Concept Of Jihad Not Just In Islam But Also In Gita, Christianity: Congress Leader Shivraj Patel
New Age Islam News Bureau
21 October 2022
Former Union minister and
senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil. (HT)
-----
• Muslim Leaders Condemn 'Violent And Vile
Islamophobia' Toward Mosque In Thornhill, Ont.
• Women Protesters In Afghan Detail Taliban Abuse:
Human Rights Watch Report
• Family Rejects Iran’s Medical Report On Mahsa
Amini’s Death: Lawyer
• Abbottabad ATC Sends 80 Tehreek-i-Labbaik Workers On
Judicial Remand
India
• SC Seeks Responses From Centre, States On Plea
Seeking UAPA Against Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes
• HC Relief For Muslim Woman, Sets Aside Registration
Certificate Of ‘Forced’ Marriage
• Panel formed on SC status for Dalit Christians,
Dalit Muslims: Centre
--------
North
America
• Police Search For Suspect After Hate Graffiti
Painted On Toronto Mosque
• Official Of Quebec City Mosque Where 6 Killed Urges
Passage Of Gun Law
--------
South Asia
• Afghan Couple Accuse US Marine Of Abducting Their
Baby
• Welcome no more: Rohingya face backlash in
Bangladesh
• Pakistan, Iran Vow Joint Efforts on Peace in
Afghanistan
• SIGAR: Millions of Afghan Farmers Depend on Growing
Opium Poppies for Survival
• Afghan Woman Dead in Border Armed Skirmish between
the Taliban and Pakistan
--------
Mideast
• International community faces mounting pressure to
declare Houthis to be terrorists
• Hamas to strengthen ties with Syria in future to
serve Palestinian cause: spokesman
• Iran Slaps Sanctions on British Officials,
Institutions over Terrorism, Human Rights Abuse
• AEOI Chief Lauds Remarkable Progress in Iranian
Nuclear Industry
• Palestinians say one killed during Israeli army raid
in West Bank
• Turkey denies it uses chemical weapons against
Kurdish militants
• Austrian citizen arrested in Iran, foreign ministry
confirms
• Palestinians strike after Israel kills suspected
attacker
• Deadly fire at Iran’s Evin prison erupted as police
clashed with inmates, sources say
• Palestinian killed in clashes with Israeli army in
West Bank: Palestinian ministry
--------
Pakistan
• Court Orders Medical Examination Of Converted Hindu
Girl To Verify Age
• Police chief denies presence of terrorists in Swat
• US Senate sees nothing wrong in F-16 deal with
Pakistan
• Pakistan SC rejects govt's request to stop ex-PM
Imran Khan's planned protest
• Marriyum in Turkiye to represent Pakistan at 12th
OIC info ministers conference
• ECP set to announce verdict on Toshakhana reference
against Imran today
• Pakistan values Emirate’s role in global, regional
affairs: COAS
--------
Arab
World
• Syrian Government Retaliates For Killing Of Soldiers
By Islamic State
• Syrian Kurds to hand over ISIS-linked Russian
children
• Car bomb injures two in northern Iraq, security
sources say
• King Abdulaziz University ranks first in Arab World
as per QS World Rankings
• Egypt demands halt to Israeli attacks on Palestinian
territories
• General who led Syrian bombing is new face of
Russian war
• US worried by Syria-Hamas reconciliation, warns of
'isolating' Damascus
--------
Europe
• Russia Repatriates 38 Children of Islamic State
Suspects from Syria
• Ukraine FM says he spoke to Israel PM about request
for defence systems
• UK sanctions Iran over drones used by Russia in
Ukraine
• Son of late Iran shah voices solidarity with Ukraine
over drones
• EU slaps sanctions on Iran drone maker, military
officers
• Iran envoy dismisses Ukraine's accusations Tehran
violated UN resolution
--------
Africa
• Jordan Censures Dutch Envoy For 'Interference' In
Radio License Row
• Kenyan opposition figure Miguna Miguna returns from
exile
• Ugandan bank launches 1st Islamic Sharia compliant
account
• At least 150 people killed in tribal clashes in
Sudan
• Ethiopia says Tigray peace talks to begin in South
Africa on Oct. 24
• Algeria, Russia hold joint military exercise in
Mediterranean
--------
Southeast
Asia
• PKR Man Slams Ismail’s ‘Misguided’ Claims On Anwar’s
Pardon
• RM95bil development expenditure not to benefit
tycoons, says PM
• Syed Saddiq heckled by rowdy youths outside ceramah
• PH needs coherent economic views to win in GE15,
says Chin Tong
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/concept-jihad-quran-gita-christianity/d/128234
--------
Concept Of Jihad Not Just In Islam But Also In Gita,
Christianity: Congress Leader Shivraj Patel
Former Union minister and
senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil. (HT)
-----
21st October 2022
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil on
Thursday claimed that the concept of jihad was not just in Islam but also in
Bhagavad Gita and in Christianity.
The BJP hit out at the Congress over Patil's remarks
and accused it of playing vote bank politics.
Speaking at the launch of Congress veteran and former
Union minister Mohsina Kidwai's biography, the former Lok Sabha Speaker and
Union minister Patil stated that it is said there is a lot of discussion of
jihad in the religion of Islam.
The concept comes to the fore when despite having the
right intentions and doing the right thing, nobody understands or reciprocates,
then it is said one can use force, he said.
"It is not just in Quran, but in Mahabharata
also, the part in Gita, Shri Krishna also talks of jihad to Arjun and this
thing is not just in Quran or Gita but also in Christianity," he claimed
in his remarks in Hindi.
"If after explaining everything, people are not
understanding, they are coming with weapons then you cannot run, you cannot
call that jihad and you cannot call it wrong, this is what must be understood,
there should not be this concept of making people understand with weapons in
hand," the 87-year-old leader said.
Patil further said Mohsina Kidwai's book also talks
about respecting all religions while following your own. He also said there is
a need for peace in the world.
Hitting out at the Congress over Patil's remarks, BJP
spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a tweet, "After AAP's Gopal Italia
& Rajendra Pal, not to be outdone in Hindu hatred & vote bank politics,
Congress' Shivraj Patil says Shri Krishna taught 'Jihad' to Arjun!
"Congress coined Hindu/Saffron terror, opposed Ram Mandir, Questioned Ram
JI's existence, said Hindutva=ISIS," Poonawalla tweeted.
In his speech, Patil also said he voted for
Mallikarjun Kharge in the Congress presidential polls.
He, however, mistakenly referred to Kharge as
Khandelwal a couple of times in the speech.
Patil spoke at length and talked about disparate
topics in his address.
Source: New Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Muslim
Leaders Condemn 'Violent And Vile Islamophobia' Toward Mosque In Thornhill,
Ont.
York Regional Police say a male suspect went to the
Imam Mahdi Islamic Centre at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Oct. 13 and spray
painted three areas of the mosque with 'derogatory, anti-Iranian language,'
written in Farsi, aimed toward the Iranian government. (CBC)
-----
Desmond
Brown
Oct
20, 2022
Muslim
leaders have condemned "violent and vile Islamophobia" toward the
Imam Mahdi Islamic Centre in Thornhill, Ont., describing recent incidents as
"a very serious matter" for the Muslim community in the Greater
Toronto Area in particular, and Canada in general.
At
a news conference on Thursday Nadia Hasan, chief operating officer of the
National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), outlined "a troubling series
of events," saying the Muslim community has been thrust into the spotlight
for all the wrong reasons.
According
to Hasan, the centre, located north of Toronto, has been "targeted"
for some weeks now with "sustained Islamophobic actions, including
threats, vandalism and harassment." The attacks began around the time
unrest erupted in Iran after a woman died on Sept. 13 while in the custody of
the regime's morality police. Mahsa Amini, 22, had been arrested for
"unsuitable attire."
She
provided the following examples of the "violent and vile Islamophobia
recently directed against the centre," which was established by
Iranian-Canadian Muslims in 2004.
The
phrase "death to priests" was spray painted onto its walls.
Someone
said that "it's mandatory to bomb the mosque."
Someone
threatened to purposely contract COVID-19 and spit on the congregants.
"This
has been devastating to witness," Hasan said.
She
added that the centre has a large and peaceful congregation that contributes to
the social fabric of the Thornhill community, including a lot of children and
elderly who are part of the membership.
"These
disgusting threats and actions have no place in Canada," Hassan said.
"An entire community and religion shouldn't be demonized in this way due
to the actions of some people across the world."
"Yet
again, we see marginalized communities targeted locally because of events
overseas," Hassan added.
Hate-motivated
graffiti
In
a news release Thursday afternoon, York Regional Police (YRP) said
investigators are seeking a suspect and witnesses after reports of
"hate-motivated graffiti" found at the Imam Mahdi Islamic Centre.
Police
said a male suspect went to the centre at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Oct. 13
and spray painted three areas of the mosque with "derogatory, anti-Iranian
language," written in Farsi, aimed towards the Iranian government.
Police
gave the following description of the suspect:.
Approximately
5'10".
Thin
to medium build.
Face
covered, possibly with a bandanna.
Wearing
a short jacket, baseball cap, jeans and light-coloured shoes.
Police
say investigators are seeking help from the community to identify the suspect
and are asking any witnesses, anyone with information or video surveillance
footage in that area, to come forward.
Meanwhile,
Hasan said the attacks are not isolated incidents.
She
said research done by the NCCM shows more than 1,000 hateful messages online in
the past two weeks, all directed at Muslims in Canada.
"There
have also been hateful rallies outside mosques in British Columbia, and Muslim
students on campus are being harassed and threatened," Hasan said.
"Up
in Richmond Hill, MP Majid Jowhari was also labelled a terrorist. Some have
called Muslim Toronto Police Service officers terrorists."
Hasan
said "this kind of Islamophobic backlash is completely unacceptable, regardless
of what is happening in other parts of the world."
"Islamophobic
voices and forces have spent copious amounts of time falsely portraying the
Mahdi Islamic Centre as a terrorist entity, an anti-woman organization or an
agent of the government of Iran," she said.
Nayereh
Akbarzadeh, a member of the centre who spoke at the news conference, said it
seems that some people "have been
just reacting to anger and hatred with even more anger and hatred," adding
that this is something that "needs attention."
According
to Akbarzadeh, behaviours similar to what has been happening at the mosque
might be understandable for Iranian people who have been "living under
corruption, sanctions and oppression."
But
she said, "here in Canada … we have the ability of just educating
ourselves to be able to have peaceful dialogue and honestly teaching our
children how real justice will look like."
"This
isn't going to be happening if we do not educate ourselves and our children
that we should be tolerant," Akbarzadeh added.
Working
closely with law enforcement
Hasan
said the NCCM has been working closely with law enforcement, including York
Regional Police (YRP), to ensure that members of the Muslim community are safe
and secure.
Additionally,
NCCM has been working with all levels of government for clear denunciations and
commitments to action, and has heard from a number of politicians who have put
out clear denunciations of what is happening at the centre.
In
their news release, YRP said they do not tolerate hate crime in any form.
"Those
who victimize others based on race, national or ethnic origin, language,
colour, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression sexual
orientation, or mental or physical disability will be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of the law," the YRP news release said.
Meanwhile,
Const. Amy Boudreau, YRP media relations officer, said it's unfortunate when
there's a global event happening, local communities are being affected.
She
warned that "any type of crime that is hate-motivated or targets any type
of group" will be investigated
"There's
people in the community that are greatly affected when they're targeted,
whether it's vandalism, hate speech or any of those types of things,"
Boudreau said.
It
has a very wide impact on our community and it won't be tolerated in our
region."
Source:
CBC
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Women
Protesters In Afghan Detail Taliban Abuse: Human Rights Watch Report
Taliban fighters fire into the air to disperse women
protesters in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 13, 2022. ©2022/ AFP via Getty
Images/Wakil Kohsar
-----
Oct
20, 2022
NEW
YORK: The Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday released a new report detailing
the mistreatment of Afghan women, who were wrongfully detained with their
families for protesting Taliban abuses.
The
New York-based rights group said the Afghan women were wrongfully detained with
their families, including small children. They experienced threats, beatings,
dangerous conditions of confinement, denial of due process, abusive conditions
of release and other abuses.
According
to the HRW, the authorities assaulted and administered electric shocks to detained
male relatives. The women's description of their experiences sheds light on the
Taliban's treatment of women protesters in custody and the Taliban's efforts to
silence the protest movement.
"It's
difficult to overstate the incredible bravery of these and other Afghan women
who protest against Taliban abuses," said Heather Barr, associate women's
rights director at Human Rights Watch. "These women's stories show how
deeply threatened the Taliban feel by their activities, and the brutal lengths
the Taliban go to try to silence them."
The
Taliban had arbitrarily arrested the three women during a single raid on a safe
house in Kabul in February 2022. The Taliban authorities held them and their
family members for several weeks at the Interior Ministry in apparent
retaliation for their involvement in planning and participating in women's
rights protests. After their release, they were able to flee the country.
After
the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, they immediately
began rolling back the rights of women and girls. Women began to protest on the
streets since Taliban's first week in power, despite the grave risks they faced
in doing so. By early September, women-led protests were taking place in Herat
province in western Afghanistan and quickly spread across multiple provinces.
The
HRW said the Taliban response was brutal from the beginning, beating
protesters, disrupting protests, and detaining and torturing journalists
covering the demonstrations. The Taliban also banned unauthorized protests.
Over time, the Taliban's abusive responses escalated, with a particularly
brutal response to a protest on January 16 in Kabul, when Taliban members
threatened, intimidated, and physically assaulted protesters, using pepper
spray and electric shock devices.
Days
later, the Taliban began conducting raids to arbitrarily detain women who had
participated in protests. The Washington Post documented the Taliban's arrests
of 24 women's rights activists, some taken with their families, in January and February.
Tamana
Paryani, one of the first protesters to be arbitrarily detained under Taliban
rule, filmed herself as the Taliban broke into her home at night searching for
her, and then quickly posted the video on social media. The women interviewed
said that Paryani's abduction sent waves of fear through other protesters,
causing many to go into hiding.
"I
didn't know them well, but I became afraid then," one woman said,
referring to Paryani and another woman arrested that night. "I woke up at
night and all my body shook.... We were so afraid. We knew we would be
arrested." Another woman said family and friends repeatedly urged her to
flee the country, but she refused: "I wanted to stay and fight."
According
to HRW, the three women described being held initially in a single cramped and
stiflingly hot room with a total of 21 women and 7 children for five days,
provided virtually no food or water or access to a toilet. The Taliban held
them for several weeks, and abusively interrogated them, without allowing
access to counsel or other due process rights, forcibly coerced confessions,
and severely tortured the men.
The
Taliban compelled the three women's families to hand over the original deeds to
their property as the price for release, with the threat that the Taliban would
confiscate the property if the women got into trouble again, the rights group
said.
The
HRW said the Taliban should immediately release everyone detained for
exercising their rights to free speech and peaceful protest. "They should
respect the rights of all to peaceful assembly and free expression, including
journalists covering protests. They should end all arbitrary detention, ensure
due process, including promptly charging suspects in custody before an
independent judge, and providing immediate access to counsel," it added.
The
prominent rights group said the Taliban should hold lawfully detained
individuals in accordance with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment
of Prisoners. Anyone responsible for torture or other ill-treatment should be
impartially investigated and appropriately prosecuted.
"Afghan
women and girls have faced some of the harshest consequences of Taliban rule,
and they have led the difficult fight to protect rights in Afghanistan,"
Barr said. "Unfortunately, their pleas to the international community to
stand by them have not been answered."
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Family
Rejects Iran’s Medical Report On Mahsa Amini’s Death: Lawyer
----
20
October, 2022
Lawyers
for Mahsa Amini’s family have rejected an official Iranian medical report that
found her death was not caused by beatings, they said in comments published on
Thursday.
Amini,
22, died on September 16, three days after falling into a coma following her
arrest in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly breaching the Islamic
republic’s strict dress code for women.
Three
days after her death, Amini’s father Amjad, told Iran’s Fars news agency that
she had been in “perfect health.”
In
its report published on October 7, Iran’s Forensic Organization said her death
“was not caused by blows to the head and vital organs and limbs of the body.”
“The
lawyers rejected the forensic doctor’s report in their statement of defense,”
one of the lawyers acting for the parents, Saleh Nikbakht, told Etemad
newspaper.
The
parents called for “the re-examination of the cause of death by another
commission in the presence of doctors” who are confidants to the Amini family.
“Without
clarifying the investigation process and the role of the person or persons
involved in the arrest and transfer of Mahsa to the morality police
headquarters, it is not possible to defend the rights of the parents, and... to
resolve the ambiguities about the cause of death,” Nikbakht added.
Last
month, Amini’s family filed a complaint against the police who arrested her and
called on the authorities to release all photos and videos taken during her
detention.
According
to Nikbakht, the chief prosecutor had promised “that a medical team appointed
by the family would be informed of the course of the investigation.”
The
family called on the judiciary to “invite five neurosurgeons and neurologists,
a cardiologist and a psychiatrist to choose from a list of 10 doctors nominated
by Mahsa Amini’s parents,” according to Nikbakht.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Abbottabad
ATC sends 80 Tehreek-i-Labbaik workers on judicial remand
Photo: Minute Mirror
Muhammad
Sadaqat
October
21, 2022
HARIPUR:
The Anti-Terrorism Court, Abbottabad, on Thursday rejected the police’s request
to extend physical remand of 80 arrested Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan and ordered
their shifting to the Haripur Central Prison on 14 days remand.
The
police had produced the TLP workers before ATC judge Sajjad Ahmad on the
completion of two days physical remand.
They
requested the court to grant them the accused’s remand for two more days to
investigate them regarding the charges of arson attacks, firing, damage to
public and private property, and other acts of terrorism.
Havelian
station house officer Haroon Khan told Dawn that all accused had been shifted
to the Haripur Central Prison.
He
said search was under way for the other TLP workers, who allegedly attacked the
police with weapons, slingshots and sticks near the Chamba Bridge in Havelian
tehsil on Sunday night.
The
workers were kept in the prison’s ‘quarantine barracks’.
The
arrest of TLP workers came after a clash with the police for stopping them from
entering the limits of Havelian from Haripur despite a ban to attend an Eid
Miladun Nabi procession.
The
police claimed that their 33 personnel were injured by the TLP workers, who
also damaged vehicles and property. They booked 90 TLP activists, including
chief Allama Saad Rizvi and leaders Mufti Umair al-Azhari, Shafiq Amini and
others.
WOMAN
DIES FROM BURNS: A woman died from serious burns in a remote village of Khanpur
tehsil.
Her
father, Mehmood Elahi of Bhera Julian village, alleged that his daughter was
killed by his son-in-law.
He
complained the police that his daughter, Tehmina Bibi, 28, married Waseem Fazal
of Mamriyal village three years ago but had no children, so her husband was
unhappy and used to torture her.
The
complainant said his daughter left her home thrice but returned.
He
said Tehmina’s husband informed him on Oct 12 night about her admission to a
Rawalpindi hospital insisting she had suffered burns while cooking food.
He
accused his son-in-law, his father and mother of killing his daughter.
The
police registered a criminal case against them and arrested them.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
India
SC seeks responses from Centre, states on plea seeking UAPA against anti-Muslim hate crimes
Oct
21, 2022
The
Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Union government and states
on a petition seeking to stop the “growing menace of targeting and terrorising
the Muslim community of India”, Live Law reported.
The
petitioner, Shaheen Abdullah, sought action under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act and other laws against persons and organisations engaging in
such hate crimes.
Advocate
Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioner, said that action needed to be taken
against those making hate speeches or engaging in hate crimes, according to
PTI.
A
bench comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and CT Ravikumar, however, remarked that
the petition was vague and that cognisance could be taken of individual cases
where first information reports were filed.
Sibal,
however, said that the petition is precise as it had listed several incidents.
He said that many petitions have been filed in court to stop such crimes, but
they still take place.
The
court tagged the matter along with other petitions on the same subject that
were pending before another bench.
Abdullah
said in her plea that the Muslim community was being targeted by the ruling
party members, who have delivered hate speeches on many occasions.
“The
spread of hate towards Muslims and other minorities gets accelerated and
becomes all the more far-reaching in its impact as a result of the support,
directly or indirectly, extended to radical miscreants, who engage in acts of
hate crimes, physical violence as well as communally charged speeches by the
ruling political party,” the petition said.
Abdullah
cited examples of news channels progammes in which Muslims were demonised and
examples of speeches calling for genocide and the economic and social boycott
of the community. The plea said that no action is taken against individuals or
organisations that engage in such hate speech.
Source:
Scroll
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
HC
relief for Muslim woman, sets aside registration certificate of ‘forced’
marriage
OCTOBER
21, 202
In
her petition, she says she her cousin had married her by threatening to kill
her parents
Bringing
relief to a Muslim woman, who said she was forced to sign in the marriage
register book, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has set aside the
marriage certificate issued by the Tirunelveli District Registrar. The court
directed the authorities to delete the entry and record the same in the
marriage register book and other records.
In
her petition filed in 2015, the woman said she was attending college at
Melapalayam when her cousin told her that her mother was ill and admitted in
hospital. Believing him, she accompanied him thinking they were going to the
hospital. However, he took her to the Sub-Registrar office in Palayamkottai and
threatened her to sign the marriage register book. He told her that he would
kill her parents if she disobeyed him. As she was in a hapless situation, she signed
the papers. However, he continued to threaten her claiming that they were
married, she said, adding that she even had to stop going to college.
The
woman had lodged a complaint with the Cheranmahadevi Police and sent a
representation to the Superintendent of Police, Tirunelveli, seeking
protection. She contended that no marriage as per the Islamic tradition had
taken place and sought cancellation of the marriage certificate.
Justice
R. Vijayakumar took note of the fact that the marriage certificate had been
issued under the Tamil Nadu Registration of Marriages Act, 2009, and observed
that the Act and the Rules framed thereunder did not empower the Registering
Authority to register a marriage unless they were satisfied that a marriage had
already taken place, as per their respective personal laws.
The
judge observed that a perusal of the provisions and rules of the Act would
clearly state it was mandatory for the parties to undergo ceremonies of
marriage, which are applicable to their respective religion. Only after such a
marriage is conducted as per the respective personal laws, it could be
registered under the Act. Mere registration of the marriage without undergoing
any marriage ceremony as per their respective personal law would not confer any
marital status upon the couple.
It
is clear that only marriages that have already been performed can be registered
under the Act. The registration of marriage is a consequential event and not a
formal marriage. Section 23 of the Act clearly specifies that non-registration
of the marriage does not invalidate the marriage. Hence, it is clear that the
registration will not confer marital status, but only the formal marriage
ceremony as per the personal law would confer marital status upon the parties,
the judge said.
The
Registering Authority cannot simply rely upon the statutory forms and
mechanically proceed to register the marriage. They should satisfy themselves
that the parties have undergone the marriage ceremony as per their respective
personal laws before registering the marriage. It is a statutory duty cast upon
the Registering Authority, the judge added.
Referring
to previous orders of Madras High Court, the judge observed that it was clear
that without undergoing marriage ceremony as per the respective personal laws,
custom or usage or tradition of the parties, they cannot present an application
for registration of the marriage. In case, if any such application is
presented, the Registrar is duty-bound to verify the fact whether any marriage
had taken place already. Without verifying the factum of marriage, the
Registering Authority cannot mechanically register the marriage based upon the
application present by the parties. In case, if any marriage certificate is
issued without being preceded by any marriage ceremony, it can only be
considered to be a fake marriage certificate.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Panel
formed on SC status for Dalit Christians, Dalit Muslims: Centre
Abhinay
Lakshman
OCTOBER
21, 2022
However,
in the affidavit filed before Supreme Court, the Union government argued that
petitions in the matter are “devoid of merits” and should be dismissed
The
Union government has filed a fresh affidavit before the Supreme Court, through
the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, stating its current position on
the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims in the Scheduled Castes
list and on the petitions challenging the constitutionality of Para 3 of the
Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, which allows only members of
Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism to be identified as SCs.
In
the affidavit filed on Wednesday, the Union government said it had examined the
issue and noted the demands from Dalit Christian and Dalit Muslim communities
for inclusion in the SC list and accordingly formed a three-member Commission
of Inquiry headed by former Chief Justice of India Justice K.G. Balakrishnan to
look into all aspects of the matter. It said this was done because the “issue
is a seminal and historically complex sociological and constitutional question”
that requires a “definitive study and extensive consultation with all
stakeholders”.
However,
in the following pages of the affidavit, the Union government has reiterated
the position it took in November 2019, and argued that the petitions in the
matter were “devoid of merits” and should be dismissed, “without prejudice” to
the fact that a commission had already been appointed. In the 2019 affidavit,
the Centre said Dalits who converted to Christianity and Islam could not be
compared to those who converted to Sikhism or Buddhism; the erstwhile Registrar
General India and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes had in early 2000s already considered these requests and rejected them;
the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims are already getting reservation and
other social benefits from being part of Central OBC lists and State OBC lists;
and that the criteria for inclusion in the SC list is extreme social and
education backwardness due to the practice of untouchability, which is a
feature of Hinduism and its branches alone.
In
addition, on the one hand, while the Centre has at the outset declined to
accept the findings of the Ranganath Misra Commission also known as the
National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, which recommended
inclusion of Dalit Christians and Muslims in the SC list; on the other, it has
cited select portions from a dissent note published with the same report, to
conclude that such converts “are not eligible for consideration as SC persons”.
Based on this dissent, it also adds, “A Uniform Law (referring to the
Protection of Civil Rights Act) which deals with untouchability is already
applicable to all persons regardless of their religious faith. The benefits
accorded to Scheduled Caste converts are in tune with the benefits given to the
OBCs.”
Court
precedents
Furthermore,
the Union government has argued by placing a plethora of court precedents to
assert that when it comes to Article 341 of the Constitution, “the power of the
President and Parliament in this regard is conclusive” and that courts in their
constitutional jurisdiction “have no power except to the notification issued by
the President under Article 341”.
It
argued similarly, “The question as to which groups [within which religions] are
eligible to be identified as Scheduled Castes, is inherently a social question
and cannot be adjudicated before the Hon’ble Courts”. The Centre also argued
that there is no substance in the petitioners’ claim that limiting SC
classification to only a few religions was violative of rights under Article 14
of the Constitution and that in case of making special laws, the only requirement
prior to legislative classification is it “should be based on an intelligible
differentia having a reasonable relation to the object which the legislature
seeks to attain”, which is satisfied in the instant case.
The
Centre added, “It is reiterated that there exists an intelligible differentia
that these classifications are not a mathematical nicety and the backwardness
as pleaded by the instant petitioners is duly taken care of by the respective
State governments by providing them benefits under the OBC class.”
‘Intelligible
differentia’
In
the latest affidavit, the Union government has said the Justice K.G.
Balakrishnan Commission will also be examining whether this “intelligible
differentia” exists and if it concludes so “after field study and holistic
determination of the issue”, the classification as it currently exists would be
sustainable.
Further,
the Centre has limited the question in this case to whether Scheduled Caste
converts to other religions suffer from the “same degree of oppressiveness as
suffered by Scheduled Castes practising Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism” and
asserted, “The Commission appointed by the Central government will establish,
one way or the other whether the oppressive severity of backwardness remain the
same or not, and till the time the same is established, it cannot be said that
the impugned classification is discriminatory.”
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North
America
Police
search for suspect after hate graffiti painted on Toronto mosque
Barry
Ellsworth
20.10.2022
TRENTON,
Canada
Vandalism
at a Toronto-area mosque marks a "frightening escalation of
Islamophobia" stemming from unfounded allegations that the mosque is an
agent of the Iranian government, the National Council of Canadian Muslims
(NCCM) said Thursday.
The
vandalism last week at the Imam Mahdi Islamic Centre in Thornhill took the form
of hate-motivated graffiti written in Farsi. The mosque has also received bomb
threats and worshippers have been threatened, according to the NCCM.
But
it is just one of the hundreds of examples of anti-Muslim incidents across
Canada sparked by anti-government demonstrations in Iran after a woman was
arrested for allegedly violating the country’s dress code and died in police
custody, said the Muslim group.
"The
Muslim community in Canada has been victim to over 1,000 Islamophobic messages
on Twitter alone in just these past few days," NCCM wrote Thursday on
Facebook. "These include death threats, threats of violence, and
consistent harassment. Enough is enough. This must stop."
The
group held a news conference Thursday to "address recent Islamophobic
vandalism and threats directed at the community" and to demand that
officials help curb the hate that is wrongly directed toward Canadian Muslims
because of ongoing protests in Iran.
“Once
again, the Islamic community is being pushed into the spotlight for all the
wrong reasons,” said Nadia Hasan, Chief Operating Officer at NCCM.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Official of Quebec City mosque where 6 killed urges passage of gun law
Barry
Ellsworth
21.10.2022
TRENTON,
Canada
The
co-founder of the Quebec City mosque where six worshippers were killed in a
deadly shooting spree in 2017 urged Canadian lawmakers Thursday to toughen and
pass a proposed gun bill.
Boufeldja
Benabdallah said Bill C-21 should include a ban on assault-style semi-automatic
weapons "that are not reasonably used for hunting. We don't need weapons
of war."
Alexandre
Bissonnette approached the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City on Jan. 29,
2017 as evening prayers ended. Attempting to unleash a barrage of bullets using
a semi-automatic .223 rifle that fortunately jammed, he grabbed his 9-mm
semi-automatic Glock handgun.
In
under two minutes, he killed six worshippers and wounded 19, five seriously. It
remains the worst shooting in a religious setting in Canadian history.
The
Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally banned about 1,500
types of firearms in May 2020. The government said the weapons, which included
the AR-15 (America's most popular rifle) and the Ruger Mini-14, were not needed
for hunting.
When
Benabdallah appeared Thursday before the House of Commons public safety
committee studying Bill C-21, he said Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino
assured him earlier that an amendment to clearly define and outlaw
assault-style weapons was forthcoming.
“The
government needs to do this, and I’m confident because we discussed it verbally
with Mr. Mendicino when he came to the mosque,” he said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Afghan
couple accuse US Marine of abducting their baby
Oct
20, 2022
The
young Afghan couple raced to the airport in Kabul, clutching their baby girl
close amid the chaotic withdrawal of American troops last year.
The
baby had been rescued two years earlier from the rubble of a US Special Forces
raid that killed her parents and five siblings. After months in a US military
hospital, she had gone to live with her cousin and his wife, this newlywed couple.
Now, the family was bound for the United States for further medical treatment,
with the aid of US Marine Corps attorney Joshua Mast.
When
the exhausted Afghans arrived at the airport in Washington, D.C., in late
August 2021, Mast pulled them out of the international arrivals line and led
them to an inspecting officer, according to a lawsuit they filed last month.
They were surprised when Mast presented an Afghan passport for the child, the
couple said. But it was the last name printed on the document that stopped them
cold: Mast.
They
didn’t know it, but they would soon lose their baby.
This
is a story about how one US Marine became fiercely determined to bring home an
Afghan war orphan, and praised it as an act of Christian faith to save her.
Letters, emails and documents submitted in federal filings show that he used
his status in the US Armed Forces, appealed to high-ranking Trump
administration officials and turned to small-town courts to adopt the baby,
unbeknownst to the Afghan couple raising her 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers)
away.
The
little girl, now 3 ½ years old, is at the center of a high-stakes tangle of at
least four court cases. The Afghan couple, desperate to get her back, has sued
Mast and his wife, Stephanie Mast. But the Masts insist they are her legal
parents and “acted admirably” to protect her. They’ve asked a federal judge to
dismiss the lawsuit.
The
ordeal has drawn in the US departments of Defense, Justice and State, which
have argued that the attempt to spirit away a citizen of another country could
significantly harm military and foreign relations. It has also meant that a
child who survived a violent raid, was hospitalized for months and escaped the
fall of Afghanistan has had to split her short life between two families, both
of which now claim her.
Five
days after the Afghans arrived in the US, they say Mast — custody papers in
hand — took her away.
The
Afghan woman collapsed onto the floor and pleaded with the Marine to give her
baby back. Her husband said Mast had called him “brother” for months; so he
begged him to act like one, with compassion. Instead, the Afghan family claims
in court papers, Mast shoved the man and stomped his foot.
That
was more than a year ago. The Afghan couple hasn’t seen her since.
“After
they took her, our tears never stop,” the woman told The Associated Press.
“Right now, we are just dead bodies. Our hearts are broken. We have no plans
for a future without her. Food has no taste and sleep gives us no rest.”
___
PULLED
FROM THE RUBBLE
The
story of the baby unfolds in hundreds of pages of legal filings and documents
obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, as well as interviews with those
involved, pieced together in an AP investigation.
In
a federal lawsuit filed in September, the Afghan family accuses the Masts of
false imprisonment, conspiracy, fraud and assault. The family has asked the
court to shield their identity out of concerns for their relatives back in
Afghanistan, and they communicated with the AP on the condition of remaining
anonymous.
The
Masts call the Afghan family’s claims “outrageous, unmerited attacks” on their
integrity. They argue in court filings that they have worked “to protect the
child from physical, mental or emotional harm.” They say the Afghan couple are
“not her lawful parents,” and Mast’s attorney cast doubt on whether the Afghans
were even related to the baby.
“Joshua
and Stephanie Mast have done nothing but ensure she receives the medical care
she requires, at great personal expense and sacrifice, and provide her a loving
home,” wrote the Masts’ attorneys.
The
baby’s identity has been kept private, listed only as Baby L or Baby Doe. The
Afghan couple had given the baby an Afghan name; the Masts gave her an American
one.
Originally
from Florida, Joshua Mast married Stephanie and attended Liberty University, an
evangelical Christian college in Lynchburg, Virginia. He graduated in 2008 and
got his law degree there in 2014.
In
2019, they were living with their sons in Palmyra, a small rural Virginia town,
when Joshua Mast was sent on a temporary assignment to Afghanistan. Mast, then
a captain in the US Marine Corps, was a military lawyer for the federal Center
for Law and Military Operations. The US Marines declined to comment publicly,
along with other federal officials.
That
September in 2019 was one of the deadliest months of the entire US occupation
in Afghanistan, with more than 110 civilians killed in the first week alone.
On
Sept. 6, 2019, the US attacked a remote compound.
No
details about this event are publicly available, but in court documents Mast
claims that classified reports show the US government “sent helicopters full of
special operators to capture or kill” a foreign fighter. Mast said that rather
than surrender, a man detonated a suicide vest; five of his six children in the
room were killed, and their mother was shot to death while resisting arrest.
Sehla
Ashai and Maya Eckstein, attorneys for the Afghan couple, dispute Mast’s
account. They say the baby’s parents were actually farmers, unaffiliated with
any terrorist group. And they described the event as a tragedy that left two
innocent civilians and five of their children dead.
Both
sides agree that when the dust settled, US troops pulled the badly injured
infant from the rubble. The baby had a fractured skull, broken leg and serious
burns.
She
was about 2 months old.
Mast
called the baby a “victim of terrorism.” His attorney said she “miraculously
survived.”
___
‘DO
THE RIGHT THING’
The
baby was rushed to a military hospital, where she was placed in the care of the
Defense Department.
The
International Committee of the Red Cross told the AP that they began searching
for her family with the Afghan government, often a plodding process in rural
parts of the country where record-keeping is scant. At first, they didn’t even
know the baby’s name.
Meanwhile,
Mast said, he was “aggressively” advocating to get her to the US Over several
months, he wrote to then-Vice President Mike Pence’s office, according to
exhibits filed in court. He said his colleagues in the military tried to talk
to President Donald Trump about the baby during a Thanksgiving visit to Bagram
Airfield. Mast also said he made four requests over two weeks to then-White
House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, asking for help to medically evacuate the
baby “to be treated in a safe environment.”
The
Masts were represented by Joshua’s brother Richard Mast, an attorney with the
conservative Christian legal group Liberty Counsel, which says it is not
involved in this case. None of the Masts responded to repeated requests for
interviews.
In
emails to military officials, Mast alleged that Pence told the US Embassy in
Kabul to “make every effort” to get her to the United States. Mast signed his
emails: “‘Live for an Audience of one, for we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ.”
Pence’s
spokesman, Marc Short, did not respond to requests for comment.
The
US Embassy never heard from Pence’s office, said a Department of State
official, who requested anonymity because they did not have permission to speak
publicly about the situation. But they did begin getting highly unusual
inquiries about the possibility of sending the baby to the US The diplomats
were rattled by the suggestion that the US could just take her away; they
believed the baby belonged to Afghanistan.
“I
was aware that it may not be smooth sailing ahead, but that just made me more
determined to do the right thing,” the State Department official said.
About
six weeks after the baby was rescued, the US Embassy called for a meeting,
attended by representatives of the Red Cross, the Afghan government and the
American military, including Mast. The State Department wanted to make sure
everyone understood its position: Under international humanitarian law, the US
was obliged to do everything possible to reunite the baby with her next of kin.
At
the meeting, Mast asked about adoption, the State Department official said.
Attendees from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs explained
that by Afghan law and custom, they had to place the baby with her biological
family. If that did not work, the Afghan Children’s Court would determine a
proper guardian.
The
American concept of adoption doesn’t even exist in Afghanistan. Under Islamic
law, a child’s bloodline cannot be severed and their heritage is sacred.
Instead of adoption, a guardianship system called kafala allows Muslims to take
in orphans and raise them as family, without relinquishing the child’s name or
bloodline.
American
adoptions from Afghanistan are rare and only possible for Muslim-American
families of Afghan descent. The State Department recognizes 14 American
adoptions from Afghanistan over the past decade, none in the past two years.
Yet
two days after the embassy meeting, a letter was sent to US officials in Kabul
from Kimberley Motley, a near-celebrity American attorney in Afghanistan, the
State Department official said. Motley wrote that she was representing an
unnamed concerned American citizen who wished to adopt this baby. Motley
declined to be interviewed by the AP.
Mast
also continued his appeals to American politicians. The US Embassy began
hearing from Congressional staffers about the baby, and diplomats met with a
military general, the official said.
The
general in turn put a “gag order” on military personnel about the baby and said
“no one was to advocate on her behalf,” Mast wrote in a legal filing.
But
he wasn’t ready to give up.
___
HALFWAY
AROUND THE WORLD
The
Masts searched for a solution halfway around the world — in rural Fluvanna
County, Virginia, where they lived.
They
petitioned the local Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, describing the baby
as a “stateless minor recovered off the battlefield." In early November
2019, a judge granted them legal custody. The name of this judge is not
publicly available because juvenile records are sealed in Virginia.
A
few days later, a certificate of foreign birth listed Joshua and Stephanie Mast
as parents.
The
custody order was based on the Masts’ assertion that the Afghan government —
specifically now-deposed President Ashraf Ghani — intended to waive jurisdiction
over the child “in a matter of days,” according to a hearing transcript. The
waiver never arrived.
In
an email to the AP, Ghani’s former deputy chief of staff Suhrob Ahmad said
there is “no record of this alleged statement of waiver of Afghan jurisdiction.”
Ahmad said he and the head of the Administrative Office of the President do not
remember any such request going through the court system as required.
The
US Embassy heard that Mast was granted custody. Military lawyers assured them
that the Marine was just preparing in case Afghanistan waived jurisdiction, but
would not interfere with the search for the baby’s family, according to the
State Department official.
Yet
all along they planned to adopt the baby, according to records obtained from
the state of Virginia under a Freedom of Information Act request. Richard Mast
wrote the Attorney General’s office in November 2019 that the Masts “will file
for adoption as soon as statutorily possible.”
In
the meantime, Joshua Mast enrolled the baby in the Defense Department health
care system, made an appointment at a US International Adoption Clinic and
asked to have her evacuated.
Then
came a surprise: The Red Cross said they’d found her family. She was about five
months old.
In
late 2019, Afghan officials told the US Embassy that the baby’s paternal uncle
had been identified, and he decided his son and daughter-in-law were best
suited to take her, according to court records. They were young, educated
newlyweds with no children yet of their own, and lived in a city with access to
hospitals.
The
young man worked in a medical office and ran a co-ed school, which is unusual
in Afghanistan. His wife graduated from high school at the top of her class,
and is fluent in three languages, including English. They had married for love,
unlike many Afghans in arranged marriages.
Mast
expressed doubts about the newly-found uncle, describing him in court records
as “an anonymous person of unknown nationality” and claiming that turning the
baby over to him was “inherently dangerous.” He asked the Red Cross to put him
in touch, but they refused.
In
emails to a US military office requesting evacuation, Mast alleged that he read
more than 150 pages of classified documents, and concluded the child was a
“stateless minor.” Mast believed she was the daughter of transient terrorists
who are citizens of no country, his attorney said. He also speculated that if
reunited with her family, she could be made a child soldier or a suicide
bomber, sold into sex trafficking, hit in a US military strike, or stoned for
being a girl.
But
Afghanistan did not waver: the child was a citizen of their country.
Mast’s
attorney sent the US Embassy a “cease and desist” letter warning them not to
hand the baby over, according to the State Department official. But on February
26, 2020, the Masts learned that the US was preparing to put the baby, now
nearly 8 months old, on a plane early the following morning to join her family
in another Afghan city.
The
Masts, represented by Richard Mast, sued the secretaries of Defense and State
in a federal court in Virginia, asking for an emergency restraining order to
stop them. The Masts claimed they were the baby’s “lawful permanent legal
guardians.”
Within
hours, four federal attorneys — two from the Justice Department and two from
the US Attorney’s Office — were on the phone, and Richard Mast was in Federal
Judge Norman Moon’s office.
Richard
Mast said the baby should not be “condemned to suffer.” He complained that the
Afghan government had not conducted DNA testing to confirm the family they
found was truly related to the child.
But
the Justice Department attorneys said they had no right to mandate how the
Afghan government vets the family, and that the Red Cross — which has reunited
relatives in war zones for more than a century — had confirmed it was done
properly. Further, the federal government’s attorneys described the Masts’
custody documents from state court as “unlawful,” “deeply flawed and
incorrect,” and “issued on a false premise that has never happened” — that
Afghanistan would waive jurisdiction.
Judge
Moon asked Richard Mast: “Your client is not asking to adopt the child?”
“No
sir,” Mast responded. “He wants to get her medical treatment in the United
States.”
Justice
Department attorneys argued that the United States must meet its international
obligations. Attorney Alexander Haas put it simply: Taking another country’s
citizen to the United States “would have potentially profound implications on
our military and foreign affairs interests.”
Judge
Moon ruled against the Masts, and the baby stayed in Afghanistan.
The
next day, she was united with her biological family. The Afghan couple wept
with joy.
“We
didn’t think she would come back to her family alive,” said the young Afghan
man. “It was the best day of our lives. After a long time, she had a chance to
have a family again.”
___
AN
EXTRA MEASURE OF TENDERNESS
As
the months passed in her new home in Afghanistan, the girl loved getting henna
painted on her hands and dressing up in new clothes, the Afghan couple said.
She always wanted to do her new mother’s makeup, or brush her hair.
“She
knew about Allah, about clothes, about the names of food,” the woman wrote.
The
couple cared for her as if she was their own daughter, but with an extra
measure of tenderness because of the unimaginable tragedy she’d already
suffered.
“We
never wanted her to feel she couldn’t have something she wanted,” said the
young man.
Meanwhile,
Mast continued to worry that the child was “in an objectively dangerous
situation,” Richard Mast wrote in court documents. The Masts asked Kimberley
Motley, the attorney, to track down the family, saying he wanted to get the
child medical treatment in the U.S, Motley said in court records.
Motley
contacted the Afghan family in March 2020, about a week after the baby was
placed in her new home. Motley is named as a defendant in their lawsuit, but
her attorney, Michael Hoernlein, told the AP the claims against her are
“meritless.” In court documents, Motley’s attorneys describe her role as
professional and above-board, and asked that the claims against her be
dismissed.
Motley
had originally gone to Afghanistan in 2008 under an American-funded initiative
to train local lawyers. She stayed, largely representing foreigners charged
with crimes. She took on high-profile human rights cases, gave a TED Talk and
wrote a book.
Over
the course of a year, Motley called for updates about the child and
occasionally asked for photos. In July, around the baby’s first birthday, the
couple sent Motley a snapshot of the child in swim trunks, smiling and
splashing in a wading pool.
At
the same time, the Masts’ adoption case was still winding through the court
system in Fluvanna County, Virginia. In December 2020, the state court granted
the Masts a final adoption order based on the finding that the child “remains
up to this point in time an orphaned, undocumented, stateless minor,” according
to a federal lawsuit. Fluvanna County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Richard E.
Moore did not respond to repeated requests for clarity on how the cases
progressed.
International
adoption lawyers were baffled.
“If
you have relatives there who are saying, ‘no, no, no, we want our daughter, we
want our little girl,’ it’s over,” said Irene Steffas, an adoption and
immigration attorney. “There is no way the US is going to get into a match with
another country when it comes to a child that’s a citizen of that country.”
Karen
Law, a Virginia attorney who specializes in international adoption, said state
law requires an accredited agency to visit three times over six months and
compile a report before an adoption can be finalized. The child must be present
for the visits — but this baby was thousands of miles away.
On
July 10, 2021, around the baby’s second birthday, Motley facilitated the first
phone call between the Afghan couple and Joshua Mast, with the aid of
translator Ahmad Osmani, a Baptist pastor of Afghan descent. Mast told the
Afghan couple that unless they sent the child to the United States for medical
care, she could “be blind, brain damaged, and/or permanently physically
disabled.”
But
the Afghan man now raising her, who had worked in the medical field, did not
think her burn scars, a leg injury and mysterious allergic reactions amounted
to a life-altering condition in the way Mast described. The couple declined
sending the baby to the United States.
The
woman was pregnant, and worried about the risk of such a long flight. They said
they asked Mast: Could they take the baby to Pakistan or India for treatment
instead?
The
answer was no, their lawsuit says. The conversations continued for months.
Osmani, the translator, vouched for the Masts and described them as kind and
trustworthy, according to the lawsuit, which names him as a defendant.
Osmani
did not respond to requests for comment. He asked a federal judge to throw out
the lawsuit, and said he never deceived anyone. He was only a “mere
translator."
His
attorneys wrote: “No good deed goes unpunished.”
___
‘LIVING
IN A DARK JAIL’
In
late summer 2021, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Mast said he
contacted the family to bring the baby to the US “before the country
collapsed.” He said he was “extremely concerned that they may not get another
chance.” The couple agreed.
Mast
applied for special visas for the Afghan family and for relatives of Osmani,
the translator, according to court records. They characterized the Afghan
couple as an escort for a “US military dependent” — the baby.
In
an email to US officials filed in court, Mast wrote that Osmani was “very instrumental
to helping a US Marine … adopt an Afghan child.”
Soon,
the Afghan family began their days-long journey to the US Joshua Mast told them
to say he was their lawyer.
“If
anyone asks to talk about your documents, show them this text: I am Major
Joshua Mast, USMC. I am a Judge Advocate … ,” Mast texted them detailed
directions for how to deal with US authorities, their lawsuit says.
When
the family arrived in Germany for a stopover, Joshua Mast and his wife greeted
them at the air force base. It was the first time they had met in person.
In
Germany, the Masts visited the Afghan family’s room three times to try to get
the baby to travel separately with them, “insisting that it would be easier for
the toddler to enter the United States that way,” the Afghan couple recalled in
their lawsuit. They refused to let the girl out of their sight.
When
the Afghans finally landed in the United States, they began explaining that the
child was too young to have Afghan documents. That’s when they claim Joshua
Mast pulled out an Afghan passport.
Inside
was the same photo of the child in the wading pool, but altered to change the
background, add a shirt and smooth her hair. Mast told the Afghans to “keep
quiet” about having his name on her passport, their lawsuit alleges, so it
would be easier to get medical care.
The
Afghan couple asked to be taken to Fort Pickett Army National Guard base, a
location specified by Mast, according to the lawsuit. Thousands of Afghan
refugees were temporarily housed there.
Soon
after, they said, soldiers came to their room and told them they were moving. A
strange woman sat in the back of the van next to a car seat, according to court
records, and the baby fussed as she buckled her in.
The
van pulled up to a building they didn’t recognize, where a woman who called
herself a social worker said the Masts were the girl’s legal guardians.
Confused and frightened, the child cried and the couple begged.
But
it did no good. Mast took the baby to his car, where his wife was waiting, the
lawsuit says.
They
had lost her.
In
their heavily redacted response to the lawsuit, the Masts acknowledge they
“took custody” of the child; they said their adoption order was valid and they
did nothing wrong.
Richard
Mast is also named as a defendant in the Afghan family’s lawsuit. He wrote in
legal documents that his brother’s adoption of the child was “selfless;” it
saved both the child, and the Afghan family fighting to get her back, “from the
evils of life under the Taliban.”
The
Afghan couple believed that their baby was stolen, and they immediately sought
help at Fort Pickett to get her back.
“But
the playing field was not level,” their attorney, Ashai, told the AP. The
couple “were forced to navigate a complex and confusing system in a foreign
country in which they had just arrived, after having survived the greatest
trauma of their lives.”
Meanwhile,
the couple says in court documents, Osmani warned them not to contact a lawyer
or the authorities, and suggested that Mast might give them the baby back if
they dealt directly with him.
And
so they tried to maintain contact with Mast. They were also scared of him. If
he could abduct their child in broad daylight, they worried he might hurt them
too, their lawyers wrote in legal filings.
The
Afghan woman plunged into a deep depression and, despite being nine months
pregnant, stopped eating and drinking. She could not sleep. Her husband was
afraid to leave her alone.
“Since
we have come to America, we have not felt happiness for even one day,” the
Afghan man told the AP. “We feel like we are living in a dark jail.”
His
wife gave birth to a girl on October 1, 2021. The young mother’s grief became
overwhelming. A month later, she considered suicide and was taken to a clinic.
Soon
the couple sought legal help; by December 2021, the Afghan couple had asked the
Fluvanna judge to reverse the adoption. But those proceedings, almost one year
in, have been opaque and slow.
On
Feb. 27, 2022, when the Afghan baby was 2 ½ years old, the Masts traveled to
the Mennonite Christian Assembly in Fredericksburg, Ohio, to share their joy
during a special church service. In a video advertising the event called
“Walking in Faith,” the pastor apologized to congregants that it would not be
online, because the Marine would share “very confidential, classified
information.”
“Unforeseen
events gave the couple an unexpected opportunity to stand up to protect
innocent life,” read the program flyer. “Come hear how God’s mighty hand
allowed for a remarkable deliverance.”
Pastor
John Risner told the AP that the Masts had requested the service be
confidential, and he didn’t want to betray their trust by disclosing any
details.
All
he would say is that their story is “amazing.”
___
NO
HAPPINESS HERE
The
fate of the Afghan child is now being debated in secret proceedings in a locked
courtroom in the village of Palmyra, Virginia, home to about 100 people.
Earlier
this month, Joshua Mast arrived at the Fluvanna County courthouse along with
his wife and his brother Richard. Mast was dressed in his starched Marine uniform,
holding his white and gold hat in his hand. The hearing stretched on for
roughly eight hours.
The
proceedings have been completely shielded from public view, mandated by
presiding Judge Moore. The AP was not allowed inside the courtroom. Court clerk
Tristana Treadway refused to provide even the docket number, saying she could
“neither confirm nor deny” the case existed at all.
More
than a dozen lawyers streamed into the courthouse, carting boxes of evidence,
and each said they were forbidden from speaking.
Mast
remains an active duty Marine, and has since been promoted to major. He now
lives with his family in North Carolina. The Afghan toddler has been with them
for more than a year.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Welcome
no more: Rohingya face backlash in Bangladesh
Oct
20, 2022
KUTUPALONG:
Rohingya refugee Noor Kamal found a sympathetic welcome in Bangladesh when he
fled the soldiers rampaging through his village - but five years later, the
hostility he now faces has left him pondering a dangerous return home.
Much
has changed in the time since he and 7,50,000 other members of the stateless
Muslim minority escaped neighbouring Myanmar, the survivors of a horrific
crackdown now subject to a UN genocide probe.
Back
then, thousands of Bangladeshis, outraged by the anti-Muslim violence across
the border, trekked from across the country to distribute food and medicine to
the shell-shocked arrivals.
But
public attitudes have hardened after years of fruitless efforts to negotiate a
safe return for the Rohingya, with media outlets and politicians regularly
condemning refugees as drug runners and terror threats.
"There
is so much hatred among local people and the press here that I worry it may
trigger violence at any time," Kamal told AFP from his home in
Bangladesh's sprawling border relief camps.
"It's
better we return home even if it means we have to face bullets. If we die, at
least we will be buried in our motherland."
Bangladesh
has struggled to support the immense refugee population -- while there is
financial assistance from the UN refugees body and other humanitarian
organisations, Dhaka still faces huge administrative challenges in hosting the
camps.
Last
year's military coup in Myanmar has made the prospects of a wholesale return
even more remote.
Last
month, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the Rohingya camps had become both a
deep burden on her country's economy and a threat to its political stability.
"If
the problem persists... it may affect the security and stability of the entire
region," she told the UN General Assembly in New York.
Resentment
is widespread among Bangladeshis living near the camps, who say the Rohingya
have outstayed their welcome.
"They
are bringing shame to Bangladesh," Ayasur Rahman, the spokesman of a local
civil society group campaigning against the Rohingya's presence, told AFP.
"They
should be sent to Myanmar immediately," he said, accusing refugees of
"snatching our jobs (and) stealing our passports".
Critical
commentary on security issues in the camps and their burden on public resources
has also become a running feature of local media reportage.
In
August, on the fifth anniversary of the crackdown that sparked the Rohingya
exodus from Myanmar, a popular online news portal ran an opinion article
asking: "How long will Bangladesh be punished for its benevolence?"
Another
local media headline likened the presence of the Rohingya to a "cancerous
tumour".
Negative
media portrayals of the Rohingya have become so rampant that they caught the
attention of former UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, who toured the country
in August as one of her final acts in office.
"I
am very worried about increasing anti-Rohingya rhetoric in Bangladesh,
stereotyping and scapegoating Rohingya as the source of crime and other
problems," she said at the time.
Refugees
acknowledge that violence and criminal activity exist within the Kutupalong
camp network -- though it is the Rohingya themselves who are its chief victims.
The
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), an Islamist militant group that has
clashed with Myanmar's army in the past, has sought to entrench its control
over the camps - even murdering civil society leaders that could challenge its
authority.
Southern
Bangladesh is also a hotspot for the regional methamphetamine trade originating
in Myanmar, and Rohingya are often recruited as drug couriers for the
influential local kingpins who control distribution networks.
The
trade predates the 2017 Rohingya influx, but refugees say they have been
largely blamed for the spread of drugs in Bangladesh, and condemned as
criminals regardless of their involvement.
"Out
of a million people, there are a handful of bad apples, but that doesn't
justify calling the entire refugee community criminal," Rohingya refugee
Abdul Mannan told AFP.
"It
is very hurtful how we are being portrayed."
This
year, a stuttering economy has saddled Bangladeshis with rising food prices and
lengthy nationwide blackouts that have occasionally sparked violent protests.
Bangladesh
also suffered its worst flooding in living memory during the latest monsoon,
with millions of homes inundated and numerous villages cut off from the rest of
the country.
The
resulting hardships have helped erode the charitable sentiment that once
compelled Bangladeshis to flock to the camps and offer help to refugees.
Source:
Times Of India
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Pakistan,
Iran Vow Joint Efforts on Peace in Afghanistan
By
Arif Ahmadi
20
Oct 2022
KABUL,
Afghanistan – Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan on a trip to Iran talked
about the current situation with Iranian officials, according to sources,
pledging a joint effort on peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Mohammad
Sadiq Khan, the Pakistani Prime Minister’s special envoy for Afghanistan met
with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdolahian, agreeing on a joint effort to
use their capacity in ensuring peace in Afghanistan.
“The
Islamic Republic of Iran will work with all its capacities to establish peace
and prosperity in Afghanistan and for the people of Afghanistan,” said Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister.
“Pakistan
and Iran have an played an important role in the past 43 years in Afghanistan,
I hope they change their role to a constructive role for peace,” said Salim
Paigir, political analyst, as TOLOnews quoted.
Iran’s
special envoy for Afghanistan wrote in a tweet that in a meeting with his
Pakistani counterpart there was a discussion about the current situation of
Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan, the stabilization process, and the
fight against terrorism.
“We
and our neighbors and other countries will continue efforts to fight against
terrorism, improve people’s living conditions, and establish peace in
Afghanistan,” said Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s Special Representative for
Afghanistan, as local media quoted.
“In
the current situation, these countries have no choice but to cooperate because
… Western countries try to create political, economic and security instability
in this area,” said Javid Sandel, an international relations analyst.
Meanwhile,
the deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate Bilal Karimi said that Kabul urged
that good relations be established with regional countries, and he said there
is no security concern in Afghanistan.
“From
our side, we do not have any concerns and our policy and position is that we do
not want tension with any faction and we assure the regional countries that
Afghanistan is not a threat to any other country,” he said.
Iran,
among Russia, China, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, have accredited the Islamic
Emirate’s appointed diplomat in recent months, though all had initially refused
to recognize the 13-month-old rule in Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-iran-vow-joint-efforts-on-peace-in-afghanistan/
--------
SIGAR:
Millions of Afghan Farmers Depend on Growing Opium Poppies for Survival
By
Saqalain Eqbal
20
Oct 2022
Millions
of destitute Afghan farmers and laborers depend on income from the cultivation
of opium poppies, according to the Office of the US Special Inspector General
for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which claims that this presents the
biggest obstacle to the Taliban’s narcotics prohibition.
SIGAR
has issued a warning concerning the consequences of outlawing drug cultivation
in Afghanistan based on reports from India, Tajikistan, and the US that drug
trafficking has increased since the Taliban took power.
Millions
of farmers are reportedly experiencing tough hardships without any other option
to earn a living, in severe unemployment conditions, as a result of the Taliban
supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah’s official order to ban the cultivation,
smuggling, buying, and selling of narcotics in March of this year.
After
the Taliban took control, the embargo and suspension of international aid
increased dependence on opium cultivation income, according to a report by
SIGAR on Wednesday, October 19, which cited the US Department of State.
Drug
trafficking has reportedly increased recently, according to India, which claims
that it started to rise after the previous Afghan government was ousted.
The
cultivation and trafficking of drugs have nearly doubled since the Taliban took
power, according to the Tajik Ministry of Interior, who made the statement at
the international and regional conference on combating terrorism.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Afghan
Woman Dead in Border Armed Skirmish between the Taliban and Pakistan
By
Saqalain Eqbal
20
Oct 2022
Pakistani
border security forces and Taliban armed forces clashed along the border in the
Spin Boldak border town in Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan. According
to Taliban officials, a woman was killed by Pakistani border forces on the
Afghan side.
According
to Mawlawi Mahmood, the Taliban chief of police for the Spin Boldak district of
Kandahar, the border clash was started by Pakistani forces, and the Taliban
forces reacted.
The
Taliban security official also added that gunfire from the Pakistani side
killed a woman from the Afghan side.
During
the conflict, both sides used heavy weapons, including mortars, according to a
source in Spin Boldak. Other than the woman from the Afghan side, no
information is available about possible casualties in this conflict.
The
source claims that after Pakistani soldiers opened fire on Afghan citizens on
Wednesday evening, tensions between the Taliban and Pakistani military soared.
According
to the source, Pakistan’s military also launched rockets into the air last
night. The source claims that Pakistani aerial fire continued this morning, and
the Taliban retaliated with gunfire. He also said that Pakistani gunfire killed
the woman.
At
the same time, sources claim that one of the border’s sub-gates is still
blocked and that Spin Boldak’s main gate was shut down for an hour.
Source:
Khaama Press
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--------
Mideast
International
community faces mounting pressure to declare Houthis to be terrorists
SAEED
AL-BATATI
October
20, 2022
AL-MUKALLA:
Yemen’s internationally recognized government has backed a call by Saudi Arabia
for the international community to designate the Iran-backed Houthi movement as
a terrorist organization, which it said should be punished for impeding peace
initiatives.
The
government said that since the Houthis took control of the country by force in
late 2014, they have rejected all efforts to end the war in the country,
including a plan proposed by Saudi Arabia last year.
This
month, the group refused to renew a UN-brokered truce that had been in place
for six months. They have planted thousands of landmines, ruthlessly suppress
residents of the areas under their control, and have abducted hundreds of
Yemeni citizens, including women.
“The
Houthi militias have caused the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, in
addition to the millions of dead, injured and displaced people, and committed
war crimes and egregious human rights violations. They should be swiftly
classified as terrorist organizations,” the Yemeni government said in a
statement carried by SABA, the official Yemen News Agency.
On
Tuesday, the Saudi Cabinet reiterated its support for the efforts of the
international community to bring peace to Yemen and urged the world to
designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization and take action to cut off
its sources of funding.
In
Yemen, government officials and others who support of the call for a terrorist
designation argue that the international community, having exhausted all other
options in the efforts to persuade the Houthis to embrace peace, should be more
aware than ever of the true nature of the group as a result of their refusal to
renew the truce.
The
potential effects such a designation would have on the humanitarian crisis in
Yemen and the distribution of aid is the only thing preventing the world from
designating the Houthis as terrorists, they said.
Najeeb
Ghallab, an undersecretary in Yemen’s Information Ministry, told Arab News that
the international community, and the UN in particular, should strive to use the
terrorist designation to motivate the Houthis to actively engage and comply
with efforts to end the conflict.
“To
convince the Houthis to accept peace, the international community must exert
significant pressure — and designation will be a powerful instrument for
pressure,” he said.
As
long as the Houthis continue to refuse to accept peace proposals and work
toward ending the conflict, the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen will only get
worse, Ghallab added.
“Weakening
and pushing this movement to embrace peace will help to alleviate Yemen’s
humanitarian situation, which the Houthis exploit and fuel,” he said.
Meanwhile,
the Yemeni government joined other nations in urging the Houthis to free Yemeni
employees of the US embassy and the UN who were kidnapped in Sanaa a year ago.
Yemen’s
Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani said the abductions are further proof
that the Houthis are “terrorists” who disregard the diplomatic rules and norms
that prevent the targeting of such employees.
“Raiding
foreign embassies, detaining diplomatic mission employees and using them as
instruments for blackmail are solely practices of foreign terrorists and they
do not reflect the Yemeni people, who value brothers and friends,” he said.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday called for the release of 12 US
and UN workers who were taken from the US embassy in Sanaa, as he denounced the
actions of the Houthis.
“I
call on the Houthis to release these Yemeni citizens and return them to their
families as a demonstration of their commitment to peace for the people of
Yemen and willingness to participate in a future government that respects the
rule of law,” he said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2184931/middle-east
--------
Hamas
to strengthen ties with Syria in future to serve Palestinian cause: spokesman
20
October 2022
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says it would continue to develop and
strengthen relations with Syria in the future to serve the Palestinian cause,
particularly in light of the escalating Israeli aggression and crimes.
Hamas
spokesman Hazem Qassem made the remarks in an interview with Sawt al-Aqsa Radio
on Wednesday, after a high-ranking delegation of the Gaza-based resistance
movement met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.
Qassem
further emphasized that the Hamas delegation’s visit to Syria, along with other
Palestinian factions, was aimed at restoring relations with the Arab country.
He
also noted that Hamas is determined to build solid relations with neighboring
countries in order to gain support for the resistance and the liberation of
Palestine.
The
Hamas official further stated that the meeting participants came to the
conclusion that it was time to put aside their differences and strengthen ties
with Syria to serve the Palestinian people and their just cause.
On
Wednesday, a delegation of Hamas met with Assad in Damascus in the first such
visit in more than a decade as the two sides seek to revitalize their ties.
Hamas officials were part of a broader delegation that included several
Palestinian factions.
After
the meeting, the deputy chief of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip,
Khalil al-Hayya, who headed the delegation, said Assad was “keen on Syria’s
support to the Palestinian resistance” and hailed it as a “glorious day.”
The
visit came after non-public negotiations between Hamas and the Syrian
leadership were mediated by the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, in
which the attendees discussed the disagreements that led to a decade-long rupture
in ties.
Back
in September, Hamas announced in a statement that it would restore its
relations with Syria, which "has been supporting the Palestinian people
and the Palestinian resistance factions for decades."
Relations
between Hamas and the Syrian government were downgraded in 2011 following the
outbreak of foreign-sponsored conflict in the Arab country.
Hamas
vacated its headquarters in Damascus the following year and moved it to the
Qatari capital city of Doha.
Back
in June, Hayya confirmed to the Lebanese al-Akhbar newspaper that a decision
had been taken to “restore the relationship with Damascus” after “an internal
and external discussion” involving leaders, cadres, influencers, “and even
detainees inside Israeli prisons.”
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Slaps Sanctions on British Officials, Institutions over Terrorism, Human Rights
Abuse
2022-October-20
In
a statement on Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced the embargoes as a
"tit for tat" move against the sanctions that have been imposed by
some European countries on Iran.
It
added the sanctions include a ban on issuing visas for the persons and on their
entry into Iran, the seizure of their property and assets in territories under
the Islamic Republic of Iran’s jurisdiction among others.
The
sanctions are imposed on the British entities "due to their intentional
actions in supporting terrorism and terrorist groups, promoting and inciting terrorism,
violence, and hatred, and violating human rights", the statement read.
The
measures by the listed entities have led to "riots, violence, and
terrorist acts" against the Iranian nation, the foreign ministry noted.
Reminding
the British government of its international commitments to confront terrorism,
hatred and, rights abuse, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that failing to
confront the actions of the named entities or facilitating their measures
amount to a gross violation of the UK’s commitments in the international arena.
The
sanctioned entities include Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre,
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Volant Media UK Ltd, Global
Media Group, DMA Media, BBC Persian and Iran International TV networks.
The
individuals, subject to Iran’s sanctions, are Minister of State for Security of
the United Kingdom Tom Tugendhat, Royal Navy Commodore Don Mackinnon,
Parliamentary Chair of Labour Friends of Israel Steve McCabe, Member of
Parliament Stephen Crabb, Member of the House of Lords Stuart Polak, Lawmakers
Bob Blackman and Theresa Cilliers, politician Anthea McIntyre, and General Mark
Carleton-Smith who served as the Chief of the General Staff when anti-terror
icon, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, was assassinated by the US in Iraq
in January 2020.
The
Iranian Foreign Ministry also noted that it holds the UK government to account
for supporting terrorists and human rights violators who are "organizing
and inciting riots and terrorist acts" in Iran from UK soil.
Tehran's
decision came just days after EU foreign ministers decided on Monday to levy
sanctions against 11 Iranian individuals and four entities over the country's
response to the recent unrest that followed the death of a young Iranian woman
in police custody.
Protests
erupted in several cities across Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, a
22-year-old Iranian woman who fainted at a police station in mid-September and
days later was pronounced dead at a hospital. The demonstrations soon turned
violent. A special committee has been established to investigate different
aspects of her tragic death.
Iranian
officials blame Western countries for orchestrating the riots to destabilize
the country.
Supreme
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei severely censured
the deadly riots, saying they were orchestrated in advance by the United States
and the Israeli regime.
“I
state it clearly that these developments were planned by America, the Zionist
regime and their acolytes. Their main problem is with a strong and independent
Iran and the country’s progress. The Iranian nation proved to be fairly strong
during recent events and will bravely come onto the scene wherever necessary in
the future,” he added.
In
recent days, Iranian officials have blamed the United States, the European
Unions, and several Western states for meddling in Iran's internal affairs over
the death of Mahsa. They advised the US and its allies against
"opportunism and instrumentalization of the issue of human rights" by
misusing the incident.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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--------
AEOI
Chief Lauds Remarkable Progress in Iranian Nuclear Industry
2022-October-20
Eslami
stated during a ceremony on Wednesday that the development of peaceful nuclear
industry had been put on the agenda of the AEOI and there was increasing
progress in the usage of nuclear-related technologies.
The
nuclear chief added a gamma radiation device that was unveiled in the ceremony
would help increase food safety in Iran.
“Today,
in the world, the volume of trade in the radiation industry is reported to be
at 500 billion dollars; in simpler words, it spans a wide range of economic,
livelihood, and health sectors. Furthermore, according to our beliefs, using
this device can prevent waste and refuse of agricultural material and
products,” he noted.
Eslami
said that the development of the nuclear industry was “a dire necessity for the
people and society to increase food safety in the country".
"The
development of Iran’s nuclear industry is picking up increasing momentum,"
the official added.
Back
in October, Eslami blasted the Western countries' efforts to impede Iran's
acquisition and development of new technologies.
Eslami
said that there is a firm determination to prevent Tehran from gaining access
to new technologies, criticizing big powers for their opposition in this
regard.
"Efforts
have been underway by certain countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution to
halt Iran’s technological progress, especially nuclear industry, by leveling
baseless accusations against the Islamic Republic," the official noted.
“No
matter what language or school of thought you use in talks with the other
sides, you can tell from their intentions and from what they write and say that
they are firmly resolved to prevent us from developing advanced technologies,”
the AEOI head added.
“If
you be pioneer in science and technology, you will surely be among the powerful
countries and this is something that the foes don’t tolerate the powerfulness
of Iran,” the nuclear chief remarked.
Eslami
said the opponents “constantly beat the drums of sanctions and pressure” on
Iran.
He
added, “Today power is not having natural reserves, rather power emanates from
advanced science and technology and this a determining factor… and pioneering
in these fields are a symbol of power.”
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Palestinians
say one killed during Israeli army raid in West Bank
21
October, 2022
A
Palestinian was killed overnight in clashes with the Israeli army during an
operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian health
ministry said Friday.
Salah
al-Buraiki, 19, died after being shot in the neck, the ministry said in a
statement.
The
Israeli army said that during the Jenin operation, “suspects hurled explosive
devices and fired shots at the security forces, who responded with live fire.
Hits were identified.”
Forces
also “apprehended one wanted individual suspected of involvement in terrorist
activity”, the army statement added.
A
day earlier, shops, offices and schools were closed across the occupied West
Bank as Palestinians went on strike to protest Israel's killing of a man
suspected of a deadly attack against Israeli forces.
Udai
Tamimi, who had been on the run since the fatal shooting this month of military
policewoman Noa Lazar at a checkpoint in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, was
killed late Wednesday after he fired at Israelis on the edge of a settlement.
Violence
in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has surged in recent months, amid near
daily West Bank raids by Israeli forces and an uptick in attacks on troops.
More
than 100 Palestinian fighters and civilians have been killed since the start of
the year, the heaviest toll in the West Bank for nearly seven years, according
to the United Nations.
The
expansion of military operations in Jenin and elsewhere in the West Bank
followed deadly attacks on Israelis earlier this year.
Israel
has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.
Around
475,000 Israelis now live in settlements across the territory, which are
considered illegal by most of the international community.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Turkey
denies it uses chemical weapons against Kurdish militants
20
October, 2022
Turkey
on Thursday blasted as “completely unfounded and untrue” claims that its
military used chemical weapons in its fight against outlawed Kurdish militants
in northern Iraq.
Media
outlets close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara and its
Western allies list as a terror group, claimed that the Turkish army was using
chemical weapons in its counter-terror operations.
“The
allegations that ‘chemical weapons’ are used by the Turkish Armed Forces... are
completely unfounded and untrue,” the defense ministry said, accusing some of
seeking to cast a shadow on the army's accomplishments in its fight against the
PKK.
Turkish
presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin slammed the claims as a “lie” and part of
a “slander campaign” aimed at the military, police and intelligence who crack
down on the fighters.
“The
lie of chemical weapons is the futile attempt of those who seek to whitewash
and aestheticize terrorism,” Kalin tweeted.
Turkish
prosecutors launched an investigation into Sebnem Korur Fincanci, head of the
Turkish Doctors’ Union, after she said she had examined video images and
claimed that chemical weapons had been used.
“It’s
obvious that one of the toxic chemical gases that directly affects the nervous
system has been used,” she claimed.
“Although
it is forbidden to use it, we see it is used in clashes.”
Fincanci
is accused of “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” and “insulting
the Turkish nation and the Turkish state,” the official Anadolu news agency
reported.
Contacted
by AFP, Fincanci confirmed the opening of a probe and said she had called for
“an effective investigation” into the allegations.
“But
instead (prosecutors) launch an investigation against me. This is not
surprising at all,” she said.
“They
are giving an ultimatum to society by targeting me,” she added.
International
Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), a non-partisan federation
of medical groups in over 60 countries, sent a mission to northern Iraq in late
September.
“Some
indirect evidence for possible violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention
was found,” it said in its report.
“Material
found near an area abandoned by the Turkish Army included containers for hydrochloric
acid and bleach, which could be used to produce chlorine, a classical chemical
warfare agent,” according to the report.
The
PKK has kept up a deadly insurgency for Kurdish self-rule in southeastern
Turkey since 1984.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Austrian
citizen arrested in Iran, foreign ministry confirms
20
October, 2022
An
Austrian has been arrested in Iran though his detention is unrelated to a wave
of protests that have rocked the Islamic republic, Austria’s foreign ministry
said on Thursday.
“The
Iranian authorities have confirmed the arrest of an Austrian citizen,” the
ministry said in a statement, urging Tehran to “clarify the circumstances of
his arrest.”
According
to the Iranian authorities, he is charged with a crime unrelated to the
demonstrations that have continued since Mahsa Amini’s death,” it added.
The
ministry added it would make “full use” of its consular rights to support the
man.
Iran
is facing growing pressure over its crackdown on the most widespread protests
in years, which were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old
detained by the clerical state’s notorious “morality police.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Palestinians
strike after Israel kills suspected attacker
20
October, 2022
Shops,
offices and schools were closed across the occupied West Bank on Thursday as
Palestinians went on strike to protest Israel’s killing of a man suspected of a
deadly attack against Israeli forces.
Udai
Tamimi, who had been on the run since the fatal shooting this month of military
policewoman Noa Lazar at a checkpoint in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, was
killed late Wednesday after he fired at Israelis on the edge of a settlement.
With
the West Bank largely shut down, the Palestinian health ministry also confirmed
that Mohammad Fadi Nuri, 16, died from a gunshot wound sustained during clashes
with Israeli forces near Ramallah last month.
Omar
Abed al-Latif Omar, a resident of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, told AFP the
strike was intended as “a message” of solidarity with Tamimi.
AFP
journalists also saw shuttered shops in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and
Nablus, as well as Jerusalem’s Old City.
Violence
in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has surged in recent months, amid near
daily West Bank raids by Israeli forces and an uptick in attacks on troops.
More
than 100 Palestinian fighters and civilians have been killed since the start of
the year, the heaviest toll in the West Bank for nearly seven years, according
to the United Nations.
Tamimi
was killed by a security guard after wounding another when he fired at the
entrance to Maale Adumim, one of the largest Jewish settlements in the West
Bank, Israeli police said.
Israeli
Prime Minister Yair Lapid praised the security forces “for neutralizing the
terrorist” blamed for killing 18-year-old Lazar at the entrance to Jerusalem’s
Shuafat refugee camp.
The
10-day pursuit of Tamimi had resulted in closures affecting schools, health
centers and other services in the camp that is home to thousands, and clashes
between Israeli forces and Palestinians.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Deadly
fire at Iran’s Evin prison erupted as police clashed with inmates, sources say
20
October, 2022
Two
days before a fire ripped through a section of Iran’s Evin prison and killed at
least eight people, a riot police unit arrived at the compound and began to
patrol the corridors, shouting “God is Greatest” and banging batons on cell
doors, six sources told Reuters.
The
patrols at the Tehran jail began without any apparent provocation by inmates,
the sources said. These patrols continued from Thursday to Saturday, when some
prisoners reacted by shouting for the downfall of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei,
echoing protests raging across Iran since September.
“Then
we heard shots and chants of ‘Death to Khamenei’ by prisoners in other wards,”
said an inmate inside ward 8, which holds mostly prisoners convicted of
financial crimes.
The
prisoner, who was giving his account for the first time, spoke to Reuters on
condition he was not named and that no mention was made of the method of
communication.
The
bloody crackdown by the police and the deadly fire on the evening of October
15, whose origins are disputed, have shaken a society already on edge after a
month of violence involving security forces and anti-government protesters.
Reuters
interviews with the ward 8 prisoner, as well as a relative of an inmate and
four rights activists with contacts at the prison suggest the inmates’
anti-government chants were a reaction to the police patrols and that police
then responded forcefully to suppress them.
The
prisoner and other sources spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to
concern for their safety.
Reuters
was unable to determine why riot police were sent to the jail, what the
government’s motives were for the crackdown and how the fire started. But it
adds to a growing sense of the authorities’ determination to crush dissent and
avoid losing control of Evin or other places that have been central to the
Islamic Republic’s grip on society, four rights activists said.
Wave
of unrest
The
prison, in Tehran’s Evin neighborhood, has been the main site for holding
prominent Iranian political prisoners, even before the 1979 Islamic Revolution,
as well as foreigners and dual nationals. It also holds inmates convicted of
ordinary crimes and is now receiving a stream of dissidents arrested in the
continuing wave of unrest sweeping the country, Iranian authorities, prisoners
families and lawyers say.
The
prison is known as “Evin University” because of the many anti-government
intellectuals and academics held there.
Eight
prisoners died of smoke inhalation as a result of the fire, the judiciary said.
Inmates and rights activists interviewed by Reuters feared more lives were
lost. The assessment was based on the dozens of injured, many severely so, seen
by the inmate and those prisoners in contact with the activists interviewed by
Reuters.
Reuters
sought comment from prison officials, the Interior Ministry and officials at
the judiciary via telephone and by sending written text messages with questions
regarding key points, including the account by sources about the deployment of
riot police on October 13. They have not responded.
But
one Iranian official, who was reached by telephone but declined to be
identified by name or the institution he worked for, said he did not know why
the riot police were sent to the prison and expressed surprise the authorities
seemed to have lost control of the facility for a time on Saturday evening.
One
anti-government activist, speaking on condition of anonymity due to concerns
for his security, told Reuters the government may have planned the prison
crackdown in order to demonstrate to protesters the harsh form of detention
that await them at Evin if they keep challenging the government.
‘Like
a war zone’
Amnesty
International said it had evidence, which it did not disclose, that the
authorities sought to justify their bloody crackdown under the guise of
battling the fire and preventing prisoner escapes.
The
group also said prison officials and riot police repeatedly subjected many
prisoners to brutal beatings with batons, particularly on their heads and
faces.
The
country was already tense on the evening of October 15, when videos on social
media showed a fire and plumes of smoke rising from the prison as gunshots rang
out, and objects were seen being thrown into the complex.
Around
the country, security forces were struggling to contain nationwide
demonstrations triggered by the death last month of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian
woman Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police.
On
the night of the fire, state media reported that a group of prisoners were
trying to escape, and had stepped on a minefield outside the complex.
This
version was denied on Sunday by the judiciary, which said a prison workshop had
been set on fire at mid-evening on Saturday “after a fight among a number of
prisoners.”
The
prisoner and activists said no inmates could have been at the workshop in
mid-evening, because they would have been locked in at that time. Evin’s cells
are shut between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., depending on prayer time.
Reuters
could not independently determine what triggered the blaze.
‘Everyone
was scared’
Tensions
rose when inmates, provoked by the riot police chanting religious slogans and
hammering batons on cell doors, responded with “Death to Khamenei.” Then, at
about 8 p.m., shots were fired by the riot police, sources said.
“When
we heard shots and chants, we tried to break the door and get to the corridor
to help other prisoners from ward 7 who broke the door and were clashing with
the riot police and prison guards in the corridor. Everyone was scared,” said
the inmate.
Ward
7 holds prisoners convicted of general crimes and political prisoners, and is
in the same building housing ward 8. Riot police and prison guards fired
teargas and metal pellets at hundreds of prisoners and beat people with batons,
according to Reuters interviews with the prisoner, the relative of an inmate
and activists with contacts at the prison.
“They
opened the door of our ward [8] and were shooting at us with pellet guns. Fired
tear gas. Dozens, dozens of them were there. Many people in our ward were
injured and could not breathe,” said the prisoner.
“We
could hear gunshots, prisoners were screaming, guards were shouting, they
opened the door and threw so much tear gas inside and used pellet guns. Many
inmates fainted, dozens were injured. It was like a war zone,” he added.
Human
rights activist Atena Daemi, who was jailed in Evin for five and a half years
and was released nine months ago, has kept in contact with detainees there.
“Prisoners
from ward 7 tried to break the door of ward 8 to let them out too. It is when
the forces started shooting at the prisoners around 20:30 with live
ammunition,” she said.
Neither
state media nor the judiciary have disclosed the methods police used to retake
control at Evin.
Mehdi
Rafsanjani, the son of a former president, who is serving a 10-year sentence
for financial corruption in Evin and normally has a weekly furlough
Wednesday-to-Friday, was told on Wednesday October 12 he should return to the
prison only after Saturday, his brother Yasser Hashemi Rafsanjani said on a
social media platform.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Palestinian
killed in clashes with Israeli army in West Bank: Palestinian ministry
October
21, 2022
RAMALLAH:
One Palestinian was killed on Friday by Israeli troops conducting an overnight
raid in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of
Health.
Clashes
broke out in the town of Jenin during the Israeli raid, according to witnesses.
The
Israeli military said troops were there to arrest a militant suspect when the
violence erupted.
“Suspects
hurled explosive devices and fired shots at the security forces, who responded
with live fire. Hits were identified,” the military said. It did not elaborate.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2185246/middle-east
--------
Pakistan
Court
orders medical examination of converted Hindu girl to verify age
October
21, 2022
HYDERABAD:
A local magistrate on Thursday handed over custody of a Hindu girl, who had
converted to Islam and married of her own free will, to in-charge of safe house
and ordered the girl’s medical examination to ascertain her age after her
mother claimed she was underage.
The
girl, Ms Chanda alias Iqra who was produced in the court of civil judge and
judicial magistrate-VI after she was reportedly recovered from Karachi insisted
she was 19 years of age.
According
to Senior Superintendent of Police Amjad Ahmed Shaikh, SITE police found Ms
Chanda in Gulshan-i-Hadeed, Karachi, on Wednesday as her mother had lodged and
FIR that one Shaman Magsi had kidnapped her daughter.
SITE
police produced her in the court the same day but the judicial magistrate had
directed to produce her again on Thursday to get the girl’s statement recorded
under section 164 Cr.PC.
According
to the judge’s order, the girl said that she was 19 years of age and had
converted to Islam. She had married Shaman Ali Magsi of her own free will, she
said.
The
girl’s mother, Ms Amri, who was complainant in the FIR, told the court through
her counsels, Bhagwan Das Bheel and Rehana Gujjar, that Chanda was underage and
could not enter into nikah of her own free will.
The
court noted in the order that no relevant record had been produced by the
complainant to substantiate the girl’s claim about her age. The investigating
officer of the case submitted to the court sanad-i-Islam, nikah nama, iqrar
nama and her free will which revealed that she had converted to Islam and
married Shaman Ali Magsi. However, the IO did not produce any record on the
girl’s age.
The
court, therefore, ordered medical examination in order to ascertain the girl’s
age and handed over her custody to the safe house under supervision of the
in-charge Ms Resham Thebo.
Ms
Amri had claimed in the FIR that Chanda was kidnapped by Magsi on Aug 12 when
she was returning home near Nara prison along with her sister.
According
to her mother, Chanda and her sister used work in a factory near Fateh Chowk.
Police lodged the FIR on Sept 17 only after she obtained an order from the
court.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Police
chief denies presence of terrorists in Swat
Fazal
Khaliq
October
21, 2022
SWAT:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari said here on
Thursday that there were no terrorists in Swat and situation in the district
was completely under control.
Addressing
a press conference at the office of regional police officer, he said that at
least 18 checkposts were being established on the mountains to monitor the
movement of suspected elements entering Swat from outside.
The
IGP said that situation in Swat was completely peaceful and under control. He
added that the morale of police was high and they were ready to tackle any
untoward situation in the district.
Senior
officials including Malakand Deputy Inspector General of Police Zeeshan Asghar,
Commissioner Shaukat Ali Yousafzai and District Police Officer Zahid Nawaz
Marwat were also present during the press conference.
Terms
attack on school van result of family dispute
“For
the past few months, the people of Swat have been in a state of chaos and
insecurity due to continuous incidents, leading to ongoing protests. In the
protests, the people of Swat demanded peace and security,” said Mr Ansari.
He
said that after protests were staged by people, Peshawar corps commander
visited Swat and talked to the elders at a jirga. He said that chief secretary
also met the elders of Malakand division to discuss the issue with them.
The
IGP denied presence of terrorists in Swat and said that police were
establishing at least 18 checkposts on the mountains to monitor the movement of
suspected elements entering the district from outside.
He
claimed that the attack on the school van in Gulibagh area on October 10 was
not an incident of terrorism rather result of a domestic dispute.
On
October 10, two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on a school van in
Gulibagh area of Charbagh tehsil, killing its driver Hussain Ahmad and injuring
two schoolchildren.
The
incident sparked anger among the people of Swat and other parts of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Political activists, members of civil society, teachers and
students took to streets against the incident and demanded of the law
enforcement agencies to trace the attackers.
“Since
the people of Swat have witnessed a lot of difficult and harsh times due to the
wave of terrorism in 2007, they could not bear the recent incidents. They were
not ready to witness situation like 2007 and 2008 again, so they took to
streets against the attack,” said the IGP.
He
said that after Swat police, Counter-Terrorism Department conducted a thorough
investigation into the incident. He said that the probe was completely
supported by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and the office of inspector general of
police.
“I
am proud that police and CTD took the case seriously and conducted a scientific
investigation into it. Evidence and investigation proved that it was not a
terrorist attack but result of a domestic dispute between the relatives related
to issue of honour,” he said, adding that the driver of the van was allegedly
killed by his brother-in-law.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1716027/police-chief-denies-presence-of-terrorists-in-swat
--------
US
Senate sees nothing wrong in F-16 deal with Pakistan
Anwar
Iqbal
October
21, 2022
WASHINGTON:
The US State Department said on Thursday that the F-16 programme was an
important part of the broader United States-Pakistan bilateral relationship, as
the US Senate did not object to the proposed $450 million deal with Islamabad.
“The
proposed sale will sustain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future
counterterrorism threats by maintaining its F-16 fleet,” a State Department
official told Dawn. The proposed sale would also “ensure Pakistan retains
interoperability with the US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism
efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations,” the US official
added.
The
international media reported on Wednesday that the United States was all set to
provide $450 million F-16 sustainment package to Pakistan as “there has been no
objection to the deal from the Senate within the mandatory 30-day notice
period”.
On
Sept 7, the State Department notified the US Congress — through the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee — about the Biden Administration’s decision to
offer this deal to Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
“Upon
such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may
be reviewed,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Robert
Menendez told the Senate days later on Sept 13.
Diplomatic
sources in Washington told Dawn that Congress “does not need to take action to
positively approve” a proposed deal. After the completion of the mandatory
30-day period, the deal would be considered approved, the sources said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1716088/us-senate-sees-nothing-wrong-in-f-16-deal-with-pakistan
--------
Pakistan
SC rejects govt's request to stop ex-PM Imran Khan's planned protest
Oct
20, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday refused to get involved in the political
wrangling as it rejected a plea from the government to issue directives against
a planned anti-government protest by ex-premier Imran Khan.
The
apex court, however, gave the government a “free hand” to control the law and
order situation and warned that it would intervene if any party violated court
orders.
The
federal government approached the Supreme Court last week for initiating the
contempt of court proceedings against Khan for violating the court's May 25
order regarding his party's “Azadi March”.
The
government in the same plea had sought a restraining order against Khan from
creating a law and order situation through an intended protest march when the
country was grappling with the fallout of devastating flash floods.
A
five-judge Supreme Court bench headed by chief justice Umar Ata Bandial heard
the petition.
Attorney
General of Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf on behalf of the federal government told
the court that Khan had given a commitment to the court on the eve of his
protest on May 25 that his followers would not mob the D-Chowk if allowed to
enter the capital.
But
not only he incited his followers to invade the place in front of Parliament,
but also acts of vandalism were witnessed.
“[Party]
workers came towards the Red Zone where there were clashes with law enforcement
agencies. Protesters damaged public and private properties,” Ausaf said.
He
urged that court issue an interim order against any more such protests.
“Imran
is calling the attack on Islamabad a jihad. He is inciting people through his
speeches…It is the state's responsibility to protect citizens' fundamental
rights,” he told the court.
The
court refused to issue any order regarding the planned protest which had not
taken place as yet.
“You
should request [the court] to stop the crowd when people gather. There is no
crowd right now,” the chief justice observed.
But
it allowed the government to take steps if the authority of the state was
challenged.
“According
to you, the court order had already been violated (during the May 25 protest).
You were the executive authority and following the court order. In the present
situation, you have the liberty to take preventative measures,” Chief Justice
Bandial stated.
“You
are telling us [the PTI] has planned a march and sit-in again. You can deal
with the situation in accordance with the law,” he said.
The
court adjourned the hearing till October 26 but the chief justice gave the
government a “free hand” to maintain the law and order.
He
also remarked that the government may approach the court at any time in case of
new development.
The
case followed some recent statements by Khan that he would at any time this
month give a call for a protest march to force the government to announce snap
polls.
Khan,
70, has warned that he will march towards Islamabad by the end of this month if
the government fails to take a decision on announcing the date for the general
elections.
The
current term of the National Assembly will end in August 2023.
Khan
told reporters that cases were lodged against him because the government was
trying its best to disqualify him.
The
cricketer-turned-politician was ousted from power in April after losing a
no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led
conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on
Russia, China and Afghanistan.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Marriyum
in Turkiye to represent Pakistan at 12th OIC info ministers conference
October
20, 2022
ISTANBUL:
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has arrived in
Turkiye to participate in the 12th Conference of the Information Ministers of
the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) being held here on October 21-22.
Marriyum
will represent Pakistan at the conference which will be focusing on the OIC’s
role in different areas of information sector, said a news release on Thursday.
Secretary
General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha will address the inaugural session of
the conference titled “Combating Disinformation and Islamophobia in the Post-Truth
Era”.
The
information ministers of OIC member countries will highlight the problems faced
by the organization’s African member countries, and especially discuss the ways
to mobilize the media regarding the issues of Al-Quds Sharif and Palestine.
The
conference will also discuss role of the OIC in combating Islamophobia and
promoting correct image of Islam.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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--------
ECP
set to announce verdict on Toshakhana reference against Imran today
Fahad
Chaudhry
October
21, 2022
The
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to announce its verdict on the
Toshakhana disqualification reference against former prime minister and PTI
chief Imran Khan today (Friday), over a month after it was reserved.
Strict
security measures were in place at the ECP ahead of the ruling.
According
to a notice issued by the ECP on Thursday, the verdict is expected at 2pm, and
the ECP has directed all relevant parties or their counsels to appear before it
at its secretariat in Islamabad.
The
reference was filed in August against Imran by the coalition government, for
“not sharing details” of Toshakhana gifts and proceeds from their alleged sale.
Lawmakers from the Pakistan Democratic Movement — the ruling alliance — had
submitted the reference to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who
had subsequently forwarded it to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander
Sultan Raja for further action.
Established
in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of
the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers,
parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and
states and foreign dignitaries.
According
to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by
persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.
However,
the PTI, while in government, had been reluctant to disclose details of the
gifts presented to Imran since he assumed office in 2018, maintaining that
doing so would jeopardise international ties, even as the Pakistan Information
Commission (PIC) ordered it to do so.
But
later, in a written reply submitted to the ECP on September 8, Imran had
admitted to selling at least four presents he had received during his tenure as
the prime minister.
The
former premier, in his reply, had maintained that the sale of the gifts that he
had procured from the state treasury after paying Rs21.56 million fetched about
Rs58m. One of the gifts included a graff wristwatch, a pair of cuff links, an
expensive pen and a ring while the other three gifts included four Rolex
watches.
Security
arrangements
Strict
security measures were in place at the ECP’s office ahead of the ruling on
Friday, with police, Rangers and Frontier Corps personnel deployed on site in
large numbers.
Islamabad
Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon also visited the office to review
security arrangements.
On
Thursday, the ECP sent a letter to Islamabad police, requesting “foolproof
security” inside and outside the watchdog’s premises for the full day in order
to “avoid any untoward incident”. The letter also requested that two security
personnel in civil dress and a traffic warden be provided as well.
The
ECP stressed that all necessary security arrangements be completed,
particularly inside the ECP secretariat’s building, and the matter was treated
as “most urgent”.
PTI
criticises ECP ahead of ruling
Ahead
of the verdict, PTI leaders intensified their criticism of the ECP, repeating
their allegations of the electoral watchdog being partial against them.
PTI
leader Shireen Mazari alleged in a tweet on Friday that the reference was all
about “political vendetta by [the] biased ECP, led by [a] quisling CEC.
“What
[the] ECP should be pursuing is Toshakhana cars Asif Zardari and absconder
Nawaz Sharif whisked away!”
Similarly,
PTI leader Maleeka Bokhari tweeted: “A biased ECP will today announce verdict
in [the] Toshakhana case. A politically motivated case is being pursued whilst
corrupt politicians including Nawaz and Zardari have been granted NRO-2.”
Meanwhile,
a hashtag in Urdu, translating to “Imran Khan our red line” was the top trend
on Twitter in Pakistan on Friday morning, with PTI leaders and followers expressing
their support for the former prime minister.
In
an apparent reference to the day’s developments, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry
tweeted: “Islamabad is currently presenting the image of a fort that is under
siege by a large army. This is just the start of the war and they are already
worried? When millions of people will surround [you], no escape route will be
left. Don’t take matters to the point of no return.”
The
reference
The
reference against Imran was filed by MNA Barrister Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha carrying
signatures of lawmakers Agha Hassan Baloch, Salahudeen Ayubi, Ali Gohar Khan,
Syed Rafiullah Agha and Saad Waseem Sheikh and it was subsequently forwarded to
CEC Raja.
The
ruling PML-N is confident Imran is going to be disqualified in the reference as
they say he has not declared in his assets the amount he received from the
alleged sale of state gifts.
In
their disqualification reference, MNAs from the ruling alliance included
documentary evidence to corroborate their claims against the ex-premier and sought
his disqualification under Sections 2 and 3 of Article 63 of the Constitution,
read with Article 62(1)(f).
Article
62(1)(f) says: “A person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a
member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) unless […] he is sagacious, righteous
and non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the
contrary by a court of law.”
Article
63(2) says: “If any question arises whether a member of Majlis-e-Shoora
(Parliament) has become disqualified from being a member, the Speaker or, as
the case may be, the Chairman shall, unless he decides that no such question
has arisen, refer the question to the Election Commission within thirty days
and should he fail to do so within the aforesaid period it shall be deemed to
have been referred to the Election Commission.”
While,
Article 63(3) reads: “The Election Commission shall decide the question within
ninety days from its receipt or deemed to have been received and if it is of
the opinion that the member has become disqualified, he shall cease to be a
member and his seat shall become vacant.”
The
Toshakhana case
Last
year, the PIC had accepted an application by Islamabad-based journalist Rana
Abrar Khalid and directed the Cabinet Division to “provide the requested
information about the gifts received by [then] prime minister Imran from
foreign head of states, head of governments and other foreign dignitaries …
description/specification of each gift, information about the gifts retained by
the PM and the Rules under which gifts thus received are retained by him”.
The
Cabinet Division was told to share the required information within 10 working
days and upload it on the official website as well.
Subsequently,
the Cabinet Division had challenged the PIC order in the Islamabad High Court
(IHC), claiming that it was “illegal, without lawful authority”. The
then-government took the stance that the disclosure of any information
related to Toshakhana jeopardises international ties.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
values Emirate’s role in global, regional affairs: COAS
October
21, 2022
RAWALPINDI:
Ambassador of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Alzaabi
called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at General
Headquarters on Thursday, informed ISPR.
According
to an ISPR press communiqué, during the meeting between the UAE ambassador and
COAS, matters of mutual interest, bilateral defence and security cooperation
and regional security situation came under discussion.
The
COAS said Pakistan values Emirate’s role in global and regional affairs and “we
look forward to enhance our bilateral relationship”. Both sides agreed to
further enhance cordial relations and enduring strategic partnership.
The
visiting dignitary expressed grief over the devastation caused by floods in
Pakistan, offered sincere condolence to the families of the victims and hoped
for early rehabilitation of affectees.
General
Bajwa appreciated phenomenal support provided by the UAE Government for the
flood affectees. He also appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for regional stability
and pledged to play his role for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation
with Pakistan at all levels.
BELGIAN
AMBASSADOR MEETS GEN BAJWA
Meanwhile,
Mr Charles Joseph M Delogne, Belgian Ambassador to Pakistan called on Chief of
Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ.
The
ISPR release said, during the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional
security situation and enhanced bilateral & defence cooperation were
discussed.
The
visiting dignitary expressed his grief over the devastation caused by floods in
Pakistan and offered sincere condolence for the families of the victims.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Syrian
government retaliates for killing of soldiers by Islamic State
Khaled
al-Khateb
October
20, 2022
ALEPPO,
Syria — At least 18 Syrian soldiers were killed in an IED explosion targeting a
military bus in the suburb of al-Saboura in the countryside of the Syrian
capital, Damascus, on Oct. 13. The state-run Syrian news agency, SANA, quoted
an unnamed military source as saying that a bus carrying military troops was
hit on the morning of Oct. 13 in a “terrorist attack” that left 18 soldiers
dead and 27 others wounded.
On
the same day, Imad Nuseirat, a journalist for the Syrian government’s Tishreen
newspaper, published a picture of the explosion site in al-Saboura suburb.
No
party has claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet.
A
military source close to the Syrian government forces who is based in Damascus’
countryside told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “The targeted bus
belongs to the Fourth Armored Division led by Maher al-Assad, the brother of
President Bashar al-Assad.”
The
source added, “Al-Saboura suburb has served as the stronghold of the Fourth
Armored Division for many years. The area has not witnessed any military
operations since 2011.”
“It
is a secured zone with the exception of some sporadic explosions targeting the
Fourth Armored Division on the roads inside the area,” the source said.
The
attack coincided with the escalating attacks by the Islamic State (IS) since
the beginning of 2022 in the countryside of Damascus, namely in al-Kiswah area.
In
May, IS announced that it was responsible for the bombings that struck
al-Dirkhbyeh area in al-Kiswah countryside, south of Damascus, which left
several people dead and others wounded.
The
Syrian government and Russia are pointing the finger at IS for the attack on
the Fourth Armored Division’s military bus.
On
Oct. 17, Russia’s state news agency TASS quoted Russian Maj. Gen. Oleg Yegorov
as saying during a press conference that Russian and Syrian forces killed 20
militants in a security operation in southern Syria targeting those accused of
carrying out the bombing of the military bus.
Abu
Muhammad al-Hourani, a spokesman for the Horan Free League (a local network
that transmits news in southern Syria) who is based in Daraa province in
southern Syria, told Al-Monitor, “IS has not yet claimed responsibility for the
bombing of the Fourth Armored Division bus.”
"The
operations against IS cells in the city of Jasim in the Daraa countryside are
ongoing and have left a large number of dead among the organization’s ranks,”
the spokesman said.
“No
Russian or Syrian regime forces participated in the operations against IS,
contrary to Russia’s and the regime's allegations. The security operations
against IS cells were launched by former fighters in the Free Syrian Army (FSA)
from Jasim, in addition to groups from the Russian-backed Eighth Brigade,”
Hourani added.
A
military official in the Eighth Brigade in Daraa — which includes former
fighters of the FSA who had agreed to the reconciliation deals reached with the
Syrian government in southern Syria — told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity
that the decision to send military reinforcements to Jasim is not linked to an
order from the Syrian government or the Russian forces leadership in Syria.
Source:
Al Monitor
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Syrian
Kurds to hand over ISIS-linked Russian children
20
October, 2022
Kurdish
authorities in northeastern Syria are to hand over around 40 Russian children,
who are relatives of suspected ISIS group members, for repatriation Thursday, a
Kurdish official said.
“Today
(Thursday), around 40 Russian children will be transferred to a Russian
government delegation,” the official told AFP, speaking on condition of
anonymity.
Authorities
are to hold a press conference later Thursday about the returns.
The
Kurdish administration holds thousands of Syrians and foreigners with alleged
ties to ISIS in its custody, after spearheading a US-backed campaign that
stripped ISIS of its last territory in Syria in 2019.
Alleged
foreign fighters are held in jails, while women and children with ties to the
group live in camps for the displaced.
The
Russian repatriations follow a similar move by France, which announced it had
repatriated 40 children and 15 women from camps in Syria Thursday.
Syria’s
Kurds have repeatedly urged the international community to repatriate foreign
nationals held in overcrowded camps.
But
their calls have largely fallen on deaf ears with only limited numbers, mostly
children, allowed to return as home countries fear security threats and a
domestic political backlash.
Nearly
4,500 Russians went to fight alongside ISIS, and Moscow was the first to
organise returns from Syria and also Iraq.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Car
bomb injures two in northern Iraq, security sources say
20
October, 2022
Two
people were injured in a car bombing in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya
on Thursday, police and hospital sources said, a relatively rare attack in a
major city in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
Police
cordoned off a street in central Sulaimaniya where the parked car bomb had
exploded and “an immediate investigation has been initiated” to determine the
target of the attack, said a security source.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
King
Abdulaziz University ranks first in Arab World as per QS World Rankings
20
October, 2022
The
King Abdulaziz University has been ranked first in the Arab world in the latest
QS classification index, maintaining its top position among the best Arab
universities for the fourth year in a row.
QS
World University Rankings are managed by the UK- based Quacquarelli Symonds, an
institution specializing in higher education.
It
is worth mentioning that King Abdulaziz University (KAU) was also recently
ranked 101 in the world, according to Times World University Rankings 2023.
KAU
ranked first in the Arab world for the 2023 edition of the QS classification,
based on data compiled during the classification, which included scientific
research, the international research network, academic reputation, opinions of
employers, the percentage of international students and faculty members the
university attracted, among others.
Dr.
Musab Bin Faleh al-Harbi, the official spokesperson for KAU, confirmed that the
continuous interest and support of the leadership contributed to a development
renaissance in all fields, including the education sector, which is proceeding
with steady steps and clear-cut goals that are consistent with the Kingdom’s
Vision 2030.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Egypt
demands halt to Israeli attacks on Palestinian territories
Ibrahim
El-Khazen
20.10.2022
Egypt
demanded an immediate stop to Israeli attacks on Palestinian territories
Thursday and encouraged the international community to help ease tensions.
“Egypt
is following with great concern the developments of the situation in the
occupied Palestinian territories in a number of cities in the West Bank and the
vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque over the past few days," the Foreign Ministry
said in a statement.
It
urged “international powers to take urgent action to calm the situation and to
encourage the Israeli and Palestinian sides to resume the peace process which
is suspended since 2014."
A
general strike Thursday paralyzed the occupied West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, during the mourning for Uday al-Tamimi, 22, who was killed late
Wednesday by Israeli forces at the entrance to the settlement of Ma'aleh
Adumim, east of Jerusalem.
The
Palestinian National Liberation Movement Fatah, led by President Mahmoud Abbas,
called for a comprehensive strike and an escalation of confrontations at all
points of contact with the Israeli army.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
General
who led Syrian bombing is new face of Russian war
October
21, 2022
The
general carrying out President Vladimir Putin’s new military strategy in
Ukraine has a reputation for brutality — for bombing civilians in Russia’s
campaign in Syria. He also played a role in the deaths of three protesters in
Moscow during the failed coup against Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 that hastened
the demise of the Soviet Union.
Bald
and fierce-looking, Gen. Sergei Surovikin was put in charge of Russian forces
in Ukraine on Oct. 8 after what has so far been a faltering invasion that has
seen a number of chaotic retreats and other setbacks over the nearly eight
months of war.
Putin
put the 56-year-old career military man in command following an apparent truck
bombing of the strategic bridge to the Crimean Peninsula that embarrassed the
Kremlin and created logistical problems for the Russian forces.
Russia
responded with a barrage of strikes across Ukraine, which Putin said were aimed
at knocking down energy infrastructure and Ukrainian military command centers.
Such attacks have continued on a daily basis, pummeling power plants and other
facilities with cruise missiles and waves of Iranian-made drones.
Surovikin
also retains his job of air force chief, a position that could help coordinate the
airstrikes with other operations.
During
the most recent bombardments, some Russian war bloggers carried a statement
attributed to Surovikin that signaled his intention to pursue the attacks with
unrelenting vigor in an attempt to pound the Kyiv government into submission.
“I
don’t want to sacrifice Russian soldiers’ lives in a guerrilla war against
hordes of fanatics armed by NATO,” the bloggers quoted his statement as saying.
“We have enough technical means to force Ukraine to surrender.”
While
the veracity of the statement couldn’t be confirmed, it appears to reflect the
same heavy-handed approach that Surovikin took in Syria where he oversaw the
destruction of entire cities to flush out rebel resistance without paying much
attention to the civilian population. That indiscriminate bombing drew
condemnation from international human rights groups, and some media reports
have dubbed him “General Armageddon.”
Putin
awarded Surovikin the Hero of Russia medal, the country’s highest award, in
2017 and promoted him to full general.
Kremlin
hawks lauded Surovikin’s appointment in Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a
millionaire businessman dubbed “Putin’s chef” who owns a prominent military
contractor that plays a key role in the fighting in Ukraine, praised him as “the
best commander in the Russian army.”
But
even as hard-liners expected Surovikin to ramp up strikes on Ukraine, his first
public statements after his appointment sounded more like a recognition of the
Russian military’s vulnerabilities than blustery threats.
In
remarks on Russian state television, Surovikin acknowledged that Russian forces
in southern Ukraine were in a “quite difficult position” in the face of
Ukrainian counteroffensive.
In
carefully scripted comments that Surovikin appeared to read from a
teleprompter, he said that further action in the region will depend on the
evolving combat situation. Observers interpreted his statement as an attempt to
prepare the public for a possible Russian pullback from the strategic southern
city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.
Surovikin
began his military career with the Soviet army in 1980s and, as a young
lieutenant, was named an infantry platoon commander. When he later rose to air
force chief, it drew a mixed reaction in the ranks because it marked the first time
when the job was given to an infantry officer.
He
found himself in the center of a political storm in 1991.
When
members of the Communist Party’s old guard staged a hard-line coup in August of
that year, briefly ousting Gorbachev and sending troops into Moscow to impose a
state of emergency, Surovikin commanded one of the mechanized infantry
battalions that rolled into the capital.
Popular
resistance mounted quickly, and in the final hours of the three-day coup,
protesters blocked an armored convoy led by Surovikin and tried to set some of
the vehicles ablaze. In a chaotic melee, two protesters were shot and a third
was crushed to death by an armored vehicle.
The
coup collapsed later that day, and Surovikin was quickly arrested. He spent
seven months behind bars pending an inquiry but was eventually acquitted and
even promoted to major as investigators concluded that he was only fulfilling
his duties.
Another
rocky moment in his career came in 1995, when Surovikin was convicted of
illegal possession and trafficking of firearms while studying at a military
academy. He was sentenced to a year in prison but the conviction was reversed
quickly.
He
rose steadily through the ranks, commanding units deployed to the former Soviet
republic of Tajikistan, leading troops sent to Chechnya and serving at other
posts across Russia.
He
was appointed commander of Russian forces in Syria in 2017 and served a second
stint there in 2019 as Moscow sought to prop up President Bashar Assad’s regime
and help it regain ground amid a devastating civil war.
In
a 2020 report, Human Rights Watch named Surovikin, along with Putin, Assad and
other figures as bearing command responsibility for violations during the
2019-20 Syrian offensive in Idlib province.
He
apparently has a temper that has not endeared him to subordinates, according to
Russian media. One officer under Surovikin complained to prosecutors that the
general had beaten him after becoming angry over how he voted in parliamentary
elections; another subordinate reportedly shot himself. Investigators found no
wrongdoing in either case.
His
track record in Syria could have been a factor behind his appointment in
Ukraine, as Putin has moved to raise the stakes and reverse a series of
humiliating defeats.
Chechen
leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has repeatedly called for ramping up strikes in
Ukraine, praised Surovikin as “a real general and a warrior, well-experienced,
farsighted and forceful who places patriotism, honor and dignity above all.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2185276/middle-east
--------
US
worried by Syria-Hamas reconciliation, warns of 'isolating' Damascus
21
October 2022
The
United States has warned that Washington will further “isolate” Syria’s
President Bashar al-Assad, in a sign of worry to the recent reconciliations
between Damascus and the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement after a decade
of strained relations.
In
the wake of the meeting that took place between Assad and a Hamas delegation in
Damascus on Wednesday, State Department spokesman Ned Price expressed
Washington’s frustration and concerns on Assad's outreach to Hamas movement,
saying the rapprochement “harms Palestine's interests and reinforces for us its
isolation.”
He
warned from any normalization of ties with the Syrian leader, pointing out that
such a move “harms the interests of the Palestinian people, claiming “it
undercuts global efforts to counter-terrorism in the region and beyond.”
"We
will continue rejecting any support to rehabilitate the Assad regime,” Price
said, noting that such support is particularly rejected from groups like Hamas,
describing the Palestinian resistance movement as a “designated terrorist
organization”.
This
is while the US has been pursuing its interventionism in Syria, to further
cement its foothold in the war-ravaged Arab country and plunder its natural
resources. In April, SANA news agency reported that US occupation forces are
training a group of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the countryside of Syria’s
northeastern province of Hasakah to carry out various acts of terror.
A
high-ranking Palestinian delegation met the Syrian president in Damascus on
Wednesday, in the first such visit in more than a decade as the two sides seek
to revitalize their ties.
Deputy
chief of the Hamas political bureau in the besieged Gaza Strip, Khalil
al-Hayya, who headed the delegation, said the spirit of resistance was resurrected
within the Arab world following their historic visit to Damascus.
Such
rhetoric prompted the US to react, in a sign of fear from a stronger “Axis of
resistance” in the region.
"Our
meeting with al-Assad marked a glorious day today, and through it, we will
resume our presence in Syria and working with Damascus in support of our people
and Syria's stability," he said.
The
Hamas official also reiterated that the resistance movement told President
Assad that Hamas “will support Syria, its sovereignty, and territorial
integrity and the Palestinian factions are against any aggression targeting
Syrian soil.”
"The
relations with Syria will give strength to the Axis of Resistance and to all
the believers in the resistance," al-Hayya stressed, pointing out that
"Hamas did not hear any opposition from any state that was informed of its
decision to reconcile with Syria, including Turkey and Qatar."
Meanwhile,
al-Assad underlined the importance of unity among Palestinians as a source of
strength in the face of the Israeli aggression and for regaining their rights.
He asserted that Syria will always remain in support of resistance against
Israel. Members of the delegation expressed appreciation for Syria’s historic
support to Palestinians, describing it as their safe haven during hardships.
The
visit comes after non-public negotiations between Hamas and the Syrian
leadership were mediated by the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, in
which the attendees discussed the disagreements that led to a decade-long
rupture in ties.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Russia Repatriates 38 Children of Islamic State Suspects from Syria
20
October, 2022
A
Russian delegation in Syria on Thursday took 38 children from families of
suspected Islamic State (IS) group members for repatriation, a Kurdish official
and AFP correspondents said.
Kurdish
authorities in northeast Syria handed over the children, "most of whom are
orphans," to the Russian delegation, Kurdish foreign affairs official
Khaled Ibrahim told a press conference in the city of Qamishli.
The
children were taken from the Kurdish-run Al-Hol and Roj camps to the
regime-controlled Qamishli airport, where they boarded a plane under heavy
Russian security, AFP correspondents said.
The
Kurdish administration holds thousands of Syrians and foreigners with alleged
IS ties in its custody, after spearheading a U.S.-backed campaign that stripped
the Islamist group of its last territory in Syria in 2019.
Foreign
fighters are held in jails, while women and children with ties to the group
live in overcrowded camps.
The
Russian repatriations follow a similar move by France, which announced Thursday
it had repatriated 40 children and 15 women from camps in Syria.
"Bringing
home these children will ensure they can start to recover from their
experiences and begin a normal life," said Beat Rohr, Save the Children's
interim country director in Syria, following the French announcement.
Syria's
Kurds have repeatedly urged the international community to repatriate foreign
nationals held in overcrowded camps.
But
their calls have largely fallen on deaf ears with only limited numbers, mostly
children, allowed to return as home countries fear security threats and a
domestic political backlash.
Nearly
4,500 Russians went to fight alongside IS, according to Russian authorities,
and Moscow was the first to organize returns from Syria and also Iraq.
Source:
The Moscow Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Ukraine
FM says he spoke to Israel PM about request for defence systems
21
October, 2022
Ukrainian
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday he had spoken to Israeli Prime
Minister Yair Lapid and discussed in detail Kyiv's request for air and missile
defense systems and technology.
“I
informed him (about the) unspeakable suffering, loss of life, and destruction
caused by Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones,” he tweeted.
Though
it has condemned the Russian invasion, Israel has said it would not supply Kyiv
with weapons. It has limited its Ukraine assistance to humanitarian relief,
citing a desire for continued cooperation with Moscow over war-ravaged neighbor
Syria and to ensure the wellbeing of Russia's Jews.
Most
recently Israel offered to help Ukrainians develop air attack alerts for
civilians.
Lapid's
office said the Israeli leader reiterated to Kuleba Israel's support for
Ukraine and expressed his “deep concern” about the military connection between
Iran and Russia.
Russia
has launched dozens of “kamikaze” drones on Ukraine on hitting energy
infrastructure. Ukraine says they are Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UK sanctions Iran over drones used by Russia in Ukraine
Ahmet
Gurhan Kartal
20.10.2022
LONDON
The
UK on Thursday announced new sanctions on Iranian individuals and businesses
“responsible for supplying Russia with kamikaze drones used to bombard
Ukraine.”
Russia
is using the drones “to attack both civilian targets and critical
infrastructure in Kyiv and across Ukraine, with the intention of cutting off
Ukrainian people from energy, heating, and water,” a statement from the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.
The
statement further said Iran was “actively warmongering, profiting off Russia’s
abhorrent attacks on Ukrainian citizens, and adding to the suffering of the
people and the destruction of critical infrastructure” by supplying those
drones.
“Both
Russia and Iran are violating a UN Security Council Resolution that controls
the transfer of these weapons from Iran,” it read.
“Iran’s
support for Putin’s brutal and illegal war against Ukraine is deplorable,”
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.
“Today
we are sanctioning those who have supplied the drones used by Russia to target
Ukrainian civilians. This is clear evidence of Iran’s destabilising role in
global security,” he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-sanctions-iran-over-drones-used-by-russia-in-ukraine/2716904
--------
Son
of late Iran shah voices solidarity with Ukraine over drones
October
20, 2022
WASHINGTON:
The son of Iran’s late shah on Thursday voiced solidarity with Ukrainians who
have suffered from Russian-fired drones allegedly sold by Tehran and urged new,
tough action against the clerical regime.
“Our
hearts go out to the Ukrainian people who are defending their sovereignty,”
Reza Pahlavi told reporters after delivering an address from his home in exile
in Washington on protests that have swept Iran.
“We
accuse the Islamic regime of not only having completely destroyed our freedom,”
he said, but “now it is also cooperating with those who are putting at risk
another nation’s sovereignty.”
The
European Union and Britain on Thursday finalized sanctions on three Iranian
generals and an arms firm over the drones in Ukraine, which killed five people
in Kyiv on Monday and have destroyed power stations and other vital civilian
infrastructure.
US
and European officials say they have evidence that Russia has bought low-cost
Iranian drones that explode on impact. Russia and Iran at a Security Council
session called by Western nations Wednesday both denied that the drones came
from Tehran.
Pahlavi
said there was little question that Iran’s clerical state, which replaced his
father’s Western-oriented monarchy following the 1979 revolution, has meddled
around the world.
“The
question isn’t what the Iranian regime is doing. The question is how will the
world react and whether it will take clear action to condemn the regime’s
actions through sanctions with painful consequences,” he said.
He
called international pressure “a win-win — the only one who stands to lose is
the Islamic regime and we don’t care about that.”
Pahlavi
advocates the formation of a secular democracy in Iran and not necessarily the
restoration of the centuries-old monarchy, an option that has limited appeal
inside the country.
In
his address, Pahlavi said that Iranians have “inspired the admiration of the
world” through more than one month of protests triggered by the death of
22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the notorious “morality police,”
which enforces dress codes for women.
“Your
movement has also crippled the regime’s propaganda and narrative formation
machine,” Pahlavi said.
“They
wanted women to be slaves to men but you, Iran’s women, with the support of
your husbands, brothers, fathers and sons have started the first women’s
revolution in history.”
Pahlavi
said he has made progress in working internationally to create a fund to assist
Iranians who want to go on strike, although he said details were still being
arranged.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2184981/world
--------
EU
slaps sanctions on Iran drone maker, military officers
October
20, 2022
BRUSSELS:
The European Union on Thursday imposed sanctions on Shahed Aviation Industries
in Iran and three Iranian armed forces generals for undermining Ukraine’s
territorial integrity by helping to supply drones to Russia to use in the war
against its neighbor.
Ukraine’s
Western-reinforced air defenses are making it difficult for Russian warplanes
to operate, and killer drones are a cheap weapon that can seek out and destroy
targets while spreading fear among troops and civilians.
Russia
is accused of sending waves of Iranian-made Shahed drones over Ukraine to
strike power plants and other key infrastructure.
In
response, the EU imposed an asset freeze on the company, as well as an asset
freeze and travel ban on the three officers, who are also suspected of links to
Iran’s drone program.
EU
headquarters said in a statement that the move “is a signal of the EU’s resolve
to respond swiftly and decisively to Iran’s actions supporting Russian
aggression against Ukraine. The EU condemns the delivery of Iranian drones to
Russia and their deadly deployment in the war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Iran
on Thursday denied as “baseless” accusations it was sending missiles and drones
to Russia for Russian forces to use in the invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign
Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Twitter that he has spoken on the
phone with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the issue.
Amirabdollahian
said that “we have defense cooperation with Russia, but without a doubt,
sending weapons and drones against Ukraine is not our policy.”
Earlier
this week, EU foreign ministers agreed to slap sanctions on Iranian’s morality
police as well as 11 officials, including the information minister, over the
security crackdown on anti-government protesters.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2184976/world
--------
Iran
envoy dismisses Ukraine's accusations Tehran violated UN resolution
21
October 2022
Iran's
permanent representative to the United Nations refutes Ukraine's allegation
that the Islamic Republic violated a UN resolution by, what Kiev calls,
providing Russia with drones.
Amir-Saeid
Iravani made the remarks in a letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres and the world body's Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday.
The
envoy submitted the letter after Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya wrote
to Guterres and Security Council members, alleging that the Islamic Republic
had "violated" the UNSC Resolution 2231 by allegedly transferring
unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia, which is conducting a military operation in
the ex-Soviet republic.
The
letter obtained by the Associated Press alleges that Iran had violated the
resolution by breaching the Paragraph 6 of its Annex B that used to ban Tehran
from selling "uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) systems having a range equal
to or greater than 300 kilometers (186 miles)." Kyslytsya also invited UN
experts to visit his country to ascertain, what he called, Iran-built drones
being used by Russia in the military operation.
Responding
to Kiev's allegations, Iravani noted that the restrictions mentioned in the
Annex B of the UNSC resolution had "ended in October 2020."
"Since then, none of Iran's actions towards provision, selling or transfer
of weapons or related materials to other countries has been subject to the
resolution," he added.
The
Ukrainian official also accused Iran of breaching the Paragraph 4 of Annex B,
which bans development of nuclear-capable missile systems.
Iravani
also condemned the Ukrainian official's latter claim as "wrongful and
arbitrary interpretation" of the resolution and Paragraph 4's
"spirit."
The
Islamic Republic "has neither provided, nor intends to provide [any
foreign party] with items, materials, equipment, commodities, and technology
that contribute to development of nuclear weapons."
Ukraine's
invitation of UN experts towards examination of Iran's so-called violation of
Resolution 2231 is, therefore, "lacking in all legal foundation within
Resolution 2231's framework," the Iranian official asserted.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Africa
Jordan
censures Dutch envoy for 'interference' in radio license row
Laith
Al-Jnaidi and Mehmet Nuri Ucar
21.10.2022
AMMAN
In
a tiff over a radio license application, Jordan has condemned the Dutch
ambassador to the country for interfering in internal matters.
Dutch
envoy Harry Verweij requested a radio broadcast license for a citizen of a
third country during a courtesy meeting with State Minister for Media Affairs
Faisal al-Shboul, according to Jordan’s Foreign Ministry.
The
ministry said it summoned the Dutch ambassador and “strongly” condemned his
“interference in the country’s internal affairs.”
The
director of the ministry’s Europe wing told Verweij that the government was
“astonished” by the ambassador’s interference in a radio license application
for a non-Jordanian and non-Dutch person, Jordan’s official news agency Petra
reported.
The
envoy was told that such applications are “processed according to laws and
regulations in force and with ‘absolute’ transparency … (and) it was ‘incomprehensible’
that an ambassador representing a friendly country interfered in a matter
governed by Jordan’s laws,” the report said.
The
incident has also drawn a reaction from the UAE, where the Foreign Ministry
summoned the Dutch ambassador to the country to “protest interference” in
Jordan’s internal matters.
A
ministry statement conveyed solidarity with Jordan and “expressed its strong
protest against the irresponsible statement breaching diplomatic norms that was
made by the Dutch ambassador.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kenyan
opposition figure Miguna Miguna returns from exile
Andrew
Wasike
20.10.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Kenyan
activist and lawyer Miguna Miguna returned to his East African country on
Thursday after remaining in exile for over four years.
The
opposition figure was deported by the government of former President Uhuru
Kenyatta after hotly contested elections in which Miguna supported the
Kenyatta's opponents.
Upon
his arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Miguna
thanked Kenyans for their support while he was in exile since February 2018.
"I
am very grateful for the warm welcome you have given me and I'm extremely happy
to be back home," Miguna said.
He
added: "I extend my gratitude to all Kenyans who have stood with me, who
stood with the bill of rights in the Constitution, the cost of justice, the
dictates of democracy, and rule of law. I would like to extend my gratitude to
the judiciary, who stood firm on the side of the rule of law."
After
landing, Miguna attended celebrations to mark Mashujaa (heroes) Day, which
honors those who fought for Kenya's independence, at President William Ruto's
invitation, whom he also thanked at the airport saying: "Without this administration,
I would not be back home."
Hundreds
of young people across Nairobi clashed with police Feb. 2, 2018, demanding the
release of Miguna, who was arrested earlier that day for taking part in the
mock inauguration of opposition leader Raila Odinga as president.
Hours
after Miguna was taken to an unknown location for interrogation, they took to
the streets, blocking roads with burning tires and boulders.
Authorities
said Miguna was arrested for membership of the opposition National Resistance
Movement (NRM) of which he had earlier proclaimed himself a "general"
and the government declared an organized criminal group.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/kenyan-opposition-figure-miguna-miguna-returns-from-exile/2716805
--------
Ugandan
bank launches 1st Islamic Sharia compliant account
Godfrey
Olukya
20.10.2022
KAMPALA,
Uganda
Uganda's
Finance Trust Bank on Thursday launched the country's first Islamic Sharia
compliant account called Halal.
Prominent
Muslim personalities attended the launch event held in the country's capital
Kampala.
Percy
Lubega, head of business development at the bank, said: "We have today
launched the Trust Halal savings account for individuals and businesses. This
is the first time for a Sharia compliant account to be officially launched in
the country.”
Haria
Nakawunde, managing director of the bank, said the Halal account does not
charge interest on money clients borrow from the bank.
The
guest of honor, a prominent businessman in the country, Hajj Karim Kallisa said
Sharia compliant banking is not only for Muslims but for all of humanity.
Hajj
Isah Ssekitto, the spokesman of Kampala city traders association, said: "I
am happy to be at this launch just like most of my colleagues who are
here."
Imam
Ibrahim Kasozi said: "At last we have a bank that befits our religious
beliefs. Urge all Muslims to open up accounts in this bank."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/ugandan-bank-launches-1st-islamic-sharia-compliant-account/2716883
--------
At
least 150 people killed in tribal clashes in Sudan
Omer
Erdem and Ahmed Osama
21.10.2022
KHARTOUM,
Sudan
At
least 150 people have been killed over the past two days in a tribal conflict
in southeastern Sudan, according to local media reports.
Dozens
of others were injured in the clashes which took place between tribes on
Wednesday and Thursday in Blue Nile state, where violence flared up again in
July.
“The
UN is alarmed by violence escalation in Lagawa & conflict resurgence in the
Blue Nile region,” the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan
(UNITAMS) said on Twitter.
“Sustainable
peace won't be possible without a fully functional credible government that
prioritizes local communities' needs including security & addresses the
root causes of conflict,” it added.
The
clashes are the latest in a wave of tribal violence that has swept across the
country despite the signing of a nationwide peace deal two years ago.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/at-least-150-people-killed-in-tribal-clashes-in-sudan/2716997
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Ethiopia
says Tigray peace talks to begin in South Africa on Oct. 24
Andrew
Wasike
20.10.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Peace
talks between Ethiopia’s government and the Tigray rebels being organized by
the African Union (AU) will commence in South Africa on Oct. 24, an official
said on Thursday.
Redwan
Hussien, national security adviser to the Ethiopian prime minister, said the AU
has confirmed the date.
“We
have reconfirmed our commitment to participate,” he said on Twitter.
“However,
we are dismayed that some are bent on pre-empting the peace talks &
spreading false allegations against the defensive measures,” he added,
indicating there could still be hurdles in kicking off much-anticipated
negotiations to end the nearly two-year conflict in northern Ethiopia.
The
AU is yet to make an official announcement on the talks, which will be mediated
by a team of top African politicians.
The
panel is led by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also the
AU’s high representative for the Horn of Africa.
Other
members are Kenya’s ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, a
former deputy president of South Africa.
The
development comes after Ethiopian forces recently made gains in Tigray by
capturing key areas, including the strategic town of Shire.
Last
Sunday, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front said it was “ready to abide by an
immediate cessation of hostilities,” urging the international community to
press Addis Ababa “to come to the negotiating table.”
Earlier
this week, Hussien rejected recent statements from UN officials, including its
chief Antonio Guterres, that the Tigray crisis “is spiraling out of control,”
asserting that it was being “extinguished” thanks to Ethiopia’s efforts.
The
Tigray conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions more since November
2020.
There
has been intense fighting in the northern Ethiopian region since a months-long
truce was shattered in late August, with reports of mass casualties and other
rights violations.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Algeria,
Russia hold joint military exercise in Mediterranean
Esat
Fırat
20.10.2022
ALGIERS,
Algeria
Algeria
and Russia kicked off a four-day joint military exercise in the Mediterranean
Sea, the Algerian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
A
group of warships belonging to the Russian fleet docked in the port of Algiers
on Tuesday to conduct the 2022 joint naval exercise, the ministry said in a
written statement.
The
exercise was carried out to strengthen military cooperation between the
Algerian and Russian navies, it added.
A
minesweeper belonging to the Russian navy docked in the port of Jijel on the
eastern Mediterranean coast in September to conduct joint exercises with the
Algerian navy.
Russian
and Algerian warships carried out joint naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean
last November, including various tactical and interceptive exercises.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/algeria-russia-hold-joint-military-exercise-in-mediterranean/2715904
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Southeast
Asia
PKR
man slams Ismail’s ‘misguided’ claims on Anwar’s pardon
October
21, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: A former PKR MP has hit out at Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s “misguided and
wrong” comments on Anwar Ibrahim’s royal pardon, saying the caretaker prime
minister should check his facts.
R
Sivarasa said Ismail should also retract his comments.
“Ismail
should read relevant court judgments on the issues he is raising to the public.
“Otherwise,
it is irresponsible for a caretaker prime minister to present the issue falsely
as if there were no court judgments on it,” he said in a statement.
On
Tuesday, Ismail had questioned the legitimacy of the pardon granted to the PKR
president.
Malaysiakini
had reported Ismail as saying the pardon was granted soon after Pakatan Harapan
came to power and “at a time when no attorney-general was in office” as Apandi
Ali had been sacked.
Ismail
also reportedly said the Federal Territories minister should have sat on the
Pardons Board, which was not the case.
But
Sivarasa said the issues Ismail had highlighted had been raised in a court
proceeding where the validity of the pardon was challenged and subsequently
dismissed.
He
said there was also nothing wrong for the King to pardon Anwar soon after PH
took power because the former deputy prime minister had already served over 90%
of his five-year jail sentence.
Sivarasa
also said Apandi was not sacked but had been asked by then prime minister Dr
Mahathir Mohamad to go on leave.
He
said Apandi had also delegated his function on the Pardons Board to
solicitor-general Zauyah Loth Khan.
“The
High Court and the Court of Appeal decided that such a delegation was perfectly
lawful,” he said.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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RM95bil
development expenditure not to benefit tycoons, says PM
Faiz
Zainudin
October
18, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has denied that the RM95
billion allocated for development expenditure in Budget 2023 would only benefit
tycoons and conglomerates.
Ismail
gave an assurance that qualified local contractors would be given adequate
opportunities to carry out development projects across the nation.
In
addition, he said, major projects like the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) would
create tens of thousands of jobs for Malaysians and small-time contractors.
“Of
the RM95 billion, RM3 billion is for rural development. It’s not just big
projects, but also small projects like the construction of roads in rural
areas, infrastructure for electricity and water supply, and so on,” he said at
an event at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur today.
“The
opposition’s claims are not true, because the RM95 billion would also benefit
small-time contractors in the G1 to G4 categories.
“However,
all these (initiatives) would only be enjoyed if Budget 2023 is retabled and
passed after the 15th general election (GE15). That means this government needs
to be re-elected to lead the nation.”
Previously,
former Subang MP Wong Chen said government contractors and tycoons would be
“celebrating” the RM95 billion development expenditure in the budget, the
highest in Malaysia’s history.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Syed
Saddiq heckled by rowdy youths outside ceramah
October
17, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: A ceramah featuring Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was
disrupted by a bunch of rowdy youngsters while he was speaking at the event in
Muar.
The
event had been running smoothly when several speakers, including Amanah
president Mohamad Sabu and Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong took turns to
address the crowd.
However,
a commotion began when Syed Saddiq, the last speaker, was halfway into his
speech.
Some
young people gathered outside the ceramah tent and repeatedly shouted “penipu”
(liar) at Syed Saddiq, who is a former minister of youth and sport.
In
response, the crowd listening to him shouted back at the youngsters asking them
to “balik” (go home).
The
police were seen blocking the group from approaching further.
Syed
Saddiq expressed frustrations with the group, who also disrupted his speech by
revving the throttle of their motorcycles.
“When
they can’t fight us with better arguments, they resort to this tactic,” he
said. “I’m sad to see Muar children begging from political elites.
“If
they think with their motorcycles, they can shut us down, they are wrong. If
they want to threaten us, we will fight but through debate. That is the real
spirit of Muar children,” he said.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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PH
needs coherent economic views to win in GE15, says Chin Tong
October
20, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) must come up with coherent economic views for the
15th general election (GE15) if it hopes to retake Putrajaya and lead the
nation well, said DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong.
Liew
said the key to wooing fence-sitters, especially youngsters, was to prove that
Malaysia would be better off in the years to come under a new government.
The
DAP election director told BFM in an interview that this set of coherent
economic views would then guide the government in its policy-making.
“Very
often what splits the government, apart from the personalities, is that it does
not have coherent economic views,” he said when asked about the lessons learned
from PH’s 22 months in Putrajaya.
Liew
added that to attract voters who were undecided, PH would need to prioritise
their economic needs.
“What
do (voters) care about? They care about jobs. They care about wages. They care
about public transportation, (affordable) housing, childcare, aged care.”
Meanwhile,
Liew said the six states that opted to hold their state elections separately
should consider holding the polls together in June next year, saying this would
be akin to a “mini general election”.
Asked
about the possibility of low voter turnout for the state polls next year, the
Perling assemblyman admitted that it was unclear if there would be excitement
among voters.
“It
would really depend on what sort of messages political parties have (to offer)
voters,” he added.
Penang,
Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Kedah, and Terengganu have decided to hold
their state elections next year. Pahang, Perlis and Perak have dissolved their
respective state assemblies following Parliament’s dissolution.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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