Alpaslan Ozerdem, dean of the Jimmy and
Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, told Arab News.
“Conflict parties tend to see child
soldiers as dispensable and force them to act in some of the cruelest aspects
of their violence, as they tend to carry out orders without question,” Ozerdem
said.
He added that children can also
infiltrate communities without raising much suspicion, which can also influence
some of the violent strategies employed in such environments.
For Gouja, the journalist from Nyala,
“the recruitment isn’t driven primarily by tribalism as one might expect, but
rather by the education system’s influence and the ideological mindset present
in the country.”
He also stressed that “tackling poverty
is crucial; and offering better prospects for a future outside armed groups can
weaken their appeal.”
Nevertheless, other observers maintain
that tribal pride plays a vital role in the Sudan conflict, with children
coerced into joining armed groups to prove their machismo.
Over time, these children develop deep
loyalties for their commanders and undergo profound psychological manipulation.
The socialization processes that unfold after induction become the adhesive
binding these fragmented lives into a cohesive group.
The harrowing truth is that
psycho-social assistance is often a distant prospect for these child soldiers.
Even when integrated into formal reintegration processes, access to such help
remains limited.
More troublingly, these children are
unlikely to opt for psychological support when offered, given the false
perception that such help is an affront to the very masculinity they are being
forced to adopt and prove.
“Central to the discourse of child
soldier reintegration is the delicate balance between recognizing their agency
and avoiding the pitfalls of infantilization or demonization,” Ozerdem said.
In his view, the pendulum swings between
perceiving these children as vulnerable and powerless and deserving of
protection to fearing their potential for violence and harm, thus viewing them
as a threat.
“This dichotomy shapes reintegration
policies, often casting them either as passive victims or imminent threats,”
Ozerdem added.
Most importantly, these dire
circumstances are often exploited to create a narrative that paints these
conflict zones as places where the very essence of humanity is lost.
“This narrative further perpetuates a
divisive dichotomy, pitting the image of ‘uncivilized locals’ against the
perception of benevolent ’guardian angels’ from the West,” Ozerdem said.
“This framing not only oversimplifies
the complex dynamics of these conflicts but also amplifies a sense of urgency
within the international community to justify their military interventions.”
More generally, the use of child
soldiers in armed conflicts is a distressing phenomenon that continues to haunt
regions plagued by disorder and unrest.
The cruel practice has gained alarming
traction in Africa, in particular. From the Central African Republic to
Nigeria, the presence of child soldiers is a tragic constant in the continent’s
many conflicts.
The continent, particularly Sudan, has
been a focal point for this disturbing trend, leaving scars not only on the
young lives entangled in the chaos and conflict but even on the collective
conscience of the world.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2365846/middle-east
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Pope praises Mongolia’s tradition of
religious freedom from times of Genghis Khan at start of visit
September 02, 2023
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia: Pope Francis on
Saturday praised Mongolia’s tradition of religious freedom dating to the times
of its founder, Genghis Khan, as he opened the first-ever papal visit to the
Asian nation with a plea for peace and an end to the “insidious threat of
corruption.”
Francis met with President
UkhnaagiinKhurelsukh inside a traditional Mongolian ger, or round yurt, set up
inside the state palace, and wrote a message in the guest book that he was
visiting Mongolia, “a country young and ancient, modern and rich of tradition,”
as a pilgrim of peace.
“May the great clear sky, which embraces
the Mongolian land, illuminate new paths of fraternity,” he wrote.
Francis is visiting Mongolia to minister
to its young Catholic community of 1,450 and make a diplomatic foray into a
region where the Holy See has long had troubled relations, with Russia to the
north and China to the south.
While Christianity has been present in
the region for hundreds of years, the Catholic Church has only had a sanctioned
presence in Mongolia since 1992, after the country abandoned its Soviet-allied
communist government and enshrined religious freedom in its constitution.
In his remarks, Francis praised
Mongolia’s tradition of religious liberty, noting that such tolerance existed
even during the period of the Mongol Empire’s vast expansion over much of the
world. At its height, the empire stretched as far west as Hungary and remains
the largest contiguous land empire in world history.
“The fact that the empire could embrace
such distant and varied lands over the centuries bears witness to the
remarkable ability of your ancestors to acknowledge the outstanding qualities
of the peoples present in its immense territory and to put those qualities at
the service of a common development,” Francis said. “This model should be
valued and re-proposed in our own day.”
Francis, however, noted the need to
combat corruption, an apparent reference to a scandal over Mongolia’s trade
with China over the alleged theft of 385,000 tons of coal. In December,
hundreds of people braved freezing cold temperatures in the capital to protest
the scandal.
Francis warned about the threat represented
by today’s consumerist spirit and said religions can help guard against an
“individualistic mindset that cares little for others and for sound,
established traditions.”
“At the same time, they also represent a
safeguard against the insidious threat of corruption, which effectively
represents a serious menace to the development of any human community;
corruption is the fruit of a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that has
impoverished whole countries,” he said. “It is a sign of a vision that fails to
look up to the sky and flees the vast horizons of fraternity, becoming instead
self-enclosed and concerned with its own interests alone.”
The Mongolian government has declared
2023 to be an “anti-corruption year” and says it is carrying out a five-part
plan based on Transparency International, the global anti-graft watchdog that
ranked Mongolia 116th last year in its corruption perceptions index.
Later Saturday, Francis was to meet with
the priests and missionaries who tend to the country’s tiny Catholic community
at the capital’s St. Peter and Paul Cathedral.
Source: apnews.com
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https://apnews.com/article/pope-mongolia-corruption-98740116fdfefb395683b9b28c7e8c3c#:~:text=ULAANBAATAR%2C%20Mongolia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,to%20its%20tiny%20Catholic%20flock.
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Report reveals how Zamfara officials
allow terrorists participate in Hajj, embezzle funds – Official
Mohammed Babangida
September 2, 2023
Officials of the Zamfara State 2023 Hajj
committee deliberately allowed known terrorists participate in the just
concluded hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia, a government report has revealed, according
to an official.
The report also accused some of the
officials of embezzling funds, not having proper documentation, criminal
reduction of pilgrims’ allowances among other corrupt practices.
This revelation comes five weeks after
PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how security agents apprehended terrorists,
their wives as well as some informants working for the terrorists at the Sultan
Abubakar III International Airport in Sokoto after returning from Saudi Arabia.
A 2023 hajj delegation committee inaugurated
by the state government has, in a detailed report reviewing the just concluded,
exercise submitted this to the state governor, DaudaLawal, on Thursday.
The committee recommended a
comprehensive overhaul of the state’s Hajj Commission (ZAHCOM), the official
said.
The chairman of the committee, Musa
Mallaha, reportedly told the governor that apart from allowing criminals to
participate in the annual hajj exercise, officials of ZAHCOM also contrived
various ways of diverting government and pilgrims’ funds.
“Among the challenges reported by the
delegation are the lack of proper documentation and record-keeping systems and
lack of compliance among the local government areas.
“Some other challenges include poor
screening processes, allowing criminals to participate in hajj exercise, issues
with the BTA allowance including criminal reduction in the amount and diversion
of funds as well as operation of numerous bank accounts, leading to confusion
and potential misuse of funds.
“The report recommended a total overhaul
of the Zamfara Hajj Commission (ZAHCOM).
“While receiving the report, Governor
Lawal expressed dismay on the actions of some staff of ZAHCOM over misuse of
pilgrims’ and public funds including large numbers of missing pilgrims’
deposits and financial scandal,” Sulaiman Idris, the governor’s spokesperson,
told PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr Idris said the report covered various
aspects of the hajj exercise including membership of committees, staff
strength, financial expenditures and verification of pilgrims’ deposits.
“The delegation’s report also
highlighted notable achievements, including the successful airlifting of the
3102 pilgrims back to Nigeria, coordination with the National Hajj Commission
of Nigeria and the establishment of sub-committees that facilitated smooth
operations of the exercise,” he said.
Mr Idris said while receiving the
report, the governor reiterated his administration’s readiness to implement the
recommendations of the committee.
He said the governor assured that within
the coming days, he will take necessary actions.
Source: premiumtimesng.com
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Algerian coastguards kill two tourists
holidaying in Morocco
September 1, 2023
Algerian coastguards shot dead two
tourists on holiday in neighbouring Morocco on Tuesday when their jet skis
reportedly strayed across the maritime border between the two countries,
Moroccan media reported on Friday.
Bilal Kissi, who lived in France, his
older brother Mohamed, their Moroccan cousin AbdelaliMechouar, and a friend
SmailSnabe, had gone jet skiing from the popular beach resort of Saidia.
Bilal’s brother was the only one to make
it home. He says he was picked up by the Moroccan navy who took him back to the
marina.
"They (the Algerians) - said we
were fleeing but it wasn't true. We were trying to talk to them. The shooting
continued, five bullets hit my brother and my friend,” said Mohamed Kissi.
“My other friend's jet ski was hit by a
bullet. The black (Algerian) dinghy overturned a friend's jet ski and they took
him with them."
Moroccan media are reporting that Snabe,
also French-Moroccan, was arrested by the Algerian coastguard and appeared
before a prosecutor on Wednesday.
Moroccan media reported on Friday that
Mechouar's body was still in Algeria and that the prosecutor's office has
opened an investigation into the incident.
The incident comes against the backdrop
of increased tensions between the two countries over the disputed territory of
Western Sahara.
The border between the North African
neighbours has been closed since 1994. Algiers severed ties with Rabat in 2021.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/09/01/algerian-coastguards-kill-two-tourists-holidaying-in-morocco/
------
African Union "suspends" Gabon
with immediate effect
September 1, 2023
The African Union announced Thursday the
suspension with immediate effect of Gabon, where soldiers overthrew President
Ali Bongo Ondimba on Wednesday.
The continental organization
"strongly condemns the takeover of power by the military in the Republic
of Gabon", announced the AU in a press release published on X (formerly
Twitter).
The organization's Peace and Security
Council "decides to immediately suspend Gabon's participation in all
activities of the AU, its organs and institutions" , the press release
continued.
The meeting was chaired by the
Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union, the Nigerian
BankoleAdeoye, and the current holder of the rotating presidency of the
council, the Burundian Willy Nyamitwe.
On Wednesday, the chairperson of the
African Union commission, Moussa FakiMahamat, "strongly" condemned
what he described as "the attempted coup" in the oil-rich central
African country Gabon. which had been run for over 55 years by the Bongo
family.
Putschist soldiers announced on
Wednesday that they had "put an end to the regime in place" in Gabon
and had placed President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power for 14 years, under house
arrest, just after the official announcement of his victory in the presidential
election held on Saturday.
Moussa FakiMahamat also called on the
Gabonese army and security forces “to guarantee the physical integrity” of Ali
Bongo Ondimba.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/09/01/african-union-suspends-gabon-with-immediate-effect/
------
African coups expose and unravel a web
of Western meddling
1 Sep, 2023
French prosecutors have just charged
former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who spearheaded Western support for
the overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, over alleged Libyan
financing of Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign.
Time sure does fly! It seems like it was
just yesterday that the Libyan leader was visiting Sarkozy at the Élysée in the
wake of Sarkozy’s 2007 election victory, insisting on making himself
comfortable in a traditional Bedouin tent on the lawn of the lavish state guest
house. Sarkozy had made a trip to Tripoli himself just a few months earlier, barely
weeks after taking office. His spokesman called France and Libya’s
anti-terrorist cooperation a “longtime common combat.” But suspicions about
Sarkozy’s motives for leading the regime change charge arose in 2012, when
Libyan intelligence officials implicated French agents in the capture and
killing of Gaddafi in October 2011, alleging a cover-up related to Sarkozy’s
2007 election campaign. Anonymous European officials also started singing the
same tune to the Western press.
When former US president Barack Obama
took office in 2009, Paris insiders said that, given his focus on containing
China, Obama delegated much of Africa to the French and Brits – who promptly
screwed things up. And Obama was still talking about those screwups in 2016
when he told The Atlantic in an interview that he “had more faith in the
Europeans, given Libya’s proximity, being invested in the follow-up,” in the
wake of the French- and UK-backed coup against Gaddafi.
Obama underscored, in the same
interview, just how easy it was to “purchase France’s involvement in a way that
made it less expensive for us and less risky for [America]” – just by allowing
Sarkozy to take credit for the coup. The idea that France or a French president
can be “purchased” seems relevant here.
These events in Libya should also raise
questions about the recent coup in Gabon and the role of France in creating the
conditions that ultimately gave rise to it.
As with Libya and Gaddafi, Sarkozy also
seemed to have an odd fixation with Gabon, making three visits to the country
between his election in mid-2007 and February 2010, including shortly after Ali
Bongo took power in 2009, with 42% of the vote, in the wake of his father
Omar’s death. Kind of weird for a French president whose predecessor, Jacques
Chirac – who loved Africa so much he built the Musée du Quai d’Orsay in tribute
to it – had lamented his lack of interest in the continent.
“The main interest of my trip is to
reaffirm loyalty. I want to show that France is faithful,” Sarkozy said during
one of those visits to Gabonese President Ali Bongo in 2010. In the wake of
these new corruption charges, it seems that French “loyalty” in the case of
Libya may have been tied directly to French presidential or special interests.
And, by some accounts, that could also be the case with Gabon.
In December 2010, The Guardian, citing a
US diplomatic cable dated July 2009 and published by WikiLeaks, reported that
then-president Omar Bongo and other Gabonese officials had embezzled billions
of funds from the pooled reserves of six African countries at the Bank of
Central African States “for their own enrichment and, at Bongo’s direction,
funnelled funds to French political parties, including in support of French
President Nicolas Sarkozy.”
When all these special interests and
shenanigans are taken into account, it makes it difficult to take today’s
French proclamations related to coups in Africa at face value.
France “condemns the military coup that
is under way in Gabon,” said government spokesman Olivier Veran earlier this
week, as military officers took over the former French colony in the same way
they have recently in Niger, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Chad. Yet another
big win for another French military stability mission, this time involving 400
“permanent” in-country troops. Or maybe not so permanent, after all. Perhaps
the audacity of considering any foreign presence to be permanent is a
non-insignificant part of the problem.
What’s particularly interesting about
Paris’ outrage over the coup against Bongo is that the French really didn’t
seem to care about democracy – or the appearance thereof – as long as Bongo
stayed in power. The recent presidential election, denounced by the Gabonese
opposition as fraudulent and which sparked the coup, wasn’t even subjected to
international observers. Apparently, the West just couldn’t be bothered sending
any. It’s not like they didn’t know there would be a massive risk of fraud.
Washington’s Freedom House NGO scores the country a whopping zero on the issue
of whether the “current head of government or other chief national authority”
is elected through free and fair elections.
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Chairman Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has said he is “deeply concerned about the
military coup in Gabon and the sham election that preceded [it].” But
apparently Washington wasn’t concerned enough for Gabon to have pinged the
“freedom and democracy” radar until this past week.
So, why are the Westerners only
bothering now? Well, as far as they were concerned, the Bongo clan – Ali, who’s
been in power since 2009, and his father, Omar, before that – were considered
to be firmly in the Western stable. French multinationals in particular, like
TotalEnergies and Eramet have exploited the country’s energy and minerals – in
particular manganese, which is essential in steel production and considered
critical by the West.
The truth is that France and the West
only complain about a lack of democracy in their African stomping grounds – or
anywhere else – when they’re worried that the new management might rip up yet
another one of their meal tickets, or hand it to someone else.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/africa/582226-africa-gabon-coups-west-meddling/
------
Morocco launches probe into Algeria’s
jet ski killing
September 01, 2023
RABAT: Morocco has begun an
investigation into the death of a French-Moroccan after he and another Moroccan
on jet skis were shot dead by the Algerian coast guard, media reports said on
Friday.
The French Foreign Ministry in Paris
reported only one death without providing the circumstances, saying another of
its citizens had been jailed in “an incident involving several of our
nationals.”
In Morocco, the prosecutor’s office
began investigating the death of one of the young men “after the discovery of
his body on the beach at Saidia,” the Al-Omk website reported.
Bilal Kissi was buried on Thursday in
BniDrar village near Oujda, a city bordering Algeria, images obtained by AFP
showed.
He and his brother Mohammed, their
Moroccan cousin AbdelaliMechouar and their friend SmailSnabe, also said to be
French-Moroccan, had left Saidia on jet skis on Tuesday.
Saidia is a popular summer seaside
resort near the border with Algeria and is known for its long beach and water
sports.
“We got lost but we kept going until we
found ourselves in Algeria,” Mohammed Kissi was quoted as saying by Al-Omk
on Thursday.
“We knew we were in Algeria because a
black Algerian dinghy came toward us” and those on board “fired at us.”
After the shooting, Mohammed Kissi was
able to get back to Morocco and report what had happened.
Mechouar’s body is still in Algeria,
Moroccan media said, adding that Snabe had been wounded and was being detained
by the authorities there.
“We buried a brother and want Abdelali’s
body back. He’s our cousin,” a video released by Al-Omk showed a cousin of
Bilal Kissi as saying.
“These young people weren’t involved in
drugs and they hadn’t stolen anything. They are of good standing and were only
here on a family holiday” from France where they worked, the
cousin said.
“One (of those who died) left two
children, the other a daughter,” he added.
Mohammed Kissi told authorities on his
return to Moroccan waters that the four jet skiers had got lost and had run out
of fuel.
There has been no official comment from
either Algeria or Morocco about the incident which comes against a backdrop of
increased tensions exacerbated by their antagonism over the disputed territory
of Western Sahara.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2365766/middle-east
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