Cleric to Islamic preachers: stop causing religious disharmony on social media
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 November 2023
· Cleric to Islamic preachers: stop causing religion disharmony on social media
· India strongly condemned death of civilians: PM Modi on Hamas-Israel conflict
· Pakistan condemns Israeli bombardment near Jordanian field hospital in Gaza
· Taliban agrees to release Iran’s Helmand water rights: Iranian official
· Jordan refuses to sign water, energy deal with Israel
· Communications blackout in Gaza as Israel ‘captures’ port
· South Korean protesters display 2,000 shoes in solidarity with Palestinian victims
-----
Africa
· Sudan armed conflict expanding to other regions, warns UN
· ‘I didn’t know burning Qur’an is offence’, TaniOlohun begs Muslims
· Sultan hails Makinde for building mosque
· Floods: at least 111 dead and 700,000 displaced in the Horn of Africa - NGO
· Ethiopia "welcomes" US decision to resume food aid
· South Africa: Ruling ANC in favour of closing Israeli embassy over onslaught in Gaza
· South Africa refers Israel to ICC over Gaza attacks
-----
India
· National Press Day: Kashmiri journalists face sedition and terrorism charges
· New challenges emerging from situation in West Asia: India's Modi
· Gyanvapi mosque: ASI seeks 15 more days from Varanasi court for submission of survey report
· 'BJP has to say ‘namaskaar sir’ to Muslim Speaker': Karnataka Minister stirs row
· 'Pippa': Bengali Poet Nazrul Islam’s Grandson Urges Makers To Remove AR Rahman’s Version Of ‘Karar Oi LouhoKopat’
-----
Pakistan
· UN concerned by ‘abuse’ of Afghans during deportation
· Imran moves SC for bail in cipher case
· Pakistan welcomes joint declaration of Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit
· Elahi alleges representatives from IMF and EU routinely visit Imran in jail; govt dismisses claims
-----
South Asia
· Unite as one to demand end of carnage against Palestinians: PM
· Australian who blew whistle on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan pleads guilty
· Herat aims to harvest 30 tons of Saffron this year
· Suicide attack in Nangarhar kills one, injures another
· Pakistan’s Envoy: ‘We Will Recognize Taliban Regime Simultaneously’
· Amnesty Intl Demands Pakistan Stop Refugee Deportations
· Islamic Emirate Denies Claims of US's McCaul Regarding Equipping TTP
· Pakistan agrees to release Afghanistan-bound containers stuck at Karachi port
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Mideast
· PM Netanyahu says attempts to minimise civilian casualties ‘not successful’
· Gaza communications down as Israel searches main hospital
· WHO says negotiations continue for evacuation of babies from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza
· 2.2 million need food assistance as Gaza Strip risks ‘sliding into hunger hell,’ says WFP
· Israeli Colonizers Construct a Settlement Road Near Hebron, Invade Al-Aqsa Mosque
· Shura Council condemns Zionist entity’s storming of Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza
· Hezbollah announces destruction of another Israeli tank 'in support of war-hit Gaza'
-----
Southeast Asia
· Hundreds of Rohingya refugees reach Indonesia’s west on boat
· S’pore ‘deeply regrets’ impact of Israel’s military operations on Gaza hospital; Hamas should not use premises for military purposes: MFA
· Government seeks increase in Hajj officer quota for 2024
· At Apec meet, PM Anwar says Gaza crisis due to ‘clear abandonment of moral responsibility’
· No direct threats to PM Anwar for Malaysia’s solidarity stance with Palestine so far, says IGP
· Ahmad Fuzi condemns violence to the Palestinian people; calls on international community to support all diplomatic efforts
-----
Europe
· Pro-Palestinian protesters slam UK Labour Party for opposing cease-fire in Gaza
· France calls West Bank Israeli settler violence ‘policy of terror’
· UK newspaper removes viral bin Laden letter
· France warns Iran against escalating Gaza conflict across region
· German police raid 54 Islamic centers
· Turkiye’s Erdogan to visit Germany as differences over the Israel-Hamas war widen
· London schoolchildren protest against MP’s abstention from Gaza ceasefire vote
· Demonstrators demanding a ceasefire in Gaza shut down bridges in Boston and San Francisco
-----
North America
· Canadian man found guilty of murdering four Muslims
· Biden names Pakistani-American as first Muslim lawyer to Federal Appeals Court
· Blinken asks Israel for ‘urgent’ action against settler violence
· Intl. body seeks prosecution of Canada officials for complicity in Israeli war crimes
· CAIR Condemns Latest Israeli War Crime in Gaza as 50 Worshipers Killed at Mosque During Prayers
· CAIR-SFBA Condemns Islamophobic Assault on Seventh-Grade Muslim Student, Calls on School and Law Enforcement to Conduct a Thorough Investigation
· Osama bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ goes viral as some youths make ties to Israel-Hamas war
· The protests outside DNC headquarters signal the divides in Biden’s base over Israel-Hamas war
-----
Arab World
· Human Rights condemns America's decision to stop international aid to beneficiaries in Yemen
· Saudi envoy to Egypt lauds Kingdom’s Gaza aid appeal response
· Saudi fundraising campaign for Gaza reaches $133m
· Saudi deputy minister meets special assistant to Pakistan’s PM
· Mawani, SAL sign contract to establish logistics park at Jeddah Islamic Port
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Cleric to Islamic preachers: stop causing religious disharmony on social media
November
16, 2023
Segun
Showunmi, Ibadan
An
Islamic cleric, Alh. AbdulRofiu Muhammed-Jamiu, has urged some Islamic
preachers using social media to bully or abuse others as well as and religions
not to cause religion disharmony in Nigeria.
He
lamented that some Islamic preachers use social media to abuse one another and
misinterpret teachings of Quran for their selfish gains to attract more
followers and make money.
Speaking
in Ibadan at a National Conference organised by Supreme Council for Islamic
Preachers South West Nigeria, the cleric stated that such habits contradict
teaching of Islam and could create disunity, cause religion disharmony and
portray the image of Islam in bad light.
The
theme of the conference was “Exploring the misuse of social media in the
context of Islamic values and the contemporary devastation between Palestine
and Israel.”
According
to him: “As preachers, we must fear Allah in whatever we do, use social media
to right the wrong in the society, promote the beauty of Islam, encourage
religion tolerance and not to do otherwise.”
“A lot
of Muslims are now confused as a result of some messages we spread on the
social media, We must be careful and watch whatever we say in order not to
misinterpret the Quran for our selfish gain and mislead the people.”
“As
Muslims, we must wake up, unite in doing the right things, condemn what is
wrong in the society and adhere to the teaching of the holy Quran and Hadith of
prophet Muhammed in whatever we say and do.”
He
called on Islamic preachers to be steadfast in interpreting Quran correctly and
preach to people with wisdom in a way that would not create religion disharmony
among Muslim groups as well as other religions.
Council
National Chairman, Alhaji TaofiqAkeugbagold said the conference was to address
bullying among Islamic preachers, especially on internet which has ridiculed
Islam to an extent.
He said
Islam teaches modesty, adding that the conference would critically look at the
problem of the misuse of social media and peacefully find lasting solution to
it without causing any rancour.
He urged
Muslims to unite and collaborate in order to address the problem confronting
them in the society so as to build a better world for generation to come.
Oyo
Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, said preachers irrespective of religion should be
just in whatever they say.
Lawal,
represented by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof.
SalihuAdelabu, called on them not to be
sentimental in the way they preach.
Dr.
Ibrahim Adelani, who was also a guest lecturer, called on media organisations
to accurately report conflict between Palestine and Israel, saying many
happenings in Palestine are under reported by the media.
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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https://thenationonlineng.net/cleric-to-islamic-preachers-stop-causing-religion-disharmony-on-social-media/
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India
strongly condemned death of civilians: PM Modi on Hamas-Israel conflict
17th
November 2023
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi addresses the inaugural session of the 2nd Voice of
Global South Summit via a video conference. (Photo | PTI)
----------
NEW
DELHI: New challenges are emerging from the incidents in West Asia and it is
time for the countries of the Global South to talk in one voice for greater
global good, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday amid the Hamas-Israel
conflict.
In his
address at the second edition of the India-hosted virtual Voice of Global South
Summit, Modi said New Delhi has emphasised on dialogue and diplomacy along with
restraint to deal with the situation arising out of the Hamas-Israel conflict.
India
condemned the barbaric October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, he said At the
same time, the prime minister said India strongly condemned the death of
civilians in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
"We
are seeing that new challenges are emerging from developments in West
Asia," he said.
India
hosted the first edition of the 'Voice of Global South Summit' in January to
flag concerns and challenges facing developing countries.
"The
Voice of Global South is the most unique platform reflecting the changing world
of the 21st century," Modi said.
The
prime minister also called for cooperation under the framework of 'five Cs' --
consultation, communication, cooperation, creativity, capacity building.
"I
cannot forget that historic moment, when African Union was inducted into G20 as
a permanent member with India's efforts," he said.
In a
significant milestone under India's G20 presidency, the African Union in
September became the new permanent member of the grouping of the largest
economies of the world in the first expansion of the influential bloc since its
inception in 1999.
Listing
achievements for the Global South under India's G20 presidency, Modi said
significant seriousness was shown this time on climate finance.
There
was consensus at G20 on providing finance and technology in easy terms to
countries of the Global South for climate transition, he said.
India
considers that new technology should not increase the distance between Global
South and North, he said.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/17/india-strongly-condemned-death-of-civilians-pm-modi-on-hamas-israel-conflict-2633758.html
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Pakistan
condemns Israeli bombardment near Jordanian field hospital in Gaza
November
16, 2023
Pakistan
has strongly condemned the bombardment by Israeli Occupation Forces in the
surroundings of a Jordanian field hospital in occupied Gaza, resulting in
injuries to seven Jordanian staff members.
In a
statement issued in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz
Zahra Baloch said this inhumane attack is the latest in a series of attacks on
hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza and constitutes a war crime and a
flagrant violation of International law.
Pakistan
joins the call for a thorough investigation into this barbaric incident and
other attacks on medical facilities in Gaza and for holding the occupation
forces accountable for the war crimes being perpetrated in the occupied
Palestinian territories.
Foreign
Office Spokesperson said the international community must urgently intervene to
bring an end to the atrocities being committed in Gaza and for an immediate
ceasefire to protect civilian lives and infrastructure.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/16-11-2023/pakistan-condemns-israeli-bombardment-near-jordanian-field-hospital-in-gaza
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Taliban
agrees to release Iran’s Helmand water rights: Iranian official
Fidel
Rahmati
November
16, 2023
Image/IRNA.
--------
During
the economic delegation’s visit of the Taliban to Iran, for the first time, the
Taliban agreed to release Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River, according
to the head of Iran’s Environmental Protection Organization, as reported by
IRNA.
According
to IRNA, a state media outlet, Ali Salajegheh stated on Wednesday on the
sidelines of the government meeting and in the presence of reporters: “During
the economic delegation’s trip of the Taliban to Iran, for the first time, the
Taliban agreed to release Iran’s water rights.”
Meanwhile,
as of now, Taliban officials have not yet issued any comments or statements
regarding the reported agreement concerning Iran’s water rights from the
Helmand River.
Earlier,
an Iranian official disclosed that during a meeting between Iran’s Head of the
Department of Environment and the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister, a verbal
agreement was reached regarding Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River.
Ali
Mohammad Tahmasebi, the advisor to the Department of Environment, shared that
Mullah Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs,
committed to granting these water rights once the conditions become favourable.
Baradar’s visit to Tehran occurred from November 4 to November 9, during which
he held discussions with several Iranian officials, including the head of
Iran’s Department of Environment.
Ali
Salajegheh continued the Taliban raised the issue of water scarcity and
mentioned that this could happen if there is enough rainfall climatically.
Salajegheh
stated, in the meeting with the Taliban, that we raised the issue of
humidification considering the necessity of work and the fact that for about
180 days, people in the Zabul region have been facing dust and sand problems.
We asked them to release water temporarily so there wouldn’t be a source of
dust and sand.
He added
that the Taliban economic delegation also announced that if the situation of
water resources in the dams permits, they would do this. Another issue
discussed was stabilising dust and sand collection centres in Afghanistan.
The
Afghan delegation, especially the environmental officials, promised to come to
the Islamic Republic of Iran at the earliest opportunity and discuss these
issues comprehensively in a meeting so that we can provide a solution to the
source of dust and sand in Afghanistan, especially in areas that affect the
Islamic Republic of Iran, Salajegheh said.
However,
Iranian officials also pointed out a lingering disagreement between Iran and
the Taliban regarding allocating Iran’s water rights, specifically the
distribution of the designated 820 million cubic meters.
The
Iranian official referenced the 1973 Iran-Afghanistan treaty and stressed the
necessity of resolving these differences by establishing a joint expert working
group, seeking a diplomatic and collaborative approach to address this
longstanding issue.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/taliban-agrees-to-release-irans-helmand-water-rights-iranian-official/
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Jordan
refuses to sign water, energy deal with Israel
November
17, 2023
Jordanian
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said that Jordan will not sign the
water-energy deal with Israel due to the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip
since Oct. 7. (petra.gov.jo)
------------
AMMAN:
Jordan would no longer be signing a water and energy deal with Israel due to
the ongoing conflict in Gaza, according to Jordanian Minister of Foreign
Affairs Ayman Safadi.
On
Thursday, the minister told Al Jazeera TV: “The agreement should have been
signed last month, but we will not sign it.”
Safadi
said that Israel was “driving the entire region into hell,” and highlighted
tensions on Lebanon’s borders and in the West Bank.
He noted
that Israeli actions in the Israel-Hamas war had created a hostile environment
that prevented normal and peaceful relations, adding that while the violence
continued the Jordan-Israel peace treaty would be irrelevant, “gathering dust
on the shelf.”
Source: arabnews.com
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the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410471/middle-east
-----
South
Korean protesters display 2,000 shoes in solidarity with Palestinian victims
November 17, 2023
South
Korean protesters display 2,000 shoes in solidarity with Palestinian victims,
calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. – REUTERS
-----------
SEOUL: A
small group of activists called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war on
Friday (November 17) in downtown Seoul.
About 30
activists displayed 2,000 pairs of shoes, symbolising Palestinian victims
killed in the ongoing war. Activists hoisted signs calling for a ceasefire in
Gaza and chanted "Free Palestinians".
Palestinian
civilians have borne the brunt of Israel's weeks-long military campaign in
retaliation for an October 7 attack by Hamas.
Gaza
health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say at least 11,500
people have been confirmed killed in an Israeli bombardment and ground invasion
— more than 4,700 of them children. – REUTERS
Source: nst.com.my
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https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2023/11/979420/south-korean-protesters-display-2000-shoes-solidarity-palestinian-victims
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Africa
Sudan
armed conflict expanding to other regions, warns UN
November
17, 2023
KHARTOUM:
The conflict in Sudan, which has left thousands dead and seven million people
displaced over seven months, is spreading to new regions of the nation, the UN
said Thursday, warning of a mounting “humanitarian calamity.”
The
deadly unrest includes outbreaks of interethnic violence and attacks against
women, according to the global body.
The
United Nations assistant secretary-general for Africa, Ghanaian diplomat Martha
AmaAkyaaPobee, expressed alarm over the deteriorating crisis in a Security
Council meeting, where she told members: “Sudan is facing a convergence of a
worsening humanitarian calamity and a catastrophic human rights crisis.”
War
erupted in Sudan on April 15, pitting army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan against
his former deputy, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo,
in fighting that has left more than 9,000 people dead, according to the Armed
Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The number is widely considered an
underestimate.
“Hostilities
have spilled over to new areas, such as Gezira, White Nile and West Kordofan
states, placing even more civilians at risk as well as humanitarian
operations,” Pobee said.
She said
the RSF made significant military gains in Darfur from October 26 to November
4, taking control of Sudanese army bases in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur
state; Zalingei in Central Darfur; and the West Darfur state capital of El
Geneina.
“The
warring parties have reportedly carried out indiscriminate attacks, while also
conducting targeted attacks against civilians, in apparent violation of
international humanitarian law,” she added.
Despite
the difficulties, some 4.1 million people have received humanitarian aid in the
last seven months — but that amounts to just 22 percent of the people whom
humanitarian organizations aim to assist this year.
Sudan’s
warring parties resumed negotiations late last month in Jeddah, brokered by
Saudi Arabia and the United States. While both parties expressed willingness to
negotiate a cease-fire, the fighting on the ground has intensified, Pobee said.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410421/middle-east
------
‘I
didn’t know burning Qur’an is offence’, TaniOlohun begs Muslims
November
16, 2023
A
popular traditionalist, AbdulazeezAdegbola, a.k.aTaniOlohun, has pleaded with
the entire Muslim community to forgive him for allegedly burning the Qur’an and
defaming some Muslim personalities in Kwara State.
TaniOlorun
made this plea while addressing the court after he was granted bail on
Thursday.
The
Isese adherent pleaded with “Alfa Labeeb”, one of the applicants, and the
“Muslims” for his actions.
He said,
“I don’t know that burning the Qur’an is an offense, and when I was told, I
immediately pulled down the video of the incident from my social media handle
in less than a minute.
“I beg
all my prosecutors and the Muslims all over to forgive me, and I promised I
would not repeat such an act again of posting negative videos on social media
handles.”
Earlier,
the court presided over by Magistrate A.S Adam, where TaniOlohun is standing
trial for two separate cases granted him bail in the sum of N2 million and
three sureties in the same sum.
Two of
the sureties must own landed property within the court’s jurisdiction or in Oyo
State, the court ruled.
The
matter was adjourned to January 9, 2024.
The
complainant’s counsel, TaofeeqOlateju and Y.Y Ajibade, did not oppose the bail
application moved by TaniOlohun’s counsel, Barrister Ademola Banks.
Daily
Trust reports that the two separate cases heard Thursday were instituted by
Sheikh LabeebLagbaji and Modrasat Muhammed led by Professor Abubakar Aliagan
before Magistrate Adam for allegedly burning the Quran among other offences.
With the
latest development, TaniOlohun has finally gotten bail from the four different
cases and three courts where he’s standing trial for the alleged offense of
defamation and burning of the Qur’an in Ilorin.
He was
first arraigned before Magistrate Muhammed Ibrahim for allegedly insulting
Ilorin elders, a case brought against him by the Association of Proud Sons and
Daughters of Ilorin (Ogo Ilorin) and later at the Upper Area Court through a
direct complaint by the counsel of one Alfa Okutagidi.
Source: vanguardngr.com
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https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/11/i-didnt-know-burning-quran-is-offense-tani-olohun-begs-muslims/
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Sultan
hails Makinde for building mosque
November
17, 2023
The
Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, yesterday, inaugurated the
Organisation of Tadhamunul Muslimeen Mosque, Adogba, Iwo Road, Ibadan, built by
the Oyo State governor, SeyiMakinde.
Governor
Makinde had, on October 19, 2019, promised to rebuild the Adogba Central Mosque
from his personal resources, following plans to pull down the former structure
to allow for the development of the Iwo Road Bus Terminals.
The
Sultan commended Governor Makinde for making a commitment to build the mosque
and fulfilling it, saying: “When you see the way this mosque was before and it
actually turned out to be this, you cannot but thank Allah for the life of
SeyiMakinde for thinking this way and also doing it. A lot of people say
something but implementing it is always a problem,” he said.
The
NSCIA President-General, who conferred his name ‘Sa’ad’ on the governor for
embarking on building a house for Allah in such a beautiful manner, said the
new mosque, which also has an Islamic School, would help people to strive to be
more educated for the world and thereafter.
He said:
“I am the one called Sa’ad, but today I want to rename you Sa’ad. We thank
Allah for bringing us to Ibadan for this very important programme.
“About
three years ago when I spoke with the governor on phone, he told me he was
building a mosque in a strategic place in Ibadan, and I told him I know where
the place is. He told me I would commission the project and I assured that I
would fulfill his request.
“I have
moved around the whole area here and I can tell you that this is the most
beautiful structure here. Whenever you pass along here, you won’t miss it and
that is what we are supposed to be doing for the people. We should build houses
of Allah in the most beautiful manner.
“The
mosque is not just a place of worship but a school also. Now, having an
Islamiya with a beautiful mosque, we cannot but strive more to be educated for
the world and hereafter. So, let us use such facilities to educate ourselves,
our brothers and sisters so that we live peacefully with one another as
peaceful coexistence is important to us.
“Today,
we are here by the will of Almighty Allah and this is a very good work, which
we believe the governor has taken up. This is a good history we want to be
replicated everywhere. So, we thank you, His Excellency.”
The
Sultan charged that the edifice should be well-maintained.
Makinde
commended the Muslim Community in Oyo State for its support during the March 18
governorship election, reiterating his promise to run an administration that is
fair to all religions in the state.
The
governor explained that when he decided to pull down the Adogba Central Mosque
and a church, which both stood on the spot where the state government is
building its mega Bus Terminal, there was insinuation from the Muslim Community,
as some people had already begun to view the appointments made by his
government as one-sided.
He said:
“I went to the mosque and I worshipped with the Muslim Ummah. I told them that
the mosque and the church around it will be demolished, because we already put
forward a roadmap for accelerated development, which means we had to focus on
the development of our infrastructure.
“I
understood the fact that there was trust deficit between the government and the
people. So, before we even said anything, some people were already insinuating.
“But
when I spoke at the mosque that day; I saw that 90 per cent of the people
believed me and every time I ran out of money building this mosque, because it
was built with my personal money, I always remembered those 90 per cent who
believed me that I would rebuild the mosque as I promised.
“We are
here today and I am sure that everyone knows the story. We actually completed
this project before the election. But some people said I should not be
re-elected because I am a Christian. Today, I can tell the entire world that I
got over 70 per cent of the votes from the Muslim community in Oyo State.
“So, I
want to take this opportunity to appreciate the Muslim leaders and the
community for believing in us and I want to make that solemn promise that in
the next three years and some months, we would run an administration that will
balance out any leaning and ensure that people get what they are entitled to.”
Explaining
his reason for building the mosque, the governor stated it was imperative to
also cater to people’s spiritual needs by building what he described as
spiritual infrastructure, after his administration has embarked on a massive
building of physical infrastructure by connecting all zones of the state with
good roads.
He noted
that his government has also been taking care of what is known as ‘stomach
infrastructure’ through the infusion of billions of Naira into the economy of
the state on a monthly basis by paying salaries and pensions as and when due
and had also implemented policies in the education and health sectors, which
have yielded positive results.
Also
speaking, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Alhaji
DawudMakanjuola Akinola, commended Governor Makinde, describing his act as
something that will not be forgotten in the history of Oyo State.
“We
gather here today to celebrate this mosque, which was personally built by our
amiable governor with his personal money. How are we going to recognise a
Muslim? If we confer on him the Amir’mumeen of Oyo State, I think he is worth
it. When you see the worth of this mosque that an individual built from his
pocket he deserves everything.”
The
state’s Deputy Governor, AbdulraheemBayo Lawal, equally hailed the governor for
fulfilling his commitment, even as he appreciated the Sultan of Sokoto, who he
described as the unifier.
Also in
attendance at the grand inauguration were the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado
Bayero; a former Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; top
Islamic clerics and government functionaries in the state.
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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Floods:
at least 111 dead and 700,000 displaced in the Horn of Africa - NGO
November
16, 2023
At least
111 people, including 16 children, have died and 700,000 have been displaced by
floods caused in recent weeks by torrential rains in the Horn of Africa, the
NGO Save the Children announced on Thursday.
The El
Niño climatic phenomenon is amplifying the rainy season in the region,
affecting Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya in particular.
"Incessant
rainfall in Kenya's northern counties and capital Nairobi has caused widespread
flooding, displacing an estimated 36,000 people and killing 46 since the rainy
season began less than a month ago," said Save the Children in a
statement, adding that 32 people had also died in Somalia and 33 in Ethiopia.
The
British NGO also urged the international community to take action in response
to "massive displacement" in all three countries.
The Horn
of Africa is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, and extreme
weather events are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity.
Since
late 2020, Somalia and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya have been hit by the worst
drought in the region in 40 years.
El Niño,
generally associated with rising temperatures, droughts in some parts of the
world and heavy rains in others, is set to continue until April.
This
meteorological phenomenon has already wreaked havoc in East Africa.
From
October 1997 to January 1998, gigantic floods following torrential rains caused
by El Niño killed more than 6,000 people in five countries in the region.
By the
end of 2019, at least 265 people had died and tens of thousands were displaced
during two months of incessant rainfall in several East African countries
(Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda).
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/16/floods-at-least-111-dead-and-700000-displaced-in-the-horn-of-africa-ngo/
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Ethiopia
"welcomes" US decision to resume food aid
November
16, 2023
Ethiopia
on Wednesday "welcomed" the announcement that the US Development
Agency (USAID) would resume the delivery of food aid throughout the country,
suspended in June, following the conclusion of an agreement to monitor aid
distribution.
USAID
announced on Tuesday that it would resume deliveries from next month, for an
initial period of one year, during which the agency will monitor whether the
Ethiopian state fulfills its commitments, against a backdrop of accusations
that aid has been diverted to benefit soldiers.
"We
welcome USAID's decision to resume food aid to Ethiopia. It is imperative to
speed up the process of resuming food aid to reach all those in need,"
said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs DemekeMekonnen on X
(ex-Twitter).
In June,
Addis Ababa criticized the suspension of food aid by the American agency, a
decision also taken by the UN World Food Program (WFP) because of
misappropriations, claiming that it "punishes millions of people".
USAID
had already announced in early October a limited resumption of food aid
deliveries to meet the needs of thousands of refugees in Africa's second most
populous country.
The
resumption was to concern some thirty camps in Ethiopia, which hosts nearly a
million refugees, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea.
Some 20
million people, or 16% of Ethiopia's 120 million inhabitants, are dependent on
food aid, as estimated by the UN humanitarian agency (Ocha) at the end of
October, due to conflicts and a historic drought in the Horn of Africa, which
have displaced 4.6 million people across the country.
In May,
the UN and the United States suspended the distribution of food aid to the
northern region of Tigray, ravaged by two years of war, before extending it to
the whole country.
At the
beginning of October, the WFP stated that it had resumed aid deliveries
"after a total reorganization of safeguards and controls" on refugee
operations.
Ethiopia
is plagued by serious internal violence, a deteriorating economic situation,
and chronic natural disasters.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/16/ethiopia-welcomes-us-decision-to-resume-food-aid/
----
South
Africa: Ruling ANC in favour of closing Israeli embassy over onslaught in Gaza
November
16, 2023
South
Africa's ruling ANC said on Thursday it would support a parliamentary motion
later today to close the Israeli embassy in Pretoria in protest at the war in
Gaza.
The
African National Congress (ANC) said it also supported calls for the government
to suspend all diplomatic relations with Israel until it agrees to a ceasefire
and engages in binding UN-facilitated negotiations.
Pretoria
has long been a fervent supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the ANC often
drawing parallels with its own historic struggle against apartheid.
"We
cannot stand idly by in the face of the genocidal actions of the Israeli
regime," said ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri. "The African
National Congress will approve a parliamentary motion calling on the government
to close the Israeli embassy in South Africa."
The
parliamentary motion under consideration on Thursday was put forward by the
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a radical left-wing opposition party. It is
non-binding and will require government approval for implementation.
The war
between Israel and Hamas was triggered by the Palestinian Islamist movement's
bloody attack on Israeli soil on October 7 from the Gaza Strip, which it
controls. In retaliation, Israel vowed to "annihilate" Hamas, relentlessly
shelling the besieged territory where the movement is based.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/16/south-africa-ruling-anc-in-favour-of-closing-israeli-embassy-over-onslaught-in-gaza/
------
South
Africa refers Israel to ICC over Gaza attacks
November
16, 2023
South
Africa has filed a referral to the International Criminal Court for an
investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza, South African
President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
The move
comes as South African lawmakers were expected to debate a motion on Thursday
calling for the closure of the Israeli Embassy in South Africa and the cutting
of all diplomatic ties with the country until it agrees to a cease-fire.
Ramaphosa
said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza,
where thousands of Palestinians have been killed and hospitals and public
infrastructure have been destroyed.
“As
South Africa we have accordingly, together with many other countries across the
world, referred this whole Israeli government action to the International
Criminal Court," Ramaphosa said Wednesday during a state visit to Qatar.
“We have
put through a referral because we believe that war crimes are being committed
there. And of course we do not condone the actions that were taken by Hamas
earlier, but similarly we condemn the actions that are currently underway and
believe that they warrant an investigation by the ICC,” he added.
Ramaphosa’s
ruling African National Congress party said it would support the motion tabled
by the leftist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters for the country to
shut down the Israeli Embassy and cut diplomatic ties with the country.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/16/south-africa-refers-israel-to-icc-over-gaza-attacks/
------
India
National
Press Day: Kashmiri journalists face sedition and terrorism charges
November
17, 2023
On the
occasion of India’s National Press Day, which commemorates the importance of a
free and vibrant press in a democratic society, the spotlight turns to the
concerning state of media freedom in the conflict-ridden region of Kashmir. As
the nation celebrates the role of the press in fostering public awareness and
holding those in power accountable, a stark contrast emerges in the treatment
of journalists operating in the Muslim-majority Himalayan region.
In
recent developments, the arrest of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj by India’s
National Investigation Agency (NIA) under “terrorism” charges underscores the
ongoing crackdown on media freedom in the region. Mehraj’s arrest is part of a
disturbing trend where journalists face various forms of censorship,
harassment, and legal persecution for their reporting.
This
disturbing pattern extends beyond Mehraj’s case. Fahad Shah, the editor of the
local news portal The Kashmir Walla, was arrested in February 2022 under
stringent “anti-terror” laws and sedition. The charges include “glorifying
terrorism” and “spreading fake news,” reflecting a broader assault on press
freedom in the Himalayan region. Shah’s arrest follows the detention of Sajad
Dar, a Kashmir Walla contributor, for social media posts.
Aasif
Sultan, another journalist from Kashmir, has now spent over 1,500 days in
prison under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a law that makes
obtaining bail nearly impossible.
Sultan,
accused of “harbouring known militants” and facing charges of murder and
attempt to murder, vehemently denies these allegations. His family and the
editor of Kashmir Narrator, the magazine Sultan worked for, insist that he was
arrested for his journalistic work, particularly his July 2018 story titled “The
Rise of Burhan.”
In the
4,000-word exposé on the killing of Kashmiri rebel commander Burhan Wani in
2016, Sultan delved into the implications of Wani’s legacy, asserting that the
22-year-old rebel was “more dangerous” for India “in his grave than in his
living room.”
The
alarming situation extends to the arrest of freelance journalist Sajad Gul from
Bandipora in north Kashmir in January 2022. Gul, a trainee reporter with The
Kashmir Walla and a student, faces charges under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and
is currently detained in Central Jail Agra.
According
to a Human Rights Watch report, at least 35 Kashmiri journalists have faced
“police interrogation, raids, threats, physical assault or criminal cases” in
connection to their work after the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in
2019.
India’s
ranking in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index slipped further to 161 out of 180
countries from 142 in 2021 and 150 in 2023 with the fall blamed on the punitive
action against journalists in Kashmir.
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/national-press-day-kashmiri-journalists-are-facing-sedition-and-terrorism-charges/
-----
New
challenges emerging from situation in West Asia: India's Modi
17.11.2023
New
challenges are emerging from the situation in the West Asia region, Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.
“We
strongly condemn the deaths of civilians in the conflicts between Israel and
Hamas,” Modi said at the second Voice of Global South Summit hosted in virtual
format by India on Friday.
“We have
emphasized on dialogue, diplomacy along with restraint,” he said.
“This is
time that when countries of global south speak in one voice for greater global
good,” the Indian prime minister added.
The
Indian Foreign Ministry said the summit would focus on sharing with Global
South key outcomes achieved in various G-20 meetings over the course of India’s
presidency.
“The
challenges posed by global developments are also likely to be discussed,” it
said.
On
Wednesday, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged that the
Gaza conflict posed a geopolitical challenge to the India-Middle East-Europe
Connectivity Corridor (IMEC) unveiled in September.
"It
(corridor) is not without its geopolitical challenges, and the ongoing conflict
in Israel and Gaza is a worrying manifestation of these," she told an
event in New Delhi.
Since
Oct. 7, at least 11,500 Palestinians have been killed, including over 7,800
women and children, and more than 29,200 others have been injured, according to
the latest figures from Palestinian authorities.
Thousands
of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been
damaged or destroyed in Israel's relentless air and ground attacks on the
besieged enclave.
The
Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/new-challenges-emerging-from-situation-in-west-asia-indias-modi/3056203
------
Gyanvapi
mosque: ASI seeks 15 more days from Varanasi court for submission of survey
report
17th November 2023
VARANASI:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sought 15 more days from a court here
on Friday to submit its report of a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque
complex.
According
to the Centre's counsel, Amit Srivastava, the ASI has moved an application in
the court of Varanasi District Judge A K Vishvesh, stating that though the
survey work has been completed, the technical reports are still awaited and
therefore, the additional time has been sought.
The
court will hear the matter later in the day, Srivastava said.
On
November 2, the ASI told the court that it had "completed" the survey
of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, but it may take some more time to compile the
report, along with the details of the equipment used in the survey work,
following which additional time till November 17 was granted for the submission
of the document.
On
October 5, the court granted four more weeks to the ASI and said the duration
of the survey would not be extended beyond this.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/17/gyanvapi-mosque-asi-seeks-15-more-days-from-varanasi-court-for-submission-of-survey-report-2633778.html
------
'BJP has
to say ‘namaskaar sir’ to Muslim Speaker': Karnataka Minister stirs row
Nov 17,
2023
Devika
Bhattacharya
Karnataka
Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan stirred controversy after he claimed that BJP
leaders are now compelled to respectfully greet the Muslim Speaker of the state
assembly, UT Khader, a situation he credited to the efforts of the Congress
government.
“Today,
the BJP has to stand up and say ‘Namaskaar, sir’ to our UT Khader. Congress has
made this happen,” Zameer Khan said at a public gathering in Telangana.
Khan
underscored the key roles Muslim leaders have acquired within the Congress,
listing several leaders and their positions. He said that out of 17 Muslim
candidates fielded by the party, 9 were elected as MLAs, with 5 holding
influential roles.
Specifically,
he mentioned his own appointment to three ministerial portfolios, Rahim Khan as
a Minister, Saleem Ahmed Khan as Chief Whip, and Naseer Ahmed as a political
secretary.
He
pointed out that before the Congress government's tenure, there had never been
a Muslim Speaker, and now the BJP has to acknowledge Speaker UT Khader with
respect.
Zameer
Khan's controversial remarks come as the government prepares for the winter
session of the Karnataka Assembly, scheduled to be held at the Suvarna Soudha
in Belagavi from December 4 to 15.
Reacting
to the statement, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy said, “We did not expect such a
low level reaction by Minister Zameer Ahmed. If the BJP decides not to stand up
in the winter assembly session because of this statement, then what will be the
fate of the assembly? If Chief Minister has any sense, he should initiate
action against Zameer.”
This
incident comes months after the suspension of 10 BJP MLAs by Speaker UT Khader
in July. The MLAs were disciplined for what Khader deemed "unruly"
behaviour and disrespect to the Chair after they were seen throwing torn Bills
at Deputy Speaker RudrappaLamani’
Source: indiatoday.in
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bjp-say-namaskaar-muslim-leaders-speaker-ut-khader-karnataka-minister-zameer-ahmed-khan-remark-2464042-2023-11-17
------
'Pippa':
Bengali Poet Nazrul Islam’s Grandson Urges Makers To Remove AR Rahman’s Version
Of ‘Karar Oi LouhoKopat’
17 NOV
2023
Garima Das
'Pippa'
makers recently landed into controversy over music composer AR Rahman's
rendition of Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s patriotic song 'Karar Oi
LouhoKopat' in the film. The song, written and composed by the legendary poet
in 1922 was a nationalist anthem against British rule. Rahman received
criticism in West Bengal and Bangladesh.
On
Thursday, family members of Nazrul Islam appealed to the makers of 'Pippa' to
either remove Rahman’s version of ‘Karar Oi LouhoKopat’ from the film or
include the original composition of the song.
Speaking
to The Indian Express at Kolkata Press Club, Nazrul Islam’s grandson Arindam
Kazi said, ''Right now, we cannot take any legal action against the producers
as licence agreement was made to use the song. We can only make an appeal to
drop the AR Rahman’s version of the song from the film. As a large section of
the Bengali diaspora is not happy with the new version of such an iconic song,
the producers should consider removing it from the film. If not, then they
should retain the original composition of the song and include that in the
film.”
‘Karar
Oi LouhoKopat’ was first recorded in June 1949, sung by folk singer Girin
Chakraborty.
Arindam’s
mother, Kazi Kalyani had given her consent to use the song in the film in 2021
in the presence of her elder son Anirban.
“If we
can form a platform or a forum which would make the same appeal to Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, and President DroupadiMurmu, then the producers might get the
pressure to remove the song,” added Arindam.
He said
that after the death of his mother, who used to handle the copyright issues of
Nazrul's songs, one should take his permission and Bangladeshi singer
KhilkhilKazi who is also the granddaughter of Nazrul Islam to use the poet'
songs.
Arindam
also said that it would take another 15 to 16 years for the copyright of his
grandfather’s songs to expire and till then, the family is the custodian of his
songs.
KhilkhilKazi
who was also present at the press conference said, “In Bangladesh, there is a
Nazrul Institute which works to preserve his songs. If we have to protect his
songs, then a committee should be formed by the government to keep his family
members and artists from both Bangladesh and India. This would ensure that his
songs are not violated in the near future''.
However,
on Monday, Roy Kapur Films took to their official Instagram handle and shared a
statement addressing the controversy on the song 'Karar Oi LouhoKopat'. Pippa
stars Ishaan Khatter and Mrunal Thakur.
Source: outlookindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/-pippa-bengali-poet-nazrul-islam-s-grandson-urges-makers-to-remove-ar-rahman-s-version-of-karar-oi-louho-kopat--news-331154
-----
Pakistan
UN
concerned by ‘abuse’ of Afghans during deportation
November 17, 2023
Amin
Ahmed
ISLAMABAD:
UN human rights chief Volker Turk has expressed alarm over reports about the
arbitrary expulsion of Afghan nationals from Pakistan, accompanied by “abuse,
including ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and detention, destruction of
property and personal belongings and extortion”.
“These
new developments are at variance with Pakistan’s decades-long tradition of
hosting generously Afghan refugees in vast numbers,” Mr Turk said in a
statement.
The UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights renewed his appeal to the Pakistan
government to suspend the Afghan return programme until individual assessment
procedures and other safeguards required by international law are in place, and
to investigate complaints of abuse by law-enforcement officers.
The UN
Human Rights Office has received first-hand accounts from Afghans crossing the
border who allege they were subjected to arbitrary treatment or abuse by
Pakistan authorities, according to the statement.
“Arbitrary
arrests and detentions are contrary to Pakistan’s obligations under
international law,” he added.
Meanwhile,
the UNHCR and IOM in a joint update on the issue of arrest and detention of
Afghans covering the period of Sept15-Nov 11,
said the
rate of arrest of Afghan nationals has significantly increased, with
undocumented Afghans most severely affected.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1790014/un-concerned-by-abuse-of-afghans-during-deportation
-----
Imran
moves SC for bail in cipher case
November
17, 2023
Malik
Asad
ISLAMABAD:
Former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan has approached the Supreme Court
for post-arrest bail in the cipher case.
Mr Khan,
through his counsel Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, challenged the dismissal of his
bail plea by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The
appeal contended that the IHC bench dismissed the bail petition, observing that
since the challan has been submitted before the trial court, Mr Khan may seek
acquittal from the trial court, adding that the former PM has already
challenged the appointment of the judge, the status of the court, and the
proceeding of the FIA related to the cipher probe.
It went
on to state that the high court did not consider the aspect of the “immunity”
enshrined under Article 248 to the former PM and his constitutional right to
take the masses into confidence on key matters.
It
requested the court to set aside the IHC’s decision and grant bail to Mr Khan.
Stay
order
In a
related development, an IHC bench comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb
and Justice SamanRafat Imtiaz extended the stay order against the cipher
trial.
During
the course of arguments, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan contended before
the bench that the accountability judge, under Section 352 of the CrPC and the
Lahore High Court Rules, wrote to the law ministry for conducting a jail trial
of Mr Khan due to security reasons.
Justice
Aurangzeb remarked that since the charges levelled against Mr Khan entail life
imprisonment, therefore this matter should be dealt with utmost caution.
The
attorney general said the single-member bench of the IHC, dismissing the
petition of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, observed the trial was
open and directed the jail authorities to allow the maximum people to witness
the proceedings.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1790023/imran-moves-sc-for-bail-in-cipher-case
-------
Pakistan
welcomes joint declaration of Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit
November
16, 2023
Pakistan
welcomes the joint declaration of the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit
held in Saudi Arabia that urged the UN Security Council to enforce UN resolutions
against Israel; its demand for ceasing export of weapons to the occupying
force; and its call for international Criminal Court's investigation into
Israeli crimes.
At her
weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan condemns repeated Israeli attacks on the
premises and personnel of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees (UNRWA) and other humanitarian agencies, including the Headquarters of
Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza.
She said
we join the UN in paying homage to the workers of UNRWA and other humanitarian
agencies who lost their lives in Gaza and appreciate their steadfast dedication
to the people in need.
The
Spokesperson said Pakistan also condemns Israel’s war on hospitals in Gaza as
hospital after hospital is being targeted by the occupation forces in complete
disregard of international law.
She said
we are appalled by Israeli incursion into Al-Shifa hospital, placing patients,
medical staff and civilians at risk.
Mumtaz
Zahra Baloch said we join the international community to hold Israeli
occupation accountable for its attacks against hospitals.
She said
Israel must also be held accountable for deliberately targeting mosques,
churches and schools sheltering civilians who have been rendered homeless
because of Israel’s destruction of their homes.
The
Spokesperson said by decimating civilian infrastructure and symbols of
self-governance, including the legislative council, Israel is deliberately
making Gaza uninhabitable for its civilian population.
She said
the backers of Israel must stop Israel from implementing its plans for ethnic
cleansing of the Palestinian people.
She said
as demanded by the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit, all countries must also stop
exporting weapons and ammunition to the occupation authorities that are used by
their military and settlers to kill Palestinian people and destroy their homes,
properties and civilian infrastructure.
The
Foreign Office Spokesperson once again urged the international community to act
swiftly, collectively and meaningfully to stop the ongoing aggression by the
Israeli occupation forces and hold Israel accountable for the war crimes being
perpetrated in the Occupied Palestine.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/16-11-2023/pakistan-welcomes-joint-declaration-of-joint-arab-islamic-extraordinary-summit
------
Elahi
alleges representatives from IMF and EU routinely visit Imran in jail; govt
dismisses claims
November
16, 2023
Rana
Bilal
PTI
President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Thursday alleged that representatives from
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union routinely visit
party chairman Imran Khan at Adiala Jail while the interim government dismissed
the claims as a “figment of imagination”.
Elahi
made this statement while speaking to reporters at Lahore’s Special Court
(Central). Elahi’s lawyer, Amir Saeed Rawn, confirmed to Dawn.com that the PTI
president had made the statement.
The PTI
president — who is also being held at Adiala — was brought to the court in
connection with the hearing of a money laundering case against him.
During
the conversation with reporters, Elahi said that Imran was held in a cell
adjacent to his. “Representatives from the EU and the IMF visit Imran, and the
party chief is poised to secure an unprecedented number of votes when polls are
held,” he added.
“We are
standing with Imran and will continue doing so.”
He
stated that the date for the upcoming elections was announced in compliance
with the Supreme Court’s directives, asserting: “There will be no rigging in
these polls.”
Without
explicitly mentioning the names of former premiers Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz
Sharif, Elahi said that two “laadlas” (favourites) had purportedly been
“imposed” on the nation.
He said
the PDM government led by Shehbaz Sharif had led the country into severe
inflation, adding that they should recognise their diminishing vote bank in
Punjab.
He hoped
that people would not allow the Sharif brothers “to rig the ballot this time”.
He
rejected all charges against him, denouncing them as baseless and unfounded.
Meanwhile,
interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, “There is not a single grain of
truth in this fantasy and it is truly nothing but a figment of imagination by
the senior politico.”
Speaking
to Dawn News’ Adil Shahzeb, Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that
no such meeting had taken place. He said that IMF or EU officials would never
meet with a convict.
Money
laundering case
Meanwhile,
Elahi appeared before Magistrate Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh in a money laundering
case, during which the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) counsel sought to
designate Elahi’s son, Moonis Elahi, as an absconder in the case.
The FIA
said that non-bailable arrest warrants had been issued for Moonis; however, his
arrest had not been executed so far.
The
counsel urged the court to declare Moonis as an absconder, facilitating law
enforcement agencies in pursuing his arrest through Interpol.
After
the arguments, the court adjourned the hearing till Nov 30.
Illegal
appointments case
Subsequently,
Elahi was brought before another local court concerning a case involving
unauthorised appointments in the Punjab Assembly.
Following
the completion of his two-week remand in the case, investigators presented
Elahi before the court.
The
judicial magistrate extended the PTI president’s judicial remand by 14 days,
adjourning the hearing until Nov 30.
The PTI
President has been arrested at least 12 times in various cases since the start
of June and after a statewide crackdown was launched against the party in the
aftermath of the May 9 violence.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1789843/elahi-alleges-representatives-from-imf-and-eu-routinely-visit-imran-in-jail-govt-dismisses-claims
------
South Asia
Unite as
one to demand end of carnage against Palestinians: PM
Fri Nov
17, 2023
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina today said It is time for all to unite as one and demand
the end of the conflict going on in Palestine.
"Here,
I express my profound concern at the tragic, inhuman existence of the helpless
Palestinians in the face of merciless carnage. It is time for all of us to
unite as one world and demand the end of the conflict," she said.
The
prime minister made the call while addressing the 2nd Voice of the Global South
Summit 2023, which is hosted by India on a virtual platform, from her official
residence Gono Bhaban.
She said
that the theme of the summit, "Together for Everyone's Growth with
Everyone's Trust" is most timely as it flags the pressing issue the world
faces today, namely, "trust deficit."
"It
is the trust deficit among nations and lack of respect for international law
that has led to the ongoing war in Europe and the carnage in Palestine,"
she said.
Hasina
mentioned that these conflicts call for an urgent need to create genuine trust
and mutual respect among the warring nations and involved international actors.
"Our
world is plagued with unbearable poverty, undesirable inequality, intolerable
terrorism, and the catastrophic threat of climate change," she said.
In
addition, she said, there have now appeared sanctions and counter-sanctions,
with new challenges and increasing hardship for the people of the Global South.
"In
this critical time, the world must unite as one and strengthen 'Everyone's
Trust' to achieve 'Everyone's Growth'," she said.
The PM
opined that the Global South is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping our
future although it is often vulnerable to various socio-economic challenges.
"These
need to be addressed by allowing more space and voice for the Global South to
enable the creation of a more equitable and peaceful world based on Everyone's
Trust," she added.
She
expressed Bangladesh's commitment in this regard.
She
mentioned that Bangladesh stands ready to share with the Global South its
experiences in achieving food security, free housing, community healthcare,
women's empowerment, and climate adaptation.
She made
some recommendations for the betterment of the Global South and the world.
First:
As a keen advocate of promoting peace, she believes it is vital to uphold
global peace and stability for the overall well-being of humanity.
"The
Global South must maintain a united front against unilateral sanctions and
counter-sanctions."
Second:
Women, as half of the global population, are crucial for the creation of
inclusive and vibrant societies.
"As
the longest-serving female leader, I know for sure that empowering women is a
strategic necessity for a brighter and more equitable future."
Third:
All efforts are vital to limiting the global temperature to 1.5° Celsius.
"Increased
financing and the transfer of relevant technologies for climate adaptation to
the Global South are imperative."
Fourth:
The Global South as major manpower-exporting countries, should streamline
migration in the development process to offer a better life to all and to
contribute to economic growth in both host and home countries.
Fifth:
LDCs are facing various economic challenges resulting from Covid-19 and
conflicts in parts of the world.
"I
urge here the continuation of duty, quota-free access, and other facilities for
a good period for graduating LDCs and after their graduation."
Finally,
she stressed the importance of South-South and Triangular Cooperation for the
promotion of global human development.
"I
also urge development partners, international financial institutions, and
stakeholders to generously support the Global South for a better future."
India is
hosting the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit today in a virtual format, the
second time since January this year.
The
Inaugural Leaders' Session was chaired by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
The
theme of the Inaugural Leaders' Session is "Together, for Everyone's
Growth, with Everyone's Trust" and that of the Concluding Leaders' Session
is "Global South: Together for One Future".
According
to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the 2nd summit would focus on
sharing with countries of the Global South the key outcomes achieved in various
G20 meetings over the course of India's Presidency.
The
challenges posed by global developments are also likely to be discussed.
Further, the summit will serve as a platform to discuss ways to sustain the
momentum generated towards our common aspiration of a more inclusive, representative
and progressive world order, it said.
According
to MEA, the 2nd summit will be structured into 10 sessions. In addition, there
will be eight Ministerial Sessions, with the following themes: Foreign
Ministers' Session on "India and the Global South: Emerging Together for a
Better Future", Education Ministers' Session on "Making Human
Resources Future Ready", Finance Ministers' Session on "Financing
People-Centric Development", Environment Ministers' Session on "Sustainable
Solutions for Climate Resilience and Climate Finance".
It will
also include Foreign Ministers' Session on "Global South and One
Development", Energy Ministers' Session on "Affordable and Inclusive
Energy Transition for Sustainable Development", Health Ministers' Session
on "Solutions from the Global South for One Health" and Commerce /
Trade Ministers' Session on "Global South and Resilient Supply
Chains".
The
eight ministerial sessions will include two Foreign Ministers' Sessions; one
Ministerial session each of Education, Finance, Environment, Energy, Health,
and Commerce Ministers, and a Concluding Leaders' Session in the evening.
The
theme for the first Voice of Global South Summit was "Unity of Voice,
Unity of Purpose" and had a total of 10 sessions.
Source: thedailystar.net
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------
Australian
who blew whistle on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan pleads guilty
November
17, 2023
David
McBride, a former army lawyer who revealed information about alleged Australian
war crimes in Afghanistan, has pleaded guilty to leaking classified
information.
David
McBride was due to face trial next week, but changed his plea after a legal
ruling scuppered his defence, BBC reported.
McBride
said he felt a moral duty to speak up after his internal complaints were
ignored.
A
landmark inquiry later found evidence that Australian forces had unlawfully
killed 39 Afghans during the war.
McBride
admits he gave troves of documents to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC), because he was concerned about what he then thought was the
“over-investigation” of troops, the court heard.
He
pleaded guilty on Friday to three charges of stealing and unlawfully sharing
secret military information.
The
information he provided underpinned a series of reports in 2017 called The
Afghan Files, which gave unprecedented insight into the operations of
Australia’s elite special forces in Afghanistan, and contained allegations of
war crimes.
McBride
was arrested in 2019, and initially faced five charges, including charges of
theft of Commonwealth property, breaching the Defence Act and unauthorised
disclosure of information.
He had
intended to argue his disclosure was protected by whistleblower safeguards in
Australia. But his legal team say they were forced to withdraw that defence
after much of their arguments were ruled to endanger national security.
After
failed attempts to convince Attorney General Mark Dreyfus to intervene and drop
the prosecution – as Mr Dreyfus did in the case of fellow whistleblower Bernard
Collaery last year – McBride then tried to argue that he had a duty to leaking
the documents, because doing so was in the public interest.
After
several days of pre-trial argument, a judge rejected the argument and ruled
that they could not be put to a jury.
His
defence lawyer Mark Davis said this would have dealt his defence a “fatal
blow”, with McBride eventually entering a guilty plea.
He is
expected to be sentenced early next year.
Source: ariananews.af
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-----
Herat
aims to harvest 30 tons of Saffron this year
Fidel
Rahmati
November
17, 2023
In Herat
province, Afghanistan, the Department of Agriculture and Livestock has
announced a significant expansion of saffron cultivation, covering more than
8,000 hectares of land this year. It expects a bountiful harvest of up to 30
tons.
The
occasion of the Saffron Flower Festival in Herat saw processing companies and
saffron growers exhibiting their products in 40 booths. Pir Mohammad Halimi,
the head of the agriculture and livestock department, noted that around 20,000
farmers are actively involved in the saffron sector in Herat, and this year’s
yield is expected to surpass last year’s 20 tons.
Despite
growing interest in saffron cultivation, challenges in export persist, and
farmers like Jalil Ahmad Karimi stress the need for essential groundwork,
including training programs and the establishment of a national brand, to
support the growth of this valuable crop and prevent its export under foreign
labels in Afghanistan.
Abdul
ShukoorAhrari, head of a saffron processing company in Herat, underscores the
significance of participating in international expos, national-level events,
and festivals to facilitate saffron trade.
This
year, the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment reported exporting 21 tons
of saffron, yielding substantial profits. Still, the Afghan National Saffron
Growers Union noted the absence of a unique global brand for Afghan saffron.
Mohammad
Yusof Amin, the Executive Director of the Chamber, disclosed that saffron
exports in 2023 reached around 21,684 kilograms, valued at $21,561,000, with
prominent destinations including India, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Spain.
Bashir
Ahmad Rashidi, the head of Afghanistan’s National Saffron Growers Union, holds
optimistic prospects for the saffron industry’s future.
He
envisions improved access to more favourable markets and a heightened presence
in European markets as critical objectives. Afghan saffron growers are keen to
expand their reach and establish a strong foothold in the European market,
recognizing its potential for growth and profitability.
With
continued efforts and support, they aspire to make Afghan saffron a globally
recognized and sought-after product, further boosting the nation’s economy and
the livelihoods of its farmers.
Source: khaama.com
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------
Suicide
attack in Nangarhar kills one, injures another
Fidel
Rahmati
November
16, 2023
Local
officials in Nangarhar province report that as a result of an explosion
involving explosive materials in the vicinity of this province, one person has
lost their life, and another individual has been injured.
Abdul
BasirZabuli, the spokesperson for the Nangarhar provincial administration, has
said in a statement that this incident occurred on Thursday near the Naghark
Bridge in the Surkh Rod district of Nangarhar province.
According
to Mr. Zabuli, this incident occurred precisely at a moment when explosive
materials had been transported within the body of an unidentified individual
and detonated.
Based on
the available information, this incident took place in the vicinity of Surkh
Rod in Nangarhar province during a gathering, resulting in one fatality and
another individual sustaining injuries.
As per
the press release, the unidentified individual who was carrying the explosive
materials within their body lost their life, and a hair-cutting Salon employee
also suffered injuries.
Authorities
have not provided further details regarding the identity of this unidentified
individual who was transporting the explosive materials.
Earlier
this month, another incident occurred in Kabul, the capital city, as a minibus
exploded in a predominantly Shiite Muslim area. This explosion resulted in the
loss of at least seven civilian lives and left another 20 individuals wounded,
according to authorities.
The
devastating event highlights the ongoing security challenges the city and its
residents face.
Authorities
in Kabul reported that a minibus explosion in a predominantly Shiite Muslim
neighbourhood has claimed the lives of at least seven civilians, with 20 others
sustaining injuries.
ISIS
claimed responsibility for the incident in Kabul city, highlighting the
security challenges that have persisted since the Taliban took control of
Afghanistan.
Source: khaama.com
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Pakistan’s
Envoy: ‘We Will Recognize Taliban Regime Simultaneously’
November
16, 2023
NaweedSamadi
Asif
Durrani, Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, said that Pakistan
will not unilaterally take steps to recognize the current Afghan government.
Speaking
at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, Durrani said that they will act
simultaneously with other countries to recognize the government of Afghanistan.
“We will
recognize the Taliban regime simultaneously. We will not recognize the Taliban
regime unilaterally,” Durrani added.
Pakistan's
Special Representative for Afghanistan further stated that the level of
corruption and drug cultivation have decreased in Afghanistan.
“The
positive thing in Afghanistan is that there is less corruption, which is
internationally recognized. They have raised their revenues which is
internationally recognized. The security in the country ... is internationally
recognized. And then, drug or opium cultivation are at its all-time low,” Asif
Durrani noted.
According
to Durrani, the ban on women in Afghanistan by the Islamic Emirate is a
cultural issue.
“The
four-year policy has been made which contains everything. God willing, in the
near future, security will reach 100% and drug cultivation will be reduced to
zero,” Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman of interior ministry told TOLOnews.
Meanwhile,
some political analysts shared different views regarding the relations between
Kabul with its neighbors and the region.
“The
recent remarks of Pakistan's representative for Afghanistan, represent
Pakistan's retreat in the policies it uses towards Afghanistan,” said Abdul
Rauf Tawana, another political analyst.
Source: tolonews.com
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-----
Amnesty Intl
Demands Pakistan Stop Refugee Deportations
FatemaAdeeb
Amnesty
International once again demanded a stop to the deportations and detentions of
Afghan refugees by Pakistan.
Amnesty
International in a statement said that this action of Pakistan started while
Afghanistan is in a humanitarian crisis.
According
to the statement, Amnesty International said that Pakistan must respect the
rights of Afghan refugees.
In
response to the deportation of Afghan refugees, Amnesty International asks
Pakistan to stop the process of deporting and detaining Afghan refugees.
“For
decades, tens of thousands of Afghan refugees have made Pakistan their home.
However, this recent decision will force Afghans back to danger in Afghanistan.
Notably, the deportation pose a significant threat to the human rights of
Afghan women and girls, including their rights to education, work, and freedom
of movement. For most Afghan women and girls, their only chance of gaining
formal education is through staying in Pakistan,” Amnesty International
statement said.
“The
statement of the United Nations office also mentions that the Pakistani police,
by misbehaving, extorting refugees, and harassing elderly people, homeless
women and children, can have a very negative effect on the mood and mental state
of Afghan refugees," said Alireza Karimi, a Refugee’s Rights activist.
Political
analysts do not think that this action of Pakistan is appropriate in the
current situation.
“Since
the establishment of Pakistan in 1947, it has been fomenting the same issues
and trying to torture the people of Afghanistan, and as you can see, it has
looked at four thousand containers of traders there. Because the depth of
Pakistan's strategy is to destroy Afghanistan,” said Mohammad
MatinMohammadkhil.
Meanwhile,
a few days ago, the consulate of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, Pakistan, said
that since the month of October, nearly 400,000 Afghan refugees have returned
to the country from Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings, and this process is
still ongoing.
Source: tolonews.com
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-----
Islamic
Emirate Denies Claims of US's McCaul Regarding Equipping TTP
FatemaAdeeb
The
Islamic Emirate, in response to the remarks of the US House Foreign Affairs
Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, said that the current Afghan government has
not given any military equipment to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The
Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said they have kept the
remaining military equipment of foreign forces in depots and have no relations
with the TTP.
"We
deny this untrue allegation, which is a part of propaganda. I think this is a
political issue in the US Congress, the members of the Congress are taking a
stand against the government,” Mujahid told TOLOnews.
Earlier,
at a committee hearing examining the Biden administration's withdrawal from
Afghanistan, Michael McCaul accused the Islamic Emirate of equipping TTP with
weapons.
“On
support for terrorism, the TTP, who the Taliban have equipped with weapons the
US left behind as increasingly conducting terror attacks, and al-Qaida remains
safely in Afghanistan under the Taliban protection,” US House Foreign Affairs
Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said.
The US
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John Sopko,
who was also present at the meeting, accused the current Afghan government of
not fulfilling its obligations regarding the rights of women and children.
This
comes as some Pakistani officials had previously claimed that the weapons and
equipment left by foreign forces fell into the hands of the TTP, a case that
the Islamic Emirate has always denied.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186062
------
Pakistan
agrees to release Afghanistan-bound containers stuck at Karachi port
November 17, 2023
Pakistan
has agreed to release Afghan traders’ goods stranded at the southern seaport of
Karachi, Afghan authorities said.
The
agreement came during a meeting between Afghanistan’s acting industry and
commerce minister, Nuruddin Azizi, and Pakistan’s foreign and commerce
ministers on Thursday, Afghanistan Embassy in Islamabad said on X.
Afghanistan’s
Ministry of Industry and Commerce also confirmed the development.
Thousands
of containers filled with Afghan traders’ goods have been parked by the
Pakistani authorities at Karachi port.
The
stoppage has caused millions of dollars in losses to traders.
Source: ariananews.af
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-------
Mideast
PM
Netanyahu says attempts to minimise civilian casualties ‘not successful’
November
17, 2023
GAZA/OCCUPIED
JERUSALEM: Israeli soldiers found a tunnel shaft used by Hamas at Gaza’s Al
Shifa hospital, the army said, while the UN voiced concern no aid would be
delivered to Palestinians on Friday via the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
The army
released a video it said showed a tunnel entrance in an outdoor area of Al
Shifa, Gaza’s biggest hospital.
The
video, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed a deep hole in the
ground, littered with and surrounded by concrete and wood rubble and sand.
It
appeared the area had been excavated; a bulldozer appeared in the background.
The army
said its troops also found a vehicle in the hospital containing a large number
of weapons.
Hamas
said in a statement late on Thursday that claims by the Pentagon and US State
Department that the group uses Al Shifa for military purposes “is a repetition
of a blatantly false narrative, demonstrated by the weak and ridiculous
performances of the occupation army spokesman.”
The
United States is confident in an assessment from its own intelligence agencies
on Hamas activities in Al Shifa hospital and will neither share nor elaborate
on it, White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.
The two
telecoms companies in Gaza said all services in the territory were down as
energy supplies had run out.
Israel
refuses fuel imports, saying Hamas could use them for military purposes.
With
communications out and in the absence of fuel, the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees, UNRWA, said it was impossible to coordinate humanitarian aid truck
convoys.
“If the
fuel does not come in, people will start to die because of the lack of fuel.
Exactly as from when, I don’t know. But it will be sooner rather than later,”
said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
As of
late Thursday night, there was no further word from the companies, Paltel and Jawwal,
whose internet, mobile phone and landline networks remained inoperable.
Palestinian
civilians have borne the brunt of Israel’s weeks-long military campaign in
retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that Israel says killed 1,200 people,
mostly civilians.
Gaza
health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say at least 11,500
people have been confirmed killed in an Israeli bombardment and ground invasion
- more than 4,700 of them children.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked by US television’s CBS News on
Thursday whether Israel’s killing of thousands of Palestinians would fuel
hatred in a new generation.
Netanyahu
said Israel’s attempts to minimise civilian casualties were “not successful”,
and he accused Hamas of preventing civilians from moving to safer locations.
“Any
civilian death is a tragedy. And we shouldn’t have any because we’re doing
everything we can to get the civilians out of harm’s way, while Hamas is doing
everything to keep them in harm’s way,” Netanyahu said.
“So we
send leaflets, (we) call them on their cell phones, and we say: ‘leave’. And
many have left,” he added.
The
Israeli military’s chief of staff said Israel was close to destroying Hamas’ in
the northern Gaza Strip and there were signs the army was taking its campaign
to other parts of the enclave of 2.3 million people.
Israel
distributed pamphlets telling civilians to leave four towns in southern Gaza,
areas Gazans had been previously told would be safe.
Gaza
hospitals at crux of global debate
Israeli
officials said Hamas held some of the 240 hostages taken by gunmen on Oct. 7 in
the hospital complex.
The body
of a woman hostage was recovered by troops in a building near Al Shifa on
Thursday, the army said.
Military
equipment including Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenades were also
found in the building, it said.
Human
Rights Watch said hospitals have special protections under international
humanitarian law.
“Hospitals
only lose those protections if it can be shown that harmful acts have been
carried out from the premises,” the watchdog’s UN Director Louis Charbonneau
said.
EU
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on his first visit to Israel since the Oct.
7 Hamas attack, called on Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza.
“I
understand your rage but let me ask you not to be consumed by rage,” Borrell
said. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Hamas was to blame not only for
the Oct. 7 attack but also for the current plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
Source: brecorder.com
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----
Gaza
communications down as Israel searches main hospital
Nov 17, 2023
Israeli troops
carried out building-by-building searches at Gaza's main hospital today, as a
new communications blackout in the territory compounded fears for Palestinian
civilians trapped inside the facility.
Al-Shifa
hospital has become a focal point for Israeli operations in northern Gaza since
soldiers raided the complex on Wednesday, hunting for a command centre they say
Hamas operates there.
Hamas
and hospital managers deny that charge, and there has been international
concern about several thousand people -- including wounded patients and
premature babies -- believed to be trapped inside.
Israel
has launched an unprecedented attack on Gaza since Hamas fighters launched an
attack inside Israel on October 7.
Israel's
air bombardment and ground operation has killed 11,500 people, including
thousands of children, according to local authorities in Gaza.
Israeli
authorities have defended their operation, and the military said Thursday it
found rifles, ammunition, explosives and the entrance to a tunnel shaft at Al-Shifa.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged hostages, who were taken during the
October 7 attack, may even have been held at the medical facility.
"We
had strong indications that they were held in the Shifa Hospital, which is one
of the reasons we entered the hospital," he told "CBS Evening
News".
"If
they were [there], they were taken out," he said.
Allegations
about the hospital have not been verified, and yesterday communications with
the Gaza Strip were severed once again.
Network
provider Paltel group said all telecommunications were down because "all
energy sources sustaining the network have been depleted, and fuel was not
allowed in".
The UN
warned that the blackout would compound the misery of civilians, complicating
efforts to distribute aid and possibly triggering looting of its supplies.
"When
you have a blackout and you cannot communicate with anyone anymore... that
triggers and fuels even more the anxiety and the panic," said Philippe
Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.
Israel
said its forces were searching Al-Shifa "one building at a time," and
announced the discovery of the body of a woman hostage at a building nearby.
Negotiations
are ongoing for the release of the hostages, some of them just infants, in
exchange for a pause in fighting.
Qatar,
where Hamas has political offices, and Egypt have been mediating what Egypt's
foreign minister described Thursday as "very delicate" discussions.
"We
are hopeful that our efforts and the efforts of others will bring about the
speedy release," Sameh Shoukry said.
On the
ground, conditions are rapidly deteriorating for Palestinian civilians, UN
agencies have warned.
Over 1.5
million people have been internally displaced, and Israel's blockade of the
territory means "civilians are facing the immediate possibility of
starvation," World Food Programme executive director Cindy McCain said.
Food and
water have become "practically non-existent," the agency added, with
Lazzarini describing children sheltering at a UN school "pleading for a
sip of water, or for a loaf of bread".
Israel's
ground operation has so far focused on the north of the Gaza Strip, where it
has announced the seizure of the parliament building, government offices, Hamas
police headquarters and a key port. It says 51 of its troops have been killed
in the fighting.
Hospitals
have become a particular target, with Israel saying it has found tunnels or
military equipment at the Al-Shifa, Rantisi and Al-Quds facilities.
Palestinian
health officials said Thursday that the Al-Ahli hospital was under attack, with
the Palestinian Red Crescent saying casualties in the courtyard could not be
reached by medical staff because of explosions and gunfire.
Washington
has backed Israel's allegations that Hamas is using hospitals as command
centres, while urging operations be "incredibly careful".
More
than half of Gaza's hospitals are no longer functional, due to either combat,
damage, or shortages, and Israel's raid on Al-Shifa left extensive damage to
the radiology, burns and dialysis unit, the Gaza health ministry said.
With
international concern about the conflict growing, the UN Security Council on
Wednesday passed a resolution urging "urgent and extended humanitarian
pauses" in fighting.
But the
resolution -- passed with abstentions from the United States, Britain and
Russia -- was rejected by Israel as "disconnected from reality."
Alongside
the conflict in Gaza, there is growing concern about violence in the West Bank,
where violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has surged.
In an
attack claimed by Hamas, three gunmen on Thursday killed an Israeli soldier and
wounded five others at a checkpoint leading into Jerusalem from the West Bank.
Overnight,
a large deployment of Israeli troops raided the Jenin refugee camp, AFP
reporters there said, prompting clashes. Israel's military did not immediately
comment.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday urged Israel to take
"urgent" action to "de-escalate tensions in the West Bank,
including by confronting rising levels of settler extremist violence," the
State Department said.
Elsewhere,
Israeli warplanes again hit targets near the Syrian capital, Syria's state news
agency reported. The strikes caused damage but there were no reports of
casualties.
Source: thedailystar.net
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-----
WHO says
negotiations continue for evacuation of babies from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza
17.11.2023
BusranurKoca
The
World Health Organization (WHO) is working with Egyptian officials to
facilitate the evacuation of 36 premature babies in the Al-Shifa Hospital in
Gaza, which is currently under an Israeli military operation, an official said
on Thursday.
Richard
Brennan, the UN health agency's regional emergency director for Eastern
Mediterranean Region, told ABC News that the evacuation is made difficult by a
lack of fuel and the security situation.
The WHO
has not been able to communicate with hospitals in northern Gaza for days, he
added. "It's a completely desperate situation."
Some 600
patients, including 36 newborns and 27 intensive care patients, 280 staff and
2,500 displaced people remain at the hospital, according to the WHO.
Alongside
Egyptian officials, the organization is negotiating with Israel through the UN
to ensure that there are "security guarantees and safe passage" for
evacuations, he added.
Israel's
bombardment of the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, accompanied by a
ground operation, has killed over 11,400 Palestinians, more than half of them
being women and children.
Thousands
of buildings, including hospitals, mosques and churches, have also either been
damaged or fully destroyed.
The
official Israeli death toll, meanwhile, stands at 1,200.
The
enclave is again under a communications blackout due to a lack of fuel for
generators, according to Paltel, the company which provides telecommunications
services in the Gaza Strip.
Source: aa.com.tr
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-------
2.2
million need food assistance as Gaza Strip risks ‘sliding into hunger hell,’
says WFP
November
16, 2023
NEW YORK
CITY: Almost the entire population of Gaza risks “sliding into hunger hell”
unless fuel deliveries are allowed to resume and there is a rapid increase in
food supplies, an official from the UN’s World Food Program warned on Thursday.
It came
as the UN said 2.2 million Palestinians in the territory now need food aid to
survive. The WFP said that with “winter fast approaching and unsafe and
overcrowded shelters that lack clean water, people are facing the immediate
possibility of starvation.”
AbeerEtefa,
the WFP’s senior regional communications officer for the Middle East and North
Africa region, said: “The collapse of food supply chains is a catastrophic
turning point in an already very dire situation. Gaza was not an easy place to
live in before Oct. 7, and if the situation was better before this conflict,
it’s now disastrous.”
Palestinians
in the Gaza Strip are growing increasingly desperate in their attempts to
obtain bread and other essential food supplies, and cases of dehydration and
malnutrition are rapidly increasing “by the day,” she added.
People
are lucky if they have one meal a day and their options are mostly limited to
canned food, said Etefa, “if it is actually available.”
Although
aid trucks are “trickling into Gaza,” it is proving difficult to get the small
amounts of food and water that cross the border to those in need because roads
have been damaged by the war and fuel is in very short supply as a result of
the Israeli blockade.
“The
existing food systems in Gaza are collapsing,” Etefa said. “Food production has
come to an almost complete halt. Markets have collapsed, fishermen cannot
access the sea, farmers cannot reach their farms and the last bakery that the
WFP has been working with has closed its doors because of the shortage of fuel.
“Shops
have run out of food supplies. The bakeries are unable to operate because of
the fuel and clean water shortages, or because they have sustained damage. The
last remaining mill has also been hit and stopped operating.”
There
were 130 bakeries in Gaza before the war. Eleven of them are known to have been
been hit by airstrikes. Others closed after running out of fuel. As a result,
supplies of bread, a staple food for Gazans, have dried up.
The WFP
was also forced to shut down a local program that since the start of the war
had been providing fresh bread for 200,000 Palestinians living in shelters.
With gas
and electricity in desperately short supply, Etefa said people have been
burning wood to cook or bake. Perishable food is “not really an option at all”
because there is no power for refrigerators.
Local
markets have shut down completely, only about 25 percent of shops in Gaza
remain open and those that do have very limited stock, she added. Small
quantities of food can sometimes be found but it is sold “at alarmingly
inflated prices” and is of little use without fuel and gas to provide the power
to cook it.
“That’s
forcing people to survive on maybe one meal a day, if they are lucky to find
this meal,” said Etefa. “And for the lucky ones, this meal will include maybe
canned food. Some people have actually resorted to consuming raw onions,
uncooked eggplant, whatever they can get their hands on.”
The
trickle of humanitarian aid that is arriving in Gaza does not come close to
making up for the lack of commercial food imports, she added. Of the 1,129
trucks that have entered Gaza since the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt
reopened on Oct. 21, only 447 were carrying food supplies.
Before
the war, more than 400 trucks a day arrived in Gaza carrying supplies essential
to the survival of the population. That number has fallen to fewer than 100 a
day, and the food that they carry meets only about 7 percent of the
population’s daily minimum caloric needs.
Etefa
called for an increase in the number of trucks carrying food to Gaza, the
opening of additional border crossings, safe routes for humanitarian workers to
distribute aid, and deliveries of fuel to bakeries so that they can resume
production of bread.
Juliette
Touma of the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
said the absence of fuel to power generators is also causing a communications
blackout in Gaza, as a result of which there would be no cross-border aid
operation at the Rafah crossing on Friday.
“It has
been almost six weeks (of) total disregard for international humanitarian law,”
she said. “Today, Gaza looks like it’s been hit by an earthquake, except it’s
man-made and it could have been totally avoided.
“We have
just witnessed in the past week the largest displacement of Palestinians since
1948. This was an exodus, under our watch, of people being forced to flee their
homes. Some were forced to relive the unlivable traumas from the past, mostly
unhealed.”
Touma
added that “the dignity of people has been stripped overnight. Children in the
shelters are pleading for a sip of water and a piece of bread. People are
telling us they must queue for two-to-three hours just to go to the toilet.
They share one toilet with hundreds of others. All of this brings us back to
the medieval age.”
A
ceasefire is required “now, if we want to save whatever is left of our
humanity. In fact it’s long overdue,” she said.
She also
pleaded for fuel to be delivered “without any conditions or delays” so that
humanitarian operations across the Gaza Strip can continue.
“Anything
less than our minimum needs would be cruel,” said Touma. “Without it, 2 million
people will be deprived of services and humanitarian assistance. The siege on
Gaza must be lifted.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410156/middle-east
------
Israeli
Colonizers Construct a Settlement Road Near Hebron, Invade Al-Aqsa Mosque
NOV 17, 2023
Illegal
Israeli colonizers, on Thursday, attacked Palestinian citizens, began the
construction of a settlement road near Hebron, and invaded the Al-Aqsa Mosque in
occupied Jerusalem.
In the
northern occupied West Bank, dozens of illegal Israeli colonizers attacked, on
Thursday, Palestinian citizens’ vehicles near the village of Deir Sharaf,
northwest of Nablus.
The
colonizers also closed the main road which connects Nablus to the city of
Tulkarem, in the northwestern part of the West Bank, preventing citizens from
leaving Nablus.
Meanwhile,
south of Nablus, a group of illegal colonizers assaulted a Palestinian citizen
near the town of Qusra, southeast of the city.
According
to anti-settlement activist, Bashar Al-Qaryouti, colonizers assaulted a
Palestinian man on the road between Qusra and Jalud, causing him to sustain
bruising.
Al-Qaryouti
added that occupation forces detained the assault victim, and subjected him to
interrogation for more than an hour before releasing him.
In the
Old City of occupied Jerusalem, dozens of illegal Israeli settlers invaded the
courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, under the the full protection of the Israeli
police.
Media
sources reported that the colonizers entered through the Mughrabi Gate, carried
out provocative tours, and performed Talmudic rituals in the courtyards of the
Islamic holy site.
At the
same time, Israeli police stopped and searched Palestinian students at the
doors of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, obstructing their access to their schools inside
the compound.
Furthermore,
in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, illegal Israeli colonizers, on
Thursday, began building a settlement road on Palestinian lands in
MasaferYatta, south of Hebron.
According
to Nidal Younis, the head of the MasaferYatta Village Council, a group of
Israeli settlers began constructing a settlement road using heavy machinery.
The road
is expected to be 12 kilometers in length and connect the illegal colonies of
“Avigal” and “Ma’on”, expropriating Palestinian lands.
In
related news, Israeli occupation forces installed, Thursday evening, a military
tower in the MasaferYatta region, south of Hebron.
According
to the head of the Susiya Village Council, Jihad Nawajaa, Israeli forces
installed a military tower on Palestinian lands between the village of Susiya
and Ma’on in MasaferYatta, for the purpose of monitoring the movement of
citizens.
Also in
the southern West Bank, a group of Israeli settlers forced, at gunpoint, three
Palestinian citizens to leave their land, east of Tuqu’ town, south of
Bethlehem.
According
to Hasan Breijiyya, the head of the Bethlehem office of the Wall &
Colonization Resistance Commission, the colonizers forced the citizens, Ibrahim
Abd Salem Sabah, Bassam Muhammad Al-Zeer, and Imad Ahmed Tanouh, to abandon
their lands east of the town.
Breijiyya
added that the colonizers stole three livestock barracks, three caravans, solar
cells, and set fire to an agricultural room.
Source: imemc.org
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://imemc.org/article/israeli-colonizers-construct-a-settlement-road-near-hebron-invade-al-aqsa-mosque/
-------
Shura
Council condemns Zionist entity’s storming of Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza
[16/November/2023]
SANA'A
November 16.2023 (Saba) - The Shura Council condemned on Thursday in the
strongest terms the Zionist entity’s storming of Al-Shifa Hospital complex in
the Gaza Strip, the bombing of its drug and medical equipment warehouses, as
well as the repeated attacks on hospitals, schools, and places of worship in
the Strip.
The
Council affirmed in a statement that these crimes, which amount to war crimes
against humanity, are added to the series of crimes of the usurping entity
against the Palestinian people.
The
statement pointed out that the Zionist entity deliberately promoted lies and
debunked narratives to bomb hospitals and medical teams, to justify itself
committing more crimes and shedding the blood of children, women, and the
elderly in full view of the entire world.
The
Council called on the international community and the United Nations to stand
seriously regarding the genocidal war against the Palestinian people and not be
satisfied with statements. It also called for the necessity of activating
international laws to stop the war on the Gaza Strip and Palestinian cities and
to quickly bring in humanitarian aid.
The
statement called on the free people of the world and human rights and
humanitarian organizations to quickly intervene to stop the Zionist attacks and
put an end to the collective punishment practiced by the Zionist entity against
the Palestinians.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3281150.htm
-----
Hezbollah
announces destruction of another Israeli tank 'in support of war-hit Gaza'
16
November 2023
Lebanon's
Hezbollah resistance movement has announced the destruction of another Israeli
tank in an operation carried out in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,
who have come under an unrelenting Israeli war.
The
movement reported the development on Thursday, identifying the destroyed target
as an Israeli Merkava tank, and saying it had neutralized the target by firing
a surgical strike missile against the Israeli regime's Branit garrison,
Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported.
Hezbollah
also said it had struck the occupying entity's Hermon military outpost and an
Israeli infantry force gathering on Karantina Hill near the HadabYaron site.
"The
resistance reported that the Jal al-Alam site was targeted with guided
missiles, noting that direct hits were achieved there, in addition to targeting
a group of Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in Shtoula, with direct targets
achieved," the report added.
The
Lebanese movement said it had performed the operations in support of "our
steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with their
valiant and honorable resistance."
Israel's
war on Gaza started after the territory's resistance movements waged a surprise
attack against the occupying entity, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, in
response to its decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against
Palestinians.
According
to the Gaza-based health ministry, Israel has killed at least 11,500
Palestinians, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and injured more than
32,000 others.
Ever
since the onset of the war, the Israeli regime has also conducted sporadic
attacks on southern Lebanon, which have sparked a firefight between the regime
and Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s
Hezbollah has launched several retaliatory strikes against the occupied
territories as tensions escalate in border areas.
In early
November, Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said all
options were on the table against Israel, urging the Zionist regime to stop its
aggression against Palestinians in Gaza immediately.
Hezbollah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said that all options are on the
table against Israel.
Hezbollah
was ready for all possibilities, Nasrallah said at the time, adding that
whoever wanted to prevent a regional war, had to quickly stop the Israeli
aggression against the besieged coastal territory.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/16/714734/Lebanon-Palestine-Hezbollah-Israel-tank-
-----
Southeast Asia
Hundreds
of Rohingya refugees reach Indonesia’s west on boat
November
17, 2023
BIREUEN,
Indonesia: About 250 desperate Rohingya refugees reached western Indonesia on a
decrepit, overcrowded wooden boat on Thursday, bringing the total number
reported by local officials to have arrived this week to nearly 600.
The boat
holding the members of the persecuted Myanmar minority, many barefoot and some
pleading for help, sat just off the coast in the archipelago nation´s Aceh
province.
Some
made a dash for shore after residents refused to let them land, collapsing to
the sand and begging for the vessel´s exhausted passengers to be allowed to
disembark. The mostly Muslim Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and
thousands risk their lives each year on long and expensive sea journeys, often
in flimsy boats, to try to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
Men,
women, children and babies could be seen looking to shore as angry locals told
them not to land the boat, which some on board said had sailed from Bangladesh.
Young men on board held their arms out in exasperation as the open-topped boat
listed to one side through overcrowding.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1129801-hundreds-of-rohingya-refugees-reach-indonesia-s-west-on-boat
-----
S’pore
‘deeply regrets’ impact of Israel’s military operations on Gaza hospital; Hamas
should not use premises for military purposes: MFA
November
17, 2023
Amanda
Lee
SINGAPORE
– Singapore “deeply regrets” the impact of Israel’s military operations on
Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Friday.
“We
strongly urge Israel to do its utmost to protect all civilians and medical
facilities in Gaza. We urge all parties to comply fully with international
humanitarian law,” it said in a statement.
“Civilian
infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, should be protected.”
MFA also
said that “Hamas should not use these premises for military purposes or use
civilians as human shields”, and reiterated its call “for the immediate and
safe release of civilian hostages in Gaza”.
On
Wednesday, Israeli troops entered Al-Shifa, Gaza’s biggest hospital, following
a days-long siege that has caused global alarm over the fate of the civilians
trapped inside.
Reuters
quoted a Gaza Health Ministry spokesman as saying that there was no water, food
or baby milk in the hospital, which was packed with 650 patients and about
7,000 people displaced by weeks of Israeli air strikes and artillery
bombardments.
MFA also
said that Singapore remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating
humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Palestinian
civilians have borne the brunt of Israel’s weeks-long military campaign in
retaliation for an Oct 7 attack by Hamas that Israel says killed 1,200 people,
mostly civilians. Israel also says that Hamas took more than 240 hostages.
Singapore
welcomed the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2712, which
calls for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors in Gaza. The
resolution was adopted by the UN Security Council on Wednesday, with 12 members
voting in favour, none against and three abstentions (Russia, Britain and the
United States).
“Every
effort must be made for the immediate, safe and unhindered provision of
humanitarian aid to affected civilians throughout Gaza,” MFA added.
The
Al-Shifa Hospital has become the main target of Israel’s ground operation, and
the Israeli military has claimed that Hamas has its headquarters in tunnels
beneath the facility, which the Palestinian militant group denies.
MFA said
that Singapore will continue to work closely with its humanitarian partners to
offer additional assistance and support to the Palestinian people.
The Gaza
health authorities deemed reliable by the UN say that at least 11,500 people
have been confirmed killed, more than 4,700 of them children, in the Israeli
bombardment and ground invasion, reported Reuters.
Since
the war began, more than two-thirds of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have
fled their homes. There have been limited deliveries of humanitarian relief
crossing from Egypt into Gaza since Oct 21.
Source: straitstimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-deeply-regrets-impact-of-israel-s-military-operations-on-gaza-s-al-shifa-hospital-mfa
------
Government
seeks increase in Hajj officer quota for 2024
November
17, 2023
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - The Indonesian government continues to strive to secure an additional
Hajj officer quota from the Government of Saudi Arabia to support the
implementation of services for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.
"The
Ministry of Religious Affairs continues to lobby for an additional quota for
Hajj officers in 2024," Religious Affairs Minister's Special Staff for
Media and Public Communication, Wibowo Prasetyo, stated here on Friday.
He
remarked that the Hajj officer quota for 2024 is only 2,200, or around one
percent of the 241 thousand Hajj pilgrims.
According
to Prasetyo, the Hajj officer quota that Indonesia received for 2024 is far
lower than the previous year's quota that reached four thousand people.
"Obviously,
this is still very insufficient. It is hoped that the religious affairs
minister's lobby will bring positive results. Hopefully, Hajj officers can be
increased," he noted.
He
remarked that the government would face further challenges in organizing Hajj
services if it does not receive an additional quota of Hajj officers,
considering that there will be more Hajj pilgrims in 2024 as compared to the
previous year.
Prasetyo
also explained that the government had begun making preparations for Hajj
services next year.
He
remarked that officials from the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah
Implementation at the Ministry of Religious Affairs will soon leave for Saudi
Arabia to check the cost components that influence the Hajj Organizing Cost
(BPIH).
The
Ministry of Religious Affairs had proposed a BPIH of Rp105 million (around
US$6,773) per person for 2024, higher than the proposed BPIH for 2023 of around
Rp98.8 million (around US$6,373).
Prasetyo
explained that the proposed BPIH for 2024 was calculated based on the exchange
rate of the Indonesian rupiah against the US dollar and Saudi Arabian Riyal as
well as cost components of flight, accommodation, food, transportation, and
service facilities in Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina (Armuzna).
"Based
on a report, there is an increase in the cost of several services, such as
catering, accommodation, and transportation. With the condition of world
recession, we do not yet know the hotel cost," he stated.
"We
do not just propose an increase in (Hajj) cost without clear argumentation,"
he remarked.
Source: antaranews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://en.antaranews.com/news/298911/government-seeks-increase-in-hajj-officer-quota-for-2024
-----
At Apec
meet, PM Anwar says Gaza crisis due to ‘clear abandonment of moral
responsibility’
17 Nov
2023
SAN
FRANCISCO, Nov 16 — Walking the talk, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
today voiced out about the bloodbath that is happening in the Gaza Strip amid
Israel’s relentless air and ground attack.
“What’s
happening in Gaza is clearly an abandonment of moral responsibility which
allows massive destruction to happen and resulted in climate calamity,” he
lamented at the Apec Economic Leaders’ Informal Dialogue and Working Lunch in
the presence of US President Joe Biden and the rest of the leaders from member
economies.
The
attack has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, including over 7,800 women and
children, while over 29,000 others have been injured to date.
Since
his presence in San Francisco, Anwar has highlighted the humanitarian crisis in
Palestine.
“The
humanitarian crisis in Palestine is poised to affect not just Palestine or the
broader Middle East, but also leave an imprint on global relations for many
years to come.”
These
are blatant violations of international law, he said earlier in the week at a
special lecture entitled: “Super Power Rivalry and Rising Tensions in the Asia
Pacific,” at the University of California.
Anwar,
who is also the finance minister, also said that developed nations need to do
more to bear responsibility and assist developing countries in energy
transition.
Currently,
the developing economies and emerging economies are not getting the right
support that is required for the energy transition from developed nations.
“Ensuring
a fair and equitable transition is crucial.”
Malaysia,
he said, is one of only 17 recognised mega-diverse countries — a critical
position in pursuing global sustainability and fight against climate change.
“Malaysia
produces 0.658 per cent of global greenhouse emissions — about 2/3 of a per
cent. But climate change raises the risk of displacing up to a quarter of our
population if little or nothing is done.”
He said
Putrajaya is transforming its economy and investing in a cleaner, greener
future, including through the National Energy Transition Roadmap.
The
national oil company, Petronas, has also committed to a clear pathway towards
net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Prime
Minister commended Biden and President Xi Jinping for their bilateral meeting
on the sidelines of Apec, as he stressed that China-US engagement is key for
the future of Apec. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/11/17/at-apec-meet-pm-anwar-says-gaza-crisis-due-to-clear-abandonment-of-moral-responsibility/102560
------
No direct threats to PM Anwar for Malaysia’s solidarity stance with Palestine so far, says IGP
By
Muhammad Yusry
17 Nov 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 17 — Police have not received any reports of direct threats to the
safety of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim so far after he expressed
Malaysia’s support for the rights of Palestinians in the Middle East.
Inspector-General
of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said police are still gathering information
for now to determine the level of security threat to the prime minister and the
country.
“For now
there is no direct threat but we are still collecting intelligence,” he told
reporters after attending a passing-out parade in conjunction with the
completion of the police basic training programme here this morning.
“So far,
no police reports have been lodged yet,” he added.
Razarudin
reiterated that police will not compromise on Malaysia’s security.
Anwar
had disclosed last month that he had been under external pressure and even
threats over his outspoken advocacy for Palestinian rights following a stepped
up series of bombardments from the Zionist Israeli government in Gaza.
The
Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed that the federal government received a
démarche notice from the United States on the Palestine-Israel conflict on
October 13, while the US Deputy Chief of Mission to Malaysia Manu Bhalla had
called on a deputy secretary-general of Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
the previous day.
The US
State Department defined a démarche as a “formal diplomatic representation of
its official position, views, or wishes on a given subject" which seeks to
"persuade, inform, or gather information from a foreign government”, or to
“protest or object to actions by a foreign government”.
On October
31, Anwar disclosed that the United States Department of State had called up
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Malaysia’s ambassador in Washington DC, in relation to
Malaysia’s stance on Palestine.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/11/17/no-direct-threats-to-pm-anwar-for-malaysias-solidarity-stance-with-palestine-so-far-says-igp/102524
------
Ahmad
Fuzi condemns violence to the Palestinian people; calls on international
community to support all diplomatic efforts
November
17, 2023
GEORGE
TOWN: Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak called on the
international community, on humanitarian principles, to jointly support all
diplomatic efforts to end violence in Gaza.
He said
the international community should support all diplomatic efforts to reach a
comprehensive and complete solution, which is fair and just for the good of all
mankind.
He said,
lately, the world has been shocked by tragic news and developments in the Gaza
Strip.
He added
that the ongoing conflict and war caused great suffering to the Palestinian
people, with the general public, especially innocent children and women, being
killed and many others who have lost their lives and homes.
"As
a responsible and caring member of the global community, it is our collective
responsibility to improve awareness of what is happening and work towards
helping with the pain and catastrophe that the Palestinians are experiencing in
Gaza and the West Bank.
"I
strongly condemn it and urge that all acts of violence, murder and cruelty
happening to the Palestinian population cease immediately," he said in his
speech when opening the 15th state legislative assembly sitting here today.
This is
the first meeting held soon after the state elections in August, which saw the
PakatanHarapan-Barisan Nasional coalition retaining power in the state with 29
seats.
The
opposition secured 11 seats.
Fuzi
said it was important that the safety and wellbeing of the people is prioritised.
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had recently called on the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries to consistently and assertively call
for an immediate ceasefire and expedite humanitarian assistance to the people
of Gaza.
More
than 11,000 Palestinians, a majority of them women and children, have been
killed as a result of more than a month of relentless Israeli airstrikes and
brutal ground operations in Gaza.
Thousands
remained unaccounted for, believed to be trapped under the rubble of razed
buildings.
Meanwhile,
in his speech, Fuzi congratulated the state government under Chief Minister
Chow Kon Yeow for the state's excellent record of achievement over the past
year.
He said
in 2022, Penang's economy grew by 13.1 per cent, a significant increase from
the
previous
year's growth rate of 6.9 per cent in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with value
recorded at RM112.1 billion.
He said
the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) reported that the
manufacturing sector continued to be the driver of the state's economic growth,
with a significant increase from 12.4 per cent in 2021 to 15.9 per cent in
2022.
He added
that the state also recorded as many as RM13.7 billion in approved
manufacturing investment in the year 2022, involving an inflow of 135 projects
that will generate 15,752 new jobs.
"This
makes Penang one of the highest contributors, with a 16 per cent contribution
in approved manufacturing investment in the country in 2022.
"Foreign
direct investment (FDI) recorded as much as RM9.7 billion or 71 per cent of
manufacturing investment inflows for the year 2022 while the balance, RM4
billion or 29 per cent comprised direct domestic investment (DDI).
"This
impressive economic achievement shows that Penang is on an encouraging economic
trajectory and is potentially emerging as an important economic force in
Asean," he added.
In his
speech, Fuzi also called on the federal government to increase allocation for
Penang's development.
He said
as a responsible government, serious attention and a reminder should be given
to all agencies and departments to continue to prepare for the Northeast
Monsoon.
"MET
Malaysia has predicted during this monsoon season, Penang is expected to
receive monthly rainfall ranging between 190mm to 290mm this month and between
90mm to 130mm next month.
"My
advice to the people of Penang is to stay alert with the latest weather changes
and warnings and cooperate in complying with the instructions and procedures
set from time to time," he said.
Source: nst.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/11/979361/ahmad-fuzi-condemns-violence-palestinian-people-calls-international
------
Europe
Pro-Palestinian
protesters slam UK Labour Party for opposing cease-fire in Gaza
17.11.2023
Pro-Palestinian
protesters held a rally Thursday in East London to denounce the Labour Party
over its stance against calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Gathering
outside the party's office in Tower Hamlets, they also called on Labour Party
lawmaker Rushanara Ali to resign after she abstained from a vote supporting a
motion calling for a cease-fire in the besieged enclave.
The
crowd carried signs and Palestinian flags, chanting "Labour Party, shame
on you. Rushanara Ali, shame on you."
Ali, a
member of parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow, released a statement saying:
"This SNP (Scottish National Party) motion doesn’t stand a chance of
securing a cease-fire.”
She
abstained from the vote and has since met with wide-ranging criticism along
with other Labour MPs who either abstained or voted against the motion.
The
motion, calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, was defeated by a vote of
294-125 in parliament on Wednesday.
Hundreds
of students in Tower Hamlets also staged a strike on Thursday in solidarity
with Palestine.
Israel
has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a
cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least
11,500 Palestinians have since been killed, including more than 7,800 women and
children, and more than 29,200 injured, according to the latest figures from
Palestinian authorities.
Thousands
of buildings, including hospitals, mosques and churches, have also been damaged
or destroyed.
The
Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/pro-palestinian-protesters-slam-uk-labour-party-for-opposing-cease-fire-in-gaza/3056077
-------
France
calls West Bank Israeli settler violence ‘policy of terror’
November
16, 2023
PARIS:
France has condemned violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank,
calling it a “policy of terror” aimed at displacing Palestinians and urging
Israeli authorities to protect Palestinians from the violence.
UN
figures show that daily settler attacks have more than doubled, since the Hamas
attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 and the ensuing assault on the Palestinian enclave
of Gaza.
“Concerning
the West Bank, I’d like to express the strongest condemnation by France of the
violence carried out by the settlers against the Palestinians,” said Foreign
Ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre.
“Violence
which has the clear objective of forced displacement of the Palestinians and a
policy of terror.”
She said
the Israeli authorities needed to take the necessary measures to protect the
Palestinian population and warned that the settlement policy harmed the
two-state solution.
UN human
rights chief Volker Turk echoed her words.
Speaking
in Geneva on Thursday, Turk said he was deeply concerned about the
intensification of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
He said
it was clear the Israeli occupation must end.
This
year was already the deadliest in at least 15 years for West Bank residents,
with some 200 Palestinians and 26 Israelis killed, according to UN data.
But just
in the three weeks since the Oct. 7 attack, more than 120 West Bank
Palestinians have been killed. Clashes with soldiers have caused most deaths.
Israel
captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and it has been under
military occupation since, while Israeli settlements have consistently
expanded.
Palestinians
envisage the West Bank as part of a future independent state also including
Gaza and East Jerusalem.
France’s
Legendre also said that about half the 100 tons of aid France had sent to Gaza
had entered the enclave.
She added
it was not up to Israel to decide the future governance of Gaza, which she said
should be part of a future Palestinian state.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410221/world
-------
UK
newspaper removes viral bin Laden letter
November
17, 2023
LONDON:
British newspaper The Guardian has removed from its website a 21-year-old
message written by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, after it was shared several
million times on social media.
Bin
Laden´s “Letter to America” began being shared on TikTok on Tuesday, sparking a
fierce debate about US backing for Israel in its current war against Hamas. The
transcript includes bin Laden´s assertion that the United States was attacked on
September 11, 2001 due to its support of Israel.
Links to
the original were replaced on the Guardian website with a statement saying it
had been shared “without the full context”. “This page previously displayed a
document containing, in translation, the full text of Osama bin Laden´s ´letter
to the American people´, which was reported on in the Observer on Sunday 24
November 2002,” it wrote.
“The
transcript published on our website had been widely shared on social media
without the full context. Therefore we decided to take it down and direct
readers instead to the news article that originally contextualised it.”
Bin
Laden´s message, released a year after 9/11, outlined his objections to Western
activities in Muslim nations, condemning the United States for its backing of
Israel and its approach towards the Palestinian regions.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1129798-uk-newspaper-removes-viral-bin-laden-letter
------
France
warns Iran against escalating Gaza conflict across region
2023-11-17
PARIS:
France’s foreign minister said she had told her Iranian counterpart on Thursday
that Tehran would bear a heavy responsibility if the conflict in Gaza spreads
across the region.
“Meeting
today with my Iranian counterpart in the form of a warning: the extension of
the current conflict in Gaza would not benefit anyone, and Iran would have a
heavy responsibility,” Catherine Colonna said after a face-to-face meeting in
Geneva with Hossein Amirabdollahian.
The
conversation was the latest between French and Iranian officials as Paris looks
in particular to defuse tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. Ties
between France and Iran have also been strained in recent months over what
Paris has said are arbitrary arrests of four of its citizens that it says are
equivalent to state hostage taking.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40273687/france-warns-iran-against-escalating-gaza-conflict-across-region
-----
German
police raid 54 Islamic centers
Nov 17,
2023
TEHRAN,
Nov. 17 (MNA) – German police have raided 54 Muslim-related centers across the
country, including the Hamburg Islamic Center (IZH), according to the media.
The
German government said its police raided 54 locations across the country on
Thursday in an investigation of the IZH, which the police claim is suspected of
possibly supporting Hezbollah's activities in Germany, ABC News reported.
The
report said that German intelligence believes the IZH exerts significant
influence or full control over some other mosques and groups, and that they
often espouse a “clearly antisemitic and anti-Israel attitude.”
“It is
just as clear that we don't tolerate any Islamist propaganda, antisemitic and
anti-Israel agitation here,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has said in
Berlin.
This is
while the IZH said last month that it “condemns every form of violence and
extremism and has always advocated peace, tolerance and interreligious
dialogue.”
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/208436/German-police-raid-54-Islamic-centers
-----
Turkiye’s
Erdogan to visit Germany as differences over the Israel-Hamas war widen
November
17, 2023
BERLIN:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected in Berlin on Friday on a
short visit to Germany as the two countries’ stances on the war between Israel
and Hamas are poles apart.
Erdogan
is due to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Germany’s largely ceremonial
president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Scholz invited Erdogan to visit in May
following his re-election.
Turkiye
is viewed as an awkward but essential partner in Germany, which is home to more
than 3 million people with Turkish roots. It’s a NATO ally that also is
important in efforts to control the flow of refugees and migrants to Europe,
but there have been tensions in recent years over a variety of issues.
This visit
is overshadowed by a growing chasm between the two countries’ stance on events
following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Germany
is a staunch ally of Israel and has opposed calls for a cease-fire, while
pushing for aid to civilians in Gaza, advocating “humanitarian pauses” and
seeking to keep open channels of communication with other countries in the
region to prevent the conflict from spreading.
Erdogan
has taken an increasingly strident stance against Israel. On Wednesday, he
called it a “terrorist state” intent on destroying Gaza along with all of its
residents. He described Hamas militants as “resistance fighters” trying to
protect their lands and people. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by
Israel, the United States and European Union.
Those
and similar comments have appalled politicians across the spectrum in Germany.
Asked earlier this week about Erdogan’s comments, Scholz didn’t mention the
Turkish leader by name but said “the accusations that are being made there
against Israel are absurd.”
On
Wednesday, Scholz told parliament that his talks with Erdogan will include a
discussion of “differing views — in this question, it is very important that
there is clarity and that we make our own position very clear.”
Israel
recalled its diplomats from Turkiye last month after Erdogan accused Israel of
committing war crimes. Turkiye later also recalled its ambassador from Israel.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410426/middle-east
-----
London
schoolchildren protest against MP’s abstention from Gaza ceasefire vote
November
17, 2023
LONDON:
Hundreds of schoolchildren took to the streets of Tower Hamlets on Thursday in
the latest pro-Palestine demonstration to hit London, MailOnline reported.
The
protest came after the borough’s Labour MP Rushanara Ali abstained from a Gaza
ceasefire vote in Parliament on Wednesday night.
A total
of 56 Labour MPs voted for a ceasefire in Gaza as party leader Keir Starmer was
hit by a major revolt over his position on the Israel-Hamas war, which has
outraged Muslim communities.
Ali’s
abstention led to strong criticism from the protesters, who called for her
resignation, expressing their disappointment that she did not support the vote,
the Daily Mail reported.
Children
and adults attended the demonstration in the streets of Bethnal Green, carrying
Palestinian flags and placards calling for Israel to stop the war in Gaza.
Protesters
were heard chanting, “what do we want — ceasefire, when do we want it — now,”
and “free, free Palestine.”
Israel’s
military assault has killed more than 11,200 people in Gaza, including 4,500
children, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported.
Eight
members of Starmer’s shadow ministerial team left their roles in order to defy
the party position.
Pro-Palestinian
supporters staged a large demonstration outside Parliament as the evening’s
vote was taking place.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410476/world
-------
Demonstrators
demanding a ceasefire in Gaza shut down bridges in Boston and San Francisco
November
17, 2023
SAN
FRANCISCO: Demonstrators seeking a ceasefire in Gaza blocked bridges on both
sides of the US on Thursday, including a major span into San Francisco during a
global trade summit involving President Joseph Biden and other world leaders.
Eighty
protesters were arrested on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and 29
vehicles were towed after demonstrators blocked all lanes on the upper deck,
with some drivers tossing their keys into the bay. One person was booked into
county jail but the others were cited and released, the San Francisco’s
Emergency Operations Center said in an email.
Traffic
was snarled for hours after more than 200 demonstrators demanded that Biden, in
San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference,
call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
In
Boston, about 100 protesters stopped traffic on the bridge connecting the city
to Cambridge for more than two hours during the morning rush. They chanted
“ceasefire now!” and held a banner with the words “Jews say: cease-fire now”
and they called on one of Massachusetts’ two senators, Democrat Elizabeth
Warren, to do more to halt the hostilities.
On the
West Coast, Aisha Nizar, of the Palestinian Youth Movement, said in a statement
that President Biden was “hosting cocktail parties in San Francisco” while
thousands of people were being killed in Gaza. Protesters unfurled huge banners
and some of them lay on the ground with white sheets draped over their bodies
as part of a “die-in.”
California
Highway Patrol division chief Ezery Beauchamp called the Bay Area protest
highly coordinated. He said the patrol supports free speech rights but not a
traffic shutdown that could prevent emergency vehicles from crossing.
“This is
the wrong way to do it,” he said. “This is 100 percent wrong, it’s unacceptable
and it’s illegal.”
Demonstrations
over the war are becoming more disruptive across the US Protesters calling for
a ceasefire clashed with police Wednesday outside Democratic National Committee
headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Democratic representatives and
candidates were inside for a reception.
The
protests came as Israeli forces dropped leaflets warning Palestinians to flee
parts of southern Gaza, residents said Thursday, signaling a possible expansion
of the Israeli offensive following Hamas-led attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410366/world
------
North America
Canadian
man found guilty of murdering four Muslims
November 17, 2023
OTTAWA:
A 22-year-old Canadian man was found guilty on Thursday of murdering four
members of a Muslim family who he ran over with his truck in 2021.
The jury
took around six hours to return its verdict on Nathaniel Veltman, who attacked
the family in London, a town in Ontario province.
He faces
a life imprisonment sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Prosecutors
argued the attack was an act of terrorism, saying Veltman’s own writings showed
he was a white nationalist who opposed mass immigration.
Five
members of the Afzaal family were out for an evening walk near their home in
June 2021 when Veltman ran over them with his truck on the sidewalk.
Salman
Afzaal, his wife, their daughter, and Afzaal’s mother were killed, while the
couple’s nine-year-old boy suffered serious injuries. Veltman was also found
guilty of one charge of attempted murder.
It was
the worst attack against Canadian Muslims since a man gunned down six members
at a Quebec City mosque in 2017.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1790009/canadian-man-found-guilty-of-murdering-four-muslims
-------
Biden
names Pakistani-American as first Muslim lawyer to Federal Appeals Court
November
17, 2023
WASHINGTON:
US President Joe Biden nominated Adeel Mungi from Karachi as a lawyer in the
Federal Court of Appeals thus he will become the first American Muslim to reach
this position.
According
to the American media the nomination of Adeel Mungi as a federal appeals court
lawyer by President Joe Biden, must be approved by the Senate in which the
ruling party has a majority. Adeel Mungi was nominated by the US president to
the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia along with 7 other
judicial nominations.
Highly
educated Adeel Mungi is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Oxford. He has
actively pursued religious liberty cases in the Trump era and is currently a
partner at the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP.
Apart
from this Mungi has also worked with the Muslim Bar Association of New York the
Legal Aid Society of New York and Muslims for Progressive Values. The
Pakistani-born lawyer is a member of Lincoln’s Honorable Society as well as an
advisory member of the Alliance of Families for Justice. He is also a member of
the board.
It
should be noted that two years ago Joe Biden nominated the first Muslim Zahid
Qureshi in the federal district court. He is also a Pakistani national and is
serving in the federal district court.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1129817-biden-names-pakistani-american-as-first-muslim-lawyer-to-federal-appeals-court
------
Blinken
asks Israel for ‘urgent’ action against settler violence
November
17, 2023
SAN
FRANCISCO: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called on Israel to
take “urgent” action to stop settler violence against Palestinians in the West
Bank.
Blinken,
in San Francisco for an Asia-Pacific summit, made the plea in a telephone call
with Benny Gantz, an opposition leader who joined Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet.
Blinken
“stressed the urgent need for affirmative steps to de-escalate tensions in the
West Bank, including by confronting rising levels of settler extremist
violence,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
On the
war front, Blinken with Gantz “discussed efforts to augment and accelerate the
transit of critical humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” Miller said.
Blinken
also spoke to Gantz about ongoing diplomacy to free hostages seized by Hamas
militants when they launched a major raid into Israel on October 7 from the
Gaza Strip.
Israeli
officials say around 240 people were taken hostage during the Hamas attacks,
which killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Since
then, Hamas government officials say Israel’s bombardment and ground offensive
have killed more than 11,500 people, also mostly civilians and including
thousands of children.
Unlike
the Gaza Strip, which is under Hamas control, the West Bank is largely under
Israeli occupation with limited autonomy by the Palestinian Authority, whose
leaders are enemies of Hamas.
Palestinians
in the occupied West Bank say they have faced increased harassment from Israeli
settlers since the war began.
Gantz, a
centrist retired general, agreed to enter a wartime cabinet with Netanyahu who
had returned to power in a coalition with far-right parties that staunchly back
Jewish settlement of the West Bank.
The
United States has backed Israel’s right to respond to Hamas but has also called
for greater efforts to spare civilians.
“We have
seen far too many Palestinian civilians killed and we have been urging Israel
all along to do everything possible to minimize civilian casualties,” Blinken
told NBC News on Thursday.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410376/middle-east
-----
Intl.
body seeks prosecution of Canada officials for complicity in Israeli war crimes
17
November 202
An
international advocacy group intends to seek prosecution of senior Canadian
government officials for complicity in the Israeli regime's war crimes against
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The
International Center of Justice for Palestinians Legal Working Group for
Canadian Accountability (ICJP LWGCA) notified the Canadian government of the
intention on Thursday.
The
officials served with the notice are Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, Minister of National Revenue Marie-Claude
Bibeau, and Attorney General Arif Virani.
"The
notice included a stark warning that Canadian government officials could be
individually liable and face before the International Criminal Court if there
is evidence they have aided and abetted Israeli war crimes and crimes against
humanity," the ICJP, which is the ICJP LWGCA's parent organization,
reported on its website.
The
report came on the 42nd day of an unrelenting war that the Israeli regime has
been waging against Gaza in response to an operation staged by the territory's
resistance groups.
According
to the Gaza-based health ministry, Israel has killed at least 11,500
Palestinians, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and injured more than
32,000 others so far during the war.
Israel
has been targeting hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza in defiance of
international condemnations.
The
regime has also cut off the flow of basic supplies, such as water, electricity,
medicines, and fuel, to one of the world's most densely-populated territories
that houses over two million Palestinians.
"Despite
this, the Canadian government has continued to pledge its steadfast support for
Israel. It has also refused to halt arms exports, refused to take action to
prevent the illegal recruitment of Canadian volunteers to assist Israel’s
military, and refused to stop millions of dollars from being unlawfully sent by
some Canadian organizations with charitable status to benefit Israel’s
military," the ICJP report noted.
Ever
since the onset of the war, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have
marched across Canada, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Thousands
of pro-Palestinian protesters filled the streets of Toronto and Ottawa in
Canada
According
to the ICJP, numerous leading domestic and international organizations
dedicated to human rights, international law, peace, and foreign policy have
supported the initiative aimed at holding Ottawa accountable for its support
for Tel Aviv's war crimes.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/17/714736/Canada-Israel-war-crimes-Gaza
-----
CAIR
Condemns Latest Israeli War Crime in Gaza as 50 Worshipers Killed at Mosque
During Prayers
Ibrahim
Hooper
November
16, 2023
(WASHINGTON,
DC – 11/16/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the
nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned
Israel’s latest war crimes targeting the Palestinian people in Gaza.
As part
of its ongoing genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West
Bank, Israel killed at least 50 Palestinians when a mosque in the Sabra
neighborhood of Gaza was bombed during prayers.
In a
statement, CAIR National Executive Director NihadAwad said:
“It is
hard to keep up with the growing list of Israeli war crimes during its
genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing targeting all the Palestinian people in
Gaza and the West Bank. But it is our duty, and the duty of the international
community, to condemn each of these crimes and to demand an immediate ceasefire
and justice for the Palestinian people.
“American
taxpayer dollars are funding these war crimes. It is the moral duty on all
Americans to protest our government’s partnership in these despicable
atrocities against civilians.”
CAIR
recently welcomed an internal State Department dissent memo accusing President
Biden of “spreading misinformation” about Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian
people and stating that Israel is committing “war crimes” in Gaza.
[NOTE:
More than 100,000 Americans have used CAIR’s action alert to contact their
members of Congress and call for an end to the violence and the renewal of
U.S.-led efforts to end the occupation. SEE: Urge Your Members of Congress to
Address Root Cause of Mideast Violence]
CAIR’s
mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote
justice, and empower American Muslims.
La
misión de CAIR es proteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam,
promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanesen los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-latest-israeli-war-crime-in-gaza-as-50-worshipers-killed-at-mosque-during-prayers/
-----
CAIR-SFBA
Condemns Islamophobic Assault on Seventh-Grade Muslim Student, Calls on School
and Law Enforcement to Conduct a Thorough Investigation
Ismail
Allison
November
16, 2023
(SANTA
CLARA, CA – 11/16/2023) – The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on
American Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the alleged Islamophobic
assault on a seventh-grade Muslim student at Francisco Middle School in San
Francisco, Calif., and called on the school to conduct a thorough
investigation.
On
October 25, the victim was reportedly attacked by two fellow students while
walking home from school. She was allegedly punched in the back of the head,
causing her to fall. One of her attackers then mounted her, striking her
multiple times in the chest and ribs. As they left, one of the attackers
directed an Islamophobic slur at her, saying, “F***ing Muslims.” The victim,
who suffered a concussion as a result of the assault, was able to identify her
assailants after reviewing a Francisco Middle School yearbook.
The
victim’s mother reported the attack to the school vice principal on October 26
and provided the attackers’ names during a subsequent meeting on October 30.
During the meeting, the victim’s mother expressed concerns about the safety of
her daughter and other Muslim students at the school, as one of the attackers
was reportedly asking other students at the school for her daughter’s address
and bus routes.
The
victim’s mother reported that she received no commitment from the vice
principal that the attack would be investigated.
In a
statement, Senior Civil Rights Attorney Jeffrey Wang said, “San Francisco
Unified School District’s Board Policy clearly states that no student should be
subjected to harassment, threats or hate-motivated behavior.
“CAIR-SFBA
is concerned that no visible corrective action has been taken against the
attackers, leaving the victim afraid of returning to school. We are deeply
troubled by the lack of assurances that these events will be thoroughly
investigated and that necessary safety measures will be implemented to protect
the victim and other Muslim students from further harm.”
CAIR-SFBA
Executive Director Zahra Billoo added, “This incident is not isolated. It
reflects a broader pattern of Islamophobia and harassment that Muslim students
face in schools. It is imperative that the school district takes immediate and
decisive action to address this hate-motivated crime.”
CAIR-SFBA
urged school administrators to prioritize the safety and well-being of all
students, urgently calling on the school administration to take the following
steps.
Conduct
a thorough investigation: Ensure a comprehensive examination of the assault, as
well as allegations of bullying and harassment targeting Muslim students on
campus.
Collaborate
on a safety plan: Work closely with the victim and her parents to establish a
comprehensive safety plan in line with the District policy.
Issue a
public statement: Address the Francisco Middle School community publicly,
reiterating the school’s zero-tolerance policy for bullying and affirming the
commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all
students.
Develop
a strategy against Islamophobia and antisemitism: In response to the current
environment of heightened Islamophobia and antisemitism, implement a proactive
strategy and response plan to ensure the safety and well-being of all
students.
Provide
mental health resources: Offer resources for mental health support and
counseling services to create a safe space for students facing emotional or
psychological challenges.
CAIR
California recently released its 2023 Bullying Report, which revealed that more
than 40% of Muslim students in California schools reported being bullied, which
is double the national average. It has also released a guide that contains practical
advice for both students and their families on
how to recognize bullying when they experience or witness it and how to
advocate for themselves
in response.
This
incident comes as Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians across the country report a
surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate since the escalation of violence in
Palestine and Israel last month. Last week, CAIR released new data indicating a
216% surge in complaints, including reported incidents of bias, reported to its
offices since the start of the crisis on October 7th.
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations encourages those experiencing similar
acts of aggression, racism, and Islamophobia to call their local CAIR offices
and report these incidents immediately.
[NOTE:
More than 100,000 Americans have used CAIR’s action alert to contact their
members of Congress and call for an end to the violence and the renewal of
U.S.-led efforts to end the occupation. SEE: Urge Your Members of Congress to
Address Root Cause of Mideast Violence]
CAIR-SFBA
is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy
organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil
rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-sfba-condemns-islamophobic-assault-on-seventh-grade-muslim-student-calls-on-school-and-law-enforcement-to-conduct-a-thorough-investigation/
------
Osama
bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ goes viral as some youths make ties to
Israel-Hamas war
November
16, 2023
A 2002
letter written by Osama bin Laden attempting to justify the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks he masterminded went viral on TikTok. Some users are drawing
connections between the letter and the Israel-Hamas war.
The
“Letter to America” went viral after TikTok users began linking to a copy that
was translated and published by The Guardian in November 2002.
The
left-wing British newspaper has since removed the letter because the page in
question now says, “the text was had been widely shared on social media without
the full context.”
“Therefore
we decided to take it down and direct readers instead to the news article that
originally contextualised it,” the page now says.
TikTok
also began to act against it, but users found a loophole by using screenshots
of the letter.
The
videos shared on the app have garnered over 14 million views, CNN reported, but
now searches with the hashtag #lettertoamerica bring up no results after TikTok
said it violates its guidelines.
Some
TikTok users said the letter made them look at the U.S. government in a bad
way, specifically when bin Laden talked about the Palestinians and America’s
support for Israel.
In one
video, the user says she “will never look at life the same. I will never look
at this country the same,” adding that she’s going through an existential
crisis.
Bin
Laden’s championing of the Palestinians was widely dismissed at the time
because his Al Qaeda terrorist group was primarily an enemy of Saudi Arabia,
not Israel.
It
turned against the U.S. and plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and
others over the stationing of American forces in the kingdom during the first
Persian Gulf War in 1990-91, supposedly a Crusader defilement of the “Land of
the Holy Mosques.”
The bin
Laden letter tries to justify killing people and makes direct references to the
Quran.
It also
accuses the U.S. of hypocrisy for imprisoning people in Guantanamo Bay without
trials when the country claims “to be the vanguards of human rights,” among
other points.
In a
statement posted Thursday, TikTok said, “Content promoting this letter clearly
violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism. We are proactively and
aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our
platform.”
The
company also said the videos about the letter were not trending, with only a
few circulating on the app, and that it wasn’t just a TikTok trend.
“The
number of videos on TikTok is small and reports of it trending on our platform
are inaccurate,” the post said. “This is not unique to TikTok and has appeared
across multiple platforms and the media.”
While
the letter is being seen for the first time by the younger generations, which
comprise much of TikTok’s users, members of the older generations are reacting
harshly to the youngsters’ views on the letter.
Peter
Bergen, a CNN national security analyst, told the outlet that he finds the
circulation of the letter “puzzling.”
“Most of
the people were either not born or were very young children when bin Laden and
9/11 happened, so they don’t have much historical context,” he said to CNN,
adding that, “there’s no proof it was written by bin Laden and some of the
things that he focuses on are inconsistent with his other writings.”
Source: washingtontimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/nov/16/osama-bin-ladens-letter-america-goes-viral-some-yo/
-----
The
protests outside DNC headquarters signal the divides in Biden’s base over
Israel-Hamas war
November
17, 2023
WASHINGTON:
National Democrats this year have insisted the party is united and ready to
rally around President Joe Biden heading into next year’s election. But a
protest outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters signals growing
tension within the coalition that has propelled Democrats to victory in recent
elections.
Clashing
with police Wednesday night were demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in Gaza
and criticizing Biden’s support of Israel’s offensive following the Oct. 7
Hamas attack. Inside the building were Democrats organizing to try to take back
the US House next year, including moderates from swing states Biden flipped
from former President Donald Trump.
Both the
protesters and the members of Congress on Thursday said they were shaken and
angry at the other side. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, a longtime Biden
ally, said: “We were so close. I mean, I was just on the other side of that
door. I was rattled.”
The
political symbolism of a violent confrontation outside the DNC isn’t lost on
some activists who are trying to pressure Biden by warning that he’s putting
his reelection in danger. Even small cracks in Biden’s 2020 coalition could
hurt his 2024 chances in what’s looking likely to be a rematch with Trump.
“The
Democratic Party and the Democratic leadership is not aligned and is not
listening to us,” said Dani Noble with Jewish Voice for Peace, who helped
organize the demonstration and said that 90 participants were injured by police
during it.
Biden
allies noted that some of the groups who organized the DNC protest are aligned
with the far left, outside the party’s mainstream. DNC chairman Jaime Harrison
posted on X, formerly Twitter: “As Americans we have a right to demonstrate
peacefully, but violence is never acceptable.”
Biden
and first lady Jill Biden called Thursday into a DNC and campaign staff meeting
to salute law enforcement for keeping everyone safe and thank “the staffers for
all they do,” the White House said.
David
Eichenbaum, a veteran consultant who worked on Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s
reelection last week in otherwise reliably Republican Kentucky, said he thinks
“Americans expect their president to show leadership, and that involves making
tough decisions.”
“He’s
led with his values on this,” Eichenbaum said of Biden, adding, “You’re always
better off when you lead and you govern with your values. Voters don’t want
somebody who tries to please everybody. Because you can’t please everybody and
then they see through that.”
The US
is providing weapons and intelligence support to Israel as it mounts an
offensive into Gaza with the goal of rooting out Hamas following its Oct. 7
attack, which killed more than 1,200 people. Biden has spoken repeatedly with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and says he’s working for the release
of Hamas-held hostages, including some Americans.
More
than 11,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of whom are women and minors, have been
killed since the war began, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, which
does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 2,700 people
have been reported missing. The mounting death toll has led to calls in parts
of the US and the world for a cease-fire. Israel has declined one so far.
The
president’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has sharply divided
members of his party, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public
Affairs Research poll released last week. The poll found 50 percent of Democrats
approved and 46 percent of Democrats disapproved of how the president is
handling the conflict. Of those who disapprove, 65 percent say the US is too
supportive of Israel.
Wednesday’s
violent confrontation came while Biden was in San Francisco for the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. He met with Chinese President Xi
Jinping and later announced that the two countries had agreed to work together
to better combat fentanyl production and reestablish direct
military-to-military communications — potentially politically valuable foreign
policy wins.
The
White House and Biden’s re-election campaign also say they’re listening to the
concerns of both Jewish and Arab voters and staffers.
A senior
White House official involved directly with Arab-American outreach said that a
call led every day since Hamas’ initial attack by Anita Dunn, one of Biden’s
top political advisers, discusses the war in Gaza and how to increase
engagement with Jewish-American and Muslim-American communities.
The
official said that other efforts by the White House include former DNC chair
Tom Perez, who is now a senior adviser to the president, calling state
lawmakers in Michigan to discuss issues around the war. The person was not
authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
White
House spokesperson Andrew Bates said the Biden administration has pushed for
humanitarian pauses in the fighting and getting aid into Gaza and that
“fighting against the poison of antisemitism and standing up for Israel’s
sovereign right to defend itself have always been core values for President
Biden.”
Still,
organizers calling for a cease-fire are pledging more demonstrations. That
raises the prospect of repeated disruptions at campaign events and next year’s
Democratic National Convention in Chicago — more than half a century after
Vietnam War demonstrations marred the 1968 convention in that city. Democrat
Hubert Humphrey would lose that fall to Republican Richard Nixon.
“I
thought the Democratic Party was the party of peace and treating people
equally,” said Eva Borgwardt, a spokesperson for IfNotNow, a group of American
Jews who oppose Israeli government policies. Borgwardt said she helped turn out
Democratic voters in Arizona, which Biden won in 2020 by just over 10,000
votes.
“I know
how crucial motivation and faith in the party is to be able to turn out people
to vote,” she said. “And right now, I know so many young voters, including
Jewish voters, who are looking at the actions of our Democratic leadership and
being completely horrified and disillusioned.”
But Rep.
Hillary Scholten, a first-term representative from Grand Rapids, Michigan, said
the protesters on Wednesday “chose violence” and were a “fringe element.”
“They
chose to trap multiple members of Congress inside of a building to prevent
their movement, including members of senior leadership in our Democratic
Party,” said Scholten, who became the first Democrat to represent Michigan’s
second-largest city since the mid-1970s. “That is an extreme ratcheting up of
the violence and whether that is a continued pattern, I think, remains to be
seen.”
And
Illinois Rep. Sean Casten, who was also inside the DNC during the protest, said
that true leadership meant delivering “the greatest good for the greatest
number — even if that’s unpopular.”
“The
unanimity of the Democratic Party, broadly speaking, in support of President
Biden, reflects a party that’s willing to do the right thing in the first
instance,” he said.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410361/world
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Arab World
Human
Rights condemns America's decision to stop international aid to beneficiaries
in Yemen
[16/November/2023]
SANA'A
November 16. 2023 (Saba)-The Ministry of Human Rights strongly condemned the
United States of America's decision to completely stop international aid
granted to beneficiaries in Yemen.
The
Ministry confirmed in a statement, a copy of which was received by the Yemeni News
Agency (Saba), that America committed, with its decision to stop international
aid to Yemen, a grave violation as it comes from a purely political nature...
noting that the United States exceeded the international position by
interfering in stopping aid outside the framework of international legitimacy.
It
explained that the American administration had previously taken this decision
gradually in order to pressure the Sana'a government to abandon the crucial
issues of the Arab and Islamic nation.
The statement
indicated that American hegemony and interventions have always affected the
flow of aid by exploiting that aid, diverting it from its humanitarian path for
another inhumane agenda, and using it to blackmail peoples... indicating that
the Yemenis have suffered greatly from American abuses during the years of
aggression and siege.
The
Ministry affirmed that humanitarian aid is one of the most obligatory rights
for victims of armed conflicts and natural disasters, considering America’s
cessation of international aid in violation of the United Nations Charter, the
four Geneva Conventions, and other international agreements that affirm the
prohibition of the use of humanitarian aid for political or military purposes
and that it must be provided in conflicts without any obstacles or political,
racial, religious or any other similar considerations.
It
warned of the consequences of this suspension, which will deprive millions of
Yemenis who are in dire need of humanitarian aid from life-saving relief, according
to reports issued by international organizations.
The
Ministry of Human Rights called on the international community to adopt a
transparent mechanism far removed from political calculations, renewing its
call for the United Nations General Assembly to bear responsibility and issue a
resolution to continue delivering aid to those who deserve it and take
practical measures to limit the United States’ use of aid for inhumane
purposes.
The
statement urged humanitarian organizations to stand in solidarity with the
Yemeni people, who have been subjected to aggression and siege for nine years,
reject American
transgressions,
and work to focus aid towards its main role towards reducing human suffering.
Source: saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3281253.htm
-----
Saudi
envoy to Egypt lauds Kingdom’s Gaza aid appeal response
November
17, 2023
RIYADH:
The Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Osama Nugali has praised Saudi Arabians for
helping to raise more than $133 million to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,
the Saudi Press Agency reported.
In a
statement made at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, the envoy said a
seventh Saudi airlift had arrived on Wednesday at Egypt’s Al-Arish International
Airport, from where the aid would be transported by road to the border.
During
his visit to the border crossing, Nugali was shown the progress being made on
deliveries.
The Gaza
fund-raising appeal was started with a donation of more than $13 million from
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Nugali
noted that the generosity of the Saudi people in backing the humanitarian
campaign was “unsurprising,” adding that so far 250 tons of aid had been
delivered to Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began and that this would likely
double with aid also being shipped by sea.
He
pointed out the difficulties faced in sending aid to Gaza but said the Kingdom
was committed to ensuring that it reached those it was intended for.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410506/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
fundraising campaign for Gaza reaches $133m
November
16, 2023
RIYADH:
A Saudi national fundraising campaign to provide aid for the people of Gaza has
so far raised more than $133 million, organizers said on Thursday.
The
initiative was launched on Nov. 2 by Saudi aid agency KSrelief through the
Sahem platform for charitable donations, in line with directives from King
Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. By Thursday, more than 806,000
people had used it to donate.
Those
who wish to contribute can download the Sahem app from Apple’s App Store or
Google Play, visit sahem.ksrelief.org or transfer funds directly to the
campaign’s Al-Rajhi Bank account.
Meanwhile,
a seventh plane carrying aid from the Kingdom for the people of Gaza arrived at
El-Arish International Airport in Egypt on Wednesday. It was carrying 35 tons
of relief supplies, including food and items to provide shelter.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410286/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
deputy minister meets special assistant to Pakistan’s PM
November
16, 2023
Dr.
Abdullah Abu Thunain, Saudi vice minister of labor and social development, met
Mohammed Jawad Malik, special assistant to Pakistan’s prime minister, in Riyadh
on Thursday, the SPA reported.
The
meeting focused on relations between the Kingdom and Pakistan, and tackled
issues of mutual interest in human resources and the labor market, as well as
ways to improve effective cooperation.
Abu
Thunain has served as a board member of several government institutions,
including the Education Evaluation Commission, Tamkin Technologies, the General
Authority for Statistics, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation and
the Public Transport Authority.
He also
worked at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh for 15 years,
holding several positions.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2410231/saudi-arabia
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Mawani,
SAL sign contract to establish logistics park at Jeddah Islamic Port
16 Nov
2023
Jeddah,
Nov. 16 (BNA): The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), has signed a contract; to
establish a logistics park at Jeddah Islamic Port, with a total area of 54,000
square meters, to enhance sea and air connectivity; which will contribute to
improving the logistics services provided, aiming to raise the Kingdom's
ranking in international indicators.
The
signing took place at Jeddah Islamic Port, by the President of the Saudi Ports
Authority" Mawani", Omar Hariri, and the Managing Director & CEO
of "Saudi Logistics Services Company" SAL, Faisal bin Saad bin
Albedah.
According
to SPA, the move is part of Saudi Ports Authority's efforts to achieve its
strategic objectives by developing and offering investment opportunities for
the private sector, and developing sustainable capacities and solutions that
suit the needs of partners; contributing to raising the level of local and
regional transport, distribution and storage operations, creating economic and
social added value; and increasing the number of logistics centers for
re-export to 30 centers by 2030, in line with the targets of the Saudi National
Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services reinforcing the Kingdom's
position as a global logistics center, and a hub connecting three continents.
This
logistics park will contribute to raising the Kingdom's ranking in
international indicators, and utilizing the Kingdom's strategic location, to
connect regional and global markets, and benefit from the integration and
interconnection between sea and air transport, in enhancing the Kingdom's
leading position, supporting the global economic movement, and upgrading the
standards of logistics services in the Kingdom, in addition to making Jeddah
Islamic Port among the top 10 ports globally.
Also,
the park will be built according to the latest environmental-friendly international
specifications that will contribute to developing the logistics services at
Jeddah Islamic Port, as it benefits from the port's capabilities and its
developed infrastructure in enhancing its operations, in addition to the
extensive structural reforms witnessed by the port, which have resulted in a
major shift in the operational efficiency of the maritime sector, within the
transport system and logistics services according to international indicators.
The list
of features offered by the integrated logistics area include: main logistics
services, and integrated environmental systems, including smart warehouses,
yards for storing and distributing goods, and re-export zone; to offer regional
sorting and distribution operations, and added value processes.
Source: bna.bh
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https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDpFWpDNgVacRvKUilmS%2fRm8%3d
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/cleric-islamic-religion-social-media/d/131130