Demolish Sarai Kale Khan Fifty-Year-Old Mosque And Madrasa, But Allocate Plot Where Muslims Can Pray, Says Caretaker
New Age Islam News Bureau
21 Jun 2024
·
Demolish Sarai Kale Khan Fifty-Year-Old Mosque
And Madrasa, But Allocate Plot Where Muslims Can Pray, Says Caretaker
·
Mohammad Ismail, a Tourist, Killed By Mob In KP’s
Swat Over Alleged Quran Desecration: Police
·
Spacewalk Videos Edited To Falsely Claim
'Islamic Call To Prayer Was Heard From Space'
·
Islamic Holiday Celebration In Montreal Park
Draws Ire From Secularists
·
Hate Incidents Against Muslims Increased Since
Start Of Mideast Conflict: Report
India
·
Muslim Man Beaten To Death For Refusing To
Approve Marriage Proposal Of Daughter Owing To Different Faith Issues
·
Kerala: CPI(M) admits loss in LS polls, but
shifts blame to Congress, 'Muslim extremist forces', Vellapalli
·
Case against MP for 'won't work for Yadavs,
Muslims' remark
·
Bengaluru pilgrims buried in Mecca after death
due to heat wave
·
NIA arrests key operative linked with
Canada-based Khalistani terrorist
--------
Pakistan
·
Miftah Ismail, Khaqan Abbasi launch ‘Awaam
Pakistan’ party
·
President Zardari for raising law enforcement
capacity to counter terrorism
·
Several Ahmadis detained by police for
violating Constitution: Gujranwala CPO
·
Young graduates lauded for making short film on
Khyber issues
·
Pakistan demands India to 'implement UNSC
resolutions' on Jammu and Kashmir
--------
Europe
·
France's Muslim Voters Fear Far-Right Election
Win
·
Germany Arrests Iraqi Man Accused Of Planning
Attacks For Islamic State Group
·
NHS mental health services failing Muslims,
researchers say
·
West could ditch Zelensky early next year –
Putin
·
Russia will ‘never’ withdraw troops – Putin
·
Russia could arm North Korea – Putin
--------
North America
·
Rebel News Admits It Owns Truck Displaying
Anti-Muslim Ads
·
In Tijuana, shelter for Muslim migrants on US
doorstep
·
US civil rights activists slam China
suppression of Xinjiang Uyghur Muslim population
·
US announces killing of an Islamic State leader
in Syria
--------
Mideast
·
US destroys six Houthi drones in Red Sea
·
Blinken tells Israeli officials of need to
avoid further escalation with Lebanon
·
Iran’s presidential candidates talk economic
policies in 2nd live debate ahead of June 28 vote
·
South Sudan’s vice president expresses concern
over ongoing peace talks
--------
Arab World
·
No Normalization With Israel Without Palestinian
State, Saudi Ambassador To UK Says
·
Award-winning Saudi film ‘Norah’ premieres in theatres
across the Kingdom
·
Saudi pavilion at Beijing International Book
Fair showcases KSA’s culture and history
·
OIC marks World Refugee Day
·
Ministry begins issuing Umrah visas for
post-Hajj season
--------
South Asia
·
Islamic Emirate Accuses UN’s Richard Bennett of
Attempting to Corrupt Minds Ahead of Doha Meeting
·
Senior TTP commander killed in Kunar, Afghanistan
·
Taliban claims over 100 airplanes cross
Afghanistan’s airspace daily
·
International Commission: Israel committed
crimes against humanity
·
Germany announces talks to deport ‘criminal
migrants’ to Afghanistan
--------
Southeast Asia
·
Somalia Asks Peacekeepers To Slow Withdrawal,
Fears Islamist Resurgence
·
No casualties among S’porean haj pilgrims amid
deadly heatwave in Mecca
·
DJ Dave donates RM10,000 prize to religious
organisations
·
Malaysia, China committed to enhancing
cooperation for mutual benefit
·
Malaysia-China agree to resolve disputes in
South China Sea by peaceful means, international law
--------
Africa
·
Ramaphosa Vows To Fight Inequality As
Power-Sharing Begins
·
'Don't forget Sudan,’ says UN Refugee chief as
war displaced face hunger
·
Court ‘Postpones’ Ruling On Kano Emirate Tussle
·
Details Of Tinubu’s Meeting With South Africa
President, Ramaphosa Emerge
·
IMF approves over $900m to support Tanzania
budget, climate change fight
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
Demolish
Sarai Kale Khan Fifty-Year-Old Mosque And Madrasa, But Allocate Plot Where
Muslims Can Pray, Says Caretaker
June 21,
2024
ALISHA
DUTTA
Ahead of
the demolition of the Faizyab Masjid in Sarai Kale Khan, its caretaker Deen
Mohammed said on Wednesday that he wants the court to allot an alternative plot
of land where local Muslims can pray.
In the
first week of April, Mr. Mohammed said learned from the Waqf Board that the
over fifty-year-old mosque and its adjoining madrasa was to be razed as the
land it was built on belonged to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The
religious committee had given its go-ahead to the decision, he said.
“We had
not received any notice from any authority regarding the demolition of the
mosque. We always thought it was a Waqf Board property,” he said.
As per
sources, DDA officials, when presenting their case before the Waqf Board, said
the “unauthorised religious structure” exists on DDA land handed over to it in
1996, and was “urgently required for the redevelopment of the area”.
“When representatives
of the mosque were not allowed to present their case before the religious
committee, we moved the high court, where we requested for at least a month’s
time to vacate the premises,” said Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, a member of the legal
team representing the Faizyab Masjid.
On 12
June, a Vacation Bench of the Delhi High Court had ordered the DDA to give the
caretaker time until July 10 to vacate the mosque, after which it would be
demolished.
“I am
not against the development of spaces that serve the public. I will vacate the
mosque, but all I want is for the court to at least give us an alternative plot
where locals can pray and children can study,” said Mr. Mohammed, adding that
at least 30 students attend the madrasa daily.
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/demolish-mosque-but-allocate-another-plot-where-muslims-can-pray-says-caretaker-of-faizyab-masjid-in-sarai-kale-khan/article68313864.ece
--------
Mohammad
Ismail, a Tourist,Killed By Mob In KP’s Swat Over Alleged Quran Desecration:
Police
June 20,
2024
Local
residents look a spot where a Muslim mob lynched and burned a man over
allegations that he had desecrated Islam's holy book, in Madyan, a town in
Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on June 21.NAVEED ALI/ASSOCIATED PRESS
-------------
A man
was killed by a mob over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran in the Madyan
area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Thursday night, police said.
Eight
people were injured in the unrest, according to Swat District Police Officer
(DPO) Dr Zahidullah Khan.
He said
the police had moved the suspect of the alleged desecration incident to the
police station but a charged mob “attacked the police station and took the
suspect away”.
“People
set fire to the police station and a mobile vehicle,” the DPO said, adding that
the suspect was “torched”. More details are awaited while an investigation is
underway.
Videos
making the rounds on social media show a mob circling a body on fire in the
middle of the road as well as people gathered in huge numbers outside a police
station. Dawn.com’s correspondent has reached out to the police for
confirmation of the footage.
DPO Khan
said a heavy police force was deployed in Madyan and was trying to control the
tense situation.
Madyan
is one of the famous tourist spots of Swat Valley apart from Kalam, Bahrain and
other sites. It is around 245 kilometres from the provincial capital of
Peshawar.
A
statement posted by the PTI said KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur took
notice of the “unfortunate” incident and contacted the provincial police chief
on the matter.
Summoning
a report, he ordered the police chief to take measures on an emergency basis to
control the situation. Expressing regret over the incident, the chief minister
appealed to the people to remain peaceful.
“And the
madness continues … We are hell-bent to commit suicide as a society,” rued
former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.
Fuelled
by an extremist religious worldview, violence against non-Muslims in Pakistan
has escalated rapidly ever since Gen Ziaul Haq made blasphemy punishable by
death. Between 1927 and 1986, only 14 incidents of blasphemy were reported in
what is now Pakistan. But after the changes were made in the law, the number
surged quickly.
At least
2,120 persons are reported to have been accused of committing blasphemy between
1987 and 2022.
Last
month, police saved a Christian man from enraged people in Sargodha on
allegations of desecration of the Holy Quran, who died nine days later from his
injuries.
In 2022,
a middle-aged man was stoned to death by a mob over alleged desecration in a
remote village of Khanewal district.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1840866/man-killed-by-mob-in-swats-madyan-over-alleged-quran-desecration-dpo
--------
Spacewalk
videos edited to falsely claim 'Islamic call to prayer was heard from space'
June 19,
2024
Screenshot
comparison of the video from the false post (left) and the original video from
NASA (right)
--------------
Videos
of spacewalks have been edited and recirculated with a false claim they show
the Adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, being heard from space. AFP found the
original versions of the videos did not include the call. It is also impossible
for any sound broadcast from Earth to be heard directly in space as soundwaves
cannot travel in a vacuum.
"When
the Adhan is heard in outer space," read the Indonesian-language text in a
video uploaded on Facebook on May 28, 2024.
The clip
-- viewed more than 3.1 million times -- shows an astronaut on a spacewalk,
with the Adhan playing in the background.
A
similar video featuring the same false claim was also viewed more than six million
times on TikTok.
Another
video -- showing a spacewalk with text repeating the false claim -- has been
viewed on TikTok more than 37,400 times since it was uploaded on March 7.
"The
first astronaut who heard the Adhan," the Indonesian-language text read.
The
video was also shared with the same false claim in Indonesian-language posts on
Facebook; and on other platforms in Hindi and Malaysian.
However,
AFP found the videos were edited to insert the sound of the Adhan.
Songs
played on Earth cannot be heard from space, as soundwaves cannot travel in a
vacuum (archived link).
First
video
A
reverse image and keyword searches found NASA uploaded the unedited video -- in
which the Adhan could not be heard -- on its official YouTube account on
November 29, 2017 (archived link).
The
false video, rotated from the original footage, corresponds with the NASA video
from its 25-second mark.
NASA's
video was titled: "Action Cam Footage From October 2017 Spacewalk".
Below is
a screenshot comparison of the video from the false post (left) and the
original NASA clip (right), with similar elements highlighted by AFP:
The
caption said the Go-Pro footage was taken during a spacewalk by astronauts
Randy Bresnik and Joe Acaba outside the International Space Station on October
20, 2017.
Bresnik
also shared the footage on his official Facebook page alongside this expedition
summary (archived links here and here).
Second
video
The
second false video was extracted from a longer clip uploaded on the
International Space Station's (ISS) official Facebook account titled
"Action Cam Footage from U.S. Spacewalk #41" (archived link).
As with
the first false video, the original footage was rotated and the Adhan was added
to the edited clip.
The
post's caption read: "NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson captured this video
during a spacewalk March 30, with astronaut Shane Kimbrough.
"The
duo connected cables, installed a relay box and covered the Pressurized Mating
Adapter-3 despite the loss of a shield."
The
second false video corresponded with the ISS video from its five-minute,
32-second mark.
Below is
a screenshot comparison of the second clip in the false post (left) and the
original ISS footage (right), with similar elements highlighted by AFP:
Source: factcheck.afp.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.34WK284
--------
Islamic
holiday celebration in Montreal park draws ire from secularists
Jun 20,
2024
MONTREAL
— Earlier this week, members of Montreal’s Muslim community gathered in a park
to celebrate the Eid al-Adha holiday, a day when families traditionally wear
their finest clothes, share gifts, feast and pray together.
Religious
celebrations are not uncommon at Parc des Hirondelles in the
Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough: for several years the city has authorized an
outdoor Catholic mass held by the Italian community on the grassy field.
Eid was
celebrated in the park last year without objections. But this year, when images
of Muslims kneeling down to pray on the grass were widely shared on social
media — including by prominent Quebec pundits — the borough started to receive
complaints.
“It’s
rare that we receive 10 or 15 emails exactly on the same subject, exactly at
the same moment, so …. we know that something is going on the social media or
on the media,” said Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough mayor ÉmilieThuillier. The
complaints, she said, were enough for her to consider banning all religious
events in Parc des Hirondelles.
“We have
noted that some boroughs in Montreal prohibit religious ceremonies in parks and
we will explore this issue …. but we haven’t taken a decision,” she said.
The
episode is part of a long-standing debate in Quebec on the presence of
religious expression in public life — particularly Islamic expression. Quebec’s
promotion of state secularism led to the adoption of Bill 21, which bans some
public servants, including teachers and police officers, from wearing religious
symbols on the job. Muslim groups have criticized the law for having a disproportionate
affect on their community, as many Muslim women wear a head scarf.
David
Rand, a spokesperson for Rassemblement pour la laïcité, a pro-secularism group,
says religious celebrations belong in houses of worship and not public spaces.
His organization wrote a letter published in Montreal’s Le Devoir newspaper
that said the city has allowed a public park to transform into “sacred space
for worship.”
In an
interview, Rand said, “As a religious event, it excludes people of other
religions, and this is supposed to be a public park open to the general public.
What they’ve done is they turned the part of the park into a temporary mosque.”
SamerMajzoub,
president of the Canadian Muslim Forum, says there was nothing controversial
about the celebration, adding that while he wasn’t present at Parc des
Hirondelles for the festivities, he says the prayer would not have lasted more
than a few minutes.
Majzoub
says the mayor was “fair” in allowing the community — composed of local
residents and taxpayers — to celebrate in the park, adding that some people are
blowing the event out of proportion and singling out Quebec’s Muslims.
FrédéricDejean,
a religion professor at Université du Québec à Montréal, says the reaction to
the event on social media and from political commentators has been surprising,
but it comes amid rising anti-Muslim feeling in Western countries.
Every
year, Dejean says, thousands of Christians gather for the March for Jesus on
the streets of downtown Montreal to sing and spread the Gospel, while Hare Krishna
members regularly chant in subway stations.
But
those displays of religious expression seem to go unnoticed, he said. “It’s
only when it’s about Muslims that some people say it sounds like a problem.”
Dejean
says it is important in a democratic society to allow people to express their
religion, even on public space, within limits. Religious events, like secular
ones, must respect laws on things such as noise limits and hate speech, he
said. What’s important, he added, is for the city or boroughs to make sure the
events they permit on their territory don’t violate the law.
Rand
says all faiths, including Christianity and Judaism, have fundamentalists in
their congregations, but he says Islam has a “definite political goal of
occupying as much space as possible.” He rejects accusations of Islamophobia,
saying the word itself is a “nonsense term” and a “code for blasphemy” used to
censor criticism of the religion.
Majzoub
disagrees, saying that Muslims are held to a different standard compared to
other faiths in Quebec.
“They
went to the city, and they got the approval. This is not imposing,” he said of
the Eid celebration. Quebecers only bring up the importance of secularism, he
said, “when it comes to Islam.”
Quebec’s
Secularism Minister Jean-François Roberge did not respond to a request for
comment.
This
report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2024.
Joe
Bongiorno, The Canadian Press
Source: battlefordsnow.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://battlefordsnow.com/2024/06/20/islamic-holiday-celebration-in-montreal-park-draws-ire-from-secularists/
--------
Hate
incidents against Muslims increased since start of Mideast conflict: Report
20.06.2024
Hate
incidents against Muslims have increased since the start of the conflict in
Gaza last October, according to a new report.
“Muslims
received blame for the attack and other attacks in the Middle East, based on
stereotyping of whole communities and their perceived connections with the use
of violence,” Council of Europe Commission against Racism said in its annual
report on Thursday.
Muslims,
particularly schoolgirls in some countries, who were “wearing visible religious
symbols or traditional clothing were at times represented as being associated
with terrorism or extremism,” the report added.
In some
cases, Muslims also were subjected to discrimination in healthcare access, the
publication said.
Israel
launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after an attack by
the Hamas group on Oct. 7, 2023.
Nearly
37,400 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and
children, and more than 85,500 others injured, according to local health
authorities.
Over
eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a
crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel
stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest
ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over
a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on
May 6.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/hate-incidents-against-muslims-increased-since-start-of-mideast-conflict-report/3254103
--------
India
Muslim
Man Beaten To Death For Refusing To Approve Marriage Proposal Of Daughter Owing
To Different Faith Issues
By:
Express News Service
June 20,
2024
A
46-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by a man and his two friends for
refusing to get his elder daughter married to one of the assailants in Titwala
area of Thane district on Monday. The accused trio is wanted by the police.
Zakir
Mia was attacked by the accused, who was known to Mia’s elder daughter and
wanted to marry her. Mia, however, had opposed their relationship multiple
times in the past owing to different faith issues, the police said.
On Eid,
when Mia was alone at home and the rest of his family had gone to Haji Ali for
Eid celebrations, the three assailants entered Mia’s house.
His
daughter’s friend again asked Mia for approval of their marriage, but as Mia
again refused, the man along with his two friends opened a brutal attack on him
using sticks, the police said.
Mia was
first rushed by his neighbours to Central hospital in Ulhasnagar and later was
referred to Chhatrapati Shivaji hospital, Kalwa, where he succumbed to his
injuries.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/man-beaten-to-death-for-refusing-to-approve-marriage-proposal-of-daughter-9405256/
--------
Kerala:
CPI(M) admits loss in LS polls, but shifts blame to Congress, 'Muslim extremist
forces', Vellapalli
June 20,
2024
In
recent days, the CPI(M) state secretariat and state committee analysed the
heavy electoral defeat that the ruling party faced in Kerala during the Lok
Sabha elections. Today, CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan elaborated on the
“reasons” behind the party's loss. The CPI(M) managed to win just one seat from
Kerala in the elections, with a strong anti-incumbency wave against the LDF
government and strong anti-Pinarayi Vijayan sentiments cited by many as the
major reasons for the party’s debacle.
Reportedly,
there has been strong criticism of the government, especially regarding
Vijayan’s functioning style, even within LDF ally, CPI, platforms. However,
when Govindan explained the reasons for the failure, he attributed more of the
blame to external factors than to internal issues within the LDF, and decided
to be the shield for every criticism against CM Vijayan. Notably, Govindan had
more advice for external entities than for his party’s government and chief
minister.
Govindan
started his explanatory press meet by admitting that the LDF and the CPI(M)
faced "nallaparajayam" (heavy defeat). This admission of defeat
itself is a humbling moment, as during the campaign phase, Govindan had made an
absurd claim to local media that even if the party won "two seats, it
would be a recognition for the government”. He explained this by saying,
"You know why it is so, because last time, we had just one seat. There is
no issue of popularity for our government."
Govindan
then started explaining the various factors that led to the poll debacle. The
first one on the list was that a vast majority saw Congress, and not CPI(M), as
the bulwark that can form a government defeating the BJP at the Centre. “In
Kerala, there is a fight between the CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF. And,
when this national scenario was there in front of people, it became a
limitation for us,” Govindan explained.
Interestingly,
the party’s election slogan in Kerala during campaign phase was “Idathundenkile
India Ullu (Only if Left exists, then India would exist)”. Seems like the state
secretary himself admitted that this slogan could not catch the imagination of
the people of Kerala.
Govindan
then proceeded to say that the UDF, led by Congress, and constituted by parties
like the Indian Union Muslim League, had received support from “Muslim
extremist” organizations like Jamaat-e-Islami, Welfare Party, and SDPI. “They
all worked together as if they were all part of an alliance,” said Govindan,
while adding that his party is always against majoritarian communalism as well
as minoritarian communalism.
Govindan
then directed his attack towards VellappalliNadesan, the General Secretary of
the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, the social organisation of
Ezhavas in Kerala. He started this third external factor citing that leadership
of certain community organisations and parties raising identity politics have
become submissive to the communal politics of RSS and Sangh Parivar. Ezhava
community is traditionally the major vote base for CPI(M). Govindan made a
frontal attack against Nadesan and his family, saying that his son Tushar-led
BDJS party and his wife are all in the RSS camp and there were instrumental
efforts from the SNDP leadership to divert votes in favour of BJP.
Govindan,
then observed that a considerable share of Christian votes also went in favour
of BJP. He cited that the church leaders had faced “threats” and even some of
the bishops had worked in favour of the saffron party. Govindan also made the
observation that a large section of votes that leaked from UDF in Thrissur and
worked in favour of the BJP had been Christian votes. During the Q&A
session following his “explanation”, Govindan made another comment that
suggested that the Churches have been facing issues, including those related to
“funding”, and that also affected the shift of the Christian population to the
BJP.
Govindan
then admitted that the state government’s failure in disbursing welfare
pensions and DA to government employees on time affected people’s perception.
“JanangaludeManobhawammanasilakkansadhichilla (We could not understand the
mindset of people),” he confessed.
Interestingly,
this was followed by Govindan extending complete protection for Chief Minister
Vijayan. “The stance taken by right-wing media became crucial. There was a
concerted effort to attack Pinarayi and his family. They targeted Pinarayi and
the leadership. Such campaigns had an impact among people,” he said.
when
Govindan was asked whether there requires a change in the functioning style of
CM Vijayan, he replied: “What style should change? It was with this style [of
Vijayan] that the LDF earned the consecutive term.”
Govindan
announced that in the wake of the defeat, a directive document will be prepared
for the government’s actions, and there will be an examination of what actions
to prioritize. He also announced that the setback to the party will be examined
from the bottom up and that mass gatherings will be held in all local
committees.
Source: theweek.in
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2024/06/20/kerala-cpim-admits-loss-in-ls-polls-but-blames-congress-extremist-forces.html
--------
Case
against MP for 'won't work for Yadavs, Muslims' remark
Jun 20,
2024
A
complaint has been lodged against Janata Dal (United) MP Devesh Chandra Thakur
for alleged discriminatory remarks against certain members of the community.
Thakur
on Monday stoked controversy by saying that he will not work for the Muslim and
Yadav communities because they did not vote for him in the recent Lok Sabha
elections.
"For
any work concerning the society at large, they are welcome, but not for any
personal work," he said.
Hearing
date
Court
hearing scheduled for JD(U) MP's discriminatory remarks
Hari Om
Kumar, the lawyer for plaintiff Dilip Kumar Kushwaha, announced that the case
will be heard on July 2.
He
stated, "We have prayed that the accused MP be booked under IPC Sections
501 and 505 for hurting sentiments of Kushwahas, Muslims and Yadavs."
These
sections refer to defamation and inciting enmity between communities
respectively.
Controversial
comments
Thakur's
remarks draw criticism and mixed reactions
Addressing
a function, Thakur, who made his Lok Sabha debut at 71, expressed
disappointment over certain communities voting for his rivals.
Thakur
claimed to have helped people from the two communities, but when it came to
voting in elections, he said they did not vote for him because of the party's
alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"Those
(from Muslim and Yadav communities) who want to come, can come, have tea and
snacks...but don't expect any help," he said.
Reactions
from BJP and JD(U) leaders on Thakur's remarks
In no
time, the comments drew criticism not just from the rival Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) but also from his party.
On Wednesday,
he retracted his statement, calling it "an emotional outburst."
"It
was an emotional outburst that was reported differently. I don't need a
certificate of secularism from any party. The people of Sitamarhi know how I
always rose above caste and community to work for all. I have never stopped
anybody from coming to my home," he said.
Source: newsbytesapp.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/politics/case-against-jdu-mp-over-wont-work-for-yadavs-muslims/story
--------
Bengaluru
pilgrims buried in Mecca after death due to heat wave
June 20,
2024
Two
pilgrims from Bengaluru, Ruksana Kausar (69) and Mohammed Ilyas (54), were
among the hundreds of people who died in Mecca, the holy city in Saudi Arabia,
after suffering dehydration and heat stroke on June 18. They were also buried
there as per the protocol that exists between the Indian and Saudi Arabian
governments after informing the family members.
While
Kausar was a resident of R.T. Nagar, Ilyas stayed in Fraser Town. “The tragedy
occurred when the pilgrims were taking part in the Ramy al-Jamarat (stoning of
the devil) ritual at Mina Valley, located on the outskirts of Mecca. Kausar’s
husband was there and I had spoken to him before the burial,” informed S.
Sarfaraz Khan, Executive Officer of the Karnataka State Haj Committee.
He added
that the victims had ventured out in the heat despite the Saudi government
authorities warning them not to step out between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. While some
alleged that the facilities at Mecca during the Haj pilgrimage were not up to
the mark, Mr. Khan said that it was not the case. “The Saudi government had
provided all the facilities just the way they do every year. But the victims
died as they stepped out when the temperature was extreme.”
A total
of 10,300 pilgrims had gone to Mecca this year for Haj pilgrimage. However, the
casualties were not exceptional this year. “Every year, there have been one or
two casualties due to stress, heart problems and other age-related issues. Last
year, one person died even before leaving after suffering a heart attack.
Unfortunately, this year, the victims died due to weather-related issues,” Mr.
Khan said.
He also
said the pilgrims are always trained on the protocols they have to follow
during the pilgrimage before they leave. “They also undergo a medical
check-up,” the official said.
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/bengaluru-pilgrims-buried-in-mecca-after-death-due-to-heat-wave/article68313042.ece
--------
NIA
arrests key operative linked with Canada-based Khalistani terrorist
June 20,
2024
A key
operative linked with a Canada-based Khalistani terrorist was on Thursday
arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during its multi-state
searches.
The
accused, identified as Jaspreet Singh, was held from Ferozepur district in
Punjab, the NIA said in a statement.
The
probe agency seized one 32 bore revolver, 69 cartridges of various bores, 100
gm heroin, 100 gm opium, Rs 2,20,500 cash and various digital devices from
Jaspreet, who was found to be associated with foreign based terrorist Lakhbir
Singh Sandhu alias Landa, it said.
“Cracking
down on proscribed terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), the NIA on
Thursday conducted multi-state searches and arrested a key operative linked
with designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa,” the statement
said.
Premises
connected with 10 suspects were searched on Thursday by the NIA teams across
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab, leading to the arrest of Jaspreet Singh, it
added.
NIA had
registered a case on July 10 last year and investigations had revealed the
involvement of Landa in terror conspiracies of the banned Khalistani terrorist
organisation.
In
addition to terror conspiracies, NIA found evidence of smuggling and supply of
arms and ammunition across international borders and inter-state boundaries by
these terrorists.
They
were also found to be involved in transferring funds to their associates
through various channels for carrying out terrorist acts, the statement said.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nia-arrests-key-operative-canada-based-khalistani-terrorist-9405138/
--------
Pakistan
Miftah
Ismail, Khaqan Abbasi launch ‘Awaam Pakistan’ party
June 21,
2024
LONDON /
KARACHI: After months of speculation, a glimpse of ‘Awaam Pakistan’ — the new
party on the block — appeared on the country’s political horizon on Thursday.
The
video posted on the X account of Awaam Pakistan was shared with the tagline
‘Awaam Pakistan: Badleingenizam’ (People of Pakistan: We will change the
system).
It
featured a string of despondent citizens asking questions about multiple
national issues such as inflation, gas and electricity shortage, corruption,
unemployment and lack of schools for girls.
The
video was reposted by ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail and former prime
minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who have long floated the idea of a new
political entity to take the country out of perennial crises.
Several
ex-PML-N leaders listed as founding members of long-expected venture; Khokhar
‘to stay away’ from new party
Mr Abbasi
and Mr Ismail — two former PML-N leaders — along with former PPP senator
Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, were said to have been working on the project ever since
they quit their parties over policy differences in 2022 and 2023.
The
three then formed a group of political mavericks that held a series of
nationwide seminars in 2023 on the challenges facing the country under the
banner of ‘Reimagining Pakistan’.
New
party, old guard
Mr
Abbasi has been mentioned as the convener of Awaam Pakistan’s organising committee,
and Mr Ismail his deputy.
Sources
told Dawn that Mr Khokhar is no longer with the group as he wanted to push
forward the party’s launch to wait for an Islamabad High Court’s decision on
the result of NA-47 Islamabad, from where he contested the February 8 general
election.
However,
other members were in favour of a swift launch.
While
talking to Dawn, Mr Ismail said the group had kept the option of launching a
political party open when they were holding seminars under the banner of
Reimagining Pakistan. “It’s not [a decree] from heaven that only traditional
politicians like Nawaz Sharif or Asif Zardari or Fazlur Rehman can do politics.
We, the non-traditional, can also do that. The people of Pakistan can do that.”
Several
former PML-N stalwarts have already joined the new party, and known
professionals are also filling up the ranks.
According
to Mr Ismail, the party’s organising committee included former Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa governor and PML-N leader Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, former PML-N
Senator Javed Abbassi and former MQM MNA Sheikh Salahuddin.
The
founding members include former PML-N MNA from Faisalabad Rana Zahid Tauseef,
former health minister Zafar Mirza, former PML-N MPA Zaeem Hussain Qadri,
Hazara activist Fatima Atif, Sindhi nationalist leader Anwar Soomro, legal
expert Abdul Moiz Jaferii and ex-HEC chairman Tariq Javed Banuri.
The
former finance minister’s response was in the affirmative when asked if the new
party would contest elections.
Mr
Abbasi, the former prime minister, also confirmed to Dawn that the party will
be formally launched on July 6 or 7 with 17 founding members.
“We have
not actually pursued anybody. These are people who want to work and think it’s
a good platform. They are people who are worried about the country.”
“We are
not collecting electables. Professionals and experts should be in political
parties; that is the depth we need today,” he said.
Mr
Abbasi said former prime minister Imran Khan brought professionals into his
party after taking power.
“They
were not part of his party from the start. In our case, these people are part
of a party being launched.”
When
asked whether the party had engaged with the establishment before its launch,
Mr Abbasi said: “Our relationship with the establishment will be according to
the Constitution and nothing beyond that — this is something we firmly
believe.”
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1840952/miftah-ismail-khaqan-abbasi-launch-awaam-pakistan-party
--------
President
Zardari for raising law enforcement capacity to counter terrorism
June 21,
2024
GWADAR:
President Asif Ali Zardari has called for enhancing the capacity of the law
enforcement agencies (LEAs), posting competent officers in Balochistan, and
improving the prosecution mechanism to effectively counter terrorist elements
in the province.
The
president expressed these views while chairing a meeting on the security and
law and order situation in Balochistan on Thursday.
Interior
Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, MNA Malik Shah Gorgaij,
Home Minister ZiaullahLangove, MPA Maulana Hidayatur Rehman and senior civil
and military officials attended the meeting.
President
Zardari was briefed about the overall security situation of the province as
well as the role of LEAs in countering terrorist attacks in various districts.
The
meeting was informed that the initiatives taken by LEAs had resulted in
improved the security situation in the province.
The
president appreciated efforts of the provincial government as well as the
sacrifices of LEAs in combatting terrorism.
Speaking
on the occasion, the president said that the prosecution system needed to be
improved so that terrorists could not escape justice.
He said
that compensation for the families of martyrs of LEAs should be enhanced
bringing it on a par with the rest of the provinces.
Mr
Zardari said that competent and brave police officials needed to be posted in
the province as it would help improve law and order situation of the province.
He also
called for taking effective measures to ensure safety and security of Zaireen.
Underlining
the need to improve the socio-economic condition of Balochistan, the president
called for focusing on the skill development of its people and producing more
skilled professionals.
Mr
Zardari also called for promoting the fishing industry of Balochistan by
providing financing and equipment to local fishermen, apart from promoting
sustainable fishing practices and checking the production of illegal fishing
nets.
During
the meeting, the president said that political dialogue was the way forward to
bring prosperity, development and peace to Balochistan.
Balochistan
chief minister thanked the president for visiting Gwadar, saying that it would
give the people of Balochistan a sense of ownership as well as strengthen the
resolve of law-enforcement agencies to eliminate terrorism.
He
underlined the importance of equipping the people residing in border areas of
Balochistan with marketable skills to help them find employment in the country
and abroad.
He
highlighted that all stakeholders needed to make collective efforts to stamp
out terrorism, besides evolving a national consensus for the development of
Balochistan.
The
meeting stressed the need for completing the Kachhi Canal project to fulfil the
food requirements of the province.
Saleem
Shahid in Quetta also contributed to this report
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1840949/president-zardari-for-raising-law-enforcement-capacity-to-counter-terrorism
--------
Several
Ahmadis detained by police for violating Constitution: Gujranwala CPO
June 21,
2024
Several
people belonging to the Ahmadiyya community were detained by the police for
violating the Constitution, Gujranwala City Police Officer (CPO) Rana Ayyaz
Saleem said on Thursday.
Earlier
this week, a member of the Ahmadiyya community was booked in Toba Tek Singh
district, at the complaint of an official of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP),
for sacrificing a goat on Eidul Azha.
The
first information reports (FIRs) were similar to the five registered across
Punjab last year against the community for sacrificing animals.
Separately,
two members of the Ahmadiyya community were shot dead in Mandi Bahauddin
earlier this month.
The FIR
filed on Monday, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered
under Section 298-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Section
298-C of the PPC elaborates on the penalty for a person of the Ahmadiyya group
calling themselves a Muslim or preaching or propagating their faith.
However,
a 2022 Supreme Court judgment ruled that obstructing non-Muslims from
practising their religion within the confines of their place of worship was
against the Constitution.
Dawn.com
correspondent Imran Gabol said that people from the community had held a
meeting before Eidul Azha where they had accepted that the community would not
celebrate the event publically, however, the agreement was violated.
According
to Amir Mehmood, a spokesperson for the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Pakistan, at least
nine FIRs were registered across Punjab against members of the community.
Data
collected by the spokesperson claimed that three FIRs were filed in
Sheikhupura, while one each was filed in Gujranwala, Rahim Yar Khan, Toba Tek
Singh and Sargodha.
In a
conversation with Dawn.com today, CPO Saleem said the detainees were asked to
not perform any ritual similar to Muslims, but the special branch and police
security teams found some of them violating the law.
He said
they had provided security to 16 Ahmadiyya worship places in Gujranwala where
they freely observed their religious rituals, adding that the police had
detained some to maintain the law and order while no animal was taken into
custody by the police.
Saleem
said the district administration had issued six-day detention orders for some
Ahmadis, however, they had written to the district administration to issue
their release orders as Eid had passed peacefully.
The CPO
asserted the police would not allow anyone to violate the Constitution and
disrupt the city’s law and order.
According
to Mehmood, the spokesperson for the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Pakistan, Punjab
police had arrested a doctor from his community and had mistreated his family.
“His crime
[was] that he was raising a three-month pet goat. Police arrested him on June
17 and his whereabouts are still unknown,” he said in a statement.
“His
family is worried sick, running from pole to post. They visited multiple police
stations but they have been denied access to their loved one,” the spokesperson
said.
“A
peaceful Ahmadi doctor is missing because police found a three-month-old baby
goat at his home on Eid. How can police detain an innocent man without a charge
and deny access to his family?” he asked.
He said
that another man was detained by the police in Gujranwala without any arrest
warrant or detention order, adding that the police had failed to provide any
information on the detainee’s whereabouts to his family.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1840855/several-ahmadis-detained-by-police-for-violating-constitution-gujranwala-cpo
--------
Young
graduates lauded for making short film on Khyber issues
June 21,
2024
LOWER
DIR: Local intellectuals and social activists have lauded three young
journalists for producing a short film on climate change, scarcity of drinking
water and girls’ education in Khyber tribal district.
The
12-minute Pashto film ‘Dreams of Spring’ was screened at Nisar Shaheed Resource
Centre in Timergara here on Thursday. The filmmakers — Jamil Iqbal, Malik Musa
Kamal and Fayyazud Din — have graduated in journalism and mass communication
and belong to Lower Dir district.
The
film, according to Jamil Iqbal, has been included in national and international
competitions. Scores of intellectuals, youth, social activists and local elders
attended screening of the film.
They
termed it an appreciable step. JehanBahadar, Akbar Khan, Ibrash Pasha and some
others critically analysed the film and suggested some improvements in it. They
called upon the young filmmakers to use film and documentaries for highlighting
the pressing issues like environmental pollution, water scarcity and girls’
education in Lower Dir.
Fayyazuddin
informed the participants that they already highlighted some issues of Dir like
deforestation, timber smuggling, lowering of water table and incomplete Koto
hydropower project through documentaries.
Ibrash
Pasha, a social activist, said that it was a laudable step taken by the three
young Dirojians. He said that quality and contents of the film were thoroughly
reviewed and discussed during the screening.
He said
that films could draw the attention of national and international authorities.
POWER
OUTAGE: Jamaat-i-Islami Timergara spokesman Sheikh Ijaz Arshad on Thursday
threatened to bring people on roads if authorities failed to provide
uninterrupted power supply to them.
Talking
to journalists, he said that unannounced and prolonged power outages had made
the life of people miserable in Timeragra city.
The JI
activist said that power supply was suspended to them frequently on the pretext
of line losses and transformers’ repair. He said that prolonged power outage
forced many traders to halt their business activities.
He said
that duration of loadshedding was increased to 12 hours a day. He said that
consumers would have no option but to take to streets if the duration of power
outage was not reduced within the next 48 hours.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1840905/young-graduates-lauded-for-making-short-film-on-khyber-issues
--------
Pakistan
demands India to 'implement UNSC resolutions' on Jammu and Kashmir
June 20,
2024
Dismissing
India’s remarks on a joint Pakistan-China statement about addressing the
Kashmir issue, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has demanded
India to implement resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) regarding the territory.
Spokesperson
Baloch, on late Wednesday night, maintained that India had no right to object
to the references made to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement issued by
Pakistan and China on June 8.
The
statement came in response to media queries regarding the comments made by Indian External Affairs Ministry. Baloch
said Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory and the dispute was on the UN
Security Council's (UNSC) agenda.
In the
joint statement, Pakistan had briefed the Chinese government about the latest
developments of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the
statement, the "Chinese side reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute
is left over from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved in
accordance with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and
bilateral agreements”.
India's
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had on June 13 “rejected
unwarranted references to Jammu and Kashmir” by Pakistan and China.
“We have
noted unwarranted references to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement
between China and Pakistan. We categorically reject such references,” Jaiswal
said.
“The
Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have
been, are, and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India,” he
had maintained.
FO
Spokesperson Baloch said it was an established fact that Jammu and Kashmir was
an internationally-recognised disputed territory and the dispute had been on
the agenda of the UNSC for more than seven decades.
She
added that the relevant UNSC resolutions clearly stipulated that the final
disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir would be made as per the will of
the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite
conducted under the auspices of the UN.
In that
backdrop, the Indian claims over Jammu and Kashmir were totally unfounded and
misplaced, she insisted.
“India
should not mislead the international community about the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a flagship developmental endeavour, agreed
upon by two sovereign nations,” the spokesperson said.
Instead
of making baseless claims about the CPEC, Baloch said, India should implement,
at the earliest, the relevant UNSC resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1201767-pakistan-demands-india-to-implement-unsc-resolutions-on-jammu-and-kashmir
--------
Europe
France's
Muslim voters fear far-right election win
21 June
2024
Muslim
voters are increasingly worried about the prospect of a far-right victory less
than two weeks before France's snap parliamentary elections, fearing the
possible restrictions that could follow.
For Sarah,
there's a "real risk" of seeing the National Rally (RN) win the
ballot, called by President Emmanuel Macron after the far-right party trounced
his centrists in early June's EU elections.
The
23-year-old member of a Muslim women's collective told AFP that would give the
party of Marine Le Pen free rein to pass laws restricting her freedoms in
matters of dress and worship.
The RN
has made no secret of its hostility to ritual slaughter, which would
effectively ban halal and kosher meat.
A bill
it tabled in 2021 called for bans on "Islamist ideologies" and on the
wearing of headscarves in all public places.
The
current law prohibits the wearing of headscarves in public schools, and bans
the wearing of full-face veils, such as the burqa, in public.
The centrist
government of Macron also banned the wearing in schools of the abaya gown worn
by many Muslim women from this school year.
'Tool of
discrimination'
But he
said even if the RN won the polls the measure would not come into force until
after the next presidential elections in 2027.
Sarah --
who like most people interviewed did not want to give her last name -- was also
concerned about the "legitimisation" of hostility to Muslims.
But as
many as 59 percent of Muslims abstained.
Source: uk.news.yahoo.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/frances-muslim-voters-fear-far-051039284.html
--------
Germany
Arrests Iraqi Man Accused Of Planning Attacks For Islamic State Group
JUNE 21,
2024
An Iraqi
man who is accused of standing by to carry out attacks for the Islamic State
group after he arrived in Germany in 2022 has been arrested, prosecutors said
Thursday.
The
suspect, identified only as Mahmoud A. in line with German privacy rules, was
arrested on Wednesday in Esslingen, near Stuttgart in southwestern Germany,
federal prosecutors said in a statement.
A judge
ordered him to be kept in custody on suspicion of membership in a foreign
terrorist organization pending a possible indictment.
He is
accused of joining IS in Iraq in or before May 2016 and fighting for the
extremist group.
Prosecutors
said that Mahmoud A. arrived in Germany in October 2022 and stood by to carry
out attacks on behalf of IS. They didn’t specify whether any specific attacks
were ever planned.
Source: news18.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.news18.com/world/germany-arrests-iraqi-man-accused-of-planning-attacks-for-islamic-state-group-8939020.html
--------
NHS
mental health services failing Muslims, researchers say
20 June
2024
There is
a lack of cultural and religious awareness among therapists and medical
practitioners, doctors and researchers tell Angela Youngman
“People
have to explain to healthcare professionals why a hijab is important or what
their concerns about Ramadan are,” says JamillaHekmoun, research fellow at the
Cambridge based Woolf Institute. “Our research has shown that Muslims receive
less help with mental health problems than those of other faiths, and there is
a lack of understanding in terms of the type of support they need.”
Hekmoun,
who is also chair of the Muslim Mental Health Alliance, a community health
group focusing on mental health, is referring to the Woolf Institute’s report,
Faith in Mental Health, published on 25 March.1 The institute’s research
involved a study of relevant literature and interviews with medical
practitioners, patients, and Muslim community contacts. It found that existing
NHS mental health services are failing Muslims because of a lack of cultural
and religious awareness among therapists and medical practitioners.
According
to the doctors, therapists, and researchers involved in the report, existing
systems in the …
Source: bmj.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.bmj.com/content/385/bmj.q1152.full
--------
West
could ditch Zelensky early next year – Putin
21 Jun,
2024
Ukraine's
supporters in the West will likely remove Vladimir Zelensky as soon as he
outlives his usefulness, after pushing through all the necessary “unpopular
decisions,” Russian President Vladimir Putin has predicted.
Zelensky
remains in power in Ukraine despite his term in office having officially
expired on May 20. He opted not to hold a presidential election, citing martial
law imposed due to the conflict with Russia.
Putin
has repeatedly stressed that the Ukrainian constitution does not provide for
prolonging a president’s term, and explicitly states that elected lawmakers
should retain their powers until a new parliament can be chosen by the
Ukrainian people. On Thursday he reiterated, that the country’s laws clearly
state that Zelensky’s “train has left” and that presidential power should be
transferred to the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
“What
are we even talking about? The West simply doesn’t want to replace him right
now, the time has not come yet. I’ve already said it, but I think it’s obvious
to anyone,” the Russian leader said at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam.
“They
will pin all unpopular decisions on him, including lowering the military age,
and that’s it, then he will be replaced. I believe it will be sometime in the
first half of next year,” he added.
Putin
echoed фт analysis shared by the Russian foreign intelligence service (SVR)
earlier in the day, which claimed Zelensky will be scapegoated for the
country’s inevitable military defeat. “It is becoming increasingly evident that
the White House will soon shut down ‘Project Zelensky’,” the SVR stated on
Thursday, noting that retired General Valery Zaluzhny, the former top commander
of the armed forces, is a likely candidate to replace him.
Last
week, Putin noted in a keynote speech on Russian foreign policy that Zelensky
remains of use to foreign sponsors only as long as he can enforce policies that
will help Kiev prolong hostilities with Russia. The Russian president also said
any agreements signed by Zelensky with foreign nations after May 20, such as
the recent bilateral ten-year security deal with the US, can be easily
discarded by other parties, since he no longer has any legal authority to
represent Ukraine.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.rt.com/russia/599677-west-replace-zelensky-next-year/
--------
Russia
will ‘never’ withdraw troops – Putin
20 Jun,
2024
Ukraine’s
demand for the withdrawal of Russian troops is only designed to perpetuate the
conflict, because that’s the only way the current Kiev government can stay in
power, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
Putin
was speaking at a press conference in Hanoi following his meetings with the
leadership of Vietnam on Thursday. Among other topics, he addressed the Ukraine
conflict.
“If
negotiations are linked to the withdrawal of our troops, about which the Kiev
regime dreams, then this will never happen,” Putin told reporters.
“Because
the Kiev regime does not want to relinquish power, does not want to hold normal
elections according to the Ukrainian constitution, they will forever drag out
the ceasefire talks,” the Russian president added. “This means that Kiev has an
interest in our troops remaining there, because they don’t want to hold
elections.”
As for
attempts to “beat back” Russian troops from Kharkov, Putin said that Kiev’s
orders to achieve a victory on the battlefield “at all costs” will mean it is
Ukraine that will suffer. Kharkov, he said, is a tactical operation, which
Ukraine is trying to portray as strategic.
When
asked about the Western rejection of the peace terms he offered Ukraine last
week, Putin said that it was true to form.
“I
expected just such a reaction, at first,” he said. “What happens later, time
will tell. It all depends on how the situation develops on the ground.”
Russia
has always been willing to negotiate, while Ukraine and its Western backers
sabotaged the Minsk process and the Istanbul talks, Putin said, noting that the
terms he outlined will not be valid forever.
According
to the Russian president, Ukraine has to recognize Russian sovereignty over the
entire territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as
Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, “as defined by their administrative borders at
the time they joined Ukraine [in August 1991].” Kiev must withdraw its military
from the four regions and inform Moscow in writing that it no longer plans to
join NATO, before any ceasefire talks can begin, Putin said last Friday.
Vladimir
Zelensky has denounced the proposal as an “ultimatum,” insisting that the only
way to end the conflict is based on his “peace formula,” which amounts to a
Russian surrender.
NATO
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg claimed that Putin’s offer was not “made in
good faith,” and would cost Kiev “significantly more land,” while German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it a “classic land grab” and an attempt to
influence the 'peace conference' in Switzerland.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/russia/599673-putin-ukraine-withdrawal-kharkov/
--------
Russia
could arm North Korea – Putin
20 Jun,
2024
Russia
reserves the right to provide arms to allies, as the West claims it can arm
Ukraine with impunity, and could send long-range weapons to the DPRK and other
countries, Vladimir Putin has said.
Putin
was speaking with reporters in Hanoi following his meetings with Vietnam's
leadership on Thursday. One of the questions related to his previous suggestion
that Moscow could send missiles to adversaries of the West, in response to the
US and its allies greenlighting Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia.
”We do
not rule out supplying weapons to other countries, including the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea,” Putin said. “Let the West think where they might
end up.”
Western
countries that have supplied long-range and other weapons to Ukraine have said
they can’t be held responsible for how Kiev uses them, and insist that it does
not make them parties to the conflict, Putin elaborated, adding that Russia
therefore reserves the same right for itself.
The
Russian president also noted that Moscow is considering modifications to its
doctrine on the use of atomic weapons, as the West appears to be working on
low-yield weapons to lower the nuclear threshold.
“We
don’t need a first strike,” he said in response to another question. “Because
our return strike is guaranteed to destroy any attacker.”
When
asked about the peace terms he offered Ukraine last week, Putin said that
Russia has always been willing to negotiate, while Kiev and its Western backers
sabotaged both the Minsk process and the Istanbul talks. However, the terms he
outlined will not be valid forever, Putin cautioned.
”Our
terms will change depending on the situation on the ground,” the Russian
president said.
Putin
arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday evening from Pyongyang, where he signed a
strategic partnership treaty with DPRK leader Kim Jong-un. His trip to Vietnam
has involved the strengthening of bilateral ties with Hanoi, including trade
and nuclear energy cooperation.
Source: rt.com
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the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/russia/599670-north-korea-putin-weapons/
--------
North America
Rebel
News admits it owns truck displaying anti-Muslim ads
June 20,
2024
Rebel
News has come forward to claim ownership of the controversial truck that’s been
spotted driving around Toronto displaying anti-Muslim messaging.
In a
post on its website, the right-wing media outlet wrote: “The Toronto police are
officially investigating Rebel News for running these ads by local community
activists on our Rebel News billboard truck.”
“The ads
were created by a group called Canadians Opposed to the Occupation of our
Streets and Campuses.”
The ads,
which have sparked widespread condemnation and a Toronto Police Hate Crime
investigation depict Muslims kneeling in prayer on city streets, with text that
reads: “Is this Yemen? Is this Syria? Is this Iraq?”
“No.
This is Canada. Wake up Canada. You are under siege.”
In a
video posted on X, Rebel News publisher Ezra Levant portrayed the issue as a
“censorship battle” and a fight against cancel culture.
Levant
argued that the “ads just show actual footage of what the pro-Hamas gangs are
doing to Toronto — including committing real crimes ignored by the police and
politicians. In the case of this particular ad, the images included pro-Hamas
gangs shutting down the streets in downtown Toronto.”
“Toronto
police don’t think the pro-Hamas street gangs themselves are committing hate
crimes. They think the ad we ran on our truck is a hate crime,” he stressed.
Levant
added that if convicted of hate speech he could face up to two years behind
bars.
Toronto
Police have not announced any charges in the matter, but said its Hate Crime
Unit has launched an investigation.
“We
encourage anyone with information, or who may have witnessed the truck or have
video footage or images, to please contact police and make a report,” Toronto
police said.
NDP
Leader Jagmeet Singh was among political leaders who spoke out about the ads,
telling CityNews on Thursday that he was “deeply alarmed” by the vehicle’s
messaging.
“In
general we are seeing a really alarming and disturbing rise in hate targeting
people for their religion, for their country of origin, for who they are. This
is a problem. This is something we’ve got to take very seriously.”
“We
should build a country that’s safe for everyone to be able to live their lives
and contribute freely and this is an example of that increasing hate that I’m
really worried about,” he said.
Source: toronto.citynews.ca
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In
Tijuana, shelter for Muslim migrants on US doorstep
20/06/2024
From
Algeria, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, citizens of distant Muslim countries
wait for US asylum at a shelter in the Mexican border city of Tijuana – more
used to seeing migrants from Latin America than the Middle East. At the Assabil
Inn, Mexico's first shelter catering for US-bound Muslim migrants, guests’
backstories are as varied as the assortment of languages they speak.
Source: france24.com
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US civil
rights activists slam China suppression of Xinjiang Uyghur Muslim population
Salma
Ben Souissi | The University of Law, GB
JUNE 20,
2024
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned on Wednesday Chinese
authorities’ ongoing suppression of the Muslim community in Xinjiang. The civil
rights and advocacy NGO accused the Chinese government of attempting to “erase”
Uyghur culture, the Chinese Muslim ethnic minority, by renaming their villages
in a manner that reflects the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ideology.
CAIR
National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper stated:
This
name change campaign is clearly part of the Chinese government’s ongoing
attempt to erase Uyghur culture and its Islamic heritage. The international
community, and particularly Muslim-majority nations, must take action to stop
this genocidal campaign.
CAIR
also condemned Chinese authorities’ removal of a dome from a mosque in Yunnan
and its replacement by a “Chinese-style pagoda,” in addition to its crackdown
on Eid Al-Adha celebrations in Xinjiang. CAIR National Communications Manager
Ismail Allison urged the international community to take action against China’s
“Sinicization” of Islam in the Muslim-majority region.
The
condemnation follows a newly published report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and
Norwegian NGO Uyghur Hjelp, which documents the Chinese government’s systematic
erasure of Uyghur culture and religion in 630 villages. HRW asserted that the
name changes have had a meaningful impact on Uyghurs residing in those
villages, and highlighted the consequent violation of Article 27 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which protects the right
of ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities to “enjoy their own culture, to
profess and practice their own religion, or to use their own language.”
The
Chinese government’s treatment of ethnic minorities has been subject to
multiple condemnations. In January, HRW reported that the government tightened
its control over the religious practices of Uyghurs with new regulations based
on its religion “Sinicization” plan. Another HRW report released in November
2023 documented the government’s increased mosque closures in the northern
Ningxia region and Gansu province in violation of religious freedom. The
Chinese government has also received international criticism over an alleged
genocide against Uyghur people.
Earlier
this week, the EU expressed concerns about the dire human rights situation in
the country, particularly in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong during the 39th
session of the Joint Human Rights Dialogue in Chongqing, highlighting the
serious situation concerning people of religious, ethnic and linguistic
minorities. It reported cases of unlawful detention, enforced disappearance,
torture and ill-treatment. It noted that several human rights defenders and
lawyers have been “deprived of their liberty” for having promoted and protected
human rights.
Source: jurist.org
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US
announces killing of an Islamic State leader in Syria
20/06/2024
In a
statement on X platform on Wednesday, June 19, the CENTCOM added that it killed
Usamah Jamal Muhammad Ibrahim al-Janabi, a “senior official” in the Islamic
State organization whose elimination would disrupt the latter’s ability to
resource and conduct terror attacks.
According
to CENTCOM, the strike occurred last Sunday, indicating that there were no
signs of civilian injuries in this strike.
While
Washington did not specify the location of the strike or the position of the
targeted person, its local partner, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said
the airstrike took place near the city of Afrin in the northern Aleppo
province.
Meanwhile,
the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), which controls parts of northern Aleppo
and parts of its eastern countryside, stated on June 16 that a civilian was
killed during SDF shelling targeting the Kuwait al-Rahma camp and others were
injured.
EnabBaladi
could not reach the Interim Government until the time of publishing this news,
and CENTCOM did not respond to the inquiry about the targeting location either.
The
International Coalition Forces (ICF), led by the United States, repeatedly
conduct military operations either by launching smart missiles from drones or
warplanes, or by aerial raids.
Their
operations targeted leaders and members affiliated with “Jihadi” organizations
and factions in northern Syria or the Islamic State organization.
The
latest operations were in April 2023, when the US Central Command revealed the
identity of a leader in the Islamic State it targeted in northeastern Aleppo
countryside.
CENTCOM
stated that it killed the prominent leader in the Islamic State, Abd-al-Hadi
Mahmud al-Haji Ali, through a helicopter raid in northern Syria.
In a
statement, it mentioned that al-Haji Ali was the leader of the Islamic State in
Syria and the operational planner responsible for planning “terrorist” attacks
in the Middle East and Europe.
In June
2022, the International Coalition Forces carried out an air raid in the
countryside of Jarablus city, northern Aleppo, during which they detained Hani
Ahmed al-Kurdi, also known as “Salim” and “Wali of Raqqa,” as reported by the
American newspaper The Washington Post at the time.
Also, on
July 12, 2022, a former leader in the Islamic State was killed by a US drone
strike while he was traveling by motorcycle in areas under the Syrian National
Army’s control in northern Aleppo province.
Source: english.enabbaladi.net
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Mideast
US
destroys six Houthi drones in Red Sea
June 21,
2024
WASHINGTON:
The US military said Thursday that it had destroyed four Houthi nautical drones
and two aerial ones over the Red Sea off Yemen.
The
Iran-backed Houthis have launched scores of drones and missiles at commercial
vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, describing the attacks
as being in support of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza
Strip.
The
United States and its allies, particularly Britain, have responded with an
increased naval presence to defend shipping in the vital waterway and with
retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets.
The US
Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement Thursday night that its forces
had “destroyed four Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the
Red Sea and two uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) over the Red Sea” in the past 24
hours.
CENTCOM
said the day before that it had destroyed “one ground control station and one
command and control node” in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
This
week, a merchant ship whose hull was breached in an earlier Houthi attack, the
M/V Tutor, was believed to have sunk in the Red Sea after its crew was
evacuated, according to a maritime security agency run by the British navy.
A
Filipino sailor aboard the vessel was killed in the attack.
A Sri
Lankan crew member on another ship, the M/V Verbena, was seriously injured in a
separate attack, and the vessel had to be abandoned.
US State
Department spokesman Matthew Miller condemned those attacks in a statement and
said Washington would “continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of
navigation and commercial shipping.”
He also
called on the Houthis “to release all detainees, including the United Nations,
diplomatic, and non-governmental organization staff they detained earlier this
month.”
The
Houthis earlier this month arrested a number of people they claimed were part
of a US-Israeli spy network, adding that those held worked under “the cover of
international organizations and UN agencies.”
The
heads of six United Nations agencies and three international NGOs subsequently
issued a joint call for the release of their staff, with UN rights chief Volker
Turk dismissing the spying accusations as “outrageous.”
The
Houthis are engaged in a long-running civil war that has triggered one of the
world’s worst humanitarian crises. More than half of the population is
dependent on aid in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country.
Source: arabnews.com
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Blinken
tells Israeli officials of need to avoid further escalation with Lebanon
June 21,
2024
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli officials during a meeting on
Thursday of the need to avoid further escalation in Lebanon amid the war in
Gaza, the State Department said.
Blinken
was meeting Israeli national security adviser TzachiHanegbi and Ron Dermer,
Israel’s minister for strategic affairs.
Source: arabnews.com
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Iran’s
presidential candidates talk economic policies in 2nd live debate ahead of June
28 vote
June 21,
2024
TEHRAN,
Iran: In the second live debate on state television, six presidential
candidates on Thursday discussed Iran’s economic problems ahead of the
country’s June 28 election following a helicopter crash last month that killed
President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others.
It was
the second of five debates planned in the days before the vote in a shortened
campaign to replace Raisi, a hard-line protégé of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei once floated as a possible successor to the 85-year-old cleric.
Like the
first debate, the second one also related to economics with the candidates
discussing their proposals for Iran’s spiraling economy which is struggling
under sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western nations.
The
candidates also discussed inflation, the budget deficit, fuel consumption subsidies
and education. They all promised to try to get the sanctions lifted and to
introduce reforms, but none offered concrete details.
“Negotiation
is a method of struggle,” said prominent candidate Mohammad BagherQalibaf, 62,
with regards to getting the Western sanctions on Iran lifted. Qalibaf is a
former Tehran mayor with close ties to the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary
Guard.
He
emphasized the destructiveness of the sanctions on the economy and said that
Iranians have a right to a good life, not just an ordinary life.
Iran’s
vice president, Amir Hossein QazizadehHashemi, 53, said he will continue
Raisi’s unfinished administration and vowed to develop the tourism industry.
Regarding
the health sector and the emigration of doctors and nurses abroad, Qalibaf said
there should be a fundamental change in the way health workers are paid to
increase the motivation to stay.
Many
doctors and nurses reportedly have left Iran in recent years over its deepening
economic woes and poor working conditions. Qalibaf’s call for more pay for
health workers was repeated by the other candidates.
All the
candidates said they believe the Education Ministry is the most important part
of the government because “the next generation of the country is raised in this
ministry.” Qalibaf said the ministry’s budget must be increased.
The one
pro-reform candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, who is backed by pro-reform figures
such as former President Mohammad Khatami and former foreign minister Mohammad
JavadZarif, thinks the economic crisis can be resolved by solving party
differences inside the country as well as external factors.
The June
28 election comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the West
over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, its arming of Russia in that
country’s war on Ukraine and its wide-reaching crackdowns on dissent.
Iran’s
support of militia proxy forces throughout the wider Middle East, meanwhile,
has been increasingly in the spotlight as Iran-backed Yemen’s Houthi rebels
attack ships in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Source: arabnews.com
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South
Sudan’s vice president expresses concern over ongoing peace talks
June 21,
2024
JUBA,
South Sudan: South Sudan ‘s vice president said Thursday that peace talks in
neighboring Kenya have failed to acknowledge the country’s peace agreement
established in 2018, alleging a new draft agreement is aimed at replacing the
original peace deal.
RiekMachar
in a protest letter to the talks’ mediator said the draft established
alternative institutions to replace or run in parallel with those established
by the previous peace agreement. He added that the current peace talks should
complement and not obliterate the original deal.
The
former rebel leader signed an agreement with President SalvaKiir in 2018 that
ended a five-year civil war that killed about 400,000 people. Machar and Kiir
were on opposite sides in the war and Machar was appointed vice president after
the 2018 deal. His group isn’t part of the current talks, which are for groups
that were not included in the 2018 agreement.
Despite
the peace deal, violence in South Sudan has continued, most of it attributed to
rebel groups and warring ethnic groups.
The body
mandated with monitoring the implementation of the 2018 peace deal raised
concerns in May over the slow implementation of election related tasks with
only a few months left until December elections.
Opposition
groups that were not part of the 2018 peace agreement have been in talks in
Kenya since May 9 aimed at bringing groups on board ahead of the December
elections.
The
talks have resulted in a draft agreement that recommends an extension of the
transitional period to provide more time for election preparations.
President
Kiir on Thursday received a progress report from government representatives in
the ongoing talks with the government spokesperson telling media that
participants in the talks are close to reaching a final agreement.
Source: arabnews.com
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Arab World
No
normalization with Israel without Palestinian state, Saudi ambassador to UK
says
June 20,
2024
LONDON:
Saudi Arabia will not normalize ties with Israel at the expense of Palestinian
statehood, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UK said on Thursday.
Speaking
at Chatham House’s London Conference, Prince Khalid bin Bandar said that
normalization remained important to Saudi Arabia and other nations in the
region because it would ensure peace, stability and security.
He admitted that “compromises would
have to be made” to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, which he said affected
the world in a way
other conflicts did not.
“If what
is happening (in Gaza) keeps happening, we are going to go down a path that is
irreversible,” Prince Khalid said.
“The
further we get away from finding a solution, the more people lose hope, the
more we’re at that point, it’s going to spread to a regional conflict. It’s
important for everyone to recognisze the danger of what lies ahead. The
conflict will not remain regional, it will become international very quickly,”
he said.
But
Prince Khalid said that normalization would be “irrelevant” until the plight of
Palestinians was resolved.
“We
believe in the creation of a Palestinian state and a solution to the conflict,”
he said. “If it was easy, we’d have done it by now but without that,
normalization is irrelevant. There is no point having normalization because we
would still have conflict and conflict is the problem, not normalization.
“There
is no point in discussing everything else until we find a solution. Once we do
that, everything is on the table.”
Prince
Khalid said that the Kingdom was “one of the most important countries in the
region,” which had “leverage” in opening up the Arab and Muslim world to Israel
and for it not to play a role in brokering a solution would be “silly.”
But he
added for that to happen, Israel “needs to play ball as well,” adding that the
price for finding a solution was an independent Palestinian state.
The
ambassador bemoaned how little global coverage the Saudi position on the crisis
received, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent Hajj address, in
which he reiterated calls for an immediate halt to attacks in Gaza.
“It’s
important to recognize our position, which has never changed, despite people
never listening to us,” Prince Khalid said.
“The
crown prince’s positon, Saudi Arabia’s position, his majesty (King Salman)’s
position, the government’s position and the will of almost every Saudi I know
is we need a Palestinian state.
“The
offer was made in the Arab Peace Initiative; on 1967 borders, a Palestinian
state, a two-state solution and everyone lives happily ever after. It goes back
to 1982, King Fahd presented the same offer, it has not been taken up, I find
it mystifying.
“The
crown prince stated very clearly, we need a ceasefire, an irreversible solution
for the Palestinians and then there’s peace everywhere, it wasn’t even
reported.
“It’s
annoying and frustrating for us because the world assumes something totally
different and that’s not helping the situation,” he said.
Source: arabnews.com
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Award-winning
Saudi film ‘Norah’ premieres in theaters across the Kingdom
June 20,
2024
RIYADH:
The award-winning Saudi film “Norah” made its premiere in the Kingdom on
Thursday after its international success at the Cannes Film Festival.
A
special screening was held on Wednesday night at Roshn Front’s Vox Cinema,
where director Tawfik Al-Zaidi was in attendance alongside the film’s star,
Maria Bahrawi, and her acclaimed co-stars Yaqoub Al-Farhan and Abdullah
Al-Sadhan.
Al-Farhan
told Arab News: “To be accepted in Cannes is an indication of how important
this film is, and also an indication of how much progress the film industry
(has made) here.
“Although
it’s still the beginning of it, we’re starting to see the results of the huge
work that’s happening right now.
“I’m
very positive about the future. If this is the beginning, I think after five or
10 years, we’ll be seeing a lot of great films from Saudi.”
“Norah”
achieved great success at the 78th annual Cannes International Film Festival,
where it was the official selection for the “Un Certain Regard” competition,
one of the most critical titles of the event. It also received the Special
Mention from the jury, making it the most notably recognized Saudi film at
Cannes.
The film
takes place in a remote Saudi village in the 90s, where Norah (played by
Bahrawi) dreams of seeing horizons beyond her small village. As a new teacher,
Nader (played by Al-Farhan) makes his way to her hometown, and Norah’s world
begins to open up through art, knowledge and creativity, leading her to
discover more about her own family history.
“The
fact that they chose me for the role only two weeks before production was a
surprise for me. But, thankfully, my first role in a film was a success and
reached international audiences. I’m very proud and happy that today it’ll be
in cinemas and the world can see it, and I’m excited to see people’s
reactions,” Bahrawi told Arab News.
While it
was first screened last December at the Red Sea International Film Festival,
where it won the “Best Saudi Film” award, the nationwide cinema premiere is a
culmination of the film’s journey to its intended audience: the Saudi public.
Bahrawi
said: “The fact that they chose me for the role only two weeks before
production was a surprise for me. But, thankfully, my first role in a film was
a success and reached international audiences. I’m very proud and happy that
today it’ll be in cinemas and the world can see it, and I’m excited to see
people’s reactions.
“Since I
was young, I’ve always dreamed of being an actress, and today I can say that
I’ve reached that and acted in my first film as a lead role… AlUla was the city
that made my first dream come true.”
Taking
public participation even further, a competition was presented to the public
last Thursday inviting all girls named Norah to play a part. About 500 girls
took part, and two winners received tickets to the special pre-screening event.
“Norah”
is the first Saudi feature to be filmed entirely in AlUla. “The city itself and
its locations really complemented the film’s story, so that was a wonderful
choice for the location,” Bahrawi said.
While
the film is both Bahrawi’s debut on the big screen and Al-Zaidi’s first feature
film, it was also a personal experience for Al-Farhan, who is widely known for
his role in the TV mini series “Rashash.”
“There’s
so many similarities between me and the character, which is why it’s a very
personal project for me and it’s so dear to my heart, especially after the
achievement of the Cannes Film Festival,” he said.
In
preparation for the role, Al-Farhan spent time with a professional sketch
artist in order to learn the craft for his role — even simple things like
holding a pencil the right way.
He said
that the beginning sketches featured in the film were his own work, but the
final results were “by a real artist.”
Production
was supported by the Film Commission through Daw, a national initiative to
support and encourage Saudi filmmakers. The film also received support from
Film AlUla, the Red Sea Film Fund and Generation 2030.
The
inspiration for “Norah” came to Al-Zaidi in 2015 from his need to express
something within him. In the same way that Al-Farhan’s character, Nader,
portrays his feelings on sketchbooks and canvases, Al-Zaidi uses the big
screen.
He told
Arab News: “I’m a lover of art in all its forms, whether its music, drawing or
visiting museums, cinema encapsulates all of these arts and shows them
beautifully through a film’s crew.
“I
wanted to create these emotions between two people who love art, Norah and
Nader. Art is a means of communication between people, and a means of
expression as well.”
As the
Saudi film scene continues to develop and grow toward global horizons, Al-Zaidi
is confident that the industry can overcome challenges.
“Challenges
will always be there, but as they say, ‘success has many fathers, but failure
is an orphan’ ... if you believe in yourself, you will get there,” he said.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi
pavilion at Beijing International Book Fair showcases KSA’s culture and history
June 20,
2024
BEIJING:
Saudi Arabia, represented by its Heritage Commission, is taking part in the
Beijing International Book Fair, which began on Wednesday and continues until
Sunday. The Kingdom was invited to participate at the event as guest of honor.
The
Saudi pavilion offers visitors a chance to learn more about the nation’s
heritage, diverse culture, historical landmarks and overall historical
significance, officials said. It includes displays featuring archaeological
reproductions that illustrate the Kingdom’s rich culture and expansive history
over thousands of years.
Source: arabnews.com
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OIC
marks World Refugee Day
June 20,
2024
JEDDAH:
Organization of Islamic Cooperation Secretary-General HisseinBrahim Taha has
reiterated the OIC’s support and solidarity with world refugees.
He
called for prioritizing the humanitarian needs of vulnerable people forced to
flee their homes due to wars, conflicts and natural disasters.
In a
statement released on Thursday to mark World Refugee Day, observed annually on
June 20, Taha expressed deep gratitude and admiration toward OIC member states
for their efforts in providing refuge to displaced people.
He said
that offering aid and protection to migrants is not only a humanitarian
obligation, but also an Islamic duty.
Taha
acknowledged that OIC member states shoulder the largest share of global
responsibility in hosting more than half of the world’s refugees. He urged the
international community to stand in support of the OIC member states and
highlighted the importance of establishing equitable partnerships.
The
secretary-general praised the pivotal role played by UNRWA in alleviating the
suffering of Palestinian refugees.
He
called on the international community to exert concerted efforts to hold the
Israeli occupation accountable for its disregard of international laws.
Source: arabnews.com
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Ministry
begins issuing Umrah visas for post-Hajj season
June 20,
2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has started issuing Umrah visas for
the post-Hajj season, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The new
Umrah season will coincide with the start of the new Islamic year on Muharram
1, and the move aims to streamline the arrival of pilgrims to the Kingdom and
ensure a smooth and worry-free experience.
The
ministry is working diligently to implement the directives of the Saudi
leadership and accommodate more Umrah pilgrims and provide services that meet
their needs, SPA said.
Source: arabnews.com
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South Asia
Islamic
Emirate Accuses UN’s Richard Bennett of Attempting to Corrupt Minds Ahead of
Doha Meeting
2024-06-20
KABUL
(BNA): In a statement, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan, criticized the report submitted by Richard Bennett, a
member of the United Nations, claiming it was an attempt to corrupt the minds
of the country’s citizens. Mujahid mainly mentioned that the timing of the
report, ahead of the upcoming Doha meeting, was suspicious.
Mujahid
further highlighted that the efforts of pressure and conspiracies against the
Islamic Emirate have consistently failed, and he urged others to understand the
realities on the ground and adopt a constructive stance. He emphasized that the
repetition of failed experiences would not deter the Islamic Emirate from its
path.
The
statement from the spokesman comes amidst increasing tensions between the
Islamic Emirate and certain members of the international community. The Doha
meeting is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the future of
Afghanistan.
The
report submitted by Richard Bennett has drawn significant attention, with
critics questioning its intent and impact. The Islamic Emirate’s response
reflects its determination to counter perceived attempts to influence public
opinion within the country.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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Senior
TTP commander killed in Kunar, Afghanistan
June 20,
2024
The
newspaper Dawn reported that Abdul Manan Ilyas, a senior commander of
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known by his alias Hakimullah, was killed
in Kunar province.
The report stated that he was killed during the
“Eid ceasefire” in the Chugharsarai area of Asadabad district in Kunar.
The
Pakistani media outlet described Abdul Manan as a former member of the TTP
Malakand Council and the right-hand man of Azmatullah Mehsud, the head of the
council.
Although
the newspaper did not provide further details about how the TTP commander was
killed, it mentioned that he died from injuries sustained on June 16 in Kunar.
The TTP
Malakand Council is said to have played a key role in organizing deadly attacks
in Pakistan, particularly in Bajaur.
According
to Pakistani media, Abdul Manan Ilyas oversaw terrorist activities in Bajaur,
including targeted assassinations, landmine explosions, and attacks on
checkpoints.
Pakistani
media reported that Abdul Manan joined the TTP in 2007 and participated in
several deadly attacks in the country. He was arrested in Nangarhar province in
2014 but was released alongside other prisoners after the Taliban took control
of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile,
the Pakistani army announced in early June that it had launched a series of
operations along the border with Afghanistan to curb “terrorist activities.”
The
Pakistani army has consistently claimed that many deadly attacks in the country
are orchestrated from inside Afghanistan by the Pakistani Taliban. However, the
Afghan Taliban deny that any foreign forces are operating on Afghan soil.
The
increased insecurity in Pakistan due to militant activities has led to a surge
in targeted attacks on Pakistani officers and foreign nationals. Militants have
been increasingly bold in their operations, leading to heightened tensions and
security concerns.
These
attacks have caused significant disruptions and fear among the local
population, with many citizens feeling unsafe. The government’s efforts to
combat these militants have met with limited success, further exacerbating the
crisis.
The
international community has expressed concern over the deteriorating security
situation in Pakistan, urging stronger measures to protect civilians and
prevent further escalation of violence. The ongoing instability poses a
significant challenge to the region’s peace and security.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/senior-ttp-commander-killed-in-kunar-afghanistan/
--------
Taliban
claims over 100 airplanes cross Afghanistan’s airspace daily
June 20,
2024
Officials
at the Ministry of Transport and Aviation of the Taliban claim that over 100
planes pass through Afghanistan’s airspace every 24 hours, with a fee of $700
charged per plane.
Radio
Television Afghanistan reported on Wednesday, June 19, that according to the
Ministry of Transport and Aviation, with the commencement of international
flights from Khost province, there are five international-standard airports
across the country, handling 30 foreign flights daily.
Imamuddin
Ahmadi, the Ministry of Transport and Aviation spokesperson, stated that the
Nangarhar airport, which was used for military purposes years ago, is now ready
for international flights.
Mr.
Ahmadi added that between 100 and 120 planes pass through Afghanistan’s
airspace every 24 hours, with a fee of $700 per plane collected.
According
to information from the Taliban Ministry of Transport and Aviation, there are
27 operational airports across Afghanistan, five of which are international and
the rest local.
Following
the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, most international airlines
changed their routes and halted flights to the country; however, nearly three
years later, some regional airlines have resumed their flights from
Afghanistan.
Since
the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the international community has not
recognized the current regime, leading to the country’s increasing isolation.
This lack of recognition has resulted in severe economic sanctions and reduced
foreign aid, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
The
situation in Afghanistan has become dire, with widespread human rights
violations and severe restrictions on women.
Women
have been banned from education and employment, significantly affecting their
rights and livelihoods. The humanitarian crisis is further deepened by food
shortages, inadequate healthcare, and limited access to basic necessities,
leaving millions in desperate need of assistance.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-claims-over-100-airplanes-cross-afghanistans-airspace-daily/
--------
International
Commission: Israel committed crimes against humanity
June 20,
2024
The
Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Gaza Conflict reported
that Israel has committed “deliberate and direct attacks on civilians” in Gaza
by using heavy weaponry.
Navi
Pillay, head of the UN-backed commission, stated that Israel’s actions in the
Gaza war constitute “crimes against humanity.”
During a
session at the UN Human Rights Council headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday, Ms.
Pillay said that Israel has engaged in forced starvation, killings, and
inhumane and cruel treatment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
She also
accused Palestinian groups of committing war crimes.
Al
Jazeera reported that Ms. Pillay’s team has submitted around 7,000 pieces of
evidence regarding crimes committed by Israeli forces and Hamas to the
International Criminal Court.
Meanwhile,
Chris Sidoti, a member of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry
on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, told reporters that “the Israeli army
is one of the most criminal armies in the world.”
Israeli
officials have repeatedly denied similar accusations in the past.
Additionally,
Al Jazeera reported that at least nine Palestinian civilians were killed in an
Israeli airstrike in Rafah while standing in line to receive aid.
Since
the beginning of the war in Gaza, the humanitarian situation for Palestinians
has become increasingly dire. Many civilians have been displaced from their
homes, living in overcrowded shelters with limited access to food, water, and
medical care.
The
continuous blockade has exacerbated these conditions, leaving thousands without
basic necessities.
Hospitals
in Gaza are overwhelmed with casualties and are struggling to provide adequate
medical care due to shortages of supplies and equipment.
The
international community has called for urgent humanitarian aid and a ceasefire
to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian population, but the conflict
shows no signs of ending, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/international-commission-israel-committed-crimes-against-humanity/
--------
Germany
announces talks to deport ‘criminal migrants’ to Afghanistan
June 20,
2024
Nancy
Faeser, Germany’s Interior Minister, says that secret negotiations with third
countries regarding the deportation of “criminal migrants” to Afghanistan have begun.
The
local German newspaper NeueOsnabrückerZeitung reported on Wednesday, June 19,
that Faeser made these remarks during a meeting with the interior ministers of
Germany’s states.
According
to the German Interior Minister, “We are working intensively to be able to
deport dangerous Islamists and perpetrators of violence to Afghanistan.”
She
emphasized that Germany’s security interests are their priority, adding, “We
are having secret negotiations with various countries to find ways to make
deportations to Afghanistan possible.”
German
officials have intensified their focus on deporting Afghan migrants from the
country after an Afghan migrant attacked a gathering of the anti-Islam group
“Pax Europa” in Mannheim with a knife, resulting in the death of a German
officer.
Last
week, German media reported that another Afghan migrant killed a compatriot
with a knife-like object and injured three others who were watching the UEFA
European Championship.
Meanwhile,
several other German officials have also supported the decision to deport
criminal migrants from the country and have stated that they are exploring ways
to facilitate these deportations.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/germany-announces-talks-to-deport-criminal-migrants-to-afghanistan/
--------
Southeast Asia
Somalia
asks peacekeepers to slow withdrawal, fears Islamist resurgence
JUNE 20,
2024
MOGADISHU
- Somalia's government is seeking to slow the withdrawal of African peacekeepers
and warning of a potential security vacuum, documents seen by Reuters show,
with neighbouring countries fretting that resurgent al Shabaab militants could
seize power.
The
African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a peacekeeping force, is
committed to withdrawing by Dec 31, when a smaller new force is expected to
replace it.
However,
in a letter last month to the acting chair of the African Union Peace and
Security Council the government asked to delay until September the withdrawal
of half the 4,000 troops due to leave by the end of June. The letter has not
been reported before.
The
government had previously recommended, in a joint assessment with the AU in
March, reviewed by Reuters, that the overall withdrawal timeline be adjusted
"based on the actual readiness and capabilities" of Somali forces.
The joint assessment, which was mandated by the UN Security Council, warned
that a "hasty drawdown of ATMIS personnel will contribute to a security
vacuum".
"I've
never been more concerned about the direction of my home country," said
Mursal Khalif, an independent member of the defence committee in parliament.
The
European Union and United States, the top funders of the AU force in Somalia,
have sought to reduce the peacekeeping operation due to concerns about
long-term financing and sustainability, four diplomatic sources and a senior
Ugandan official said.
Negotiations
about a new force have proven complicated, with the AU initially pushing for a
more robust mandate than Somalia wanted, three of the diplomatic sources said.
A heated political dispute could lead Ethiopia to pull out some of the most
battle-hardened troops.
Somalia's
presidency and prime minister's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Mohamed
El-Amine Souef, AU special representative to Somalia and head of ATMIS, said
there was no definitive timeline for concluding negotiations but that all
parties were committed to an agreement that helps achieve sustainable peace and
security.
"The
AU and Somalia's government have emphasised the importance of a
conditions-based drawdown to prevent any security vacuum," he told
Reuters.
The
Peace and Security Council is due to meet on Somalia later on Thursday (June
20) to discuss the drawdown and follow up mission.
As the
drawdown proceeds, with 5,000 of around 18,500 troops leaving last year, the
government has projected confidence. It has said the new force should not
exceed 10,000 and should be limited to tasks like securing major population
centres.
The call
for a smaller force likely reflects views of nationalists who oppose a heavy
foreign presence in Somalia, said Rashid Abdi, an analyst with Sahan Research,
a Nairobi-based think-tank focused on the Horn of Africa.
Worried
neighbours
Uganda
and Kenya, which contributed troops to the departing mission, are also worried.
Henry
OkelloOryem, Uganda's state minister of foreign affairs, said that despite
intensive training efforts, Somali troops could not sustain a long-term
military confrontation.
"We do not want to get into a situation
where we are fleeing, the kind of thing that we saw in Afghanistan," he
told Reuters.
Oryem
said Kenya accepted the drawdown requested by the US and EU but that the
concerns of countries with forces in Somalia should be heard.
Kenyan
President William Ruto told reporters in Washington last month that a
withdrawal that did not account for conditions on the ground would mean
"the terrorists will take over Somalia."
In
response to questions, an EU spokesperson said it was focused on building
domestic security capacities and supported in principle a Somali government
proposal for a new mission that would have a reduced size and scope.
A US
State Department spokesperson said the force should be large enough to prevent
a security vacuum. Washington has supported all requests submitted by the AU to
the UN Security Council to modify the drawdown timeline, the spokesperson said.
In
response to a question about Ethiopian forces, the spokesperson said it was
critical to avoid security gaps or unnecessary expenses "incurred by
swapping out existing troop contributors."
Setbacks
Two
years ago, an army offensive in central Somalia initially seized large swathes
of territory from al Shabaab.
In
August, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed declared his intention to
"eliminate" the powerful al Qaeda offshoot within five months.
But just
a few days later, al Shabaab counter-attacked, retaking the town of Cowsweyne.
They killed scores of soldiers and beheaded several civilians accused of
supporting the army, according to a soldier, an allied militiaman and a local
resident.
"This
broke the hearts of Somalis but gave courage to al Shabaab," Ahmed
Abdulle, the militiaman, from a clan in central Somalia, said in an interview
in April.
The
Somali government has never publicly provided a death toll for the Cowsweyne
battle and didn't respond to a request for a toll for this story.
"There
were enough troops in Cowsweyne, over a battalion, but they were not organised
well," said a soldier named Issa, who fought in the battle there last August.
Issa
said car bombs had blasted through the gates of Cowsweyne army camp on the day
of the attack, citing a shortage of defensive outposts to protect bases from
such attacks.
Ten
soldiers, militiamen from local clans and residents in areas targeted by the
military campaign reported no army operations in the past two months following
additional battlefield setbacks.
Reuters
could not independently establish the extent of the territorial losses to al
Shabaab. Somalia's National Security Adviser said on X this week that the army
had held most of its gains.
The
peacekeepers' withdrawal could make it more difficult to hold territory. While
analysts estimate Somalia's army at around 32,000 soldiers, the government
acknowledged, in the assessment with the AU, a shortage of some 11,000 trained
personnel due to "high operational tempo" and "attrition".
The
government has said its soldiers are capable of confronting al Shabaab with
limited external support.
Somalia
has defied gloomy predictions before and has expanded its security forces in
recent years.
Residents
of the seaside capital Mogadishu - whose ubiquitous blast walls testify to the
threat of Shabaab suicide bombers and mortars - say security has improved.
Once-quiet streets bustle with traffic, and upscale restaurants and
supermarkets are opening.
An
assessment published in April by the Combating Terrorism Center at the United
States Military Academy said an Afghanistan-like collapse was unlikely, helped
by ongoing external support.
The
United States, for instance, has about 450 troops in Somalia to train and
advise local forces, and conducts regular drone attacks against suspected
militants.
But the
assessment's author, Paul D. Williams, a professor of international affairs at
George Washington University, said the militants' estimated 7,000-12,000
fighters would nevertheless be "slightly militarily stronger" than
Somali forces because of superior cohesion and force employment.
International
support
Somalia's
security has been underwritten by foreign resources since Ethiopia invaded in
2006, toppling an Islamist-led administration but galvanising an insurgency
that has since killed tens of thousands of people.
The US
has spent more than US$2.5 billion (S$3.4 billion) on counterterrorism
assistance since 2007, according to a study last year by Brown University. That
number does not include undisclosed military and intelligence spending on
activities like drone strikes and deployments of American ground troops.
The EU
says it has provided about US$2.8 billion to ATMIS and its predecessor since
2007. Turkey, Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries also provide security
assistance.
But
resources are under strain. The EU, which pays for most of ATMIS's roughly
US$100 million annual budget, is shifting toward bilateral support with an eye
toward reducing its overall contributions in the medium-term, four diplomatic
sources said.
Two
diplomats interviewed by Reuters, who spoke on condition of anonymity to
describe private negotiations, said the US and EU want to scale back
peacekeeping operations because of competing spending priorities including
Ukraine and Gaza and a sense Somalia should take responsibility for its own
security.
Some
European countries would like to see the new mission financed through assessed
contributions of United Nations member states, which would increase the
financial burden on the United States and China, the four diplomatic sources
said.
The
State Department spokesperson said the US did not believe such a system can be
implemented by next year but said there was strong international consensus to
support the follow-on mission. The EU didn't address questions about the
financing of the replacement mission
Financing
for the new mission can only be formally addressed once Somalia and the AU
agree on a proposed size and mandate.
Source: asiaone.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.asiaone.com/world/somalia-asks-peacekeepers-slow-withdrawal-fears-islamist-resurgence
--------
No
casualties among S’porean haj pilgrims amid deadly heatwave in Mecca
JUN 21,
2024
SINGAPORE
- There were no casualties among the Singaporean pilgrims who performed the
annual haj in Mecca, where an intense heatwave has claimed more than 1,000
lives.
However,
some of the Singaporeans reported having fevers and sore throats, Minister in
the Prime Minister’s Office Maliki Osman told Malay-language newspaper
BeritaHarian on June 20.
Temperatures
in Islam’s holiest city hit 51.8 deg C on June 17. There have been 1,081 deaths
reported so far by some 10 countries, based on information from official
statements and diplomats, AFP reported.
About
1.8 million people from across the world converged in Mecca to participate in
the mostly outdoor pilgrimage, which ran for several days in mid-June.
The
timing of the haj is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, shifting forward
each year in the Gregorian calendar. The past several years have seen it take
place during the summer.
A Saudi
study published in May said that temperatures in the area are rising 0.4 deg C
each decade, while a separate 2019 study warned that heat stress for haj
pilgrims will exceed the “extreme danger threshold” in the future.
Despite
the heat, pilgrims from Singapore remain in good spirits, said Dr Maliki.
“Most of
the pilgrims have already completed their haj,” he added, with the first group
set to return to Singapore on June 24.
There
have also been fewer pilgrims who needed medical attention compared with 2023,
he said.
He
attributed this to a new system put in place by the Singapore Pilgrims’ Affairs
Office (SPAO) in collaboration with the travel agents authorised by the Islamic
Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) to render medical assistance.
The
travel agents were required to assign welfare officers – who are either doctors
or nurses – to pilgrims who are unwell. These officers would take them to the
SPAO clinic or the hospital if necessary.
This is
on top of SPAO and Muis getting support from Saudi Arabian doctors to assist
with any medical needs faced by Singaporean pilgrims, Dr Maliki added.
Source: straitstimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/no-casualties-among-s-porean-haj-pilgrims-amid-deadly-heatwave-in-mecca
--------
DJ Dave donates
RM10,000 prize to religious organisations
21-06-
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR: Veteran artiste Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah, better known as DJ Dave, has
generously donated the RM10,000 cash prize he received from the Rotary Club of
Ara Damansara (RCAD) to several religious organisations.
The
YayasanKebajikanArtis Tanah Air (YKAT) chairman won the prize after being
selected as the recipient of the club’s Special Award for Unity recently, for
his contribution to the patriotic song ‘SetiaPerpaduan’ project.
The singer,
known for the song ‘Kini Ku MenangisLagi’, said the decision to donate the cash
prize accompanying the award aimed to further promote unity among the
multiracial society in this country.
“I want
to promote a culture of mutual respect among everyone. So, I believe it’s best
to distribute the money to religious organisations. As a caring Malaysian, I
will continue to donate to various charity organisations to promote national
unity.
“I also
hope to inspire others to continue to live harmoniously as true Malaysians
regardless of race and religion,” he told Bernama after presenting the donation
here today.
The
recipients of the donation are Surau An-Nur in Bandar Menjalara, Canossa
Convent Welfare Centre in Jinjang Utara, Choong Wan Koong Temple in Pudu, PersatuanPengurusanKuilSubramania
Swami in Shah Alam, and Gurdwara Sahib Selayang, each receiving RM2,000.
Meanwhile,
RCAD president David CheahYik Qin welcomed the singer’s decision and described
his actions as noble.
“DJ
Dave’s generous and selfless act has indeed left a lasting impact on all of us
Rotarians as well as the rest of Malaysia. His outstanding contributions to
nurturing national unity and religious harmony only confirm that RCAD has made
a wise choice in naming him our first winner of the Special Award for Unity.
“DJ
Dave, thank you for inspiring us with your heart of gold and reminding us all
of what it truly means to be Malaysian,” he said.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/dj-dave-donates-rm10000-prize-to-religious-organisations-CF12600525
--------
Malaysia,
China committed to enhancing cooperation for mutual benefit
20-06-
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and China’s Premier Li Qiang are
committed to upholding strategic independence, pursuing common development,
maintaining mutual trust, safeguarding fairness and justice and enhancing
cooperation for mutual benefit.
In a
joint statement issued today, both leaders agreed that the two countries have
been good neighbours for hundreds of years, true friends with sincerity and
partners of win-win cooperation.
Since
the establishment of diplomatic relations on 31 May 1974, especially the
establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2013, the bilateral
relations have been continuously improved, delivered important benefits to its
peoples and provided an impetus for their development and stability.
“Such a
friendship has witnessed profound changes over half a century and shown renewed
vigour and vitality,” the statement read.
Both
leaders agreed that the world is undergoing profound changes and has entered a
new period of instability and transformation, and that Malaysia and China are
important representatives of developing countries in Asia and emerging
economies.
It said
that the strategic significance of bilateral relations has been further
highlighted, which is crucial to not only their peoples but also the future of
this region, enhancing the unity and cooperation of the ‘Global South’.
The
joint statement said the two leaders will commit to promoting an equal and
orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic
globalisation.
“Malaysia
highly commends that President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of building
the Community of Shared Future for Mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative, the
Principle of Amity, Sincerity, Mutual Benefit and Inclusiveness in
Neighbourhood Diplomacy, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security
Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative.
“China
also supports the fundamental principles of ‘Malaysia MADANI’, advocating and
promoting innovation, care and compassion, inclusiveness as well as mutual
respect,” it said.
Both
countries reached an important consensus on building a China-Malaysia Community
with a Shared Future in 2023, and remain steadfast to strengthen and deepen the
bilateral cooperation in taking it to even greater heights.
Anwar
and Li have also agreed to keep the momentum of high-level exchanges and
provide significant strategic guidance for the stable development of bilateral
relations.
The two
sides will intensify the exchanges and cooperation between the central and
local governments, legislatures and political parties, enhance communication on
policies and strengthen experience sharing on governance, with Malaysia and
China reiterating their firm support for the national development vision and
goals of each other.
“Malaysia
admires China’s achievements in the new era and appreciates China’s pursuit of
national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernisation. China
appreciates Malaysia’s social and economic achievements under Malaysia MADANI,”
it said.
The
statement added that Malaysia and China firmly support each other in
safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and
adhere to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal
affairs.
Malaysia
reiterated its firm commitment to the One China Policy, as per the Joint
Communique signed by the leaders of both countries on 31 May 1974.
Consistent
with One China Policy, Malaysia recognises that Taiwan is an inalienable
territory of the People’s Republic of China, in order for China to achieve
national reunification and thus will not support any call for the independence
of Taiwan.
Both
countries reaffirmed their commitment to safeguard social stability, protect
national security and enhance national unity, the joint statement said.
Li
departed for home today after concluding a three-day official visit to
Malaysia.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
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https://thesun.my/local-news/malaysia-china-committed-to-enhancing-cooperation-for-mutual-benefit-JP12599437
--------
Malaysia-China
agree to resolve disputes in South China Sea by peaceful means, international
law
20-06-
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR: Malaysia and China have agreed to resolve disputes in the South China
Sea by peaceful means, through friendly consultations and negotiations, in
accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law,
including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Emphasising
the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability in the South China
Sea, the two sides will launch bilateral dialogues on the management of
maritime issues as early as possible to foster maritime discussion and
cooperation.
“The two
sides will work together with other ASEAN countries to fully and effectively
implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea
(DOC) in its entirety and look forward to the early conclusion of an effective
and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC),” according to a
joint statement between China and Malaysia released today.
Besides
that, the two countries shared the importance of preserving and maintaining
peace and security in the Asia Pacific region, underpinned by respect for
sovereignty and adherence to agreed rules and norms.
“The two
countries agreed to support efforts to preserve Southeast Asia as a region free
from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, while contributing
to global efforts on disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of
nuclear energy, in line with the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear
Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ),” it said.
In the
statement, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese Premier Li Qiang
also agreed to enlarge cooperation in areas of the defence industry and enhance
exchanges and cooperation on national security.
Both
Anwar and Li reiterated opposition to any form of terrorism and will strengthen
cooperation on law enforcement security and anti-terrorism, jointly address
cross-border crime and contribute to regional peace and stability.
Li
arrived in Malaysia for a three-day official visit on Tuesday, the third and
last leg of his eight-day tour that also took him to New Zealand and Australia.
Li’s
visit coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between Malaysia and China, following the signing of the Joint
Communiqué between second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and then
Chinese Premier Chou En Lai on May 31, 1974.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/malaysia-china-agree-to-resolve-disputes-in-south-china-sea-by-peaceful-means-international-law-EP12599386
--------
Africa
Ramaphosa
vows to fight inequality as power-sharing begins
JUNE 20
2024
A
weakened South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged on Wednesday that his
new multi-party government would work to improve basic living conditions for
all citizens as he was sworn in for a second term in office.
Ramaphosa's
African National Congress will be sharing power with five other parties after
it was humbled in a May 29 election, losing its parliamentary majority for the
first time in 30 years of democracy.
The
voters "have been unequivocal in expressing their disappointment and
disapproval of our performance in some of the areas in which we have failed
them," Ramaphosa said at his inauguration ceremony in the capital
Pretoria.
He said
the voters wanted everyone to have enough food, decent homes, clean water,
affordable and uninterrupted electricity supply, well-maintained roads, good
care for the sick and elderly, quality schools and other basic services.
"Today,
I stand before you as your humble servant to say we have heard you," he
said. "In this moment we must choose to move forward, to close the
distances between South Africans and to build a more equal society."
The ANC
remains the largest party after the election, followed by the pro-business
Democratic Alliance, a critic of the ANC's record in office which has agreed to
join the new government.
Ideological
divisions
While
investors have welcomed the inclusion of the DA, which wants to boost growth
through structural reforms and prudent fiscal policies, analysts say sharp
ideological divisions between the parties could make the government unstable.
Just
before the election, Ramaphosa signed into law a National Health Insurance bill
that the DA says could collapse a creaking health system. It was unclear what
would happen to that law under the new government.
The DA
advocates scrapping the ANC's flagship Black economic empowerment programme,
saying it hasn't worked -- a highly contentious topic in a nation grappling
with huge inequalities, some inherited from apartheid.
Ramaphosa
has yet to announce the make-up of his new government, to be negotiated with
members of the new alliance.
A former
liberation movement, the ANC came to power under Nelson Mandela's leadership in
the 1994 elections that marked the end of apartheid and had long been
unbeatable, but it lost its shine after presiding over years of decline.
Poverty
and crime
Weary of
high levels of poverty and unemployment, rampant crime, rolling power cuts and
corruption in party ranks, voters punished the ANC, which lost millions of
votes on May 29 compared with the previous election in 2019.
"Our
society remains deeply unequal and highly polarised," Ramaphosa said.
"We
are divided between those who have jobs and those who do not work, between
those who have the means to build and enjoy a comfortable life and those who do
not."
African
heads of state and dignitaries from as far afield as Cuba, a historical friend
of the ANC, gathered outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, seat of the South
African government, to bear witness to Ramaphosa's inauguration.
A
ceremony full of military pomp and pageantry began with inter-faith prayers by
Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and traditional African religious leaders,
reflecting the country's diversity.
Military
helicopters flew past in blazing sunshine, trailing South African flags, to
cheers from the audience.
Source: theeastafrican.co.ke
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/rest-of-africa/ramaphosa-vows-to-fight-inequality-as-power-sharing-begins-4663554
--------
'Don't
forget Sudan,’ says UN Refugee chief as war displaced face hunger
The UN
High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi has called on the world to not
forget the conflict in Sudan, which has been engulfed by violence since April
last year.
Grandi
pushed for peace as he visited a transit centre in Renk, set up by UNHCR, in
South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, near the Joda border with Sudan.
The
centre was originally built to accommodate 4,000 people, but now has more than
13,000 people living in and around it.
The
UNHCR chief met the family of BabikerSuliman, who arrived in Renk in December
2023, to escape fighting in El-Fasher in Sudan’s Darfur region.
The
Sudanese family of 13 live in a communal shelter with two other families.
Earlier
in June, the U.N. reported the number of internally displaced people in Sudan
has reached more than 10 million.
Sudan’s
latest conflict began last year when soaring tensions between the leaders of
the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into open
fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country.
The war
has wrecked Sudan, killing more than 14,000 people and wounding thousands of
others, while pushing its population to the brink of famine.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/06/21/dont-forget-sudan-says-un-refugee-chief-as-war-displaced-face-hunger/
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Court
‘Postpones’ Ruling On Kano Emirate Tussle
20 June
2024
Naija
News reports that the court judgement was initially scheduled for 12 pm today
but was moved before noon.
Recall
that the incumbent Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, had dethroned the
15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and also overturned the establishment of
four emirates, Bichi, RanoKaraye, and Gaya, by his predecessor, Abdullahi Umar
Ganduje.
A newly
passed state law was also used to reinstate the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu
Sanusi II, who was ousted by Ganduje in 2020, as the 16th Emir of Kano.
However,
a key figure in the history of the Kano emirate, AminuBabbaDanagundi, the
SarkinDawakiBabba, contested the legality of the law and requested the court,
through his lawyer, ChikaosoluOjukwu (SAN), to declare the law invalid.
The
judge, Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman, upon receiving the motion on Friday
last, adjourned the case to Thursday for consideration of the request.
The
judge will also issue a decision on a request for a stay of proceedings made by
A.G. Wakil, the lawyer for the State Attorney General and Kano State
Government, who were also involved in the lawsuit against Danagundi.
This
case is of significant interest as it will shape the future direction of the
emirate dispute.
The Kano
State command of the Nigeria Police Force has since admonished the public to
remain peaceful and patriotic as the Court delivers its ruling.
In a
statement issued earlier, the command’s spokesman, SP AbdullahiKiyawa,
reiterated the commitment of the command to protect lives and property, while
warning against any attempt to incite violence.
“In
collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, the command will strictly
enforce the ban on public protests, processions and unlawful gatherings imposed
by the state government.
“Violators
and their sponsors will face legal consequences. Adequate security personnel
will be deployed to maintain law and order.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/06/20/breaking-court-postpones-ruling-on-kano-emirate-tussle/
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Details
Of Tinubu’s Meeting With South Africa President, Ramaphosa Emerge
20 June
2024
Naija
News reported that the meeting was less than 24 hours after Ramaphosa was sworn
in for a second term at the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony held at the
Union Building, Pretoria.
In a
post via his X handle, Tinubu disclosed that their discussion was focused on
strengthening cooperation and enhancing the economic ties between Nigeria and
South Africa.
President
Tinubu noted that they intend to work together to address their countries’
challenges through robust trade and economic strategies.
The post
read, “I had the honor of attending President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration in
Pretoria yesterday, and today I met with him for a bilateral meeting. Our
discussions focused on strengthening cooperation and enhancing the economic
ties between Nigeria and South Africa.
“President
Ramaphosa’s warm welcome and dedication to mutual respect and cooperation
reflect the depth of our relationship. We intend working together to address
our countries’ challenges through robust trade and economic strategies, and I
am hopeful that we can lead our nations towards increased prosperity and unity.
“Looking
forward to collaborating at this crucial juncture for the progress of our
continent.”
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/06/20/details-of-tinubus-meeting-with-south-africa-president-ramaphosa-emerge/
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IMF
approves over $900m to support Tanzania budget, climate change fight
JUNE 21
2024
The IMF
said on Thursday its executive board approved funding for Tanzania of $786.2
million to help tackle climate change while also completing a separate review
allowing for the disbursement of $149.4 million for budget support.
Tanzanian
authorities are committed to continue implementing reforms to preserve
macro-financial stability, strengthen economic recovery, and promote
sustainable and inclusive growth, the International Monetary Fund said in a
statement.
In the
last three years, President SamiaSuluhu Hassan's administration has undertaken
various economic reforms with ambitions to return the country's economic growth
to the pre-pandemic real gross domestic product growth rate of six percent to
seven percent.
Tanzania's
economic reform programme remained strong, the IMF said, adding that economic
growth rebounded in 2023 after slowing down in 2022.
"The
current account deficit is narrowing, reflecting fiscal consolidation, easing
commodity prices, and tight external financing conditions," the IMF said.
Source: theeastafrican.co.ke
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business/imf-approves-over-900m-tanzania-budget-climate-change-4664764
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/demolish-sarai-kale-khan-madrasa-mosque-muslims/d/132548