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Islamic World News ( 4 Nov 2023, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Delhi HC Directs Authorities Not To Take Coercive Action Against 100-Year-Old Mosque, Madarsa in Dhaula Kuan, Delhi

New Age Islam News Bureau

04 November 2023

India

· Delhi HC Directs Authorities Not To Take Coercive Action Against 100-Year-Old Mosque, Madarsa in Dhaula Kuan, Delhi

· Gyanvapi: SC rejects plea against withdrawal of case from single-judge bench

· Can’t Be At Ram Temple Inauguration? RSS Charts A Plan To ‘Make Whole Country Ayodhya’

· Days after India’s abstention on UAE-supported resolution at the UNGA, PM Modi speaks with President of UAE on Israel-Palestinian conflict

· PM Modi, Rishi Sunak Discuss Israel-Hamas Conflict, Bilateral Ties

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North America

· US Appeals Court Reverses Ruling On Muslim Prisoners’ Right To Prayer

· Montgomery County Mosque Vandalized With Hateful Message

· Saudis Saddened By Civilian Deaths But Also Angry At Global Failure To Help Gazans, Says UN Envoy

· Honduras Recalls Ambassador To Israel As It Condemns Civilian Palestinian Toll In War

· Biden Is Losing Support From Muslim Voters as Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 9,000

· Maryland Imam Calls Terrorist Invasion Of Israel A 'Great Victory,' Insists 'Jerusalem Will Be Ours'

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Europe

· Islamophobia Plays ‘Major Role’ In Referrals To UK Anti-Extremism Program: Amnesty

· France to host international conference for Gaza

· 'Germany's cancel culture vilifies, dehumanizes Palestinians'

· Western Weapons Supplied To Ukraine Being Sold To Taliban, Says Putin

· Brussels, My Love? European Jews And Muslims On Edge As Racism Rises In Europe

· Palestinians Entitled To Fight Israeli Occupation: Iran FM Tells UK Counterpart

· Scottish leader Humza Yousaf’s in-laws leave Gaza for Egypt

· Bangladeshi arrested in Italy on suspicion of Al-Qaeda links

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Pakistan

· Brutal Actions in Gaza: Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami Head Asks Muslim Rulers To Declare War On Israel

· More holding areas spring up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

· Imran approaches SC to seek post-arrest bail in cipher case

· Pakistan’s policy on Palestine remains clear, unwavering: Ashrafi

· Not a single undocumented Afghan arrested in KP

· Pakistan speeds up Afghans’ repatriation as deadline expires

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South Asia

· Americans Detained in Afghanistan 'Highest Priority': Decker

· Acting Defence Minister warns Pakistan over ‘Cruel’ treatment of Afghans

· Pakistan to create mechanism for Afghan migrants’ assets

· PM Hassan Akhund Condemns Pakistan's Treatment of Expelled Afghans

· Pakistan Continues Mass Deportation of Afghan Refugees

· Bangladesh Cuts Pilgrimage Package Costs For Next Year’s Hajj

· Mullah Baradar leaves for Iran

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Mideast

· Israel Restricts Palestinians' Access To Al-Aqsa Mosque For 4th Friday In Row

· Islamic Jihad: Sayyed Nasrallah’s Speech Made All Options Open To The Palestinian Factions

· Israeli Genocide Of Palestinians Finally Exposed To The World, Hamas Official Tells Press TV

· Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader taunts Israel, U.S. in first speech since Israel-Hamas war

· Palestinian Red Crescent Condemns Israeli Strike On Gaza Ambulance Convoy

· Israel claims responsibility for attack outside Gaza’s largest hospital

· US-Israel differ over pause in military operations in Gaza while death toll crosses 9,220

· Gaza: Preston Labour councillors accused of "lame" response by Muslim community

· Sunni Leader Calls For Justice On 'Khash Bloody Friday' Anniversary

· Iran Friday Imams Shift Rhetoric From Anti-Israeli To Anti-US

· 'Sufi Life in Istanbul' presents Sufism in miniatures

· Zionists target entrance of Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital

· Lebanon’s prime minister emphasizes urgency of cease-fire in Gaza in meeting with Blinken

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Southeast Asia

· Malaysia Condemns Heinous Attack On Jabalia Camp In Gaza

· Indonesia’s Jokowi sends off humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza

· M'sia's first humanitarian aid shipment for Palestine departed yesterday

· Zakir to donate RM1.5m from suit against Ramasamy to Palestinians

· King: Be Grateful For Peace, Freedom In Malaysia

· Japan FM meets Israeli, Palestinian counterparts to expresses humanitarian concerns, need to protect civilians

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Africa

· South Africa Under Pressure To Shut Down Embassy Of Israel ‘Terror State’

· Nigeria, French Foreign Affairs Ministers Talk Regional Issues, UN Security Council Seat

· Security agencies avert Boko Haram attack, recover explosives in Kano – Official

· Amnesty International wants justice for victims of enforced disappearances

· Nigerian Troops Arrest Four Suspected Terrorists In Kaduna, Kill Three Others During Firefight

· Tunisia says escaped Islamist convicts believed to be behind bank robbery

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Arab World

· Remarkable Global Participation in International Opera Festival in Riyadh

· Saudi Arabia slams inhumane Israeli targeting of Jabalia camp in Gaza

· Final Crescent Installed On Grand Mosque’s Minarets

· We can’t turn a blind eye to what happens in Gaza: Indonesian ambassador

· Prince Faisal bin Farhan, China’s FM Wang Yi discuss Gaza crisis

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/delhi-hc-mosque-madarsa-dhaula-kuan/d/131046

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Delhi HC Directs Authorities Not To Take Coercive Action Against 100-Year-Old Mosque, Madarsa in Dhaula Kuan, Delhi

November 4, 2023

Hearing a plea by the managing committee of 100-year-old structures, including a mosque, located in Dhaula Kuan, the Delhi High Court said that no coercive action will be taken against the property till January 31, 2024. The committee had filed a plea apprehending demolition.

A single-judge bench of Justice Prateek Jalan in its November 2 order asked the Delhi government’s religious committee, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the sub-divisional magistrate of Delhi Cantt and the Delhi Waqf Board to file responses to the plea.

The petitioner – the managing committee of Shahi Masjid, Madarsa and Qabristan (graveyard) Kangal Shah located at Kitchener Lake, Dhaula Kuan – moved the high court claiming that the structures had existed for over a century and were in historical use for offering prayers for Muslims and burial and other religious rites.

Petitioner’s counsel Fuzail A Ayyubi drew the court’s attention to a December 11, 1976, gazetted notification wherein the graveyard in question is included in the list of Waqf properties, the court noted. He also placed communications between the Waqf Board and DDA from 1978 onwards with regard to the mosque in question, “which prima facie show that the mosque was treated as Waqf property by DDA also”, Justice Jalan said.

Justice Jalan thereafter directed, “In the meanwhile, having regard to the above documents, and to the fact that the structures are admittedly over one hundred years old, the respondents are directed not to take any coercive action against the subject property until the next date of hearing.” The matter is next listed on January 31, 2024.

The plea was filed in apprehension of any action proposed against the petitioner pursuant to a meeting of the religious committee (appointed by the Delhi government) held on October 20.

The court noted that the petitioner was not a party to the proceedings of the religious committee. While the counsel appearing for the religious committee Arun Panwar had stated that minutes of the meeting are still under preparation, the petitioner, the court noted, had placed an October 13 communication showing that the meeting was to consider the removal of alleged unauthorised religious structures at the said location.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-hc-directs-authorities-coercive-action-100-year-old-mosque-madarsa-dhaula-kuan-9012865/

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'We're Just More Vigilant,' Synagogue And Mosque Leaders In Canada Say Amid Rise In Hate Crimes

What happened in Markham could've been even worse. But hate must be fought with unified resolve,' the National Council of Canadian Muslims says [File: Alex Filipe/Reuters]

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Nov. 4, 2023

As police forces in major Canadian cities report a dramatic spike in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes in recent weeks — a surge correlated with the Israel-Hamas war — synagogues and mosques throughout the country are amping up security measures to protect their communities.

Asher Tannenbaum, a ritual director of Shaare Zion Beth-El Congregation, a synagogue in Montreal, says vigilance has become a major priority.

Since Oct. 7, we’ve increased security,” Tannenbaum told CTVNews.ca during a phone interview on Friday. “We have the security guard twice a day — in the morning when we have morning service, and when we have evening services. All our external doors are locked. We only have one door that we open and close. We have other entrances, but we keep it to one entrance.”

Tannenbaum added that congregants or community members who hope to visit the synagogue outside of hours of service have to call in advance to make an appointment. He said that a volunteer committee of community members stands with security guards on Saturdays to help identify regulars.

“When it comes to Saturdays when we have more people coming, we have additional security around the building. We’re just more vigilant.”

Tannenbaum said antisemitism is all too familiar in Montreal. “Last September somebody painted Swastikas on a Jewish school,” he said.

Despite the emerging need for tighter security, Tannenbaum said that Jewish solidarity remains strong.

“We’re proud to be Jewish.”

Trudeau spoke about “a very scary rise” of antisemitism in Canada at a conference on fighting antisemitism 10 days after the war broke out. He added that the “steady rise” in Jewish-targeted hate crimes preceded the attacks on Oct. 7.

In the same week, Trudeau's special representative for combating Islamophobia warned against allowing the Israel-Hamas war to become a catalyst for the stereotyping of Muslim Canadians, saying that the legacy of 9/11 is "being rekindled" in the current war.

A statement by Ottawa Police, issued on Wednesday, warned that “several concerning hate-motivated criminal incidents, including graffiti, vandalism, hate mail, threats and a potential threat to public safety” have been reported to police officials.

Montreal police reported four hate crimes against the Arab-Muslim community and 12 hate crimes against the Jewish community between Oct. 7 and Oct. 25.

On Wednesday, the Standing Senate Community on Human Rights released a report on a rise of Islamophobia in Canada, based on data that precedes the most recent Israel-Hamas war.

The report mentioned the 2017 attack on the Great Mosque of Quebec, where six people were killed, and a series of other violent attacks in Muslim communities in Edmonton, Saskatoon, London, Mississauga and Toronto.

A police cruiser is seen parked at the International Muslims Organization of Toronto Mosque, in Toronto on Friday, October 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Syed Soharwardy, the founder and current president of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, who oversees 26 mosques throughout Canada, also pointed to heightened vigilance among Muslim communities in light of recent violence in the Middle East.

“The whole Muslim community across the country is very concerned,” he told CTVNews.ca during a phone interview on Friday. “We are doing whatever we can to protect ourselves.”

Soharwardy cited the importance of security guard diligence with all mosques he oversees. “They monitor traffic, they monitor parking and they also are vigilant about any incident. One thing we understand is that we don’t have a foolproof security system. We are doing our best.”

Soharwardly added that “it’s quite frightening now” for both Muslims and Jews in Canada.

“I’m fully aware of the antisemitism amongst Jewish communities,” he said. “It’s not just Islamophobia. Both sides are suffering. This is definitely very concerning.”

Soharwardly has told his community members to be aware of their surroundings and to advocate for peace. “Don’t hate anybody, but also don’t accept any violence,” he said.

“We are definitely concerned that someone will do something of harm to anyone, whether it is the Jewish community or Muslim community.”

A study conducted by Nanos Research, commissioned by CTV News, found that many Canadians have concerns about the Israel-Hamas conflict resulting in an increase in hate crime incidents in their communities.

Out of more than 1,000 Canadian respondents surveyed, 39 per cent said they are concerned about the increase in hate crimes, while 30 per cent reported being “somewhat concerned.”

Rabbi Moishe Goldman, Jewish chaplain of the Rohr Chabad Centre for Jewish Life in Waterloo, Ont., says the recent rise in hate crimes should not deter people from engaging with their community.

“I don’t want people to be too scared to participate in community life,” he told CTVNews.ca during a phone call on Friday.

Goldman also mentioned an increase in police presence and security for his community.

“I want them to be able to continue to gather with their community because when it’s difficult times that’s one of the things that gets you through it,” he said. “Both spiritually and psychologically, it’s very important to get together with your people.”

He added that, “We can’t ever have a situation where that’s not possible because of some kind of threat. It’s not acceptable as a society.”

Source: ctvnews.ca

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https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/we-re-just-more-vigilant-synagogue-and-mosque-leaders-in-canada-say-amid-rise-in-hate-crimes-1.6630632

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"Provocative": Rishi Sunak Warns Against Pro-Palestinian Protest In UK

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November 03, 2023

London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday warned protesters not to demonstrate in London on Armistice Day, when Palestinian supporters plan to rally against the Israel-Hamas war.

The UK leader said that planning protests for November 11, a day of remembrance for soldiers killed in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts, was "provocative and disrespectful".

"There is a clear and present risk that the Cenotaph and other war memorials could be desecrated, something that would be an affront to the British public and the values we stand for," he said.

"The right to remember, in peace and dignity, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those freedoms must be protected," Sunak added in the statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators plan to march in Britain's capital on Saturday, November 11 to demand an immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Protest groups have not indicated they plan to march on Remembrance Sunday, the traditional culmination of days of events in tribute to those killed in the conflict. This year, it falls the day after Armistice Day.

But some fear their Saturday protest will disrupt Sunday's commemorations, which include a two-minute silence in honour of Britain's war dead.

Organisers have vowed to avoid the Whitehall area of central London where the Cenotaph -- the focal point of Remembrance Sunday -- is located.

London has seen large demonstrations on three successive weekends since Hamas gunmen on October 7 killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

Since then, Israel has relentlessly bombarded the Palestinian territory and sent in ground troops, with the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza saying more than 9,200 people have been killed, two-thirds of them women and children.

London's Metropolitan Police force has said it has made around 70 arrests at the recent protests and almost 100 more for hate crimes. More than 2,000 officers policed last weekend's protest.

Sunak said that he had asked his interior minister to support the British capital's police force "in doing everything necessary to protect the sanctity" of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

Source: ndtv.com

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https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/uk-pm-rishi-sunak-says-pro-palestine-protest-on-armistice-day-disrespectful-provocative-4543254#pfrom=home-ndtvworld_uk

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Pakistan Air Force Base Attack: Tehreek-e-Jihad Claims Responsibility After 3 Planes Destroyed In Mianwali

A Pakistani army soldier stands guard near a government school that was torched by fighters during a patrol in Pakka village in Kurram district [Khuram Parvez/Reuters]

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November 04, 2023

Pakistan's Mianwali air force base was attacked by terrorists on Saturday early morning and multiple planes in the facility was destroyed in the attack, according to the Pakistani military's media wing.

The attackers climbed the fenced walls using ladders to enter the high security air base in Punjab province, according to Reuters.

The Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement, "On Nov 4, 2023, in the early hours of the day, Mianwali Training Air Base of Pakistan Air Force came under a failed terrorist attack which, Alhumdollilah, due to the swift and effective response by the troops, has been foiled and thwarted, ensuring the safety and security of personnel and assets.”

Three attackers were neutralised before they could enter the base while three others were corned by the troops, said Pakistani military sources.

Taliban-linked group Tehreek-e-Jihad reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, reported Reuters.

Three grounded aircraft and a fuel tanker were destroyed in the attack, according to the military. "However, during the attack, some damage to three already grounded aircraft and a fuel bowser also occurred. A comprehensive joint clearance and combing operation is in final stages to completely clear the area. Pakistan Armed Forces remain committed to eliminating menace of terrorism from the country at all costs," the military's statement added.

Videos doing rounds on social media showed a purported Pakistani military aircraft burning. However THE WEEK could not independently verify the visuals

The attack in Punjab province comes in the backdrop of a terrorist attack in Balochistan's Gwador and bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's LakkiMarwat.

Source: theweek.in

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https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2023/11/04/pakistan-air-force-base-attack-tehreek-e-jihad-claims-responsibility-after-3-planes-destroyed-in-mianwali.html

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Bangladesh Arrests More Opposition Leaders As PM Sheikh Hasina Rejects Dialogue

Representational file image of Bangladesh police | Photo Credit: AP

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November 4, 2023

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s main opposition party said on Friday that three more of its senior leaders had been arrested, after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ruled out talks with adversaries demanding her resignation.

Hasina has been accused of ruling the South Asian nation with an iron fist and the United States has sanctioned some of its most senior police figures for widespread human rights violations.

Hundreds of senior cadres and supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been arrested, with former commerce minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury among those taken into custody overnight.

“Police arrested my dad from my aunt’s home in Gulshan at around midnight,” Chowdhury’s son IsrafilKhosru said.

The party also confirmed the arrests of BNP spokesman Zahir Uddin Swapan and AminulHuq, a former national football captain and a Dhaka unit chief of the party. The latest arrests come just days after police detained Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, one of the BNP’s highest-ranked leaders.

Garment workers strike halts production at factories making clothes for major global brands

Alamgir was charged with the murder of a police officer who was killed during clashes between security forces and opposition activists on Saturday. He and Chowdhury have helped lead the party since the 2018 jailing of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, with her son and heir apparent exiled in London.

Police have yet to comment on the latest arrests but said in an earlier statement that at least 2,113 people had been arrested over the past week on charges of violence during opposition protests.

Hasina again ruled out any dialogue with the BNP in an address to parliament on Thursday. “Who would ask for talks with these beasts?” she said, in a speech that also accused her adversary Zia’s son of hiring killers to murder her.

Global brands suffer

A garment union leader said in Dhaka on Friday Levi’s and H&M are among top global clothing brands to suffer production halts in Bangladesh due to a strike by garment workers.

Dozens of factories have been ransacked by striking workers, with several hundred others shuttered by their owners.

Among them are “many of the country’s bigger factories, who make clothing for almost all major Western brands and retailers,” KalponaAkter, president of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF), said.

“They include Gap, Walmart, H&M, Zara, Inditex, Bestseller, Levi’s, Marks and Spencer, Primark and Aldi,” she added.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1786268/bangladesh-arrests-more-opposition-leaders-as-pm-rejects-dialogue

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India

Delhi HC Directs Authorities Not To Take Coercive Action Against 100-Year-Old Mosque, Madarsa in Dhaula Kuan, Delhi

November 4, 2023

The plea was filed in apprehension of any action proposed against the petitioner pursuant to a meeting of the religious committee (appointed by the Delhi government) held on October 20.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-hc-directs-authorities-coercive-action-100-year-old-mosque-madarsa-dhaula-kuan-9012865/

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Gyanvapi: SC rejects plea against withdrawal of case from single-judge bench

November 4, 2023

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea by the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee in Varanasi challenging Allahabad High Court Chief Justice PritinkerDiwaker’s order withdrawing the Gyanvapi case concerning the dispute over the mosque from a single-judge bench before which it was pending. The committee manages the mosque in the Gyanvapi complex.

“There are grounds by the Chief Justice. We will leave it at that,” Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, presiding over a three-judge bench, said while refusing to interfere with the August 28 high court order.

Chief Justice Diwaker had withdrawn the case from the single bench of Justice Prakash Padia, acting on a complaint filed by the counsel for one of the parties on July 27, 2023.

Appearing for the mosque committee, Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi said the matter in which the committee had challenged the maintainability of suits filed by Hindu worshippers seeking the right of worship in the mosque was withdrawn from the bench of Justice Padia citing procedural reasons, after he had reserved the judgment on August 25.

As per Chief Justice Diwaker’s order, Justice Padia had heard the matter first in 2021 and reserved it for judgment on March 15, 2021, but the judgment was never delivered. Thereafter, it was re-heard by Justice Padia in 2022. He took up the matter again on August 25, 2023, and reserved the judgment.

The Chief Justice’s order noted that after 2021, “the cases…continued to be listed before” Justice Padia, though he had “ceased to have jurisdiction in the matter as per roster”. It pointed out that as per an administrative order of the Chief Justice, dated December 16, 2013, the appropriate course of action in such a situation was to place the matter before the Chief Justice, who would take a call, but this was not done.

On Friday, Ahmadi told the Supreme Court that “it is very, very unfair to the learned judge”. He contended that all parties appeared before the judge for 75 postings without raising any semblance of an objection on the point of jurisdiction. “The so-called impropriety that is being pointed out is the judge hearing the matter with consent of parties, all through 2022,” the senior counsel argued.

Ahmadi said that the timing of the complaint was also significant. “Only after it has been heard and you see the way the wind is blowing. This is directly a perversion in the administration of justice,” he contended.

CJI Chandrachud, however, pointed out that the High Court Chief Justice “has indicated reasons” in his August 28 order. Referring to the 2013 administrative direction, the CJI said the parties had the option to go before the Chief Justice and say this has been heard very substantially and the Chief Justice would have allowed them to go back to the same judge.

The CJI added that what was said by the High Court Chief Justice in para 11 and 12 of his order “puts a sort of disquiet in our mind. What the CJ has said in those two paras is enough for us to affirm the order”.

The high court, in para 11 and 12, said that as per a report of the registry, “the records of these cases were never sent to the parent section in the registry for the procedures to be followed for listing of the cases in terms of the applicable orders, both on the administrative side and the judicial side” but “remained in the chambers of the learned Judge and the cases were listed on the instructions of Bench Secretary and the officials attached to His Lordship’s chambers”.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-withdrawing-gyanvapi-case-single-judge-bench-9012061/

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Can’t Be At Ram Temple Inauguration? RSS Charts A Plan To ‘Make Whole Country Ayodhya’

November 4, 2023

Lalmani Verma

Nearly a thousand volunteers of different RSS affiliates from each of its 45 prant (regional) units across the country, will be distributing “akshat (holy offering)” door-to-door, urging them to attend celebrations at their nearest temple on January 22, to mark the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Leaders of the RSS, VHP and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi TeerthKshetra Trust have started holding coordination meetings with affiliate organisations, including the BJP, in their respective prant units. Recently, such meetings were organised in Kashi, Awadh, Braj, Meerut prants (in Uttar Pradesh) and Uttarakhand prant.

Champat Rai, the international vice president of the VHP and the general secretary of the temple trust, held a meeting of the Kashi prant in Varanasi on October 29. Likewise, trust member Anil Mishra addressed the meeting of Awadh prant in Lucknow earlier this week, while a senior VHP leader recently addressed the Uttarakhand prant meeting virtually.

“Since prominent temples are located across Uttarakhand, which is mostly hilly, we will require more than 1,000 workers to distribute akshat, organise the puja and also the live-streaming (of the consecration ceremony) at these temples on January 22,” said an RSS functionary in Dehradun.

The offering of akshat — rice grains mixed with turmeric and ghee — will be sent in brass urns to nearly 200 VHP and RSS volunteers at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya on Sunday. They will then leave for their prant headquarters.

“Each prant will be given 5 kg akshat. They will take it to their respective prant headquarters for distribution. They will mix more rice and turmeric in it. Akshat will reach villages and wards across the country by December-end. It will be distributed door-to-door from January 1 to January 15. Our target is to also have 5 crore households light diyas,” said a member of the temple trust, adding that the plan was “to turn the whole country into Ayodhya, with such programmes at over 5 lakh temples”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be present at the pranapratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, apart from over 4,000 sants and 2,500 “eminent citizens”.

Later, volunteers of RSS affiliates from different prants will also visit the Ram temple. Nearly 25,000 volunteers of the Kashi region are slotted to visit Ayodhya on January 30.

Besides, BJP leaders of Ayodhya have been assigned the task of “sewakarya (service)”. “We have started making a list of social organisations that would distribute free food starting January 1. The party’s medical cell is finalising a list of doctors to provide medical assistance to devotees and volunteers,” a BJP functionary in Ayodhya said.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/cant-be-at-ram-temple-inauguration-rss-charts-a-plan-to-make-whole-country-ayodhya-9012534/

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Days after India’s abstention on UAE-supported resolution at the UNGA, PM Modi speaks with President of UAE on Israel-Palestinian conflict

November 03, 2023

KallolBhattacherjee

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 3 spoke with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and discussed the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The phone call took place days after India abstained on a Jordanian resolution at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) seeking ceasefire which was supported by the UAE. India has been in contact with the UAE over the violence which began on October 7 leading to the death of thousands of civilians including women and children. UAE has condemned Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza.

“Had a good conversation with my brother Mohammed Bin Zayed, President of UAE, on the West Asia situation. We share deep concerns at the terrorism, deteriorating security situation and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early resolution of the security and humanitarian situation and that a durable regional peace, security and stability is in everyone’s interest,” said PM Modi.

Prime Minister Modi has spoken to a number of regional leaders including Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas since the conflict began. On October 29, he held a telephonic conversation with the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El Sisi. Apart from that, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has been engaged with the situation on the war front and spoke with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Bin Farhan and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

UAE’s diplomacy was on display at the UNGA which on October 26 adopted a Jordanian resolution seeking a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution was supported by 40 member states of the UN that included the UAE, a non-permanent member of the UNSC. The resolution was adopted with the support of 120 countries while 14 countries voted against the resolution. Canada attempted an amendment of the resolution as it sought explicit condemnation of Hamas for the October 7 attacks on Israel. Surprisingly, India which has strained ties with Canada over terrorism and Ottawa’s support to pro-Khalistan elements that New Delhi often describes as “terrorists”, sided with Canada’s amendment and abstained on the resolution while not joining the UAE.

PM Modi’s conversation with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed came on a day which was chosen by Sheikh Nasrallah, general secretary of Hezbollah, for his speech on the conflict. In a televised statement that was followed worldwide, leader of the Shiite militant group in Lebanon announced that his fighters had joined the war against Israel on October 8 and warned Tel Aviv against launching a preemptive strike against Lebanon.

India has been evacuating its citizens from Israel since the hostilities between Israel and Hamas began in the Gaza Strip with the dramatic October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel. PM Modi was early to condemn the violence which was followed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterating India’s “longstanding” policy on the two-state formula to bring a solution to the Israel-Palestinian crisis. Israel has been demanding that India should declare Hamas as a terror outfit but New Delhi has so far avoided doing that.

According to the MEA, Israel hosts around 18,000 Indian nationals which in comparison to the Gulf, is a much lesser number. The Gulf region has one of the largest concentrations of Indian workers in the world and the rhetoric emanating from Tel Aviv, Teheran, and Beirut have cast a shadow on the long-term safety and security for the nearly six million Indians who reside in the six Gulf states including the UAE. The Israeli leaders have repeatedly blamed Iran for some of their security concerns which has increased the possibility of broadening of the conflict, which may put pressure on India’s citizens working in the Gulf.

Source: thehindu.com

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-uae-president-discuss-situation-in-west-asia-share-deep-concerns-over-terrorism-civilian-deaths/article67494131.ece

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PM Modi, Rishi Sunak Discuss Israel-Hamas Conflict, Bilateral Ties

November 04, 2023

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak had a telephonic conversation on Friday as they discussed development in West Asia and conflict between Israel and Hamas, and expressed deep concern on terrorism, worsening security situation and the loss of civilian lives.

"Both leaders expressed deep concern at terrorism, worsening security situation and the loss of civilian lives. They agreed on the need for regional peace, security, stability and continued humanitarian assistance," an official said.

Modi congratulated Sunak on the successful completion of one year in office and they welcomed progress being made for an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement, officials said.

In a post on X, Modi said, "Earlier this evening, spoke to UK PM Rishi Sunak. Discussed means to strengthen bilateral relations and exchanged views on the situation in West Asia. We agree that there is no place for terror and violence." He added, "Death of civilians is a serious concern. Need to work towards regional peace, security, stability and continued humanitarian assistance." Officials said the two leaders reiterated their commitment to continuing to strengthen bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, emerging technology, defence, security, health and others, officials said.

Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

The leaders agreed to remain in touch and exchanged greetings for the festive occasion of Diwali.

Source: ndtv.com

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North America

US appeals court reverses ruling on Muslim prisoners’ right to prayer

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled on Thursday that a district court used the wrong standard when it determined that the Arkansas Division of Corrections (ADC) policy that requires Muslim prisoners to pray with members of the Nation of Islam and the Five-Percent Nation and only wear kufis during prayer services does not violate the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. The decision means the case will be sent back down to the district court to determine if the ADC policy violates Muslim prisoners’ religious rights.

A three-judge panel for the Eighth Circuit issued a unanimous opinion that the district court used the wrong standard in its ruling. The court noted that it based its decision on testimony that the plaintiff Muslim prisoners did not always follow their religious obligations in the past. However, the court found that the proper standard does not require perfect adherence for the plaintiffs to show that they hold a sincere religious belief. Thus, the court vacated the district court ruling and remanded the case for further proceedings.

Gregory Houston Holt—AKA Abdul Maalik Muhammad—and Rodney Martin sued ADC over its policy that only allows prisoners to wear kufis during religious services and holds services attended by Muslims as well as members of the Nation of Islam and the Five-Percent Nation. They argued that this policy imposes a substantial burden on their sincere religious beliefs in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act because their beliefs forbid them from praying with these members. The act provides:

No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person, including a religious assembly or institution, unless the government demonstrates that imposition of the burden on that person, assembly, or institution is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

After a bench trial, the district court dismissed the complaint, finding that neither the single-service policy nor the religious headdress policy substantially burdens the plaintiffs’ sincere religious beliefs. Additionally, it concluded that the policies are the least restrictive means to further ADC’s compelling security interests.

Now the district court will determine if the plaintiffs met their burden of showing that their religious beliefs are sincere. If this burden is met, ADC must show that its policies are the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling governmental interest. The district court must also consider the plaintiffs’ suggestions that ADC provide two different services and allow prisoners to wear mesh kufis outside of services to facilitate security searches.

Source: jurist.org

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https://www.jurist.org/news/2023/11/us-appeals-court-reverses-ruling-on-muslim-prisoners-right-to-prayer/

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Montgomery County mosque vandalized with hateful message

November 4, 2023

UPPER PROVIDENCE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Surveillance video shows the moment a person spray-painted a hateful message on the door of a Montgomery County mosque.

The vandalism was discovered at the Khair Community Center in Upper Providence Friday morning.

CAIR Philadelphia is now calling for stepped-up security at the center.

"The hate speech that we have been subjected to comes as a shock. We are confident that our allies within the community, from our brothers and sisters in humanity, will overcome this incident together. It is more important now than ever before to stand in solidarity with each other, stand against Islamophobia and other forms of hate, and stand against the dehumanization of Muslims," said Bilal Baqai, president of Khair Community Center.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.

Source: 6abc.com

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Saudis saddened by civilian deaths but also angry at global failure to help Gazans, says UN envoy

November 04, 2023

NEW YORK CITY: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UN on Friday said not only is his country “saddened by the death of civilians but also we are angry and disappointed at the international community’s failure to assist even with medicine, food and shelter.”

Abdulaziz Alwasil was speaking during a briefing by senior UN humanitarian officials, in which the organization’s emergency relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, described what is unfolding in Israel and Gaza as a stain on collective human conscience.

Griffiths called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as humanitarian pauses in Gaza so that aid can be delivered. But he stopped short of repeating his own previous call for a ceasefire, which had echoed a similar request from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Expressing concern about the dire humanitarian situation in the battered and besieged territory, Alwasil condemned “in the strongest terms” any targeting of civilians and all violations of international humanitarian law, including the targeting of infrastructure and civilian sites.

He called for “an immediate ceasefire (in) Gaza and an end to the illegal blockade” on the territory, as well as the unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including basic requirements such as electricity, fuel, medicine, food and water.

“Because the international community has been unable to put an end to further killing and displacement, even for those living and seeking shelter within the United Nations, we have launched a campaign for the relief of the Palestinian people,” Alwasil said.

“In two days we were able to gather around a quarter of a million Saudi riyals ($268,000).

“The role of the United Nations, the role of UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East) is vital to guarantee a safe space for humanitarian work, including through humanitarian corridors,” the Saudi envoy added as he stressed the need “to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2402881/middle-east

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Honduras recalls ambassador to Israel as it condemns civilian Palestinian toll in war

November 04, 2023

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras: Honduras on Friday became the latest Latin American country to recall its ambassador to Israel for consultations as it condemned what it called genocide and other serious violations of international law in the Gaza Strip.

The Central American country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said on X, formerly Twitter, that President Xiomara Castro had decided to immediately recall the ambassador in light of “the serious humanitarian situation the civilian Palestinian population is suffering in the Gaza Strip.”

Honduras is the latest leftist-led Latin American government to take diplomatic steps to express its disapproval of Israel’s expanded offensive.

Bolivia’s government severed diplomatic relations with Israel on Tuesday, accusing it of carrying out “crimes against humanity” in Gaza. Chile and Colombia also recalled their own ambassadors to Israel as they criticized the Israeli offensive against Hamas militants.

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 9,227, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that started the fighting, and 242 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group.

Reina told The Associated Press that recalling the ambassador was a way to draw attention to the civilian situation in Gaza and said the government decided to pull him out until the situation was clearer. Relations with Israel remain stable and Honduran diplomats and staff will remain in the embassy, he added.

He noted the main points of a recent United Nations resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, respect for humanitarian law and to start a dialogue in search of peace.

“It is a position to say, in a way, that the situation of the innocent population concerns us,” Reina said.

In 2021, Honduras moved its embassy to the contested city of Jerusalem under then-President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is now awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges in the United States.

At the time, Honduras’ decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem was seen as an attempt by Hernández to curry favor with the Trump administration, which had moved the US embassy there in 2018.

Castro, a leftist, succeeded Hernández. Honduras’ first female president has tried to walk a line that aligns with other leftist governments in the hemisphere like Venezuela and Cuba, but without completely alienating the United States.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2402931/world

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Biden Is Losing Support From Muslim Voters as Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 9,000

November 3, 2023

By Mike Ludwig , TRUTHOUT

The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza is increasingly dividing the Democratic Party as more members of Congress and Democratic voters urge President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire. The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza surpassed 9,000 on Thursday, and Democrats are asking tough questions about Biden’s supplemental funding request that human rights group say would finance ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

While Biden is losing support from voters of all faiths, as well as secular voters, over the U.S.’s backing of the mass destruction, displacement of 1.4 million people and incredible loss of life in Gaza, the National Muslim Democratic Council is warning that the war is undermining efforts to bring Muslim and Arab voters into the Democratic coalition.

Along with Democratic Party activists and swing-state voters, the National Muslim Democratic Council issued an ultimatum to the White House this week pledging to mobilize “Muslim, Arab, and allied voters” to withhold “endorsement, support, or votes” in upcoming elections from any candidate — including Biden — who does not call for a ceasefire.

“It has become evident that our voices are being ignored, but our votes will not be,” the group wrote to the White House. “Simply put, as Gaza turns red, so could crucial battleground states.”

According to its website, the National Muslim Democratic Council is an “is an effort to bridge the gap between American Muslims and the Democratic party,” but that gap only appears to be widening. The group is co-chaired by Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana and Keith Ellison, the attorney general of Minnesota.

The ultimatum was issued on Monday and implored Biden to take immediate action toward securing a ceasefire by Tuesday afternoon. That deadline came and went, and Israeli forces went on to bomb the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza for a second time in as many days, killing and wounding hundreds of civilians in what United Nations experts called a “brazen violation of international law.”

Speaking to CNN on Thursday, Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois became the first senator to call for a ceasefire along with negotiations to release more than 200 Israeli hostages held by Hamas’s military wing in Gaza since the deadly October 7 attack on southern Israel known as the “Al Aqsa Flood.” Hamas has previously said the Israeli airstrikes devastating Gaza have killed 50 hostages, but this claim could not be confirmed.

On Wednesday, Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont and three top Democrats in the Senate — Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Peter Welch (Vermont) and Jeff Merkley (Oregon) — sent an urgent letter to Biden expressing “serious concerns” about Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza and its long-term plans for the embattled enclave.

Along with a long list of other questions, the senators want to know how many civilians are expected to die according to U.S. assessments, and how the “success” of the invasion would be measured. Congress is currently considering Biden’s emergency request for $106 billion for international aid and weapons exports, including $14 billion for Israel and roughly $61 billion to support Ukraine’s grinding war against Russian invaders. In an unusual move, the White House has requested to conduct arms deals with Israel in secrecy.

“We have serious concerns about what this invasion and potential occupation of Gaza will mean, both in terms of the long-term security of Israel and the well-being of the Palestinian residents of Gaza,” the four senators wrote in their letter to Biden.

In the House, at least 18 Democrats have signed onto a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, a word that’s so far been off limits for the Biden administration and lawmakers in both parties. However, the political tension is only growing as images of dead children and bodies being pulled from the rubble of bombed buildings in Gaza emerge on a daily basis.

Speaking at a White House press briefing on Thursday, Admiral John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said the Biden administration remains committed to bringing aid into Gaza and working with Israel to prevent civilian casualties, including by advising the Israelis on urban warfare and providing sophisticated weapons.

Such a policy doesn’t sit well with voters who have articulated a politics of solidarity with Palestine — a sentiment expressed strongly by Palestinian American voters of all religious backgrounds of course, but also among younger voters, voters of color, Muslim and Arab voters, and voters concerned with human rights — who question why U.S. weapons are arriving in Israel at all. Across social media, many voters are pledging to withhold support for Biden in 2024 for fueling what many observers call a textbook case of genocide. The “massacre” of more than 9,000 Palestinians in Gaza is simply unacceptable, according to National Muslim Democratic Council.

“Your administration’s unconditional support, encompassing funding and

Armaments, has played a significant role in perpetuating the violence that is causing civilian casualties and has eroded trust in voters who previously put their faith in you,” the group told the White House.

Biden is under pressure from anti-Zionist Jewish voters as well, with Jewish-led peace groups organizing protests and direct actions across the country. Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, stood up and interrupted a fundraising speech Biden delivered in Minneapolis on Wednesday to demand that he call for a ceasefire.

“Mr. President, if you care about Jewish people then, as a Rabbi, I need you to call for a ceasefire now in Gaza,” Rosenberg said.

Like others in the Democratic Party, Biden and his team have attempted to thread the needle with the war on Gaza by asserting Israel’s “right to self-defense” while supporting diplomatic efforts to get aid into Gaza and bringing American citizens out. Kirby said a total of 220 aid trucks have crossed into Gaza from the southern Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt, but that is “not enough.” So far, 74 U.S. citizens and family members have escaped Gaza at Rafah, Kirby said, but hundreds more remain.

However, Kirby reiterated that the Biden administration opposes calls for a ceasefire. Instead, U.S. diplomats working with Israel are pushing for temporary, localized “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting that would allow aid into Gaza and people with U.S. passports to flee to Egypt.

“We’re really not just talking about one pause, what we’re trying to do is explore the idea of as many pauses that might be necessary in order to get aid in and get people out,” Kirby said.

The White House also announced this week its “first-ever National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia,” a strategy the Biden administration hopes to develop with members of Muslim and Sikh communities to address hate speech and the potential for targeted violence. The White House had planned on launching the program for months, but Muslim activists said the timing of the announcement is suspect.

“Anytime an effort is launched to combat Islamophobia, we would welcome it and appreciate it,” said Samina Sohail, vice chair of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati in Ohio, in an interview with The National. “However, this time, with this administration, they need to first establish credibility with Muslim Americans.”

Source: truthout.org

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Maryland imam calls terrorist invasion of Israel a 'great victory,' insists 'Jerusalem will be ours'

November 4th 2023

MARRIOTTSVILLE, Md. (TND) — Video has surfaced of a Baltimore-area Muslim leader calling the October 7 terrorist invasion of Israel a "great victory."

Imam Mahmoud Abdel-Hady of the Maryum Islamic Center in Marriottsville, Md. made the comments in a video posted to the congregation's YouTube channel. The video has since been made unlisted.

"What happened during the seventh of this month was a victory," Imam Abdel-Hady is heard saying. "In a frame of time, that was a great victory. In certain wars in the [history] of the world before these moments of victory affected the way the whole picture went on afterwards, because the enemy no longer has the same confidence it had before. Remember what happened in Vietnam."

A translation of the video, provided by the non-profit Middle East Media Research Institute, earned strong reaction on social media, including from the Israeli embassy to the United States.

The Maryum Islamic Center insisted to The National Desk (TND) that Abdel-Hady's comments were taken out of context. The congregation claims when he said "victory," he meant "finally there is global attention to the Palestinian cause."

"The term victory is used in the sense that it has compelled people to pay more attention to the history and current conditions faced by the Palestinian people," a spokesperson for the congregation told TND. "Our Imam has a 30-year tenure of peaceful, thoughtful, and engaging interfaith dialogue across the state of Maryland."

The spokesperson did not respond to a follow-up question about whether Abdel-Hady condemns the actions of Hamas terrorists.

Abdel-Hady's remarks come amid a flurry of anti-Israel demonstrations in the Mid-Atlantic. In late October, anti-Israel protesters were seen in downtown Baltimore ripping down posters of Hamas hostages. One protester told TND they "support Hamas." Nearby George Mason University recently launched an investigation after an individual was caught on video tearing down similar Hamas hostage posters on its campus.

Local Jewish leaders resoundingly condemned the imam's comments. In a statement to FOX45 News, the Baltimore affiliate of TND, Dr. Moshe Shualy of the ChizukAmuno Congregation called the imam's remarks "simply obscene."

"When you have religious leaders calling for the destruction of other religions, it's no surprise that FBI statistics show that the majority of all religious-based hate crimes are against Jews, even though we only make up 2% of the population," Baltimore City Councilman YitzySchleifer told TND.

Source: cbsaustin.com

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https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/maryland-imam-calls-terrorist-invasion-of-israel-a-great-victory-insists-jerusalem-will-be-ours-imam-mahmoud-abdel-hady-of-the-maryum-islamic-center

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Europe

Islamophobia plays ‘major role’ in referrals to UK anti-extremism program: Amnesty

November 03, 2023

LONDON: Islamophobic stereotypes relating to “extremism” and “terrorism” are playing a major role in referrals to Britain’s anti-extremism program Prevent, according to a new report by Amnesty International that says the scheme is “fundamentally incompatible with the UK’s human rights obligations.”

Muslims are referred eight times more to the program than non-Muslims in the healthcare sector, said the 92-page report titled “This is the thought police.”

Prevent has faced criticism over claims that it acts as a “dragnet” by wrongly identifying people at risk of extremism.

It calls on teachers, doctors, social workers and others to identify people at risk of committing terrorism.

But in the report, which involved meetings with more than 50 professionals, including police, Amnesty warned that decision-making on cases often operates on “gut feeling.”

Secrecy and a lack of transparency surrounding Prevent also means that many of those referred to the program lack understanding of their cases.

“Prevent has a chilling effect across many human rights, including freedom of expression, assembly and the right to equality and non-discrimination,” said Amnesty UK CEO Sacha Deshmukh.

“There is no transparency and individuals are having to pursue costly multi-year battles for information about their own referrals.

“The dragnet approach inevitably sweeps up innocent people and can destroy their lives and futures.”

The Amnesty report identified a pattern of discrimination against Muslims who are referred to Prevent.

In one case, 14-year-old Zain was referred to Prevent after joking during a school fire drill that he hoped the building “burned down.”

A fellow student six weeks later reported that Zain wanted to “blow up the school” along with the “teachers inside it.”

Despite the 14-year-old telling the school that his comment was a joke because he was “stressed with homework and the rules,” he was referred to Prevent.

His mother Jasmine, who was not informed about her son’s referral, said: “She (the teacher) looked at my son, saw a brown Muslim boy, and she made the Prevent referral not based on evidence but based on her own bias.

“The referral had a detrimental impact on the family. The case shows no behavior suggesting ‘radicalization’; it appears that widespread stereotypes linking Muslim boys with ‘extremism and terrorism’ and Prevent influenced the decision to refer him.”

In another case, 30-year-old teacher Irfan was referred to the program after filing a complaint about his manager, who had allegedly taunted him with Islamophobic abuse, including calling him a “terrorist.”

But after being notified of his referral, Irfan was not provided any further information. He later resigned from his job.

He told Amnesty: “I put on a brave face but (during the police visit) my kids were looking at me and my heart was beating 300 beats per minute. It had a huge impact on my mental health.”

Deshmukh said: “People have no way of knowing what the authorities do with their information, what it can mean for them, or if they will be flagged as a danger for life.

“The shroud of secrecy is alarming. We are especially concerned about the growing number of young people, particularly minoritised, Muslim and neurodiverse people who are being referred to Prevent.

“The problems run so deep that Prevent should be abolished and replaced with greater investment in child protection and education, and safeguarding methods with a proven track record.”

Source: arabnews.com

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France to host international conference for Gaza

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

France will host an international humanitarian conference for the civilian population in Gaza on Nov. 9 as it looks to coordinate aid for the besieged Palestinian enclave, three diplomatic sources said.

While Paris has offered its support for Israel over a deadly Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists, there has been growing concern over civilian casualties that have soared under Israel's retaliatory bombardment that has seen thousands killed, wounded and displaced in Gaza.

Who will be attending?

President Emmanuel Macron confirmed to reporters in Brittany that the conference would take place.

The conference will be at head of state, government and foreign minister level. Key regional stakeholders such as Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf Arab countries will be invited as well as the main Western and European powers. International institutions and organizations will also be present, the diplomats said.

The Palestinian Authority would be present, but Israel was not set to be invited, they said.

The conference will aim to mobilize financial resources with several sectors identified for emergency support based on United Nations' assessments of the immediate needs.

Re-establishing the supply of water, fuel and electricity would be one of the topics under discussion, while ensuring accountability processes to ensure aid was not diverted to Hamas.

France is sending two helicopter carriers off the coast of Gaza as it works with Israeli and Egyptian authorities to find a way to provide medical assistance to people affected by the bombings in the besieged area.

The diplomats said there would be a discussion to set up a maritime corridor to use sea lanes to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza, but also to see how ships could be used to help the wounded in Gaza.

Source: jpost.com

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https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-771602

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'Germany's cancel culture vilifies, dehumanizes Palestinians'

NOV 03, 2023

Palestine's ambassador to Germany, LaithArafeh, criticized the country for lacking sympathy for Palestinian civilian victims of Israel's relentless attacks in the Gaza Strip.

"Our victims continue to be met with apathy," Arafeh said on Friday.

Israeli airstrikes killed more than 9,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children and hundreds of thousands are homeless due to the destruction of buildings, he said.

He also criticized a narrowing of the political debate in Germany.

"A growing cancel culture in Germany continues to vilify and dehumanize the Palestinian people," Arafeh said.

"The same cancel culture is distorting the discourse, silencing debate, threatening careers, all the while inflaming racism, bigotry, and division," he added.

"No moral, legal or humanitarian pretext can justify these crimes or the inaction that ensues. We urge everyone to reconsider and live up to the calling of humanity before history passes its verdict," said the Palestinian ambassador in Berlin.

Israel declared its plans to wipe out Hamas after the group's attacks on Oct. 7, which killed 1,400 people.

Israel subsequently launched a heavy air bombardment of the coastal strip and ramped up its ground campaign, destroying civilian infrastructure, targeting civilians and imposing an inhumane blockade that restricts the delivery of humanitarian aid into the blockaded enclave.

About 1.5 million of the approximately 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip have been internally displaced by the war, according to U.N. relief agencies.

Like other Western countries, Germany expressed full support for Israel and refrained from condemning attacks on civilians. Authorities in Germany's capital Berlin imposed a ban on the Palestinian keffiyeh scarves in schools, claiming that it could "pose a threat to peace."

The resolution, which calls for an "immediate permanent and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip, was approved by 120 countries.

Germany was among the 45 countries that abstained during a U.N. vote on the resolution, which calls for an "immediate permanent and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. and 13 other countries voted against it.

Source: dailysabah.com

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https://www.dailysabah.com/world/mid-east/germanys-cancel-culture-vilifies-dehumanizes-palestinians

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Western Weapons Supplied To Ukraine Being Sold To Taliban, Says Putin

November 03, 2023

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that some Western weapons supplied to Ukraine were finding their way to the Middle East through the illegal arms market and being sold to the Taliban.

"Now they say: weapons are getting into the Middle East from Ukraine. Well of course they are because they are being sold," Putin said. "And they are being sold to the Taliban and from there they go on wherever."

Since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24 last year, Western powers have sent Ukraine tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons in an attempt to defeat Russian troops.

Ukraine says it keeps tight control over any weapons supplied to it, but some Western security officials have raised concerns and the United States has asked Ukraine to do more to tackle the broader issue of corruption.

In June 2022, the head of Interpol, Jurgen Stock, warned that some of the advanced weapons sent to Ukraine would end up in the hands of organised crime groups.

A report about the Ukraine war and the illegal arms trade by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in March that there was "currently no substantial outflow of weapons from the Ukrainian conflict zone.

"However, every precedent suggests that, especially if the threat is not addressed proactively and imaginatively, when the current war ends, Ukraine's battlefields could and will become the new arsenal of anarchy, arming everyone from insurgents in Africa to gangsters in the streets of Europe," the report said.

The eight biggest Western donors to Ukraine led by the United States have made military commitments to Ukraine totalling at least 84 billion euros ($90 billion), according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks donors.

US military support includes 160 155mm howitzers, 109 Bradley fighting vehicles, more than 111 million rounds of small arms ammunition and 38 high mobility artillery rocket systems.

Source: ndtv.com

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https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/western-weapons-supplied-to-ukraine-being-sold-to-taliban-says-putin-4542848#pfrom=home-ndtvworld_europe

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Brussels, My Love? European Jews And Muslims On Edge As Racism Rises In Europe

4 November 2023

With EU officials and MEPs out of town this week, we decided to put the spotlight on associations and influencers representing racialised communities and minority groups in Europe and discuss the impact the Israel-Hamas war is having on their circles.

We were joined by SoundousBoualam, Chief Impact Officer at Brussels Global Review, Kim Smouter, Director General at the European Network Against Racism and TeonaLavrelashvili, Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre think tank.

Panelists insisted that there was a lack of political will for real change in the area of equality in Europe.

"I'm an EU lover, pro-European, all of that. But the reality is that the EU has not been taking anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia seriously," said SoundousBoualam.

Kim Smouter recalled that the EU has had a number of anti-discrimination legislation covering Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and Afro-phobia for two decades but that they are not working.

"We see still communities that are feeling unsafe," said Kim. These, he added, also feel that governments have at times been "taking actions to prevent a freedom of expression of minority groups."

Discussions also looked at a recent report from the EU Fundamental Rights Agency that noted racism is "relentless" in Europe and on the rise. Data shows that when searching for jobs or housing, people of African descent are experiencing high levels of discrimination, especially in countries like Finland, Austria and Germany, where extreme right-wing parties promoting hatred against minorities are popular. Panelists worry about further discrimination and segregation.

Beyond the news cycle, Brussels, my Love? marked one year since its first appearance on air so in this episode, we say a big thank you to all the faces behind the camera and all our viewers around Europe and the world.

Source: uk.news.yahoo.com

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https://uk.news.yahoo.com/brussels-love-european-jews-muslims-060046819.html

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Palestinians entitled to fight Israeli occupation: Iran FM tells UK counterpart

04 November 2023

Iran's foreign minister has urged the UK to adopt a "realistic" approach to the West Asia region's developments, reminding that the crisis in Palestine is rooted in occupation by the Israeli regime.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone call with his British counterpart James Cleverly on Friday.

"I advise that the British government adopt a realistic approach to the region's developments," he said, adding, "In whatever approach, one should know that Palestine's crisis is rooted in occupation by the Israeli regime."

"From the perspective of the international law, the people of the occupied country enjoy a right to legitimate defense," the Iranian top diplomat said, noting that the Islamic Republic too recognized confrontation against occupation as "a right."

Amir-Abdollahian urged immediate cessation of the Israeli regime's ongoing war against the Gaza Strip, and extensive transfer of humanitarian supplies to the Palestinian territory.

On Friday, the 28th day of Israel’s genocidal attacks on the coastal territory, the death toll reached at least 9,227 people, including 3,826 children and more than 2,405 women. At least 23,516 people have been wounded.

Hamas says the Israeli regime is engaged in committing "massacre of the century" in the Gaza Strip.

The regime launched the war after Gaza's resistance groups conducted Operation al-Aqsa Storm, their biggest operation against the occupying entity in years, in response to the regime's decades-long campaign of bloodshed and destruction against Palestinians.

The Iranian foreign minister, meanwhile, advised attention towards the "principle of proportion" in whatever warfare, saying based on the principle, massacre of more than 9,000 Palestinians "is not acceptable by any standard."

Amir-Abdollahian also said the United States' extensive support for the Israeli regime served to intensify hostilities in the region.

Iran says the US is actively contributing to the genocide of the Palestinian nations at the hands of the Israeli regime.

He concluded his remarks by reminding that the region's resistance forces "do not take orders from Iran, but rather take decisions based on existing circumstances and in line with the [issues of] national and regional security."

Cleverly, for his part, asked the Islamic Republic to try to prevent expansion of the extent of war in the region.

He also attached importance to the Islamic Republic and his country's cooperation within the framework of existing diplomatic conventions.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/04/713964/Iran-UK-Palestine-Israel-war-Gaza

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Scottish leader Humza Yousaf’s in-laws leave Gaza for Egypt

November 04, 2023

LONDON: Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has confirmed that his parents-in-law had managed to leave Gaza and enter Egypt through the Rafah crossing.

Elizabeth and Maged Al-Nakla, the parents of Yousaf’s wife Nadia, became trapped in the Palestinian territory after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

They were there visiting relatives when Israel declared war on Hamas, according to Israeli officials. Since then, Israel has relentlessly bombarded the Palestinian territory and sent in ground troops.

“We are very pleased to confirm that Nadia’s parents were able to leave Gaza through the Rafah Crossing this morning,” Yousaf said in a statement.

“These last four weeks have been a living nightmare for our family. We are so thankful for all of the messages of comfort and prayers that we have received from across the world, and indeed from across the political spectrum in Scotland and the UK,” Yousaf said.

Yousaf said other family members, including his brother-in-law, an emergency doctor in Gaza, and wife’s grandmother and stepmother, had remained in the territory.

Al-Nakla is a retired Dundee nurse who struggled to remain in contact with her daughter during the conflict with frequent loss of communication channels.

The couple were sharing a home in Deir Al-Balah — south of the Gaza River, the line which Israeli Defense Forces ordered Palestinians to move beyond — with dozens of extended family.

Earlier this week, Yousaf said the family had run out of fresh water and drank water from the sea.

Yousaf published a video online earlier in October showing his mother-in-law in Gaza tearfully deploring Israel’s order to evacuate more than one million people from the north of the Palestinian enclave.

“This will be my last video,” Elizabeth Al-Nakla, a UK citizen, said in the recording shared by the Scottish leader on X, formerly Twitter.

Al-Nakla said in the video that people from Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip were moving southward after Israel gave Palestinians 24 hours to leave the besieged enclave’s largest city.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2402866/world

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Bangladeshi arrested in Italy on suspicion of Al-Qaeda links

Nov 4, 2023

Italian police yesterday said they had arrested a Bangladesh citizen suspected of belonging to a Pakistani Al-Qaeda-linked group who was studying military tactics and publishing incendiary videos online.

Police in Genoa said the man, who described himself on Facebook as an "Al-Qaeda lover", had posted videos and messages online "inciting terrorist actions or acts of intolerance toward other communities".

The suspect and his contacts "are part of an intercontinental network subservient to the logic of Al-Qaeda, having as its objective the propaganda of violent redemption in the name of an intolerant jihadist Salafism," wrote police in a statement.

Police claim the suspect, who has been under investigation since 2021, is part of Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and was awaiting his residency in Italy before planning to fight in Pakistan.

The militant group with a hardline Islamist ideology -- which the United States considers a foreign terror group -- emerged in 2007 and carried out a horrific wave of violence in Pakistan that ended with a military crackdown from 2014.

The group, which has links to al-Qaeda, has recently been emboldened by the return to power of the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.

The suspect in Italy had acquired instructions on the use of AK47 rifles and military combat techniques and made videos of himself engaged in military exercises that "manifested online his readiness for combat and martyrdom," police said.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/europe/news/russia-revokes-ratification-nuclear-test-ban-treaty-3460241

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Pakistan

Brutal Actions in Gaza: Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami Head Asks Muslim Rulers To Declare War On Israel

November 04, 2023

PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami head Sirajul Haq on Friday asked the rulers of Muslims countries to declare war on Israel for its brutalities in Gaza.

“The Muslim rulers should wake up. If Israel is not stopped here and they occupy Palestine, they would launch offensives against other neighbouring countries,” he said, while delivering a Friday sermon here.

The JI chief said that the US Congress approved $14.5 billion for Israel, which was tantamount to issuance of the license to massacre innocent people. He said that history was full of US atrocities against humanity. “It is responsible for the killing of millions of people in Japan, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan,” he added.

He said that the entire Ummah was passing through testing times and they were looking at their rulers. “A month has passed since the carpet bombing in which thousands of innocent people including women and children have been killed,” he said, adding, Israel had paid no heed to the UN resolutions and OIC’s appeals.

In such a situation, he said, the OIC should immediately convene a meeting of the heads of its member states and work out a concrete strategy to stop Israel’s brutalities.

Sirajul Haq also expressed concerns over the ill-planned evacuation of illegal Afghan nationals and urged the governments of both the countries to sit together and find an honourable solution to the issue.

He said that a joint commission should be constituted by both the countries to deal with the matter in an appropriate manner.

The JI chief welcomed the Election Commission Pakistan ’s announcement to hold elections on February 8, 2024. The code of conduct for election should now be implemented properly and effectively, he added.

He further said that the political forces, which have been successively ruling the country, have been exposed. “They don’t have any solution for the problems faced by the nation,” he maintained.

The ruling elite imposed unbearable price-hike on the people and owing to their flawed policies, the country was trapped into the clutches of the IMF.

He urged the people to repose trust in JI to make the country an Islamic welfare state and rid it from the menace of corruption.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1125766-brutal-actions-in-gaza-siraj-asks-muslim-rulers-to-declare-war-on-israel

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More holding areas spring up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

November 4, 2023

Umer Farooq

PESHAWAR/ QUETTA: As the voluntary repatriation of the illegal Afghan nationals continued on a third consecutive day after the expiry of the deadline, the government has opened six more holding areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to facilitate the repatriation.

On the other hand, Afghan consul general Gul Hassan called on Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai in Quetta, where the latter minced no words to refute the allegation levelled by Afghan Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob that Pakistan was sending Afghan refugees ‘forcibly’ and ‘insulting’ them.

“They are our brothers and how can we insult them,” he asserted later during a media talk, calling Mullah Yaqoob’s allegation ‘baseless’.

With the voluntary reparation at Pak-Afghan border crossing Torkham underway, over 12,689 illegal immigrants left for Afghanistan on Friday. A total of 160,638 Afghan nationals have so far returned to their native country from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while over 50,000 had been sent back via Chaman border in Balochistan during the last few days.

While talking to Dawn, a senior official said, “Any illegal immigrant in any area will be held at the holding area established within that locality and will be transported ahead for their repatriation.”

Prisoners released

Officials said that apart from those leaving for Afghanistan voluntarily, those jailed for petty crimes were also being released. They said a total of 146 prisoners, including 83 from Punjab and 63 from KP, were transported to the border crossing point. Besides, a child [daughter of a detainee] was also shifted to the border crossing point, they added.

They elaborated that the 83 illegal immigrants were from Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Attock. The officials said that six holding areas were established in Nowshera only and the provincial disaster management authority hired transport to shift them to the border crossing point.

Earlier on Thursday, the federal government eased the process of voluntary repatriation of undocumented, illegal immigrants when women and children, below the age of 14, were exempted from data entry at National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) counters set up at the border crossing points.

The decision was taken a day after officials expressed the apprehension that the situation could get out of control, as the authorities struggled to process the deportation of a large influx of illegal immigrants at the Torkham border.

“The interior ministry issued directions that female and children below the age of 14 will not be scanned for entry by Nadra. Only male adults would be scanned during the voluntary repatriation,” a senior official told Dawn.

Warning to police

On the other hand, Peshawar police warned their personnel that action would be taken if any of them was found involved in harassing registered Afghan refugees amid the voluntary repatriation of the illegal immigrants.

“You are ordered not to harass Afghan refugees carrying Afghan citizen cards and proof of registration cards or legal visas,” a statement issued by the police read, adding that anyone found violating the orders would have to “face departmental action”.

Chaman border

Meanwhile, Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai told the media that over the last few days, more than 50,000 illegal Afghan immigrants had been sent back to their country via Chaman border while more foreigners residing illegally in Karachi and other areas of Sindh were arriving in Quetta.

During his media talk after Afghan Consul General Gul Hassan called on him, the minister said Pakistan was giving all respect to the Afghans who were returning to their native country after enjoying state hospitality.

The minister also disclosed that Nadra had blocked a total of over 110,000 suspected national identity cards in Quetta and border district of Chaman. “Around 70,000 [cards] in Chaman and 40,000 [cards were suspended] in Quetta,” he said, adding that Nadra was investigating this matter.

Mr Achakzai said 1.7 million Afghan refugees had been receiving hospitality in Pakistan for past 40 years, and they would continue to get that in the future as well. Referring to his discussion with Afghan diplomat, the minister said, “It was agreed [in the meeting] to increase the bilateral engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

Mr Achakzai said he took him into confidence on the repatriation process, assuring him that Pakistan being a hospitable country would continue to provide shelter to Afghan refugees. “Afghans are our brothers and we are not going to abandon our culture of hospitality. There are about 1.7 million ‘illegal immigrants’ in Pakistan. Those who have a UNHCR card will not be worried at all,” he explained.

The minister said the state decided to expel illegal foreigners only, as Pakistan had every right to make its own policies and implement its decisions as an independent state.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1786278/more-holding-areas-spring-up-in-khyber-pakhtunkhwa

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Imran approaches SC to seek post-arrest bail in cipher case

November 4, 2023

Nasir Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Incarcerated PTI Chairman Imran Khan approached the Supreme Court on Friday to seek post-arrest bail in the cipher case.

The PTI leader, who is facing a case registered against him Under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1923 for making public contents of the confidential diplomatic cable, has also assured the Supreme Court that he is ready to furnish reasonable surety to the satisfaction of the top court and undertakes not to abscond or tamper with the prosecution witnesses.

Earlier on Oct 16, the Islamabad High Court had rejected Mr Khan’s post-arrest bail plea.

Moved through Advocate Salman Safdar on behalf of Mr Khan, the petition pleaded that it was an unequivocal and well-established principle of the Supreme Court that bail should never be wielded as a form of punishment.

The grant of bail is a remedy primarily vested in the discretion of courts, a discretion that must be exercised with the utmost care and caution, as it constitutes a fundamental facet of the judicial power, the petition said. Each bail application must be meticulously considered in light of the relevant facts and circumstances as they pertain to liberties of citizens, he added.

Assures top court he won’t abscond or try to influence prosecution witnesses

The liberty of a citizen has been elevated to a high pedestal by provisions of Articles 7 and 9 of the Constitution which ensure that no citizen should be deprived of his life or liberty, save in accordance with law, nor any accused person should be detained without lawful authority of the competent court.

Unfortunately, a disheartening trend has emerged where the state machinery, in a questionable display of power and authority, has made strenuous attempts to concoct and fabricate false cases, the petition alleged, adding that the registration of the cipher case was another facet of this malevolent campaign, with the sole objective of settling scores with the petitioner.

The petition contended that the IHC’s Oct 16 order engaged in a detailed evaluation of the matter, which was not in consonance with the traditional approach in bail matters. Instead, in bail proceedings, the court, historically exercising care and caution, undertakes a preliminary and tentative assessment to determine if a prima facie case exists against the accused.

The petition argued that the high court had clearly travelled much beyond the ‘tentative assessment’ and it indulged in unnecessary in-depth ‘deeper appreciation’ by adjudicating the bail application on four days with arguments spanning over 10 hours.

Thus a great prejudice has been caused with delayed adjudication, prolonged submissions and an extraordinary and lengthy bail refusal order, the petition said.

It alleged that the initiation of the cipher case, orchestrated at the behest of the interior secretary and executed by the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA), represents yet another endeavour to subject the petitioner to political victimisation.

This orchestrated effort to target the petitioner is part of an ongoing pattern of the abuse of the Criminal Justice System, all under the directive of political adversaries.

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as per the prosecution case itself, is the original recipient of the cipher telegram. But quite mischievously, the Foreign Office has been kept at bay and instead the interior secretary has assumed the role of complainant in the instant case.

It appeared, the petition regretted, the Foreign Office was not aggrieved and the actual locus standi was hijacked by the then interior minister who directly controlled the FIA and used the opportunity for settling political scores.

Thus the petitioner is entitled to the grant of bail in the light of this objectionable conduct alone, the petition argued.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1786277/imran-approaches-sc-to-seek-post-arrest-bail-in-cipher-case

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Pakistan’s policy on Palestine remains clear, unwavering: Ashrafi

November 03, 2023

Youm-e-Shuhada-e-Palestine is being observed across the country today.

The call to observe the day was made by Special Representative of the Prime Minister on Interfaith Harmony and Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, he said Pakistan’s policy on Palestine remains clear and unwavering.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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https://www.radio.gov.pk/03-11-2023/pakistans-policy-on-palestine-remains-clear-unwavering-ashrafi

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Not a single undocumented Afghan arrested in KP

November 04, 2023

Javed Aziz Khan

PESHAWAR: Not a single illegal foreigner has been arrested from any part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the expiry of the deadline as 147,949 documented and undocumented Afghans have returned home via Torkham since September 17.

Officials said they want the process to continue smoothly so no action has been taken so far. At some points the police officers and people from different walks of life were seen providing food, water and juices to the children, elderly citizens, men and women going back home after living in the country for decades.

“Not a single undocumented Afghan has been held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite the end of the deadline as the voluntary return is going smoothly,” Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Abid Majeed told The News.

The official said that 122 of the 361 undocumented foreigners held under 14 Foreigners Act before the drive have been repatriated as the courts had issued orders to deport them. As many as 51 of them were repatriated on Wednesday, seven on Thursday and 64 on Friday.

According to the official figures, 19,344 Afghans, including those who opted to return despite having visas or PoR cards, have returned via Torkham on the last day. The total figure has crossed 147,949 since September 17.

Another 294 returned via the AngoorAdda border. The number of those returning voluntarily increased in the last few days of October when the deadline was about to end.

The authorities said that different agencies had mapped 49,690 illegal foreigners in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The officials have received 535 calls on toll free number 1700 regarding the undocumented foreigners. Out of these 477 were for identification, 54 for information while four were to lodge complaints,” said an official.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has set up a control room in the Home Department where officers from district administration, police, agencies, Federal Investigation Agency, immigration and other departments would be present to monitor the process of repatriation.

“The police along with the district administration will shift undocumented foreigners to the holding points from where they will be taken to the Torkham border. The local police will escort the vehicles carrying undocumented foreigners coming from other provinces to the holding point in Landikotal,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Operations, Kashif Aftab Abbasi told reporters.

According to the government, action would be taken against foreigners who did not possess documents to legalize their stay in Pakistan.

No action is being taken against Afghans who possess Proof of Registration cards issued by the UNHCR, the Afghan Citizens Cards and valid visas. Action is also planned against those who obtained Pakistani CNICs.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1125689-not-a-single-undocumented-afghan-arrested-in-kp

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Pakistan speeds up Afghans’ repatriation as deadline expires

November 04, 2023

PESHAWAR: Pakistan opened more border centers on Friday to speed up the return of tens of thousands of undocumented Afghans, an official said, two days after a deadline to leave or face expulsion expired and ignoring pleas to give the plan a rethink.

Pakistan has brushed off calls from the UN, rights groups and Western embassies to reconsider expelling more than a million of 4 million Afghans in the country, saying they had been involved in militant attacks and crimes that undermined the security of the country.

Afghanistan denies the accusations.

The UN refugee agency, the International Organization for Migration and the UN Children’s Fund on Friday expressed concern for the safety of children and families affected by the expulsion, saying a humanitarian crisis was unfolding with winter on the way.

Mullah Hassan Akhund, prime minister in Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration, also expressed reservations. “It is 100 percent against all principles, come and talk face to face,” he said in a video-recorded statement.

Facilities at the main northwestern border crossing of Torkham have been increased three times to cater for the rising number of returnees, said Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner for Khyber district.

“Everything is normal now as the returnees no longer need to wait in queues for hours,” he said.

Those arriving in Afghanistan complained of hardships.

“We spent three days on border in Pakistan. We had very bad situation,” said Mohammad Ismael Rafi, 55, who said he lived for 22 years in the southwestern Pakistani border town of Chaman where he had a retail business.

“Thank God that we have arrived back to our country,” he said. It took him six days to leave his home in Pakistan with his 16 family members and belongings to reach a makeshift tent village on the other side of the border.

Rafi accused Pakistani officials of taking bribes, a charge Islamabad denies. Afghan schoolboy Sarfraz, 16, who goes by one name, said he and his father had never visited Afghanistan and did not want to go there now. His grandfather migrated to Pakistan decades ago.

“Where should we go?” he asked in response to a Reuters query in northwestern Peshawar. “There is no work there. We’re poor people. We are being forced. We have to leave.”

The Taliban administration in Afghanistan, scrambling to cope with the sudden influx, has set up temporary transit camps where food and medical assistance will be provided.

Refugee groups have reported chaotic and desperate scenes at the camps.

Source: arabnews.com

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South Asia

Americans Detained in Afghanistan 'Highest Priority': Decker

November 3, 2023

Karen Decker, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, said that bringing Americans who are detained in Afghanistan back home is Washington’s priority.

Decker said on X that her country would not hesitate to make any effort to repatriate US citizens detained in Afghanistan.

“We will never stop working to bring home Americans wrongfully detained in Afghanistan. It is our highest priority,” she wrote.

The Islamic Emirate has not yet made any comment in this regard, but earlier the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told TOLOnews that some foreign nationals have been detained.

Political analysts said that the release of the foreign nationals would help improve the relations between Kabul and the international community.

“Both of the countries can consider the needs and release the prisoners, so the relations would be improved,” said Moeen Gul Samkanai, political analyst.

“If their [prisoners'] crime is not big, then based on our domestic laws, they could be pardoned, so there will be a [way] for positive engagement,” said Abdul Sadiq Hamidzoi, a political analyst.

In August this year, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and the Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, Rina Amiri, in a meeting with senior Islamic Emirate representatives in Doha, discussed the removal of restrictions on women and girls, including access to education and work; release of detainees; end to corporal punishment, and crackdowns on media and freedom of expression.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185864

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Acting Defense Minister warns Pakistan over ‘Cruel’ treatment of Afghans

Fidel Rahmati

November 3, 2023

The head of the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan criticized Pakistan’s treatment of Afghan migrants, stating that Islamabad should consider the consequences of its unilateral decision regarding migrants.

Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, the head of the Ministry of Defense, called on Islamabad to cease the harassment, mistreatment, and confiscation of Afghan migrants’ properties in the country, as such actions have no legal basis.

He stated, “The Pakistani regime must be prepared to face the consequences of its actions and bear the responsibility for the harm it inflicts.” He also emphasized that the Taliban administration is closely monitoring Pakistan’s treatment of migrants.

According to him, Afghan citizens are suffering injustice at the borders and roads, and this must be stopped immediately. He urged the international community, the United Nations, and charitable organizations to demand that Pakistan end the current situation for migrants.

Yaqub Mujahid warned that this situation will affect the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan because Pakistan’s unilateral and oppressive decision is unacceptable to the interim administration of Afghanistan.

It is worth noting that with the ending of the one-month deadline given by Pakistan to migrants without legal residency in the country, thousands of migrants are being forcibly and voluntarily returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings.

These migrants are returning to the country on the brink of the cold winter season, facing the daunting prospect of starting anew in Afghanistan with numerous needs and limited resources.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/acting-defense-minister-warns-pakistan-over-cruel-treatment-of-afghans/

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Pakistan to create mechanism for Afghan migrants’ assets

Fidel Rahmati

November 3, 2023

The Ministry of Interior of Pakistan has announced that it will soon unveil a mechanism regarding the assets of Afghan immigrants.

On Thursday, the Afghan interim government’s embassy in Islamabad stated that the interim Interior Minister of Pakistan has promised to announce a mechanism soon regarding the cash and non-cash assets of Afghan immigrants.

The embassy conveyed a message on the social media platform X that Sardar Ahmad Shakib, the acting Ambassador of the Taliban administration in Islamabad, held a meeting with Sarfaraz Bugti, the interim Interior Minister of Pakistan.

During this meeting, both parties discussed the existing problems related to the expulsion of Afghan migrants, especially the transfer of their assets and funds to bank accounts.

The embassy of the Taliban administration in Islamabad added that the harassment and mistreatment of Afghans, including women and children, by Pakistani soldiers and police were among the topics of discussion between the two sides.

According to the embassy, Bugti, the interim Interior Minister of Pakistan, has instructed the police of this country once again to refrain from harassing and mistreating Afghans with legal residence documents.

Pakistan had set a one-month deadline for illegal immigrants to depart from the country, with the cutoff date being November 1, 2023. As the deadline passed, Pakistan commenced the process of expelling Afghan migrants.

Source: khaama.com

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PM Hassan Akhund Condemns Pakistan's Treatment of Expelled Afghans

November 3, 2023

Mujeeb Rahman AwrangStanikzai

The Islamic Emirate’s Prime Minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund reacted to the expulsion of Afghan refugees by Pakistan, saying that the action is against international laws.

In a video message, PM Akhund called on Pakistan to not “expel Afghans in an undignified manner, to not harass Afghans and to give them sufficient time so that they can return in a dignified manner.”

“If their [Pakistan] reason is to expel undocumented migrants only, then why are they humiliating the refugees, stealing their property, and destroying their houses?” he said.

The PM also warned Pakistan of consequences of the mistreatment of Afghan refugees and said: “You [Pakistan] are a neighbor, you should think about the future.”

National security spokesperson John Kirby told a press conference that Washington wants to see all nations do “what they can to help refugees and asylum seekers.”

The UN Secretary General’s Spokesman, StéphaneDujarric, said that the UN is appealing to Pakistan to continue its protection of all “vulnerable” Afghans who sought safety in the country.

Pakistan announced in early October it would expel 1.73 million Afghan refugees whom it considered “illegal” after November 1 this year.

The decision faced international criticism with many human rights organizations calling on Islamabad to reverse the planned action.

Many Afghans complained of mistreatment by Pakistani police while being deported.

“Around 50 people were going in this truck. It has been hired by 6 families for Rs. 2, 20, 000. We had no time to bargain because the CDA was pushing us,” said Khial Gul, an Afghan refugee, who was quoted by Reuters. “They destroyed our houses yesterday. So we had to hire a vehicle hurriedly today. Now we are going to Afghanistan. Everyone will try to find some work there."

“These people are being very cruel to us. If they had given us 4 or 5 months more, we could have spent the winter here in comfort,” said Abdul Rahim Mahajar, an Afghan refugee.

“Then, God willing, we would have gone back to our country," an Afghan refugee said.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185861

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Pakistan Continues Mass Deportation of Afghan Refugees

November 3, 2023

Thousands of Afghan refugees are entering through Torkham crossing as Pakistan continues to implement mass deportations of refugees despite facing a backlash internationally.

Drivers of passenger vehicles told TOLOnews that thousands of refugees are stranded on the other side of the Durand Line, facing a shortage of water and other essential needs.

The refugees, with most of them facing an uncertain future, are temporarily settled in the Torkham area of Nangarhar.

Youth, traders and other organizations are voluntarily engaged in helping the refugees, providing them with food and medical assistance.

“When we came here, we brought bread, beans, fresh fruits and oil with us,” said Shad Noor Mazlomyar, deputy head of the Chamber of Craftsmen and Shopkeepers.

“We ask everyone including the shopkeepers, bakers and others to chip in,” said Ghulam Dastageer, craftsman.

The drivers said that the Afghan refugees on the other side of the Durand Line, whom Pakistan collected to deport to Afghanistan, face dire conditions and many have no access to water and other needs.

“When we talked to the people who were on the way, they told us that they had not eaten food for three to four days,” said Adel Shinwari, a deportee.

“The people are stranded on the streets in Lahore, Islamabad and across Torkham [crossing]. There are women and children among them who are based on the street,” said Abdul Wali Walizai, a deportee.

Islamic Emirate officials said that they provide meals for 40,000 refugees.

“We have talked with Kabul Silo [governmental bakery]. We have asked them to provide us with 100,000 loaves of bread. They have brought their six machines to the area,” said Sayed Ahmad Mustaqeem, deputy Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.

Pakistan pushed hundreds of thousands of refugees to return to Afghanistan as the November 1 deadline announced by its caretaker government has passed.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185863

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Bangladesh cuts pilgrimage package costs for next year’s Hajj

November 03, 2023

DHAKA: The Bangladeshi government has reduced by nearly $1,000 the cost of Hajj packages for 2024, after skyrocketing prices during the 2023 pilgrimage season prevented many from undertaking the spiritual journey.

One of the most populous Muslim-majority countries, Bangladesh last year struggled to fulfill the Hajj quota granted by Saudi Arabia amid rising travel costs. Eventually, several thousand prospective pilgrims could not go.

The decision to lower the cost next year was announced by State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan on Thursday.

The minimum cost of Hajj from Bangladesh will be $5,260 — a significant decrease compared with the minimum cost of $6,210 in 2023.

The new policy is expected to bring great relief to pilgrims, Shahadat Hossain, president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh, told Arab News.

“With this newly announced by government reduced Hajj package, pilgrims will be encouraged to perform the holy Hajj and I believe we will be able to fulfil our Hajj quota this year,” he said.

“It will help our pilgrims a lot in their Hajj journey. Reducing the Hajj package price was a major issue for us since last year.”

Around 127,000 pilgrims from Bangladesh will perform the Hajj next year, facilitated by pre-immigration services under the Makkah Route initiative — a flagship program launched by Saudi Arabia in 2019.

Makkah Route allows pilgrims to save time by completing all visa, customs and health requirements at their airports of origin. Upon arrival, pilgrims can enter Saudi Arabia without waiting.

Bangladesh is among seven Muslim-majority countries — alongside Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Turkiye and Cote d’Ivoire — where the Kingdom opened the program.

Registration for next year’s Hajj will begin in Bangladesh next week.

Abdul Hannan, a 61-year-old farmer from southern Barisal district, has been saving money for the journey for many years.

“Performing the holy Hajj has been my long-cherished dream since childhood,” he told Arab News.

“Despite the high costs, I was getting ready for the pilgrimage next year. Now, the government has reduced the cost by around $1,000, so it’s a great relief to me.”

It will make things easier for many others, including Mansurul Haider, 58, a small trader from Cumilla in eastern Bangladesh.

“Most of Muslims in Bangladesh are not very rich but all of them nurture the dream of performing the holy Hajj at least once in their lifetime,” he said.

The new Hajj package announced by the government will be a great relief to me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any other choice but to sell a piece of my ancestral land.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2402701/world

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Mullah Baradar leaves for Iran

November 4, 2023

A high-level delegation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, departed for Iran on Saturday.

Baradar’s office said in a statement Baradar and his delegation will meet with Iranian officials to discuss bilateral relations, trade, transit, transportation, infrastructure, railways, regional connectivity, and ways to increase trade through Chabahar Port.

They will also discuss the increased involvement of Afghanistan in the port, and the expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries.

In addition, Baradar will invite the Iranian government and private sector to invest in Afghanistan’s agriculture, mining, transportation, and industry sectors, according to the statement.

Source: ariananews.af

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https://www.ariananews.af/mullah-baradar-leaves-for-iran/

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Mideast

Israel restricts Palestinians' access to Al-Aqsa Mosque for 4th Friday in row

03.11.2023

AbdelraoufArna'out

Israeli authorities barred Palestinians from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for the fourth consecutive Friday.

An official with the Waqf Department in Jerusalem told Anadolu that Israeli police only allowed elderly Palestinians into the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The official, who preferred not to be named, added that the mosque appeared empty due to the Israeli strict restrictions.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that dozens of Palestinian Muslims were forced to perform Fajr, or pre-dawn prayers, in the alleys leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque after being denied entry by Israeli police.

Since early Friday morning, Israeli forces have been heavily deployed throughout occupied East Jerusalem, particularly in the Old City and the gates leading to the mosque.

The Israeli army has widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Nearly 10,800 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 9,227 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Islamic Jihad: Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech made all options open to the Palestinian factions

[04/November/2023]

GAZA - November 04. 2023 (Saba) - The official in charge of the media office of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, Daoud Shehab, thanked the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, stressing that his speech opened wide the options for the Palestinian factions, and constituted broad moral, political, and field support for the Palestinian people and the resistance.

Shehab said in an interview with Al-Mayadeen : The axis of resistance is ready to pay all prices for Gaza to be victorious.

Shehab stressed that the decision in all battles and in all rounds of conflict with the Zionist enemy was always Palestinian, and that in every confrontation, the position of Iran and Hezbollah was supportive of the decisions and choices of the Palestinian resistance.

He added: Mr. Nasrallah stressed that the Palestinian people are not alone and that the Zionist enemy is not allowed to single them out, and he reflected the vision of the axis of resistance regarding what is happening in the Gaza Strip.

Shehab pointed out that the daily killing of the Palestinian people today in the West Bank is a prelude to the displacement plan.

Meanwhile, the Spokesman for the Islamic Jihad Movement, Musab Al-Buraim, paid tribute to the resistance in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen and to all free people in the world.

Al-Barim said in an interview with Al-Mayadeen : "The speech of Sayyed Nasrallah and the resistance forces confirms the challenge to American hegemony, and that America is the enemy of the nation that kills children with its weapons... stressing that the resistance forces challenge America and “Israel” at a time when normalization agreements are being concluded.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3277723.htm

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Israeli genocide of Palestinians finally exposed to the world, Hamas official tells Press TV

03 November 2023

The representative of the Hamas resistance movement in Iran says the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation has raised awareness globally of the plight of Palestinians, and now the Israeli narrative of the conflict in Palestine is losing traction and instead, the Palestinian narrative is getting more popular.

Speaking in an interview with Press TV on Friday, Khaled Qaddoumi pointed to popular protests around the globe in support of Palestinians, saying the world sees first-hand that the "21-century holocaust" is happening in Palestine.

“It’s been twenty-seven days of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the war crimes and crimes against humanity have been continuously perpetrated by the Israeli regime, with the complete support of America, against our children and our people in Gaza,” he said.

He said Israel and its backers had been deceiving the world for decades with stories about the sufferings of Jews in Germany and elsewhere.

People in Germany now ask why their money should be spent on supporting Israel over the so-called holocaust that happened many decades ago and has nothing to do with them, Qaddoumi said.

“The narrative of Israel today is losing and the narrative of the Palestinian and justice is winning today.”

‘Pressure of public opinion growing’

He said there’s a unanimous global stance against the Israeli occupation and this has forced governments to show support for Palestine, pointing to Bahrain recalling its ambassador from Israel, as well as countries in Latin America like Bolivia cutting or downgrading relations with the regime.

The Hamas official said the public opinion pressure is so high that even the US, who has been supporting Israel since the very beginning of the conflict, now talks about the need for a ceasefire.

“There was some incremental pressure over those American criminals, diplomats. So they are talking about the possibility of applying pressure over the Israeli side to have some humanitarian ceasefire, to allow those humanitarian aids and medical support to get into Gaza,” he said, noting that despite these words, Israel keeps relentlessly attacking Palestinians.

‘There’s no freedom of speech in West’

On the Western media’s coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza, Qaddoumi said the Western outlets are the voice of their governments in France and elsewhere.

He said the line of governments in France and other Western countries differs from the view of the public, who largely support the Palestinian cause.

Pointing to police crackdown on pro-Palestine protests in Paris, the US and elsewhere, he said these attacks show there’s no democracy and freedom of speech in the West.

“In France, protesters were caught by the police. They took them to the jail. They prevented them from attending peaceful rallies there. This is the free Western world, which they claim that exists. It was never [free] and this is only their claim,” the Hamas official said.

The Hamas official said the Western governments try to justify their crackdown on pro-Palestine protests citing the need for curbing anti-Semitism, but that’s a very vague accusation that can be broadly interpreted.

He said Israel is trying to frame the situation as a religious crusade, but the fact is Israel has not and is not representing the Jews.

‘Normalization equal to Israeli war crimes’

Qaddoumi touched on the so-called normalization deals between several Arab states and Israel, saying those normalization efforts are criminal acts equal to the war against Palestinians and equal to war crimes being perpetrated by Israel.

He said those who decided to normalize with Israel didn’t even listen to their own people, who are staunch supporters of the Palestinian cause.

The Hamas official said the Al-Aqsa flood operation has marginalized countries supporting normalization, tilting the situation in favor of the Palestinians and foiling all the conspiracies hatched against them.

‘Resistance our only option’

He said Palestinians have found that they’ve no option by to resist the Israeli crimes.

He said the nation has been waiting for 75 years to get its rights restored but to no avail. He said during this period there were dozens of UN resolutions against Israel but the US didn’t allow even a single one of them to be really implemented.

Qaddoumi said the Palestinian Liberation Organization in the 1990s went for the so-called peace process with Israel and offered an olive branch to the regime, but in return, "it got nothing" but empty words.

Pro-Palestine activists gather at London Liverpool Street station calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

“The only way we found to be effective, which we have experienced in 2005, was to raise the cost of occupation and to make [Israelis] move using hard power and to make the occupation incur a lot of security and economic losses,” he said, referring to the 2006 Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

“Today the backbone of our resistance is the weapon, the military. Not because it is a choice, but it is a compulsory track which has proved successful, and it will push the Israelis to go outside of our lands,” he said.

‘Palestinians just want to live freely’

He said Operation Al-Aqsa Flood has also many military achievements and brave Palestinian fighters are inflicting heavy losses on Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip.

“We're talking here about 10s of Israeli tanks that have been destroyed. 10s of Israeli soldiers have been killed by the state-of-the-art weapons… Our brave soldiers advance towards the Israeli tanks and put on them explosive devices over there and return to their own places.”

Qaddoumi said Palestinians want nothing but to live as a free independent nation.

“The international community must respect its words and rules and regulations and finish their Israeli occupation. Lift the siege on Gaza. Release our prisoners. Stop the incursions by settlers inside and outside of our holy places,” he said.

He said the world no longer tolerates the Israeli occupation and it will soon become history.

“Israel as an occupation is no longer tolerated by the world. The people of the globe are no longer tolerating this occupation and this has to finish,” he said.

Amid the ongoing genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip, calls for the boycott of the Israeli regime have grown louder worldwide. Here we explain how and what needs to be boycotted.

The Israeli regime can do nothing "but to leave," he said, adding, "It’s time has finished. It is the time for us to win. The good news for us is that Israel is in deep crisis and it will finish very soon.”

However, he said the West is not yet ready to accept this reality. The hypocritical West is not "able to accept the reality that Israel has to go.”

The Hamas official called on the Islamic world to rush to Palestinians’ support and take the chance to help end the only existing occupation after the colonial era.

Source: presstv.ir

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Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader taunts Israel, U.S. in first speech since Israel-Hamas war

November 03, 2023

Celebratory gunshots rang out over Beirut as thousands packed into a square in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital on Friday to watch a televised speech by Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Nasrallah taunted Israel in his remarks, which were broadcast via a video-link. It was his first address to supporters since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, sparked by the Palestinian militants’ deadly Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel.

Nasrallah said his militia is not deterred by U.S. warnings to stay out of the Israel-Hamas war.

Hassan Nasrallah referred to U.S. military deployments in the region, saying “your fleets in the Mediterranean ... will not scare us.” He said that Hezbollah is prepared for all options.

The Hezbollah leader said that his powerful militia is engaged in unprecedented cross-border fighting with Israel and threatened escalation.

In a widely anticipated speech, Hassan Nasrallah stopped short of announcing that Hezbollah is fully engaging in the Israel-Hamas war.

Nasrallah said in a televised speech that the fighting on the Lebanon-Israel border would “not be limited” to the scale seen until now.

In his lengthy remarks, Nasrallah praised the Hamas attack four weeks ago in which the militants attacked farming villages, towns and military posts in southern Israel. More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel in the attack.

“This great, large-scale operation was purely the result of Palestinian planning and implementation,” Nasrallah said, suggesting his militia had no part in the attack. “The great secrecy made this operation greatly successful.”

He also said that Oct. 7 had come as “proof that Israel is weaker than a spider’s web” and that one month into the war, it allegedly “has not been able to make any achievement.”

Source: thehindu.com

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Palestinian Red Crescent condemns Israeli strike on Gaza ambulance convoy

Nov 4, 2023

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has condemned the targeting of a convoy of ambulances in Gaza by Israeli forces on Friday, which it says killed 15 people and wounded more than 60 others.

The PRCS said in a statement early Saturday that one of its ambulances was struck "by a missile fired by the Israeli forces", about two metres from the entrance to the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

The attack resulted in the deaths of 15 civilians and wounded 60 other people, it said, mirroring figures released earlier by the Hamas-run health ministry.

Another ambulance, belonging to the health ministry, was "directly targeted" by a missile around one kilometre from the hospital, causing injuries and damage, the PRCS said.

Deliberately targeting medical teams constituted "a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions, a war crime", added the organisation, part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

"I am horrified by the reported attack in Gaza on an ambulance convoy outside Al Shifa hospital," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement published in the hours after the attack, adding that the conflict "must stop".

Israel's military said it had launched an air strike on "an ambulance that was identified by forces as being used by a Hamas terrorist cell in close proximity to their position in the battle zone".

"A number of Hamas terrorist operatives were killed in the strike," a military statement said.

An journalist at the scene of the attack saw multiple bodies beside the damaged ambulance outside the hospital, which is overcrowded with civilians seeking shelter from Israeli bombing as well as those wounded.

In the aftermath of the strike, they saw a child being carried away and a dead horse tied to a cart beside a blood-spattered Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance.

In a series of statements, Hamas denied that its fighters had been inside the ambulances, which it said were hit by Israeli forces while they were transporting the wounded from Gaza City towards the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

World Health Organization chief TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus said he was "utterly shocked by reports of attacks on ambulances evacuating patients close to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, leading to deaths, injuries and damage".

"We reiterate: patients, health workers, facilities and ambulances must be protected at all times. Always," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Al-Shifa hospital has a bed occupancy rate of 164 percent according to the WHO, which on Wednesday warned a shortage of fuel for generators "immediately risks the lives" of patients.

Some 16 hospitals across Gaza are no longer functioning because of damage from strikes and the lack of fuel, according to the health ministry.

More than 23,500 people have been wounded across Gaza in four weeks of war, the ministry said, while the death toll has surpassed 9,200.

Israel began its ferocious aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip after Hamas militants launched a cross-border attack on October 7 which killed more than 1,400 people, mainly civilians, according to Israeli authorities. More than 240 hostages were also seized during the attack.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-red-crescent-condemns-israeli-strike-on-gaza-ambulance-convoy/articleshow/104957781.cms

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Israel claims responsibility for attack outside Gaza’s largest hospital

November 4, 2023

Israel has claimed responsibility for an attack outside the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the largest in the enclave, saying that a fighter jet had struck an ambulance used by Hamas personnel.

In a post on X late Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: “A Hamas terrorist cell was identified using an ambulance. In response, an IDF aircraft struck and neutralized the Hamas terrorists, who were operating within the ambulance.

We emphasize that this area in Gaza is a war zone. Civilians are repeatedly called upon to evacuate southward for their own safety.”

In a separate statement, the military said that the ambulance was “being used by a Hamas terrorist cell in close proximity to their position in the battle zone”.

“A number of Hamas terrorist operatives were killed in the strike. We have information which demonstrates that Hamas’ method of operation is to transfer terror operatives and weapons in ambulances,” CNN quoted the statement as saying.

But the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) has said that “a convoy of ambulances evacuating patients from Shifa hospital in Gaza city to the Rafah crossing with Egypt, was struck three times in the vicinity of the hospital”.

Citing initial reports, the UN body said that at least 13 people were killed and 26 injured.

Earlier Friday, a spokesman for the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry had also said that the ambulance was in a medical convoy from the hospital, traveling to the Rafah border crossing, and had informed the International Committee of the Red Cross about the move.

On its part, the ICRC confirmed it was aware of the scheduled movement of a convoy of vehicles carrying wounded patients from northern Gaza to the south, but it was not part of it.

“We were informed by the MoH (Ministry of Health) about the planned convoy, but we were not part of it,” the ICRC told CNN.

“Even if we were not present, this is still medical convoy, and any violence towards medical personnel is unacceptable… No doctors, nurses, or any medical professionals should ever die while working to save lives.”

As a result of the severe shortage of fuel in the Hamas-controlled enclave, one of the generators in the the Al-Shifa Hospital reportedly stopped working on Friday, according to the UNRWA.

Another generator is still operating, but it is only covering about half of the hospital’s needs, it said.

Since the start of hostilities, 14 out of 35 hospitals with inpatient capacities have stopped functioning and 51 (71 per cent) of all primary care facilities across Gaza (72) have shut down due to damage or lack of fuel. –IANS

Source: muslimmirror.com

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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/israel-claims-responsibility-for-attack-outside-gazas-largest-hospital/

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US-Israel differ over pause in military operations in Gaza while death toll crosses 9,220

04th November 2023

TEL AVIV: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hear demands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza when he meets Middle East foreign ministers in Jordan, the country’s foreign ministry said. Blinken’s visit came as a US official said talks about a “very significant” pause in fighting are underway, despite Benjamin Netanyahu’s promise that such a plan would be refused unless the hostages being held by Hamas are released, The Guardian reports.

US officials have said they hope a pause in the fighting will allow humanitarian aid to reach desperate civilians in Gaza and help negotiations to free the more than 240 hostages seized by Hamas during the attack, The Guardian said.

However, after meeting Blinken, Netanyahu warned there could be no “temporary truce” in Gaza unless Hamas releases the hostages it holds, the report added.

On Friday, Blinken warned Israel that it risks destroying an eventual possibility for peace unless it acts swiftly to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza for Palestinian civilians as it intensifies its war against Hamas.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against growing US pressure for a “humanitarian pause” in the nearly month-old war to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza, insisting there would be no temporary cease-fire until the roughly 240 hostages held by Hamas are released.

Blinken, in a blunt call for Israel to pause military operations in the territory to allow for the immediate and increased delivery of assistance, said the current situation would drive Palestinians toward further radicalism and effectively end prospects for any eventual resumption of peace talks to end the conflict.

“There will be no partners for peace if they’re consumed by humanitarian catastrophe and alienated by any perceived indifference to their plight,” Blinken said, even as the call for a temporary pause without the release by Hamas of Israeli hostages was swiftly rejected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Israel would be “going with full steam ahead.”

The comments to reporters in Tel Aviv, following meetings with Netanyahu and other senior officials, amounted to some of the Biden administration’s strongest warnings to Israel since the brutal Oct. 7 rampage by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 civilians and soldiers. But the remarks were also tempered by Blinken’s continued support for Israel’s “right and obligation to defend itself, defend its people and take the steps necessary to try to ensure that this never happens again.”

He described being moved by additional video he’d been shown in Israel by the Hamas militants who carried out the attacks, including a father killed in front of his young children.

“It is striking, and in some ways shocking, that the brutality of the slaughter has receded so quickly in the memories of so many, but not in Israel and not in America,” he said.

At the same time, he said he was also shaken by images of dead and wounded Palestinian children in Gaza.

“When I see that, I see my own children. How can we not?” he said, adding “Hamas doesn’t care one second or iota for the welfare and well-being of the Palestinian people.”

Blinken’s Middle East trip came as US concerns escalated that the conflict in Gaza could spiral throughout the region. The leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group stoked fears that the war could widen by promising more attacks along the Lebanon border.

Meanwhile, in his first public speech since the war began, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said his group had “entered the battle” with the past weeks’ unprecedented cross-border fighting. “We will not be limited to this,” he said, suggesting escalation was possible. Still, Nasrallah stopped short of announcing that Hezbollah is fully engaging in the war.

He said the idea of Hamas remaining responsible for the governance Gaza, thereby posing a continued threat to Israel, was “unacceptable.” But he also said that Israel could not re-occupy Gaza.

“Within those parameters we will continue to have discussions in the region and our partners about what should follow once Hamas is defeated,” Blinken said.

But the complexity of the situation — and of Blinken’s push for Israel to consider a pause — was laid bare on Friday when Netanyahu, after leaving the meeting with the American official, ruled out the possibility of a cease-fire “that doesn’t include a return of our hostages,” referring to some 240 people Hamas abducted during its attack.

To assist Israel in locating those hostages, the US is flying MQ-9 drones over Gaza to gather intelligence and help locate where those people are being held, a US official said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operations.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2023/nov/04/us-israel-differ-over-pause-in-military-operations-in-gaza-whiledeath-toll-crosses-9220-2630028.html

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Gaza: Preston Labour councillors accused of "lame" response by Muslim community

3rd Nov 2023

More than 150 members of the Muslim community gathered for a public meeting on Thursday evening to present their concerns to councillors from the ruling Labour group on Preston City Council.

The event was promoted with the poser, ‘Are Muslims done with Labour?’ - and one of the organisers told the Lancashire Post that the answer was likely to be ‘yes’ unless the local party did more to reflect the views of those who vote for it.

Faisal Bodi said that the two dozen or so residents who spoke at the event - at the Imperial Banqueting Hall - made their points “forcefully”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has so far refused to bow to demands from many in his own party to call for a ceasefire in the conflict, in which almost 9,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed as part of Israel's military response to the attack on its own citizens by Hamas - the group that controls the Gaza Strip - and in which more than 1,300 Israeilis died.

All 31 Labour members of the city council put their name to a statement last weekend which called for the ceasefire that Mr. Bodi said the Muslim community in the city wanted to see. But he described the local party as “lame” when it came to impressing their constituents' concerns on the national Labour leadership.

“I think that the overwhelming view was that, at a local level, the councillors haven't done as much as they can to represent the views of the Muslim community and stand by them.

“One person who contributed to the meeting put it quite well, saying that at election time, they all rock up outside the mosques, asking for our votes. But when this bombing started in Gaza, it didn't occur to any one of them to come and show their support or solidarity.

“The takeaway [from the meeting] was that more needs to be done by our local Labour representatives to continue to deserve the vote of Muslims in Preston - like [taking part in] local demonstrations, passing [council] motions and supporting pro-Palestinian campaigns,” Mr. Bodi added.

Deputy city council leader Martyn Rawlinson was amongst almost a dozen Labour city councillors to attend the meeting. Speaking afterwards to the Post, he said that he had “held my hand up” to the charge that the local party “could have been a bit more visible to the South Asian community in the last couple of weeks”.

However, he stressed that the ruling group at the town hall had not been ignoring the issue, but having “intense talks” about how to respond to a fast-moving situation.

“The Labour group has been talking about it constantly and discussing how to represent our constituents - and [Preston] was one of the first Labour groups in the country to ask for a ceasefire,” Cllr Rawlinson said.

In addition to that, the party in Preston had, a week earlier, written to the Prime Minister, urging him to “work towards a peaceful resolution”. Cllr Rawlinson told the Post that Preston's Labour councillors had also written, privately, to Sir Keir Starmer - adding that, while it was internal party correspondence, “you can imagine what we said”.

“We're not happy with the party leadership's response on this so far - it just doesn't go far enough.”

However, Cllr Rawlinson questioned the value of Preston Labour councillors following the lead of a few dozen others across the country and resigning from the party altogether. He said it would cause political “chaos” in the city - while doing little to bring about the outcome that the Muslim community wants to see.

“If Keir Starmer was the prime minister and there were lots of Labour councillors resigning, that would put a lot of pressure on him. But he’s not the prime minister and so he's not the guy in the hot seat who's having talks with other countries - so we just don't feel it would be productive.

“And we can't just keep throwing statements out - they've got to be measured and considered - and as impactful as we can make them.

“[The people at the meeting] asked us to do a lot of things - and I wrote them all down and we're going to discuss them, but we do have a process to follow.

“There are 31 Labour councillors, so it's not that easy to get [everyone] to agree on the next move - even [regarding] the wording of letters.

“We’re under huge pressure from the community, which is fine, as they have every right to demand things of us…because it's a terrible situation,” Cllr Rawlinson added.

He said that Preston Labour had supported - although not signed - a letter to Sir Keir from around 40 councillors across East Lancashire last week, which had also called for a ceasefire and told the party leader that initial comments he made about the conflict, which he has since clarified, had provoked “fury” and “outrage” amongst traditional party supporters in some communities across the county.

Source: lep.co.uk

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https://www.lep.co.uk/news/politics/gaza-preston-labour-councillors-accused-of-lame-response-by-muslim-community-4397613

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Sunni Leader Calls For Justice On 'Khash Bloody Friday' Anniversary

04th November 2023

Iran’s top Sunni cleric MowlaviAbdolhamid called for “justice” during his weekly sermons referring to a massacre which took place in the city of Khash last year.

According to Amnesty International, during the "Bloody Friday of Khash" in November 2022, the Islamic Republic forces shot live ammunition at protesters and worshippers, killing at least 18 people, including two children, and injuring dozens.

In his remarks on Friday, Abdolhamid expressed the Iranian people's demand for "justice" and the punishment of the culprits behind the massacre. The incident occurred a few weeks after a similar attack by security forces in the provincial capital Zahedan, where about 100 protesters were killed by the regime’s security forces.

Human rights media outlet Haalvsh has also reported the presence of military forces and intense security measures around Zahedan's Makki Mosque and the city of Khash.

Abdolhamid emphasized the importance of justice and freedom in Iran in his Friday sermon. He stated that existing discrimination and inequalities must be addressed, and political prisoners, including writers, journalists, and intellectuals, should be released and criticism should be tolerated.

After the bloody attacks on protesters in Zahedan and Khash, various cities in Sistan and Baluchestan province have been scenes of popular demonstrations every Friday over the past year.

Despite increased pressure, the protests have continued with authorities blocking the internet and access to communication in the province. Rights groups say, the internet has been shut down continuously since the widespread anti-government protests began in September 2022.

Source: iranintl.com

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https://www.iranintl.com/en/202311039379

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Iran Friday Imams Shift Rhetoric From Anti-Israeli To Anti-US

04th November 2023

Friday Imams in Iran echoed Supreme Leader's anti-US rhetoric in their sermons in a concerted move on the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran.

On November 4, 1979, pro-Khomeini Islamist and leftist students occupied the US embassy and took hostage more than 50 US diplomats for 444 days.

In their sermons, Iran's Friday Imams generally blamed the United States for the war in Gaza ignoring the fact that it was Hamas that launched the October 7 terror attack on Israel and the United States has reacted by expressing support for Israel.

In Qom, home of the country's largest Shiite seminary, Friday Imam Mohammad Saeedi claimed that "Iran has struck a hard blow against the United States with its Death to America slogan." Saeedi added: "This is not simply a slogan. It is a revolutionary strategy."

Pointing out that the Friday prayers came one day before the anniversary of the seizure of US embassy in Tehran, Saeedi said, "The takeover of the US spy den was a manifestation of this strategy."

The cleric echoed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's criticism of the United States for supporting Israel.

In Karaj, near Tehran, Friday Imam Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini said, "The Death to America slogan ensures the Islamic Republic's authority. If it is taken away from us, we will lose our international influence." He added: "This slogan has created a strategic link between Iran and other countries and created a large front."

Hosseini further threatened, "If the Supreme Leader allows us, we will create a storm in the region." He claimed that the confrontation during the past 40 years between Iran on the one hand, and Israel and the United States on the other is an outcome of the Islamic Republic of Iran's influence, power and strategic depth.

He stated that the current war in Gaza is not about Israel and Palestinians, it is a war between what is right and what is wrong.

The Friday Imam of Isfahan, MojtabaMiordamadi expressed hope in his sermon that "The United States will be destroyed soon." He also included Israel in his hate speech saying, "I hope the America and criminal Israel are going to be destroyed soon, and God gives us the good news about the annihilation of the Zionist regime."

Referring to Khamenei's statement on Thursday that "Israel would have not been able to resist against Palestinians for even one week if it weren't for the US military support," Mirdamadi said, "Israel has been weakened and its death is approaching despite the arrogant world's support."

In Mashhad, firebrand cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda said the United States is so unclean that it is “not to be touched” and added, "The United States is the filthiest point in the world. It is hated by the whole world and no one sees any value in it."

Alamolhoda added, "None of the Islamic governments in the region dares to normalize their ties with America anymore." In one of his most elaborate anti-Semitic comments, he claimed that "Jewish people do not believe in God's power." He further stated, "It is part of Israel and the United States' philosophy that human beings should only think of their own desires." He added, "Zionism inspired United States imperialism and its world-devouring nature."

Alamolhoda utterly distorted Iran's modern history, saying, "It was the United States that sent Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, into exile in 1964." He continued his fabricated version of history by claiming, "The United States attacked Iranian students with machine guns on November 4, 1979, and then fled Iran." Iranian "students" on that date occupied the US Embassy in Tehran and took 54 US diplomats hostage for 444 days while calling on the US not to offer medical treatment to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was in a New York hospital with terminal cancer.

He further threatened that the United States should be held accountable for Israel's violence in Gaza.

However, the anti-US rhetoric in Iran ahead of the anniversary of the occupation of the US Embassy was not limited to clerics. Hossein Salami, the commander of the revolutionary guards (IRGC) also spoke against the US during a meeting with clerics and Basij militia and said: "The world is more united than ever against America and its policies."

Source: iranintl.com

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https://www.iranintl.com/en/202311039916

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'Sufi Life in Istanbul' presents Sufism in miniatures

NOV 03, 2023

The “Sufi Life in Istanbul” exhibition, which includes artworks from Sufi culture, is set to welcome art lovers at NevmekanBağlarbaşı Gallery in Istanbul’s Usküdar until Nov. 19.

The exhibition is curated by ErkanDoğanay and was organized in cooperation with Istanbul BeyoğluRefiaOvüç Maturation Institute and Usküdar Municipality, with the support of Istanbul Culture and Tourism Directorate and Provincial Directorate of National Education.

Usküdar Deputy Mayor ZekeriyaŞanlıer, in his opening speech, stated: “In each of our Nevmekans in Usküdar, we can see different types of art. Our artists and young people create artworks, and we support them. We make sure they have the right places to work and grow.”

Şanlıer stated that they opened two new Nevmekans in Kuzguncuk and Kandilli in September and said: “These places are important because of the people and what they represent. This exhibition is also an important and admirable effort that reflects our identity. It is a privilege for us to be part of such a wonderful project.”

Artist MerveTosun, who participated in the exhibition with her work “Istanbul’unTekkeleriMinyatür,” which translates to “Lodges of Istanbul Miniature,” said: “We were asked to create a miniature within the scope of the project. We took it in the bird’s eye views on the map and placed the lodges, sects and dervish lodges in their locations, resulting in the creation of this unique miniature.”

“Some Mevlevi lodges have their own identities and messages. For example, the three dolphins we drew in the Bosporus symbolize the philosophy of ‘I was raw, I became cooked, I was burnt,’” Tosun also said.

The exhibition includes oil paintings, miniatures, calligraphy and fabric works that shed artistic, political, architectural and aesthetic light on the Sufi culture in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire. It features works by artists such as TülayAydoğan, ArzuÖzyalçın, Rabia Eleman and UlkerErke and will continue for 19 days in a row.

Source: dailysabah.com

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Zionists target entrance of Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital

Nov 4, 2023

TEHRAN, Nov. 04 (MNA) – The Zionist regime's military has targeted the entrance of Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in western Gaza City.

The Zionist regime's military targeted the Palestinian refugees who had taken refuge in Al-Nasr Children's Hospital to escape the regime's bombardment.

Several Palestinian local media outlets reported civilian casualties, Al Jazeera reported.

The Tel Aviv regime's military has recently targeted Palestinian hospitals in the Gaza Strip including Al Shifa Hospital, Al-Quds Hospital, and Indonesian Hospital.

The Hamas Resistance group in Gaza said Friday an Israeli strike hit a convoy of ambulances, which the health ministry said killed multiple people near the territory’s largest hospital.

Zionist forces targeted “a convoy of ambulances which was transporting the wounded” from Gaza City towards Rafah in the south.

The health ministry announced that “several citizens were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli regime strike at the entrance to Al-Shifa hospital” in Gaza City.

Source: mehrnews.com

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Lebanon’s prime minister emphasizes urgency of cease-fire in Gaza in meeting with Blinken

November 04, 2023

AMMAN: Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman on Saturday and emphasized the importance of working toward a cease-fire in Gaza and stopping Israeli aggression in southern Lebanon, Lebanon state news agency said.

Mikati also stressed Lebanon’s commitment to international legitimacy and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to cease its violations.

Blinken, in turn, emphasized his efforts to halt military operations for humanitarian reasons and to address the issue of prisoners.

Source: arabnews.com

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Southeast Asia

Malaysia condemns heinous attack on Jabalia camp in Gaza

04 Nov 2023

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 4 ― Malaysia condemned in the strongest possible terms the deplorable and inhumane action of the Israeli regime in targeting and striking Gaza’s largest refugee camp, Jabalia Camp.

The incident on Wednesday (November 1), killed hundreds and injured many more innocent lives, including women and children.

These are crimes against humanity being perpetrated by a regime that has long been violating and ignoring international laws and rejecting many UNSC resolutions, said a statement issued by Malaysian Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) late yesterday.

“What is supposed to be a place of refuge and relief is now a grave of innocent lives. The deliberate strike carried out just before nightfall reflects the cruel and intentional act of killing, maiming, and wounding as many Palestinians as possible, irrespective of age or gender,” the statement said.

Malaysia once again strongly urged the international community, the United Nations, and particularly the United Nations Security Council to demand that the Israeli regime stop these dastardly and inhumane actions and imposition of apartheid policy against the people of Palestine.

Malaysia continues to stand firm by its principled position that the Palestinians deserve their own independent and sovereign state, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its Capital.

Over 9,000 Palestinian civilians were killed in Israeli Invasion since conflict began on October 7, including about 200 who died in the bombing incident at the Jabalia refugee camp. More than 32,000 others have been injured, and over 2,000 are still missing since the conflict began. ― Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Indonesia’s Jokowi sends off humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza

04 Nov 2023

JAKARTA, Nov 4 — President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) this morning sent off humanitarian assistance, weighing 51.5 tonnes, from the Indonesian government and people for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip that is currently being shelled by Israeli forces.

“Praise be to God, the assistance from Indonesia for Palestine will soon be sent to El Arish Airport in Egypt before being delivered to Gaza,” the president remarked during the sending off ceremony of the aid at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta, reported ANTARA News Agency.

He noted that the Indonesian aid for Gaza, comprising medical equipment, blankets, tents, and other logistics, would be followed by another batch of aid.

The president stated that the first batch of the aid was transported by three aircraft, namely two C-130 Hercules planes, with registration numbers A-1327 and A-1328, of the Indonesian Air Force as well as a Boeing 737 plane of Garuda Indonesia.

He highlighted that aid was obtained not only from the government but also from the people who submitted their donations through humanitarian agencies, such as the National Alms Agency (Baznas) and Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), and a fundraising platform kitabisa.com.

“This is a manifestation of Indonesian solidarity, the nation’s care about humanity because the humanitarian tragedy happening in Gaza is unacceptable and must be ended immediately,” he stated.

In his speech, President Jokowi reiterated that Indonesia would always stand by the nation of Palestine.

The sending off of the humanitarian aid was directly witnessed by Ambassador of Palestine to Indonesia Zuhair Al Shun.

Defence Minister PrabowoSubianto, Foreign Affairs Minister RetnoMarsudi, Health Minister Budi GunadiSadikin, Commander of the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) Admiral YudoMargono, and Army Chief of Staff General AgusSubiyanto accompanied the president during the activity.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government is also ready to send its hospital ship to the waters near Gaza, Palestine, to provide medical treatments to the victims of Israeli assaults, Prabowo stated.

Prabowo revealed that the Indonesian government is planning to coordinate with countries in the vicinity of the Palestinian Gaza Strip, including Egypt, to obtain approval for sending the hospital ship.

“We will coordinate with Egyptian authorities. TNI (Indonesian Defence Forces) is ready to send a hospital ship that will be on standby there to provide more assistance,” he remarked when met at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Jakarta, today. — Bernama-Antara

Source: malaymail.com

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M'sia's first humanitarian aid shipment for Palestine departed yesterday

04 Nov 2023

SEPANG: Malaysia's first shipment of humanitarian aid for Palestinians weighing 20 tonnes, including medical supplies, loaded on a special cargo plane, departed for Al-Arish International Airport, Egypt on Friday (Nov 3) night

The cargo plane took off at about 11.30 pm from the Cargo Terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here, and the humanitarian aid will then be handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, acting as a partner to bring them into Gaza through the Rafah border.

The first shipment was part of 50 tonnes of goods totaling more than RM7 million collected through Ops Ihsan.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who witnessed the sending-off, said the delivery of humanitarian aid showed Malaysia’s solidarity with the Palestinian people.

"Thank you for your concern, fellow Malaysians regardless of religion, or political background. This is the spirit of Malaysians as a whole. Here we see undivided solidarity with the Palestinian people," he told reporters.

Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and his deputy Datuk Mohamad Alamin, Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali and Egyptian Ambassador to Malaysia RagaiTawfik Said Nasr.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia had said Malaysia would focus on getting humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) news officer Syed IyliaHariz Al-Qadri Syed Izman, who is part of the aid mission team, said he would provide the best news reporting for Malaysians to follow the process of sending humanitarian aid from Malaysia.

"This is a new experience and it's my first time participating in a humanitarian mission but I feel grateful to be able to be part of this humanitarian mission," he said.

The recent clashes in Palestine involving Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, and the Israeli regime have resulted in the loss of thousands of lives on both sides since Oct 7. – Bernama

Source: thestar.com.my

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Zakir to donate RM1.5m from suit against Ramasamy to Palestinians

04 Nov 2023

GEORGE TOWN – Independent Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has pledged to donate RM1.5 million to the Palestinian cause after he was awarded the sum by the Kuala Lumpur High Court following his libel case victory against former Penang deputy chief minister II P. Ramasamy.

Zakir said he hopes his contribution can help lighten the burden of the Palestinians.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the court for ordering Ramasamy to compensate me with RM1.5 million after he was deemed to have defamed me.”

The Indian-born preacher said he wanted to donate the money because the Palestinians are the protectors of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is the third most sacred Islamic place of worship.

Zakir posted on social media that he will pray that Allah will continue to protect the people of Palestine and victory will be theirs.

Earlier, the high court found Ramasamy, a former DAP leader, guilty of defaming Zakir, awarding him up to RM1.5 million in damages.

Zakir sought justice after he alleged that Ramasamy posted defamatory content about him on his social media channels.

Ramasamy has instructed his lawyers to appeal the decision, while his supporters have launched a crowdfunding initiative to help him settle the amount.

Ramasamy said he did not have any intentions to defame Zakir and despite the ruling, he stressed that he did not do anything to lower Zakir’s reputation.

The “Solidarity with Prof Ramasamy” online funding exercise has collected around RM104,719 as of 11am yesterday. – The Vibes, November 4, 2023

Source: thevibes.com

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King: Be grateful for peace, freedom in Malaysia

04-11- 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should be grateful for the peace and freedom enjoyed by the country today, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah said.

His Majesty said the blessings of peace and freedom should not be marred by polemics stoking the flames of animosity, as disputes and wars would only destroy the dreams and future of a nation and ultimately result in the destruction of the entire community.

“The world is dealing with a number of crises that have a direct impact on the young generation’s future. In my opinion, armed conflict, war, and discord are the greatest threats to the future of the younger generation and the world.

“...since the end of World War II in 1945, the world has never been at peace due to conflicts, disputes, and wars that have occurred in various parts of the globe.

“Despite the catastrophic property destruction, the loss of millions of lives, humanitarian conflicts, and the destruction of the world’s ecological system, people continue to refuse to learn from history,” he said in his royal address at the Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 204th convocation ceremony here today.

Expressing sadness and concern over the current crisis in Palestine, which has claimed hundreds of lives, His Majesty prayed that Allah SWT grant the Palestinian people protection and fortitude, as well as peace, in the land of Palestine.

Drawing lessons from the plight of the Palestinian people, Al-Sultan Abdullah, who is also the UniKL Chancellor, said the younger generation in the country should continue to acquire knowledge because education is a powerful force capable of instilling good values and rejecting all forms of violence.

“In addition to acquiring as much knowledge as possible, the country’s younger generation must be educated and nurtured with a strong sense of patriotism to always stand firm and uphold the principle of loyalty to the King and the beloved country.

“They should also be inculcated with democratic values that defend national identity, religion, national sovereignty, and the supremacy of the Constitution so that our beloved homeland is not pawned off to foreign powers,” he said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah said that as the heirs of the nation, the younger generation should be the primary force in shaping the nation’s future and must not only excel academically but also possess a wide range of skills as well as a good character and noble personality.-Bernama

Source: thesundaily.my

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Japan FM meets Israeli, Palestinian counterparts to expresses humanitarian concerns, need to protect civilians

November 03, 2023

TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in Israel on Friday and expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the Foreign Ministry reported.

Kamikawa said that a humanitarian pause in the conflict is necessary, and that all actions must be taken in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law. She also asked for cooperation in ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals.

Kamikawa reiterated her condemnation of the recent terrorist attacks by Hamas and other groups. She expressed solidarity with the Israeli people and offered condolences to the families of the victims. She said she was concerned about the abductees and that the hostages should be released immediately.

Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen expressed his gratitude for Japan’s solidarity with Israel and stated that he would like to cooperate fully to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals.

Both sides agreed to continue cooperating towards ensuring the safety of the public and quickly reducing tensions in the region.

After the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Kamikawa, in the presence of Foreign Minister Cohen, met for approximately 30 minutes with three families of those who died or were kidnapped in the attacks by Hamas.

Also on Friday Kamikawa met Dr. Riyad Al-Maliki, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and agreed on the importance of protecting Gaza civilians.

The Japanese minister pledged a total of $65 million in humanitarian aid and support through Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

This new assistance, according to the foreign ministry in Tokyo, is in addition to the $10 million in emergency grant aid that has already been decided.

The minister stated that she was monitoring the current situation in the Gaza Strip with serious concern and expressed her condolences to the families of the civilians who died in the Gaza Strip and her sympathy for the injured.

In response, Minister Maliki stated that residents of the Gaza Strip are facing an extremely serious humanitarian situation, and that tensions and violence are increasing in the West Bank as well, according to the statement.

Kamikawa repeated Japan’s firm condemnation of the “terrorist attacks against Israel by Palestinian armed groups such as Hamas” and stated that Japan calls on (1) immediately releasing the hostages and ensuring the safety of civilians and (2) ensuring that all parties abide by international law. She also stated that Japan has consistently asked for (3) the situation to be calmed down as soon as possible according to the statement.

Kamikawa also said that, given the extremely serious humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, in particular children with a bright future, women, and the elderly being affected, it is imperative that the necessary assistance be delivered to every person in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible as this is a current priority issue.

Al-Maliki expressed his gratitude for Japan’s assistance and stated that the Palestinian Authority will cooperate with Japan to ensure humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip.

Kamikawa also requested cooperation in ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals, and both sides confirmed that they would cooperate.

In the meeting, Kamikawa reiterated Japan’s position of supporting the “two-state solution” remains unchanged and confirmed that Japan will cooperate toward its realization.

Both sides agreed to continue cooperating towards ensuring the public’s safety and quickly calming down the situation, the statement said.

Source: arabnews.com

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Africa

South Africa Under Pressure To Shut Down Embassy Of Israel ‘Terror State’

3 NOVEMBER 2023

Amidst the barbaric terror unleashed on Gaza by Israel, the Leader of The National Freedom Party (NFP) Ahmed MunzoorShaikEmam, is poised to table a motion calling for the isolation of the brutal Zionist State, writes Ismail Suder.

As the barbaric bombardment of Gaza intensifies, calls are growing louder for South Africa to shut down the Israeli embassy, expel its ambassador – and cut economic ties with the apartheid Zionist state.

Minutes after the Zionist forces carried out the second bombardment of the populated Jabaliya Refugee camp massacring scores of innocent civilians and injuring hundreds more – it prompted Ahmed MunzoorShaikEmam, leader of The National Freedom Party (NFP) to exclaim, “This is slaughter, this is a war crime!”

“It is absolutely disgusting what Israel is able to do with the full support of Western Governments. This latest massacre in Jabaliya, once again underscores the importance of immediate sanctions against the Apartheid State of Israel,” he said.

The two bombings of the Jabaliya Refugee Camp on consecutive days claimed the lives of 195 civilians, including dozens of children.

Clearly shocked by the second attack on defenceless innocents at Jabaliya, ShaikEmam told Al-Qalam, that he would be tabling an urgent motion in parliament calling on the South African Government to cut all diplomatic ties with the apartheid state of Israel.

Ahmed MunzoorShaik Imam said he would urge the Government to take similar actions as taken by Bolivia recently to shut down the Israeli Embassy. Meanwhile, Chile and Columbia had since recalled their ambassadors.

Former Bolivian Prime Minister Evo Morales demanded that Israel be classified as a “terrorist state” and for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and “his accomplices” to be hauled before the international criminal court for “genocide and war crimes”

In a statement, The NFP said it acknowledges that the ANC has publicly expressed support for Palestine.

“However, it is time for the ANC to translate these words into concrete actions. The Israeli government’s continued contravention of international law and the inhumane bombardment and ethnic cleansing of Gaza demands a robust response from the South African government.

“It is a matter of deep concern that the ANC has not taken the necessary steps to expel the Israeli ambassador and close the Israeli embassy, despite their stated commitment to the Palestinian cause. The NFP firmly believes that the time for action is long overdue. Thousands of civilians have been killed. We cannot stand by and watch this happen. We need to isolate Apartheid Israel, and we need to do it now.”

“The NFP acknowledges that many members of the ANC are pro-Palestine, and while we commend the efforts of the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in this regard, it remains deeply problematic that this support has not been fully reflected in the government’s actions. The NFP therefore, calls on the ANC to take decisive steps in line with their commitment to Palestine.

“Therefore, in light of Apartheid Israel’s contravention of international law and the unjust and inhumane bombardment of Gaza, the NFP urgently calls on the South African government to:

Expel the Israeli Ambassador and close the Israeli Embassy

Flag money transfers from South African Zionists to Israel as terrorist funding, as it is currently funding a war that is in contravention of international law.

Revoke the citizenship of South Africans, who hold dual citizenship and are currently serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), an entity directly involved in the killing of Palestinian civilians.

Implement a full trade boycott of the Apartheid State of Israel.

Meanwhile, Roshan Dadoo, spokesperson of the SA Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Coalition said it was time the Government took action against the criminal state of Israel.

“We reiterate our call on our government to declare the apartheid Israeli ambassador persona non grata and shut down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. The National Prosecuting Authority must expedite and prosecute the cases of South Africans who join the Israeli occupation forces in contravention of the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.

“We further demand that our government implements policy guidelines for an academic, sports and cultural boycott of apartheid Israel and the institutions complicit in its war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the statement read.

Source: alqalam.co.za

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Nigeria, French Foreign Affairs ministers talk regional issues, UN Security council seat

04-11- 2023

Nigeria's Foreign affairs minister Yusuf Tuggar hosted his French counterpart in Abuja on Friday (Nov. 03).

The officials discussed ECOWAS political efforts in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

They also oversaw the signing of an agreement between the French Agency for Development and Nigeria's government.

Other pressing issues included bilateral cooperation and a greater African representation in global institutions.

"France as you can see has been consistent in its support for a reform for democratizing the United Nations Security Council, where Nigeria aspires to become a permanent member in the future, and we thank France for that support. We are also very keen on being a part of the G20," Tuggard said.

France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna said her country would back ECOWAS efforts "to restore democracy" in the region.

The West African bloc, which is chaired by Nigeria, has given few recent announcements of any new steps regarding junta-led regimes.

France has ended anti-jihadist military missions in Mali and Burkina Faso and more recently began to withdraw forces from Niger -- all three countries where juntas are now ruling after coups.

Transitions to democracy are stalled in Mali and Burkina Faso and the junta in Niger has also brushed off ECOWAS demands to immediately restore constitutional order and insists on a transition of up to three years.

ECOWAS has imposed sanctions on Niger while leaving open a possible military intervention as a final option if needed.

Source: africanews.com

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Security agencies avert Boko Haram attack, recover explosives in Kano – Official

AbubakarAhmaduMaishanu

November 3, 2023

Operatives of the Nigerian Army and the State Security Services (SSS) have averted an attack on Kano planned by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

The Army’s spokesperson, OnyemaNwachukwu, in a statement, said the operation was carried out on the hideout of the terror group in Gezawa Local Government in the early hours of Friday.

Mr Nwachukwu said the raid was conducted by soldiers from the 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army and SSS operatives.

“A well-coordinated raid operation in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State. The operation was aimed at uncovering and apprehending suspected Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) believed to be planning a major operation in Kano State.

“Consequently, the troops swiftly swung into action and apprehended two Boko Haram terrorist suspects, who are now in custody,” the army spokesperson said.

He said during the operation, the operatives recovered five AK 47 Rifles, five AK 47 Rifle Magazines, one Rocket Propelled Gun (RPG), five RPG Bombs, six Hand Grenades, five pairs of Desert Camouflage Uniforms, 10 pairs of magazine pouches and some Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making materials.

According to him, the interagency cooperation between the Nigerian Army and other security agencies as exemplified in the conduct of this operation, ”is a testament to the strength of our collective resolve to defeat insurgency and other security challenges.”

“The successful raid operation reinforces the Nigerian Army’s unwavering commitment to protecting the lives and property of our citizens.

“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in its effort to counter and degrade insurgency and other forms of security challenges across the country.

“We entreat members of the public to be vigilant and collaborate with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could aid in the ongoing operations to curb insecurity.

“The Nigerian Army reiterates its dedication to the protection of our beloved nation and appreciates the support and trust of the Nigerian people,” Mr Nwachukwu said.

Source: premiumtimesng.com

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Amnesty International wants justice for victims of enforced disappearances

Mohammed Babangida

November 4, 2023

Amnesty International(AI) has appealed to the Nigerian authorities to grant justice to victims of enforced disappearance in the country’s North-east region.

The region has been battling an Islamist insurgency led by the Islamic State affiliated ISWAP/Boko Haram since 2009.

The human rights organisation said it has filed a case at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court to compel the Nigerian government to provide justice for residents of the area who rights to freedom have been violated by the country’s military.

AI accused the Nigerian government of violating its human rights obligations by failing to protect locals.

“By allowing the military to carry out thousands of enforced disappearances in the country’s North-east and subsequently failing to genuinely and effectively investigate and prosecute those responsible, the Nigerian government has violated its international and regional human rights obligations and has failed victims,” Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria Director said in a statement on Friday.

Mr Sanusi said Amnesty International believes the ECOWAS Court can bring justice to the victims and help families know the whereabouts of their loved ones.

He called on the federal government to cooperate with the court to conduct effective investigation.

“The ECOWAS Court represents one of the few remaining avenues for accountability and justice for victims of enforced disappearances in North-east Nigeria and their families, who deserve to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones. The ECOWAS court can help bring about justice by clearly calling out as human rights violations the failure of the Nigerian authorities to properly investigate and prosecute.

“We welcome the receipt of our application by the Nigerian government, symbolizing that this is now a pending case, and the victims will get their day in court. But this is just the first step.

“We call on the Nigerian authorities to cooperate closely with the Court in its proceedings, to conduct an independent, impartial and effective investigation into all cases of enforced disappearances in Northeast Nigeria, and where admissible evidence exists, to prosecute all those suspected of criminal responsibility in relation to the disappearances,” Mr Sanusi added.

Forced disappearances

In a 2015 report AI claimed that Nigerian security forces committed war crimes, serious human rights violations including forces disappearances in their attempt to flush out Boko Haram insurgents from the North-east region.

“The whereabouts of thousands of people detained by Nigerian forces in the North-east still remain unknown. To date, Nigerian authorities have failed to conduct genuine, independent and effective investigations and prosecutions of these crimes,” Mr Sanusi noted.

The case was filed in October by AI and Sterling Centre for Law and Development alongside 23 victims and survivors. They filed a case to seek long-awaited justice, truth and reparations for those whobdisappeared and their families.

Several people have either been abducted and killed or separated from their families by the terrorists or taken into custody by security agents as suspected Boko Haram fighters or allies.

Source: premiumtimesng.com

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Nigerian Troops Arrest Four Suspected Terrorists In Kaduna, Kill Three Others During Firefight

November 3, 2023

The troops of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army and Operation Whirl Punch in the general area of KampaninDoka village at BirninGwari LGA of Kaduna State have apprehended four bandits who have been terrorising the locals.

It was learnt that the bandits were apprehended on Tuesday, 1 November 2023.

The Acting Deputy Director Army, Public Relations 1 Division, Musa Yahaya, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the troops recovered one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 magazine, one machete, one mobile phone and fourteen Motorcycles from the criminals during the operation.

The statement reads in part; "Following a clearance operation conducted by troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army and Operation Whirl Punch in the general area of KampaninDoka village at BirninGwari LGA of Kaduna State, 4 bandits who have been terrorizing the locals have finally met their waterloo on 1 November 2023.

"During the operation, troops recovered one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 magazine, one machete, one mobile phone and fourteen Motorcycles from the criminals.

"In a related development, on 2 November 2023, some farmers who were harvesting their crops at the western part of Sabon Sara village fled their farms and alerted troops of bandits attack. The troops on receipt of the information quickly mobilised to the area. Upon arrival, four of the farmers courageously joined the troops and neutralised one bandit while others withdrew in disarray with gunshot wounds.

"The troops recovered two AK 47 rifles while one of the farmer, MallamAbdulrahmanAliyu who sustained minor injuries during the encounter was immediately evacuated to a nearby military hospital for treatment.

"Similarly, on 3 November 2023, acting on credible intelligence, troops carried out clearance operation around the general areas of Kankomi, Juji, Gwantu, Kujeni, Kikwari and Kaso all in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Troops made contact with bandits and successfully neutralised two of the criminals. Items recovered include one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 magazine, four 7.62MM Special ammunition, one Honda motorcycle and one Techno phone.

"The General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army and Force Commander Operation Whirl Punch Major General VU Okoro has commended the troops for their gallantry and specially applauded the farmers for their act of bravery. He charged the troops not to relent until all terrorists, bandits and all criminal elements in the Division's area of responsibility are completely neutralized," the statement added.

Source: saharareporters.com

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Tunisia says escaped Islamist convicts believed to be behind bank robbery

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

The Tunisian National Guard said two of five Islamists who escaped from prison this week are believed to have carried out an armed robbery of a bank near the capital on Friday.

Five Islamists convicted of killing two secular politicians and policemen escaped from jail on Tuesday in a rare security breach for the North African country, prompting the government to dismiss top intelligence officials.

The robbery in the Boumhele near Tunis comes just as the tourism sector has begun to recover after years of stagnation due to jihadist attacks and the COVID pandemic.

The National Guard said that security units had been deployed to track down the fugitives, reinforced by a helicopter.

President Kais Saied said this week that what happened was not an ordinary escape, but rather a smuggling operation that was planned for months with the aim of causing chaos in the country.

The crimes of the terrorists

Security officials say that the five convicts were "very dangerous terrorists."

The five men included one who had been serving a 24-year sentence for the assassination of secular politicians ChokriBelaid and Mohamed Brahmi in 2013.

Another of the five had taken part in violent attacks that have shaken Tunisia in the past decade. He had also killed a policeman in 2014 in the Chaambi Mountains near the Algerian border, security forces said.

Tunisia has suffered attacks by jihadist groups since the advent of democracy in 2011 that have killed dozens of policemen, foreign tourists and others. It has had some success in recent years in arresting or killing prominent Islamist militants.

Source: jpost.com

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https://www.jpost.com/international/article-771605

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Arab World

Remarkable Global Participation in International Opera Festival in Riyadh

03 Nov, 2023

Remarkable Global Participation in International Opera Festival in Riyadh

The second edition of the three-day International Opera Festival began with a grand opening at the Red Theater of Princess Noura University in Riyadh, organized by the Music Commission.

The event saw the participation of several opera artists and presented famous operatic pieces and performances. Visitors toured an exhibition of Franco Zeffirelli's opera productions, learning about the Italian director's legacy and his significant contributions to the world of opera.

By hosting this festival, the Music Commission aims to establish an annual international event celebrating opera as one of the most distinct forms of music. This event presents a unique opportunity for local talents and audiences to experience the art and culture of opera and contributes to the enrichment of local culture and the music sector. The festival also reflects the Culture Ministry's commitment to promoting international cultural exchange as part of its strategic goals under the Saudi Vision 2030.

Source: alriyadhdaily.com

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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/ebdc48700ce740f6a5ca5dcf6269c8be

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Saudi Arabia slams inhumane Israeli targeting of Jabalia camp in Gaza

November 03, 2023

GENEVA — Saudi Arabia has vehemently condemned the inhumane targeting by Israeli occupation forces of Jabalia refugee camp in the besieged Gaza Strip. The attack resulted in the loss of lives and injuries among a significant number of innocent civilians.

This statement was delivered by Asia Baakodah, the head of the Human Rights Department at the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva. She made the remarks during the participation of the Permanent Mission in an informative session of the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations in Geneva for human rights experts.

Saudi Arabia emphasized the urgent call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, the cessation of bloodshed, the provision of humanitarian aid, and adherence to international covenants and laws.

The Kingdom highlighted the serious repercussions of double standards and selectivity in compliance with international laws and UN resolutions, extending beyond the current crisis and undermining the legitimacy of the foundations of international law. This comes amidst the international community's failure to press the occupying government to accept an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian truce as per the UN General Assembly resolution issued last Friday, negatively impacting the ability to maintain international peace and security.

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed that ignoring the root causes of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will not lead to a just solution or achieve security and peace in the region. This necessitates concerted efforts to support credible peace initiatives.

The Kingdom expressed complete rejection of the repeated targeting by Israeli occupation forces of densely populated civilian areas, continuing violations of international laws, and the laws of international humanitarianism.

Source: saudigazette.com.sa

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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/637354/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabia-slams-inhumane-Israeli-targeting-of-Jabalia-camp-in-Gaza

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Final crescent installed on Grand Mosque’s minarets

November 03, 2023

TAREQ AL-THAQAFI

MAKKAH: The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque recently completed the installation of the 13th and final crescent on the minarets of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

The structure was hoisted into place on the minaret of Bab Al-Fath as part of a major building expansion program at the holy site.

More than 9 meters tall and with a base width of 2 meters, the crescents are made from carbon fiber and adorned with engraved glass, with iron internal structures for longevity and stability.

Specialized equipment was used to carry out the engineering works.

The building expansion project features architectural designs including high ceilings and spacious terraces covered with marble and engraved glass. Arabesque lines, inspired by Qur’anic texts and intricate patterns, complement the overall aesthetic of the Grand Mosque.

Geometric motifs embody a pure architectural style, emphasizing abstraction, and have been used extensively on walls, domes, and artifacts, including those made of copper, glass, ceramics, and marble.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2402721/saudi-arabia

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We can’t turn a blind eye to what happens in Gaza: Indonesian ambassador

November 03, 2023

RIYADH: The people of Palestine matter and the focus should be on civilians dying from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, says Abdul Aziz Ahmad, the ambassador of Indonesia to Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at a reception at the Indonesian Embassy to commemorate the country’s 78th Independence Day, he said: “Although we are celebrating the progress and advancement of our nations’ bilateral relations, we could not turn a blind eye to what happens to our brothers and sisters in Gaza, Palestine.

“Indonesia has urged the cessation of violence in order to provide secure and open humanitarian access for international assistance to enter into Gaza.

“By the time this message is delivered, I wish to announce that Indonesia has prepared for a humanitarian assistance mission to deliver basic sustenance and medicine for those civilians in need in Gaza.”

The ambassador added: “Indonesia also remains vigilant to support the two-state solution based on the principle of international law and relevant United Nations resolution for everlasting peace in Palestine.”

Ahmad noted that the recent ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Summit marked a historic achievement.

He said: “On behalf of the government of Indonesia, I would like to convey utmost gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the prime minister, and the government of Saudi Arabia for the success and excellent arrangement of the ASEAN-GCC Summit on Oct. 20.

“There have been many positive outcomes from the bilateral meeting between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia on Oct. 19. Various topics ranging from trade and investment, tourism, culture, Hajj, halal products, sports, and foreign affairs were discussed during the meeting.”

Four memorandums of understanding to strengthen cooperation between the two countries were signed on the sidelines of the meeting: the establishment of the Supreme Coordination Council, one regarding halal products, another on sports and youth, and one relating to a technical cooperation program aimed at standardization of agencies within the two countries.

Ahmad added: “The Supreme Coordination Council will be the highest bilateral mechanism between the two countries and will be co-chaired by President Joko Widodo and the crown prince.

“The ASEAN-GCC Summit has indeed marked a historic achievement and has elevated the level of cooperation between the two regions (to a level) where all leaders of ASEAN and GCC agreed to hold the summit every two years.

“The next ASEAN-GCC summit is scheduled to be held in Malaysia in 2025. Positive outcomes were made during the summit, where the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation under the ASEAN-GCC Framework of Cooperation (2024-2028) in the field of trade and investment, tourism, agriculture, connectivity, culture, information, and education.”

He added: “I would like to convey my utmost appreciation to King Salman and the crown prince for their wisdom so that the cordial and friendly relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are well preserved.

“(I also) convey my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all government officials and people of Saudi Arabia for their assistance and support to all Indonesians living in Saudi Arabia.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2402711/saudi-arabia

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Prince Faisal bin Farhan, China’s FM Wang Yi discuss Gaza crisis

November 03, 2023

RIYADH: The Saudi foreign minister and his Chinese counterpart held talks over the phone on Friday, the Kingdom's foreign ministry said.

During their call, Prince Faisal bin Farhan thanked Wang Yi for China's support for the UN resolution issued last Friday, which called for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and for an urgent humanitarian truce amid Israel's war with Hamas.

According to the foreign ministry, Prince Faisal and Wang discussed the ongoing situation in the Palestinian enclave and the increasing threat to life of civilians.

They also agreed on the need for the international community to fulfil its responsibility to bring an end to all military action in Gaza and return the two sides to a path of just and comprehensive peace, the ministry said.

Prince Faisal and Wang also discussed Saudi-Chinese relations, the ministry added.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2402681/saudi-arabia

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Delhi HC Directs Authorities Not To Take Coercive Action Against 100-Year-Old Mosque, Madarsa in Dhaula Kuan, Delhi

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